Abstract:
A pre-loaded disposable merchandiser ( 10 ), apparatus for producing merchandiser ( 10 ), and method for producing merchandiser ( 10 ). Merchandiser ( 10 ) includes strip ( 30 ), hanger ( 46 ) at one end of strip ( 30 ), and a plurality of items ( 12 ) connected to strip ( 30 ) in staggered locations. The apparatus includes strip material feeder ( 36 ), tape applicator ( 80 ) to apply piece ( 72 ) of tape ( 60 ) to a portion of strip ( 30 ) and a portion of an items ( 12 ). Items ( 12 ) may be heat sealed to strip ( 30 ) instead of taped. The method includes registering items ( 12 ) with strip ( 30 ) with items ( 12 ) being heat sealed to strip ( 30 ) or taped to strip ( 30 ). Merchandiser ( 10 ) is then cut from strip ( 30 ).

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to merchandisers, articles useful for displaying a plurality of items for sale, typically positioned in retail outlets to maximize impulse purchasing. More specifically, the present invention is concerned with a pre-loaded, disposable merchandiser, as well as apparatus and a method for producing such merchandisers. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Strip merchandisers are known. Many comprise a strip of material having means for suspending the strip from the top and a plurality of hooks or fingers for supporting an apertured item offered for sale. These types of merchandisers are reusable. After the merchandise has been removed, new merchandise is hung from the strip. This is a time consuming task for delivery people and clerks who reload these strips. Breakage is a frequent problem with commercial, reusable merchandisers requiring replacement. 
     During a search of the Patent and Trademark Office web site bibliographic patent database, directed to the present invention, the following patents were noted: U.S. Pat. No. 3,954,049 (Brieske) entitled Method of Making Flexible Bag; U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,903) (Sherwood) entitled Hanging Tab With Single Line of Adhesive and Hanging Hole Clear of Adhesive; U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,943 (Fast) entitled Strip Merchandiser; U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,012 (Simmons) entitled Strip Hanger; U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,805 (Rodriquez) entitled Apparatus for Securing. Displaying and Dispensing of Envelope Package Goods; U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,489 (Cea) entitled Method of Making a Three Dimensional Composite Display Card; U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,392 (Fast) entitled Strip Merchandiser with Reinforcement Section; U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,578 (Pendergraph et al.) entitled Clip Strip for Supporting Multiple Packages and Display Assembly Using Same; U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,036 (Radocha, Sr., et al.) entitled Strip Type Point-of-Sale Display Unit; U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,259 (Conway, et al.) entitled Two Sided Merchandising Strip; U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,967 (Valiulis) entitled Strip Merchandiser; U.S. Pat. No. 5,386,916 (Valiulis) entitled Adjustable Strip Merchandiser; U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,959 (Gummer) entitled Hosiery Display Package; U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,721 (Gebka) entitled Reversible Strip Merchandiser; U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,922 (Good) entitled Product Display Hanger; U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,699 (Gebka) entitled Strip Merchandiser Hanger and Label Holder; U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,003 (Gebka) entitled Strip Merchandiser Hanger and Label Holder; U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,212 (Pomerantz) entitled Display Strip Merchandiser; U.S. Pat. No. D412,721 (DeFelice) entitled Merchandising Strip; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,422 (Shea) entitled Reinforced Strip Display Assembly Capable of Supporting High Volumes of Smaller Impulse Merchandise. 
