US3398656A

US3398656A - Web guiding and plowing system for a packaging machine and the like

Info

Publication number: US3398656A
Application number: US568611A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles E Cloud; James R George
Original assignee: Cloud Machine Corp
Current assignee: Cloud Machine Corp
Priority date: 1966-07-28
Filing date: 1966-07-28
Publication date: 1968-08-27
Anticipated expiration: 1985-08-27
Also published as: FR1508897A; GB1177241A; DE1561440A1

Description

Aug. 27, 1968 c. E. CLOUD ETAL 6 WEB GUIDING AND PLOWING SYSTEM FOR A PACKAGING MACHINE AND THE LIKE 7 Filed July 28, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Egn! \Q I N VEN'TORS Char/e65 6700a James E Geo/ye m La a K ATTORNEYS c. E. CLOUD ETAL. 3,398,656

EM FOR A- PACKAGING Aug. 27, 1968 WEB GUIDING AND PLOWING SYST MACHINE AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 28, 1966 INVENTORS Char/es E 6700:! James A? Georye m N R w A 1968 c. E. CLOUD ETAL 3,398,656

WEB GUIDING AND PLOWING SYSTEM FOR A PACKAGING MACHINE AND THE LIKE Filed July 28, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ag l INVENTORS C/m'r/esEC/oad dam es ,2 earye g ATTORNEYS Stat 3,398,656 WEB GUIDING AND PLGWING SYSTEM FOR A PACKAGING MACHINE AND THE LIKE Charles E. Cloud, Wilmette, and James R. George, Franklin Park, Ill, assignors to Cloud Machine Corporation,

Skokie, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 28, 1966, Ser. No. 568,611 27 Claims. (Cl. 93-13) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention broadly relates to a method and apparatus for controlling the position of a web guiding or forming station relative to a web being fed thereto and which web may be thereafter further shaped or formed. The subsequent forming may involve the shaping of the web into containers, pouches, packages, bags, strips of bags, and the like.

This invention also relates to a machine for continuously forming a series of bags or packages, which may be filled or unfilled, from a continuous length of flexible material and more particularly relates to a novel means and method for enabling a plow or a film former to align itself relative to flexible material being fed thereto.

According to one important embodiment of this invention, pockets may be formed in a packaging apparatus from a continuously moving web strip by folding the strip into a longitudinal V-shaped channel and subsequently forming transverse seams at spaced intervals along the length of the strip. One of the steps in this embodiment is the initial forming of film or flexible material into the longitudinal V-shaped channel. To prop erly form the V-shaped channel, the web strip is preferably uniformly folded along a predetermined longitudinal line. When the web strip is folded in this manner, the longitudinal side walls will have uniform height and the subsequently formed pockets will have a uniform volume and size. The fold need not be a crease-d fold since the material can be shaped to provide a U-shaped channel, if desired.

As illustrated, the web strip is generally folded through the use of a plow which funnels the flat strip, as it longitudinally moves to a subsequent machine operation. The funneled strip is then creased at a point forwardly of the plow head. Heretofore, however, it has been the practice in the packaging industry to maintain the plow head on the former fixedly mounted on the packaging apparatus with the result that transverse movement of the strip results in a non-uniform folding of the strip and consequent production of unsuitable packages. The present invention is concerned with the development of a new method and apparatus for overcoming the long standing problems encountered through the use of the method and machines previously and presently used by bag or package manufacturers. It has been found that transverse or shifting motions of the longitudinally moving web strip are caused by non-uniform winding of the film or flexible material on the web supply roll or due to other inaccuracies in the means for feeding the web 3,398,555 Patented Aug. 27, 1968 strip or film to the plowing device or the former, and the present inventions are directed to controlling the position of the former or plow relative to the film being fed thereto.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of this invention to provide a machine having an improved means that is mechanically guided by the force of the web. As illustrated, the thus guided web can be formed into uniform packages or bags from a longitudinally moving web strip.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an improved means and method for longitudinally controlling a moving web to maintain edges of the strip in controlled relation to one another and to a forming area or station into which the web is fed.

