US3853664A — Bag making machine and method

Claim 1

Independent Claim 228 words

In a machine for performing an auxiliary operation, such as sealing, slitting, printing or the like, on a continuous length of a flexible plastic web having a longitudinally extending fold therein the combination comprising, a frame, means on said frame for feeding said web in a lengthwise direction, means on said frame at one zone in the path of travel of the web for maintaining the web in a lengthwise tensioned condition so that the line of folding follows a generally straight path, carriage means on said frame at said zone mounted for relatively free movement in a direction transversely to the path of travel of the web and in a plane generally parallel to the plane of the web, guide means on said carriage means adapted to extend into and between the folded plies of the web and engage the web at the fold line for causing the carriage to shift laterally on said frame in response to lateral weaving of the fold line of the web as the web travels through said zone, and means carried by and movable with said carriage means for performing said operation on the portion of the web travelling through said zone, said operation performing means being disposed adjacent said guide means so that the operation performing means acts on said web adjacent the portion thereof engaged by the guide means.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 228 words

In a machine for performing an auxiliary operation, such as sealing, slitting, printing or the like, on a continuous length of a flexible plastic web having a longitudinally extending fold therein the combination comprising, a frame, means on said frame for feeding said web in a lengthwise direction, means on said frame at one zone in the path of travel of the web for maintaining the web in a lengthwise tensioned condition so that the line of folding follows a generally straight path, carriage means on said frame at said zone mounted for relatively free movement in a direction transversely to the path of travel of the web and in a plane generally parallel to the plane of the web, guide means on said carriage means adapted to extend into and between the folded plies of the web and engage the web at the fold line for causing the carriage to shift laterally on said frame in response to lateral weaving of the fold line of the web as the web travels through said zone, and means carried by and movable with said carriage means for performing said operation on the portion of the web travelling through said zone, said operation performing means being disposed adjacent said guide means so that the operation performing means acts on said web adjacent the portion thereof engaged by the guide means.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 48 words

The combination called for in claim 1 including means at the inlet and outlet ends of said zone frictionally engaging said web and resisting lateral flexing thereof in response to lateral forces applied to the web by said guide means as the tensioned web travels through said zone.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 95 words

The combination called for in claim 1 including a roller at the inlet end of said zone around which the web is caused to travel in a tensioned condition, and means for directing the web to said roller such that the web approaches the roller in a plane inclined to the plane of the web as it travels through said zone, said tensioning means causing the web to frictionally engage said roller to minimize the tendency of the web to flex laterally in response to lateral forces applied to the web by said guide means.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 125 words

The combination called for in claim 1 including a roller adjacent each of the opposite ends of said zone, said rollers extending transversely of the path of travel of the web, said two rollers directing said web in a rectilinear path therebetween so that the web assumes a flat plane at the portion thereof extending beTween the rollers, said web being directed to one of said rollers and away from the other roller at angles inclined to said flat plane so that the tensioning means causes the web to frictionally engage the periphery of said rollers and thus minimize the tendency for the web to flex laterally in response to lateral forces applied thereto by the guide means as the web travels through said zone.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 25 words

The combination called for in claim 4 wherein said guide means are disposed intermediate said two rollers in the path of travel of the web.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 36 words

The combination called for in claim 1 wherein said operation performing means comprises a heat sealing member for applying a welded seam to the plastic web in a predetermined position relative to the fold line therein.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 46 words

The combination called for in claim 1 wherein said web is formed with a V-shaped gusset extending inwardly from a side edge thereof and said guide means extend laterally inwardly of said side edge and engage the fold line defining the apex of the V-shaped gusset.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 42 words

The combination called for in claim 7 wherein the gusseted portion of the web defines four plies of said web adjacent said one edge and said operation performing means acts upon two of the plies at one side of the guide means.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 60 words

The combination called for in claim 7 wherein the gusseted portion of the web defines four plies of said web adjacent said side edge, said guide means engaging the fold line of said gusset at two longitudinally spaced portions thereof, said operation performing means being disposed between said longitudinally spaced portions and between the two inner plies of said web.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 51 words

The combination called for in claim 9 wherein said operation performing means comprises heat sealing means adapted to form a welded seam on the gusseted portion of the web extending inwardly to said fold line in a direction inclined at an acute angle to the path of travel of the web.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 60 words

The combination called for in claim 1 wherein said web comprises a flattened tubular member having a V-shaped gusset extending laterally inwardly from each side thereof, said guide means comprising a pair of laterally spaced co-planar members extending laterally inwardly from each side edge of the web with the opposite inner edges engaging the opposed vertices of said V-shaped gussets.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 61 words

The combination called for in claim 11 wherein said carriage means comprises two carriages, one for each guide means, and means for maintaining said guide means in adjustably fixed laterally spaced relation so that the inner opposed edges thereof can be spaced apart in fixed relation to correspond with the lateral spacing between the vertices of webs having differently sized gussets.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 37 words

The combination called for in claim 12 wherein said last-mentioned means comprises a tie bar interconnecting the two guide means, the interconnection between the tie bar and at least one of said guide means being laterally adjustable.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 68 words

