Flexible bag with article encapsulated on one side thereof

A system and method for encapsulating three dimensional articles on one side of a bag formed by a bag making machine. A conventional bag making machine is modified configuring the drawrollers to allow for passage of the three-dimensional article. Additionally, a feeding station is used which acquires the article, moves the article to a gluing station where an adhesive is applied to the article. The feeding station then moves the article into a fold formed in the bag. The fold is sealed and the bag subsequently formed.

BACKGROUND AND BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
There are two basic machines or systems for forming bags. Fill and form 
machines are exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,260,064; 3,456,866; 4,290,467 
and 4,726,171. Bag making machines are exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 
3,762,628; 3,998,135; 4,648,860 and earlier issued patents to myself. 
The art has distinguished between these two systems because the fill and 
form machines are for packaging bulky articles for subsequent resale of 
the packaged product 
Bag making machines make wickets of bags which when produced may comprise 
50 to 200 bags which lay flat. The wickets of bags are subsequently sold 
for further use, deli bags, etc. Bag making machines are designed to 
convert flat bag stock into a wicket or bundle of flat bags by drawing the 
stock in a two-dimensional or planar configuration through a plurality of 
printing, sealing, cutting, folding and drawing stations. The sealing 
bars, cutting knives and drawrollers extend across the stock or partially 
formed bag and define a narrow or linear gap between their acting 
surfaces; i.e. perimeter of the drawrollers, edge of the knife and between 
the bag stock upon which the surfaces will act. 
Others in the prior art have modified bag forming machines to form pockets 
or pouches in the bags and have also inserted flat pieces, cards and the 
like in the pockets formed in the bags. This was possible because the 
cards or pieces were planar and existing bag making machines could be used 
without any major modifications or adjustments to carry the flat pieces 
through the existing equipment. 
The present invention is directed to a bag making machine and a method for 
forming bags wherein three-dimensional articles may be fed to the bag 
stock while the stock is being formed into a bag. The bag is subsequently 
formed with the three-dimensional article encapsulated on at least one 
side thereof. The fill and form machines do not do this and the bag 
forming machines of the art do not have this capability. 
Broadly the invention, in one aspect, comprises a bag making machine which 
forms a fold on the outer surface of a bag, places a three-dimensional 
article within the fold in a predetermined orientation and secures the 
article within the fold while the bag being formed continues to travel 
through subsequent processing steps to form the bag. Securing the article 
within the fold prevents disorientation of the article as the bag is 
subsequently formed. 
The invention, in another aspect, embodies a feeding station which inserts 
the articles into the fold formed on the bag. 
The invention, in still another aspect, embodies a drawroller with a 
tensioning member which allows the article to pass through the drawrollers 
and which controls the force of the drawrollers acting on the bag stock on 
either side of the article. 
The method of the invention includes feeding a sheet of bag stock having a 
side terminating in an edge to a sealing station. A strip of film material 
having at least one edge is also fed through the sealing station. The one 
edge of the strip is sealed to the edge of the bag stock, the strip 
extends over the bag stock, terminates in a free edge and defines with the 
bag stock a fold. A three-dimensional article is inserted into the fold. 
The article is secured within the fold and the free edge of the fold is 
sealed to the bag stock to encapsulate the material therein. Subsequently 
the bag with the encapsulated article is formed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) 
The preferred embodiment will be described in reference to a bag making 
machine for making side-weld bags where the bag stock is folded to define 
a bottom edge and the sides are welded and cut to form the bags. The 
invention may be used with any bag making machine regardless of the type 
of bag formed. 
In bag making machines, a series of steps in timed sequence are performed 
on bag stock, such as drawing, welding and cutting steps. The specific 
structure for the welding and cutting and the control electronics for 
effecting the various steps are not shown in detail--these features being 
well within the skill of the art. 
Referring to FIG. 1, a bag making machine embodying the invention is shown 
generally at 10 and comprises bag stock 12 having printing, P, on one 
surface thereof being drawn over a roller 14. A transparent strip 16 of 
thermoplastic film such as polyethylene is fed to the bag stock 12 and 
welded along one longitudinal edge to the bag stock by a sealing bar 18. 
The bag stock 12 is folded at 20 to form folded bag stock 22 with a bottom 
edge 24. 
A control module 36 is shown symbolically. The control module 36 represents 
the associated electronics to effect the timed sequence of steps for both 
forming the bags and inserting the three dimensional article into the fold 
formed in the bag. The pneumatic cylinders and glue gun described 
hereinafter are commercially available prior art devices. 
