US3596432A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Packaging machine
Assignee: Possis Machine Corp
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Filing: 1969-07-18
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Granted: 1971-08-03
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Expires: 1989-07-18
Abstract
Abstract A packaging machine wherein a web of paperboard is continuously drawn along a defined path, under a loading device by which articles or products to be packaged are successively deposited upon the web to be carried thereby through a curtain or sheet of molten thermoplastic resin which debouches from a downwardly opening nozzle, to lay itself onto and form a covering film on the web and over any articles or products thereon. The mouth of the nozzle is a slit which extends transversely across the path of the web and is arched to have its ends close to the web while its midportion is spaced much farther from the web. The filmcovered web then travels across a vacuum chamber by which any space between the covering film and the web is evacuated and the film drawn tightly over the articles or products and against the web. A series of closely spaced parallel rollers across the top of the vacuum chamber with their axes transverse to the web supports the web, and certain of the rollers are driven to draw the web through the machine. Beyond the vacuum chamber, the web with the covered articles or products thereon enters a guillotine-type cutoff station where it is cut into discrete units each of which is a complete package.
Inventors
- 👤 Melvin J Straub
- 👤 Thomas L Schuette
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 15:14
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65B; B65B33/00; B05; B05C; B05C5/00; B05C5/002; B05C5/005; B29; B29C; B29C48/00; B29C48/001; B29C48/03; B29C48/07; B29C48/08; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S118/00; Y10S118/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
176 words
A machine for applying a film of thermoplastic material onto a substrate and over an article of any description laid onto the substrate, comprising: A. means for advancing the substrate with such an article thereon along a defined horizontal path; B. a nozzle having an elongated downwardly opening mouth positioned above and extending transversely across the path of the substrate; C. means for delivering pressurized molten thermoplastic material to the nozzle for discharge therefrom as a descending curtain which impinges upon and lays itself as a form-retaining film of said thermoplastic material onto the substrate and anything on the substrate as the latter passes under the nozzle; and D. The nozzle mouth being so shaped that the opposite ends thereof are closer to the path of the substrate than its lengthwise intermediate portion, so that despite substantial elevation of said intermediate portion above the path of the substrate, the molten thermoplastic material issuing from the end portions of the nozzle mouth contacts a passing substrate before the edges of the curtain have a chance to waver.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
176 words
A machine for applying a film of thermoplastic material onto a substrate and over an article of any description laid onto the substrate, comprising: A. means for advancing the substrate with such an article thereon along a defined horizontal path; B. a nozzle having an elongated downwardly opening mouth positioned above and extending transversely across the path of the substrate; C. means for delivering pressurized molten thermoplastic material to the nozzle for discharge therefrom as a descending curtain which impinges upon and lays itself as a form-retaining film of said thermoplastic material onto the substrate and anything on the substrate as the latter passes under the nozzle; and D. The nozzle mouth being so shaped that the opposite ends thereof are closer to the path of the substrate than its lengthwise intermediate portion, so that despite substantial elevation of said intermediate portion above the path of the substrate, the molten thermoplastic material issuing from the end portions of the nozzle mouth contacts a passing substrate before the edges of the curtain have a chance to waver.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
140 words
The machine of claim 1 further characterized by: A. suction means in the form of a pan-shaped vacuum chamber located beneath the path of the substrate downstream of the nozzle to have the substrate pass thereover, said vacuum chamber being connected with a source of suction; B. a plurality of closely spaced rollers collectively forming a supporting surface across the top of the pan-shaped member and by which the substrate is supported as it passes over the suction means, the axes of the rollers being transverse to the path of the substrate; and C. drive means drivingly connected with at least one of said rollers to drive the same in the direction to advance the substrate as a consequence of the tractive engagement between the driven roller and the substrate which results from the effect of suction on the substrate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
The machine of claim 2, further characterized by means for supplying the substrate in the form of a continuous web of indescriminate length so that the driven roller pulls the web successively past the nozzle and the suction means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
67 words
The machine of claim 3 further characterized by: A. loading apparatus for depositing articles upon the moving substrate; and B. perforating means positioned to act upon the web as it approaches the loading apparatus whereby an otherwise impervious web material is rendered air permeable to enable the effect of suction applied at the underside of the web to be manifested at the top side of the web.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
The machine of claim 4 further characterized by seal-coating means positioned to act upon and apply a seal coat to the underside of the web after the suction means has acted thereon, and thereby close the perforations formed in the web.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
46 words
The machine of claim 3 further characterized by seal-coating means positioned to act upon and apply a seal coat to the underside of the web after the suction means has acted thereon, to thereby seal the underside of the web and render it impervious to air.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
47 words
The machine of claim 1, further characterized by means mounting the nozzle for rotation about a vertical axis that intersects the nozzle medially of its end, so that the nozzle may occupy a position squarely transverse to the path of the substrate or oblique to said path.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
The machine of claim 1, wherein the downwardly opening mouth of the nozzle from which the molten thermoplastic material issues is concave from end to end.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
56 words
The machine of claim 8, further characterized by means mounting the nozzle for rotation about a vertical axis that intersects the nozzle medially of its ends, so that by rotary adjustment of the nozzle about said axis, the ends of the nozzle mouth can be positioned contiguous to the side edges of substrates of different widths.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
The machine of claim 1, wherein the bottom of the nozzle in which its mouth is located is arched with the top of the arch curved and its sides substantially straight.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
The machine of claim 10, wherein the straight sides of the arch are inclined and the included angle therebetween is approximately 90*.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
173 words
