Pouch forming apparatus and method

Claim 2

Apparatus for ensealing a tablet-like article within a pouch of heat sealable wrapping material comprising, a. an endless conveyor chain consisting of a series of pivotally interconnected platen carrier assemblies each including a projectable platen loosely fitted in the assembly for supporting a said article between opposed plies of said wrapping material, b. a rotatably mounted sealing turret continuously driven and provided with coaxial sprocket means supporting the carrier assemblies of a chain section wrapped partly around said turret for continuously advancing said chain along an endless path, c. a plurality of sealing head assemblies mounted on said turret and rotated therewith, each said sealing head assembly including a heated sealing die disposed to register with a carrier assembly platen of the chain section wrapped around said turret and platen guide means for aligning the platen with the sealing die in register therewith, and d. platen actuating means disposed to engage said carrier assemblies of the chain section wrapped around said turret for projecting the platen of each carrier assembly into sealing engagement with the sealing die in register therewith to form a seal between the opposed plies of said material around the article enveloped thereby.

Claim 3

The invention according to Claim 1 wherein said platen is mounted for limited shiftable displacement relative to the associated carrier assembly and wherein each sealing head assembly includes, a. a plurality of tapered pins disposed around the axis of said sealing die for guiding said platen into precise alignment with the sealing die while being projected into sealing contact therewith.

Claim 4

Apparatus for ensealing a tablet-like article within a pouch of heat sealable wrapping material comprising, a. an endless conveyor chain consisting of a series of pivotally interconnected platen carrier assemblies each including a projectable platen for supporting a said article between opposed plies of said wrapping material, b. a rotatably mounted sealing turret continuously driven and provided with coaxial sprocket means supporting the carrier assemblies of a chain section wrapped partly around said turret for continuously advancing said chain along an endless path, c. a plurality of sealing head assemblies mounted on said turret and rotated therewith, each said sealing head assembly including a heated sealing die disposed to register with a carrier assembly platen of the chain section wrapped around said turret, said sealing die and platen having sealing surfaces shaped to form a circular peripheral seal around said article, d. platen actuating means disposed to engage said carrier assemblies of the chain section wrapped around said turret for projecting the platen of each carrier assembly into sealing engagement with the sealing die in register therewith to form a seal between the opposed plies of said material around the article enveloped thereby, and e. a blade mounted for rotation around the sealing head and disposed to cut through said wrapping material exteriorly of said circular seal while said platen and sealing die are in sealing engagement.

Claim 5

Apparatus for ensealing a tablet-like article within a pouch of heat sealable wrapping material comprising, a. an endless conveyor chain consisting of a series of pivotally interconnected platen carrier assemblies each including a projectable platen for supporting a said article between opposed plies of said wrapping material, b. a rotatably mounted sealing turret continuously driven and provided with coaxial sprocket means supporting the carrier assemblies of a chain section wrapped partly around said turret for continuously advancing said chain along an endless path, c. a plurality of sealing head assemblies mounted on said turret and rotated therewith, each said sealing head assembly including a heated sealing die disposed to register with a carrier assembly platen of the chain section wrapped around said turret, said sealing die and platen having sealing surfaces shaped to form a circular peripheral seal around said article, d. platen actuating means disposed to engage said carrier assemblies of the chain section wrapped around said turret for projecting the platen of each carrier assembly into sealing engagement with the sealing die in register therewith to form a seal between the opposed plies of said material around the article enveloped thereby, and e. a blade mounted for rotation around the sealing head and disposed to cut through said wrapping material exteriorly of said circular seal while said platen and sealing die are in sealing engagement.

Claim 6

The invention according to claim 3 wherein said blade is secured to a rotatable blade carrier surrounding the sealing head and including, a. a rotation drive member disposed to frictionally engage the effective for carriers of the chain section wrapped around said turret, said blade carrier being rotated by the rotary movement of said turret when resisted by said rotation drive member.

Claim 7

The invention according to claim 3 wherein each said sealing die and platen have sealing surfaces shaped to form a circular seal around said article and said sealing head includes, a. a blade mounted for rotation around the sealing head and disposed to cut through said wrapping material exteriorly of said circular seal while said platen and sealing die are in sealing engagement, and b. a collar surrounding said sealing die and disposed to coact with said platen to grip said wrapping material adjacent the line of cut therethrough made by said blade.

