MXPA06009390A - Method for making flexible bags having elastic-like behaviour comprising regions formed into pleat elements - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of forming flexible bags (10) having elastic-like behavior, wherein a sheet material (52) is introduced having one portion of the sheet material overlapping another portion of the sheet material. The sheet material (52) is formed into a strainable network. The strainable network includes a plurality of first regions (64) and a plurality of second regions (66). The first regions (64) are substantially un-deformed and the second regions (66) are formed into disengageable pleat elements (74). As the overlapped portions of the sheet material are formed they engage each other at the pleat elements. The pleat elements of each overlapped portion become engaged within each other and resist disengagement because of the frictional forces of the sheet material. The overlapped portions of the sheet material are separated using a disengaging means (130) so that the overlapped portions become disengaged and are separated from each other while riding on the disengaging means (130). The disengaging means is in the form of either air knife, static opening bar, dynamic opening bar, or suction means, and any combinations thereof.

Description

METHOD FOR MAKING FLEXIBLE BAGS THAT HAVE A SIMILAR BEHAVIOR TO AN ELASTIC COMPRISING REGIONS FORMED IN FOLDING ELEMENTS TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for the production of flexible articles from a continuous web, and more particularly, a method and an apparatus for the production of flexible bags having a behavior similar to an elastic is described. .

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For the containment and / or removal of various objects, flexible articles have been widely used, in particular flexible bags made of relatively inexpensive plastic materials. As used herein, the term "flexible" refers to materials that are capable of flexing, elongating, or bending, especially recurrently, such that they are manageable and deformable in response to externally applied forces. . Accordingly, the term "flexible" has a meaning that is practically opposite to the terms inflexible, brittle or non-deformable.

The materials and structures that are flexible, consequently, can alter their shape and structure to accommodate external forces and to mold them to the shape of the objects with which they contact in order to lose their integrity. Flexible bags of the type usually found in the market, are usually formed from materials that have consistent physical properties throughout the structure of the flexible bag, these properties include properties of elasticity, tension and / or lengthening. Usually, this type of flexible bags are used as garbage bags, bags for human remains, bags for discarding Christmas trees, colostomy bags, bags for dry cleaners, laundry bags, bags of selection of raw material and shopping bags . In the industry the methods for making this type of bags are well known. A classical prior art is that described in U.S. Pat. no. 4,867,735 issued to Wogelius on September 19, 1989, which describes a method and apparatus for the continuous manufacture of bags from a multilayer thermoplastic film web. Some flexible bags have also been made from thin films having deformations formed therein. One known method of forming these films is to pass a continuous web between a pair of shaped forming rollers to form an intentional pattern of deformations in the film. A problem that arises at the moment in which these flexible bags are made is that in this way a film is formed which, if the film has at least one overlapping layer or is made in a tubular manner, when it has deformations formed therein, one layer is coupled with the other and it is difficult to separate them for further processing. A similar problem arises when films, such as thermoplastic elastomeric films, exhibit excessive adhesion characteristics. Adhesion is the tendency of a film to adhere to itself. A methodology for solving this problem for continuous wefts made in a tubular manner is to inflate the film tube with air to separate the two layers formed. For example, U.S. Pat. no. 3,857,144 issued to Bustin on December 31, 1974 describes the making of a flexible bag in which a polyethylene film is passed between a pair of shaped forming rollers and the continuous webs formed then inflated or an air bubble is trapped inside of the plot to separate the two layers formed. Also, illustrative of the cutting-edge technique with respect to flexible bags and continuous webs with intentional patterns of deformations formed thereon, are, for example, US Pat. no. 5,554,093 issued to Porchia et al. on September 10, 1996; the U.S. patent no. 5,575,747 issued to Dais et al. he November 19, 1996, U.S. Pat. no. 5,723,087 issued to Chappell et al. on March 3, 1998, and US Pat. no. 6,394,652 issued to Meyer et al. on May 28, 2002. It is often difficult to separate the overlap or the overlapping layers of film in which the deformations have formed, which can cause problems during further processing. This problem is even more serious when the continuous web from which the flexible bags are made is not in a tubular configuration that can be easily inflated with air. In particular, many flexible bags are made simply by layering at least one sheet of thin plastic on or off the sheet or a continuous web on itself in an overlapped or bent "C" configuration. . In these cases, the inflating of the continuous web using air is not a practical method to separate the overlapping layers since the air tends to escape through the open edge opposite to the bent one. Even when a continuous weft tubular configuration is used, an air bubble may have a tendency to let air escape through the deformations or may have a tendency to form wrinkles in the continuous web. Accordingly, it is desirable to identify a process for easily separating overlapping layers of a continuous web after patterns or deformations have formed in the continuous web. Additionally, it is desirable to provide such a process and apparatus capable of producing flexible bags from a continuous web at high speeds and in a consistent manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a method and apparatus for making flexible articles, such as flexible bags and the like, from a continuous web of sheet material. In one embodiment of the present invention, a continuous process for making flexible articles having an elastic-like behavior is provided. The process comprises different stages. A material in the form of a sheet having an overlapping portion of the sheet material is introduced onto another portion of the sheet material. The sheet material is formed into a stretchable network. The stretchable network includes a plurality of first regions and a plurality of second regions. The first regions are practically non-deformable and the second regions are formed into uncoupling fold elements. As the overlapping portions of the sheet material are formed, they engage with each other in the fold elements. The fold elements of each overlapped portion catch each other and resist decoupling thanks to the frictional forces and the attractive forces of the sheet material. The overlapping portions of the sheet material are separated using decoupling means so that the lapped portions are decoupled and separated from each other as they roll in the decoupling means. Preferably, the decoupling means is in the form of a static opening bar, a dynamic opening bar or a suction means. More preferably, the flexible article is a flexible bag that is formed from a sheet material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES While the specification concludes with claims that particularly indicate and clearly disclose the present invention, it is considered that the present invention will be better understood from the following description along with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers identify similar elements, and wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a flexible bag in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of a process for manufacturing flexible bags in accordance with the present invention; Figure 3 shows a simplified perspective of a forming apparatus in accordance with the present invention.; Figure 4 is a simplified side view of an alternative forming apparatus with the continuous web in accordance with the present invention; Figure 5 is a partial plan view illustration of the continuous web of sheet material producing the present invention in a partially stressed condition; Figure 6 is a perspective illustration of a static aperture bar in accordance with the present invention; Figure 7 is an illustration of a static aperture bar and a continuous weft taken on the line of section 7-7 of Figure 6; Figure 8 is a perspective illustration of an embodiment of a dynamic aperture bar according to the present invention; Figure 9 is a perspective illustration of another embodiment of a dynamic aperture bar according to the present invention; Figure 10 is a side view illustration of a dynamic aperture bar with the continuous frame of the present invention; Figure 11 is a perspective illustration of an endcap embodiment in accordance with the present invention; Figure 12 is a perspective illustration of a preferred embodiment of a dynamic aperture bar in accordance with the present invention; Figure 13 is a side view illustration of a preferred dynamic aperture bar with the continuous screen of the present invention; Figure 14 is a perspective illustration of yet another embodiment of a dynamic aperture bar in accordance with the present invention; Figure 15 is a perspective illustration of the dynamic opening bar of Figure 13 within a cage in accordance with the present invention; Figure 16 is a side view illustration of an alternative embodiment of a dynamic aperture bar and a cap; Figure 17 is a perspective illustration of an alternative embodiment of decoupling means according to the present invention, for the purpose of clarity, with a disconnected vacuum distributor; Figure 18 is a side view illustration of yet another alternative embodiment of decoupling means in accordance with the present invention; and Figure 19 is a perspective view of a roll of flexible bags made in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In this detailed description of the present invention, any patent or non-patent literature mentioned as reference in this document and the disclosure contained herein is intended to be and is hereby incorporated by reference. Referring now to Figure 1 in which a preferred embodiment of a flexible bag 10 made in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. The flexible bag 10 includes a body of the bag 20, an opening along the upper edge 28, a sealed first seam 21, a second sealed seam 23 and a closed bottom formed in the fold of the lower part 22. Preferably, the flexible pouch 10 includes first regions 64 and second regions 66 forming a stretchable network along the body of the pouch 20. In one embodiment of flexible pouch 10, the first regions 64 are in a substantially interlaced pattern along the length of the pouch. body of the bag 20. In this embodiment, the flexible bag 10 has a tubular shape and an interior 12.

The flexible bag 10 is illustrated with an optional closure means 30 located on the upper edge 28 or adjacent thereto. The optional closure means 30 can be used to close the flexible bag 10 which forms a fully enclosed container to ensure that the contents therein 12 do not escape through the opening in the upper edge 28. Preferably, the flexible bag 10 it is constructed of a sheet material 52 which is suitable for containing and protecting a wide variety of elements and / or objects contained within the interior 12 of the flexible bag 10. As used herein, the term "material in the form "sheet" is the composition or substance from which the articles described herein are made. Various materials known in the industry are suitable for constructing sheet material 52 used in flexible bags 10 made in accordance with the present invention. For example, some materials in the form of sheet 52 for working these flexible bags 10 can be practically impermeable materials including any polymeric material. Illustrative, but not limiting, polymeric materials may include polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), and any polyolefin, such as, for example, linear low density polyethylene (PE), low density PE, high density PE or polypropylene (PP). Other types of materials may include aluminum foil, thin foil, coated paper (waxed, etc.) and uncoated, coated nonwoven materials, or they may even be virtually permeable materials including any fabric, meshes, woven fabrics, fabrics not woven, porous or perforated films, if they are predominantly dimensional in nature or are formed in three-dimensional structures. These sheet-like materials 52 may comprise a single composition or layer or may alternatively be a composite or laminate structure of different materials or multiple layers or any combination thereof. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the sheet material 52 can be shaped to include a slip agent. Slip agents may surface on the sheet material 52. In addition to incorporating slip agents into the composition of sheet material 52, additional slip agents may be applied to the surface of at least a portion of sheet material 52. A slip agent is a compound or composition that can contribute to reducing the coefficient of friction on the surface of the sheet material 52, and thus facilitate that the sheet material 52 is decoupled and separate from any overlapped portion. Sliding agents can even prevent portions of the sheet material 52 from adhering to each other. Some illustrative slip agents may include, for example, talc (hydrated magnesium silicate), diatomaceous earth, ceramic microspheres, N-ethylene bisstearamide, erucamide, Acrawax C, graphite or the like. Ceramic microspheres useful for the present invention are commercially available from 3M Corporation under the name Zeeospheres ™ ceramic microspheres. Using the present invention, various other items can be produced apart from flexible bags 10 including, for example, cardboard boxes, cans, containers, bottles, boxes, cans, containers, sachets, plates, wrappings, wefts, films, canvases and the like. . Some of the numerous product applications for flexible bags 10 made in the manner described in this document include, for example, bags for sandwiches, bags for storing food, bags for garbage, bags for containing human remains and remains of animals, bags to discard Christmas trees, colostomy bags, dry cleaning and / or laundry bags, bags to collect selected items from a warehouse inventory (raw material selection bags), shopping bags and the like. In one embodiment of the present invention, the flexible bags 10 can be made from raw materials as soon as the process begins with the manufacture of a continuous web 53 of the sheet material 52 from which a multiplicity of bags is produced. flexible 10. The term "continuous web", as used herein, is an integral length of sheet material 52 sufficient to manufacture a multiplicity of flexible pouches 10 connected in an edge-to-edge configuration. In another embodiment of the present invention, the flexible bags 10 can be made from a roll previously produced or from a discontinuous piece of material in the form of a sheet 52 which is then introduced to the process defined in this document. With reference to Figure 2, a method for making a flexible bag 10 is by creating a material in sheet form 52 and converting it into multiple flexible bags 10 through a continuous or batch process. A plastic raw material can be formed by blowing or molding a continuous web 53 of sheet material 52 in the manner that is well known in the industry. For example, a continuous weft 53 can be blown from a raw material of plastic material introduced in the form of beads into an extruder 120, of which a tubular structure, such as, for example, a tube 51 of thin plastic material, is extruded through of the tubular die 121. The tube 51 is inflated by blowing or capturing an air bubble inside the tube 51. Usually, this tube 51 cools as it rises. The tube 51 can be compressed together through a set of pressure rollers 122. The pressure rollers 122 collapse the air bubble and compress the walls of the tube 51 simultaneously into a continuous web 53 crushed of sheet material 52 which has at least one overlapped portion. The term overlap or overlap as used herein includes, without limitation, any sheet, layer, weft, film or sheet lying on any portion of another. For example overlap may include multiple layers, multiple sheets, laminates, tubes, bent sections, V-cuts or any two sheets placed anywhere on another sheet or even anywhere on the same sheet. Accordingly, the sheet material 52 can overlap so that the overlapping portions contact each other. When the overlapping portions of the sheet material 52 come into contact then they can be uncoupled and separated in such a way that they are no longer in contact with each other. A method for making a continuous web 53 of sheet material 52 is described in U.S. Pat. no. 3,857,144 issued to Bustinel December 31, 1974. Another way of making a continuous web 53 of sheet material 52 is by melting the continuous web 53 and this casting method is described in U.S. Pat. no. 4,428,788 issued to Kamp on January 31, 1984. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a continuous web 53 may pass through or on a cutting station 154 after passing through pinch rollers 122. The cutting station 154 may simply be a blade or a set of blades that can cut or make a slit in the continuous web 53 longitudinally as they pass over the cutting station 154. In one embodiment of the present invention, a single continuous web 53 may be cutting in two or more continuous frames 53, which can then be wound on rolls 11 and stored for later use, or alternatively, one or more of said continuous frames 53 are fed into an additional conversion station, as described herein. For example, the continuous web 53 can be cut by the cutting station 154 to separate the continuous web 53 into four separate continuous webs 53 such that two of the continuous webs 53 are substantially curved having a substantially "C" shaped cross section. and the other two continuous frames 53 are practically flat. The two flat continuous webs 53 are then made to traverse the separate bending stations 133 to fold the sheet material 52 to overlap at least one portion over another and then these continuous webs 53 can be wound onto the rolls 11. Alternatively, the two flat continuous webs 53 can be wound on the rolls 11 without a bending. Similarly, the two substantially curved webs 53 can be made to pass through the separate bending stations 133 to overlap at least a portion of the sheet material 53 over another. The substantially "C" shaped cross section is formed by overlapping or overlapping at least a portion of the side walls of the sheet material 52 over another. From this, it can be said that the side walls are connected through a bent region, which in the present embodiment is the fold of the bottom part 22. Alternatively, two flat continuous webs 53 or other pieces of different lengths can be extended. material in sheet form 53 in contact with each other and sealing them along a longitudinal edge forming the region called fold of the bottom part 22. Each continuous web 53 of sheet material 52 can then be independently wound into rolls 11. for later use or can be processed immediately in accordance with the present invention. After the sheet material material 52 has been produced, it can be introduced in a continuous or batch process to produce articles such as flexible bags 10 by transport rollers 123. In this same manner, the sheet material 52 can be introduced into Multiple conversion stations for immediate processing. At various points throughout the process described in this document, the continuous web 53 of sheet material 52 can be wound onto a roll 11 and stored for future use in this or in another process, in the manner known by those experienced in the industry. The term "continuous process" as used herein means repetitive, constant or continuous stages which do not intend to stop or cease until the flexible bags have been produced. 