Packaging apparatus

Claim 2

Packaging apparatus wherein articles are entered at a loading station in a web of flexible heat-sealable sheet packaging material having two opposed walls joined along one longitudinal margin thereof and open along the other, an article being entered into the web laterally between said walls through the open margin, and the web, with an article therein, being fed from the loading station to an adjacent sealing station where the walls of the web are sealed longitudinally along its open margin and severed on a line trailing the article and sealed on both sides of said line to form a trailing transverse seal for a package being formed at the sealing station and a leading transverse seal for the next package to be formed at the sealing, said apparatus comprising entry means at the loading station for generally horizontal entry of an article in the web at a predetermined entry level, one wall of the web passing under and the other passing over said entry means, means at the sealing station for effecting said sealing and severing of the web comprising a pair of sealers relatively movable toward and away from one another between an open and a closed position for forming the seals at a predetermined sealing level, elevator means for supporting the web and an article therein at the sealing station, the elevator means being movable between a raised position generally at said entry level for generally horizontal feed of the web with an article therein from the entry means to the elevator means and a lowered sealing position below said entry level for formation of the seals in a generally horizontal plane between the top and bottom of the article, power-operated means for actuating the sealing means, and power-operated means operable on actuation of the sealing means for lowering the elevator means to its sealing position for the sealing and severing of the web and returning the elevator means to its raised position on opening of the sealing means, the elevator means including an outfeed conveyor for feeding a sealed package out of the sealing station when the elevator means is in its raised position.

Claim 3

packaging apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the sealing means comprises a fixed lower L-bar and a movable upper L-bar, the upper L-bar being movable downward from a raised retracted position toward the lower L-bar, the elevator means being movable up and down within the rectangular area defined by the lower L-bar.

Claim 4

Packaging apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the entry means comprises an infeed conveyor having a cantilevered discharge end, said one wall of the web passing under and the other passing over said cantilevered end.

Claim 5

Packaging apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein means is provided for varying the sealing position of the elevator means while maintaining its raised position constant generally at said entry level.

Claim 6

Packaging apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said elevator means comprises a vertically movable carriage and a table loosely mounted on the carriage and carrying said outfeed conveyor, and wherein adjustable stop means is provided for the table to vary the sealing position of the table while maintaining its raised position constant generally at said entry level.

Claim 7

Packaging apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein the entry means comprises an infeed conveyor having a cantilevered discharge end, said one wall of the web passing under and the other passing over said cantilevered end, and the table carries an outfeed conveyor adapted, when in raised position.

Claim 8

Packaging apparatus as set forth in claim 1 having means for pushing an article off the entry means onto the elevator means when the latter is in raised position.

Claim 9

Packaging apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein the entry means comprises an infeed conveyor having a cantilevered discharge end, said one wall of the web passing under and the other passing over said Cantilevered end, and having means carrying said pushing means with the latter extending into the web between the top of said cantilevered end and said other wall of the web through the open side of the web.

Claim 10

Packaging apparatus wherein articles are entered at a loading station in a web of flexible heat-sealable sheet packaging material having two opposed walls joined along one longitudinal margin thereof and open along the other, an article being entered into the web laterally between said walls through the open margin, and the web, with an article therein, being fed from the loading station to an adjacent sealing station where the walls of the web are sealed longitudinally along its open margin and severed on a line trailing the article and sealed on both sides of said line to form a trailing transverse seal for a package being formed at the sealing station and a leading transverse seal for the next package to be formed at the sealing station, said apparatus comprising entry means at the loading station for generally horizontal entry of an article in the web at a predetermined entry level, one wall of the web passing under and the other passing over said entry means, means at the sealing station for effecting said sealing and severing of the web comprising a pair of sealers relatively movable toward and away from one another between an open and a closed position for forming the seals at a predetermined sealing level, elevator means for supporting the web and an article therein at the sealing station, the elevator means being movable between a raised position generally at said entry level for generally horizontally feed of the web with an article therein from the entry means to the elevator means and a lowered sealing position below said entry level for formation of the seals in a generally horizontal plane between the top and bottom of the article, power-operated means for actuating the sealing means, power-operated means operable on actuation of the sealing means for lowering the elevator means to its sealing position for the sealing and severing of the web and returning the elevator means to its raised position on opening of the sealing means, pushing means for pushing an article off the entry means onto the elevator means when the latter is in raised position, and power-operated means for driving said pushing means including a fixed rack, a movable rack member carrying said pushing means, a pinion in mesh with the fixed rack and the movable rack member, and cylinder and piston means for driving the pinion to roll on the fixed rack and thereby drive the movable rack member through a distance greater than the stroke of the cylinder and piston means.