It is another object of this invention to provide a plow head or former for a packaging apparatus or bag maker which is movably positioned to accommodate transverse shifting of the associated traveling web and/or to be capable of aligning itself with the web strip traveling thereto.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a plow head or former which is movably guided by the associated traveling web strip and which accordingly assures a uniform predetermined controlled relationship between the plow head or former and the film.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a plow head for an apparatus which is pivotally mounted on the packaging apparatus and which has a carriage means extending rearwardly thereof for receiving the associated traveling web and for causing the web to pivotally guide the instantaneous position of the plow head in response to transverse movements of the web strip.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide an improved plow head for a packaging apparatus wherein the instantaneous positioning of the plow head is dictated by the transverse shifting of the associated traveling web strip and wherein stationary guide blocks are disposed forwardly of the plow head for uniformly creasing the moving web strip.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be understood in greater detail from the following description and the associated drawings wherein reference numerals are utilized in designating an illustrative embodiment and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a packaging apparatus having the novel features of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the folding device as illustrated in FIGURE 1 and showing in particular the plow head and carriage means as well as the stationary guide blocks of this invention;

FIGURE 3 is a further top plan view of the folding device of this invention showing the cooperable relationship of the traveling web strip and the carriage means for guiding the orientation of the plow head in response to transverse movements of the web strip;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the folding device shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 with a portion thereof cut away to illustrate the pivotal mounting of the folding device on the packaging apparatus of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view of a typical filled package as formed by the packaging apparatus of FIG- URE 1.

As shown on the drawings:

According to the illustrated form of the invention, a filled package or bag or container or pouch 10 of the type shown at FIGURE 5 is adapted to be produced by a packaging machine 11 as shown in FIGURE 1. The machine 11 has been found to be capable of producing hundreds of these packages per minute. While the illustrated form of the invention shows an apparatus and method for producing packages, it will be appreciated that with regard to certain broad aspects of the present invention the method and/ or apparatus could be operated to produce unfilled packages or bags or containers or pouches as separate units or as part of continuous strips that could be sold to customers in either filled or unfilled form or as part of a strip or as individual units. It will, therefore, be understood that where applicants have used the terms package, bag, container, or pouch that these terms have been accorded a broad interpretation since they have been utilized pursuant to the stated definitions. In other words, it is our understanding that the terms referring to the package, bag, container or pouch could be interchangeably used, unless otherwise stated by inclusion of other more specific features, and that it will be understood that they could be filled or unfilled and could be part of continuous strips or could be separated or severed units, as desired. Notwithstanding the foregoing, it is our belief that we have also developed a new method and apparatus for producing filled packages as hereafter described and that the method and apparatus hereafter described involve important embodiments of our invention.

The package or bag may be produced from a continuous strip of material or from several continuous strips of material. The type of machine used will depend upon the type of film to be used and the type of package or bag to be made. Some films can be more readily folded than other films, and where a bag is desired having a crease at its closed end, it is well-known that certain materials would be preferred over those that might be used where a non-creased or U-shaped bag or package is to be made. The folding device or web guide of this invention, however, may be used in conjunction with any flexible material, such as plastic, paper, cloth, metal or the like to produce suitable shaped bags or packages from V- or U-shaped webs or from separate webs.

The illustrated machine 11 has a base 12 for supporting various machine operation stages. As illustrated, the packaging material begins as a flat web strip 13 and proceeds through the various operation stages to ultimately result in the filled package 10 as shown in FIGURE 5.

The strip material 13 is unwound from a braked web supply roll 14 which is rotatably mounted as at 15 on an arbor 16. The arbor 16 is mounted on bracket supports 17 and 18 which maintain the arbor 16 in an adequate spaced relationship with the base 12 of the machine 11 in order to support a large diameter roll as in the case of the roll 14, and it will be appreciated that while the roll 14 is free to unreel that its transverse position is fixed.