10. As used herein, "enter" may mean, to pass. , feed, insert, interconnect, flow or push the material in the form of sheet 52 to the next conversion station. In the winding station 11, the sheet material 52 is wound into rolls 11 of the sheet material 52, in the manner known to one skilled in the industry. The sheet material 52 can be introduced into any of the numerous conversion stations by unwinding a previously wound roll 11 of sheet material 52 and introducing it through the conveyor rollers 123. Processing of the continuous web 53 of sheet material 52 continues as the material in the form of sheet 52 passes through the next conversion station, which can be an alternative or optional stage. This optional step may be a closing station 160 which forms or forms a closure 30 on the sheet material 52. The closure means 30 is formed on an edge 28 and is used to seal or close and seal the material. nterior 1 2 after f lexible f rom 1 0 with the contents has been read. Under some circumstances, a closure means 30 formed by a lower degree of fencing (such as, for example, a closure means located along only one side of the edge 28) can provide adequate closure integrity. The closure means 30 can be made from a strip of flexible plastic material in accordance with US Pat. no. 4,624,654 issued to B oyd et al. on December 25, 1986. Alternatively, other types of closure means 30 may be used including, for example, snap-on closures, clamped handle tabs, interlocking and twist-tie fasteners, closures without adhesive base, interlacing mechanical seals with or without slide-type slide fastener mechanisms, removable ties or strips made of plastic or other materials, thermal seals or any suitable closure means 30 may be used. These closure means 30 are well known in the industry as are the methods of manufacturing and processing thereof. Alternatively, in accordance with the present invention, in the construction of the flexible bags 10, a closure means 30 of any design and configuration suitable for its intended purpose can be used. In yet another alternative embodiment, the closure means 30 of the flexible bag 10 can be omitted. After the closure means 30 is incorporated in the continuous weft 53 of sheet material 52, the continuous weft 53 of material in the form of sheet 52 can be introduced to the next conversion station through conveyor rollers 123. Now with reference to Figure 3, forming apparatus 500 includes a pair of rollers 502, 504. First roller 502 includes a plurality of serrated regions 506 and a plurality of grooved regions 508 extending along the cylindrical roller 502. The serrated regions 506 include a plurality of teeth 507. The second roller 504 includes a plurality of teeth 510 that mesh with the teeth 507 of the roller 502 An alternative embodiment of the first roller 502 and the second roller 504 that mesh are illustrated in Figure 4 together with a continuous weft 53 of shaped material. of sheet 52. The continuous web 53 of sheet material 52 can be introduced into the forming apparatus 500 to form a stretchable network having at least two visually distinct regions 64, 66. A continuous sheet material is passed. 52 between the engaging rollers 502, 504, and the grooved regions 508 will leave continuous weft portions 53 of sheet material 52 without forming which will produce the first regions 64. The continuous weft portions 53 of sheet material 52 that pass between the toothed regions 506 and the teeth 510 will be formed by the teeth 507 and 510, respectively, into a plurality of fold-away folding elements 74 in second regions 66. As long as the sheet-like material 52 passes between the first forming roller 502 and the second forming roller 504, uncoupling fold elements 74 are formed in the overlapping portions of sheet material 52. The overlapping portions of sheet material 52 are pressed in contacting each other in first regions 64 and furthermore they are pressed into coupling contact with each other in second regions 66 where the high folding elements 74 are formed. The regions 66 may comprise rows of deeply formed deformations in the sheet material 52 of the continuous web 53, while the regions 64 may comprise intermediate non-deformed portions of the continuous web 53. The forming apparatus 500 can conform to d istintas areas, which have an increased frequency of folding elements 74 or different areas that have a decreasing frequency of folding elements 74, in material in the form of a 52 to I increase or decrease the concentration of teeth 507 along the circumference of the forming roller 502 and through the width of the forming roller 502. In the same way, the height of the teeth 507 of the forming roller 502 can vary within a particular toothed region 506 and along the circumference of the forming roll 502 in order to vary the height of the corresponding folding elements 74. Such configuration of the forming apparatus 500 allows the folding elements 74 to be formed into a sheet material 52 having predetermined elongation characteristics. As used herein, the term "formed" refers to the creation of a desired geometry or three-dimensional structure on a sheet-like material 52 that will substantially retain its shape when it is not subjected to any externally applied elongation force. other forces. The term "crease" refers to a deformation having a major axis and a lower axis, wherein the major axis is equal to or preferably greater than the lower axis. According to the present invention and as illustrated in Figure 5, these first regions 64 and second regions 66 impart a bag body 20 of the flexible bag 10 with a behavior similar to an elastic. As used herein, the term "elastic-like" describes the behavior of the sheet-like materials that when subjected to an applied elongation force, the flexible materials extend in the direction of the applied elongation and when the Applied elongation is released, the flexible materials return, to a considerable degree, to their relaxed condition. In particular, the sheet material 52 includes a "stretchable network" of different regions 64, 66. As used herein, the term "stretchable network" refers to an interconnected or interrelated plurality of first regions 64 and Second regions 66 that enable and I behavior similar to an elastic. This stretchable network can be extended to some useful degree in a predetermined direction, such as, for example, along the "T" axis, in response to the applied elongation force and subsequently released. In particular, the fold elements 74 are capable of straightening, unfolding and geometrically deforming in a direction practically perpendicular to their first axis 76 to allow extension of the sheet material 52 in response to this applied axial elongation. The sheet material 52 made in accordance with the present invention is configured in such a way that the first non-deformed regions 64 visually differ from the second substantially deformed regions 66. As used herein, the term "visually differentiated" refers to characteristics of the sheet material 52 which is easily discernible when observing the material in the form of sheet 52 or articles incorporating said material in the form of sheet 52, such as flexible bags 10 Additionally, while it is currently preferred to construct virtually the entire bag body 20 of a sheet material 52 having the structure and features made in accordance with the present invention, it may be desirable, under certain circumstances, to provide this elastic-like behavior in only one or more portions or areas of the bag body 20 rather than in its entirety. For example, the bag body 20 of the flexible bag 10 may have discontinuous areas where the first regions 64 and the second regions 66 exist, and the stretchable network is evident while it may also have discontinuous areas of the bag body 20 without any stretchable network . These distinct areas may occur when the forming rollers 502, 504 which produce the folding elements 74 are retracted or intermittently removed from being in contact with the sheet material 52 as the continuous weft 53 passes through the apparatus. 