US2206965A - Machine and method of making bags - Google Patents

Description

Jul 9, .1940.

E. E. LAKSO ,2 6,965

MACHINE AND METHOD OF MAKING BAGS Filed April 28, 1936 9 Sheefcs-Sheet 1 INVENTOR [/NO 5. Z/MSO ATTORNEYS M 9, 1940, E. E. LAKso 2,206,965

MACHINE AND METHOD OF MAKING BAGS 1 i Filed April 28, 1936 9 Sheets-Sheet ,2

INVENTOR E/NO E. LAKSO ATTQRNEYS July 9, 1940. E. E. LAKs'o 2,206,965

' MACHINE AND ME'IHOD OF' MAKING BAG-S FiledApril'28, 195 6 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 ml 'bu III :ll l

INVENTOR V E/NO E. ZAKSO ATTO R N EYS y 9, 1940. E. E. LAKSO 2,206,965

MACHINE AND METHOD OF MAKING BAGS Flled Aprll 28 1936 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR El/VO E. liq/(SO ATTO RNEYS y-9, 1940. E. E. LAKso MACHINEJXND METHOD OF MAKEIING BAGS Filed April 28, 1936 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 ll lllllllllllllll I v LNVENTOR f/NO E'LAKSO BY v a ATTORNEYS y 1940 E. E. LAKSO MACHINE AND METBQD 0F MAKING BAGS Filed April 28,1936 9 Sheets-Sheet e ow m5 8 v w; M v o s an W5 N 4 MW 0 o w L m E m mtwc w: 1 g w M 1 3 we 8 m 7 Sq M mm m QJ .k. Q v mm v Q g 3 4 8N m 2 a 1 mg rhkivik @1 mfi w fihnnh ii k3 N N mm NS July9, 1940.

E. E. LAKSO MACHINE AND METHOD OF MAKING BAGS Filed April 28, 1936 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 qmb INVENTOR /NO ELAKSO July 9, 1940. E. E. LAKSO 2,206,965

MACHINE AND METHOD OF MAKING BAGS Filed April 28, 1936 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 I INVENTOR [/NO 5 LAKSO ATTORNEYS E. E. LAKSO 9 0 m: R,V Y a 0K E e Tfl N h NZ R w W m MW I m M m %N NV w s 9 am, 5 m 7 G B m o l m W F P o M l l I] w s. 1 D m AWN M M. \%N .H O m w \N 9N A. n i F l m w R. \l m 3 ll|||.| M

o v o w mm m .Q y 0 Patented July 9, 1940 2,200,905 v MACHINE Ann METHOD or MAKING sacs Eino E. Lakso, Fitchburg, Mass, ass'ignor, by mesne assignments, to Owens-Illinois Glass Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 28, 1936, Serial No. 76,778

(Cl. 93-18) V 38 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus and] method of making bags from sheet material in web form, and more particularly to-the advancing, assembling and sealing together of-a plurality of the webs.

The apparatus and method hereinafter described more in detail is adapted particularly for making a bag of the type disclosed in the C..- W. Vogt Patent 2,171,717, issued September 5, 1939', in which the web section forming one wall of the bag is longer than that forming the opposite wall, and the excess material is folded to form a pleat which may be opened along its fold line and serve for filling or as a dispensin spout.

It will be obvious that although certain features of the invention relate particularly to the means employed for forming said pleat, other features are useful and important in forming a I bag which does not have such a spout.

In carrying out my invention a plurality of webs is brought into juxtaposition and sealed together along opposite edges to form a collapsed bag preferably with infolded sides" and preferably sealed across both ends, .so that the resulting bag is sealedv shut in collapsed condition and so that the interior will be protected against any contamination during shipment and storage prior to filling.

As one important feature of the invention the sealing is effected by the application of heat and pressure, and this sealing may be effected either with or without the use of a separate adhesive, depending upon the character of the .material used. There is preferably employed a sheet materiai such for instance as that made of a chlorinated rubber compound and sold der to locate the position of the spout or other filling or dispensing opening during the ad vancing of the webs.

As a further ieature'means are provided for sealing the seam underneath the spout the main sealingoperation.

The invention involves various other imporprior to tant features and many important advantages.

which-will be apparent from a consideration of the specific form hereinafter described or will be pointed out in the description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying. drawings illustrating a machine embodying-my invention and adapted for carrying out my improved method, said drawings also illustrating an alternative form in which certain of the features may be embodied.

In these drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a machine with the rolls of the webs employed in position,

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the main portion of the machine and on a somewhat under the trade name pliofilm, layers of which may be sealed together by-the application of heat and pressure and without the need of any other adhesive.

The sealing is efiected in such a way that the contents of the bag when the latter is filled is not exposed to the adhesive, if such be employed.

As a further feature means are employed for infolding the side walls of the bag to form the latter in a fiat state and to seal the ends and.

sever the collapsed bags in the sealed condition. As a further feature means areemployed for substantially completely removing or excluding air from the interior of the bag prior to the sealing,

As a further feature means are employed for giving a relatively longer contact period of the heat sealing elements across the ends where sealing roller and forming anvil thin the tube larger scale,

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the oppositeside of the machine and on a slightly larger scale than Fig. i,

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line H of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is of Fig. 2, certain of the parts being broken away,

Figs. 6, land 8 are vertical transverse sections on the lines 65-8, Til and 8-3 respectively of Fig. 5,

Figs. 9, 1o, 11 and 12 are vertical transverse sections on the lines %-9, lit-46, ll-ii and l2-l2 respectively of Fig. 2,

, Fig. 13 is an enlarged transverse vertical section similar to a portionof Fig. 12, the uppe rotor being in elevation,

Fig. 14 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section taken on the line HL-lt of Fig-12, but

a horizontal section on the line 5-5 showing theheated lugs of the spot sealer ad- I vanced approximately 20 from the position shown in Fig. 2,

