Patent ID: 7325370

Claim:
A form-fill-seal machine for making an instant opening containment and dispensing pouch, comprising: (a) support and braking means for at least two opposing continuous film supplies which are intermittently, simultaneously unwound by a controllable motor; (b) a bulge forming station comprising: a pressure bar; and a bulge forming die; wherein, in the bulge forming station, at least one of said film supplies is forced into the die, forming a puff or bulge in the film; (c) a heating and sealing and filling station comprising: reciprocating seal dies; and a filler nozzle; wherein the reciprocating seal dies come together to create edge seals between at least two of said film supplies, forming a pouch to be filled, and wherein the pouch is filled by dispensing a product through the filler nozzle; (d) an aperture means creating station wherein at least one of said film supplies is intermittently indexed through said aperture means creating station; and (e) a flap making station comprising means for folding over a portion of the pouch to form a flap and pressing the flap against a surface of the pouch to seal the flap, wherein the means for folding over a portion of the pouch to form a flap and pressing the flag against a surface of the pouch to seal the flap comprises a folder bar and flap folder.