US2866392A - Pouch manufacturing means and method - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 30, 1958 G. s. SCARVELIS POUCH MANUFACTURING MEANS AND METHOD 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 25, 1956 MW m mw m

4 w 9 "MM,

LIIIIIE Dec. 30, 1958 G. s. SCARVELIS POUCH MANUFACTURING MEANS AND METHOD 3 SheetsSheet 2 Filed July 25, 1956 :J'IZZZZZZZ/IZZZ "H Mlhlliinl 5145 J: J'CarVeZuS' INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Dec. 30, 1958 G. s. scARvELls 2,866,392

POUCH MANUFACTURING MEANS AND METHOD Filed July 25, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 III! 25 *ELWW INVENTOR 51:6 63 Jc'czrreZzcS' United States Patent O POUCH MANUFACTURING MEANS AND METHOD Gus Stephen Scarvelis, Mount Vernon, Ohio, assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 25, 1956, Serial No. 600,040

Claims. (Cl. 93-8) In the marketing of certain food products, notably sliced cheeses and sliced meats, it is quite common to seal the products in flat pouches of cellophane, glassine, Pliofilm or the like. The automatic machines usually employed to fill the pouches, require that each pouch have a lip projecting from one pouch side wall beyond the open end of the pouch, and the present invention provides for the rapid manufacture of pouches of this type.

Conventionally, a web of the sheet material is advanced from a supply roll to a folding station at which the web is folded upon itself on a central longitudinal line to convert said web into a two-ply web. This twoply web advances to a sealing station at which longitudinally spaced transverse areas of its two plies are heat-sealed together. The two-ply web then proceeds to a cutting station at which it is transversely cut through the sealed-together areas, thereby providing individual pouches. Prior to the cutting operation, it is usually customary to heat-seal the two plies together along the fold line.

The present invention improves upon conventional practice and provides a trimming station between the folding station and the sealing station. At this trimming station, the free longitudinal edges of the upper and lower plies of the two-ply web, are longitudinally trimmed, the trim line of one ply being more distant from the fold line than the trim-line of the other ply to insure that one side wall of each pouch shall be longer than the other side wall, thereby providing the required projecting lip at the open end of the pouch.

The invention aims to provide for trouble-free and accurate trimming of the free edges of the upper and lower plies by separating said free edges at the trimming station, and trimming the separated edges individually along spaced parallel lines, the distance between the two trim lines being equal to the required width for the projecting lips of the pouches.

The invention further aims to provide a novel and advantageous construction and association of elements for performing the edge trimming operations.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of theinvention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

in the drawings:

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a perspective View of one of the pouches.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic top plan view showing illustrative apparatus embodying the edge trimming means of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the apparatus of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the edge trimmer and its mounting means.

Figure 5 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section, on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an elevation looking in the direction of the arrow 6 of Figure 4.

Figures 7 and 8 are horizontal sectional views on lines 77 and 8-8 of Figure 5, respectively.

Figures 9 and 10 are vertical transverse sectional views on line 9-9 and 10-10 of Figure 5, respectively.

Figure 11 is a top plan view of the ply-separating and spacing plate.

In the illustrative apparatus of Figures 1 and 2, a table T is shown, and near one end of this table a supply roll SR of the desired flexible material is illustrated. At said end of the table T, there is a folding station F and spaced apart along said table are an edge trimming station ET, a sealing station S, and a cutting station C. Another sealing station S is shown between the stations S and C, and may or may not be provided, as desired. Feed rolls are shown at R.

The web W is drawn from the feed roll FR to the folding station F and along the table T to the end of the latter. At the folding station F, the web W is folded upon itself along a central longitudinal line, thereby converting it into a two-ply web W having the free longitudinal edges of its upper ply U and lower ply L in alignment.

At the edge trimming station ET, the free edges of the plies U and L are separated and individually trimmed along spaced parallel lines so that one trimmed edge E projects beyond the other trimmed edge E. The trim scrap TS (Figure 3) may be deposited into a basket or the like B as it is formed. At the sealing station S, longitudinally spaced transverse areas A of the two plies U and L are sealed together, and when the station S is employed, said plies are sealed together at this station along the fold lineof the two-ply web W. At the cutting station C, this two-ply web W' is transversely cut through the centers of the sealed-together areas A and the completed pouches P are thus successively formed, each pouch being provided with the lip P projecting beyond its open end.

The folding means at the station F may be conventional and is shown as consisting of fixed wings 1 over which the web W is drawn. The sealing means at the station S and S may also be conventional and are shown as having electrically heated roller-carried sealing irons 2 and 3 respectively. The cutting means at the station C may also be conventional and is shown as having a roller-carried blade 4 cooperable with a fixed blade 5. The edge-trimming means at the station ET, is of novel construction and is shown in detail in Figures 4 to 11 of the drawings.

A horizontal mounting bar 6 is provided to extend transversely under the web W, the table T being apertured at 7 (Figure 2) to receive said bar and a knifecarrying bracket 8 which is mounted on said bar. The ends of this bar 8 are shown as secured by screws v9 to the frame 10 of the table T, spacers 11 being interposed between said frame and bar to locate the upper side of the latter in substantially the plane of the table top.

