Method and apparatus for the production of tetrahedron-shaped packages

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING FILLED AND SEALED TETRAHEDRON-SHAPED PACKAGES WHICH COMPRISES A SUPPLY ROLL OF HEAT-SEALABLE PACKAGING MATERIAL IN WEB FORM, MEANS ACTING INTERMITTENTLY FOR PULLING OFF FROM SAID SUPPLY ROLL A PREDETERMINED WEB LENGTH, A MANDREL, MEANS ACTING INTERMITTENTLY FOR FORMING SAID PULLED OFF LENGTHS OF SAID WEB INTO A CONTINUOUS TUBE BY WINDING THE SAME HELICALLY UPON SAID MANDREL AND FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY ADVANCING THE SAME LONGITUDINALLY, SAID TUBE BEING ROTATED THROUGH AN ANGLE OF SUBSTANTIALLY 90* FOR EACH INTERMITTENT HELICAL WINDING OPERATION THEREOF, MEANS COOPERATIVE WITH SAID WEB FOR GUIDING THE SAME ALONG A HELICAL PATH WHICH IS FIXED RELATIVE TO THE AXIS OF SAID MANDREL, A FILLING PIPE HAVING ONE END THEREOF INSERTED THROUGH SAID MANDREL FOR INTRODUCING FILLING MATERIAL INTO SAID TUBE, A FEED PUMP FOR FILLING MATERIAL CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID FILLING PIPE, LENGTH SENSING MEANS COOPERATIVE WITH SAID PACKAGING MATERIAL AS IT TRAVELS THROUGH SAID APPARATUS, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID SENSING MEANS FOR CONTROLLING SAID OPERATION OF SAID INTERMITTENTLY ACTING MEANS BY WHICH SAID PULLED OFF WEB LENGTHS ARE FORMED INTO A CONTINUOUS TUBE, A PAIR OF CLAMPING JAWS, MEANS ACTUATING SAID CLAMPING JAWS TO AND FROM EACH OTHER WHEN SAID TUBE IS STATIONARY BETWEEN INTERMITTENT OPERATIONS OF SAID TUBE FORMING MEANS FOR DEFORMING SAID TUBE WALL INWARDLY AND SEALING THE SAME IN PLANES EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THROUGH THE TUBE AXIS, MEANS ALSO DISPLACING SAID CLAMPING JAWS IN A DIRECTION AXIALLY OF SAID TUBE BUT IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO ITS DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH DEFORMATION OF SAID TUBE THEREBY TO COMPENSATE FOR A REDUCTION IN TUBE LENGTH CAUSED BY DEFORMATION THEREOF, AND SEVERING MEANS INTERMITTENTLY ACTUATED WHEN SAID TUBE IS STATIONARY FOR CUTTING OFF SAID FILLED AND SEALED TETRAHEDRONSHAPED PACKAGES AT THE PORTIONS SEALED BY SAID CLAMPING JAWS.