Patent ID: 8122687
Filing Date: 2012-02-28
Classification: B31B,B65B,B65D

Abstract:
1. A method of packaging a flowable food product, comprising the steps of: providing a supply of web material defining a serial succession of package sidewalls; paying out a first portion of the web material; providing a supply of mated fastener tracks; paying out a first portion of the mated fastener tracks having first and second fastener track flanges; crushing a serial succession of spaced apart portions of said mated fastener tracks to form a serial succession of spaced apart back-to-back slider stop portions which are spaced apart by a same preselected package width; aligning the mated fastener tracks adjacent the upper package portion ends; lengthwise aligning the package portions of said web material with the back-to-back slider stop portions of said mated fastener tracks to register a first portion of the mated fastener tracks with a first portion of web material; providing a supply of sliders; dispensing the sliders one at a time; inserting the sliders on the mated fastener tracks between the slider stop portions; mounting the first and the second fastener track flanges to the web material; reverse folding the web material to form a folded web with a folded-web top, a dead fold at the folded-web top and a serial succession of folded package portions downwardly depending from the dead fold, each folded package portion having the same preselected package width and overlapping first and second package sidewalls with an upper package portion end adjacent the dead fold, and intermediate portions between the upper and the lower package portion ends with the mated fastener tracks aligned with the intermediate portions and with said upper package portion ends including shroud portions; forming reduced height, transverse, side seals for each package portion to cooperate with said sidewalls to form a pouch, said side seals having upper ends spaced from said upper package portion end and having lower ends spaced from said lower package portion end; slitting the dead fold at the upper package portion end to form a fill opening; severing the pouch from the web material and the mated fastener tracks to form a separate flexible package; filling the pouch with product through the filling opening; and sealing the upper package portion end to enclose the product within the pouch.