US2192527A - Folding and sealing mechanism - Google Patents

Description

March 1940- L. L. SALFISBERG FOLDING AND SEALING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 12, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet. 1

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Patented Mar. 5, 1940 UNITED STATES FOLDING AND SEALING MECHANISM Leroy L. Salfisberg, South Orange, N. J., assignor to Wrap-Ade Machine Company, Newark, N. J., a corporation of Delaware Application August 12, 1937, Serial No. 158,694 3 Claims. (oi; 93-18) This invention pertains in general to bag making machinery and specifically relates to a folding and sealing mechanism.

One object of the invention is to provide a machine of this general character which shall embody means for feeding a strip of packaging material and folding the edges of the strip into overlying relation to each other, and novel and improved means for sealing said overlapping i0 edges together. Another object is to provide a machine of this character having means for feeding a strip of packaging material and folding into overlapping relation the longitudinal edges thereof, means for sealing together the overlapping longitudinal edges of said strip to form' a tube-like structure, means for transversely sealing together the walls of the tube-like structure to form bags and means for severing the strip, and which shall include novel and improved means for operating said feeding means, both of said sealing means and said severing means.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following, reference being had to the accom-' 5 panying drawings in which like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout and in which: I

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred embodiment of a construction of folding and sealing 0 system in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the apparatus depicted in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detailed representation of the arrangement for feeding packaging material in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 5 is a detailed representation of a. portion of the construction of Fig. 4 and Fig. 6 is a view taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

The invention contemplates feeding strip-like packaging material onto a folding and sealing table. This table is provided with special feeding elements for producing a regulatable fold in the material within a small space. The folding and sealing table is further provided with sealing means for effecting a. longitudinal seal along the folded edges of the material to produce a tubular structure. Further means are provided for performing transverse sealing operations on the tubular structure, while at the same time severing this tube-like structure at a point adjacent the transverse seal to form individual bags.

5 The various movable parts of the mechanism zontal table 2.

are synchronized through a common driving means, so as to produce concomitant operation. In accordance with the present preferred embodi ment of the invention, it is a feature of the system that the packagingmaterial is of the heat 5' sealable type, means being provided for additionally providing adhesive to further assist in the fabrication of the seal. Further, the system employs a cooling arrangement for controlling ambient temperature conditions after the heat seal- 10- ing operation, so that the heat seal may be con trolled.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a general mounting structure l-is provided with a hori- Side plates 3 and '4 depend from! one end of this table, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

A large roll of strip-like packaging material 5 is mounted upon a roller 6 carried between plates 3 and 4. In the present preferred embodiment of the invention, this material may be transparentlga regenerated cellulose carrying a fusible coating: thereon, or paper carrying a fusible coating, or impregnated coating, or may be other materials asdesired. It should be particularly notedthat the invention also may be used in connection with 5 materials other than heat scalable materials, while vstill taking advantage of the structural and functional features.

l3, pivotally mounted. The arm l3 includesa. 1 spring connection with the mounting structure,

so that slack in the leader H is automatically compensated for when variations occur in longi- 40 tudinalmovement of the leader II. From the roller l2, the leader lll'extends over roller I la and around roller l4, and thence around rollers I5 and I5, as shown in Fig. 1;

One or more gluing devices H are suspended 45 from a rod l8 mounted between the side plates 3 and 4. The gluing device ll includes a wheel IIw and a well l'lb holding glue. The wheel Ila, dipping in the well I'll applies a narrow strip of adhesive to the leader Ill as it passes over the 50 I roller Hi. This line of adhesive may be applied to any part of the leader l0, and in the present embodiment isapplled along the line 20, as shown in Fig. 2.

From roller IS the leader extends over roller 2 l,

and a part I 0a of the leader extends around a forming spreader 25, shown in detail in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, and which internally regulates the size of the ultimate bag, independently of the external guide means. The spreader includes a vertical member 2511 adjustably suspended from a trans verse rod 25b, secured between the side plates 3 and 4. At its lower extremity, the member 25a is provided with a front angle plate 250, and a rear spreader element 25d. The plate 250 and spreader 25d are removably mounted.

In Fig 5 it will be noted that both extremities 25c and 25) of the element 25b are formed so that the material in the angle A is cut away. The ends 25c and 25] therefore are prism-shaped with substantially line edges adjacent the material, so as to permit the formation of a sharp bend in the material within a comparatively small space.

It is a feature of the invention that the screw holding the element 25d may be loosened so that this element can be removed and another spreader element of difierent size substituted therefor, so as to quickly adapt the system for forming and making bag structures of any desired width within the broad limitations of the machine.

The plate 250 forms part of a sealing arm and is coupled with a flat strip 2 which extends in a longitudinal direction centrally of the table 2, as shown in Fig. 2. The strip 21, composed of suitable material, such as resilient metal, is coupled, at its other extremity with a link 28 which, in turn, is connected with a sealing trough element 29. The sealing trough element 29 is shown clearly in cross-section in Fig. 3. It will. be seen that the member 29 includes vertical side walls 29a and vertical inner walls 292). Disposed between the inner walls 29b is a strip 30 of resilient or elastic material such as rubber or the like. This strip 36 is removably retained by the side walls 2%. The trough formed between the side walls 292) and side walls 29a accommodates moisture which may be condensed and exuded during a sealing process.

