[0001] This invention relates to bag-making apparatus for producing plastics bags from segments,
each segment being dimensioned to produce two bags, said apparatus comprising elongate
upstanding members arranged to hold the segments as a stack, perforating means operable
to produce two parallel, spaced lines of perforations, and cutter means operable to
sever and seal the segments of the stack.
[0002] The disclosure of the present application is related to and is an improvement to
the subject matter disclosed in co-pending United Kingdom application No. 81.28656,
publication No. 2089286.
[0003] This prior application discloses a bag making procedure in which the elongate strip
of thermoplastic web is provided with lines of perforation located centrally of the
web strip. Each segment produced by the action of the seal bar contains the centrally
located lines of perforation. In transporting the web segment by a rotary transfer
device, from the pickup -station to the stacking station containing the upwardly projecting
pins, partial or full separation along a line of perforation sometimes occurs. if
full separation occurs while the web segment is in transit to the stacking station,
stacking of that web segment cannot be achieved since registration with the stacking
post is no longer possible. In the event partial separation occurs and stacking on
the post is achieved a portion of that web segment may not lie in a position to produce
a bag stack having the edges of each individual bag overlying each other.
[0004] The problem to be overcome is, therefore, to provide bag-making apparatus in which
the risk of perforations provided in a web becoming effective to divide the web prematurely
is eliminated.
[0005] According to the present invention the problem is solved by the provision of bag-making
apparatus characterized in that the perforating means are located so that operation
is effected on the stacks of segments while the segments are held by said upstanding
members.
[0006] Preferably in order to facilitate engagement of the segments on the upstanding members,
means are operable -on the web to provide each segment with at least two apertures
located adjacent to and on either side of the median, considered in the longitudinal
direction of the web, of each segment, the segments produced being transferred to
a stacking device incorporating the upstanding members on which successive segments
are stacked, the upstanding members extending through the aligned apertures of the
stacked segments.
[0007] In the preferred construction of the apparatus, the perforated means are operative
while a stack of segments is retained on the stacking device for producing lines of
perforation enabling subsequent division of each segment to define two bags, and cutter
means being operable concurrently or subsequently to the perforating means.
[0008] According to another aspect of the present invention apparatus is provided for perforating
a plurality of web segments provided with holes received on stacking posts serving
to retain the segments in a stack, the apparatus being characterized by a pair of
simultaneously operable linear actuators mounted on a support located above the stack
and through which support the output rods project, a crosshead fixed to the actuator
rods, means carried by said crosshead for compressing the stack, and means also carried
by said crosshead for perforating the stack, while compressed, to provide a line of
weakness to facilitate separation of a portion of each web segment.
[0009] In order further to facilitate the production of the perforations a holder is provided
for supporting the perforating means and means carried by the holder serve to heat
the perforating means to a temperature sufficient to encourage softening of the material
of the segments. The holder also serves to support the perforating means in the form
of an elongate flat bladelike member clamped to a recess formed in the holder and
provided with a series of slots interrupting the sharpened bleeding edge thereby to
produce a series of incissions and uncut bond portions, the latter being sufficiently
weak to allow easy separation of a layer of the material of the segments.
[0010] If compressing means are provided then preferably the compressing means are operable
before the perforating means.
[0011] United Kingdom Application No. 81.28656 discloses, in Figures 9 and 10, a cutting
station substantially -similar to the cutting station disclosed herein.
[0012] The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying
diagrammatic drawings, in which:
Figures lA and 1B, considered together, is a side elevation of a web processing machine
constructed, and operating in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating a mechanism forming a part of the machine
of Figure 1 involved for transferring a web segment from a transfer station to the
stacking station of the machine;
Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating a stack of web segments deposited on pins
carried by a stacking plate;
Figure 4 is similar to Figure 3 but additionally shows perforating knives of the machine
after perforation of the stacked web segments has occurred;
Figure 5 illustrates the web segments being cut between the pins by a knife to produce
two bag stacks;
Figure 6 is a side elevation of the knife supporting and actuating means;
Figure 7 is a section of Figure 6 taken substantially along the line 7 - 7;
Figure 8 is an elevation of the perforating mechanism; and
Figure 9 is a side view of Figure 8 as viewed along the line 9 - 9.
[0013] Referring first to Figure lA it will be seen that a web roll WR is mounted on a transverse
shaft 20 rotatably supported by an unwind stand 22 carried by a frame structure 24.
The web strip unwound from the web roll WR passes over a series of rolls collectively
identified by the numeral 26 and then progresses over a series of rolls rotatably
mounted in a tower structure 28 which includes gusseting devices 30. Unreeling of
the web strip from the web roll is accomplished by drive rolls 32 and thereafter the
web is passed over a series of rolls comprising a web tensioning device 34. A turning
roll 36 directs the web strip to draw rolls 37 which are intermittently operated by
the drive of a bag machine 38.
