Reclosable package and a method and apparatus for forming such a package

Abstract

 A reclosable bag package (B) is provided by closing the top of a filled bag to form a neck (N), preferably trimming the walls of the bag to the same height, folding over a portion (N') of the neck, preferably only once, and sealing the folded over portion of the neck to a side wall (W) of the bag using a composite tape (80, 82) comprising a length of a first tape (80) having a non-setting adhesive coating on one surface and a length of a second tape (82) overlapping one edge of the adhesive coated surface of the first tape. The first tape seals or reseals the bag, and the second tape provides a tab for peeling the first tape partially from the bag to open the package and also provides a vehicle for coupons or other printed matter. Apparatus is provided to close, trim and fold the bag and to form and apply the lengths of composite tape.

Description

Field of the Invention

[0001] This invention relates to a method and apparatus for the closing and sealing of packages using adhesive tape, and to a novel package produced thereby.

Background of the Invention

[0002] A number of products are commonly sold in bags, usually of paper, with a closure at their upper end. In many cases, where the contents of the package are used gradually and may deteriorate if exposed to the atmosphere for prolonged periods, it is desirable to make provision for reclosure of the package once opened. A number of proposals have been made for reclosable bags of one sort or another, the most widely used package of this type having a deformable metal tie -(or "tin tie") attached to one edge of the open top end of the bag, which may be closed and reclosed by repeatedly folding the bag end and securing the folds with the tin tie. This form of package has several disadvantages. Firstly, original closure of the packages must either be carried out manually, which is slow and labour intensive, or by the use of very expensive and complicated machinery. Secondly, the tin ties have a metal content, which may interfere with the operation of metal detectors used to detect foreign bodies in the product being packaged and is objectionable if the paper of the bag is incinerated or recycled. Thirdly, reclosure of the package requires a certain amount of care if it is to be effective. Although the tin tie can be applied to the bag automatically during manufacture, and the bags can then be closed automatically, such automation is complex and expensive, and is not economically feasible in many instances. Additionally, the tin tie adds significantly to the cost of the bag.

[0003] An example of a bag incorporating a tin tie is shown in U.S. Patent No. 3,545,668 (Hultberg), which is cited as exemplary of prior art relating to tin tie bags.

[0004] Various attempts have been made to find alternatives to the use of tin ties in a reclosable package. One time- honoured approach is to use a separable clip to hold the folded top of the bag closed, an example of such a closure being shown in U.S. Patent No. 3,680,771 (Blunston). Such clips have the disadvantage of being expensive, separable from the container and therefore subject to loss, and are also in general only easily applied to containers made from fairly stiff material.

[0005] Various proposals have been made for the use of non-setting adhesives to produce reclosable packages. U.S. Patent No. 3,212,698 (Balcom) shows a bag with an adhesive sealing tab and a further non-setting adhesive coating to render the bag reclosable. Other proposals, such as that contained in U.S. Patent No. 4,066,167 (Hanna et al), have provided a sealing strip attached to the bag which may be used to reseal the container after its original seal has been broken or removed. This of course complicates manufacture of the bag, and is rather clumsy in use since it requires the user to recover the strip from the bag and then apply it.

[0006] A further problem in the use of adhesive tape for sealing such bags is that, without tedious multiple folding of the top of the bag, it is difficult to produce a reasonably air-tight seal. U.S. Patent No. 3,396,902 shows how the top of a bag may be specially shaped so as to ensure that a sealing strip does provide a good seal, but this proposal requires a special configuration of the top of the bag to ensure that all of the bag surfaces are exposed to the sealing strip.

[0007] A further feature which it is difficult to incorporate into known forms of bag is the distribution of promotional material such as coupons, or the application of other information which requires to be applied at the time of packaging, such as packaging or expiry dates. U.S. Patent No. 3,439,866 (Kuhnle) discloses a bag closure arrangement in which a coupon or other material is folded into the neck of the bag during closure, for which purpose pressure sensitive adhesive may be utilized. A disadvantage of this arrangement is that the coupon must be inserted as a separate step, the coupon is not visible until the package is opened; and the closure methods described fall in the categories already discussed above. The Kuhnle arrangement does not provide any solution to the problem of applying packaging and like dates or codes, which hitherto have required the use of an additional printing or labelling step.

Summary of the Invention

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide an improved reclosable bag package, and a method and apparatus to produce such a package, which does not require the use of a special design of bag, which can be carried out at high speed, and which can readily be utilized to incorporate into the finished package printed material such as coupons or packaging dates or codes. It is a further object of the invention to provide a package which can be made particularly easy to reseal yet satisfactorily airtight and easily produced in an automated operation without the use of expensive clips or tin ties.

[0009] According to one aspect of the invention, a package is formed by the steps of closing an open-topped bag filled with product by bringing together the upper portions of opposite side walls of the bag to form a closed upstanding neck, and applying to the neck a first strip bearing on its surface adjacent the bag a non-setting adhesive, said first strip being applied to the bag so as to adhere to both opposite side walls and close the bag, and is characterised in that the first strip also bears on its surface adjacent the bag a second non-adhesive coated strip extending parallel to the first strip and at least partially beneath and adhered to one lateral edge portion of said first strip to prevent the adherence of the adhesive to the bag along that edge and to provide a tab whereby the portion of the first strip adjacent the second strip may be peeled from at least one of the walls to which it adheres. Normally the second strip is introduced beneath the lower edge of the first strip and the strips are coterminous and extend the full width of the bag.

[0010] The second strip, since it provides a tab by which a portion of the adhesive adhering to the bag may be pulled away therefrom, permits simple opening of the package, and this second strip may carry printed material such as a coupon and/or packaging data. The detached portion of the first adhesive strip is readily pressed back into place to reclose the bag.