Above the strip 21 are a pair of presser plates 32 and 33, as shown in Fig. 2, which are mounted by hand nuts 34 and 35 on elements 36 and 31, adjustably secured along the sides of the table 2. The pressers 32 and 33 are adapted to guide the material, as it is fed, as shown in Fig. 2, to properly superimpose the folded-over longitudinal edges of the material fed from the roll 5. In addition, a swingable member 38 is pivotally mounted on member 46. adjustably positioned along a side of the table 2, and applies pressure to the edges of the packaging material so that the line of glue 20 may become effective and the edges of the packaging material adhesively attached together in the longitudinally extending area Hid as a preliminary sealing operation.

A sealing structure is disposed above the strip 36 and includes a mounting frame secured to the table 2. The mounting frame 45 carries a press 46, journaled at bosses extending from the frame 45. The member 46 includes a rearwardly extending arm 4'! carrying adjustable pin 48, engageable by an actuating lever 49, carried on the mounting structure I. The frcntward extending portion of the member 46 carries a bar 50 which includes an electrical heating element 5!, suitably connected with a source of heating current. The bar 56 is secured to the press 46 by suitable studs, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 Mounted on the rear of the press 46 is an electrically driven air blower 52 adapted to direct a blast of air against the sealed area of the tube structure 10c as it is fed, in the direction of the arrow, from the press 46, as shown in Fig. 1. The heated bar 50 engages the over-lapping areas "Id of the packaging material and presses these areas against the strip 36, at the same time pp ying sufiicient heat to fuse the thermoplastic coating carried by the packaging material, thus forming a permanent and unitary seal between the adjacent layers of packaging material. The resilient or elastic strip 39 is compressed and elongated asthe bar 50 presses the overlapping areas Illd between itself and the strip 36 and the packaging material tends to adhere to the strip and bar; and as the bar 56 releases said overlapping areas IDd the elastic strip 36 contracts longitudinally so as to clear itself from the packaging material and at the same time pull the packaging material from the bar 56, with a stripping action.

When the sealed tube-like packaging structure passes from the bar 50, it enters between friction rollers 55 and 56. The lower roller 56 is driven by a drum 51 carrying a uni-laterally acting pawl which engages a ratchet wheel 53, coupled With a gear driven by a rack 59. The rack 59 is actuated by a rod 60 eccentrically mounted on the disc 6| so as to impart intermittent an gular movement to the roller 56 to move the tubelike structure. The disc 61 is driven by an electric motor through a clutch intermediary, the clutch being controlled by a manual lever 62. Mechanically coupled with the disc BI is a cam 63 engaged by a rider 64 carried on a lever 65. The lever 65 is mounted on the structure i and actuates a vertically extending member 66 as well as the lever 49, coupled thereto by link member 61. The vertically extending member 66 actuates a severing mechanism 68 for transversely severing the tube-like structure as it is fed from the rollers 55 and 56.

The elements of the mechanism are coupled so that as the press 46 and bar 56 are raised, the tube-like packaging material is longitudinally advanced a distance less than the length of the bar 50 by rotation of the roller 56. When the disc 6| rotates to a position such that the press 46 is lowered by lever 49, the rollers 55 and 56 are brought to rest, and, as the bar 56 is pressed into engagement with the packaging material, the severing mechanism 68 operates to transversely sever the tube-like packaging material.

The severing mechanism 68 includes transversely extending bars 69 adjacent the severing elements l0. These bars carry electrical heating units for pressing together and heat scaling the packaging material along a line adjacent the severing line, thereby forming the tube-like packaging material into individual bags. The bars 69 carried by the equipment 68 may have mechanically complementary surface deformations in the form of crimping ridges so as to mechanically inter-digitate the layers of packaging material in the areas sealed. The completed bag units are delivered to the chute H and thence to a conveyer or stacking equipment for ultimate use.

Although a preferred form of folding and sealing mechanism has been shown, it will be readily understood that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the intended scope of the invention. Therefore, no limitations are intended except as pointed out in the appended claims.

What I claim as new and original and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. A bag forming machine comprising, a table, a pair of feeding rollers, transverse severing and sealing equipment adjacent said rollers, a forming spreader mounted adjacent said table for guiding strip-like material adjacent a surface of said table, means for guiding said strip material, as it is fed, so that the edges are folded over said spreader and brought into over-lapping relation to form a tube-like contour, an arm mounted internally of said tube-like contour, a sealing member movably mounted above said arm for co-acting therewith to seal said overlapping edges of said material, said sealed tube-like structure being fed between said rollers past said transverse sealing and severing equipment, and common driving means for actuating, first, said rollers to move said material, and second, said sealing member and said sealing and severing equipment, in sequence in a bag-forming operation.

2. A bag forming machine comprising, means for feeding strip packaging material, means for longitudinally folding said strip material to provide over-lapping edges, a reciprocative sealer for longitudinally sealing said overlapping edges to form a tube-like structure, another sealer for transversely sealing said tube-like structure, rollers for feeding said tube-like structure from one sealer to another, driving means, and an intermittent motion mechanism driven by said driving means for (1) delivering a force to said reciprocative sealer to perform a longitudinal sealing operation and (2) delivering a force to said rollers to move said longitudinally sealed tube-like strip material to said Second sealer, and (3) operating said second sealer to transversely seal said tube-like material.

3. A folding and sealing system comprising, a table, means for feeding a strip of packaging material longitudinally of itself, a forming spreader for guiding said material adjacent a surface of said table, means for guiding said material as it is fed along said surface of said table, with the longitudinal edges of thestrip around said spreader in overlapping relation to form a tube-like structure, a stationary arm mounted internally of said tube-like structure, a stationary elastic strip mounted on said arm to extend longitudinally of and underlie said overlapping longitudinal edges, and a reciprocating sealer operable exteriorly of said tube-like structure and having a bar to press said overlapping edges between itself and said elastic strip to seal said edges together.

LEROY L. SALFISBERG.

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