MACHINE AND METHOD FOR MAKING A PLASTIC FILM POUCH AND ATTACHING A SPOUT THERETO

Abstract: A machine and a method for making a plastic film pouch and attaching a spout thereto is described. Two overlaid film sheets are guided adjacent a spout base positioner to position a dispensing spout spaced adjacent one of the two overlaid film sheets at a predetermined position with respect to a sealer device. One of the overlaid film sheets is displaced in the area of the sealer whereby the spout base can be sealed to a single one of the overlaid sheets. A cap may be secured to the spout, and the sheet to which the base of the spout is attached may also be punctured if desired. The overlaid sheets are unconnected at one of their edges whereby the sheets can be guided over one or more liquid spouts for filling the pouch after a bottom seal and a side seal is formed. The filled pouch is displaced for further sealing of its top open end and detachment from the overlaid sheets prior to discharge of the filled pouch on an outlet conveyor where the filled pouch with the spout attached thereto is discharged.

Description: MACHINE AND METHOD FOR MAKING A PLASTIC FILM POUCH AND ATTACHING A SPOUT THERETO TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a machine and a method for the manufacture of a plastic film pouch and attaching a spout thereto and wherein the machine can also fill the pouch with a content prior to the sealing and discharge of the pouch from the machine. BACKGROUND ART Pouches with dispensing spouts are usually utilized for institutional use and wherein large quantities of liquids, such as milk, may be dispensed within a bag having a capacity of retaining 5, 10 and even 20 liters of product therein. Although the present machine was designed to form milk pouched, it could be used to dispense materials other than milk within these pouches and not necessarily liquid products. Currently institutional bag making consists essentially of providing two rows of thin plastic film which may be single or double ply, having a thickness of 2 mil per ply to provide both top and bottom side walls of the bag. Both rows of film are unwound simultaneously and are guided towards a three sided sealing mechanism. Prior to reaching the sealer, a hole is punched out of one of the films in an area where the bottom portion of the dispensing spout base will be pushed up therethrough and a polyethylene film is heat sealed to the top of the cap flange. The two films then continue into the three sided sealer. A horizontal sealer is provided to seal the bag completely and separate it from the next bag. A perforation is then made through the overlaid plastic sheets whereby to connect the bags to one another. The top of the cap is then placed automatically or manually onto the dispensing spout. In order to fill the bags with a product, such as liquid milk, an operator either fills individual bags through the spout and then places a cap on the spout. If the bag is - 2 - to be filled automatically, the caps are removed from the base and the bag is filled. The bag then goes through a recapping operation and the filled bag is then placed into a container. If the bags are on rolls, the operator would start the process by putting the first bag into a tracking area which would lead the bag into a decapper, then through a filling station and then through a recapper. The filled bag can then be dropped automatically into a case or a transport conveyor. Accordingly, it can be seen that by forming these bags with the prior art methods, it is necessary to remove the cap from the dispensing spout base to fill the bag and this can be done automatically or semi-automatically but the cap has to then be placed back onto the spout. This is a slow process and because the cap is removed and replaced onto the spout it may not always provide a proper seal once a liquid mass is provided in the bag as the bag becomes more difficult to handle. SUMMARY OF INVENTION It is a feature of the present invention to provide a machine for the automatic manufacturing a plastic film pouch with a spout and a method of making same and which substantially overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art. Another feature of the present invention is to provide a machine and a method for fully automatically forming a plastic film pouch from a folded film sheet and attaching a spout thereto. Another feature of the present invention is to provide a machine and a method for automatically making the plastic film pouch from a folded film sheet and attaching a spout thereto without puncturing the film in the area of the spout and wherein the formed bag is filled with a liquid and completely sealed prior to being automatically conveyed to a container. According to the above features, from a broad aspect, the present invention provides a machine for manufacturing a plastic film pouch with a dispensing spout attached thereto. The spout has a dispensing orifice. The machine comprises