METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING INFUSIBLE BAG HOLDERS

Abstract: Method and apparatus to provide a tea bag with a cover. The tea bags (1) slide (2) onto a length of cover material (3) where they are attached at one edge only, using heat sealing, etc. (7). The cover material is creased (5, 9) and cut (13), the rollers (10, 11) serving to forward it and the bags attached thereto. Blade (15) pushes the creaseline of a cover so that bag and cover are forced between rollers (16, 17) to fold the cover about its bag. In an alternative, blade (15) pushes each bag and cover between two spring steel plates whereby the pressing of the plates folds the cover about its bag.

Description: "METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING INFUSIBLE BA6 HOLDERS" This Invention relates to a method of and apparatus for producing and attaching holders/covers to bags containing Infusible products. < BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 5. inmyearlierPatentApplication PCT/AU85/00279there Is disclosedateabagandcover, thecovercomprisingtwo leavesabouta fold line, saidteabagbeingattachedbyattachmentmeanstoone leaf adjacentsaidfold linewherebysaidfold line isabovesaidattachment meanstoenablethe leavestofold toonesideofthebagwithnopartof 10. eitherleafbeingonthecupsideof thebagwhensuspended Inacupby Insertingthebag Insidethecupwithone leafpassingdowntheoutside ofthecup. Alsothere isdisclosedthemethodofmanufacturingateabagand cover,theteabaghavingacrimpedperipheral flange,themethod is. comprisingthestepsofprovidingasheet ofpapertoform thecover, staplingtheteabagtothesheetofpaperatapositionbelow the transversecentre lineofthesheet,andformingafold lineonthe transversecentre lineofthesheettoformtwo leavestooverliethetea bag. 20. Thus, that inventiondescribesateabagandprotectivecoverwhich will protecttheteabagInpackagingandstoring, whileprovidingmeans tosupporttheteabagintheliquid Inthecupwithoutobstructingthe openingtothecup, andwhichcanbeagitatedto Improveandspeedup Infusionandwhichalsocanbeusedforsafelywithdrawingtheteabag 25. fromthecupforsqueezingtheresidueandeventual disposal ofthetea bag. BRIEF STATFMENT OF THE INVFNTION ThusthereIsprovidedamethodofmanufacturingan infusiblebag andcover,themethodincludingthestepsoffeedingthecovers, placing 0. andorientatingabagonthecover, attachingthebagtothecover, and creasingthecoveracross Itswidth in Itscentreadjacentthe - -~ attachmentof thebagtothecover, folding the leavesof thecoverover thebag, andstackingthebagsforpackaging. Alsothereisprovidedanapparatusforproducinganinfusiblebag andcover, theapparatuscomprisingconveyormeansforfeedingacover, 5. meansforplacingandorientatingabag inpositiononthecover, means forattachingthebagtothecover,meansforcreasingthecoveracross thewidthofthecoveradjacenttheattachmentofthebagtothecover, meansforfoldingthe leavesofthecoveroverthebag, andmeansfor stackingandpackagingtheteabagandcover. 10. Inoneformoftheinventionthecoverispreferablyasheetofpaper orthinplasticsmaterial whichcanbefedfrom areel andcuttothe requiredlength, orcanbefedfromastackontoacontinuousconveyor. TheconveyorIsprovidedwithspaced lugs, andthecoverispositioned with itsleadingedgeagainstafront lug,the lugsbeingspacedapartto is. enableasinglecover-tobepositionedbetweeneach lug, the lugsbeing spacedslightlygreaterthanthe lengthofeachofthecoverstoprovide deliveryclearance. TheInfusiblebagsorpouchesaremade inaseparatepouchmaker andpreferablyhaveacrimpedflangealongat leastoneedgethereofand 20. arepositionedonthe leadingedgeofthecoverbyuseofgrippers, suctionmeans, ormeanstoslidethepouchagainst thefront lug, the feedingmeansandthebeltspeedbeingsynchronizedwiththepouch delivery. Thebeltthendeliversthecoverandpouchthereontoastaplingand 25. creasingmeans, these inoneformbeingacombinedunit,tostapleand creasethepouchandcoveragainstamandrel and groovebuilt intothe conveyorweb. Thestaplingandgroovingunit canreciprocateatthe conveyorwebspeedandmovesdownwardlyto insertthestapleand createthecrease inthecoveradjacent theattachmentpoint. 30. Alternatively, the creasingandstaplingcanbe carriedout separately, andalsootherformsofattachment ofthepouchtothecover can be utilized. For example the creasing and attachment can be achieved by a heating unit to seal the flange portion of the pouch to the cover there being a silt In the web on the opposite side of the sealing head to form the crease. The unit moves at a velocity which is Synchronized 5. with the belt speed. In other alternatives the pouch can be glued to the cover either by pressure, or supplying heat for the rapid curing of the glue. While the invention is particularly described with respect to tea bags It Is to be realized that the Invention Is not to be limited thereto o. but can include any pouch, bag or package to hold a substance, the bag preferably containing an infusible substance. In all these examples the attachment means may reciprocate and on Its forward movement be synchronized with the belt or web speed or alternatively could be mounted on a rotary unit which again Is is. synchronized with the web speed. _. '4 When the pouch is attached to the cover, a blade descends to engage the crease and push the cover and pouch through a slot to be engaged-by rollers which draw the pouch and cover through the slot and deliver it into a collator or stacker or the like. 20. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates in side elevation one form of the invention, and FIG. 2 shows an alternative form of folding the cover. DESCRIPTIONOFTHE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In a preferred form of the invention as shown in the drawings, the 25. bags 1 are fed down a slide 2 onto the cover strip material 3, the bags being located by a stop A which in this embodiment is attached to a creasing blade 5. The bags 1 have a peripheral flange 6, the flange 6 abutting the stop 4. Adjacent the creasing blade there Is provided an attachment means, In this Instance being a heat sealing blade 7. The creasing blade 5 and heat sealing blade 7 are mounted In slides (not shown) and operated by known means, such as pneumatically, hydraullcally, mechanically or 5 . electromagnetlcally, the heat sealing blade being controlled by a timer so that the heat sealing blade is held In contact with the flange of the bag the required length of time to achieve the heat sealing. The heat sealing blade may extend across the whole width of the flange of the bag, but preferably only seals the central portion of the ID, bag, so that the desired curving of the bag can take place when placed on a cup edge as explained in my earlier Patent specification. Alternatively, instead of the bag being heat sealed to the cover strip, the bag may be stapled thereto, the heat sealing blade being replaced by a stapling head to operate against an anvil beneath the cover strip. is. The cover strip 3 slides on a bed 8, the bed 8 having a groove or recess 9 in its upper surface to receive the creasing blade 5, the blade forming a crease and also reducing the thickness of the cover strip at this location to provide a flexible hinge. The cover strip 3 is preferably fed from a roll of the cover strip 2o . material, the cover strip 3 and bag being fed along the bed 8 by a pair of feed rollers 10, 1 1. The upper roller 1 1 preferably has a central clearance 12 for the passage of the contents of the bag therethrough, the outer flanges of the roller 1 1 engaging the side flanges of the bag to feed the bag and cover strip along the bed. 25. Situated on the downstream side of the rollers 10, 1 1 there is provided a knife 13 also operating in slides to cut the cover strip material to the required length, the knife being operated in a similar manner to the creasing and sealing blades, and in timed relation thereto. Thecoverstripwithbagattachedthereto isfedtoapositionwhere It Isfoldedandcreased, andthestrip Iscut, thecentreofthe lengthof thecoverstrip, that Isthecreasebeingpositionedaboveaslot 14, in thebed8andbelow apusherblade 15. 5. Beneaththebed8therearepositionedapairoffoldingandcreasing rollers 16, 17,blade 15pushingthecoverstripandbagthroughtheslot 14adistancesufficient fortherollers toengagethe foldedcoverstrip. Therollersthusfoldthecoverstrip intoasharpfold,andastherollers continuerotationthecoverstripandbagarefeddownachute 18toa 10. packingposition. Inorderfortherollerstopassoverthethicknessofthebag,at ; ' leastoneroller,forexampleroller 17Ismounted inaspring loaded fashion,byhaving Itsaxle 19mountedInafork20havingashaft21 slidable Intheboss 22attachedtobed8, aspring23actingbetweenthe is. fork20andboss22toapplythedesiredloadingtofoldthecoverstrip alongthecreaseandyet allow movement oftheroller 17toallow passageofthebagbetweentherollers. Roller 16 ismountedonaxle24mountedonafork25attachedto thebed8. 20. inoperationthedrivenfeedrollers 10, 11 operate intermittently, andaresodrivento indexthecoverstriptherequireddistance,theheat sealer, creasingblade, knifeandpusherbladeall operating In synchronismduringthecycle. Inanalternativeform oftheinventionasshowninFIG.2, instead 25. ofapairofcreasingandfoldingrollersbeneaththeslot 14there is positionedapairofopposedspringsteel guides26attachedtothe undersurfaceofthebed8. Eachguide26hasacurvedend, these Inthe restpositionabuttingeachother. Asthebladepushesthecoverstrip throughtheguides, thepressureexertedbytheguidesfoldsthecover 30. stripatthecreasetoarelativelysharpfold,theguides26deflectingas thebagpassestherebetween. Hence the Invention resides In the attachment of the bag to the cover strip, and the folding of the cover strip over the bag. The folding can be as described by folding or pressing, or alternatively, while in the flat condition on the bed, a finger or the like 5. can lift the flap and fold it back on the bed, and then a press member can be applied to the fold line to form the hinge. The- cover strip may be of any suitable material, such as