Fig. 14a is a fragmentary diagrammatic view showing the impressions made by the spot sealing lugs and scoring bar shown in Figs. 13 and 14,

Fig. 15 is a vertical longitudinal section similar to Fig. 14, but with'the spot sealer advanced approximately 1&0" from theposition shown in Fig. 2, a

Fig. 16 is a vertical transverse s'ectionthrough the seam sealing mechanism, the bag severing mechanism and parts of the driving mechanism, said section being taken on the line lB-lt of Fig. 2,

Fig. 17 is a view similar to a portion of Fig. 16, but on a larger scale and showing the seam in place,

' Fig. 18 is a sectional detail on the line lS-Il of Fig. 17,

' distorted,

Fig. '19 is a section on the line IS-l9 of Fig. 2 and showing the pull rollers,

Fig. is a sectional detail similar to a portion of Fig. 19, but on a larger scale,

Fig. 21 is a view similar to a portion of Fig. 2 and showing further details of the cross sealing mechanism,

Fig. 22 is an end elevation .of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 21,

Fig. 23 is a sectional detail on a larger scale taken on the line 23-43 of Fig. 21,

Fig. 24 is a fragmentary diagram of the tube showing the relative positions of the cross sealing, the spot seals and the spout forming pleat,

Fig. 25 is a perspective view of the completed sealed bag after severance along the dot and dash line shown in Fig. 24 and with the pleat partially Fig. 26 is a view similar to a portion of Fig. 2, but showing other and additional features which may be employed,

Fig. 27 is a section on the line 2'I-2'l of Fig. 26,

Fig. 28 is a detail in plan of certain of the 'parts shown in Figs. 26 and 2'7, and

.Fig. 29 is a fragmentary diagram of a portion of the web cut by the mechanism shown in Figs.

26, 2'7 and 28.

The operating parts and the material to be operated upon are supported by a main frame which for convenience of manufacture may include a sub-base 30, a main base 3| and a pair of side frames 32. These may be rigidly secured in any suitable manner. The main base at one end carries a pair of bracket arms 35 adapted to support the mandrel or arbor 31 for a roll A of web material such as pliofilm or other heat sealing material and which may be a single ply of the material or may be laminated or coated.

Carried by the main frame 3| there is a pair of brackets 38 and 39 connected together at their upper ends by a cross bar 40. The bolts I I which connect the brackets to the cross bar may be shouldered and held in place by nuts 42 and they serve as arbors or mandrels for a pair of rolls B and C. The rolls may be held against endwlse movement by collars or flanges 43 on the outer or free ends of the mandrels. The roll B is of pliofilm or other heat scalable material, while the roll 0 is of non-heat scalable material such as paper. The web material on the roll 0, when used in making the specific bag hereinafter described, may be somewhat wider than the material on the roll B.

Any suitable means may be employed for preventing the free rotation of the rolls A, B and C,

but permitting the rotation upon the proper pull on the material. Merely as an example, I have shown a brake for preventing free rotation of the roll A. This includes a pair of curved clamping brake members or shoes 44 and 46 bearing upon a drum 46 secured to thearbor 31 so as to rotate therewith. The shoes and 45 are pressed to- 4 gether by a spring 41, the tension of which may be adjusted by rotation of the threaded stud 49.-

One of the' brake shoes may have an extension pressed against a stop 56 on the bracket 36 so that the brake shoes cannot rotate with the drum.

By control of the compression of the spring 41,

' the desired amount of drag may be imparted to the brake mechanism;

For preventing free rotation of the rolls B and C cross head slides 6| may be mounted on the cross bar in and each slide may be provided with gressively as the latter advances, and thus proa pin 52 engaging the periphery of the correspending roll of material. The slides may be connected to weights 53 by flexible cords 54" ing the webs into superposed relationship, and

sealing them together to form the tube which is cut into sections to form the bags.

The web delivered from the roll A is very much wider than the webs delivered from either of the other two rolls, and-is employed to form not only one fiat side of the bag, but also the two opposed ini'olded sides. This web is delivered over a roller 66 (see Fig. 2) carried by extensions of the side frames 32, and then passes beneath the mechanism which brings together the other two webs and forms the tuck or pleat which is to become the spout of the bag. After passing over the roller 56 it is progressively formed into a substanti'ally U--shaped or trough-like contour by a forming shoe 59 which is supported by the under side of a plate 66 resting upon the upper flanged;

sides of the frame members 32. In order to maintain proper alignment of this forming shoe or mandrel, the plate 60 is provided with a groove 6| (see Fig. 9) into which the upper side of the mandrel or shoe is fitted. v

'Iheshoe or mandrel 58 beyond its point of support is provided with a pair of fingers 62, 62 which serve to turn the upper edges of the channel-shaped web inwardly (Figs. 5 and 6). The fingers are provided with depending guard plates 63, 63 which hold the web A insliding relationship with the outer opposite sides of the shoe or mandrel 59.

The web A in U-shape and with inwardly turned upper margins advances along the shoe to the opposite end of the latter and there the opposite parallel upwardly extending side walls engage with fingers 64, 64 (Fig. 7) mounted on supports 65 carried by a cross bar 66 secured to the side frame members 32. These fingers fold inwardly the side walls of the channel-shaped webprogressively bring the upper inturned edges and the flat bottom of the channel-shaped web nearer The non-heat together and eventually into directly superposed relationship.

The fingers 64,64 may be at the same elevation if the bag to be made is square or is rectangular with the width greater than the height, viewing the tube in the position in which it is being produced to form the bag. If the tube is to be of greater height than width, then the tucker fingers should be at slightly difierent elevations as indicated in Fig. 'I so that they will cause the two infolded pleats to overlap rather than directly abut.