guide means for guiding two overlaid film sheets through the machine to a positioner means to position a dispensing spout adjacent one of the two overlaid film sheets at a predetermined position with respect to a sealer device. Means is provided to displace a portion of the other of the sheets while the sheets are stationary to permit the sealer device to seal the one of the sheets about the dispensing orifice of the spout. Sealing means is provided to form seals along at least some unconnected edges of the overlaid sheets to form a pouch having the spout connected thereto. The machine also has the capability of filling the form pouch and sealing the entire pouch prior to automatically discharging same from the machine. The machine also applies a cap to the dispensing spout connected to one of the film sheets. According to a further broad aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of forming a plastic film pouch and automatically securing a dispensing spout thereto. The spout has a dispensing orifice. The method comprises guiding two overlaid film sheets along a predetermined path. A dispensing spout is positioned adjacent one of the two overlaid film sheets at a predetermined position with respect to a sealer device with the spout oriented in a specific manner. A portion of the other of the sheets is retracted while the sheets are stationary to permit the sealer device to seal the one of the sheets about the dispensing orifice of the spout. The said overlaid film sheets are sealed together along at least some unconnected edges to form a pouch having the spout connected thereto. The method also comprises the step of securing a closing cap in sealing engagement with an outer end of the spout, filling the bag with a liquid content and completely sealing same. The method also further provides the step of puncturing a hole in the one film sheet to which the spout base is secured to in the area of the dispensing orifice of the spout. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a simplified side view showing the construction of the pouch manufacturing machine of the present invention; FIG. 2 is an opposed side view of the machine illustrating other features thereof; FIG. 3 is an end view of the machine showing the filling station and the control panel; FIG. 4 is a side view of a spout base being guided to a base picker; FIG. 5 is a simplified schematic view showing a folded film sheet with one of the sheets being withdrawn for welding the spout base to one of the film sheets; FIG. 6 is a simplified side view showing the ultrasonic welder for fusing the plastic film sheet to a base flange of the spout base; FIG. 7 is a fragmented section view showing a cap being positioned onto the spout base by a cylinder head with the spout base resting against a back plate; FIG. 8 is a simplified fragmented view illustrating the bag forming and filling station of the machine; and FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a plastic film pouch having a capped spout secured thereto and filled with a product, all of which is fabricated in accordance with the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Fig. 1, there is shown generally at 10 the machine of the present invention for manufacturing the plastic film pouch 11 as illustrated in Fig. 9 and having a dispensing spout 12 secured to a side wall 13 of the pouch. The dispensing spout 12 has a cap 14 secured thereto. The machine 10 is provided with a dispensing spout base vibratable dispensing container 18 in which is fed a plurality of spout bases 16 as illustrated in Fig. 4. A plurality of spout caps 17, as illustrated in Fig. 7, are also contained within a cap container 15. The spout bases 16 are discharged from the container 18 in a predetermined oriented manner along guide rails 19 to a base picker device 20. The caps 17 in the container 15 are likewise guided by guide rails 18' to a cylinder head 21 to apply the cap onto the spout base 16, as will be described later. As hereinshown a supply roll 22 of a folded plastic film sheet 23 is retained at a lower end of the machine 10 on a support frame 24 and the sheet is guided through a plurality of dancer rolls and guide rolls 25 to maintain a predetermined tension in the folded sheet and to guide same on a vertical travel path 26 in the machine. With further reference to Figs. 4 to 7 there will be described the manner in which the spout base 16 is secured to one of the overlaid film sheets 23' and 23" of the folded film sheet 23. As the folded film sheet 23 travels through the vertical travel path 26, which is equipped with a guide plate 27 provided with a longitudinal slot 28 therein. The slot has an enlarged bottom end 29 which is aligned with an ultrasonic ring-shaped welding head 30. In opposed axial alignment with the welding head 30 is the base picker 20 having a suppport end cavity (not shown) and in which one of the spout bases 16 is retained. A transfer cartridge 20' transfers the spout bases