Patent ID: 6941722

Claim:
A form-fill seal machine for the in-line manufacturing of food packages having mated fastener tracks with slider closures, comprising: a supply of web material extending in a machine direction package portions extending in the machine direction and having; a supply of mated fastener tracks having a free edge; a collar member receiving said web material; a web drive transporting said web material over said collar in the machine direction, folding said web into overlying side-by-side portions, one against the other to form a continuous succession of package portions extending in the machine direction and having pairs of overlying package walls which include overlying free edges; a pair of fastener seal bars extending in the machine direction sealing a portion of said fastener tracks to the package walls extending in the machine direction; a pair of peel seal bars extending in the machine direction forming a peel seal between said package walls; a supply of slider members mateable with said mated fastener tracks for movement along said mated fastener track in opposite directions to open and close said mated fastener tracks; a fastener track activation member forming an initial opening in said mated fastener tracks to receive a portion of said slider member; a slider installation member inserting said slider members onto said mated fastener tracks by pushing said slider members onto said mated fastener tracks adjacent the opening formed by said activation member; said fastener track activation member comprising a funnel which is passed over the free edge of said mated fastener tracks to apply a compressive force at a point on said mated fastener tracks spaced from said mated fastener tracks free edge, to pivot said mated fastener tracks one against the other to form an opening at the free edge of said mated fastener tracks; and a pair of spaced-apart side seal bars extending at an angle to said machine direction, sealing portions of said package walls together to form respective side seals of the food package.