As the web material 13 is unwound from the web supply roll 14, it is fed through a series of

rolls

19, 20, 21 and 22 which both drive and guide the web from the roll 14 to another web guiding device 23, which in the illustrated embodiment may be operated to additionally form or fold the web. For reference purposes we have referred to the Web guiding device 23 as a plow, which may be of any suitable shape such as wedge-shaped, tubular-shaped, and the like. The plow or former 23 may be of any conventional type such as exemplified by the former shown in US. Patents 3,009,298 and 3,210,905.

The mechanism for braking the roll 14 is only diagrammatically illustrated and may comprise any of the wellknown brakes commonly employed for such purposes. As a modification, the

rolls

20, 21 and 22 may be braked through an electric eye system, as shown in co-pending Cloud et a]. US. application Ser. No. 484,481, filed Sept. 1, 1965, either method may be employed to coact with the web guide 23 to maintain the web under longitudinal tension.

The folding device 23 comprises a plow plate 24 which is mounted substantially parallel to the base 12 of the packaging aparatus 11. The plow plate 24 is movably mounted on the packaging machine 11 at a plow pivot 25.

The plow pivot 25 comprises a vertically orientated shaft 26 which is adjustably secured to the plow plate 24 at an adjustment opening 27. By loosening a set screw 28, the plow plate 24 can be moved vertically along the length of the shaft 26 to adjust the height of the plow plate and associated folding device relative to the feed position of the web 13 within the

rollers

20, 21 and 22.

The pivot shaft 26 is extended through a bore 29 formed within the base 12 of the packaging apparatus 11. The shaft 26 is then received within a sleeve 30 which is bolted as at 31 to the base 12. The sleeve 30 provides a means for supporting first and second sets of

bearings

32 and 33 which in turn rotatably support the shaft 26 to assure substantially friction-free pivotal operation of the folding device 23. A second set screw 34 may be provided within the wall of the sleeve 30 for contacting the shaft and securing bearing spacer sleeve 35 to enable the shaft to freely pivot on the

bearings

32 and 33 which are suitably secured to opposite ends of the bearing sleeve 35. A removable plug 34' is radially aligned with the second set screw 34 and threadingly joined with the radially outer sleeve 30. The second set screw 34 can be adjusted with a screwdriver after the plug 34' is removed so that the position of the plow on the folding device can be moved relative to the

rollers

20 and 22.

While in the illustrated embodiment the web guide or plow 23 is shown as being mounted on a vertical axis, as indicated at 26 in FIGURE 4, which permits it to swing transversely of the longitudinally advancing web, it will be appreciated that the present invention, at least in some of its broader aspects, encompasses the concept of permitting the web guide 23 to swing on any suitable axis in addition to the vertical axis shown at 26 in FIGURE 4. For example, the plow 23 could swing on an inclined or a horizontal axis while permitting controlled, guided movement of the web in the same manner illustrated in the drawings.

The folding device 23 has a carriage means 34a which is mounted at the plow plate 24 as at

points

35a and 36a. The carriage means 34a comprises vertical leg segments 37 extending upwardly from the plow plate 24 and horizontal lever arms 38 extending rearwardly of the folding device 23. The vertical leg segments 37 have vertical adjustment slots 39 formed therein for adjustably supporting a first guide shaft 40. The guide shaft 40 is supported within the slots 39 at opposite sides of the folding device as at the

points

41 and 42.

The horizontal lever arm 38 has a second guide shaft 43 supported at the extreme rearward position thereof as at the

points

44 and 45. The

shafts

40 and 43 each have a pair of guide collars 46-47 and 48-49 adjustably positioned thereon by set screws (not shown) on the

shafts

40 and 43 for coacting with the travelling web to guide the instantaneous position of the plow head into alignment with the folding line of the web strip.

A plow head 50 is one of the principal functioning elements of the folding device 23 and comprises essentially a wedge-shaped member having a forming edge 51, side forming walls 52 and a feed surface 53. The plow head is supported above the plow plate 24 as shown in FIGURE 4 to allow the passage of the web strip between the plow head and the plow plate. The plow head 50 is mounted at an overhanging bracket 54 through first and

second bolts

55 and 56. The bracket 54 has adjustment slots 57 and 58 for receiving the

bolts

55 and 56 therethrough respectively. Accordingly, the plow head 50 may be moved forwardly and rearwardly of the folding device by loosening the nuts 59 and 60 and sliding the plow head within the adjustment slots 57 and 58. The plow head 50 can be vertically adjusted by manipulation of the nuts 59, 60, and 59' and 60'.

