Patent ID: 8904740

Claim:
A transforming machine for changing a strip of bag precursors in to a strip of open bags comprising: a drive motor; a separation station comprising: a main drive roller having a clutch controlling the rotation thereof, the main drive roller being rotatably driven by the drive motor when the clutch is in an engaged position; a separation roller rotatably driven by the drive motor; and a pressure roller having a brake that stops the rotation thereof, wherein the pressure roller is positioned relative to the main drive roller to squeeze a continuous strip of bag precursors therebetween, the separation roller is positioned relative to the same main drive roller to squeeze the continuous strip of bag precursors therebetween, and a gap is defined between the pressure roller and the separation roller; a sensor sensing transverse edge seals of the continuous strip of bag precursors when the continuous strip of bag precursors is present in the transforming machine; and a controller electrically connected to the sensor, the brake, and the clutch; wherein the controller, based on one or more signals from the sensor, determines when perforations in one perforated bag precursor of the continuous strip is located in the gap between the pressure roller and the separation roller and at that point in time signals the brake to activate thereby stopping the rotation of the pressure roller and signals the clutch to disengage thereby disengaging the main drive roller from the drive motor, while the drive motor continues to drive the rotation of the separation roller, thereby separating the perforations in a first film layer, but not the perforations in a second film layer, of the continuous strip of bag precursors.