IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO INFUSION PACKAGES

Abstract: The invention provides that round tea bags (10) are arranged in stacks and wrapped in flexible sleeves (34) to form packages (36). Preferably each package will comprise two stacks (32) of round tea bags, and the seals at the end of the sleeve (34) may be round to keep the tea bags in stacked condition. The invention also describes a method of feeding stacks (32) of round tea bags from a tea bag manufacturing machine to a wrapping machine employing a guide channel (44, 46) and front (40) and rear (38) guide and transportation members (30), which may be curved to follow the curvature of the tea bag edges.

Description: Improvements Relating to Infusion Packages This invention relates to infusion packages, and in particular concerns infusion packages in the form of tea bags. Although reference is made hereinafter to tea bags, it is to be understood that the invention can be applied to other infusion bags where the bags contain material other than tea. However, as tea bags are the most common form of infusion bag to which the present invention relates, reference will be made hereinafter only to tea bags in the interests of simplicity. In accordance with the present invention, round tea bags are arranged in stacks and are wrapped in flexible sleeves to form packages. Preferably, the sleeves are formed of or include metallic foil and are sealed encasing the round tea bags in single or multiple stacks. By sealing the foil sleeve, the interior of the sleeve can be maintained isolated from the atmosphere, whereby the contents of the tea bags can be maintained in fresh condition. In this connection, the interior of the sleeve may be flushed with an inert gas, for example nitrogen before final sealing of the sleeve takes place. The sleeve may be sealed by heat sealing, or by adhesive or by any other suitable means, and in this connection, the material of the sleeve may be a foil laminate, having on the interior surface thereof a heat sealable coating or film. The sleeve is preferably formed from a roll of the sleeve material which is fed to a wrapping machine, and at said machine, the stack or stacks of round tea bags is or are wrapped in the sleeve material, followed by subsequent sealing of same to form the package. In this way, the packages can be formed in a continuous manner. To achieve the continuous production, it is preferred that the single stacks or groups of stacks are fed from a round tea bag manufacturing machine via conveying means to the wrapping machine. In a typical case, the tea bags are grouped in two stacks each containing 20 bags, so that the resulting package is a foil sealed sachet containing 40 round tea bags arranged in two separate stacks. The bags may be manufactured on a machine which cuts the tea bags from webs of tea bag material between which portions of tea have been placed, said machine serving not only to connect the webs, and to cut the individual bags from such webs, but also to group the tea bags in stacks ready for transportation to the wrapping machine. In order to provide that the wrapping sleeve will hold the stacks of tea bags in stable form, it is preferred that the sleeve should be a neat wrapping fit around the stack or stacks of tea bags. Additionally, it may be preferable to form the end seal at each end of the sleeve to have a curved configuration, to follow the curvature of the round tea bags. In displacing the stack or stacks of tea bags from the tea bag manufacturing machine to the wrapping machine, it is preferable that the stacks be guided and held by suitable transfer means which may comprise a conveying channel defined by side walls which keep the stack or stacks in stable condition, a rear pusher which engages the rear of the stack or rearmost stack, and a front former which holds the front end of the stack or the front stack while conveying to the wrapping machine takes place. The said front former and rear pusher preferably extend across the width of the channel between the walls, and may desirably be curved to follow the curvature of the tea bags. Additionally, where the tea bags are arranged in groups of two or more stacks, there may be side spacer members between respective stacks in each group, further to hold the round tea bags in stable stacked condition. It should be mentioned that it may be difficult to hold the tea bags in such arrangement in view of their shape. It should also be mentioned that the expression "round" as applied to the tea bags should be construed as generally meaning curved, and not specifically circular, although circular tea bags it is believed will be the most popular form. The bags could however for example be elliptical or oval. By way of example, an embodiment of the invention, and several aspects of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, wherein:- Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a round tea bag making machine, a transfer conveyor, and a flow wrapping machine; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the packages according to the embodiment of the invention, which results from the manufacturing process illustrated in Fig. 1. Referring to the drawings, tea bags 10 are produced by a machine, not shown in detail, whereby a first and lower web 12 and second and upper web 14 are brought together to form a laminated web 16, and between which webs are arranged portions 18 of tea each of a quantity for a single tea bag. The laminated upper and lower webs 12, 14 pass through stations of the machine whereby the webs are sealed together around the tea portions 18 by sealing rollers 20, and then the individual round tea bags 22 are cut from the webs by cutting rollers 24. The cut tea bags 22 pass to a magazine 26 into which the cut bags are pushed one by one by reciprocating displacers 28, and form pairs of stacks form in the magazine. When the stacks are of a certain height, typically 20 tea bags high, each pair of stacks is displaced from the magazine into a feed conveyor