Machine for producing bags of plastic material

Claim 1

AN AUTOMATIC MACHINE FOR PRODUCING A SUCCESSION OF BAGS OUT OF A CONTINUOUS ELONGATED SHEATH OF PLASTIC MATERIAL, SAID MACHINE COMPRISING A SUPPORT, A MECHANISM DRIVING THE SHEATH INTERMITTENTLY WITH FORWARD MOVEMENT BY SUCCESSIVE LENGTHS EQUAL EACH TO ONE BAG LENGTH TO LAY SAID SUCCESSIVE LENGTHS OVER A SECTION OF SAID SUPPORT EXTENDING BEYOND A PREDETERMINED STATIONARY LOCATION, AN ENDLESS MAIN CHAIN ADAPTED TO MOVE OVER A PATH PASSING THROUGH SAID PREDETERMINED LOCATION, A SUCCESSION OF JAWS CARRIED BY SAID MAIN CHAIN AND EQUALLY SPACED THEREALONG, COMMON MEANS DRIVING THE SHEATH-DRIVING MECHANISM AND THE MAIN CHAIN IN TIMED RELATIONSHIP SUCH THAT THE PASSAGES OF THE SUCCESSIVE JAWS IN REGISTRY WITH SAID PREDETERMINED LOCATION COINCIDES WITH THE INTERVALS BETWEEN THE INTERMITTENT FORWARD MOVEMENTS OF SAID SHEATH-DRIVING MECHANISM, MEANS ADAPTED TO OPEN TRANSIENTLY THE SUCCESSIVE JAWS AS THEY PASS THROUGH SAID PREDETERMINED LOCATION AND THROUGH A FURTHER POINT OF THE PATH OF THE CHAIN RESPECTIVELY TO ENSURE A CLAMPING FO THE REAR END OF THE SHEATH OF SAID PREDETERMINED POINT AND ITS RELEASE AT SAID FURTHER LOCATION, A STATIONARY CUTTER FACING A POINT OF THE SHEATH LYING JUST AHEAD OF SAID PREDETERMINED LOCATION BETWEEN THE SHEATH-DRIVING MECHANISM AND THE LAST-MEMTIONED POINT, A RECIPROCATORY COUNTER BLADE CONTROLLED BY SAID COMMON MEANS AND URGING THE SHEATH DURING THE INTERVALS BETWEEN ITS FORWARD MOVEMENTS AND AFTER IT HAS BEEN CLAMPED BY A JAW ON THE CHAIN INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CUTTER TO CUT OFF THE FORWARD SECTION OF THE SHEATH CLAMPED BY SAID JAW AND LYIN BEYOND THE PREDETERMINED LOCATION, AN AUXILLARY ENDLESS MOVING CHAIN EXTENDING ALONG A PATH OF WHICH REGISTERS WITH A PART OF THE PATH OF THE MAIN CHAIN EXTENDING BETWEEN THE PREDETERMINED LOCATION AND SAID FURTHER POINT, MEANS CONSTRAINING THE TWO CHAINS TO PROGRESS AT THE SAME SPEED ALONG THE REGISTERING PARTS OF THEIR PARTS, A PLURALITY OF HEATING MEANS CARRIED BY THE SECOND CHAIN WITH A SPACING EQUAL TO THAT OF THE JAWS ON THE MAIN CHAIN AND ADAPTED TO REGISTER WITH CORRESPONDING JAWS DURING THEIR TRAVEL OVER SAID PART OF THE PATH OF THE AUXILLARY CHAIN TO CLOSE THROUGH WELDING THE REAR ENDS OF THE CUT SHEATH SECTIONS PROJECTING BEYOND SAID CORRESPONDING JAWS, AND MEANS COLLECTING THE BAGS FORMED BY SAID CLOSING OF THE CUT SHEATH SECTIONS.