Apparatus for forming and filling containers

Claim 2

Combined container forming and filling apparatus comprising: means for continuously conveying a web of thermoplastic material along a path at a selected and substantially constant speed; heating means for heating the web; heater driving means for driving the heating means along said path parallel to and at equal speed with the web for a distance sufficient to afford adequate time for softening of the thermoplastic material as the web moves and then returning the heating means in the direction opposite the direction of web movement; molding means located along said path downstream from said heating means for molding containers in the web; mold driving means for driving the molding means along said path parallel to and at equal speed with the web for a distance sufficient to afford adequate time for molding the web as the web moves and then returning the molding means in the direction opposite the direction of web movement after containers have been molded in the web, said mold driving means and said heater driving means being adapted to operate in push-pull out of phase relationship so as to reduce acceleration forces in the apparatus; and filling means located along said path downstream from said molding means for filling the containers formed in the web.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means for conveying comprises means for moving the molded containers past the filling means continuously and without interruption as the containers are formed, the filling means comprising at least one fill dispensing outlet adapted to dispense fill into containers, and means for moving the outlet with the moving container during dispensing and for returning the outlet thereafter.

Claim 4

The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the molding means comprises a plurality of mold units, each for molding a separate container, arranged longitudinally in the conveying direction along the web, the number of molding units arranged in the conveying direction differing from the number of filling outlets in the conveying direction, and the length of distance travelled by the mold units and outlets during operation being a function of the number of mold units and outlets, respectively.

Claim 5

Combined container fOrming and filling apparatus including means for filling containers formed by the apparatus, means for continuously conveying a web of material along a path at a selected speed, molding means located along said path for molding containers in the web, and means for first driving the molding means along said path parallel to and at equal speed with the web for a distance sufficient to afford adequate time for molding the web as the web moves and then returning the molding means in the direction opposite the direction of web movement after containers have been molded in the web, said molding means comprising: a carriage driven by said driving means; slide rails attached to said apparatus for guiding the carriage for linear movement; upper and lower mold parts carried by said carriage movable toward and away from each other and disposed above and below the path of web travel, respectively; a shaft carried by the carriage and adapted for partial rotation; means coupling the shaft to the upper and lower mold parts to move the upper and lower mold parts upon partial rotation of the shaft; a drive lever affixed to the shaft; a slotted plate extending in the conveying direction and receiving an end of the drive lever in a slot therein, the drive lever end received in the slot being freely movable along the slot in the conveying direction without pivoting; and means for cyclically moving the slotted plate to pivot the lever and the shaft, and control the movement of the mold parts.

Claim 6

Combined container fOrming and filling apparatus including means for filling containers formed by the apparatus, means for continuously conveying a web of material along a path at a selected speed, molding means located along said path for molding containers in the web, and means for first driving the molding means along said path parallel to and at equal speed with the web for a distance sufficient to afford adequate time for molding the web as the web moves and then returning the molding means in the direction opposite the direction of web movement after containers have been molded in the web, said molding means comprising: a carriage driven by said driving means; slide rails attached to said apparatus for guiding the carriage for linear movement; upper and lower mold parts carried by said carriage movable toward and away from each other and disposed above and below the path of web travel, respectively; a shaft carried by the carriage and adapted for partial rotation; means coupling the shaft to the upper and lower mold parts to move the upper and lower mold parts upon partial rotation of the shaft; a drive lever affixed to the shaft; a slotted plate extending in the conveying direction and receiving an end of the drive lever in a slot therein, the drive lever end received in the slot being freely movable along the slot in the conveying direction without pivoting; and means for cyclically moving the slotted plate to pivot the lever and the shaft, and control the movement of the mold parts.