which transports the pair of stacks 32 to a wrapping machine 33 whereat the stacks are wrapped in wrapping material 34 which forms a sleeve around the pair of stacks, and the thus wrapped stacks are severed from the remainder of the wrapping material to form a package 36 as shown in Fig. 2. The pairs of stacks which form groups, are displaced on the conveying means 30 in any suitable manner. Typically, the conveying means comprises a conveyor 30 on which the stacks are supported, and a rear pusher 38 which engages the rear of the rearmost stack, and supports the group. Additionally a front holder 40 holds the front end of the front stack 32 whereby the group is held in stable stacked condition. This is important in relation to the conveying of round tea bags in this manner. If desired there may be intermediate spacers (not shown) which lie between the two stacks of tea bags at the sides thereof in order to enhance the stability of the stacks . In the arrangement shown, the pusher 38 and the front holder member 40 are carried by the conveyor, but the front holder member could be carried by a separate and overhead conveyor 42 simply to assist in the ejection of the groups from the manufacturing machine. The conveyor as shown comprises a pair of side walls 44, 46 which form adjustable guides in that the bag edges are supported lightly against these walls as conveying takes place. The spacing between the walls can be finely adjusted. At the flow wrapping machine 33, the wrapping material is sealed longitudinally (48 Fig. 2) around the groups of tea bags, and this is followed by transverse sealing 50 to the front and rear of the bags. As indicated in Fig. 2, the sealing bars for effecting the transverse seals may form seals 52 of curved configuration, so that the seal 52 around the tea bag at each end of the package may be such as to conform to the tea bag curvature, whereby the bags will be held firmly in stacks inside the package. In this connection, it is preferable that the sleeve be a neat fit around the tea bags to hold same in stable condition. The sealing bars need not of course be curved, and may simply be straight, but in any event, the packages are severed transversely from the remainder of the wrapping material by means of a transverse cutting device. The manufacture of the tea bags and the wrapping of same in the sleeve material takes place on a continuous basis.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Round tea bags arranged in stacks and wrapped in flexible sleeves to form packages. 2. Round tea bags according to Claim 1, wherein the sleeves are formed of or include metallic foil and are sealed encasing the round tea bags in single or multiple stacks. 3. Round tea bags according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the interior of the sleeve is flushed with an inert gas, before final sealing of the sleeve takes place. 4. Round tea bags according to Claim 3, wherein the sleeve is sealed by heat sealing. 5. Round tea bags according to Claim 4, wherein the material of the sleeve is a foil laminate having on the interior surface thereof a heat sealable coating or film. 6. Round tea bags according to Claim 4 or 5, wherein the sleeve is formed from a roll of the sleeve material which is fed to a wrapping machine, and at said machine, the stack or stacks of round tea bags is or are wrapped in the sleeve material, followed by subsequent sealing of same to form the package. 7. Round tea bags according to any preceding claim, wherein the packages are reduced on a continuous basis and wherein the single stacks or grounds of stacks are fed from a round tea bag manufacturing machine via conveying means to the wrapping machine. 8. Round tea bags according to any preceding claim, wherein the tea bags are grouped in two stacks each containing 20 bags, so that the resulting package is a sachet containing 40 round tea bags arranged in two separate stacks. 9. Round tea bags according to any preceding claim, wherein the bags are manufactured on a machine which cuts the tea bags from webs of tea bag material between which portions of tea have been placed, said machine serving not only to connect the webs, and to cut the individual bags from such webs, but also to group the tea bags in stacks ready for transportation to the wrapping machine. 10. Round tea bags according to any preceding claim, wherein the wrapping sleeve is a neat wrapping fit round the stack or stacks of tea bags in order to hold the stack or stacks of tea bags in stable form. 11. Round tea bags according to Claim 10, wherein each end of the sleeve is sealed and the seal has a curved configuration, to follow the curvature of the round tea bags. 12. Round tea bags according to any preceding claim, wherein the stack or stacks of tea bags are fed from a tea bag manufacturing machine to a wrapping machine, and the stacks are guided and held by a suitable transfer means which may comprise a conveying channel defined by side walls which keep the stack or stacks in stable condition. 13. Round tea bags according to Claim 12, wherein a rear pusher engages the rear of the stack or rearmost stack, and a front former holds the front end of the stack or the front stack while conveying to the wrapping machine takes place. 14. Round tea bags according to Claim 13, wherein the front former and rear pusher extend across the width of the channel between the walls and may desirably be curved to follow the curvature of the tea bags. 15. Round tea bags according to Claim 14, wherein the tea bags are arranged in groups of two or more stacks, and there are side spacer members between respective stacks in each group, further to hold the round tea bags in stable stacked condition during the transportation of same between the tea bag manufacturing machine and the wrapping machine.

Inventors: BARRATT STEPHEN JOHN, RIMMER JAMES ROY, BARRATT, STEPHEN, JOHN, RIMMER, JAMES, ROY
Applicants: PREMIER BRANDS UK, PREMIER BRANDS UK LIMITED
Application year: 1992
Main classification: B65B29
IPC codes: B65B29, B65D75