     The Rodriquez patent discloses apparatus for securing, displaying and dispensing envelope package goods. The apparatus comprises a securing strip, a masking strip and adhesive between the two strips. Adhesive for securing a package to the apparatus is applied to the securing strip and is presented through apertures in the masking strip so that packages may be pressed against the exposed adhesive, thereby releasably securing the package to the apparatus. Thus, the Rodriquez apparatus comprises two strips and packages are secured directly to adhesive which, in turn, is secured directly to the securing strip. This requires fairly precise alignment between packages and apertures in the masking strip for securing packages to the strip. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is based upon discoveries of a pre-loaded, disposable merchandiser, of a machine for producing the merchandiser, of methods for producing the merchandiser, and of methods for displaying items to be sold. The merchandiser comprises a strip, a hanger at one end of the strip for suspending the strip from something, and a plurality of items to be offered for sale, adhesively connected or sealed to the strip in staggered locations on the strip. In a first embodiment, apparatus for producing the merchandiser comprises a strip material feeder operable to deliver or feed strip material to a station to which items to be sold are also delivered, a tape arm operable to advance tape, a tape cutter operable to cut off a piece of the tape, and an install pad operable to apply the piece of tape to a portion of the strip and to a portion of an item to be sold or to packaging for the item. In a method for producing the merchandiser with apparatus of the first embodiment, the items to be sold are delivered to the station of the apparatus and so is the strip material until a portion of the next item is adjacent to a portion of the strip material. Tape is advanced through the tape arm, and the tape cutter and the install pad are advanced to cut off a piece of the tape and to engage the piece of tape. The install pad is advanced to apply the piece of tape to a portion of the strip material and to a portion of the item or the packaging for the item. The strip material with the item secured thereto is advanced and a fresh portion of the strip material is delivered to the station. A new item is delivered to the station as well, and the previously recited steps are repeated so that a new piece of tape is applied to the fresh portion of the strip material and to a portion of the next item or packaging for the item. Additional items are secured to successive portions of the strip material until a desired number of items are supported on the strip. The strip material is cut to release a loaded merchandiser from the strip material. Preferably, an aperture is punched or another hanger is formed in the strip at the end from which it is desired to hang the strip. In the former case, the portion of the strip adjacent to the aperture constitutes a hanger which can support the merchandiser on a hook or the like. Other hangers may certainly be employed. 
     In a second embodiment of apparatus for producing a merchandiser, the tape arm, the tape cutter and the tape install pad are replaced with a heat element which heat seals a portion of an item or packaging for an item to a portion of the strip material which, preferably, is a heat seal tape or tabbing tape. In a method for producing the merchandiser with apparatus of the second embodiment, the items to be sold are delivered to the station of the apparatus and so is the strip material until a portion of the next item or packaging for the item is adjacent to a portion of the strip material. A heat element is advanced to heat the portion of the next item or packaging for the item, the adjacent portion of the strip material, or both, until the portion of the item or packaging for the item is adhered or secured to the portion of the strip material. The strip material with the item secured thereto is advanced and a fresh portion of the strip material is delivered to the station. A new item is delivered to the station as well, and the previously recited steps are repeated so that a portion of the new item or packaging for the item is secured to the fresh portion of the strip material. Additional items are secured to successive portions of the strip material until a desired number of items are supported on the strip. The strip material is, again, cut to release a loaded merchandiser from the strip material. 
     A merchandiser according to the present invention is disposable and comprises a minimal amount of material. A person charged with stocking items loaded on a merchandiser according to the present invention can stock a plurality of the items by hanging a single merchandiser. 
     In the case where the items to be secured to a strip to produce a merchandiser constitute snack foods packaged in bags by means of vertical form, fill and seal equipment, it may be desired to secure a portion of the sealed end of each bag to successive portions of the strip material. In that case, difficulty may be encountered because the sealed ends of one or more bags may be substantially non-planar so that the end of the bag doesn&#39;t lay flat against the portion of the strip material. This situation is addressed by apparatus, according to the instant invention, comprising a straightener for straightening the edge of a bag or the like, and a gripper for engaging the end of the bag so that the edge remains substantially straight. The straightener preferably comprises a pair of brush rollers that rotate in opposite directions. Preferably, the brush rollers are mounted on swing arms so that they can be pivoted from a first position in which the rollers are adjacent to each other and are operable to straighten the edge of the bag, to a second position in which they are positioned away from the edge of the bag. Preferably, a stop is mounted on the swing arms adjacent to the roller brushes and, when the swing arms are in the first position and a bag edge passes between the brush rollers, the bag edge is advanced by the action of the brush rollers until it engages the stop. At that instant, a gripper engages the end of the bag, the swing arms and the stop are moved to the second position, and the gripped bag is advanced to position a portion of the edge adjacent to a target portion of the strip material for taping or heat sealing thereto. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a pre-loaded merchandiser which makes restocking an item as simple as hanging the merchandiser somewhere. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for producing the merchandiser which is pre-loaded with items to be sold. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method for producing a pre-loaded merchandiser. 
