Patent ID: 6895725

Claim:
A system for manufacturing reclosable bags comprising: a vertical form-fill-seal (VFFS) machine for forming, filling and sealing a reclosable bag, comprising a forming collar, a fill tube and sealing means; a roll of bag making film comprising a wound portion and an unwound portion, the unwound bag making film extending from said wound portion of said roll to said forming collar arid through said vertical FFS machine; opposing grooved elements comprising grooves designed to hold interlocked first and second closure members of a zipper assembly while first and second zipper flanges of said zipper assembly project in a forward machine direction, said first zipper flange being disposed between unwound bag making film and said second zipper flange; first and second sealing bars arranged in opposition at a first sealing station with said first sealing bar above said second zipper flange and said second sealing bar below the unwound bag making film; means for moving said first and second sealing bars between respective extended positions and respective retracted positions, said first and second zipper flanges and a first portion of unwound bag making film being pressed between said first and second sealing bars in their respective extended positions; first control means for heating said second sealing bar while in its extended position, said first sealing bar being unheated while in its extended position, and said second sealing bar being heated to a degree that said first zipper flange is sealed to said first portion of unwound bag making film without said first zipper flange being sealed to said second zipper flange; and means for advancing the bag making film with said zipper assembly attached thereto from said first sealing station to said sealing means of said VFFS machine.