Claim 11

Packaging apparatus wherein articles are entered at a loading station in a web of flexible heat-sealable sheet packaging material having two opposed walls joined along one longitudinal margin thereof and open along the other, an article being entered into the web laterally between said walls through the open margin, and the web, with an article therein, being fed from the loading station to an adjacent sealing station where the walls of the web are sealed longitudinally along its open margin and severed on a line trailing the article and sealed on both sides of said line to form a trailing transverse seal for a package being formed at the sealing station and a leading transverse seal for the next package to be formed at the sealing station, said apparatus comprising entry means at the loading station for generally horizontal entry of an article in the web at a predetermined entry level, one wall of the web passing under and the other passing over said entry means, means at the sealing station for effecting said sealing and severing of the web comprising a pair of sealers relatively movable toward and away from one another between an open and a closed position for forming the seals at a predetermined sealing level, elevator means for supporting the web and an article therein at the sealing station, the elevator means being movable between a raised position generally at said entry level for generally horizontally feed of the web with an article therein from the entry means to the elevator means and a lowered sealing position below said entry level for formation of the seals in a generally horizontal plane between the top and bottom of the article, power-operated means for actuating the sealing means, power-operated means operable on actuation of the sealing means for lowering the elevator means to its sealing position for the sealing and severing of the web and returning the elevator means to its raised position on opening of the sealing means, pushing means for pushing an article off the entry means onto the elevator means when the latter is in raised position, and power-operated means for driving said pushing means including a fixed rack, a movable rack member carrying said pushing means, a pinion in mesh with the fixed rack and the movable rack member, and cylinder and piston means for driving the pinion to roll on the fixed rack and thereby drive the movable rack member through a distance greater than the stroke of the cylinder and piston means.

Claim 12

Packaging apparatus wherein articles are entered at a loading station in a web of flexible heat-sealed sheet packaging material having two opposed walls joined along one longitudinal margin thereof and open along the other, an article being entered into the web laterally between said walls through the open margin, and the web, with an article therein, being fed from the loading station to an adjacent sealing station where the walls of the web are sealed longitudinally along its open margin and severed on a line trailing the article and sealed on both sides of said line to form a trailing transverse seal for a package being formed at the sealing station and a leading transverse seal for the next package to be formed at the sealing station, said apparatus comprising entry means at the loading station for generally horizontal entry of an article in the web at a predetermined entry level, one wall of the web passing under and the other passing over said entry means, means at the sealing station for effecting said sealing and severing of the web comprising a pair of sealers relatively movable toward and away from one another between an open and a closed position for forming the seals at a predetermined sealing level, elevator means for supporting the web and an article therein at the sealing station, the elevator means being mOvable between a raised position generally at said entry level for generally horizontal feed of the web with an article therein from the entry means to the elevator means and a lowered sealing position below said entry level for formation of the seals in a generally horizontal plane between the top and bottom of the article, power-operated means for actuating the sealing means, power-operated means operable on actuation of the sealing means for lowering the elevator means to its sealing position for the sealing and severing of the web and returning the elevator means to its raised position on opening of the sealing means, pushing means for pushing an article off the entry means onto the elevator means when the latter is in raised position, said entry means comprising an infeed conveyor having a cantilevered discharge end, said one wall of the web passing under and the other passing over said cantilevered end, a carriage slidable in the direction of the length of the web and carrying said pushing means with the latter extending into the web between the top of said cantilevered end and said other wall of the web through the open side of the web, and power-operated means for reciprocating the carriage comprising a fixed rack, a movable rack member, a connection between the carriage and the movable rack member, a pinion in mesh with the fixed rack and the movable rack member, and cylinder and piston means for driving the pinion to roll on the fixed rack and thereby drive the movable rack member through a distance greater than the stroke of the cylinder and piston means.