[0014] The thermoplastic film TF is advanced by the draw rolls to a severing and sealing
station 40 and the portion of web advanced is momentarily retained on a series of
belts 42 generally describing a triangular path and defining a transfer station TS.
On creation of a web segment WS located at the transfer station (Fig. 2), a rotary
transfer mechanism 44, which includes a plurality of regularly spaced radially extending
tubular bars 46, connected through a hub 48 to a source of vacuum, engages and retains
a web segment at the transfer station and translates it through an arc for reception
by one of a series of stacking devices 50 located at a stacking station 52.
[0015] Reference to Figure 2 will reveal one style of web segment in which each segment
has a central medial strip removed from one panel and the remaining panel is provided
with four holes 54 through which project stacking pins or posts 56 projecting upwardly
and fixed to a base plate of the stacking devices 50. The posts 56 are located to
correspond to the spacing of the holes 54 so that each web segment is retained on
the stacking devices 50 by the posts 56. During machine operation a selected number
of web segments are stacked on the stacking devices 50 and when the predetermined
number of web segments has been stacked operation of the bag machine 38 is arrested
and concurrently therewith a successive stacking device 50 is positioned at the stacking
station 52.
[0016] Reference to Figure 1B will reveal the provision of a conveyor 58 that is intermittently
driven by drive mechanism 60 such that the upper reach of the conveyor is incrementally
advanced from right to left as viewed in Figure lB. Also, as revealed by this Figure,
the stacking devices 50 are mounted on the conveyor and successive stacking devices
are positioned at the stacking station 52 for a period of time required to accumulate
a selected number of web segments.
[0017] In accordance with the principle feature of the preferred embodiment the problem
of premature partial or complete detachment of a portion of a web segment WS, along
a line of perforation, does not arise since the web segments produced by the bag machine
do not include perforations. Accordingly, forces created by air pressure in the course
of transferring a web segment by the transfer device 44 from the transfer station
TS to the stacking station 52 are easily tolerated by the web segment. As will be
explained presently, the bag stacks produced include perforations but their creation
occurs while a stack of web segments is retained on the stacking posts 56 carried
by the stacking devices 50.
[0018] Further processing of the web segments WS to produce two perforated bag stacks from
each group of web segments is achieved by perforating means 62 and cutting means 64
being carried by a frame structure 66 straddling and overlying the conveyor 58. The
cutting means 64 are in substantial respects similar to the cutting means disclosed
in the above referenced Application.
[0019] During the time when a stack of web segments is being accumulated on the stacking
device 50 located at the stacking station 52 the conveyor 58 is inactive. During this
time period the perforating means 62 and the cutting means 64 are rendered operative,
sequentially or concurrently, to effect, respectively, perforation and separation
of the accumulated web segments to produce two individual bag stacks each of which
contain a line of perforation.
[0020] The preferred construction of the perforating means 62 comprises linear actuators
68 secured to a flat plate 70 which is in turn adjustably secured to horizontal supports
72 (Figure 1B) of the frame structure 66. The plate 70 is provided with bores through
which extend the rods 74 of the linear actuator 68. The extremity of each rod 74 is
fixed to a crosshead 76 carrying downwardly projecting perforating knife holders 78.
The knife holders 78 are secured to the crossheads 76 by a series of bolts 80 passing
through insulating spacer blocks 82 and threaded into the perforating knife holders
78. Perforating knives 84 are secured to the holders 78 by a series of fasteners 86
and the perforating knives 84 extend beyond the holders 78 sufficient to penetrate
a stack of web segments. Figure 8 shows the general configuration of each of the perforating
knives, and it will be seen that each knife is provided with a series of slots
88 creating an interruption in the line of cut defined by a cutting edge 90 which may
take the form of a jagged edge which experience has shown requires less force to penetrate
each stack of web segments. To enhance penetration of the knife 84 each of the perforating
knife holders 78 is provided with a slug heater 92 which can be energized to produce
a given temperature to each of the knives 84. Heating of the knives 84 has been found
to reduce the amount of force necessary to penetrate a stack of web segments and yet
the tendency to form a blocked stack does not arise when a sufficiently low temperature
level is selected.
[0021] Before the perforating knives 84 make contact with the -uppermost web segment of
the stack of segments, means 94 are provided for compressing the stack to prevent
upward bulging of the stack when the knives 84 come into pressure engagement with
the stack. As shown in Figures 8 and 9 the compressing means 94 include elongate offset
bars 96 which are substantially equal in length to the perforating knives 84 and make
contact with the stack adjacent the line of perforation established by the knives
84. The bars 96 are connected to the crosshead 76 by spring biased rods 98 which slidably
extend through bushings 100 mounted in the crosshead 76. A stop member 102 is secured
to the upper end of the rod 98 by a fastener 104 to limit and retain the rods 98 in
the bushings 100.
[0022] According to the above described arrangement when the actuator 68 is energized to
effect operation of the perforating means 62 the elongate bars 96 come in contact
with the stack of web segments forcing them downwardly onto the stacking devices 50
and immediately thereafter the perforating knives 84 penetrate and accordingly perforate
the stack of web segments.