The overhanging bracket is mounted to the plow plate 24 through first and second guide blocks 61 and 62. The bracket 54 is mounted to the guide blocks as at the screws 63 and 64, and the guide blocks are in turn mounted to the plow plate as at the screws 65.

The guide blocks 61 and 62 comprise essentially vertical support members having a generally rectangular cross section and being orientated such that parallel guide edges 66 and 67 are disposed substantially immediately forwardly of the forming edge 51. The guide edges 66 and 67 are relatively sharply defined as indicated by the tapered side walls 68 and 69. The guide edges 66 and 67 are spaced apart as shown in FIGURE 2 to provide a folding slit 70 which is orientated in substantial alignment with the forming edge 51 of the plow head 50.

In operation, the web strip 13 is unwound from the web supply roll 14 and fed in a horizontal plane through the

rollers

20, 21 and 22. The web strip then passes from the roller 22 to the carriage means 34a associated with the folding device of this invention. In particular, the web strip 13 is passed over the shaft 43 associated with the horizontal lever arm 38 of the carriage means 34a. Similarly, the web 13 passes over the second shaft 40 of the carriage means 34a and extends against the feed surface 53 of the plow head 50.

The web 13 is funneled against the side forming walls 52 of the plow head 50 and threaded through the folding slit 70 formed between the guide blocks 61 and 62.

It passes through the folding device of this invention, the web strip 13 is reorientated from a horizontal to a vertical position and is folded to have a V-shaped channel formed longitudinally along the traveling web. The vertical orientation of the web 13 may be seen in FIGURE 1, for example, and the folded seam of the web as it leaves the guide blocks 61 and 62 is shown at 71 in FIGURE 4.

Should the web 13 be wound irregularly on the web supply roll 14 or should the arbor 16, for instance, have a slight eccentricity, the traveling web 13 will tend to be misaligned relative to other areas of the web on the supply roll 14 as it moves longitudinally forward toward the folding device 23. In the absence of means for accommodating the sideways misalignment or a possible shift of the longitudinally moving web 13, the folding of the web 13 at the plow head 50 would vary with the fluctuations in the transverse position of the web relative to the forming edge 51. For instance, if the web is intended to be formed essentially at the longitudinal center thereof, sideways misalignment of the web relative to the plow head 50 will cause the web strip to be folded along a longitudinal line which fluctuates about the true longitudinal center of the web, thus resulting in longitudinal edges of the web being misaligned.

Howeverfthe folding device of this invention provides a means for adjusting and aligning the position of the plow head to accommodate misalignment of the traveling web 13. In particular, as shown in FIG. 3, the traveling web 13 is provided to pass between the adjustable collars 46 through 49 which are associated with the carriage means of this invention. Since the entire folding device is freely rotatable about the pivot shaft 26, and since the horizontal lever arm 38 of the carriage means 34a expends substantially rearwardly of the pivot point, a slight sideways shift in the transverse positioning of the web 13 and/or a transverse misalignment of that portion of the web being fed to the plow or to the former will exert sufiicient force on the lever arm 38 of the carriage means 34a to shift the entire positioning of the folding device or former and, hence, of the plow head 50. The result is that transverse oscillations or misalignment of the traveling web 13 will be followed precisely by the pivotal movement of the plow head and associated folding slit 70 thereby maintaining a constant relationship between the positioning of the forming edge 51 and the positioning of the web 13. It will be noted that it is not necessary that the traveling web 13 be folded at the longitudinal center thereof, rather it is only necessary that the chosen folding line of the web be maintained constant, and this is accomplished by maintaining a constant relationship between the traveling path of the web 13 and the forming edge 51 of the plow head 50. The strip or web 13 is, of course, subject to a controlled tension in order to assist in the satisfactory formulation of the desired fold line by means of the electric eye, brake or other suitable means, previously described.