The bracket 8 includes a slide block 12 channeled at 12 to receive the bar 6 and extend under the latter. A clamping block 13 is secured upon the slide block 12 by clamping screws 14 and extends over the bar 6. Loosening of these screws allows adjustment of the slide block 12 and the entire bracket 8 longitudinally of the bar 6, and tightening of said screws locks the slide in adjusted position.

A bracket arm 15 projects horizontally from the slide block 12 and carries a spacer plate 16 to separate the free edges of the web plies U and L. The arm 15 also carries an upper knife 17 over the spacer plate 16, and a lower knife 18 under said spacer plate and laterally spaced from said knife 17. The cutting edges 19 of these knives converge to the plate 16 and extend into suitable recesses 20 in the latter. While the upper web ply U is passing over the plate 16, the free edge of said upper ply is trimmed by-the. upper knife'17. At-the same time, the free edge of the lower web L is trimmed by the'lower knife 18, as it passesunder the. plate 16, the trimming of the two ply edgesbeing effected on spacedparallel lines to associate the trimmededges E and E as above explained.

In the present disclosure, the. bracket arm 15 comprises a lower section 21 integral with the slide block 12, an upper section 22, and clamping screws 23 connecting said sections 21 and 22. One end of the spacer plate 16 is ti htly clamped between these arm sections 21 and 22 and. dowels 24 are employed to accurately locate said plate 16. The screws 23 also preferably extend through this plate.

The upper arm section 22 has an integraltlateral projection 25.which overlies and is spaced from the plate 16; and the lower arm section 21 has a similar projection 26 which underlies and is spaced from'said plate 16. The upper projection extends further from the arm 15' than the lower projection 26, the difference in extent being the desired distance between the knives 17 and 18. The upper knife 17 is clamped against the outer. end of the upper projection 25 by. a clamping bar 27 and screws 28; and the lower knife 18 is clamped by corresponding elements 29 and 30 against the outer. end of the lower projection 26.

It is preferable to provide the upper arm section 22 with a web hold-down roller 31.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for attaining the desired ends. However, attention is invited to the possibility of makingvariations within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In a pouch manufacturing means for folding a flexible web upon itself along a substantially central line to form a two-ply web and for disposing the free longitudinal edges of the two plies substantially in alignment, means for sealing longitudinally spaced transverse areas of the two plies of said two ply, web together; means for transversely cutting the sealed two-ply web through the sealed-together areas of said plies, and means for longitudinally advancing said two ply web; separating means between said folding means and said seaming means for separating the free longitudinal edges of the two plies of the advancing two-ply web, upper trimming means over said edge separating means in position for trimming the uppermost of the separated ply edges on a straight longitudinal line, and lower trimming means under said edge separating means and spaced laterally from said upper trimming means in position for trimming the lowermost of said separated edges on a straight longitudinal line spacedlaterally from the aforesaid line.

A machine as specified in claim 1, in which said edge separating means consists of a horizontal fixedly mounted spacing plate for reception between said plies, and in which said upper and lower trimming means consist of two-fixed knives having cutting edges which converge to said spacing plate, said spacing plate having recesses into which said cutting edges extend.

3. In a machine having a table along which to longitudinally advance a two-ply flexible web, separating means stationarily mounted with respect to said table, said separating means being constructed to separate free longitudinal edges of the advancing two-ply web, upper trimming means over said edge separating means for trimming the uppermost of the separated ply edges on a straight line, lower trimming means under said edge separating means and spaced laterally from said upper trimming means for trimming the lowermost of said separated edges on a straight line spaced laterally from the aforesaid line, and means mounting said separating and trimming means at one longitudinal edge of said table.

4. A structure as specified in claim 3, in which said edge separating means consists of a horizontal fixedly mounted spacing plate for reception between said plies, and in which said upper and lower trimming means consist of two knives having cutting edges which converge to said spacing plate, said spacing plate having recesses into which said cutting edges extend.

5. A structure as specified inclaim 3; said edge separating means consisting of a horizontal spacing plate for reception between said plies, said upper and lower trimming means consisting of two knives having cutting edges which converge to said spacing plate, said mounting means comprising a bracket upon which said spacing plate and said knives are fixedly mounted, a horizontal bracketmounting bar extending transversely of said table and fixed with respect thereto, and means mounting said bracket on said bar.

6. A structure as specified in claim 3; said edge separating means consisting of a horizontal spacing plate for reception between said plies, said upper and lower trimming means consisting of two knives having cutting edges Which converge to said spacing plate, said mounting means comprising a bracket upon which said spacing plate and said knives are fixedly mounted, a horizontal bracketmounting bar extending transversely of said table and fixed with respect thereto, and means mounting said bracket on said bar and including means allowing adjustment of said bracket along said bar.

