Patent ID: 6962033
Filing Date: 2005-11-08
Classification: B29C,B65B

Abstract:
1. A side sealer for sealing together the free edges of adjacent layers of heat sealable plastic film on one side of film-surrounded packages, comprising: means for driving an inboard pair of upper and lower longitudinally extending pinch belts, and an outboard pair of upper and lower longitudinally extending pinch belts, wherein the belts grip and pull film to be sealed through the side sealer; the outboard pair of belts being spaced laterally from the inboard belts and being offset at an angle to the inboard belts such that the direction of increasing lateral separation of the inboard and outboard belts corresponds to the flow of film through the side sealer; a sealing jaw including a hot wire and a hot post disposed intermediate the inboard and outboard belt, wherein the free edges of the film moving through the side sealer are sealed as they pass over the jaw; and wherein, the film gripped and pulled longitudinally by the angularly offset inboard and outboard belts is also tensioned laterally by the angled belts such that excess film is severed and separated easily from the sealed film upon contact with the hot post.