     These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will no doubt become apparent to those skilled in the art after having read this detailed description of the invention including the following description of the preferred embodiment which is illustrated by the various figures of the drawing. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of apparatus according to the present invention for producing pre-loaded merchandisers, as strip material and tape are advanced to a station. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 as a piece of tape is cut from a tape and held on an install pad. 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 as the piece of tape is applied to a portion of the strip material and to a portion of an item. 
     FIG. 4 is a side view of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 as a new item is delivered to the station, strip material is advanced and the install pad is withdrawn along with the tape cutter. 
     FIG. 5 is a detail view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, as the install pad applies a piece of tape to portions of the strip material and to the item, and a pre-loaded merchandiser is severed from the strip material. 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a merchandiser according to the present in invention. 
     FIG. 7 is a side view of a second embodiment of a merchandiser according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 is a side view of edge straightening apparatus according to the present invention as a bag is delivered thereto. 
     FIG. 9 is a side view of edge straightening apparatus according to the present invention as a gripper engages a straightened bag edge. 
     FIG. 10 is a side view of edge straightening apparatus according to the present invention after the gripper has positioned a portion of the straightened edge adjacent to a target portion of the strip material. 
     FIG. 11 is a partial side view of apparatus according to the present invention including a heat element for securing a portion of the edge of a bag to a target portion of the strip material. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4, apparatus according to the present invention for producing a pre-loaded merchandiser indicated generally at  10 . Items  12  are advanced towards a station, indicated generally at  14 . The items  12  can be one of thousands of products from pork rinds to tape, to aspirin, to antacids, and beyond. In FIGS. 1 through 4, the items  12  are illustrated as being snack bags each having flattened sealed ends  22 . 
     The items  12 , in the illustrated embodiment, are carried in pockets  16  which support the items  12  on a conveyor  18  which turns around a roller  20 . It will be appreciated that certain economies of manufacture can be realized if items  12  are supplied to the apparatus  10  as they are produced, i.e., in-line with the manufacturing and/or packaging of a product constituting the items  12 . In any case, the items  12  are advanced, right to left in FIGS. 1 through 4, towards the station  14 , until an end  22  of a next item N (FIG. 1) is supported on a base  24 . 
     Strip material  30  is supplied from a roll  32  and passes over rollers  34  and is delivered to the station  14  where a portion of it is supported on the base  24 . An advancer, indicated generally at  36 , is operable, in a first mode, and inoperable, in a second mode, to advance a new portion of the strip material  30  into the station. It will be appreciated that the advancer may further comprise a counter or sensor (not shown) to provide information about the position of the strip material  30  in the apparatus  10 . The strip material may comprise a polymeric material. A preferred strip material is a thin polyester film and it can have a thickness of 7 thousandths of an inch. A suitable width is one and one half inches. These dimensions can be varied widely, within the scope of the present invention, depending on the requirements of a particular application. 
     The apparatus  10  further comprises a strip material cutter  38  for cutting strip material  30 . The cutter  38  is supported on an actuator  40  for reciprocating movement between a first, retracted position (FIGS. 1 through 4) and a second, extended position (FIG.  5 ). Referring to FIG. 5, in traveling from the first position to the second position, the cutter  38  is operable to cut through the strip material  30 , severing a strip  42  from the strip material  30 . A punch  44  is supported on the actuator  40  (FIGS. 1 through 4) for reciprocating movement with the cutter  38  between a first, retracted position (FIGS. 1 through 4) and a second, extended position (FIG.  5 ). In moving from the first to the second position, the punch  44  is operable to form a hole  46  (FIGS. 5 and 6) in the strip  42 , near a first end  48  thereof. An anvil  50  including a strip guide  52 , is supported on the base  24  and cooperates with the cutter  38  and the punch  44  in a known fashion. 