The web in this folded condition and with the other sheets applied thereto as hereinafter described passes aroimd a drum 61 and is pulled at auiniform speed by a pair of driven gripping scalable material hereinafter referred to as the web C-passes around a guide pin or roller 13 and thence around a roller ll which preferably is provided with a layer 12 of compressible material, such as rubber. This roller H is mounted on a shaft 13 driven by a gear ll meshing with a gear (Fig. 3) on the shaft 11 of a glue roller 16 mounted in a glue pot I3. The surface of the glue roller is preferably provided with cross scores or knurls a few thousandths of an inch deep and closely spaced so I:

that when the glue roller is rotated the major portion of the glue may be scraped from the periphery by means of a conductor bar 18 leaving only sufiicient glue to fill the cross grooves or knurls.

By the term glue I mean to include any form of adhesive which may properly secure together the webs B and C.*

Suitable means are providedwhereby the (le may be employed for this purpose, but that shown involves the use of a movable glue pot withthe glue roller 76 carried thereby. As shown the shaft ll of the glue roller is mounted on the walls of the glue pot and. the glue pot is mounted to slide horizontally to bring the glue roller into or out of engagement with the sheet passing around the roller 1!. For moving the glue pot. there is provided an eccentric 8| (Figs. 2 and 4) mounted on a shaft 82 which latter is journaled in exten- 5 sions of the side frames 82. An eccentric strap 84 encircles the eccentric and is connected to an adjustable forked link 85 which may detachably engage a pin 86 carried by lugs on the end of the .glue pot. By rotating the shaft 82 by means of a handle or pin 83 the pressure of the glue roller against the web C may be varied, or

the glue roller may move entirely out of engagement with the web. It is not essential that any large range of movement be provided and in fact it need not be so great as to move the gear 75 out of engagement with the gear 14. If it is desired to remove the glue pot and its roller from the machine, the link 85 may be swung out of engagement with the pin 86, thus completely freeing the glue pot.

The web C, after receiving the coating, layer or narrow strips of adhesive, is broughthnto surface-contact with the web B and the two pass together around the idler roller 81, whereby a laminated sheet is formed. This idler roller may be slightly shorter than the width of the web B, and the latter, as previously noted, may be slightly narrower than the web C. Thus any adhesive on the marginal edges of th'e web C will not come in contact with the roller 81.

The laminated web BC then passes over a driven roller 88 which preferaby has a rubber or.

other readily compressible facing layer 88. This roller 88 is mounted on a shaft 98 having a driving bevel pinion 88a (Fig. 3) secured thereto.

Beneath and closely adjacent to this roller 88 there is provided a grooved roller 80 '(Figs. 2 and 11) mounted for free rotation within the mandrel or forming shoe 58 and adjustable. toward and from the roller 88. As shown particularly. in Fig. 11 the walls of the mandrel carr'ya pin 92,

, the end portions of which are eccentric whereby upon rotating the pin the axis may bemoved toward and from the axis of the roller 88,. The

roller- 9| is rotatable upon this normally stationarypin 92 by ball or other substantially frictionless bearings.

V from the roller 8i and cause it to pass over said plate. The opposite edges of this plate are undercut as shown particularly in Fig. .8 so that vided a rotor 88 having two peripherally extend- By means of the eccentric the spacing between the rollers 81- and 88 may the intumed edges of the sheet A may pass therebeneath and slightly spaced from the laminated web BC. The relative widths of the webs BC and of the channel-shaped web A will also be apparent from this figure.

The plate 88 is of approximately the ,same width as the web B and the marginal edge portions of the plate 83 prevent the edge portions of the web C which have adhesive on theunder side from directly contacting with the intumed edges of the channel-shaped web A.

The laminated web BC is maintained in flat position as it advances from the roller 88 by means of a plate 84 (Fig. 8) mounted on a shoe 85 which in turn is mounted on a cross bar 86 carried by one of the side frames 32 (Fig. 5). The shoe maybe slid lengthwise along thecross bar and away from the sheets to facilitate'the threading up of the machine, particularly with mined point on the upper side of the .bar 86.

The outer peripheral speed of the roller 88 is I somewhat greater than the peripheral speed of the rollers 68 and 68 which advance thecombined webs-A, B and C, and therefore the laminated web BC is advanced at a faster rate than the web A. As a result of this faster-travel there is a periodic accumulation of the laminated web BC in the form of a loop. Each loop as formed'is flattened or folded down to make the pleat on the bag wall and which serves as the spout.

In order to predetermine the location of the loops the laminated web BC is first brought in contact with and firmly secured to the inturned edges of the web A at spaced points. For accomplishing this result there is provided the mechanism shown in Fig. 2 and more particularly in Figs. 12 to 15.

Above the laminated web BC there is proing lugs constituting heater shoes 88 in transverse alignment for pressing localized areas of the laminated web. BC to the underweb A,

these areas being adjacent to opposite edges of 50 the webs and indicated at 980 in Fig. 1421. The rotor 88 has a heating element I08 which may be provided with electric conductors which will deliver current t e heating element through the rotation of th tter. suclr electric c ducting means, I have shown the heating ele nt in Fig. 12 as provided with conductors I81 leading to separate collector rings I82. which are engaged by brushes 103, these brushes being connected to the opposite terc0 minals of a suitable source of electrical energy.