Claim 13

Packaging apparatus wherein articles are entered at a loading station in a web of flexible heat-sealed sheet packaging material having two opposed walls joined along one longitudinal margin thereof and open along the other, an article being entered into the web laterally between said walls through the open margin, and the web, with an article therein, being fed from the loading station to an adjacent sealing station where the walls of the web are sealed longitudinally along its open margin and severed on a line trailing the article and sealed on both sides of said line to form a trailing transverse seal for a package being formed at the sealing station and a leading transverse seal for the next package to be formed at the sealing station, said apparatus comprising entry means at the loading station for generally horizontal entry of an article in the web at a predetermined entry level, one wall of the web passing under and the other passing over said entry means, means at the sealing station for effecting said sealing and severing of the web comprising a pair of sealers relatively movable toward and away from one another between an open and a closed position for forming the seals at a predetermined sealing level, elevator means for supporting the web and an article therein at the sealing station, the elevator means being mOvable between a raised position generally at said entry level for generally horizontal feed of the web with an article therein from the entry means to the elevator means and a lowered sealing position below said entry level for formation of the seals in a generally horizontal plane between the top and bottom of the article, power-operated means for actuating the sealing means, power-operated means operable on actuation of the sealing means for lowering the elevator means to its sealing position for the sealing and severing of the web and returning the elevator means to its raised position on opening of the sealing means, pushing means for pushing an article off the entry means onto the elevator means when the latter is in raised position, said entry means comprising an infeed conveyor having a cantilevered discharge end, said one wall of the web passing under and the other passing over said cantilevered end, a carriage slidable in the direction of the length of the web and carrying said pushing means with the latter extending into the web between the top of said cantilevered end and said other wall of the web through the open side of the web, and power-operated means for reciprocating the carriage comprising a fixed rack, a movable rack member, a connection between the carriage and the movable rack member, a pinion in mesh with the fixed rack and the movable rack member, and cylinder and piston means for driving the pinion to roll on the fixed rack and thereby drive the movable rack member through a distance greater than the stroke of the cylinder and piston means.

Claim 14

Packaging apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein the connection between the carriage and the movable rack member provides for longitudinal adjustment of the position of the carriage relative to the movable rack member.

Claim 15

Packaging apparatus as set forth in claim 8 having means for stopping said infeed conveyor on entry of the article in the web, actuating said pushing means to push an article off the infeed conveyor onto the elevator means, and then actuating said sealing means.

Claim 16

Packaging apparatus as set forth in claim 8 having power-operated means for driving the pushing means through a forward stroke and a return stroke, and means for driving the outfeed conveyor from the drive for the pushing means on each forward stroke of the pushing means.

Claim 17

Packaging apparatus as set forth in claim 13 having means for stopping said infeed conveyor on entry of an article in the web, actuating said pushing means to drive the outfeed conveyor to feed a sealed package out of the sealing station and to push an article off the infeed conveyor onto the outfeed conveyor, actuating said sealing means, and starting the infeed conveyor. pg,48

Claim 18

Packaging apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein the pushing means is movable away from and back to a retracted position and having means responsive to opening of the sealing means for delaying operation of the pushing means until the sealing means has opened.

Claim 19

Packaging apparatus as set forth in claim 15 having means responsive to retraction of the pushing means for delaying the start of the infeed conveyor until the pushing means has been retracted.

Claim 20

Packaging apparatus as set forth in claim 16 having means responsive to presence of an obstruction to closing of the sealers for actuating the power-operated means for the sealing means to open the latter.

Claim 21

Packaging apparatus as set forth in claim 17 having means responsive to closing of the sealers for bypassing said obstruction-responsive means to permit the sealers to remain closed for sealing.

Claim 22

Packaging apparatus as set forth in claim 18 having means for deactuating the power-operated means for the sealing means during a forward stroke of the pushing means to preclude closing of the sealers on said forward stroke.