500. Intermittently withdrawing or opening the forming rollers 502, 504 allows the distinct areas of material in the form of non-deformed sheet 52 to be created. This intermittent removal can be synchronized to create a repeating pattern of discontinuous areas that are not deformed while discontinuous areas are also provided which are formed by the first regions 64 and the second regions 66 in a stretchable network. The sealing part 26, the first seam 21, the lower fold 22 and the second seam 23 (shown in Figure 1) are each an example of areas that may be completely lacking in some stretch network. The sealing part 26, the first seam 21 and the second seam 23 may be undeformed areas that help to ensure a correct seal. Sheet materials 52, such as, for example, those illustrated and described herein as being suitable for use in accordance with the present invention, are described in more detail in U.S. Pat. assigned jointly no. 5,518,801 issued to Chappell et al. on May 21, 1996, no. 5,691,035 issued to Chappell et al. on November 25, 1997; and U.S. Pat. no. 5,650,214 issued to Anderson et al. on July 22, 22, 1997; and U.S. Pat. no. 5,723,087 issued to Chappell et al. on March 3, 1998. A flexible bag 10 made of the sheet material 52 which includes the stretchable web for use with the present invention is illustrated and described in greater detail in U.S. Pat. assigned jointly no. 6,394,652 issued to Meyer et al. on May 28, 2002. While the continuous weft 53 has been described in this process in conjunction with the forming rollers 502, 504, it should be understood that such a continuous weft 53 may be replaced with a different piece of sheet material 52 and that interchangeable forming plates or any other device can be used alternatively to form the stretchable network having first regions 64 and second regions 66. As used herein, the term "distinct piece" is an integral length of sheet material 52 sufficient to make only a portion of the flexible bag 10 or a few of them, connected in an edge-to-edge configuration. Another method for forming the sheet material 52 suitable for use in the present invention is vacuum molding. An example of a vacuum molding method is described in U.S. Pat. assigned jointly no. 4,342,314 issued to Radel et al. on August 3, 1982.

Alternatively, the sheet material 52 can be hydraulically shaped in accordance with the teachings of U.S. Pat. assigned jointly no. 4,609,518 to Curro et al. on September 2, 1986. After the stretchable web is incorporated into the sheet material 52, it can be introduced into the next conversion station through the conveyor rollers 123. After forming the continuous web 53 of the As described, it is often difficult to separate the superposition or the layers of superposition of the sheet material 52 in which the fold elements 74 have been formed. This problem is even more serious when the continuous web 53 is not in a tubular configuration that can be easily inflated using air. A similar problem with the overlapping layers that adhere to each other occurs with the continuous frames 53 that are blocked to a large extent. Accordingly, in one embodiment of the present invention, a means is provided for the uncoupling fold elements 74 and / or overlapping portions of the sheet material 52. Preferably, the continuous web 53 is inserted into a decoupling means or of pre-opening 130 before the material in sheet form 52 has been introduced into the bag making machine 32. Now with reference to Figure 6, decoupling means 130 in the form of an aperture bar 200 is illustrated as a static aperture bar 201 having a static leading edge 203. As used herein, the term "static" "means without movement or fixed in one place. In this embodiment, the static leading edge 203 is static relative to the other components of the decoupling means 130. Preferably, the static leading edge 203 has a substantially rounded configuration. An example of a static opening bar 201 may include a support arm 205 extending from and supported on only one end by a support 209 in a cantilevered manner. The front extension 207 is the outward extension of the support arm 205 so that it can be substantially horizontal. Preferably, the front extension 207 has a trailing edge 203 that is substantially cylindrical or rounded. As illustrated in Figure 7, the cantilevered configuration of the static aperture bar 201 allows the insertion of a static aperture bar 201 between the overlapping portions of the continuous weft 53 of the sheet material 52. Preferably, the bar Static opening 201 may extend at least partially across the width of the sheet material 52. More preferably, the static opening bar 201 is uniform and, in one embodiment, cylindrical, which allows the material in sheet form 52 runs on an external surface of that without encountering any sharp corner that would alter the movement of the sheet material 52. The forwardly extending portion of the static aperture bar 201 is oriented substantially flat with respect to the path of the sheet material 52 immediately upstream of the static leading edge 203. The static front edge 203 meets the to the overlapping portions of the sheet material 52, which causes the overlapping portions to separate from each other as the static opening bar 201 is forced between the overlapping portions. In this manner, the static aperture bar 201 is used to uncouple the fold elements 74 (not shown) and separate the overlapping portions of sheet material 52 as the sheet material 52 travels through the bar. static opening 201.

As used herein, "to travel" means to be in physical contact, to be transported or to be supported by the object with which it comes into contact. The term "assemble" or "assemble" indicates that an article has come into contact with or against the thing on which it is transported. To the extent that the static anterior edge 203 encounters the overlapping portions of the sheet-like material 52, the friction forces which couple the fold elements 74 of the sheet material 52 are exceeded. As the sheet material 52 is mounted on the static opening bar 201, the amount of force found in accordance with FIG. the fold elements 74 are decoupled as the ratio of the sheet material 52 to the static opening bar 201 increases. In another embodiment of the present invention illustrated in Figure 8, separate the portions overlaps of the sheet material 52 includes the use of a decoupling means 1 30 in I to a debris shape 200, which is a dynamic aperture bar 202 having a dynamic leading edge 204. As used in FIG. the present, "dynamic" means that the leading edge 204 is not static relative to other components of the decoupling means 130. The dynamic leading edge 204 includes a pair of adjacent tensioning rollers. 206, 208 which extend in cantilever form from the base 210. As used herein, "adjacent" means that the pair of tension rollers 206, 208 are placed side by side with only a small space between them. Preferably, the tension rollers 206, 208 are made of lightweight, high strength materials to resist deflection forces such as aluminum, copper, carbon fiber or titanium. For improved handling of the sheet material 52 without slipping and to help pull the continuous web 53 onto the tension rollers 206, 208, preferably the tension rollers 206, 208 have high frictional forces, such as for example with a plasma coating, for example, a plasma layer PC12036 which is commercially available from Plasma Coatings of TN, Inc. The axes of both tension rollers 206, 208 are preferably aligned parallel to each other, and the tension rollers 206 , 208 are oriented transversely to the passage of sheet material 52. Alternatively, tension rollers 206, 208 may be arranged in non-aligned configurations, for example, in an angled or non-parallel configuration. The tension rollers 206, 208 rotate about the axes that are supported by high speed bearings mounted on the base 210. In this embodiment, the tension rollers 206, 208 form a dynamic leading edge 204 in which the tension rollers 206, 208 rotate when they contact the sheet material 52. In a preferred embodiment of the dynamic aperture bar 202, which is illustrated in Figure 9, the tension rollers 206, 208 can be supported by high speed bearings mounted on the base 210 at one end and an end cap 230 at the other end. In this preferred embodiment, the end cap 230 is mounted on the support arm 211 but alternatively, the end cap 230 can be fabricated integrally with the support arm 211. Optionally, the end cap 230 and the arm support 211 can be omitted, as described above. The support arm 211 is mounted on the base 210 and extends between the base 210 and the end cap 230 just below the tension rollers 206, 208. The trailing edge 238 in the downward direction with respect to the support arm 211 is positioned as so as not to interfere with the passage of the sheet material 52. The dynamic opening bar 202 extends at least partially through the width of the material in the form of a cantilevered sheet 52. In this configuration, the end cap 230 is positioned to allow the bent C-shaped region of the continuous weft 53 to be mounted on the outer surface 235.

