Method and apparatus for the sterile packaging of substances

Claim 2

A process for producing packages made from a web of packaging material and filling the packages with filling material, comprising the steps of: passing the web through a sterilizing station; creating a sterilizing atmosphere within said sterilizing station; folding said web lengthwise within said sterilizing station; introducing into said folded web a flexible filling hose extending from said sterilizing station to a filling station; sealing together said folded web to form it into a tube at a sealing station downstream of said sterilizing station; applying to said tube between the sealing and filling stations, at predetermined intervals, partial transverse seals extending from at least one side of said tube to the vicinity of said filling hose; filling said tube at the filling station by passing the filling material through the filling hose into the tube; and applying bridging transverse seals to said tube to complete said partial seals therein at a bridging station downstream of said filling station.

Claim 3

A process in accordance with claim 1 further including the step of maintaining a sterile atmosphere in the interior of said web between the sterilizing station and the sealing station.

Claim 4

Apparatus for producing packages made from a web of packaging material and filling the packages with filling material, comprising: a sterilization housing having an entrance and an exit for the web passing therethrough; sterilization means connected to said housing for creating a sterilizing atmosphere therein; folding means within said housing for folding the web lengthwise along its centerline as it passes therethrough; a first sealing means located outside of said exit for joining together by a longitudinal seal the margins of the folded web to form it into a tube; a second sealing means located in the path of the web beyond said first sealing means for applying a partial transverse seal, at predetermined intervals, to the tube; a third sealing means located in the path of travel of the web beyond said second sealing means for applying bridging seals to said tube to complete its transverse seals; a filling hose, having an open end, passing into said sterilization housing and thence between the folds of the web and extending out of said housing with the web, the open end of said hose being positioned between said second and third sealing means; and drive means for causing the web to travel through said housing, then to said first sealing means, then to said second sealing means, past the open end of said hose and then to said third sealing means.

Claim 5

Apparatus for producing packages made from a web of packaging material and filling the packages with filling material, comprising: a sterilization housing having an entrance and an exit for the web passing therethrough; sterilization means connected to said housing for creating a sterilizing atmosphere therein; folding means within said housing for folding the web lengthwise along its centerline as it passes therethrough; a first sealing means located outside of said exit for joining together by a longitudinal seal the margins of the folded web to form it into a tube; a second sealing means located in the path of the web beyond said first sealing means for applying a partial transverse seal, at predetermined intervals, to the tube; a third sealing means located in the path of travel of the web beyond said second sealing means for applying bridging seals to said tube to complete its transverse seals; a filling hose, having an open end, passing into said sterilization housing and thence between the folds of the web and extending out of said housing with the web, the open end of said hose being positioned between said second and third sealing means; and drive means for causing the web to travel through said housing, then to said first sealing means, then to said second sealing means, past the open end of said hose and then to said third sealing means.

Claim 6

An apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein said drive means includes guide rolls interposed between said housing and the open end of said hose, said guide rolls having grooves therein corresponding to the position of said filling hose within the web to accommodate the bulge within the web caused by said hose.

Claim 7

An apparatus in accordance with claim 3 further including means for maintaining a hot sterile atmosphere of a pressure above that of the ambient atmosphere in the interior of the web between the exit of said housing and said first sealing means.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said second sealing means comprise intermittently rotating rolls mounted at both sides of said tube before said filling station; sealing arms radially extending from said rolls, to grip and compress at pre-established intervals said still empty tube between them and to impart to it said partial transverse seals during said intermittent rotation of said rolls; and wherein said third sealing means similarly comprise rolls with radially extending arms, mounted at both sides of said tube after said tube filling station and provided with sealing arms to grip and compress said tube, after it has been filled, between them and to impart to it said bridging transverse seals.

Claim 9

Apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein said second sealing means, mounted before the open end of said tube, comprises: frames, reciprocable in the direction of travel of the web, each frame comprising two sealing jaw means, reciprocable in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the web, for gripping the tube and imparting thereto partial transverse seals at the beginning and releasing the tube at the end of the forward motion of said frames and remaining open till the end of the backward motion thereof, the operations of said frames and jaw means being timed so as to also impart by their operation a continuous forward motion to said tube.

Claim 10

An apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein said third sealing means, mounted after the open end of said tube, comprises: frames, reciprocable in the direction of travel of the web, each frame comprising two sealing jaw means, reciprocable in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the web, for gripping the tube and imparting thereto bridging transverse seals at the beginning and releasing the tube at the end of the forward motion of said frame, said jaw means remaining open till the end of the backward motion thereof, the operations of said frames and jaw means being synchronized with the motion and operation of said second sealing means.

Claim 11

An apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein said first sealing means comprises two continuously rotating sealing rolls gripping the margins of said web between them to impart to said tube a longitudinal seal along said margins and simultaneously impart thereto a continuous feed motion.

Claim 12

An apparatus in accordance with claim 3, further comprising: a pad means provided before the entrance to said sterilization housing for applying a film of sterilizing agent to the interior face of the web; scoring cylinder means located between said pad means and said housing for scoring the web corresponding to where it must successively be folded and imparting to said web an intermittent motion; a compensating roll located between said scoring cylinder means and said housing, the web being looped, with its interior face inward, around said compensating roll; distribution means, including a pair of guide rolls, for gripping the web at the end of the loop to press together the interior web faces to evenly distribute the film of sterilizing agent on the faces.

Claim 13

An apparatus in accordance with claim 10, wherein two walls of said sterilization housing are formed by the web, from the point at which it issues flat from between said pair of guide rolls to the point where it is completely folded, the third wall bEing formed by a triangular plate closing the approximate dihedral formed by said web.

Claim 14

An apparatus in accordance with claim 10, wherein said sterilization means includes pipes emitting hot sterile air to evaporate said film of sterilizing agent in said housing and pipes withdrawing said evaporated sterilizing agent from the interior of said housing.

Claim 15

An apparatus in accordance with claim 10, wherein said sterilizing agent in hydrogen peroxide.