Method and Apparatus for Producing Perforated Strings of Separable Packages

摘要

A vertical form, fill and seal machine includes a pair of reciprocating jaws, located below the product delivery conduit of the machine. The jaws are spaced apart to permit the film tube coming off the product delivery conduit to pass between the jaws after the film tube separates from the product delivery conduit. One of the reciprocating jaws has a toothed blade with a leading edge of the toothed blade extending beyond a leading edge of the one jaw. When the pair of jaws closes, teeth of the blade cut a transversely extending series of perforations adjacent to a transverse seal. Accordingly, the machine outputs a continuous string of connected sealed packages having a transversely extending perforation between adjacent packages is formed.

主权项

1. An continuous vertical form, fill and seal machine for making a continuous string of separable connected packages, the machine comprising:
a vertically-oriented product delivery conduit; a film dispensing roller configured to mount thereon a roll of package-forming film; a film tensioner oriented and configured to receive, tension and guide package-forming film dispensed from the dispensing roller; a package-former located and configured to receive tensioned package-film from the film tensioner and guide the package-film around an outer surface of the product delivery conduit; a heat seal bar adjacent the product delivery conduit to seal together longitudinal opposed ends of the package-film to form a film tube as the package-film traverses down the outer surface of the product delivery conduit; and a pair of reciprocating jaws located below the product delivery conduit and spaced apart to permit the film tube to pass between the jaws after the film tube separates from the product delivery conduit, one jaw of the reciprocating jaws having a toothed blade, a leading edge of the toothed blade extending beyond a leading edge of the one jaw; wherein, when the pair of jaws closes, teeth of the blade cut a transversely extending series of perforations adjacent to a transverse seal, whereby a continuous string of connected sealed packages having a transversely extending perforation between adjacent packages is formed.