This rotor 88 with its shoes constitutes a spot sealer and is rotatably mounted upon a pair of stub shafts I84, I85 and is rotated 'by means of .a pinion I06. .The spot sealer may be vertically 65 adjusted by mounting thestub shafts in bear-' ings I01 which maybeforced downwardly to the desired extent and against the action of springs by adjusting screws. 1

Directly beneath the, spot sealer there is pro- 7 vided cooperating'means' against which the laminated webs are pressed by the heated lugs 88 and whichalso coo'perates in forming a score line in the laminated web 'B-C intermediate of the edges of the latter. As shown particularly in Merely as an example of Fig. 13 the forming shoe 59 is provided with a shaft I08 journaled in a pairof ball bearings I99 and provided at its ends and on the outer sides of the shoe 59 with a pair of rollers H0. These may be held in place upon opposite ends of the stub shaft by screws III. At the center of the shaft and between the ball bearings there is provided a roller H2 which has an annular compressible ring H3. Thismay be secured in place in any suitable manner, as for instance by means of bevel faced washer H4 and rivets H5. 7

The rollers H are provided with similar compressible peripheral rims or collars. As the spot sealer may be adjusted toward and from the rollers H0 the lugs may be caused to press the laminated web against the inturned edges of the web A to bring the superposed heat scalable materials A and B into'direct contact withthe proper amount of heat and. the proper amount of pres- 'sure to firmly bond them together, and the heated shoes 99 will be prevented from direct contact with the pliofllm. The result of this spot sealing is to connect the three webs together at points adjacent to opposite edges'and spaced apart to distances equal to the peripheral path of the end surfaces of the heating lugs 99. As previously noted two such spot sealed, areas are indicated at 990 in Fig. 141:.

The rotor 98 is also provided with means for scoring the upper web 3-0 transversely along lines spaced apart along the length of the web.

The two lugs 99 carry a transverse scoring plate extent inrespect to a flat surface of the forming.

shoe 59 as the loop is pressed down to form a pleat. It serves, by its own weight, to press the laminated web B-C downwardly and prevent any accumulated excess material from passing therebeneath at any different rate than that of the channel shaped web A. The loop pressing roller H8 preferably has annular flanges on its ends (Fig. Its-position maybe adjusted along the path of movement of the webs in accordance with the desired height of the pleat to be formed. As shown .in Fig.15 a loop in the laminated web B-C may graduallyform while the spot sealing lugs 99 are traveling through the upper portion of their path of movement, and this loop will gradually increase in height until the 'spotsealing lugs-act to press the 'webs together and onto the rollers H9. At that time theloop will have reached substantially the shape shown in Fig. 14. As the webs have been spot sealed together and as the upper web has been transversely scored, the continuation of the material will cause the accumulated loop to narrow up to a pleat and this pleat to be folded over upon the score line Ilia, and as'shown at the right of Fig. 15. As soon as the pleat has passed beneath the roller H8, another loop will beginto form and will increase until. the spot sealer again connects together the layers, and the next accumulated loop will be laid down as another pleat. The

' therewith and supporting the gear I2I.

. the webs therebeneath. As sho Fig. 2 the lifting means includes a. ever I29 fixed rate oi! travel of the materials, the amount of material in each loop, and the spacing of the loops along the length of the tube will be proportional to the length of the desired bag and the width of the desired pleat for each bag.

After passing under the roller I I8 whereby the folded pleat is formed, the three superposed webs pass to mechanism which forms the continuous seals along the opposite edges and between the webs A and B. The spot sealer hereinbefore described seals only those portions of the side edges which lie beneath the pleat, and which therefore would not be as readily heated and sealed by the application of heat and pressure through the pleat. The continuous side sealers are shown particularlyin Figs. 16, 17 and 18 and the position is indicated in Figs. 2 and 5.

The gear I 06 of the spot sealer meshes with a driving gear I20 which latter also drives a gear I2I of the seam sealer. seam sealer is very similar in niany respects to the spot sealer except that it makes continuous seals rather than spot seals and does not make any transverse score line. The upper element of the seam sealer includes a rotor H9 mounted on the stub shaft I23 as well as on a stub shaft I22 in alignment The rotor H9 has annular flanges at the ends serving as the pressing elements, and these are heated by an annular heating element encircling the rotor II 9' between said end flanges. The means for conducting the current to the heating element is indicated in Fig. 16, but need not be described as it may be substantially identical with that employed in conducting heat to the spot sealer as shown in Fig. 12.

The peripheral surfaces of the two annular flanges of the rotor H9-may be grooved to concentrate the heat and pressure along a pair/of narrow lines rather than along a wider area. Below the rotor H9 there is provided a co-' acting element which may be similar in all respects to that shown in Fig. 13- except that the center part coacting with the scoring blade may be omitted. This is illustrated in Fig. 17 and it is thought that detailed description is unnec- ,essary in view of the description of the construction shown in'Fig. 13.

For driving the spot sealer and seam. sealer the shaft of the gear 120 may be provided with a bevel pinioh I24 meshing with a bevel pinion I 25 on a vertical drive shaft I26 supported-in brackets I21 and I 28 on one of the side frames as shown in Figs. 3 and 16. 4

The machine may be readily threaded up without lifting the spot sealer as the machine may be stopped with the sealing lugs in anupward.

position, but as the sealing surfaces of the rotor H9 are continuous it is desirable to provide means for lifting this elementand holding it in raised position during threading up or when the machine is stopped, to prevent overheating of particulaijy in on a shaft in mounted in bearings cfin the cross bar 66 which as previously noted also carries the tucker members for the side walls of e advancing tube. An upwardly extending lev r arm flxed to the shaft I39 isconnected by a pin I32 to a locking lever I" which lever has a depending lug I35 movable into or out of engagement \with the side of the bar 66 opposite to the shaft I30. The lever I 34 is normally in raised position as shown in Fig. 2, and the lever I29 is swung counterclockwiseby a spring Iilsoas to hold the seam sealer in lowered position, the shaft of the seam sealer being mounted in the substantially horizontal arms of said bracket. By pressing down on the outerfree end of the lever I34, the lug I36 will ride down onto the outer side of the bar 66, thereby rotating the shaft I30 in a clockwise direction and compressing the spring I33. When the lever I34 reaches its lower limiting position, its engagement with the bar 66 will prevent the return movement of the lever I29, and the seam sealer will be locked in raised position. To return it to operative position it is merely necessary to lift the outer end of the lever I34.

