Bagging machine with breaking element and flattener assembly

Abstract

Bagging machines for loading envelopes include a breaking element and a pulling device. The breaking element is configured to engage a web to promote tearing along a region of weakness in the web as to facilitate separation of an envelope from a remainder portion of web. The pulling device engages a wall of the envelope and is associated with the breaking element to move in away from the restrained area to pull the wall away from an underlying wall and from a remainder portion of the web being restrained by the breaking element, to form an opening in the envelope through which an item can be inserted into an interior pocket of the envelope. Some embodiments may include a seal flattener configured to engage the web to smooth a sealing region on the envelope.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A bagging machine for loading envelopes, comprising:
 a breaking element configured to engage a web at an area thereon proximate a region of weakness of the web that extends transversely and divides the web between a remainder portion and an envelope and that is configured to promote tearing along the region of weakness to facilitate separation of the envelope from the remainder portion; and   a pulling device configured to engage a first wall of the envelope that is overlayed on a second wall of the envelope in a first position, the pulling device being associated with the breaking element to move in an opening direction away from the area to pull the engaged first wall away from the second wall and from the restrained remainder portion to form an opening in the first envelope through which an item can be inserted into an interior pocket of the envelope between the first and second walls.   
     
     
         2 . The bagging machine of  claim 1 , wherein the breaking element includes a web restraint that engages the web at the first location in the area, which first location is sufficiently near the region of weakness in a longitudinal direction along the web, such that the restraint restrains the remainder portion against movement in the opening direction as the pulling device pulls the first wall in the opening direction, thereby causing the second wall to tear progressively from the remainder portion along the region of weakness as the pulling device pulls the first wall in the opening direction. 
     
     
         3 . A bagging machine for loading envelopes, comprising:
 a web restraint configured to engage a web at a restrained area thereon proximate a region of weakness in the web that extends transversely and divides the web between a remainder portion and an envelope and that is configured to promote tearing along the region of weakness to separate the envelope from the remainder portion; and   a wall handling device configured to engage at a pulling location a first wall of the envelope that is overlayed on a second wall of the envelope in a first position, the wall handling device being associated with the web restraint to move in an opening direction away from the restrained area to pull the engaged first wall away from the second wall and from the restrained remainder portion to form an opening in the first envelope through which an item can be inserted into an interior pocket of the envelope between the first and second walls;   wherein the restrained area is sufficiently near the region of weakness in a longitudinal direction along the web to restrain the remainder portion against movement in the opening direction as the wall handling device pulls the first wall in the opening direction, thereby causing the second wall to tear progressively from the remainder portion as the wall handling device pulls the first wall in the opening direction.   
     
     
         4 . The bagging machine of  claim 3 , wherein the web restraint is operable to move from a restraint engaged position, in which the web restraint is engaged with the web, to a restraint disengaged position, in which the web restraint is disengaged from the web to allow another remainder portion to be placed in position for subsequent engagement with the web restraint. 
     
     
         5 . The bagging machine of  claim 4 , further comprising a sealer configured to close and seal the first and second walls together in a closure area to form a closure seal between the first and second walls;
 wherein the web restraint is operable to be placed in a first restraint mode in which the web restraint is operable to move between the engaged and disengaged positions, and in a second restraint mode in which the web restraint is retained disengaged from the web.   
     
     
         6 . The bagging machine of  claim 5 , further comprising a controller configured to operate the bagging machine and having:
 a first controller mode in which the controller operates the web restraint in the first restraint mode and the sealer in a first sealer mode, in which the sealer applies a first set of sealing conditions to seal the first and second walls together, which first set is appropriate for sealing the first and second walls of a first material configuration; and   a second controller mode in which the controller operates the web restraint in the second restraint mode and the sealer in a second sealer mode, in which the sealer applies a second set of sealing conditions to seal the first and second walls together, which second set is appropriate for sealing the first and second walls of a second material configuration.   
     
     
         7 . The bagging machine of  claim 3 , wherein the restrained area includes a first contact point disposed nearer a first transverse edge of the web than the pulling location to cause the second wall to tear progressively inward from the first outer edge when the wall handling device moves in the opening direction. 
     
     
         8 . The bagging machine of  claim 7 , wherein the web restraint comprises a transversely elongated restraint surface configured such that the restrained area is elongated along at least a portion of the region of weakness. 
     
     
         9 . The bagging machine of  claim 7 , wherein the restrained area includes a second contact point disposed nearer a second transverse edge of the web than the pulling location to cause the second wall to tear progressively inward from the second transverse edge when the wall handling device moves in the opening direction. 
     
     
         10 . The bagging machine of  claim 9 , wherein the web restraint comprises first and second restraint portions that are rigidly connected to each other and are disposed for engaging the web at the first and second contact points. 
     
