Packaging machine

Abstract

A packaging machine for making a variety of types and styles of bags and seals, durable, substantially air-tight bags at high speed, different size and make of bags, and different amounts and types of product in the bags. The machine includes a film drive and pinch roll pair, a pair of film pull belts, and a pair of zipper drive rollers for pulling plastic film and zipper strip through the machine. The machine is convertible from one for producing reclosable edge fin seal bags to another for producing nonreclosable midline seal pillow type bags. Conversion from one to another is facilitated by having the pinch seal assembly mounted so that it can be pulled out of the machine, indexed 90°, and pushed back into the machine. The film pull belts are part of a self-contained pull belt unit which can be adjusted or removed from the machine, inverted and placed back into the machine. Different formers, fill tubes, and/or vertical sealing units are used to produce different types and styles of bags. The production of different size bags is facilitated by having a programmable control system, an optical mark sensor, and an adjustable film path length. The machine can produce recloseable bags with zipperlocks by including different zipper strips and adding a zipperlock applicator and feed and apparatus selectively releasing the tension from the zipper drive rollers.