Claim 8

The invention according to claim 1 wherein each said platen is supported on a platen carrier slide fitted in the associated carrier assembly and wherein said platen actuating means comprises, a. a cam rail disposed around said turret and effective for sliding said platen carrier within said assembly to project said platen into sealing engagement with said sealing die.

Claim 9

The invention according to claim 1 wherein each said platen is supported on a platen carrier slide fitted in the associated carrier assembly and wherein said platen actuating means comprises, a. a pneumatic actuator mounted on said turret and disposed for coupling engagement with the platen carrier of a carrier assembly while supported by the said sprocket means, said actuator being effective for sliding said carrier to project said platen into sealing engagement with said sealing die.

Claim 10

The invention according to claim 1 wherein each said platen is supported on a platen carrier slide fitted in the associated carrier assembly and wherein said platen actuating means comprises, a. a cam rail disposed around said platen and effective for sliding said platen carrier within said assembly to project said platen towards sealing engagement with said sealing die, and b. a pneumatic actuator mounted on said turret and disposed for coupling engagement with the platen carrier of a carrier assembly while supported by the said sprocket means, said actuator being effective for sliding said carrier within said assembly to project said platen into sealing engagement with said sealing die.

Claim 11

Apparatus for ensealing a tablet-like article within a pouch formed from a blank of heat sealable wrapping material comprising, a. an endless conveyor chain consisting of a series of pivotally interconnected platen carrier assemblies each including a projectable platen for supporting a said article between opposed plies of said wrapping material, and wrapper blank foldover means disposed to support a portion of a wrapper blank, another portion of which is supported by said platen, said foldover means being operative for folding over the portion of said blank supported thereby on top of an article deposited on the portion of said blank supported by said platen, b. a rotatably mounted sealing turret continuously driven and provided with coaxial sprocket means supporting the carrier assemblies of a chain section wrapped partly around said turret for continuously advancing said chain along an endless path, c. a plurality of sealing head assemblies mounted on said turret and rotated therewith, each said sealing head assembly including a heated sealing die disposed to register with a carrier assembly platen of the chain section wrapped around said turret, and d. platen actuating means disposed to engage said carrier assemblies of the chain section wrapped around said turret for projecting the platen of each carrier assembly into sealing engagement with the sealing die in register therewith to form a seal between the opposed plies of said material around the article enveloped thereby.

Claim 12

Apparatus for ensealing a tablet-like article within a pouch formed from a blank of heat sealable wrapping material comprising, a. an endless conveyor chain consisting of a series of pivotally interconnected platen carrier assemblies each including a projectable platen for supporting a said article between opposed plies of said wrapping material, and wrapper blank foldover means disposed to support a portion of a wrapper blank, another portion of which is supported by said platen, said foldover means being operative for folding over the portion of said blank supported thereby on top of an article deposited on the portion of said blank supported by said platen, b. a rotatably mounted sealing turret continuously driven and provided with coaxial sprocket means supporting the carrier assemblies of a chain section wrapped partly around said turret for continuously advancing said chain along an endless path, c. a plurality of sealing head assemblies mounted on said turret and rotated therewith, each said sealing head assembly including a heated sealing die disposed to register with a carrier assembly platen of the chain section wrapped around said turret, and d. platen actuating means disposed to engage said carrier assemblies of the chain section wrapped around said turret for projecting the platen of each carrier assembly into sealing engagement with the sealing die in register therewith to form a seal between the opposed plies of said material around the article enveloped thereby.

Claim 13

The invention according to claim 9 wherein said foldover means includes, a. a yoke pivotally mounted on the carrier assembly and rotatable from an open position, in which it is adapted to support a portion of a wrapper blank applied thereto, to a closed position in which said yoke supported portion of said wrapper blank is folded over the portion of said wrapper blank supported by the platen, and b. cam rail means mounted adjacent said conveyor chain and effective for swinging said yoke between its open and closed positions.

