Patent ID: 6539692
Filing Date: 2003-04-01
Classification: B29C,B65B

Abstract:
A heat sealing and cutting station for a container forming apparatus to form heat seals and cuts across a fluid-filled tube of flexible packaging material at longitudinally spaced locations, said heat sealing and cutting station comprising:at least one set of jaws moveable between a fully open position where said tube is free and a closed position where said tube is trapped between said jaws; a heat sealing mechanism carried by said jaws to form a heat seal across the tube when said jaws are in said closed position; a cutting mechanism carried by the jaws to cut the tube along the heat seal when the jaws are in the closed position to separate a container from the end of the tube; and a container holding mechanism carried by the jaws, for holding said container after said jaws begin moving from the closed position towards the fully open position and for allowing the container to rotate and take a desired orientation before said container is released by said container holding mechanism.