     
         11 . The bagging machine of  claim 9 , wherein the web restraint comprises first and second web restraint portions that are spaced from each other on opposite transverse sides from the pulling location. 
     
     
         12 . The bagging machine of  claim 9 , wherein the first and second contact points are disposed proximate the first and second transverse edges of the web. 
     
     
         13 . The bagging machine of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the wall handling device is configured to close the bag by moving the first and second walls towards each other adjacent the opening after loading of the envelope; and   the bagging machine further comprises a seal flattener configured to engage the web to smooth a sealing region on the first envelope as the web handling device moves the first and second walls towards each other to reduce or eliminate wrinkles in a closure area where the first and second walls are brought together.   
     
     
         14 . The bagging machine of  claim 13 , wherein the seal flattener includes first and second flattening portions that move transversely outwardly opposite each other as the wall handling device moves the first and second walls towards each other to smooth the sealing region. 
     
     
         15 . The bagging machine of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the web restraint comprises first and second web restraint portions that are spaced from each other on opposite transverse sides from the pulling location;   the first web restraint portion and the first flattening portion depend from each other and are configured to move transversely together; and   the second web restraint portion and the second flattening portion depend from each other and are configured to move transversely together.   
     
     
         16 . The bagging machine of  claim 15 , wherein the first and second restraint portions are configured to disengage from the web when the first and second seal flattener portions are engaged with the web. 
     
     
         17 . The bagging machine of  claim 16 , wherein the first and second seal flattener portions are configured to disengage from the web when the first and second restraint portions are engaged with the web. 
     
     
         18 . The bagging machine of  claim 13 , wherein the wall handling device is configured to move in a closing direction, opposite the opening direction, to close the envelope by moving the first wall back against the second wall adjacent the opening. 
     
     
         19 . The bagging machine of  claim 18 , wherein the wall handling device includes a grip that holds the first wall during movement in the opening and closing directions. 
     
     
         20 . The bagging machine of  claim 13 , further comprising a sealer configured to apply pressure to the first and second walls in the closure area to form a closure seal between the first and second walls. 
     
     
         21 . The bagging machine of  claim 20 , wherein the sealer is configured to apply heat to the closure area sufficient to activate a heat-activatable material to form the closure seal. 
     
     
         22 . The bagging machine of  claim 3 , wherein the web includes a series of envelopes, each separated from each other by regions of weakness, the bagging machine further comprising a web advancer configured to advance the web to position subsequent envelopes in a loading position for engagement by the wall handling device and the web restraint. 
     
     
         23 . A bagging system, comprising:
 the bagging machine of  claim 3 ; and   the web.   
     
     
         24 . The bagging system of  claim 23 , wherein the web, the wall handling device, and the web restraint are configured such that the second wall is torn along the region of weakness from the remainder portion as an angle of at least 30° as the web handling device pulls the front wall in the opening direction. 
     
     
         25 . The bagging machine of  claim 24 , wherein the web, the wall handling device, and web restraint cause the opening to assume an approximately hexagonal shape as the web handling device pulls the front wall in the opening direction. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the first and second walls of the envelope comprise paper. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the web includes a longitudinal seal extending along the web proximate a transverse edge of the web, a portion of the longitudinal seal fixing the first and second walls of the envelope to each other. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the portion of the longitudinal seal extends along less an entirety of a length of the first envelope so that the longitudinal seal is interrupted between the first envelope and the regions of weakness. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the web includes a sealing material configured to form a closure seal that seals the first and second walls of the first envelope together in a closure area. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the sealing material is a heat-activatable material. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the envelope has a transversely-extending cut formed therein and defining an upper edge of the first wall, the transversely-extending cut being formed at a longitudinal position along the web proximate the longitudinal position of the line of weakness. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the pulling location is located proximate the upper edge of the first wall. 
     
     
         33 . A bagging machine for loading envelopes, comprising:
 first and second web restraint portions configured to engage a web at first and second contact points on the web disposed proximate transverse edges of a region of weakness in the web that extends transversely and divides the web between a remainder portion and an envelope and that is configured to promote tearing along the region of weakness to separate the envelope from the remainder portion; and   a wall handling device configured to engage at a pulling location a first wall of the envelope that is overlayed on a second wall of the envelope in a first position, the wall handling device being associated with the web restraint to move in an opening direction away from the restrained to pull the engaged first wall away from the second wall and from the restrained remainder portion to form an opening in the first envelope through which an item can be inserted into an interior pocket of the envelope between the first and second walls;   wherein the first and second contact points are sufficiently near the region of weakness in a longitudinal direction along the web to restrain the remainder portion against movement in the opening direction as the wall handling device pulls the first wall in the opening direction, thereby causing the second wall to tear from the remainder portion progressively transversely from opposed edges of the web as the wall handling device pulls the first wall in the opening direction.