from the rails to the picker 20. During the ultrasonic welding cycle of the machine the travelling folded sheet 23 is stopped at a predetermined location and a retracting mechanism 31 having a cylinder operated retracting plate 32 with a U- shaped slot through which an outer free edge 33 of the plastic film sheet 23' extends whereby to withdraw the sheet to move it away from the enlarged bottom end 29 in the guide plate 27. The base picker then moves the spout base 16 with its outer circumferential flange 34 positioned against the other plastic film sheet 23". The ultrasonic welding head 30 then moves in the direction of the enlarged opening 29 and welds the film sheet 23" about the outer circumferential flange 34 of the spout base. Both the base picker and the ultrasonic welding head then retract and the spout base 16 is now connected to the film sheet 23". The retracting mechanism 31 also moves to its initial position in alignment with the straight edge 33 of the film sheet 23' and the sheet is then advanced a predetermined length to the next cycle. As shown in Fig. 1, the machine may also be provided with a puncture cylinder 35 having a puncture rod 36 at the end thereof displaceable from a retracted position to a working position to puncture the plastic sheet 23' inside the nozzle orifice 41 at another location where the plastic film sheet 23' is not in obstruction with the film sheet 23" whereby to form a hole to provide access to the inside of the pouch to be formed. It is pointed out that the puncture cylinder 35 could also be located at the same station as the ultrasonic welder and move in and out of position in that area. At the same time as the ultrasonic welding head is applied to the film sheet, the cap 17 may also be connected to another spout base 16 already attached to the film sheet and this is done at the cap application station 37. As shown in Fig. 7 at that station the film sheets are both positioned in front of a backing plate 38 and a cylinder head 39 picks up one of the caps 17 from the guide rails 18' at a loading station and transfers it in engagement about the outer end portion 40 of the spout base 16 for sealing engagement therewith. It is pointed out that it is not essential to puncture the film sheet 23" in the area of the orifice 41 of the spout base as a bag could be formed as a sealed bag and the film sheet 23" may be punctured by the end user by inserting a puncturing element through the spout orifice 41. It is also conceivable that these bags may be thus formed without a cap positioned over the spout depending on the intended use of the bag. With the spout now attached to one of the film sheets of the folded plastic film sheet 23 they now travel onto a pouch forming and filling station where a pouch is formed, a product, such as liquid milk is dispensed therein, the pouch is completely sealed and discharged onto a discharge conveyor 43. The pouches 11 are then discharged into handling containers (not shown) which are also transferred on a conveyor. The pouch forming and filling station operates in the following manner. As can be seen dispensing means in the form of two conduits 43 and 44 are positioned side-by-side and extend axially between the overlaid film sheets 23' and 23". These conduits have a right angle joint 43' and 44' over which the unconnected edges 33 of the film sheet extend. The free ends of the conduits 43 and 44 have a dispensing nozzle 43" and 44", respectively. Metering devices 45 are associated with each of the pipes 43 and 44 to dispense predetermined quantities of liquid, herein milk, through the nozzles. The nozzle 43" is utilized to dispense a fixed quantity of liquid while the nozzle 44" regulates the exact amount of milk dispensed within the pouch. However, before dispensing the liquid the pouch has to be formed. The pouch is formed by a horizontal sealing device 46 and a vertical sealing device 47. The horizontal sealing device is an impulse device equipped with two hot sealing strips 48 and 49 with sealing strip 48 sealing the bottom of the top pouch 11' being formed and sealing strip 49 sealing the top of the filled pouch 11". Intermediate the sealing strips 48 and 49, there is provided a straight electrically conductive cutting wire 50 to which is fed electrical impulses. The sealing pressure is generated by compressed air cylinder 51, as shown in Fig. 1. The sealing and cutting of the pouches as well as the sealing time can be adjusted separately. Both sealing devices 46 and 47 are cooled with water, the flow of which is adjusted with a valve (not shown) situated on the rear part of the machine where the control panel 52 is located. Liquid product is supplied through the conduits 43 and 44 and their metering device that portions out a certain preprogrammed amount of the product to be dispensed into the pouch. As the horizontal sealing device 46 forms the seal of the bottom seal of the top pouch 11' and the top seal of the fill pouch 11" and the bottom