7. A trimmer comprising a horizontal spacing plate for reception between free longitudinal edge portions of upper and lower plies of a two-ply web, an upper knife over said spacing plate for trimming the edge of the upper ply on a straight line as the web is advanced, a lower knife under said spacing plate and spaced laterally from said upper knife for trimming the edge of the lower ply on a line spaced from the aforesaid line, said knives having cutting edges which converge to said spacing plate, the latter having recesses into which said cutting edges extend, and means for fixedly mounting said spacing plate and knives.

8. A trimmer comprising a horizontal spacing plate for reception between free longitudinal edge portions of upper and lower plies of a two-ply web, an upper knife over said spacing plate for trimming the edge of the upper ply on a straight line as the web is advanced, a lower knife under said spacing plate and spaced laterally from said upper knife for trimming the edge of the lower ply on a line spaced from the aforesaid line, said knives having cutting edges which converge to said spacing plate, the latter having recesses into which said cutting edges extend, a bracket on which said spacing plate and knives arefixedly mounted, a horizontal bracket-mounting bar to extend transversely of the web, and means mounting said bracket on said bar.

9. A trimmer comprising a horizontal spacing plate for reception between free longitudinal edge portions of upper and lower plies of a two-ply web, an upper knife over said spacing plate for trimming the edge of the upper ply on a straight line as the web is advanced, a lower knife under said spacing plate and spaced laterally from said upper knife for trimming the edge of the lower ply on a line spaced from the aforesaid line, said knives having cutting edges which converge to said spacing plate, the latter having recesses into which said cutting edges extend, a bracket on which said spacing plate and knives are fixed mounted, a horizontal bracket-mounting bar to extend transversely of the web, and means mounting said bracket on said bar and including means allowing adjustment of said bracket along said bar.

10. A trimmer comprising a horizontal spacing plate for reception between free longitudinal edge portions of upper and lower plies of a two-ply web, an upper knife over said spacing plate for trimming the edge of the upper ply on a straight line as the web is advanced, a lower knife under said spacing plate and spaced laterally from said upper knife for trimming the edge of the lower ply on a line spaced from the aforesaid line, said knives having cutting edges which converge to said spacing plate, the latter having recesses into which said cutting edges extend, a bracket on which said spacing plate and said knives are fixedly mounted, said bracket having a slide, and a bracket-mounting bar upon which said slide is mounted for adjustment longitudinally of said bar.

11. A trimmer comprising a substantially horizontal bracket arm having mounting means at one end, said arm having an upper and a lower horizontal projection extending in the same direction therefrom, a horizontal spacing plate projecting from said arm between and in vertically spaced relation with said upper and lower projections, an upper knife mounted on said upper projection, and a lower knife mounted on said lower projection, the two knives being disposed in spaced planes, said knives having cutting edges which converge to said spacing plate, said spacing plate having recesses into which said cutting edges extend.

12. A structure as specified in claim 11; said bracket arm being composed of an upper and a lower section and clamping screws connecting these sections, one end of said spacing plate being rigidly clamped between said sections, said upper and lower projections being carried by said upper and lower sections respectively.

13. A structure as specified in claim 11; said upper and lower projections projecting to different extents from said arm and having vertical end surfaces, upper and lower clamping bars in abutting relation with said outer end surfaces of said upper and lower projections respectively, and clamping screws connecting said upper and lower clamping bars with said upper and lower projections respectively, said knives being clamped between said clamping bars and said vertical outer end surfaces of said projections.

14. A structure as specified in claim 11; said bracket arm being composed of an upper and a lower section and clamping screws connecting these sections, one end of said spacing plate being rigidly clamped between said sections, said upper and lower projections being carried by said upper and lower sections respectively and pro jecting to different extents therefrom, said upper and lower projections having vertical outer end surfaces, upper and lower clamping bars in abutting relation with said outer end surfaces of said upper and lower projections respectively, and clamping screws connecting said upper and lower clamping bars with said upper and lower projections respectively, said knives being clamped between said clamping bars and said outer end surfaces of said projections.

15. In a method of successively forming flat pouches from an elongated web wound on a supply roll and having parallel edges, the steps of continuously feeding the web from the supply roll to a folding station, at said folding station folding the advancing web upon itself along a central longitudinal line and thereby converting said web into a two-ply web the plies of which have their free longitudinal edges substantially in alignment, continuously advancing this two-ply web from said folding station to a trimming station, at said trimming station separating the free longitudinal edges of the two plies of the advancing two-ply web, at said trimming station longitudinally trimming said separated edges along parallel lines spaced apart transversely of said two-ply web, continuously advancing the trimmed two-ply web from said trimming station to a sealing station, at said sealing station successively sealing longitudinally spaced transverse areas of the trimmed plies together, continuously advancing the trimmed and sealed two-ply web from said sealing station to a cutting station, and at said cutting station successively cutting the advancing trimmed and sealed two-ply web transversely through said sealed together areas, thereby successively forming fiat pouches each having an open end and a projecting lip at said open end.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,851,061 Poppe Mar. 29, 1932 2,248,471 Stroop July 8, 1941 2,326,931 Dalton et a1. Aug. 17, 1943 2,651,364 Ashman Sept. 8, 1953

Images