After passing through the folding slit 70, the web may be fed through a guide roller set 72 which comprises a first roller 73 and a second roller 74 which is spring loaded as at 75 to maintain a compression on the moving web 13.

The web 13 then comprises a folded strip having a V- shaped channel formed longitudinally therealong. In order to form pockets in the longitudinal strip, means must be provided for transversely sealing the moving strip at spaced intervals. The vertical sealing operation takes place at a sealer 7 6 which has a plurality of vertically extending circumferentially spaced lands 77 and associated spaced grooves 78. The web strip 13 passes around a guide roll 79 and wraps about the sealer 76 to contact the spaced lands 77 as shown in FIG. 1. Heat applied to the sealer 76 will then ca-use vertical seals at the spaced intervals designated by the lands 77 and accordingly develop the required pockets in the moving strip. The raised lands 77 form vertical seals 80 and 81 as shown in FIG. 5 to define the pocket 82 therebetween. As the strip 13 leaves the vertical sealer 76, the pockets '82 are opened at the top edge and accordingly provide a means for receiving content material therein.

The traveling web 13 then leaves the vertical sealer 76 and is guided through a capstan and drive roller combination 83 to a filling station 84. The filling station 84 has a plurality of circumferential scalloped surfaces 85 and a similar number of funnel-shaped depressions 86. The web 13 passes about a roll 87 and is wrapped circumferentially about the circumference of the filling station 84. The pockets of the moving strip 13 are maintained against the scalloped surfaces 85 by a vacuum source or the like, and an air pressure source may be used to direct an air stream for opening the pockets as in advance of being filled by means of material flowing from a storage hopper 8-8. As each package passes beneath the storage hopper 88, a given quantity of material such as salt, sugar or the like, is released into the funnelshaped depressions 86 and is passed through the openings 89 into the pockets 82 of the moving strip. The operation of this and other similar filling stations is described in more detail in co-pending Cloud et al. US. patent application Ser. No. 290,725, filed June 26, 1963, now Patent No. 3,344,576.

The traveling web strip 13 leaves the filling station at a take-off roller 90 and passes through a top heat sealer 91 which forms a horizontal seal 92 as shown in FIG. 5 to completely enclose the filled pockets 82 of the strip material. The strip is then passed through an additional set of rollers 93 and then turned into a horizonal plane as at 94 for being passed through a combination indexer and slicer 95. The strip then emerges from the packaging apparatus onto a continuous conveyor 96 in the form of individual packets 10 as shown in FIG. 1 and as further illustrated in FIG. 5.

In the event it should be desired to produce a continuous strip of unfilled packages, bags, containers or pouches, it will be appreciated that certain adjustments can be made to the machine and method herein disclosed whereby the filling device could be operated so that no materials would be loaded into the packages, bags, containers or pouchers and whereby the top sealer 91 could be shut off so as to leave the upper ends open and whereby the cutting station could be disconnected or else operated to prevent severance of units from the web or to permit severance to occur only at more irregular intervals. Similar adjustments on our apparatus and method can be made to produce unfilled packages, bags, containers or pouches while f-urther permitting them to be produced as individual units if desired.

It will be apparent that various modifications and combinations of the features of this invention may be accomplished by those skilled in this particular art, but we desire to claim all such modifications and combinations as properly come within the spirit and scope of our invention.

We claim:

1. In a packaging apparatus having :a machine base, a plowing system mounted on said base for longitudinally folding a continuously moving web comprising:

a plow head having a forming edge,

said plow head being movably mounted on said base,

supply means for continually feeding a web against said forming edge,

web guide means for developing a longitudinal crease in the moving web at a point adjacent said forming edge, and

said plow head being movably guided by the moving Web as deployed from said supply means to said guide means.

2. A packaging apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said plow head is pivotally mounted relative to said base and wherein plow guide means extend rearwardly of said plow for coacting with said web to guide said plow in response to movements of said supply means.

3. A packaging apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein said plow head is pivotally mounted on a substantially vertical axis and wherein said plow guide means is disposed substantially horizontally in a rearward direction from said plow for generating pivotal movement of said plow in response to misalignment of said supply means.