pouch is cut off, simultaneously, the vertical sealing device 47 effectuates the vertical seam also by means of a sealing strip 53. The top pouch 11' thus being formed, the metering device starts portioning liquid into the pouch. After a preprogrammed time the horizontal and vertical sealers are opened and while the pouch starts to go down by product weight, a film traction motor unwinds the film from the film supply roll 22 for a preprogrammed time. A lever mechanism 54 opens the sealing jaws 57 and 56 of the horizontal sealing device 46 for the passage of the filled pouch. When the filled pouch 11" is released it falls onto a discharge conveyor 43, as shown in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 3, the control panel 52 is provided with a metering device 58 which is a magnetic-inductive flow meter to select the amount of product, herein milk, to be dispensed. The selection is programmed through a thumb wheel 59. In order to improve the metering accuracy and capacity, the pressure in the dispensing conduits is as constant as possible and varies no more than 5 percent. It is also important not to have any air in the conduits. The control panel 52 also has an operating panel 60 through which various settings of the machine can be controlled. A pouch counter 61 automatically counts the number of pouches being formed and filled by the machine. The program selector switch 62 selects the program suited for different products as well as selecting a wash program wherein the pipes are flushed with water. A plurality of switches 63 are also provided to control the voltage, the temperatures, and the start and stop of the machine. Signal lamps 64 also provide a visual indication of various machine functions such as end of film, emergency stopping, etc. The machine incorporates numerous other features not described herewith and such as the feed slide 64 in order to feed spouts having discharge hoses and end caps (not shown) connected thereto into the machine for securement to the film sheets and guide rolls to assure that the film sheets are retained in proper alignment and under proper tension. The machine is also equipped with housing panels 65 and various doors 66 to provide for a clean environment within the machine and further to provide access for maintenance and repair and permits ease of repositioning the film sheets. Pressurized air can also be injected within the machine housing to maintain a clean environment. Summarizing the method of automatically forming a plastic film pouch with a dispensing spout thereon there is provided a supply roll 22 of folded film sheet and wherein both sheets are guided through the machine along a predetermined path with the two film sheets 23' and 23" overlaid. A dispensing spout base 16 is positioned adjacent one of the two overlaid sheets at a predetermined position with respect to a sealer device, herein the ultrasonic sealer 30, to seal one of the film sheets against a contour flange of the spout base. A portion of the other film sheet is retracted to permit the sealing operation. A cap may then be applied to the orifice end or outer end portion 40 of the spout, and the film sheet to which the spout base is secured may be punctured whereby liquid can be later dispensed therethrough. The overlaid film sheets are sealed together along some of their connected edges with a product dispensing conduit means disposed between the film sheets whereby to form a pouch. A metered amount of product is dispensed within the bag which is then advanced and sealed and released on a discharge conveyor. This operation is done quickly and automatically and there is no need to fill the pouch through the dispensing orifice of the spout which includes the removal of a spout cap as well as the replacement thereof . The machine is entirely automatic and all that is necessary is for an operator to set the various controls and switches on the control panel and to monitor the panel from time to time. It is within the ambit of the present invention to cover any obvious modifications of the preferred embodiment described herein, provided such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims: W0 97/10947 _ l χ _ PCT/FI96/00475 The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 1. A machine for manufacturing a plastic film pouch with a dispensing spout attached thereto, said spout having a dispensing orifice, said machine comprising guide means for guiding two overlaid film sheets through said machine, positioner means to position a dispensing spout adjacent one of said two overlaid film sheets at a predetermined position with respect to a sealer device, means to displace a portion of the other of said sheets while said sheets are stationary to permit said sealer device to seal said one of said sheets about said dispensing orifice of said spout, and sealing means to form seals along at least some unconnected edges of said overlaid sheets to form a pouch having said spout connected thereto. 2. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is further provided means to puncture said one of said film sheets in the area of said dispensing orifice of said spout connected to said one of said film sheets. 3. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is further provided a cap application mechanism to position and secure a closing cap in sealing engagement on an outer end of said spout to close said orifice. 4. A machine as claimed in claim 3 wherein there is further provided contents dispensing means disposed between said two overlaid film sheets to dispense a product between said film sheets after said pouch has been formed by said sealing means, said contents dispensing means extending into said pouch from an unsealed open top end portion of said pouch. 5. A machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein said product is a dairy liquid product. 6. A machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means to. puncture said one of said film sheet is comprised of a solenoid operated puncturing rod displaceable from a retracted position to a working position at which said puncturing rod is extended to pierce a hole in said one of said film sheet in said area of said orifice of said spout. 7. A machine as claimed in claim 3 wherein said cap application mechanism comprises a cap transfer cartridge to engage a cap from a supply means where said cap is oriented in a predetermined position, and positioning said cap in a predetermined oriented manner on a holder of an axially displaceable cap applicator head which is displaced in alignment with said outer end of said spout which rests against a stationary backing plate behind said two overlaid film sheets. 8. A machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein said two overlaid film sheets are formed by a folded film sheet wound on a supply roll secured to said machine, said sheets being interconnected along a side edge and unconnected at an opposed side edge. 9. A machine as claimed in claim 8 wherein said sealing means is mounted in a vertical travel path of said machine adjacent a discharge end of said machine, said sealing means having a vertical sealer disposed adjacent said opposed side edge of said overlaid sheets, and a transverse sealer disposed below said vertical sealer to form a bottom edge seal, said pouch being formed between said opposed side edges and the bottom edge seal. 10. A machine as claimed in claim 9 wherein said transverse sealer is comprised by a pair of straight spaced- apart elongated sealing heads whereby to form said bottom edge seal of an upper pouch being formed and simultaneously from a top edge seal of a lower pouch in which said product has been dispensed therein. 11. A machine as claimed in claim 10 wherein there is further provided slitting means to slit said lower pouch from said upper pouch between said top and bottom edge seals. 12. A machine as claimed in claim 11 wherein said slitting means is an elongated straight electrically conductive cutting wire which is displaceably retained between said sealing head and heated by electrical impulse. 13. A machine as claimed in claim 11 wherein a discharge conveyor is positioned at said discharge end under said vertical travel path to convey said lower filled pouch after it is detached from said upper pouch by said slitting means whereby to discharge said filled pouch from said machine. 14. A machine as claimed in claim 13 wherein said filled pouch is discharged in a container which is automatically positioned at and displaced from an end of said discharge conveyor. 15. A machine as claimed in claim 7 wherein said holder of said cap applicator head is a suction cup adapted to project within a cavity of said cap and engage a flat bottom wall thereof, said cap applicator head being a cylinder ring disposed about said suction cup for abutting engagement with a circumferential flange of said cap disposed about said cavity. 16. A machine as claimed in claim 15 wherein said cap supply means is comprised of a vibratable storage container having a plurality of said caps therein and adapted to feed and orient said cap for captive displacement in a gravity feed guide channel. 17. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said positioner means is an axially displaceable cylinder head having a support end cavity in which said dispensing spout is inserted for support engagement with a film welding flange of said spout extending exteriorly about said cylinder head, means to displace said cylinder head end cavity to a fusing position where said welding flange abuts against said one of said film sheets whereby said sealer device can heat fuse said one of said film sheets about said welding flange from an opposite side of said one of said film sheets. 