Method and Apparatus for Packing Items, Liquid or Loose Material in Film Bags, and a Bag Web

Abstract

There is disclosed a method for packing articles, liquid or loose material in film bags which are conveyed through a filling station in a continuous web of bag items, wherein the bag openings are kept open for reception of articles, after which the bags are closed and separated from the web. In order to increase the filling rate and make the bags cheaper, the bag web is provided with a central support region extending longitudinally of the bag web and connecting bag items that are disposed side by side transversely of the web. The central support region is conveyed on a support rail along the conveyor path through the filling station and formed as an entirely or partially closed channel. The peripheral areas of the bag items at the outermost opposite bag opening edges of two juxtaposed bag items are brought into guiding connection with guide means adapted for retaining and guiding edge areas at opposing bag opening edges along a conveyor path through the filling station. In connection with this passage, the guide means will force the bag opening edges apart for successive opening of the bags in the filling station, and then, after filling the bags, joining the bag opening edges for closing the bags again.

1 . A method for packing articles, liquid or loose material in film bags which are conveyed through a filling station in a continuous web of bag items, wherein the bag openings are kept open for reception of articles after which the bags are closed and separated from the web, by which method the bag web initially and along its opening edges is brought into guiding connection with guide means adapted for retaining and guiding peripheral areas at the opposing bag opening edges along a conveyor path through the filling station, as in connection with this passage the guide means force the bag opening edges apart for successive opening of the bags in the filling station, and then, after filling the bags, joining the bag opening edges for closing the bags, by which method the opposing bag opening edges are mutually unfolded and by which method the bag web is brought to engage the guide means by being conveyed on a support rail, the guide means ensuring retention of the bag web along the conveyor path through the filling station, wherein the bag web is provided with a central support region extending longitudinally of the bag web, the central support region formed as an entirely or partially closed channel, and where the central support region connect bag items that are disposed side by side transversely of the web, the central support region being conveyed on the support rail along the conveyor path through the filling station, and that peripheral areas at the outermost opposite bag opening edges of two juxtaposed bag items are brought in guiding connection with the guide means. 
     
     
         2 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein the peripheral areas at the outermost opposite bag opening edges of two juxtaposed bag items are joined by welding or welded together with the central support region. 
     
     
         3 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein the peripheral areas at the outermost opposite bag opening edges of two juxtaposed bag items are free peripheral areas. 
     
     
         4 . An apparatus for packing articles, liquid or loose material in film bags which are conveyed through a filling station in a continuous web of bag items, wherein the bag openings are kept open for reception of articles, after which the bags are closed and separated from the web, by which method the bag web initially and along its opening edges is brought into guiding connection with guide means adapted for retaining and guiding peripheral areas at opposing bag opening edges along a conveyor path through the filling station, as in connection with this passage the guide means force the bag opening edges apart for successive opening of the bags in the filling station, and then, after filling the bags, join the bag opening edges for closing the bags, by which method the opposing bag opening edges are mutually unfolded and by which method the bag web is brought to engage the guide means by being conveyed on a support rail, the guide means ensuring retention of the bag web along the conveyor path through the filling station, and wherein the bag web is provided with a central support region extending longitudinally of the bag web, the central support region formed as an entirely or partially closed channel, and where the central support region connect bag items that are disposed side by side transversely of the web, the central support region being conveyed on the support rail along the conveyor path through the filling station, and that peripheral areas at the outermost opposite bag opening edges of two juxtaposed bag items are brought in guiding connection with the guide means, the apparatus including:
 a filling station in which the bag openings are kept open for reception of articles;   guide means adapted for retaining and guiding peripheral areas at the opposing outer bag opening edges along a conveyor path through the filling station, as in connection with this passage the guide means force the bag opening edges apart for successive opening of the bags in the filling station, and then, after filling the bags, joining the bag opening edges for closing the bags again;   a support rail for conveying the bag web for engagement with the guide means, wherein the support rail extends along the conveyor path through the filling station for supporting the bag web at a central support region extending longitudinally of the bag web and connecting bag items that are disposed side by side transversely of the web, as the support rail is adapted for being received in the entirely or partially closed channel in the central support region of the bag web.   
     
     
         5 . Apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the support rail includes an endless band or belt for supporting the bag web. 
     
     
         6 . Apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the filling station includes a first and a second filling unit, or alternatively includes a displaceable filling unit for filling the two juxtaposed bag items. 
     
     
         7 . Apparatus according to  claim 4  wherein the guide means include conveyor chains with projecting parts projecting freely from the conveyor chains and which can engage perforations or holes in respective peripheral areas, a guide channel that can engage a bead in respective peripheral areas, guide rails that can engage a channel in respective peripheral areas, or squeezed chains or belts that can engage respective peripheral areas by friction. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus according to  claim 4 , the bag web including a contiguous series of bag items separated by a number of slits extending from a bottom edge of the web to a point below a upper edge of the web, the lateral edges of the webs being closed by welds as the bag web includes a central support region extending longitudinally of the bag web, the support region connecting bag items that are disposed side by side transversely of the web, wherein the central support region is formed as an entirely or partially closed channel, and that the peripheral areas at the outermost opposite bag opening edges of two juxtaposed bag items are adapted to be brought into guiding connection with guide means. 
     
     
         9 . Bag web according to  claim 8 , wherein the peripheral areas at the outermost opposite bag opening edges of two juxtaposed bag items are joined by welding or welded together with the central support region. 
     
     
         10 . Bag web according to  claim 8 , wherein the peripheral areas at the outermost opposite bag opening edges of two juxtaposed bag items are free peripheral areas. 
     
     
         11 . Bag web according to  claim 8 , wherein the bag web is formed of a film web which is folded about folding lines in longitudinal direction of the bag web, the folding lines disposed with a spacing largely corresponding to one fourth of the width of the film web from each side edge of the film web for forming the two juxtaposed bag items. 
     
     
         12 . Bag web according to  claim 8 , wherein the peripheral areas of the bag web at the outermost opposite bag opening edges of two juxtaposed bag items are each provided with a series of perforations for the guide means. 
     
     
         13 . Bag web according to  claim 8 , wherein the peripheral areas of the bag web at the outermost opposite bag opening edges of two juxtaposed bag items are each provided with a longitudinal bead for engaging the guide means. 
     
     
         14 . Bag web according to  claim 8 , wherein the peripheral areas of the bag web at the outermost opposite bag opening edges of two juxtaposed bag items are each provided with a longitudinal channel for engaging the guide means.