[0023] In order to enhance the longevity of the knives 84 the stacking devices 50 are provided
with inserts 106 which can be made of wood or plastic material which will allow penetration
of the knives 84 and yet have a minimal effect in rendering the cutting edge of the
knives dull.
[0024] As shown in Figure 2 the cutting means 64 is located downstream and adjacent the
perforating means 62 and if desired the perforating means and the cutting means can
be actuated simultaneously or sequentially at the option of the user. Figures 6 and
7 illustrate the cutting means 64 in greater detail and it will be seen to comprise
linear actuators 108 also mounted on the flat plate 70 being suitably bored to accommodate
reciprocating movement of rods 110 having their lower ends threaded to receive a nut
112 fastening the rods to a crosshead 114. A knife holder 116 is in turn connected
to the crosshead 114 by bolts 118 extending through insulating spacers 120. In similar
respects the cutting means is provided with stack compressing means 122 which include
presser bars 124 rigidly connected to rods 126 having their upper ends slidably disposed,
by means of bushings 128, to the crosshead 114. Tension springs 130 are associated
with each of the rods and serve to bias the presser bars 124 downwardly.
[0025] The knife holder 116 is formed to receive and retain a cutting knife 132 and rod
heaters 134 serving to heat the knife 132 to a desired temperature to facilitate cutting
of the web segments, while they are retained on the pins 56, into two bag stacks each
of which includes a line of perforation previously made by the perforating means 62.
As with the perforating means, cutting means 64 includes, in the stacking device 50,
an insert 136 selected of a material such as previously indicated to prevent dulling
of the cutting edge of the knife 132. The knife 132 is retained in the holder 116
by a plurality of fasteners 138.
[0026] Reference to Figures 3, 4 and 5 shows the condition of a stack of web segments at
the stacking station 52, the perforating station 62 and the cutting station 64. When
the conveyor positions a stack of web segments WS at the perforating station 62 and
the actuators 68 are operated to drive the perforating knives 84 to cut the web segments,
lines of perforation 85 are produced adjacent the stacking posts 56. As previously
mentioned, the cutting station 64, operating the parting knife 132 may be concurrently
or subsequently operated to produce two bag stacks BS by cutting the web segments
along a line PS, located between the -stacking posts 56.
[0027] In view of the above described construction and the mode of operation of the over-all
machine, and more particularly the perforating means 62 and the cutting means 64,
it should be evident that performing the perforating and cutting function after a
selected number of web segments have been stacked eliminates the problem of the prior
art of premature separation along one or more lines of perforation formed in the web
segment before stacking.
1. Bag-making apparatus for producing plastics bags from segments, each segment (WS)
being dimensioned to produce two bags (BS), said apparatus comprising elongate upstanding
members (56) arranged to hold the segments as a stack, perforating means operable
to produce two parallel, spaced lines of perforations, and cutter means (132) operable
to sever and seal the segments of the stack, characterized in that the perforating
means (84,88) are located so that operation is effected on the stacks of segments
(WS) while the segments are held by said upstanding members (56), the severed line of
the segment stack lying intermediate the parallel lines of perforations.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by means operable on the web to provide
each segment (WS) with at least two apertures located adjacent to and on either side
of the median, considered in the longitudinal direction of the web, of each segment,
the segments produced being transferred to a stacking device (52) incorporating the
said upstanding members -(56) on which successive segments are stacked, the upstanding
members extending through the aligned apertures of the stacked segments.
3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the perforating
means are operative while a stack of segments is retained on said stacking device
(52) for producing lines of perforation enabling subsequent division of each segment
to define two bags (BS), and the cutter means being operable concurrently or subsequently
to the perforating means (84,88).
4. Apparatus for perforating a plurality of web segments provided with holes received
on stacking posts serving to retain the segments in a stack, said apparatus being
characterized by a pair of simultaneously operable linear actuators (68) mounted on
a support (70) located above the stack and through which support the output rods (74)
project, a crosshead (76) fixed to the actuator rods, means (94) carried by said crosshead
for compressing the stack, and means (84) also carried by said crosshead for perforating
the stack, while compressed, to provide a line of weakness to facilitate separation
of a portion of each web segment.
-5. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by a holder (78)
supporting the perforating means (84) and means (92) carried by said holder for heating
said perforating means thereby to facilitate penetration of the web material.
6. Apparatus according to claim 5 characterized in that said perforating means comprise
an elongate flat bladelike member (84) clamped to a recess formed in said holder (78)
and provided with series of slots (88) interrupting the leading sharpened edge to
thereby produce a series of incisions and uncut bond portions being sufficiently weak
to allow easy separation of a layer of thermoplastic material.
7. Apparatus according to claim 4,5 or 6 further characterized in that said compressing
means (94) operate to engage the material of the segments before it is engaged by
said perforating means.