Packaging apparatus

Claim 1

IN A MACHINE FOR FORMING LIQUID FILLED PACKAGES FROM A SUPPLIED LIQUID AND A CONTINUOUS FLAT FLEXIBLE WEB WHEREIN IS INCLUDED MEANS FOR GUIDING THE FLAT FLEXIBLE WEB ALONG A PATH, A FORMING MANDREL FOR SHAPING THE WEB IN TUBULAR FORM WHILE ADVANCING SAME DOWNWARDLY ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE MANDREL, MEANS FOR LONGITUDINALLY SEALING TOGETHER THE EDGES OF THE WEB TO FORM A TUBE, A VERTICALLY RECIPROCABLE CARRIAGE CARRYING A PAIR OF CLAMPING JAWS FOR GRASPING AND MOVING SAID WEB ON THE DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF THE CARRIAGE AND FOR FORMING A COMPLETED LIQUID FILLED PACKAGE AND TUBULAR BLANK UPON CLOSURE OF THE JAWS ON THE TUBE IN TRANSVERSELY SEALING, THE IMPROVED LIQUID SUPPLY AND METERING APPARATUS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A LIQUID LEVEL CONTROL CHAMBER HAVING FLOAT VALVE MECHANISM FOR THROTTLING LIQUID FROM SUPPLY INTO THE CHAMBER TO PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT LEVEL OF LIQUID AT CONSTANT PRESSURE TO A VALVED FILL TUBE CONNECTED THEREWITH WHICH TUBE EXTENDS DOWNWARDLY INTO THE TUBULAR BLANK, SAID FILL TUBE BEING PROVIDED WITH OPENINGS AND BEING ROTATIONALLY FITTED WITHIN A FIXED NOZZLE OPENING SO THAT ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OF SAID FILL TUBE ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINALLY AXIS ALIGNS THE OPENINGS, AND ON CONTINUED ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT IN THE SAME DIRECTION MOVES THE OPENINGS OUT OF ALIGNMENT, A METERING SYSTEM INCLUDING A FLUID ACTUATED CYLINDERPISTON UNIT, THE PISTON OF WHICH IS PIVOTALLY AFFIXED THROUGH ITS ROD TO LINKING MEANS FOR PRODUCING ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OF THE FILL TUBE OF THE LIQUID SUPPLY MECHANISM ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS TO ALIGN THE OPENINGS OF THE FILL TUBE AND OUTLET NOZZLE, SAID CYLINDER-PISTON UNIT BEING OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH A DIRECTIONAL FLOW VALVE FOR INITIATING AND REVERSING FLUID THERETHROUGH FOR RECIPROCATION OF THE PISTON TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE VALVED FILL TUBE IN TIMED SEQUENCE WITH OTHER MACHINE FUNCTIONS WHEREBY A MEASURED PORTION OF LIQUID IS PROVIDED TO THE TUBULAR BLANK FOR FORMING A PACKAGE.