Automated Packaging Systems, Inc.

William M Cronauer

Bernard J Lerner

Rick Steven Wehrmann

Richard W Hess

James D Kramer

A machine for forming individual packages from a web of preopened and interconnected bags one at a time is disclosed. A web is fed along a path of travel from a supply to a load station. A pair of nip rolls are positioned along the path near the load station. A printer is positioned along the path between the supply and the nip rolls. A nip roll drive is provided for rotating the nip rolls selectively and one at a time at a printing rate for the feed of the web when the printer is operating and at a faster feed rate for positioning a bag at the load station when the printer is not operating. A supply station tensioner is provided for tensioning a web along the path such that the printer when operating prints a section of a tensioned web.

Individual package bagger and process

A packaging web is disclosed. The web is an elongate, flattened plastic tube having face and back sides delineating the faces and backs of a set of side by side bags. The tube includes an elongated top section and spaced sets of side seals each extending transversely from the bottom to a location near the top section. The side seals of each set delineate sides of adjacent bags such that the sides and bottoms delineate the perimeters of a set of open top bags. The top section is essentially a bottom open tube for providing bag support when the web is fed into a bag loading machine. The web includes superposed, spaced lines of weakness in each of the face and back sides delineating tops of the bags. Each such spaced line of weakness extends substantially across an associated bag top and terminates in spaced relationship with an associate one of the spaced lines of weakness to leave solid sections in the face and back sides.

Packaging web and process

Bags and method of making bags

A system for packaging thin products such as compact discs in plastic bags is disclosed. A CD dispenser is used in combination with a known but modified bagging machine. The modifications include an improved guide arrangement for guiding a gravity fed disc toward an open bag and a load station which includes a tunnel housing the open bag and of only slightly greater thickness dimension than the bag including the product to be packaged. As an end bag of a web of interconnected, preopened bags is fed into the tunnel, a flow of air is established behind the web to create a film of air spacing the back of the end bag from a wall of the tunnel. The flow of air also has the unexpected property of creating a venturi like effect to draw the end bag away from a front wall of the tunnel. A method of packaging thin objects such as compact discs is also disclosed.

Packaging machine and method

An improved packaging machine that has improved features for feeding a web in the form of a continuous chain of bags through the machine while helping maintain the web in proper alignment and proper tension, and having additional features for improved loading of the bags. The improved web feed includes a dancer assembly equipped with a pair of nips that are driven at speeds responsive to the rate of web travel through the machine so that tension between a web supply and the dancer nips is isolated from the downstream portions of the web. A web feed mechanism which automatically threads the web through baggers is also provided. The web feed mechanism includes elastic belts which frictionally grip the web to isolate the tension in the section between the dancer nips and the belts from the tension of the web feed mechanism. Nips adjacent the load station and at the downstream end of the web feed mechanism have surface speeds exceeding the surface speed of the belts to maintain tension on the web through the web feed mechanism and effect a slight pre-opening of the bags before they are delivered to the load station. Other features include a cantilevered support of the web supply and bagger, a bagger support which functions as a plenum, an improved dancer assembly, and improved application of compressed air for bag opening.

An imprinting mechanism has a frame delineating a printing station. A printing carriage including a printer is reciprocatably carried by the frame. A drive is interposed between the carriage and the station for causing selective relative movement between the carriage and the station in printing and return directions. Spaced web supply and take-up mechanisms delineate the ends of a printing web path of travel from the supply past the station and the carriage to the take-up. A web brake is provided which has an on position preventing relative web and carriage movement when the carriage and station relatively moved in the return direction and an off position permitting tape and carriage movement when the carriage and station are relatively moved in the printing direction and the printer is printing.

Thermal imprinter and method

A packaging machine that has features for feeding a web in the form of a continuous chain of bags through the machine while helping maintain the web in proper alignment and proper tension, and having additional features for improved loading of the bags. The improved web feed includes a dancer assembly equipped with a pair of nips that are driven at speeds responsive to the rate of web travel through the machine so that tension between a web supply and the dancer nips is isolated from the downstream portions of the web. A web feed mechanism which automatically threads the web through baggers is also provided. The web feed mechanism includes elastic belts which frictionally grip the web to isolate the tension in the section between the dancer nips and the belts from the tension of the web feed mechanism. Nips adjacent the load station and at the downstream end of the web feed mechanism have surface speeds exceeding the surface speed of the belts to maintain tension on the web through the web feed mechanism and effect a slight pre-opening of the bags before they are delivered to the load station. Other features include a cantilevered support of the web supply and bagger, a bagger support which functions as a plenum, an improved dancer assembly, and improved application of compressed air for bag opening.

Packaging machine feed mechanism

A packaging machine that has improved features for feeding a web in the form of a continuous chain of bags through the machine while helping to maintain the web in proper alignment and proper tension, and having additional features for improved loading and sealing of the bags. The machine includes a jam prevention device having a prime mover driven damping sub-assembly which includes a seal bar and a reciprocatable seal pad and housing. The housing is spring-mounted on the clamping sub-assembly in a lost motion arrangement. Movement of the seal pad toward bring a loaded bag into contact with the heater bar sub-assembly is aborted if a sensor detects premature lost motion movement of the pad. Control structure either allows or disallows the sealing process to continue based upon sensor signals.

A container strip in the form of a chain of interconnected preopened bags with openings having longitudinal dimensions of at least about 1/32 inch is disclosed. The container strip provides greatly enhanced facility for bag registration and opening during packaging operations utilizing the improved container strip. A process of forming a chain of pre-opened bags is also disclosed. Face and back plastic webs are independently fed along individual paths of travel to a common path. The webs are differentially tensioned while in their independent paths by stretching the face web more than the back web such that the face web will retract longitudinally more than the back web upon release of the web tension. While so tensioned edge seals are formed between the webs to convert the webs into a tube and longitudinally spaced transverse seals are formed between the webs to delineate bottoms of bags. Transverse lines of weakness are formed in said back web to facilitate separation of bags from the remainder of the web during a subsequent use. Tension in individual bag sections of the face web is released by forming longitudinally spaced transverse separations of the sections and thereby producing a space between each contiguous pair of sections.

Bags and method of making same

A jam prevention device comprises a light beam source that emits a light beam and is located on a main frame structure of a packaging machine in the machine's sealing section. During operation, the light beam is reflected off two reflective surfaces located on a moveable support operably connected to a prime mover. The reflected beam is received by a receiver located opposite the source. A clamping sub-assembly includes a seal bar and a reciprocatable seal pad housing. The housing is spring-mounted on the clamping sub-assembly and substantially surrounds the seal bar. The reflective devices are mounted on the housing. The prime mover moves the clamping sub-assembly towards a heater bar sub-assembly. The housing defines two cavities for receiving the reflective devices. The movement of the clamping sub-assembly brings a loaded bag into contact with the heater bar sub-assembly for the purpose of effectuating a seal of the bag. The pressure applied by the clamping sub-assembly during the meeting of the clamping sub-assembly and the heater bar sub-assembly causes the housing to move during the sealing process thereby moving the reflective devices into the cavities and disrupting the light beam. A photo-sensor is provided for detecting the reflection of the light beam during the sealing process as just described. Control structure either allows or disallows the sealing process to continue based upon detection of the light beam.

Growing community of inventors

Tallmadge, OH, United States of America

William M Cronauer