As illustrated, the tension rollers 206, 208 are constructed in a configuration in which each of the tension rollers 206, 208 are made up of two separate intermediate rollers joined end-to-end. In particular, the tension roller 206 includes a first intermediate roller 251 connected end-to-end with a second intermediate roller 253. Similarly, the tension roller 208 has the same configuration as the first intermediate roller 252 connected from end to end with a second intermediate roller 254. The clamp 250 is mounted between the first intermediate rollers 251, 252 and the second intermediate rollers 253, 254 and forms a splice between the first intermediate rollers 251, 252 and the second intermediate rollers 253, 254. The clamp 250 It has a slightly similar shape to a "figure 8" and is in low relief of the external diameter of each corresponding roller 251, 252, 253, 254. In this way, the continuous web 53 of the sheet material 52 can travel the tension rollers 206, 208 without entering in contact with clamp 250. This configuration allows the dynamic aperture bar 202 to be wider to allow handling of wider continuous webs. An end cap 230 is configured with rounded edges to allow the overlapping portion of sheet material 52 to pass over the outer surface 235 without encountering any sharp edges. In one embodiment, the endcap 230 is substantially hemispherical at a front portion and is sharpened toward a rearward end 239 in a somewhat "droopy" shape. The end cap 230 is attached to the support arm 211 by fasteners that pass through the recesses of the fasteners 237 on the outer surface 235. Preferably, the end cap 230 is aligned with the opposing outer segments 216, 218 tension rollers 206, 208 to ensure that there is no misalignment between the ends of the tension rollers 206, 208 and the end cap 230. Any misalignment may cause rips, tears or deformations of the sheet material 52 as the weft continuous 53 travels the dynamic aperture bar 202. Accordingly, in a more preferred embodiment, the end cap 230 is slightly in low relief, below the opposite outer segments 216, 218 of the tension rollers 206, 208, and the back edge 238 of the support arm 211 does not extend beyond the rear end 239 of the endcap. As illustrated in Figure 10, the inner segments 219, 220 of the set of tensioning rollers 206, 208 constitute the area where said tensioning rollers 206, 208 enter in close proximity to each other; in front of it, are the outer segments 216, 218. Preferably, the tension rollers 206, 208 are located in such a way that a plane containing the center lines is practically perpendicular to the path of the sheet material 52 j ascending direction with respect to the dynamic opening bar 202, and the tensioning rollers 206, 208 are preferably equidistant relative to the plane defined by the path of the sheet material 52 just upwards with respect to the dynamic opening bar 202. The overlapping portions of the sheet material 52 travel the opposite outer segments 216, 218 of the tension rollers 206, 208, which causes the fold elements 74 to be decoupled and the overlapping portions of the sheet material 52 Separate one from the other. The "U" location is the point at which the overlapping portions of the sheet material 52 naturally uncouple and separate from one another. The distance from the dynamic leading edge 204 to the location U varies as a function of the speed at which the continuous frame is moved 53, as well as the tension of the continuous web 53 and the adhesion between the overlapped portions of the sheet material 52. The location U can oscillate in the machine direction or in the transverse direction. This oscillation may be towards the dynamic leading edge 204 and also away from it, even when the continuous frame 53 moves at a constant speed ratio. Referring now to Figure 11, in an alternative embodiment, the endcap 230 may have depressions 236 on the outer surface 235 so as to allow the continuous weft 53 of the sheet material 52 to be mounted on the outer cap. end 230 with less friction than when the outer surface 235 is smooth. Preferably, the depressions 236 on the outer surface 235 are substantially hemispherical. Also illustrated are the cavities of the fasteners 237 on the outer surface 235 of the cap end 230. To ensure that the sheet material 52 and the overlapping portions thereof run smoothly as they traverse the cap end 230, cap end 230 preferably has a highly polished outer surface 235. Preferably outer surface 235 has a low coefficient of friction, for example, with a plasma coating. One coating of the illustrative lens is the plasma coating PC-14015-02 which is distributed in the Plasma Coatings market of TN, Inc. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in FIG.