As the. superposed webs pass beneath the flanges of the heated rotor II9 they likewise pass over the ends of the pleat F, and the application of the heat and pressure, weld, .fuse or cement the plioflhn web B to the inturned edges of the channel-shaped web A and form a continuous tube in extended condition and around the mandrel or shoe 59. As this tube passes beyond the end of the mandrel, the tuckers 64 press in the intermediate portions of the-side walls of the tube, and the'height of the tube is gradually decreased until it is in fully collapsed or flattened condition. The tube reaches this condition as it comes tangential to the drum 61, and as it passes around the drum, all of the'air is squeezed out. To make the infolding a more gradual operation, and therefore easier, the tuckers may be longer and the drum 6'! spaced to a greater distance from the side sealers than is shown in the drawings.

While the flattened or collapsed tube is passingaround the drum 61, a sealing mechanism comes into operation which seals the tube transversely at spaced points along the length thereof. As shown particularly in Fig. 2, the drum is rotatably mounted on a fixed shaft I36, and on the periphery of the drum are compressible pads H36 preferably of rubber and mounted in dove tailed grooves. The periphery of the drum is the multiple of a length of a completed bag in collapsed equal distances apart, the arcuate distance being the length of an individual collapsed bag.

On the shaft I36 of the drum 6! there are provided sprocket wheels I39 which engage a pair of endless chains I4I carrying cross seam sealers I40. These seam sealers are spaced apart along the length of the chain so as to register in succession with the successive compressible pads I88. Each seam sealer is provided with a pair of rollers I42 carried by a saddle casting I43 and each includes an electric heating element I 4 5. In'order to control the amount of heat rendered applicable for the sealing operation, each sealing element is connected in series with a heat control element I45 as shown particularly in Fig. 23.

- drops below the predetermined point.

Each heating element and its control element has terminals connected to brushes riding on the periphery of collector plates I46. The collector plates conformin contour to the general path defined by the chain, and the current is delivered to one of these plates andtaken off from the other in any suitable manner. As the plates are outside of one of the sprockets, it is preferable to provide the sprockets with recesses through which the connections may extend while the chain is in contact with the sprockets.

In order to insure proper and intimate pres sure contact of the heated sheet across the collapsed tube at the area corresponding to that of the pad I38, there is provided a guide member I41 with a curved surface substantially concentric with a portion of the periphery of the drum and along which the rollers I42 may travel while pressing the heater against the tube. This guide member may be carried by a pair of shafts I50 supported in a bracket I5I. The guide may be directly secured to the lower shaft and to a plate I49 secured to the upper shaft I50. The sprockets are rotatably; mounted on the ends of these shafts. By placing one or more shims between the guide member I" and the plate I49, the

placing of the guide member in respect to the drum may be varied to give the desired pressure of the heating element against the tube on the pad I38. The adjustment may be secured in various other ways, for instance by adjusting the bracket I5I.

Preferably each cross -heater I40 is provided with recesses I46a upon opposite sides, as shown particularly in Fig. 22, and which serve to form corresponding relief portions on the cross seals at their centers to prevent strain. These relief portions serve to produce bags which are less likely to leak due to internal pressure when they have become filled, due to the distribution of strain where the infold joins the cross seal.

To drive the drum 61 the shaft of the latter is provided with agear I54 which meshes with a pinion I52 (Fig. 1) one. transverse shaft I53. The latter is provided with a bevel driving pinion I53a. (Fig. 3). By this drive the drum is rotated and advances with the tube while clamping the latter tightly against the outside of the drum and the collapsed tube is delivered between the pull rollers 66 and es.

If the 'infolded portions of the side of the tube overlap as previously indicated, the feed roller 68 is provided with a peripheral groove to accommodate for the increased thickness as indicated in Figs. 19 and 20. The roller 66 is mounted on a shaft I55 which is provided with.

a pinion I55a and is mounted in a bracket or' housing I56 secured to one of the side frames 32 (Fig. 19). The pinion I55a meshes with the pinion I510. on the shaft I5? supporting the lower pull roller 6%. This last mentioned shaft has a gear 69a which is driven by the cutter mechanism which subdivides the tube into successive sections and intermediate the opposite side edges of each cross seal. As shown it meshes with the gear I58a on a shaft I58, and the latter has a bevel pinion I60 meshing with a bevel pinion 200 on the vertical shaft I26 which drives the side seam sealers as shown in Fig. 16.

The shaft I58 also carries a sprocket ISI, a cutter head I62, a sprocket sleeve I63, a collar i64, a clutch member I and. a hand wheel I66 (Fig. 16). The clutch serves for disconnecting the operating parts of the machine from the source of power and permits the machine to'be readily turned over by hand. By disengaging.

the clutch, the machine may be turned over without turning over the motor reducing gears, as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

The cutter head I62 which is mounted onthe shaft I56 is provided with a rubber insert I61 16). The rubber insert serves to feed the tube after leaving the pull rollers 66 and 66. I

' The pinion I63 on the shaft I58 meshes with a pinion I10 ona shaft I'll which carries the lower roller I13 cooperating with the cutter head. This roller is provided with a knife block I14 mounted'in the periphery so as to oppose the cutting edge of the knife I58 at the point of severance of the tube. Any other suitable form of transverse cutting mechanism may be employed for subdividing the collapsed tube into completed bags. The shaft I1I carries a bevel pinion I15 which drives the shaft 202.

A second pair of feed rollers are provided for delivering the successive completed bags from the machine after they are severed, and this delivery mechanism is preferably designed to advance the bags at a higher rate of speed than that of tube formation. As shown particularly in Fig. 2 the frame of the machine supports a pair of shafts I18, I11, the first mentioned shaft having a sprocket I18, a gear I18 and a segmental roller I80. On the rear end of the shaft there is provided a worm I8Il. The sprocket I18 is connected with the sprocket I6I on the shaft.