18. A machine as claimed in claim 17 wherein said sealer device is an ultrasonic or heat resistant welding device having a ring-shaped welding head. 19. A machine as claimed in claim 18 wherein said means to displace a portion of the other of said film sheets is constituted by a retracting mechanism having a retracting plate with an elongated U-shaped slot through which an end edge portion of the other of said sheets extends, said retracting plate being secured to a retracting cylinder to displace said retracting plate clear of said sealer device welding head. 20. A machine as claimed in claim 17 wherein said dispensing spout is inserted into said support end cavity of said cylinder head by a transfer cartridge, said cartridge transferring a spout from a supply means which is comprised of a vibratable storage container having a plurality of said spouts therein and adapted to feed and orient said spout for captive displacement in a gravity feed guide channel. 21. A machine as claimed in claim 20 wherein said spout has a cap retaining end flange to engage within a circumferential channel of said cap about said cavity, said cap having a discharge hose connected to said flat bottom wall of said cavity, and a plug at a free end of said discharge hose. 22. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said two overlaid film sheets are formed by two separate single rolls of film sheets secured to said machine, said sheets being unconnected. 23. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said two overlaid film sheets are formed by a folded sheet fed by a supply roll secured to said machine. 24. A method of forming a plastic film pouch and automatically securing a dispensing spout thereto, said spout having a dispensing orifice, said method comprising the steps of: i) guiding two overlaid film sheets along a predetermined path, ii) positioning a dispensing spout adjacent one of said two overlaid film sheets at a predetermined position with respect to a sealer device and said spout oriented in a specific manner, iii) retracting a portion of the other of said sheets while said sheets are stationary to permit said sealer device to seal said one of said sheets about said dispensing orifice of said spout, and iv) sealing said overlaid film sheets together along at least some unconnected edges to form a pouch having said spout connected thereto. 25. A method as claimed in claim 24 wherein there is further provided after step (iii) the step of puncturing a hole in said one of said film sheets in the area of said dispensing orifice of said spout. 26. A method as claimed in claim 24 wherein there is further provided after step (iii) the step of securing a . , PCT/F196/00475 — lo — closing cap in sealing engagement on an outer end of said spout to close said orifice. 27. A method as claimed in claim 24 wherein there is further provided after step (iii) the steps of (a) puncturing a hole in said one of said film sheets in the area of said dispensing orifice of said spout, (b) securing a closing cap in sealing engagement on an outer end of said spout to close said orifice, and after step (iv) the step of: v) dispensing a product in said spout through a dispensing means positioned between said overlaid film sheets and extending from an unsealed open top end thereof . 28. A method as claimed in claim 27 wherein there is further provided after step (iv) the step (v) of advancing said overlaid film sheets formed in a pouch with an open top end along a downward vertical path with said product therein to a pouch closing position. 29. A method as claimed in claim 28 wherein said step (iv) further comprises sealing an unconnected vertical edge of a folded film sheet defining said overlaid film sheets and simultaneously sealing a bottom edge to form a bottom seal edge of a pouch to be formed by said overlaid film sheets and sealing said open top edge of said pouch to form a top seal edge at said closing position. 30. A method as claimed in claim 29 wherein after said step (iv) there is further provided slitting said overlaid film sheets between said top seal edge and bottom seal edge and simultaneously discharging said sealed pouch with a product therein on a discharge conveyor. 31. A method as claimed in claim 30 wherein there is further provided the steps of positioning a carton having an open top end at a discharge end of said discharge conveyor, - 17 - discharging said filled pouch in said carton, and displacing said carton with said pouch therein. 32. A method as claimed in claim 26 wherein there is further provided the steps of providing a plurality of said spouts and caps in respective vibratable containers, orienting said spouts and caps in respective gravity feed guide channels, transferring a forwardmost one of said spouts and caps to a respective transfer cartridge loading said spout engaged by aid cartridge on a support end cavity of an axially displaceable cylinder head, and loading said cap on an axially displaceable cap applicator head.

Inventors: HALONEN TUOMO, HALONEN, TUOMO
Applicants: ELECSTER CO, HALONEN TUOMO, ELECSTER CO., HALONEN, TUOMO
Application year: 1996
Main classification: B31B1
IPC codes: B31B19