Automatic packaging machine

Claim 1

A PACKAGE FORMING MECHANISM, COMPRISING, WEBSUPPLYING MEANS FOR INTERMITTENTLY SUPPLYING A WEB OF FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL; MEANS FOR INTERMITTENTLY AND INDETERMINATELY FEEDING SAID MATERIAL AS A WEB INTO AND THROUGH MEANS FOR FORMING THE WEB INTO A CONTINUOUS CYLINDRICALLY TUBE-SHAPED ROLL; MEANS FOR SEALING THE FREE LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF THE ROLL THUS FORMED TO FORM A CONTINUOUS SEALED TUBE; MEANS FOR TRANSVERSELY SEALING SAID TUBE AT SPACED-APART INTERVALS TO PARTITION THE INSIDE OF THE TUBE INTO BAG-LENGTHS; MEANS FOR SEVERING SAID BAGLENGTHS OF MATERIAL FROM SAID TUBE IN ADVANCE OF EACH TRANSVERSE SEAL TO FORM INDIVIDUAL BAGS WHICH ARE BOTTOMSEALED AND OPEN TOPPED SAID MEANS FOR INTERMITTENTLY ADVANCING SAID MATERIAL INCLUDING RECIPROCATING GRIPPING MEANS FOR ENGAGING THE TUBE AT A POINT REMOVED AND TO FREE END AT THE INITIAL END OF A PREDETERMINED STROKE AND TO RETAIN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE TUBE THROUGHOUT THE STROKE AND TO RELEASE IT AT THE END OF THE STROKE THEREBY TO ADVANCE A PREDETERMINED LENGTH OF TUBE MATERIAL CORRESPONDING TO THE DESIRED BAG LENGTH, TRANSPORT MEANS FOR RECEIVING AND ENGAGING THE SEALED BOTTOM OF EACH OF SAID BAGS AS THEY ARE SEVERED FROM SAID TUBE FOR TRANSPORTING SAID SUPPORTING EACH OF SAID BAGS IN A SEQUENCE AND IN A POSITION FOR SUBSEQUENT FILLING AND TOP-SEALING; AND MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID WEB FEEDING MEANS, SAID BOTTOM SEALING MEANS, SAID SEVERING MEANS AND SAID TRANSPORT MEANS IN INTERMITTENT TIMED RELATED SEQUENCE WHEREBY SAID MECHANISM SEQUENTIALLY FORMS SAID WEB INTO SAID CYLINDRICALLYSHAPED ROLL, SEALS THE ROLL LONGITUDINALLY TO FORM A CONTINUOUS SEALED TUBE, TRANSVERSELY SEALS THE TUBE TO FORM SEPARATE BAG-SECTIONS, TRANSVERSELY SEVERS THE SAID BAGSECTIONS FROM SAID TUBE TO RELEASE INDIVIDUAL OPEN-TOPPED BAGS AND INDIVIDUALLY TRANSPORT SAID BAGS TO A POSITION FOR SAID FILLING AND TOP-SEALING OPERATIONS.