I58 by means of a chain I82. The sprockets I18 and I6I are of the same diameter, and therefore the two shafts I58 and I18 will turn with the same number of revolutions per minute, but the distance from the center of the shaft I18 to the line of bag travel is greater than the distance from the center line of the shaft I58 to the line of tube travel. The segmental roller I80 comes into engagement with the bag at substantially the instant at which the bag is severed from the tube, and due to the greater radius of this segmental roller the bag when severed will be advanced at a faster speed than that of tube formation and ii the bag moves out of contact withthis ro ler. v

Cooperating with the segmental roller I80 is a lower supporting roller I83 which is mounted on the shaft I11. This roller preferably has a rubber or other yielding surface, and its shaft is provided with a pinion I88 meshing with the gear I18 on the shaft I18. The action of the segmental roller I80 and the supporting roller I88 gives to the severed bag such an acceleration that the bag will travel onto a take-off or stacking conveyer. To prevent the bag from being I thrown too far there may be provided a guard h as I85 (Fig. 3). Any convenient means may be provided for driving the take-oil conveyer. Merely as an example I have shown the conveyer being driven through. the worm I8I on the shaft I18. A worm wheel I88 engages this worm and is fixed to a vertical shaft 'iournaled in a bracket I81 on the frame 32. The lower end of the shaft is provided with a worm I 88- engaging a worm wheel I88 on a shaft I which latter is provided with a pair of belt'pulleys I8I and endless belts I82 constituting the take-oil conveyer. These belts may be of any desired length depending on the location of the station when the clutch I85 is engaged, the rotation of the sprocket I88 will cause rotation of the shaft I58 and the latter will drive the shaft I16 through the sprockets I8I and I18 and the connecting chain I82. The shaft I15 causes rotation of the shaft I11 through'the meshing gears I18 and I84. Similarly rotation of the shaft I58 causes rotation of the shaft "I through the gears I58 and I10.

The bevel gear I 80 of the shaft I58 meshes with the bevel pinion 200, and thus drives the shaft I28, and the latter through the bevel pinions I25 and I2! drives the stub shaft to which is attached the pinion I20. The latter drives the spot sealer and the side seam sealer.

The rotation of the shaft I1I with its bevel pinion I15 causes rotation of the shaft 202. and the latter through the various bevel gears shown in Fig. 3 rotates the shaft I58 of the trans verse seam sealer and the shaft 208 which operates the shaft 18 of the feed roller 1I.

Thus all of the'operating parts are driven in proper synchronism, and by the proper selection of pitch diameters for the gears and sprockets and the proper selection of the diameters of the various rotatable operating units, the three webs are drawn into the machine, the webs BC are pasted together, the webA is brought to channelshaped form, the web 13 is spot sealed to the inturned edges of the channel, the transverse pleats a single drive so that all of the parts and steps.

are kept in proper synchronism and themachine when started will run continuously without manual control or manual operation of any of the P rts.

In the specific construction of bag produced by the machine above described only one side will be opaque due to the web C of paper or other non-heat sealable material. In some cases it is desirable to reinforce or cover all four sides of the dual bag by non-heat-sealable and possibly relatively opaque material. In Figs. 26 to 28 I have shown a modification of the machine which permits this to be done. The main frame of the machine is provided with an auxiliary frame 2I0 serving to support a roll D of paper or other s I iilar material, and the roll A is supported on abracket 2 on the main frame. This bracket also supports a glue not 212, and the paper passes over idler rollers 2I8 and 2 to a roller 2I5 juxtaposed to a glue roller 2I8. The surface of the paper is thus covered with adhesive and after leaving thezroller 2I5 it is brought in surface contact with the web A as the two sheets pass over an idler roller 2I1 on the way to the'roller' 58 of the main body of the machine.

In some cases it is desirable that the opaque web D be provided with a window d through which the contents of the bag maybe viewed, and with windows (2 registering with the end of the bag to be formed. These are shown in Fig. 29. Any suitable punching mechanism may be employed for producingthese apertures. As

"shown, the webD passes over a templet plate H8 and above this is a punching. plate 2I8 guided on vertical rods 220 actuated bylinks 22L The The construction and method illustrated in Figs. 26 to 29 inclusive in which the infolded walls are laminated and the outer lamination latter may have eccentric straps at their lower ends engaging an eccentric 222 which causes the up and down movement of the punching plate.

As the web must be punched while traveling, it is desirable that the punch plate andtemplet plate move back and forth in the direction of travel of the sheet material. For this purpose the templet plate which carries the guide rods 220 may itself slide on horizontal guide rods 223 and may have a depending roller 224 engaging a cam groove in a cam 225. The latter may be actuated by spiral gears from the shaft 226 which drives the shaft 228 carrying the eccentrics-by means of gears 221. The timing and the shape of the cam groove in the cam 225 are such that while the punch is passing through and back out of the paper the templet plate and punch will be traveling with the paper and at the'same speed. When the punch rises above the paper the cam carries the templet plate and punch in the opposite direction, and the direction of move= me'nt is again reversed before the punch enters the paper the next time. The timing is also such that the openings d and (1 will be formed at points spaced apart along the length of the web D corresponding to the length of the completed bag which is to be produced. .Of course, the driven parts of this mechanism must be in proper timed relationship 'to the remainder of the ma To get the proper timing of the punching mechanism the sprocket 23l may be made circumferentially, adjustable in respect to'the shaft 226. To prevent thepunches from lifting the web oi the templet plate when the punches rise out of the sheet, there may be provided a stripper plate 232 spaced from the templet plate to provide a thin passage for the web D.

The conveyerfor the completed bags and which is somewhat diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 26 and between the glue pot 282 and the shaft 18!, is somewhat different in detail from that shown in Fig. 2, but as such details do not constitute any portion of my present invention fur;-- ther description appears to be unnecessary.