The folded bag stock 22 enters a feeding station 34 shown in greater detail 
in FIGS. 2 to 6. At the feeding station 32 a three-dimensional article 34 
is inserted into a fold 28 The folded bag stock 22 with the article 34 
inserted into the fold 28 leaves the feeding station 32 and passes under a 
sealing bar 38 which seals a free end 30 of the fold to the bag to 
encapsulate the article 34 therebetween. 
The folded bag stock with the encapsulated article is then drawn by 
drawrollers 150, shown in greater detail in FIG. 7 and passes under a 
water jacket 164 shown in greater detail in FIG. 8. The drawrollers and 
water jacket are modified in accordance with the invention. 
The folded bag stock then passes under a cutting and sealing bar 168 where 
side welds are formed and a bag 170 is formed and severed from the bag 
stock. The just- formed bag 170 is carried by a vacuum platen 172 and 
deposited on wickets 174. 
Referring to FIG. 2, the strip 16 welded at 26 to the bottom edge 24 
extends upwardly away from the bottom edge to define the fold 28 having 
the free end 30. 
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the feeding station 34 comprises three 
substations. An acquisition station 100 (FIG. 4), a gluing station 120 
(FIG. 5) and an insertion station 140 (FIG. 6). 
The feeding station 32 comprises a support structure shown generally at 70 
including a base plate 72 on which the bag stock travels. Secured to the 
base plate 72 and spaced apart therefrom is an four-armed member 74. The 
member 74 is pinned to a shaft (not shown) which passes through the base 
plate 72 and is rotated about its axis, R, in 90.degree. increments by a 
motor (not shown) joined to the shaft. The member 74 is spaced apart from 
the base plate 72 such that the bag stock 22 may pass under it. The member 
74 is sufficiently close to the bag stock such that the three-dimensional 
article 34 may be inserted into the fold 28 formed in the bag stock 22. 
Also secured in part to the base plate 72 is the acquisition station 100. 
A superstructure 82 supports in part the acquisition station 100, supports 
a pneumatic stop blade and a pneumatic glue gun at the gluing station 120 
and supports a pneumatic piston and a pneumatic stop blade at the 
insertion station 140. 
Referring to FIG. 2, the armed member 74 comprises arms 76a, 76b, 76c and 
76d which define slots 78a, 78b, 78c and 78d which generally correspond 
to the dimensions of the article to be inserted into the fold. The arms 
rotate, in 90.degree. increments, through the acquisition station 100 
where the article is fed to the arm, through the gluing station 120 where 
glue is applied to the upper surface of the article and through the 
insertion station 140 where the article is inserted into the fold 28 in 
the bag stock 22 and the fold is depressed to engage the glued surface of 
the article. 
As shown in FIG. 3, a rod 80 extends across the upper surface of the base 
plate 72 and engages the fold 28 to maintain the fold 28 in spaced apart 
relationship from the bag stock 22 in order that the arms may move into 
position and insert the article 34 into the fold 28. 
Referring to FIG. 4, the acquisition station 100 comprises a chute 102 
having spaced parallel walls 104. The chute comprises an upstream end 106 
and a downstream end 108 (FIG. 2). Articles to be inserted into the fold 
are automatically fed to the upstream end. The articles travel down the 
chute and are received in the slot 78a in the arm 76a. A U-shaped 
retaining wall (FIG. 3) is secured to the end 108 to secure and hold the 
article 34 until the article 34 is acquired by the arm 76a. The wall 110 
is spaced apart from the base plate 72 a sufficient distance to allow for 
passage of the arms 76a, 76b, 76c and 76d. 
Referring to FIG. 5, the gluing station 120 comprises the glue gun 122, 
such as a Slautterback Hot Melt Applicator, with a dispensing tip 124 
which is pneumatically actuated. Also, a pneumatically actuated stop blade 
126 (not shown in FIG. 3) is positioned to close the open end of the arm 
76b carrying the article 34. The dispensing tip 124 extends to apply a 
metered amount of glue to the top of the article 34 and then retracts. The 
arm 126 comprises a flexible blade member 128 secured in a base 130 which 
base 130 is joined to a pneumatic plunger 132. Prior to the completion of 
the rotation of the armed member 74 the stop blade 126 moves downwardly 
whereby the blade member 128 is in register with the open side of the slot 
78a. The armed member 74 rotates 90.degree.. The arm 76a carrying an 
article 34 with it moves from the acquisition station 100 to the gluing 
station 120. The armed member 74 stops and the glue is applied to the top 
surface of the article 34. The stop blade 126 then retracts and the armed 
member rotates 90.degree.. 