     Tape  60  is supplied from a roll  62 , passes over rollers  64  and is delivered to the station  14 . The tape also passes through a tape advancer comprises cooperating V-drive serrated pulleys  66  which advance the tape  60 , as needed, into the station  14 . Counters and/or sensors (not shown) may be associated with the tape delivery system to provide information about the position of the tape  60  in the apparatus  10 . A suitable, single sided adhesive tape is one available from 3M under the designation 375. It is about one inch wide. Many adhesive tapes are suitable for use in producing merchandisers according to the present invention. 
     The apparatus  10  further comprises a tape cutter  68  for cutting tape  60 . The cutter  68  is supported on an actuator  70  for reciprocating movement between a first, retracted position (FIG. 1) and a second, extended position (FIGS.  2  through  4 ). In traveling from the first position to the second position, the tape cutter  68  is operable to cut through the tape  60 , severing a piece of tape  72  from the tape  60 . 
     A tape install pad  80  is supported on an arm  82  which is supported for pivotal movement about a pivot support  84  between a first, retracted position (FIGS. 1 and 2) and a second, extended position (FIG.  3 ). In moving from the first to the second position, the install pad  80  is operable to engage and hold the piece of tape  72  after it is severed from the tape  60 . The install pad  80  can be provided with a vacuum tape retainer system (not shown) or other means for holding a piece of tape momentarily. The install pad should be made of a relatively resilient material so that a fairly uniform pressure is applied to the tape piece  72 . A perf cutter  86  (best seen in FIG. 5) is supported on the install pad  80 , if desired, for reasons discussed below. 
     The operation of the apparatus  10  to produce a merchandiser  90  (FIG. 6) will now be described. In FIG. 1, there is a portion of a merchandiser  90  hanging down from the right side of the base  24 . First, the steps involved in adding a next item  12  to the partial merchandiser  90  will be set forth. 
     After an item  12  has been taped to the strip material  30 , the install pad arm  82  pivots to the first, retracted position shown in FIG.  1 . The tape  60  is advanced, left to right, by and between the V-drive serrated pulleys. An end portion  92  of the tape extends to the right of the V-drive pulleys  66 . Although the end  92  is suspended in air, it has a V-shape in cross section and is self-supporting. The strip material  30  is also advanced, left to right, until the last item taped to the strip material is removed from the station  14 , as shown in FIG. 1. A next item  12  is advancing, in a pocket  16 , right to left, towards the station  14 . 
     In FIG. 2, the apparatus is illustrated after the next item  12  has advanced into the station and after the tape cutter  68  has severed a piece of tape  72  from the tape  60 . The piece of tape  72  has been engaged by and is now held by the install pad  80 . From this state, the next item  12  is positioned on the strip material  30 , as shown in FIG.  3  and the install pad arm  82  is advanced toward the second position until it applies the piece of tape to a portion of the strip material  30  and to a portion of the item  12 . In this case, the piece of tape  72  is applied to the end  22  of the item  12 . It is noted that in FIG. 3, where this state is illustrated, the tape piece  72 , the strip material  30  and the end  22  of the item  12  have been spaced for clarity. 
     A next item can now be added to the strip material  30  or, if the previous item  12  was to be the last item, a pre-loaded merchandiser can be severed from the strip material  30 . A next item  12  is added by returning the apparatus  10  to the FIG. 1 position. In FIG. 4, the apparatus  10  is illustrated in an intermediate state as the install pad arm  82  is returning to its retracted position. The previously attached item  12  is about to fall out of its pocket  16  and the strip material  30  is being advanced, left to right, to move the previously attached item  12  out of the station  14 . As these actions continue, tape  60  is advanced, left to right, until a new end  92  is extended, and the FIG. 1 state is reached again. The preceding sequence can then be repeated until a desired number of items  12  have been taped to the strip material  30 . 
     After the last item  12  for a given merchandiser has been attached to the strip material  30 , the actuator  40  and the cutter  38  are advanced to the second position and, en route, the cutter  38  severs the strip material, creating a merchandiser  90 . The punch  44  pierces the strip material  30 , on the merchandiser side of the cut, producing a hole indicted at  46  in FIG. 6 near the end  48  of the merchandiser  90  which serves as a hanger for the merchandiser  90 . 