It will be understood that the web D is slightly narrower than the web A so that the web D will be folded to channel shape, but will be turned in to a limited extent to abut but not overlap the edges of the web B. Thus the heat sealable'material A will come in contact with and be sealed to the surface of the heat scalable material of the web B, and the edge portions of the web C to which adhesive has been applied may be glued to the edges of the Web ID.

is so formed as to permit the direct sealing together of the inner laminations of the infolded portions in narrow transversely extending areas,

is claimed in my divisional application 329,422,

filed April 13, 1940.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Anapparatus for forming a tube of flexible material, including means for delivering a web of material and progressively folding it to substantially channel shape rectangular in crosssection with inturned' marginal portions, and a pair of opposed rollers, one within said tube and beneath said marginal portions for progressively securing the edges of a second web to said marginal portions. I

2. An apparatus for forming a tube of flexible material, including means for delivering a web of material and progressively folding it to sub- =stantially channel shape rectangular in crosssection with inturned marginal portions, means for progressively securing the edges of a second web to said marginal portions, and means for thereafter progressively infoldingthe side walls of the channel-shaped web to collapse the tube and expel air therefrom. -i

3. 'An apparatus for forming a tube of flexible material, which includes means for progressively advancing two webs of sheet material at difi erent rates of travel, and means for forming transverse pleats in one of said webs along lines spaced apart lengthwiseof the web 4. Anapparatus for forming a tube of flexible sheet material, which includes meansfor'progressively advancing two webs of sheet material lengthwise in superposedpositions but at different rates of speed, and" means for securing together the marginal edges of the two webs at spaced points. 5. An apparatus for forming a tube of flexible s'heet material, which includes means for progressively advancing two webs of sheet material lengthwise in superposed positions but at differcut rates of speed, means for'securing together the marginaledges of the two webs at spaced points, and means for forming transverse pleats in the faster'traveling web between successive spaced points.

' 6. An. apparatus for forming a tube of flexible sheet material, including means for advancing a web and progressively folding it to substantially channel shape, means for advancing a second web at a faster rate, means for sealing the edges of the second web to the edges ofthe all By the use of features illustrated in Figs. 26 of, and means for folding down excess material so to 28 and used in connection with the main features of the machine first described, a bag may be produced which will be completely lined with able material may all be sealed togetherby the sealers l. The transverse cutter It. operates to sever the bag intermediate of the edges of the openings 11* wherethe transverse seam has been of the second mentioned web adiacent to each of said. points to form transverse pleats.

sheet material, including means for advancing a web and progressively folding it to substantially channel shape, means for advancing a .{second 7 web at a faster rate, means for sealingthe edges of the second web to the edges of the first web at spaced points-along the length thereof, means for folding down excw of the second mentioned web adjacent to Mar said points to form transverse-pleats, and means for thereafter sealing together the edges of the webs between said pleats and the next sealing .points to form a tube completely closed along the edges '7. An apparatus for forming a tubeoi flexible of the webs but with transverse .pleats in the second mentioned web.

' 8. An apparatus for forming a tube of flexible sheet material, including means for advancing a pair of webs at difierent rates 01 speed and with the edges of one juxtaposed to the edges of the other, means for spot sealing the edges together at points spaced along the length thereof, and means for forming pleats in the faster traveling web and overlying the spot seals.

.9. Anlapparatus for forming collapsed sealed bags, which includes means for advancing a pair of webs with opposite edges juxtaposed, means.

for sealing together said juxtaposed edges to form a tube,.means for sealing the webs together transversely of the tube along lines spaced apart lengthwise of the tube, and means for severing the tube into sections along lines intermediate of the edges of the transverse sealed portions .to form collapsed bags sealed across both ends.

10. An. apparatus for forming collapsed sealed bags, including means for progressively advancing a web of sheet material and bending it to substantially channel form, means for advancing a second web at a higher rate 'of speed with its edges juxtaposed to the edges of the first mentioned web, means for spot sealing the juxtaposed edges together at points spaced along the length thereof, means for folding over the excess material of the second mentioned web to form pleats overlying the spot seals, means for sealing together the remaining portions of the juxtaposed edges to form a tube, means for infolding vthe side edges of the channel shaped web to collapse the tube, means for sealing together the two webs along transverse lines spaced apart lengthwise of the tube, and means for severing the tube along transverse lines intermediate of the edges of the transverse sealed portions to form collapsed sealed bags.

11. An apparatus for forming a collapsed tube of sheet material, including a mandrel substantially rectangular in cross-section, means for advancing a web of sheet material and folding it to substantially channel shape around said mandrel and with infolded marginal edges, means for delivering a second web along said mandrel with its edges superposed to said infolded edges, an a sealing device including a rotor supported by and disposed within said mandrel and a second rotor cooperating with the first one and having annular heated flanges c0- operating with said first mentioned rotor .for sealing together said superposed edges.

12. An apparatus for forming a collapsed tube of sheet material, including a mandrel substantially rectangular in cross-section, means-for advancing a web of sheet material and folding it to substantially channel shape around said mandrel and with infolded marginal edges, means for deliver'ing a second web along said mandrel at a higher rate of speed with its edges superposed to said infolded edges, and a sealing device inrotor having heated flanges for pressing the superposed edges together at spaced points to form spot seals, and means beyond said sealing means for folding the excess material of the sec-- ond mentioned web into a pleat overlying the spot seals.

14. An apparatus for forming a collapsed tube, including a mandrel, means for delivering web material along Opp te sides of the mandrel with the edges of the. material juxtaposed, means for heating and pressing together the juxtaposed edges to form the tube closed along its sides, tuckers disposed beyond said mandrel for infolding portions of the walls of the tube to collapse the latter, and a drum around which the collapsed tube passes.

