Combined bagging and packaging machine

Claim 1

A BAGGING AND PACKAGING MACHINE COMPRISING ADJUSTABLE MEANS FOR INTERMITTENTLY ADVANCING DOWNWARDLY A PREDETERMINED LENGTH OF FOLDED THERMOPLASTIC SHEET WRAPPING MATERIAL HAVING AN OPEN SIDE, A SPREADER FOR SPREADING THE OPEN SIDE OF SAID SHEET WRAPPING MATERIAL, FIRST AND SECOND RECIPROCABLE GRIPPING JAWS MOUNTED TRANSVERSELY BENEATH THE SPREADER AND MOVABLE IN UNISON TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER TO RESTRAIN THE FOLDED SHEET WRAPPING MATERIAL THEREBETWEEN, SAID FIRST GRIPPING JAW HAVING A RECESS EXTENDING THERETHROUGH AND THE OPPOSED FACE OF SAID SECOND GRIPPING JAW BEING PROVIDED WITH A COMPLEMENTARILY SHAPED AND ALIGNED RECESS, A TRANSVERSELY MOUNTED RECIPROCABLE HEATED SEALING ELEMENT FOR SEALING AND SEVERING SAID FOLDED SHEET WRAPPING MATERIAL, SAID SEALING ELEMENT HAVING A FORWARDLY DIRECTED EDGE AND BEING MOVABLE THROUGH THE RECESS IN SAID FIRST GRIPPING JAW INDEPENDENTLY OF AND IN TIMED RELATION TO THE CLOSING OF SAID GRIPPING JAWS TO A POSITION WHERE SAID FORWARDLY DIRECTED EDGE PENETRATES THE LAYERS OF SHEET WRAPPING MATERIAL RESTRAINED BETWEEN SAID GRIPPING JAWS AND ENTERS INTO THE RECESS IN THE FACE OF SAID SECOND GRIPPING JAW PROVIDING A SEALED AND SEVERED EDGE ALONG THE PATH OF PENETRATION, AND MEANS FOR REDUCING THE SPEED OF MOVEMENT OF SAID HEATED SEALING ELEMENT IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO PENETRATION THROUGH THE RESTRAINED SHEET WRAPPING MATERIAL.