     It will be appreciated that the control of the operation of the elements of the apparatus  10  may be carried out with known controllers, and it is specifically contemplated that micro-processors (not shown) may be utilized to control and regulate the operation of the apparatus  10 . Such controllers are well known to those skilled in the art, as are the application of such controllers to control the apparatus  10  operations in the manner described above. Accordingly, such controllers will not be further described herein. 
     Returning now to FIG. 5, the perf cutter  86  will now be further described. The perf cutter  86  extends out of the face of the install pad  80  so that, when the install pad arm reaches the second, extended position, the perf cutter  86  perforates the tape piece  72 , adjacent to the end  22  of the item  12 , producing perforations. The perforations formed in the tape piece  72  serve to facilitate the removal of an item  12  from the merchandiser  90 , as shown clearly in FIG. 6, where downward force applied to an item has cause the tape piece  72  to split into a first, strip portion  96 , which remains on the merchandiser and a second, item portion  98 , which remains on the item after it is removed from the merchandiser. For a given tape, a perf cutter call be selected that will perforate the tape piece  72  to the extent that the tape piece  72  is operable to hold items  12  fast to the strip  30  until a consumer exerts a comfortable, firm downward force on the item  12 , causing the tape piece  72  to split and the item to be removed from the merchandiser  90  for sale. With the 3M tape referred to above, good results have been achieved with a perf cutter for producing dotted perforations which are a few thousandths of an inch in diameter and about sixty thousandths of an inch apart. 
     Another embodiment of a merchandiser according to the present invention is indicated at  100  in FIG.  7 . Items  102  are secured to a strip material  104  by tape pieces  106 . The merchandiser  100  can be produced on apparatus corresponding with apparatus  10 , if it is modified so that the positions of the cutter  38  and the punch  44  are reversed, whereby a hanger would be formed in what would be the upper end (not shown) of the merchandiser  100  as illustrated in FIG. 7, the end of a piece of strip material. It can be seen in FIG. 7 that the tape pieces  106  are folded over on themselves. These pieces  106  may be perforated or not, as desired. 
     Referring now to FIG. 8, apparatus for straightening the lip or end of an item or of packaging for an item, is indicated generally it  200 . The apparatus  200  is especially suited for straightening a sealed end  202  of a bag  204  which might contain a snack item. Such bags are typically formed, i.e., sealed at one end, filled with a product, and sealed, at the opposite end, in conventional equipment (not shown). Such bags  204 , as they leave a form, fill and seal station, are not always of a uniform shape or configuration. Some bags will have leading ends  202  which are substantially planar and substantially parallel to a conveyor on which they are conveyed. Other bags  204  will have leading, and trailing, ends which are not substantially planar and/or which are cocked or skewed relative to a conveyor. In the latter case, the conveyor  18  with the pockets  16  (FIGS. 1 through 4) is not suitable for such bags because it is not capable of consistently positioning a desired portion of the edge of a bag on a target portion of a strip of material. 
     The edge straightening apparatus  200  is designed to receive snack bags  204  or the like from a conveyor  206 . The apparatus  200  comprises a first, lower roller brush  208  and a second, upper roller brush  210  which are mounted on a lower arm  212  and an upper arm  214 , respectively. The lower arm  212  is mounted for pivoting movement about a pivot  216  between a first, closed or stop position, shown in FIG. 8, to a second, open position shown in FIG.  10 . Similarly, the upper arm  214  is mounted for pivoting movement about a pivot  218  between a first, closed or stop position, shown in FIG. 8, to a second, open position shown in FIG.  10 . Movement of the lower arm  212  between the first and second positions is effected by a linear actuator  220  and a linear actuator  222  effects movement of the upper arm  214  between the first and second position. The roller brushes  208  and  210  are mounted on the arms  212  and  214  for rotation, in opposite directions, as indicated by arrows in FIG.  8 . This effects a straightening of an end  202  of the bag  204  as it advances between the rollers  208  and  210 . Individual bristles on the brush rollers  208  and  210  engage the sealed end  202  of the bag  204  and, as the rollers  208  and  210  rotate, the sealed end  202  of the bag  204  is pulled from left to right in FIG.  8 . 
     An edge stop is provided by a pair of opposed sets of fingers which mesh together in a first position to catch or stop an edge. A first, lower set of fingers  224  is supported on the lower arm  212 , adjacent to the pivot point  216 , for movement therewith. A second, upper set of fingers  226  is supported on the upper arm  214 , adjacent to the pivot point  218 , for movement therewith. Working with a bag that is about five inches wide, good results have been achieved with a lower set of fingers  224  comprising four fingers, one of which is indicated at  228 , each having generally the shape shown in FIG.  8 . The fingers  228  are spaced from each other about three fourths of an inch. Preferably, the upper set of fingers  226  comprises four fingers, one of which is indicated at  230 . Good results have been achieved on a bag that is about five inches wide, with an upper set of fingers comprising four fingers spaced apart about three fourths of an inch. The fingers of the upper and lower sets  226  and  224  are offset from each other so that a finger from the upper set  226  is between two fingers from the lower set  224 , when looking down on the apparatus  200 . 
     When the upper and lower sets of fingers  226  and  224  are in a first, closed position, as shown in FIG. 8, they intersect a line  230  which extends between the brush rollers  208  and  210 . Accordingly, when rotation of the brushes  208  and  210  pulls the bag  204  from right to left, movement of the bag  204  is stopped when an edge  232  of the end  202  of the bag advances to the position shown in FIG.  8 . i.e., the edge  228  is aligned with the line  230  at the intersection of the upper and lower sets of fingers  224  and  226 . 
     An end gripper indicated at  240  comprises a lower jaw  242  and an upper jaw  244 , a jaw actuator  246  and a linear actuator  248 . The jaw actuator  246  is operable to position the jaws  242  and  244  in a first, open position as shown in FIG.  8  and in a second, closed position as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. Preferably, the lower jaw  242  and the upper jaw  244  each comprises a pair of spaced apart jaws so that, together, they are operable to rip two portions of the sealed end  202  of a bag  204  or the like, after it has been straightened by the action of the roller brushes  208  and  210 . On a five-inch wide bag, good results have been achieved with a separation of about four inches for the upper, spaced apart jaws and a separation of about four inches for the lower, spaced apart jaws. Further, the upper and lower jaws  244  and  242  are positioned so that they can extend between the lower and upper fingers  228  and  230 , as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. The linear actuator  248  is operable to move the jaw actuator  246  from a first, extended position as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 and a second, retracted position as shown in FIG.  10 . 
     The operation of the apparatus  200  to deliver an end of something, which is to be attached to strip material, will now be described with reference to FIGS. 8 through 10. The sealed end  202  of the bag  204  is presented to the apparatus by a conveyor  206  so that the end  202  is directed generally between the roller brushes  208  and  210  which are rotating, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 8, so that the end  202  is positively pulled in between the roller brushes  208  and  210 , by the action of the brush roller bristles on the end  202  of the bag  204 . The roller brushes  208  and  210  advance the end  202  of the bag, from right to left in FIG. 8, until the edge  232  of the end  202  reaches the line  232  at the intersection of the fingers  228  and  230 . Upon the end  202  reaching this point, the roller brushes  208  and  210  are no longer operable to advance the end  202  to the left in FIG. 8, and the end  202  is held captive for a moment between the rotating roller brushes  208  and  210 . This condition, which is preferably sensed by a sensor (not shown), signals the apparatus  200  to transfer the bag  204  to an attachment station with a base  24 , with strip material positioned between the end  202  of the bag  204  and the base  24 , as shown in FIG.  2 . 