4. A packaging apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein said forming edge is disposed substantially vertically on said plow and wherein said guide means comprises a pair of vertically orientated spaced edges disposed forwardly of said forming edge for developing a longitudinal crease in the moving web.

5. A packaging apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein a plow plate is pivotally mounted on said base, said web guide means being fixedly mounted on said plow plate, and wherein said plow head is longitudinally adjustedly positionable relative to said web guide means.

6. A packaging apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein said plow head is pivotally supported in the vicinity of said forming edge and wherein said web guide comprises a carriage lever extending a substantial distance rearwardly of said plow head for carrying the moving web and for pivoting said plow head in response to misalignment of said supply means.

7. A folding device for a packaging apparatus comprising:

a frame,

a plow Lhead supported on said frame and having a forming edge and a feed surface leading to said forming edge,

said frame having means for being pivotally supported on a packaging apparatus in the vicinity of said plow head,

carriage means rigidly mounted on the frame and extending substantially rearwardly of said feed surface of the plow head, and

said carriage means having horizontal guide means for holding a continuously moving web and for pivotally guiding said frame in response to misalignment of the moving web.

8. A folding device in accordance with claim 7 wherein a vertical guide is fixedly mounted to said frame forwardly of said plow head and wherein said vertical guide comprises first and second guide members spaced apart to form a slit in substantial alignment with the forming edge of said plow head.

9. A folding device in accordance with claim 8 wherein said slit is formed by relatively sharp edges of said guide members, said relatively sharp edges being spaced forwardly of the forming edge of the plow head, and said relatively sharp edges having adjacent side Walls angled rearwardly toward the plow head for guiding a folding web from the forming edge of the plow into a successive packaging stage.

10. A folding device in accordance with claim '7 wherein said plow head has tapered side forming walls leading to said forming edge and wherein the longitudinal axis of said plow head is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said carriage means such that pivotal movement of said frame does not affect the spatial orientation of said forming edge relative to the moving web.

11. A folding device for a packaging apparatus comprising:

a plow plate,

a plow head suspended above said plow plate and having a feed surface for leading a moving we-b between said plow head and the plow plate,

said plow head having side forming walls and a forming edge for funneling the web into a V-shaped channel,

guide blocks having vertical guide edges disposed substantially parallel to said forming edge and spaced apart to define a slit immediately forward of said forming edge,

carriage means mounted to said plow plate and having a guide surface disposed above the feed surface of the plow head, and

a plow pivot extending below the plow plate for pivotally mounting the folding device on a packaging machine.

12. A folding device in accordance with claim ll wherein said carriage means comprises a number of guide shafts supported on a rearwardly extending lever arm, one of said guide shafts being substantially spaced from said plow pivot to cause the moving web to exert a leverage force on said pivot for rotating the folding device in response to misalignment of the web.

13. In a packaging apparatus the combination comprising:

a machine base having machine Operation stages disposed thereon,

a web supply roll rotatably mounted at a point for supplying web material to said machine operation stages,

a folding device pivotally mounted on the machine base and having a plow head facing forwardly of the general direction of travel of the web in moving from the supply roll to said machine operation stages,

said folding device having a carriage means extending rearwardly of the general direction of travel of.

the web, and

said web passing against said carriage means and causing thereby a pivotal movement of said folding device to maintain alignment between the instantaneous direction of travel of the web and the orientation of the plow head.

14. The combination in accordance with claim 13 wherein said carriage means comprises a lever arm having a web guide member disposed a substantial distance rearwardly of the pivot point of the folding device, whereby transverse movements of the traveling web cause a pivotal movement of the folding device for maintaining alignment between the plow and the web.

15. The combination in accordance with claim 13 wherein said plow head has a forming edge disposed substantially intermediate the transverse dimension of the traveling web and wherein first and second guide members are fixedly positioned forwardly of said forming edge and are spaced apart to form a folding slit substantially immediately forwardly of the forming edge.

16. The combination in accordance with claim 15 wherein said first and second guide members comprise stationary vertical guide blocks having relatively sharply defined guide edges forming said folding slit for creasing the moving web in moving from the plow headto successive machine operation stages.