Figure 12, the dynamic opening bar 202 includes two sets of adjacent tensioning rollers 206, 208, 212, 214. The second set of tensioning rollers 206, 208, forming the dynamic leading edge 204 (not shown) and having a Cap end 230, are practically the same as those described with reference to Figures 8 to 10. In this embodiment, the first set of adjacent tensioning rollers 212, 214 is added and they are located in an upward direction with respect to the second set of tension rollers 206, 208 across the full width of the continuous weft 53. The first set of adjacent tensioning rollers 212, 214 is supported by a frame 221 having high speed bearings mounted on both ends of the tension rollers 212, 214. The frame 221 can be constructed with multiple components or as a single unitary component. The second set of tension rollers 206, 208 is preferably supported at only one end by the high speed bearings mounted on the cantilevered base 210 and has the end cap 230 fixed at the ends opposite the base 210. In addition, the arm of support 211 is mounted on the base 210 and extends between the base 210 and the end cap 230, immediately behind the tension rollers 206, 208. Alternatively, the second set of tension rollers 206, 208 and the support arm 211 they can be mounted on a frame portion 221 which is positioned such that the second set of tensioning rollers 206, 208 is just behind the first set of tensioning rollers 212, 214. Now with reference to Figure 13, when the means of decoupling 130 is in the form of two sets of adjacent tensioning rollers 206, 208, 212, 214, the overlapping portions of the sheet material 52 can be decoupled as required. passing between the first set of tension rollers 212, 214. After this, the overlapping portions of sheet material 52 are uncoupled and separated from each other as each overlapped portion encounters and moves towards the opposite outer segments. 216, 218 of the second set of tension rollers 206, 208. The sheet material 52 traverses between the first set of tension rollers 212, 214 and then the overlapping portions of the sheet material 52 are separated from each other by Such a way that the fold elements 74 are uncoupled and the overlapping portions of the sheet-shaped material 52 am separated out so that the blade-like material 52 moves and runs the second set of tensioning rolls 206, 208. The sheet material 52 traverses the inner segments 227, 228 of the first set of tensioning rollers 212, 214 as well as the outer segments 216, 218 of the second set of tensioning rollers 206. , 208. These two sets of adjacent tensioning rollers 206, 208, 212, 214 are configured such that the first set of tensioning rollers 212, 214 are separated from the second set of tensioning rollers 206, 208 to ensure a fixed location U for the separation of the overlapping portions of the sheet material 52. In a preferred configuration, the spacing Z between the first set of tension rollers 212, 214 and the second set of tension rollers 206, 208 is less than about the distance between the location U that occurs naturally and the second set of rollers 206, 208. In still another embodiment of the present invention, which is illustrated in Figure 14, the dynamic opening bar 202 is shown including an end cap 230 at both ends. Frequently the continuous webs 53 of sheet material 52 are extruded and blown for further processing without cutting the continuous web 53 and without bending it to overlap any portion of the continuous web 53. In these cases, the continuous web 53 remains in a practically tubular configuration, without any open edge. During processing, the overlapping portions are formed simply with the collapse of the tubular walls. Accordingly, there are no open edges for inserting and maintaining the support of decoupling means 130 in a constant cantilever fashion. For the purpose of separating these continuous webs 53, an alternative embodiment of the decoupling means 130 is used. The dynamic aperture bar 202 includes a pair of tensioning rollers 206, 208 forming the dynamic front edge 204. The axis of both tension rollers 206, 208 are aligned in parallel with one another and the tension rollers 206, 208 are placed adjacent to each other. Tensioning rollers 206, 208 rotate about axes supported by end caps 230. Opposite end caps 230 are employed as support for tension rollers 206, 208 at both ends of tension rollers 206, 208. Support arm 211 extends between both end caps 230 and is located just behind the tension rollers 206, 208. Each end cap 230 is attached to the support arm 211 at both ends of the support arm 211 employing fasteners that pass through the recesses of the arm. the fasteners 237 on the outer surface 235, in the same manner as described above. During use, this configuration of the dynamic aperture bar 202 may be surrounded in its entirety by the overlapping portions of the sheet material 52. Now with reference to Figure 15, the dynamic aperture bar 202 has movement capability between the upper support rollers 280, 282, 284, 286 and the lower support rollers 281, 283, 285, 287, which form a cage 290 around the dynamic opening bar 202 in such a way that the dynamic opening bar 202 remains captured within said cage 290. In this embodiment, the dynamic opening bar 202 is illustrated as being arranged horizontally within the cage 290. The upper support rolls 280, 282, 284 have the corresponding lower support rollers 281, 283, 285 , which are preferably arranged in longitudinally adjacent spaced pairs and on opposite sides of the dynamic opening bar 202. At a front end of the cage 290, it is located a set of adjacent support rollers 280, 281. The support roller 280 is aligned in an upper position, while the support roller 281 is aligned in a lower position. The front support rollers 280, 281 are separated from each other to allow the continuous weft 53 to pass between them while preventing the forward migration of the dynamic opening bar 202. In this front location, the dynamic leading edge 204, the tension rollers 206, 208 and the support rollers 280, 281 are all located in the same way in relation to each other, such as the two sets of adjacent tensioning rollers illustrated in Figure 12. Located just behind, on the outside of the tension rollers 206 , 208 and on the outside of the mid-point of the dynamic opening bar 202, are the middle support rollers 282, 283. The medium support rollers 282, 283 are located on the opposite sides of the dynamic opening bar. 202 in order to keep the dynamic aperture bar 202 in its horizontal position and parallel to the passage of the continuous weft 53. In a preferred configuration, two are provided. medium support roller assemblies 282, 283, 286, 287 in order to keep the dynamic opening bar 202 in its horizontal position. The middle support rollers 282, 286 are spaced apart from each other adjacent to an upper side of the dynamic opening bar 202, while the middle support rollers 283, 287 are spaced apart from each other adjacent to a lower side of the opening bar dynamic 202. The rear support rollers 284, 285 are positioned as to ensure that the dynamic opening bar 202 does not migrate backward from the desired position. In this way, the dynamic opening bar 202 is captured within the cage 290. In order to insert and remove the dynamic opening bar 202 from inside the cage 290, the intermediate support rollers 282, 286 in the upper position can be remove so that the dynamic opening bar 202 can be lifted out of the cage 290. Alternatively, the intermediate support rollers 282, 286 in the upper position can be attached to a hinged frame. In this way, the frame could be opened by causing the intermediate support rollers 282, 286 to move out of the dynamic aperture bar 202 for maintenance purposes or other purposes. For example, during the start of the continuous web 53, the dynamic opening bar 202 can be inserted into the tubular walls when the intermediate support rollers 282, 286 move out of position. The intermediate support rollers 282, 286 are moved back into position in order to keep the dynamic aperture bar 202 captive. In this configuration, the continuous web 53 of sheet material 52 can completely surround the dynamic aperture bar 202 that floats within the tubular walls of the continuous web 53. The overlapping portions of the sheet material 52 pass between the webs. anterior support rollers 280, 281 of the cage 290 and on the opposed external segments 216, 218 of the tension rollers 206, 208 of the dynamic opening bar 202, which causes the fold elements 74 to be decoupled and the overlapping portions of sheet material 52 are separated from each other. In this mode, the continuous weft 53 is threaded between the dynamic opening bar 202 and the cage 290. The overlapping portions of the continuous weft 53 of sheet material 52 can pass over opposite sides of the opening bar. dynamic. Now with reference to Figure 16, an alternative dynamic aperture bar 202 is illustrated within the cage 290 with a continuous weft 53 threaded between the dynamic aperture bar 202 and the cage 290. In this alternative configuration of the dynamic aperture bar 202, a pair of additional upper tension rollers 292, 294 are located in an upper portion of the dynamic opening bar 202 in a downward direction relative to the tensioner roller 206, and a pair of additional lower tensioning rollers 293, 295 are located in a lower portion of the dynamic opening bar 202 downwardly with respect to the tension roller 208. The upper tension rollers 292, 294 and the lower tension rollers 293, 295 can be mounted on both ends of the end