     The linear actuator  248  has previously been actuated to position the jaw actuator in the first, extended position shown in FIG.  8 . The jaw actuator has been actuated to position the jaws in the first, open position illustrated in FIG. 8. A portion of the sealed end  202  is thus positioned between portions of the jaws  242  and  244 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 9, the jaw actuator is actuated to move the jaws  242  and  244 , as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 9, into the second, closed position so that the end  202  of the bag  204  is held captive between the jaws  242  and  244 . At this time, the linear actuators  220  and  222  are actuated to move the lower and upper arms  212  and  214 , and the roller brushes  208  and  210 , from the first, closed position to the second, open position, as indicated by arrows in FIG.  9 . As the roller brushes  208  and  210  reach the second, open position, which is illustrated in FIG. 10, there is clearance for the bag to be delivered to the base  24 . This is accomplished with the actuation of the linear actuator  248  to move the jaw actuator  246 , the jaws  242  and  244 , and the bag retained thereby, to the second, retracted position shown in FIG.  10 . In the retracted position, a portion of the end  202  of the bag  204  is brought into registration with a pre-selected portion of strip material for attachment thereto. The portion of the end  202  can be attached to the strip material by means of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 through 5, i.e., by taping. Alternatively, other attachments may be effected, either in the manner described below with reference to FIG. 11, or with other suitable attachment apparatus. At this stage, the apparatus  200  is reset as follows. Strip material with the bag  204  attached thereto is advanced, left to right, to position a new, pre-selected portion of the strip material on the base  24 . The linear actuator  248  is actuated to move the jaw actuator  246  and the jaws  242  and  244  to the extended position. The roller brushes  208  and  210  and the arms  212  and  214  are moved, under the action of the actuators  220  and  22 , to the closed position shown in FIG.  8 . The apparatus is now set for another bag  204  to be advanced into the apparatus, between the roller brushes  208  and  210 , and the foregoing cycle is repeated until a desired number of bags have been attached to the strip material. At that time, as described above, the strip material is cut to produce a loaded merchandising strip. Preferably, a hanger is formed in or on the strip, as described above. 
     In a second embodiment of apparatus for producing a merchandiser, the tape arm, the tape cutter and the tape install pad in the apparatus  10  shown in FIGS. 1 through 5 and/or the apparatus  200  shown in FIGS. 8 through 10, are replaced with other elements for attaching or securing a plurality of items to strip material to produce a merchandiser according to the present invention. Referring now to FIG. 11, a sealed end  202  of a bag  204  is resting on strip material SM which, in turn, is resting on the base  24 . In this case, the strip material SM is heat seal tape or sealable tape to which the sealed end  202  is secured by the application of energy and, specifically, heat energy. 
     A heat bar  260  comprises a heating element  262  and a heat head  264 . The heating element  262  heats the heat head  264  in a known manner and to a temperature sufficient that, when it is brought down to bear on the sealed end  202  of the bag as it rests upon the strip material SM, the end  202  and the strip material are sealed together, as indicated at  268 , so that the bag  204  is supported on the strip material SM. 
     The heat bar is mounted on a linear actuator  266  which is operable to advance the heat bar  260  to a first, extended, sealing position which is illustrated in FIG. 11, and a second, retracted position which is higher than the position illustrated for the heat head  260  in FIG.  11 . The heat bar only needs to be retracted a small distance to provide clearance for another end to be registered with the strip material SM. 
     In a method for producing the merchandiser with apparatus shown in FIG. 11, the items to be sold are delivered to the station of the apparatus and so is the strip material until a portion of the next item or packaging for the item is adjacent to a pre-selected portion of the strip material. The heat bar  260  is advanced to heat the portion of the next item or packaging for the item, the adjacent portion of the strip material, or both, until the portion of the item or packaging for the item is adhered, secured or attached to the portion of the strip material. The heat bar  260  is retracted and the strip material with the item secured thereto, is advanced and a fresh portion of the strip material is delivered to the station. A new item is delivered to the station as well, and the previously recited steps are repeated so that a portion of the new item or packaging for the item is secured to the fresh portion of the strip material. Additional items are secured to successive portions of the strip material until a desired number of items are supported on the strip. The strip material is, again, cut to release a loaded merchandiser from the strip material. 
     The foregoing detailed description is intended to enable one skilled in the art to practice the present invention and it sets forth the best modes presently known to the inventor for carrying out the invention. It will certainly be appreciated that the true scope of this invention goes beyond the scope of the foregoing detailed description and that the scope of the invention is to be determined with reference to the following claims.