Claim 14

The invention according to claim 1 wherein each said platen and said sealing die have coacting sealing surfaces operative for bonding together the plies of said wrapping material in a seal extending around said article and wherein each said sealing head includes, a. stripper having a surface adapted to bear on said material along the area thereof adjacent said seal when said platen is projected into sealing engagement with said die, said stripper being mounted on said sealing die for yielding displacement by the projecting movement of said platen and operative for separating said wrapping material from the sealing surface of said die when the platen is retracted from sealing engagement with said sealing die.

Claim 15

The invention according to claim 1 wherein each said sealing die and platen have sealing surfaces shaped to form a circular seal around said article and wherein each said sealing head assembly includes, a. a blade mounted in the central area of said sealing die and extending toward said platen, said blade being operative for puncturing said wrapping material within the area bounded by said seal as said platen is projected into sealing engagement with the sealing die.

Claim 16

Apparatus for ensealing an annular tablet-like article within a blank of heat sealable wrapping material comprising, a. an endless conveyor chain consisting of a series of pivotally interconnected platen carrier assemblies each including a projectable platen loosely fitted in the assembly for supporting a said article between opposed pliEs of said wrapping material blank, each said platen having circular sealing surfaces arranged concentrically with one of said surfaces having a diameter greater than the outer diameter of said article and another of said surfaces having a diameter less than the inner diameter of said article, b. a rotatably mounted sealing turret continuously driven and provided with coaxial sprocket means supporting the carrier assemblies of a chain section wrapped partly around said turret for continuously advancing said chain along an endless path, c. a plurality of sealing head assemblies mounted on said turret and rotated therewith, each sealing head assembly including a heated sealing die disposed to register with a carrier assembly platen of the chain section wrapped around said turret and platen guide means for aligning the platen with the sealing die in register therewith, said sealing die having sealing surfaces corresponding in configuration to the sealing surfaces of said platen, and d. platen actuating means disposed to engage said carrier assemblies while wrapped around said turret for projecting the platen of each carrier assembly into sealing engagement with the sealing die in register therewith to seal said article within said blank between seals extending around the outer and inner circumference thereof.

Claim 17

Apparatus for ensealing an annular tablet-like article within a blank of heat sealable wrapping material comprising, a. an endless conveyor chain consisting of a series of pivotally interconnected platen carrier assemblies each including a projectable platen loosely fitted in the assembly for supporting a said article between opposed pliEs of said wrapping material blank, each said platen having circular sealing surfaces arranged concentrically with one of said surfaces having a diameter greater than the outer diameter of said article and another of said surfaces having a diameter less than the inner diameter of said article, b. a rotatably mounted sealing turret continuously driven and provided with coaxial sprocket means supporting the carrier assemblies of a chain section wrapped partly around said turret for continuously advancing said chain along an endless path, c. a plurality of sealing head assemblies mounted on said turret and rotated therewith, each sealing head assembly including a heated sealing die disposed to register with a carrier assembly platen of the chain section wrapped around said turret and platen guide means for aligning the platen with the sealing die in register therewith, said sealing die having sealing surfaces corresponding in configuration to the sealing surfaces of said platen, and d. platen actuating means disposed to engage said carrier assemblies while wrapped around said turret for projecting the platen of each carrier assembly into sealing engagement with the sealing die in register therewith to seal said article within said blank between seals extending around the outer and inner circumference thereof.

Claim 18

The invention according to claim 13 wherein each said platen is mounted for limited shiftable displacement relative to the associated carrier assembly and wherein each sealing head assembly includes, a. a plurality of tapered pins disposed around the axis of the sealing die and spaced to embrace said platen for guiding it into precise alignment with the sealing die while being projected into sealing contact therewith.

Claim 19

The invention according to claim 13 wherein each said sealing head includes a blade mounted for rotation about the sealing head and disposed to cut through said wrapper material blank exteriorly of the seal extending around the outer circumference of the article while the platen and sealing die are in sealing engagement.

Claim 22

The method according to claim 16 including the step of, a. progressively cutting through said wrapping material exteriorly of said seal and completely around said article while said platen is held projected in sealing contact with said sealing die.

Claim 23

The method according to claim 16 wherein said article is placed on a portion of said wrapping material while being transported toward said route section and including the step of, a. folding over another portion of said wrapping material onto said article before said article reaches said route section.