paper, paperhoard, cardboard, plastics material, or thin foam plastics material. The cover-strip material may be in roll form and cut, or be in individual IO; . sheets, and also while one process line has been described, there may be a multiple bank of lines feeding from separate rolls, or alternatively from a wide sheet of material which is slit into the strips of the required width before or after processing. The bags themselves may be of any known type, as long as they have is. an area for attachment. The method of attachment may vary, being either heat sealed or stapled as described, or alternatively by ultrasonic welding, stitching, use of adhesives or crimping. In a further form, the heat sealing blade, creasing blade and knife 20.; . may, Instead of being reciprocated with an intermittent feed of the cover strip and. bags, may utilize a continuous strip feed with rotary sealing and creasing blades and a rotary knife. This would result In higher production rates. Furthermore the steps can be carried out on a rotatable table, 25i . Indexing the bag and cover strip to successive stations to attach, crease and fold. Although one form of the invention has been described in some detail it is to be realized that the Invention is not to be limited thereto but can include various improvements and modifications falling within 3Q.. the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims: THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1. A method of providing a cover to an infusible bag, the method including the steps of providing a cover strip, feeding an infusible bag onto the cover strip, attaching the bag along an edge to the cover strip adjacent, the centre of the cover strip, and folding the cover strip to cover both sides of the bag. 2. A method as defined in claim 1, including the step of creasing the cover strip along the fold line to form a hinge. 3. A method as defined in claim 1 , including the step of attaching a flange of the bag to the cover strip by heat sealing. 4. A method as defined in claim 2, including the step of pressing the folded over cover strip at the crease line to form a hinge. 5. A method as defined in claim 1, including the step of attaching the bag to the cover strip at a centre portion of said edge of the bag, the outer side portions of said edge being unattached. • t 6. Apparatus for attaching an Infusible bag to a cover strip, saia apparatus Including means for feeding the ' cover strip, means for feeding the bags into contact with the cover strip, means for attaching the bag along an edge to the cover strip adjacent the centre thereof, and means for folding the cover strip to cover the sides of the bag. 7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, characterized in that said means for attaching said bag comprises a heat sealing means. 8. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, characterized by means to crease the cover strip to form a hinge line. 9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, characterized in that said means for folding said cover comprises a pusher blade to engage the crease line and pass the bag and cover through a pair of spring loaded rollers. 10. Apparatus as def ined in claim 8, characterized in that said means or folding comprises a pusher blade to engage the crease line to pass the cover strip and bag through a pair of spring fingers. 1 1. Apparatus as defined In claim 6, characterized by a pair of feed rollers to pass the bags and cover strip along a bed to an attaching and creasing station and to a cutting blade to cut the cover strip to length. 12. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 1 , characterized in that the feed rollers operate intermittently, and at the rest condition a heat sealing blade, a creasing blade and a cutting blade operate in synchronism together with a folding blade to engage the crease line of the previously attached bag 5. and cover to fold the cover onto the bag. 13. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, characterized in that the apparatus has the means for feeding the cover strip, means for feeding the bags, means for attaching and means for folding arranged on a linear bed. 14. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, characterized in that the means for attaching the bags to the cover strip is a rotary member to engage the bag edge to attach it to the cover strip. 15. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, characterized in that the means for feeding the bags comprises a slide, a stop member on the creasing means to locate the bag by the bag engaging the stop member. 16. Apparatus or attaching an infusible bag to a cover strip substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as Illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Inventors: CHRISTIE HUGH PATRICK, CHRISTIE, HUGH, PATRICK
Applicants: CHRISTIE HUGH PATRICK, CHRISTIE, HUGH, PATRICK
Application year: 1987
Main classification: B65B29
IPC codes: B65B29