Claim 7

Combined container forming and filling apparatus including means for filling containers formed by the apparatus, means for continuously conveying a web of thermoplastic material along a path at a selected speed, molding means located along said path for molding containers in the web, means for first driving the molding means along said path parallel to and at equal speed with the web for a distance sufficient to afford adequate time for molding the web as the web moves and then returning the molding means in the direction opposite the direction of web movement after containers have been molded in the web, means for heating the web upstream of the molding means to cause softening of the thermoplastic material, and means for driving the heating means along said path parallel to and at equal speed with the web for a distance sufficient to afford adequate time for softening of the thermoplastic material as the web moves and then returning the heating means in the direction opposite the direction of web movement, said heating means comprising: a heating means carriage; means for guiding the heating means carriage for linear movement by said heating means driving means; at least one heating plate carried by said carriage and movable into and out of engagement with the web, and plate motive means for first moving the plate toward the web as the carriage begins movement in the direction of conveying and for then moving the plate away from the web as the carriage approaches the limit of travel downstream, whereby the retracted plate is then returned upstream by the carriage.

Claim 8

Combined container forming and filling apparatus including means for filling containers formed by the apparatus, means for continuously conveying a web of thermoplastic material along a path at a selected speed, molding means located along said path for molding containers in the web, means for first driving the molding means along said path parallel to and at equal speed with the web for a distance sufficient to afford adequate time for molding the web as the web moves and then returning the molding means in the direction opposite the direction of web movement after containers have been molded in the web, means for heating the web upstream of the molding means to cause softening of the thermoplastic material, and means for driving the heating means along said path parallel to and at equal speed with the web for a distance sufficient to afford adequate time for softening of the thermoplastic material as the web moves and then returning the heating means in the direction opposite the direction of web movement, said heating means comprising: a heating means carriage; means for guiding the heating means carriage for linear movement by said heating means driving means; at least one heating plate carried by said carriage and movable into and out of engagement with the web, and plate motive means for first moving the plate toward the web as the carriage begins movement in the direction of conveying and for then moving the plate away from the web as the carriage approaches the limit of travel downstream, whereby the retracted plate is then returned upstream by the carriage.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said molding means includes means movable linearly with and opposite movement of the web to carry the molding means, said mold driving means being coupled in driving relation to said linearly movable means.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said linearly movable means comprises a carriage, the apparatus further including slide rails guiding the carriage for linear movement by said driving means, upper and lower mold parts carried by said carriage movable toward and away from each other and disposed above and below the path of web travel, respectively, the apparatus further including motive means for first moving the mold parts toward each other and into engagement with the web as the carriage begins movement in the direction of conveyance and for then moving the mold parts away from each other as the carriage apProaches the limit of travel downstream, whereby the separated mold parts are then returned upstream by the carriage.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the means for filling is adapted to fill the moving containers molded in the web, the means for continuously conveying comprising means for moving the molded containers past the filling means continuously and without interruption as the containers are formed.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 8 including means for closing and sealing the containers immediately after filling thereof by said filling means and as the containers move.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said molding means comprises a plurality of mold units, each for molding a separate container, arranged transversely of the conveying direction and across the web, whereby rows of containers are formed across the moving web.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said molding means further including a plurality of mold units, each for molding a separate container, arranged longitudinally in the conveying direction along the web, whereby a plurality of rows of containers are formed along the web simultaneously and affording additional time for the molding of each container as the web travels a predetermined distance.

Claim 15

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said molding means comprises a plurality of mold units, each for molding a separate container, arranged longitudinally in the conveying direction along the web, whereby a plurality of containers are formed along the web simultaneously to afford additional time for the molding of each container as the web travels a predetermined distance.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the molding means comprises means for applying an air pressure differential across the web to cause the web to be shaped by the molding means.

Claim 17

The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the mold driving means and the heater driving means are adapted to operate in push-pull relationship to cause out of phase movement thereof reducing the forces in the apparatus resulting from acceleration.

Claim 18

The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the means for continuously conveying includes means for cooperating with the web throughout the combined forming and filling apparatus to impart substantially constant spaced speed movement to the web and formed containers throughout the apparatus.

Claim 19

The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the means for cooperating and moving includes an endless conveyer member having means for engaging the web at least at one longitudinal web edge to draw the web through the combined apparatus.

Claim 20

The apparatus according to claim 5 further including means for separating the containers from the web downstream of the filling means.

Claim 21

The apparatus according to claim 17 further including means for covering the newly filled container immediately downstream of the filling means and means for sealing the covered containers before they are severed from the web.