15. An apparatus for forming a collapsed tube, including a mandrel, means for delivering web material along opposite sides of the mandrel with the edges of the material juxtaposed, means for heating and pressing together the juxtaposed edges to form the tube closed along its sides, tuckers disposed beyond said mandrel for inl folding portions of the walls of .the tube tocollapse the latter, a drum around which the 001-* lapsed tube passes, and a member movable along an arcuate path substantially parallel to the surface of the drum and coacting with said drum to apply heat and pressure to the collapsed tube transversely thereof to form transverse sealed areas.

16. An apparatus for forming a collapsed tube, including a mandrel, means for delivering web material along opposite sides of the mandrel with the edges of the material juxtaposed, means for heating and pressing together the juxtaposed edges to form the tube closed along its sides, tuckers disposed beyond said mandrel for/infolding portions of the walls of the tube to collapse the latter, -a drum around which the collapsed tube passes, a member movable along an arcuate path substantially parallel to the surface of the drum and coacting with said drum to apply heat and pressure to the collapsed tube transversely thereof toiorm transverse sealed areas, and a scalable material, a pair of coacting elements for applying heat and pressure to the edges oi the heat scalable materials to form longitudinal seams, and a second pair of coacting elements for pressing together the sheets of heat sealable -material.,to iorm transverse seams.

18. The method of forming a tube, which ineludes advancing a web of sheet material and progressively folding it to channel shape, advancing a second web with its edges juxtaposed to the edges. of the first mentioned web, progressively sealing said edges together as the webs advance, thereafter infolding portions of the walls of the 'tube to progressively collapse the latter, and

higher speed, and progressively sealingtogether the edges of the webs. v

20. The method of forming a tube with-transverse pleats across one wall thereof, which includes progressively advancing a pair of webs at different speeds and with the edges. juxtaposed, spot sealing the edges together at spaced points, forming pleats in the web traveling at the higher speed and adjacent to each spot seal, and thereafter sealing together the edges of the webs between the pleat and the next spot seal. 21. The method of forming a tube with transverse pleats, which includes progressively advancing a pair of webs at different speeds, forming transverse pleats inthe web traveling at the higher speed, and progressively sealing together the edges of the webs. 22. The method of forming a tube with transverse pleats, which-includes progressively advancing a pair 01 webs at different speeds, forming transverse pleats in the web traveling at the higher speed, progressively sealing together the edges of the webs, and thereafter sealing the webs together along transverse spaced lines.

23. The method of forming a tube with transverse pleats, which includes progressively advancing a pairof webs at diilerent speeds, forming transverse pleats in the web traveling at the higher speed, progressivelysealing together the edges of the webs, thereafter sealingthe 'webs together along transverse spaced lines, and

thereatter subdividing the tube transversely into sections along lines spaced a predetermined distance from the successivetransverse pleats.

24. The method of forming a tube with transverse pleats, which includes progressively advancing' a pair of webs at different speeds, forming transverse pleats in the web traveling at the.

higher speed, progressiveLv sealing together the edges of the webs, thereafter sealing the webs together along transverse spaced lines, and there- 1 after subdividing the tube transversely into seethe transverse V 25. The method of forming completely sealed bags in collapsed condition, which. includes progressively sealing together the edges oi" a pair or .webs, infolding portions of the side wallsoftlally in, cross-section, means for" the resulting tube. pulling the tube around a curved surface .toexpel airfrom the interior of the tube, transversely sealing together the opposite walls of the tube while injcollapsed-condition, and thereafter subdividing thetube into rates ofspeed, forming one of the webs at spaced points along the length; thereof, and folding the material of the last menandcoactingwithsaid sections along lines intermediate of the opposite edgesofthetransverseseals.

. 26. The methodof forming a tube withtransverse pleats, which includes-delivering a pairor webs in relationship and at different tionedweb along saidscorelinestotormm sivepleats. H ztanapparatns forformingacollapsedtube.

including a mandrel, means for delivering web material along we te sides of the with the edges of -the material juxtaposed. means (or heating and together gthe" juxtaposed edges to form the tube closed alongits sides, adrum around-which the tube,

andarnember movablealong anarcuate patn thedrum pressure tofthecollapsedtube toforrn aseal.

- sure to the edges of the heat scalable materials tothe collapsedtubetransverselythere-- of to form transverse sealed areas.

28. An apparatus for forming a collapsed tube,

including a mandrel, means for delivering web material along opposite sides of the mandrel with the edges of the material juxtaposed, means for heating and pressing together the juxtaposed edges to form the tube closed along its sides, a, member presenting a curved surface and around which the collapsed tube passes, and a member .cooperating with said first mentioned member" and presenting a surface movable in engagement with the surface of the tube and at the same speed as that of the tube to apply heat and 29; pparatus for forming a collapsed tube, including a mandrel. means for delivering web material along-opposite sides of the mandrel with the edges of the material juxtaposed, means for heating andtogether the juxtaposed edges to form the tube closed along its sides, a

-material, means for prveiy advancing a second web of heat sealable material, and a pair of coacting elements for applying heat and presto form longitudinal seams, one of said elements having a resilient surface, and both of said elemenis having rolling contact with saidmaterial.

'31. An apparatus for forming collapsed sealed bags, which includes means for advancing a pair'- of. webs with opposite edges juxtaposed, means for togethersaidjuxtaposed edges toform tions' along lines intermediate of the edges of;

of the for thereafter severing thetube'intosections. V

- 32. a tus for forming a collapsed tube sheet material, including a mandrel substana web of ,sheet material and folding mandrel and with infoldedmarginaledges, means for delivering a second web along said mandrel with its edges to said infolded edges. anda deviceincludingarotorsupported y and eigfi of-said-tube,meansforfapplying'heat to'seal the webstogethsrwith the andalonptransversef lines spaced'apart lengflrwlse of the tube, and

the tube into sections. r a

" I mos. mm

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