17. The method of longitudinally folding a web strip moving through a packing apparatus having a folding slit and a plow head comprising:

feeding the web strip from a web supply to and against the plow head,

funneling the web strip around the plow head and through the folding slit, and

rnovably adjusting the positioning of the plow head to maintain alignment of the desired longitudinal crease line of the web with the fOlding slit.

18. In a packaging apparatus which includes a Web roll stand, a folding device having a plow head and a carriage means, a folding slit, and successive machine operation stages, the method of longitudinally folding a web strip comprising:

unwinding a web strip from the roll stand,

feeding the web strip against said carriage means,

funneling the web strip around the plow head and through the folding slit, and

pivoting the folding device in response to transverse displacement of the traveling web at the carriage means and maintaining thereby the alignment of the traveling web with the folding slit.

19. The method of longitudinally folding a web strip moving through a packaging apparatus having a plow head comprising:

feeding the web strip to the plow head,

folding the web strip around the plow head,

freely moving the plow head to accommodate transverse motion of the web strip in traveling toward the plow head, and

longitudinally creasing the web strip forwardly of the plow head.

20. The method in accordance with claim 19 includ ing moving the traveling web against the plow and causing the transversely oscillating web to guide the plow into alignment with the web.

21. The method of controlling the unwinding of a web of material for forming the material into another form comprising:

unwinding the web of material and causing the web to be moved longitudinally to a forming station, and transversely swinging the forming station and back and forth in accordance with transverse movements of the web enabling selected areas of the web to be maintained in constant relationship relative to the forming station permitting the Web to be uniformly changed into another form.

22. The method of controlling the unwinding of a web of flexible material from a roll for forming the material into another form comprising:

unwinding the web of flexible material and causing the material to be moved longitudinally to a forming station, and

transversely swinging the forming station back and forth responsive to changes in position of edges of the web enabling the edges to be controlled and continuously maintained in constant relationship relative to the forming station for uniformly shaping the web despite irregularities in the position of the edges on the roll.

23. An apparatus for controlling the unwinding of a web of material for forming the material into another form comprising:

means for supporting a roll carrying a coiled web of material,

a swingably mounted forming station adapted to move transversely back and forth in accordance with transverse movements of the web enabling selected areas of the web to be maintained in constant relationship relative to the forming station permitting the web to be uniformly changed into another form, and

means for longitudinally moving the web causing the web to be unwound and drawn from the roll through the forming station.

24. An apparatus for controlling the unwinding of a web of material for forming the material into another form comprising:

means for supporting a roll carrying a coiled web of material,

a swingably mounted forming station adapted to move transversely back and forth in accordance with transverse movements of edges of the web enabling the edges of the web to be controlled and continuously maintained in constant relationship relative to the forming station for uniformly shaping the web along its length despite irregularities in the position of the edges on the roll and thereby permitting the web to be uniformly changed into another form by the forming station, and

means for longitudinally moving the web causing the web to be unwound from the roll and drawn through the forming station.

25. An apparatus for controlling the movement of a web of material for forming the material into another form comprising:

web support means for supporting a web of material, a web guiding station cooperable with said web support means having mounting means enabling the station to be mechanically guided and moved transversely relative to a longitudinal path of travel of the web in response to movements of the web enabling the edges of the web to be controlled and continuously maintained in constant relationship relative to the station, and

26. The apparatus of claim 25 further characterized by including means cooperable with said station for tensioning the web being fed to said station.

27. The method of controlling the movement of a web of material:

moving the web longitudinally to a web guiding station, and

transversely moving the web guiding station back and forth in accordance with movements transverse of the longitudinally moving web enabling selected areas of the web to be maintained in constant relationship relative to the web guiding station,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,059,549 10/ 1962 Seiden 93-20 3,165,310 1/1965 Peterson 93-13 X FOREIGN PATENTS 77,236 3/ 1918 Switzerland.

WILLIAM W. DYER, 111., Primary Examiner.

WAYNE A. MORSE, JR., Assistant Examiner.