In a machine for packaging articles by applying a film of plastic material onto a surface of a carrier for the article and over an article on the carrier, wherein the film is formed by discharging a liquid resinous plastic material in the form of a descending curtain from the downwardly facing mouth of a stationary nozzle onto the carrier with the article thereon while the carrier moves along a horizontal path below the stationary nozzle, so that said material lays itself onto the upwardly facing surfaces of the carrier and article, the improvement which comprises: the mouth of the stationary nozzle being elongated and transverse to the path along which the carrier moves, and from end-to-end having a concave shape, so that the ends of the nozzle mouth are closer to the path of the carrier than the middle portion thereof, whereby the material issuing from the nozzle mouth has a shorter distance to travel in reaching the carrier than the material which issues from the middle portion of the nozzle mouth.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
173 words
In a machine for packaging articles by applying a film of plastic material onto a surface of a carrier for the article and over an article on the carrier, wherein the film is formed by discharging a liquid resinous plastic material in the form of a descending curtain from the downwardly facing mouth of a stationary nozzle onto the carrier with the article thereon while the carrier moves along a horizontal path below the stationary nozzle, so that said material lays itself onto the upwardly facing surfaces of the carrier and article, the improvement which comprises: the mouth of the stationary nozzle being elongated and transverse to the path along which the carrier moves, and from end-to-end having a concave shape, so that the ends of the nozzle mouth are closer to the path of the carrier than the middle portion thereof, whereby the material issuing from the nozzle mouth has a shorter distance to travel in reaching the carrier than the material which issues from the middle portion of the nozzle mouth.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
47 words
The machine set forth in claim 12, further characterized by means incorporated in the nozzle for causing the material to issue from the middle portion of the nozzle mouth at a velocity less than that at which the material issues from the end portions of the nozzle.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
57 words
The packaging machine of claim 12, further characterized by means providing a supply of cord; and means for directing the cord onto the advancing carrier upstream from the nozzle so that the cord will be interposed between the carrier and the thermoplastic covering film to provide a tear strip to facilitate stripping the film from the carrier.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
58 words
The packaging machine of claim 12, further characterized by means to govern the velocity of the molten thermoplastic material debouching from the concave nozzle mouth and to effect a differential in said velocity along the length of the nozzle mouth with said velocity at the ends of the nozzle mouth being greater than at the middle portion thereof.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
56 words
The packaging machine of claim 15 wherein the nozzle mouth is a slit, and wherein said velocity governing means comprises a difference in the width of the slit along the length thereof with the slit width being least at the mid point in the length of the slit and increasing towards the ends of the slit.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
109 words
The packaging machine of claim 15 wherein the nozzle has a manifold chamber extending throughout substantially the length of the nozzle mouth, and the mouth of the nozzle is a slit opening into said manifold chamber and defined by opposing walls; and wherein said velocity governing means comprises a difference in the width of the walls which define the slit, along the length thereof, with the greatest width of said walls being at the middle of the concave nozzle mouth and becoming progressively narrower towards the ends of the slit, so that greater frictional flow retardation exists at the middle of the concave nozzle mouth than at its ends.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
242 words
A machine for packaging articles by means of a plastic film adhered to a substrate which has at least some air permeability and upon which the article has been laid, with the film overlying and tightly embracing the article, said machine comprising the combination of: A. means for supporting the substrate with an article resting thereon, for movement along a horizontal path; B. a stationary nozzle above said supporting means and hence above the path of the substrate, said nozzle having a downwardly opening elongated discharge mouth that extends transversely across the path of the substrate and from end-to-end has a concave shape, so that the ends of the nozzle mouth are closer to a substrate passing therebeneath than its middle portion; C. means for delivering pressurized liquid resinous plastic material to the nozzle for discharge from its mouth as a descending curtain wide enough to encompass the article on the substrate and extend far enough therebeyond to assure that the resulting film laid onto the substrate and article as the substrate passes beneath the nozzle will have marginal portions adhered to the substrate, the closer proximity of the ends of the elongated nozzle mouth to the substrate assuring substantially straight edges for the marginal portions of the film; and D. suction means beneath the path of the substRate downstream from the nozzle and operable to draw air through the substrate and evacuate any space between the substrate and the plastic film.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
242 words
A machine for packaging articles by means of a plastic film adhered to a substrate which has at least some air permeability and upon which the article has been laid, with the film overlying and tightly embracing the article, said machine comprising the combination of: A. means for supporting the substrate with an article resting thereon, for movement along a horizontal path; B. a stationary nozzle above said supporting means and hence above the path of the substrate, said nozzle having a downwardly opening elongated discharge mouth that extends transversely across the path of the substrate and from end-to-end has a concave shape, so that the ends of the nozzle mouth are closer to a substrate passing therebeneath than its middle portion; C. means for delivering pressurized liquid resinous plastic material to the nozzle for discharge from its mouth as a descending curtain wide enough to encompass the article on the substrate and extend far enough therebeyond to assure that the resulting film laid onto the substrate and article as the substrate passes beneath the nozzle will have marginal portions adhered to the substrate, the closer proximity of the ends of the elongated nozzle mouth to the substrate assuring substantially straight edges for the marginal portions of the film; and D. suction means beneath the path of the substRate downstream from the nozzle and operable to draw air through the substrate and evacuate any space between the substrate and the plastic film.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
69 words
The machine of claim 18, further characterized by means to cause the liquid plastic material issuing from the middle portion of the nozzle mouth to flow at lower velocity than the material which issues from the ends of the nozzle mouth, so that across its entire width the descending curtain of material lays itself smoothly onto the substrate and the article thereon without tendency to bunch up in spots.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-08-02 | 1975-02-01 | 1975-08-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-08-02 | 1979-02-01 | 1979-08-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-08-02 | 1983-02-01 | 1983-08-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |