METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR OPENING A FOLDED WEB OF HEAT-SEALABLE PACKAGING MATERIAL PRIOR TO FORMATION OF THE WEB INTO SEALED RECLOSABLE PACKAGES

摘要

METHOD OF AN APPARATUS FOR OPENING A FOLDED WEB OF HEAT-SEALABLE PACKAGING MATERIAL PRIOR TO FORMATION OF THE WEB INTO SEALED RECLOSABLE PACKAGES A method of opening a folded web of flexible heat-sealable packaging material prior to formation of the material into sealed reclosable packages. The web has a pair of interlockable reclosable closure strips extending longitudinally of the web on an inside face of the web, and one section of the web is folded over on another section of the web so that the closure strips are interlocked. The method comprises advancing the folded web in a first plane to a web-opening station, and opening the folded web while maintaining the closure strips interlocked as the web advances through the web-opening station. The web is opened by diverting both sections of the web relative to one another so that they assume a co-planar position in a second plane different from the first plane.