Patent ID: 6085496
Filing Date: 2000-07-11
Classification: B29C,B29K,B29L,B65B

Abstract:
A packaging unit useful for continuously producing aseptic sealed packages, containing a pourable food product, from a tube made of heat-seal packaging material in sheet form and fed along a vertical tube supply path, said tube being filled with said food product, said unit comprising:a first chain conveyor having a number of jaws and defining an endless first path along which said jaws are fed;a second chain conveyor having a number of counter-jaws and defining an endless second path along which said counter-jaws are fed;said first path and said second path each comprising respective work portions adjacent to said tube supply path and extending symmetrically on opposite sides of said supply path, so that said jaws on said first conveyor cooperate with respective counter-jaws on said second conveyor, along at least part of the respective said work portions, to grip said tube at respective equally spaced cross sections;heating means fitted to at least said jaws and cooperating with said tube to heat-seal the tube at said cross sections and define a strip of packages connected to one another by respective transverse sealing bands;means attached to said jaws and counter jaws in opposed relationship to cooperatively control the volume of each package as it is being conveyed;cutting means for cutting said strip of packages along said sealing bands and so detaching said packages,said cutting means comprising a first cutting member and a second cutting member located beneath said conveyors along said tube supply path, said first and second cutting members positioned on opposite sides of the tube supply path, rotating synchronously and in opposite directions about respective first and second axes of rotation crosswise to said tube supply path, and cooperating with said strip of packages to cut the strip of packages along said sealing bands and draw said packages away from said chain conveyors;a first engaging element connected to said first cutting element;a second engaging element connected to said second cutting element;wherein said first engaging element is sized and positioned on said first cutting element and said second engaging element is sized and positioned on said second cutting element so that said first engaging element and said second engaging element cooperate with each other to grip and draw said sealing band along said tube supply path away from said first chain conveyor and away from second chain conveyor.