Patent ID: 6691491
Filing Date: 2004-02-17
Classification: B29C,B29L,B65B

Abstract:
A vertical form, fill and seal machine of the type that operates in conjunction with a product supply apparatus providing product in discrete quantities and that forms a continuous, heat sealable plastic film, zippered cap strip and zipper locks into separate, product filled, recloseable, sealed bags with zipper locks, comprising:means for supplying the continuous plastic film; means for supplying the continuous plastic, zippered cap strip; means for supplying zipper locks that includes a remote storage vessel adapted to sort a plurality of zipper locks and subsequently feed sorted zipper locks into said magazine and an elongated feed magazine adapted to receive zipper locks and to temporarily store said received zipper locks until dispensed therefrom, and said magazine further comprises a terminal retention ledge that prevents said stored zipper locks in said magazine from becoming disoriented upon the dispensing of a zipper lock; a vertical fill tube assembly including a forming collar and a fill tube downstream of the means for supplying the continuous film, zippered cap strip and zipper locks; feeding means including a film drive roll upstream of said vertical fill tube; a pair of film pull belts adjacent said vertical fill tube; zippered cap strip drive rollers located below said vertical film tube; a zipper lock applicator proximate said zippered cap strip drive rollers for applying a zipper lock onto said cap strip, wherein said zippered cap strip drive rollers are released momentarily when said applicator places a zipper lock upon said zippered cap strip; vertical sealing means for sealing the edges of the continuous film to the edges of the continuous zippered cap strip to form a flexible plastic tube; horizontal sealing and severing means downstream of the vertical fill tube for forming first and second horizontal seals across the flexible plastic tube and for severing the plastic tube between the first and second horizontal seals; and, tensioning means for horizontally elongating the flexible plastic tube transfers to its length prior to formation of the horizontal seals.