The combination called for in claim 12 wherein said operation performing means comprises a heat sealing member and a back-up member disposed on opposite sides of said guide means in spaced relation to the opposed outer plies of said web and means for relatively moving the heat sealing member and the back-up member toward each other to form a welded seam on the gusseted portion of the web.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 101 words

The combination called for in claim 1 wherein the guide means comprises a guide plate extending laterally inwardly between the plies of the web and having an inner guiding edge engaging said fold line, said guiding edge having a recess therein, said operation performing means comprising a heat sealing member, said heat sealing member registering with said recess in the guide plate and extending laterally inwardly to said fold line so that, when the heat sealing member is actuated, it is adapted to form a heat seal extending inwardly from the side edge of the web directly to the fold line.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 20 words

The combination called for in claim 15 wherein said rEcess is located in said guide edge intermediate the ends thereof.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 36 words

The combination called for in claim 16 including a sheet of material overlying said recess, said material being of the type to which said plastic web stock will not readily adhere when in a heated condition.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 100 words

The combination called for in claim 1 wherein the machine includes a second zone having a similar carriage means, guide means and operation performing means at said second zone, said web stock being of flat tubular cross section and having a laterally inwardly extending V-shaped gusset at each side thereof, said guide means at each of said zones engaging the fold lines comprising the vertices of said two gussets, said operation performing means being disposed adjacent one face of the web stock at one of said zones and adjacent the opposite face of the web stock at the other zone.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 57 words

The combination called for in claim 18 wherein said operation performing means comprises a heat sealing member at each of said zones which when actuated is adapted to form diagonal seals through two plies of the stock at said gussets which extend from the outer side edges of the stock inwardly to the vertices of the gussets.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 55 words

The combination called for in claim 19 wherein said two zones are spaced apart in the direction of travel of the stock so that the diagonal seals formed between two plies of the stock at one zone register with the diagonal seals formed between the other two plies of the stock at the other zone.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 32 words

The combination called for in claim 17 wherein said heat sealing member is mounted on said guide plate at said recess and said material overlies opposite faces of the heat sealing member.

Claim 23

Independent Claim 184 words

The method of aligning a moving web of plastic material having a fold line extending lengthwise thereof in the direction of travel of the web with an apparatus for performing an operation on the web, such as sealing, slitting, printing and the like, comprising the steps of moving the web lengthwise on a support structure in a tensioned condition and in a rectilinear path between two longitudinally spaced points on said support structure, frictionally engaging the web at said two points to minimize the tendency for the web to flex laterally of its direction of travel in response to lateral forces applied to the web between said two points, engaging the fold line of the web with a guide means positioned between said two points, permitting the guide means to shift freely in a lateral direction on said support structure in accordance with lateral movement of the travel of the web between said two points, and supporting said apparatus for free lateral movement with said guide means so that said apparatus is always located laterally in a predetermined position relative to said fold line.

Claim 24

Independent Claim 184 words

The method of aligning a moving web of plastic material having a fold line extending lengthwise thereof in the direction of travel of the web with an apparatus for performing an operation on the web, such as sealing, slitting, printing and the like, comprising the steps of moving the web lengthwise on a support structure in a tensioned condition and in a rectilinear path between two longitudinally spaced points on said support structure, frictionally engaging the web at said two points to minimize the tendency for the web to flex laterally of its direction of travel in response to lateral forces applied to the web between said two points, engaging the fold line of the web with a guide means positioned between said two points, permitting the guide means to shift freely in a lateral direction on said support structure in accordance with lateral movement of the travel of the web between said two points, and supporting said apparatus for free lateral movement with said guide means so that said apparatus is always located laterally in a predetermined position relative to said fold line.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 28 words

The method according to claim 22 wherein said two points are located on said support structure closely adjacent said guide means on the upstream and downstream sides thereof.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 61 words

The method according to claim 22 wherein said web is of flat tubular cross section with an inwardly extending V-shaped gusset at each side thereof and said guide means comprises a pair of laterally interconnected guide members extending into said gussets from opposite side edges of the web and engaging the fold lines defined by the apices of the two gussets.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 71 words

The method according to claim 22 wherein said web comprises a heat sealable plastic film and said apparatus for performing an operation thereon comprises a heat sealing means and including the steps of intermittently arresting the lengthwise movement of said web, relaxing the tension in the web when its lengthwise movement is arrested and causing the heat sealing means to engage the web while the web is in said relaxed condition.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 97 words

The method according to claim 25 wherein the web is flattened tubular cross section with an inwardly extending V-shaped gusset at each side edge thereof, said guide means comprising a pair of laterally interconnected Guide members extending into said gussets from opposite side edges of the web and engaging the fold lines defined by the apices of the V-shaped gussets and wherein said heat sealing means are caused to engage the gusset portions of the web to form diagonal seals therein extending inwardly from the opposite side edges of the web and terminating at said fold lines.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1977-12-09	1978-06-10	1978-12-10	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1981-12-09	1982-06-10	1982-12-10	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1985-12-09	1986-06-10	1986-12-10	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Bag making machine and method

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag