Method and apparatus for packeting objects in a chain of bags

Claim 1

An apparatus for packeting objects in bags comprising: two chains of bags, and a central strip transversely separating said chains of bags, said central strip having opposite edges, with each said edge being secured to one of said chains of bags; each of said bags having an inner wall, said inner wall having a secured lip, said secured lip of each said bag being attached to the respective edge of said central strip for the said chain of the said bag; each said bag having an outer wall, said outer wall having a free lip; an aperture being defined between said inner and outer walls to receive objects to be packeted; an elongated transfer track for said central strip to be transported along, said transfer track having opposite sides and including a shaping head having a pair of spaced support edges which start upstream in the direction of transportation as separated by a first distance and rise below said central strip for lifting said central strip; said support edges converge as they rise in the direction of transport to be spaced a second distance apart which is less than the width of said central strip and to form a spine in said central strip between said edges thereof, said spine extending in the direction of transport, whereby as said central strip travels on said support edges, it supports said bags by their respective said secured lips so that each said chain of bags travels along a respective said opposite side of said transfer track; each of said support edges having a respective rising bend which converges toward said other bend of the other said support edge for separating each said bag outer wall from said bag inner wall as they pass over said bends to allow access to the interiors of said bags, said bends being oriented so that the lengths of said apertures of said bags traveling along said bends are made less than the lengths of said inner walls of said bags traveling along said bends to separate said outer walls from said inner walls; means for transporting said bags along said transfer track; and, means for packeting said bags after said outer walls are separated from said inner walls of said bags.

Claim 2

An apparatus for packeting objects in bags comprising: two chains of bags, and a central strip transversely separating said chains of bags, said central strip having opposite edges, with each said edge being secured to one of said chains of bags; each of said bags having an inner wall, said inner wall having a secured lip, said secured lip of each said bag being attached to the respective edge of said central strip for the said chain of the said bag; each said bag having an outer wall, said outer wall having a free lip; an aperture being defined between said inner and outer walls to receive objects to be packeted; an elongated transfer track for said central strip to be transported along, said transfer track having opposite sides and including a shaping head having a pair of spaced support edges which start upstream in the direction of transportation as separated by a first distance and rise below said central strip for lifting said central strip; said support edges converge as they rise in the direction of transport to be spaced a second distance apart which is less than the width of said central strip and to form a spine in said central strip between said edges thereof, said spine extending in the direction of transport, whereby as said central strip travels on said support edges, it supports said bags by their respective said secured lips so that each said chain of bags travels along a respective said opposite side of said transfer track; each of said support edges having a respective rising bend which converges toward said other bend of the other said support edge for separating each said bag outer wall from said bag inner wall as they pass over said bends to allow access to the interiors of said bags, said bends being oriented so that the lengths of said apertures of said bags traveling along said bends are made less than the lengths of said inner walls of said bags traveling along said bends to separate said outer walls from said inner walls; means for transporting said bags along said transfer track; and, means for packeting said bags after said outer walls are separated from said inner walls of said bags.

Claim 17

A method of packeting objects in bags comprising: providing two chains of bags, each chain being secured to a respective opposite edge of a central strip, wherein each said edge is secured to one of said chains of bags by: rolling said chains of bags separated by the central strip into a roll of flat, tubular film, said film including an upper layer and a lower layer to define outer walls and inner walls, respectively, of said bags and prior to said rolling forming two central, parallel welds running longitudinally, bordering said central strip for defining a secured lip on the inner wall of each of said bags, said secured lip of each said bag being attached to the respective edge of said central strip for the said chain of that said bag and forming a longitudinal slit in said upper layer of said tubular film to define a free lip on the outer wall of each of said bags; an aperture being defined between said inner and outer walls to receive objects to be packeted; transporting said bags and said central strip along an elongated transfer track extending in the direction of transport; supporting said bags from said central strip when said central strip travels along support edges of said track to transport said bags along the edges of said transfer track, said central strip supporting said bags by their respective secured lips on opposite sides of said transfer track; separating said outer walls from said inner walls of said bags for opening the apertures by decreasing the distance between the edges of said bags traveling along a portion of said track relative to the lengths of said inner walls of said bags traveling along that said portion of said track; packeting said bags with articles to be contained.

Claim 18

A method of packeting objects in bags comprising: providing two chains of bags, each chain being secured to a respective opposite edge of a central strip, wherein each said edge is secured to one of said chains of bags by: rolling said chains of bags separated by the central strip into a roll of flat, tubular film, said film including an upper layer and a lower layer to define outer walls and inner walls, respectively, of said bags and prior to said rolling forming two central, parallel welds running longitudinally, bordering said central strip for defining a secured lip on the inner wall of each of said bags, said secured lip of each said bag being attached to the respective edge of said central strip for the said chain of that said bag and forming a longitudinal slit in said upper layer of said tubular film to define a free lip on the outer wall of each of said bags; an aperture being defined between said inner and outer walls to receive objects to be packeted; transporting said bags and said central strip along an elongated transfer track extending in the direction of transport; supporting said bags from said central strip when said central strip travels along support edges of said track to transport said bags along the edges of said transfer track, said central strip supporting said bags by their respective secured lips on opposite sides of said transfer track; separating said outer walls from said inner walls of said bags for opening the apertures by decreasing the distance between the edges of said bags traveling along a portion of said track relative to the lengths of said inner walls of said bags traveling along that said portion of said track; packeting said bags with articles to be contained.

Claim 22

An apparatus for packeting objects in bags comprising: an elongated transfer track for a central strip and two chains of bags attached to the strip to be transported along; said transfer track having opposite sides and including a shaping head having a pair of spaced support edges which start upstream in the direction of strip transport as separated by a first distance and rise below the central strip for lifting it and converge as they rise in the direction of transport of the strip to be spaced a second distance apart which is less than the width of the central strip to form a spine in the central strip between said edges the strip extending in the direction of transport; each of said support edges having a respective rising bend and converging toward said other bend for separating the outer wall of a bag from the inner wall thereof as they pass over said bends to allow access to the interiors of the bags, said bends being oriented so that the lengths of the apertures of said bags traveling along said bends are made less than the lengths of the inner walls of said bags traveling along said bends to separate the outer walls from the inner walls; means for transporting the bags along said transfer track; and, means for packeting the bags after the outer walls are separated from the inner walls of the bags.

Claim 23

An apparatus for packeting objects in bags comprising: an elongated transfer track for a central strip and two chains of bags attached to the strip to be transported along; said transfer track having opposite sides and including a shaping head having a pair of spaced support edges which start upstream in the direction of strip transport as separated by a first distance and rise below the central strip for lifting it and converge as they rise in the direction of transport of the strip to be spaced a second distance apart which is less than the width of the central strip to form a spine in the central strip between said edges the strip extending in the direction of transport; each of said support edges having a respective rising bend and converging toward said other bend for separating the outer wall of a bag from the inner wall thereof as they pass over said bends to allow access to the interiors of the bags, said bends being oriented so that the lengths of the apertures of said bags traveling along said bends are made less than the lengths of the inner walls of said bags traveling along said bends to separate the outer walls from the inner walls; means for transporting the bags along said transfer track; and, means for packeting the bags after the outer walls are separated from the inner walls of the bags.