Patent ID: 7762300

Claim:
An apparatus for substantially watertight and airtight sealing of a portion of a plastic zipper tape to a web section, the apparatus comprising: an elevator having a platform for receiving the portion of plastic zipper tape having fused ends, the plastic zipper tape including interlocked male and female elements and a splotched portion; means for depositing the portion of plastic zipper tape onto the platform; means for positioning the web section above the platform so that the platform may be moved vertically allowing the plastic zipper tape and web section to come into contact; a sealing head positioned over the web section for heating the web section, means for elevating the platform, directly and upwardly, towards the web section until the portion of plastic zipper tape comes into contact with the web section to form a seal between at least a portion of the portion of the plastic zipper tape and the web section, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a sensor for optically detecting variations in the opacity of the zipper tape and for detecting the splotched portion to obtain a signal, and a cutter for cutting said plastic zipper tape in response to said signal to create the portion of plastic zipper tape.