caps 230. The tension rollers 292, 294 and the lower tension rollers 293, 295 contribute to supporting and guiding the continuous weft 53 of material in the form of sheet 52 as the continuous web 53 is threaded between the middle support rollers 282, 286, which are spaced apart from each other adjacent to an upper side of the dynamic opening bar 202 and to the middle support rollers 283, 287 that are spaced apart each adjacent to a lower side of the dynamic opening bar 202. The upper tension rollers 292, 294 and the lower tension rollers 293, 295 contribute with the corresponding upper support rollers means 282, 286 and the lower support rollers means 283 , 287, respectively, to ensure that the uniform pitch of the continuous web 53 is maintained as the continuous web passes over the dynamic aperture bar 202, while also maintaining the dynamic aperture bar 202 in a horizontal position. Optionally, the upper support rollers 292, 294 and the lower support rollers 293, 295 can be spherical ball bearings instead of cylindrical rollers. In another alternative embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in Figure 17, the step of separating the overlapping portions of the sheet material 52 (not shown) includes the use of decoupling means 130 in the form of a suction means 550. The suction means 550 is used to uncouple and separate the overlapping portions of the sheet material 52 as said sheet material 52 passes through the squeezing means 550. In this mode, the suction molding 550 may be an integral part of the forming rollers 502, 504 and may include openings 575 in at least one of the forming rollers 502, 504. A plurality of small openings 575 in each tooth 507 is connected to a vacuum manifold 570 through internal conduits of the forming rollers 502, 504. The openings 576 are shown in a faceplate at one end of the rollers 502, 504. The vacuum manifold 570 is attached to the openings 576 in a manner that allows rotation of the rollers 502, 504. Custom-made As the sheet material 52 passes between the forming rollers 502 and 504, where the folding elements 74 are formed, suction is also applied to the overlapping portions of sheet material 52 through the openings 575. It is generated vacuum, generally indicated by the arrow "V", and suction is applied through the vacuum manifold 570 which extends through the openings 576, to the conduits and openings 575 in the teeth 507. This vacuum allows the application of a suction force to the overlapping portions of the sheet material 52, thus decoupling the fold elements 74 immediately after they are formed by the forming rollers 502 and 504. In particular, the suction applied through the openings 575 separates the overlapping portions of the sheet material 52. In this way, the fold elements 74 are dipped and the overlapping portions of the sheet material 52 are separated. In yet another embodiment, as illustrated in Figure 18, the suction means 550 may be in the form of opposing enclosures 579, which are located in close proximity to the sheet material 52, just after the continuous web 53 passes through the forming apparatus 500. The vacuum, generally indicated by the arrows "V", can be applied through each enclosure 579 sufficiently so that the overlapping portions of the continuous web 53 of the sheet-like material 52 are separated in order that the fold elements 74 decouple from one another. The vacuum also provides sufficient suction to separate the overlapping portions of the sheet material 52 from one another. After the fold elements 74 are decoupled and the overlapping portions of the sheet material 52 are separated from each other, the continuous web 53 can be introduced to the next conversion station through the conveyor rollers 123. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, decoupling means 130 may be in the form of an air knife used to uncouple and separate the overlapping portions of sheet material 52. Air blades are known to persons of skill ordinary in the industry in the sense that air can be blown between the overlapping portions of the sheet material 52 to decouple fold members 74. In yet another alternative embodiment, the decoupling means 130 can include a pneumatic bearing. For example, an air-lubricated bearing can be a surface located between the overlapping portions of the sheet-like material 52 and where an air layer is introduced over the surface such that the sheet-like material 52 is mounted on the surface. air layer Air-lubricated bearings of this type are well known in the industry. Alternatively, these surfaces can use any g, liquid, and the flowing odor to form the layer on which the sheet material 52 travels including, for example, nitrogen, oil, glycerol, graphite, fat, water and any combination thereof. Referring again to Figure 2, optionally and using methods well known in the industry, a pair of opposite V 54 cuts can be formed in the continuous frame 53 at a conversion or ption station. Such an optional V-cut station 150 is illustrated just ahead of the bag making machine 32, but alternatively V-cuts can be inserted in the continuous frame 53 in other different sequences, as is known to persons of ordinary skill. in the industry. The processing of the continuous web 53 may continue by introducing the continuous web 53 into a bag making machine 32. The continuous web 53 passes through the bag making machine 32 in order to form the flexible bag 10 which includes a stretchable network that has at least two visually distinct regions. For example, flexible bags 10 can be formed from continuous web 53 such that said continuous web 53 has a perforated or detached section adjacent to a sealed section that extends transversely across the width of said continuous web 53. The perforated section adjacent to a sealed section may be separated longitudinally from a following pair of perforated section and sealed section configured in the same way. A method of this type of shaping this type of flexible bag 10 is described in U.S. Pat. no. 4,867,735 issued to Wogelius on September 19, 1989. After the flexible bags 10 are incorporated into the continuous web 53, the continuous web 53 can be introduced to the next conversion station through the conveyor rollers 123. Alternatively, the Conversion station, just forward of the bag making machine 32, may be a calendering station 150 used to process the continuous web 53 by flattening or pressing at least a continuous weft portion 53 to improve the binding capacity or sealing the material in the form of a sheet 52. In particular, the different areas of the continuous web 53 must be kept in close contact with each other in order to ensure effective sealing, bonding and forming of the material in sheet form 52. The continuous web 53 can then be pretreated by flattened fold elements 74 by applying pressure and heat on the material in the form of sheet 52. To form these distinct portions in continuous web 53 at the required locations, a set of rollers can be used. The continuous web 53 passes between uniform rollers as they come into contact with each other in order to flatten said sheet material 52. In a preferred embodiment, the uniform rollers are heated by the use of steam or some other method for heating uniform rollers. As the sheet material 52 passes between the uniform rolls, the fold elements 74 of a second region 66 become substantially flat with the first undeformed region 64. The uniform rolls flatten or collapse the fold elements 74. , as long as the structure of the stretchable network is not modified. After the continuous web 53 passes through this conversion station, the continuous web 53 can be introduced to the next conversion station through the transport rollers 123. The processing of the continuous web 53 continues as the continuous web 53 becomes continuous. it enters a bending station 133. The continuous web 53 passes through the bending station 133, which is preferably located after the machine for making bags 32. The continuous web 53 is folded in such a way as to reduce the width in the direction cross section of the continuous frame 53 overlapping portions of continuous frame 53 one over the other. The bending bars 33 comprise a bending station 133 and are used in the manner known to persons of ordinary skill in the industry. After finishing with the bent, the continuous web 53 can be introduced to the next conversion station through the conveyor rollers 123. The processing of the continuous web 53 proceeds as the continuous web 53 is introduced to the rewind station 111 which is preferably finds after all the processing of the continuous frame 53 is completed. The rewinding station coils the continuous web 53 into rolls 11 of flexible bags 10. These flexible bags 10 are wound so that when unwinding a section of the continuous web 53 the flexible bags 10 are allowed to cut off from each other for their Single Use. The rewind may include that a continuous web 53 be wound around a cylindrical core to form rolls 11 of flexible bags 10. The cylindrical cores may be used or omitted using winding methods that are known in the industry. Alternatively, since the desired sheet-shaped papermakers, comprising all or part of the components used for the bag body 20, are manufactured, the flexible bag 10 can be constructed in any known manner and suitable, for example, those known in the industry to manufacture these flexible bags 10 in a commercially available form. To join various components or elements of the flexible bag 10 to themselves to each other, technologies of heat sealing, mechanical sealing, ultrasonic sealing or