Patent ID: 6986377

Claim:
An apparatus for sealing an inverted zipper tape to a generally vertical section of a web of bag making film, said zipper tape comprising a first profiled closure element, a first zipper flange connected to said first closure member and having a distal edge, a second profiled closure element that is interlockable with said first closure element, and a second zipper flange connected to said second closure element, folded at a cusp, and having a distal edge confronting and separated by a gap from said distal edge of said first zipper flange, said apparatus comprising: a generally vertical mounting plate comprising a terminal section disposed between said vertical section of said web and an adjacent section of said zipper tape; a generally horizontal flange connected to said terminal section of said mounting plate and projecting through said gap; a generally vertical separator blade comprising an end section connected to said flange and a cantilevered section projecting in a longitudinal direction, said separator blade comprising a lower portion that separates said first zipper flange from an opposing portion of said second zipper flange and an upper portion that separates mutually opposing portions of said second zipper flange from each other; and first and second jaws disposed on opposing sides of said cantilevered section of said separator blade and movable between respective extended and retracted positions, said zipper tape and said web of bag making film being pressed together when said first and second jaws are in said extended positions.