Referring to FIG. 6, the insertion station 140 is shown and comprises a 
pneumatically actuated plunger 142 and a pneumatically actuated stop blade 
144. The stop blade 144 comprises a blade member 146 secured in a base 148 
which base is secured to a pneumatic plunger 149. As with the stop blade 
126 at the gluing station, prior to the completion of the rotation of the 
armed member 74, the stop blade 144 will move downwardly whereby the blade 
member 146 will be in register with the open side of the slot 78a. The 
armed member 74 rotates 90.degree. and the arm 76a moves to the insertion 
station with the member 34 on the bag stock 22 and under the fold 28. The 
stop member 144 prevents the article from leaving or moving from the slot 
78a. The plunger 142 extends causing the underside of the fold 28 to 
engage the glue on the article 34. The stop blades 126 and 144 then 
retract. The bag stock moves one bag length. Then the armed member 74 
rotates 90.degree. and the sequence continues. Adherence of the article 34 
to the fold 28 holds the position or orientation of the article during 
subsequent processing steps. 
Referring to FIG. 7, a drawroller 150 is shown in greater detail. The 
drawroller comprises a reduced portion 152 which is engaged to a 
tensioning block 154 having a concave surface 156 which mates with the 
outer surface of the reduced portion. A tensioning screw 158 engages the 
tensioning block 154 and is threaded through a plate 160. The transport of 
the bag stock 22 with the encapsulated article 34 is also shown with the 
longitudinal seal line 162. 
Immediately downstream of the drawroller is the water jacket 164, which is 
shown in FIG. 8, is modified to include a recess 166 from the prior art 
water jackets to allow for passage of the article. 
Referring to FIG. 9, the leading edge of the bag stock 22 is shown 
immediately downstream of the sealing bar 168 which forms the side welds 
and forms the bag 170 which is carried by the platen 172. The transverse 
side weld is shown as 176. 
In the operation of the invention, the bag stock 12 passes over roller 14 
and the transparent strip of film material 16 is sealed along one 
longitudinal edge. The bag stock is folded at 20 to form a bottom edge 
with the strip sealed along its edge to the bottom of the now-folded bag 
stock and the fold extending upwardly from the bottom edge. 
When the bag stock approaches the feeding section, the rod 80 is originally 
threaded between the bag stock 22 and the flap 28 to hold the flap 28 in 
its spaced apart condition. Initially, the article 34 is fed down the 
chute and is received in the slot 78a of the arm 76a. The stop blades 126 
and 144 are in their retracted positions. The member 74 rotates 
90.degree.. The article 34 carried by the arm 76a moves to the gluing 
station. After the arm has rotated approximately 85.degree., the stop 
blade 126 extends preventing the article 34 from being dislodged from the 
slot 78a. 
At the acquisition station, the arm 76b acquires an article which is 
received in its associated slot 78b. At the gluing station, the glue gun 
deposits a drop of glue on the upper surface of the article 34. The stop 
blades 126 and 144 are retracted and after the armed member 74 has rotated 
approximately 85.degree. the stop blades are then moved downwardly to 
prevent dislodgment of the articles 34. 
The arm 76a with its associated article 34 is now at the insertion station. 
The piston 142 is actuated to tamp down the fold 28 onto the article to 
effect adhesion between the fold and the article. The arm 76b is at the 
gluing station while the arm 76c is at the acquisition station where its 
associated slot 78c receives an article. 
The sequence of steps, namely the acquisition of an article by the armed 
member 74, the application of the glue at the gluing station and the 
tamping down of the flap onto the glue spot at the insertion station all 
occur substantially simultaneously. Prior to the movement of the armed 
member 74, the stop blades 126 and 144 retract. The bag stock moves one 
bag length. Then the armed member 74 rotates. When the armed member has 
completed approximately 85.degree. of its 90.degree. rotation, the stop 
blades are extended downwardly such that they are in place when the armed 
member completes its rotation and stops. 
The upper edge of the flap 28 is sealed by the sealing bar 38. After 
acquisition, gluing and insertion, the drawrollers 150 rotate, drawing the 
bag stock through the drawrollers and throwing the bag stock drawn through 
the drawrollers, through the water jacket 164 into position under the 
sealing bar 168 and placing the leading portion of the bag stock on the 
platen 172. That is, at this point, the leading portion of the bag stock 
from which the bag will finally be formed overlays the vacuum plate. The 
sealing bar 168 forms sidewells in the bag being formed on the vacuum 
plate and the leading edge of the bag stock. The plate is rotated to place 
the formed bag on the wicket 174. 
The foregoing description has been limited to a specific embodiment of the 
invention. It will be apparent, however, that variations and modifications 
can be made to the invention, with the attainment of some or all of the 
advantages of the invention. Therefore, it is the object of the appended 
claims to cover all such variations and modifications as come within the 
true spirit and scope of the invention.