adhesive sealing can be used. In addition, the bag body 20 can be folded or glued to build the flexible bag 10 from a single continuous web 53 or a singular discontinuous piece of sheet material 52 or any combination thereof. A further alternative embodiment of the present invention may include taking a roll 11 of preformed flexible bags or a roll 11 of sheet material 52 and unwinding the roll 11 and introducing the continuous weft 53 of this roll 11 in a process described above. . Optionally, several additional processing steps may be added either before or after forming or separating the flexible bags 10 described in this document. Other processing steps of the type of an alternative conversion station illustrated as processing station 127 may be completed which may include, for example, label printing, additional bending, cutting, shaping or sealing or any combination of these and other conversion processes. Although the process for manufacturing flexible bags 10 from a material in the form of a sheet 52 has been described in a particular order, it is known that these steps can be carried out in different orders. For example, a preferred sequence for the process of making such flexible pouches 10 may be that of introducing the raw material into an extruder and then forming the continuous ply 53 p or s pressed or molded. From here on out, the continuous web 53 can be processed by a series of conversion stations, or alternatively, the continuous web 53 of sheet material 52 can be wound on a roll 11 at any stage during the process. Such a roll 11 of material in sheet form 52 can then be discarded or introduced at any desired stage of the process. A particularly preferred process involves taking a pre-existing roll 11 of overlapping weft material 52 and introducing said sheet material 52 into a closing station 160. The sheet-like material 52 can be inserted into a forming apparatus 500 with the In order to form the folding elements 74 of the sheet material 52. Then, the sheet material 52 is inserted into a separating station 130 in order to uncouple the folding elements 74 and separate the overlapping portions of sheet form 52. Thereafter, sheet material 52 is inserted into a bag making machine 32 in order to manufacture the flexible bags 10. While particular examples and illustrative methods have been described for introducing the screen continuous 53 and sheet material 52, various variations of these examples are known in the industry. For example, the continuous web 53 or a single or different sheet of material in the form of a pre-cut sheet 52 having a single sheet can be inserted into the forming apparatus 500 and then folded into the folding station 133 for insertion into the manufacturing machine. bags 32. Alternatively, multiple continuous webs 53 or multiple different webs of sheet material 52 can be introduced, in a flat configuration, into the forming apparatus 500 in a bending station 133 and then fed into the bag making machine 32. Alternatively, the overlapping portions may be multiple continuous webs 53 or multiple distinct webs of sheet material 52 sealed at a longitudinal edge to form a fold at the bottom 22. Another alternative may be to introduce at least one or more webs continuous 53 or different sheets of sheet material 52 that are overlapped on themselves and have in fold elements 74 formed therein, which are introduced into the decoupling means. Still another alternative method for introducing continuous webs 53 may be one or more tubes 51 having depot elements 74 formed therein, which can be introduced into decoupling means 130. Yet another alternative may be to introduce one or more tubes 51 having fold elements 74 formed therein, decoupled, separated, folded and then introduced into the bag making machine 32. As illustrated herein, it should be clear to persons of ordinary skill in the industry that the stations of Conversion and the steps described herein may follow various sequence orders, other than those set forth herein, albeit without undue experimentation. Figure 19 illustrates the results of one embodiment of the present invention, a roll 11 of flexible bags 10. In this embodiment, multiple flexible bags 10 are attached in an end-to-end configuration that forms the continuous frame 53 from the which a multiplicity of individual flexible bags 10 can be separated. In the illustrated embodiment, the sheet material 52 has a perforation or frangible zone 25 between the sealed edge 21 and the sealed edge 23. The closure means 30 is illustrated in the form of a pull tape 31 which may be attached by inserting a strip of strip 31 into the continuous weft 53 of the sheet material 52 through a hem or channel 34 formed along the top edge 28. A scalloped area 17 of the edge can also be trimmed. upper 28 to provide access to a portion of pull tape 31. Since flexible bags 10 in their pre-use condition may be externally smaller than typical bags of less stretch capacity, the dimensions of roll 11 may also be smaller, since the flexible bags 10 can be expanded to the desired size. This type of roll 11 of reduced size can be particularly useful for dry cleaning bags. In yet another conversion station, the continuous web 53 of sheet material 52 can be divided, separated, cut or stripped as individual flexible bags 10 at the terminating station 161. Dividing the continuous web 53 of sheet material 52 in individual flexible bags 10 can be achieved by pulling each flexible bag 10 out of the continuous weft 53 along a frangible zone 25. Alternatively, each flexible bag 10 can be separated from the continuous weft 53 by cutting it through the n The continuous web 53 during a cutting and sealing step at the location of the frangible zone 25. In particular, after the flexible bags 10 have been formed, a cutting and sealing device can be provided which creates the sealed edge 21 and the sealed edge 23 using heat or other means, while simultaneously cutting or separating the continuous web 53 between the sealed edge 21 and the sealed edge 23 along the frangible zone 25. By cutting the continuous web 53 in this manner, the individual flexible bags 10 are separated from the rest of the continuous web 53. The flexible bags 10 can be stacked or folded together in an intercalated manner. This allows the stack 129 of interleaved flexible bags 10 to be placed in a package from which a consumer can withdraw each of the individual flexible bags 10 one by one without having to tear one flexible bag 10 from another. While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the industry that several additional changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It has been intended, therefore, to cover in the appended claims all changes and modifications that are within the scope of the invention.

Claims (10)

1. A method to make an article that has a behavior similar to an elastic one; the method is characterized by the steps of: introducing a material in the form of a sheet having at least one overlapped portion; forming the overlapping portion of sheet material in a stretchable network including a plurality of first regions and a plurality of second regions; the first regions are practically non-deformed and the second regions are formed into uncoupling fold elements; and uncoupling the fold elements using a decoupling means. The method for making an article according to claim 1, further characterized in that the decoupling means is selected from the group comprising air blades, static opening bars, dynamic opening bars, suction means, and combinations of these . 3. The method for making an article according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized by the step of overlapping a portion of the sheet material on another portion of the sheet material. 4. The method for making an article according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the step of separating the overlapping portions of the sheet material using the decoupling means. The method for making an article according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the dynamic opening bar comprises at least a first roller assembly and the folding elements are decoupled from one another at the same time as at least one portion of the sheet material is mounted on an opposite outer segment of the at least one roller. 6. The method for making an article according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the dynamic opening bar comprises a second set of rollers and folding elements that remain clutched to the extent that the sheet material passes between a first roller assembly; after this the folding elements are uncoupled at the same time as at least a portion of the material in the shape of the eye runs through at least one external segment opposite a second set of rollers. The method for producing an article according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the decoupling step comprises making the sheet material travel through the decoupling means. The method for making an article according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the forming step comprises forming the fold elements as the sheet material passes between a pair of forming rolls; at least one forming roller has toothed regions and grooved regions. The method for producing an article according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized by the step of incorporating a closure means in the sheet material. The method for making an article according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized by the step of forming flexible bags from the sheet material.