[0011] Preferably, the closed top of the bag is trimmed to a predetermined level after closure, whereby upon a folding over of the top of the bag, the cut edges become displaced relative to one another, thus exposing each layer of the bag material to the adhesive surface of the first strip and ensuring a proper seal.

[0012] The invention also extends to a reclosable package comprising a filled bag formed at one end with a bag neck in which the bag walls are brought into parallel juxtaposition, the neck being folded upon itself at least once and a folded over portion of the neck being secured to the adjacent wall of the bag, the securement being provided by closure strip means extending parallel to the width of the folded over portion, which is characterised in that the closure strip means comprises a first flexible strip coated on one surface with a non-setting adhesive and a second flexible strip without a non-setting adhesive coating overlapping with and adhered to one marginal edge portion of the adhesive-coated surface of the first strip, the other marginal edge portion and an intermediate portion of the adhesive-coated surface of the first strip being adhered one to the folded-over portion of the neck and the other to a portion of the adjacent wall of the bag not overlaid by said folded-over portion.

[0013] The invention also extends to apparatus for forming a reclosable package from a filled open-topped bag, comprising means to transport successive bags along a path sequentially through a plurality of operating stations, said operating stations comprising in sequence a closing station having means to bring opposite bag walls of the open end of the bag into parallel juxtaposition to form a closed upstanding neck, and a sealing station comprising means to dispense a first strip having a non-setting adhesive coating on one surface, means to sever lengths from said first strip, and means to apply said lengths to the bag neck to adhere to both opposite walls and seal the bag, which is characterised in that the sealing station also includes means to apply a length of a second strip, without an adhesive coating, with the first strip, one edge of the second strip overlapping one marginal edge portion of the adhesive-coated surface of the first strip and the remainder of the adhesive-coated surface of the first strip adhered to both side walls of the bag.

[0014] Further features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Short Descirption of the Drawings

[0015] In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a simplified perspective schematic diagram of apparatus for implementing the method of the invention, also including views of a package at various stages in the implementation of the method of the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary section illustrating the trimming of the top of a closed bag;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a first stage in the folding of the top of a bag;

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are fragmentary sections illustrating further stages in the folding of the top of a bag;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary elevation of part of an apparatus in accordance with the invention, illustrating the application of lengths of tape to a bag;

Figures 8, 9, 11 and 12 are fragmentary sections upon the lines 8-8, 9-9, 11-11 and 12-12 in Figure 7; and

Figure 10 is a fragmentary perspective view from the direction of the arrow 10 in Figure 7.

Description of the preferred embodiment

[0016] Features of the package and package sealing method of the invention will best be understood by description of the operation of an embodiment of apparatus in accordance with the invention. The principal features of this apparatus are seen in the schematic diagram of Figure 1, whilst certain features of the invention are described in more detail with reference to the remaining Figures.

[0017] Referring to Figure 1, open bags B filled to a desired level with a product, such as cookies, coffee or pet food, are delivered by a conveyor 2 and a turntable 4 to successive carriers 6 mounted on an endless chain a driven along an oval path through a pleating station P, a cutting station C, a folding station F and a sealing station S, whereafter the sealed bag packages B5 are discharged onto a conveyor 10. Loading of the bags B is effected by synchronized movement of the turntable 4 in conjunction with rails 12, whilst further rails 14 guide the sealed packages B5 off the carriers onto the conveyor 10. In order better to illustrate the progress of the closing operation, Figure 1 includes perspective views showing packages Bl, B2, B3 and B4 at the stations P, C, F and S.

[0018] As the packages pass through the station P, they are acted on by two pairs of folding plates (not shown) which fold inwards the upper portions of the end walls of the package whilst pressing inwards the side walls, as indicated by the arrows around the top of package Bl. It will be understood that this pleating operation could be carried out by any mechanism suitable for the purpose, suitably synchronized to the operation of the chain 8. In order to maintain the top of the package in the pleated and closed condition illustrated by package Bl, the moving package upon leaving the pleating station is gripped at its neck between a pair of endless rubber guide belts 16 and 18 driven at the same rate as the chain 8 so as to travel therewith and grip the package as best seen in Figures 2 and 3. An additional belt 20 bears against the outer sides of the packages to help steady them in their progress through stations P and C. At station C, and as best seen in Figure 2, the top portion or neck N of the bag is gripped between rubber 0-rings 22 on spring loaded idler rollers 24 which guide the top of the neck N into the nip of two interengaging cutting discs 26. The discs shear off the top of the bag horizontally so that all of the top edges of the bag are at the same level as the bag enters the folding station F.

[0019] The folding station F is located peripherally of a carousel rotating on the same axis and at the same rate as a sprocket 30 engaging and supporting one end of the chain 8. The carousel 28 comprises a polyginal plate 32 carrying at its corners guides 34 for the belts 16 and 18, and is concentric with a stationary cam drum 36 defining two peripheral cam tracks 38 and 40. Between each pair of guides 34, the plate 32 supports a folding mechanism 42 operated by cam followers 44, 46 engaging the cam tracks 38 and 40 so that the vertical undulations of the tracks are translated into movements of folding members 48 and 50 about the axes of shafts 52 and 54. More specifically, and as best seen in Figures3, 4 and 5, movement of the follower 44 is transmitted via a cross bar 56, racks 58 and pinions 60 to the shaft 52, whilst movements of the follower 46 are transmitted via a crank 62, a shaft 64 and bevel gears 66 and 68 to the shaft 54.

[0020] Successive operations resulting in the container B3 at the folding station F are illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 6. As a package enters the folding station, folding members 48 and 50 start in the positions shown in Figure 3 and in solid lines in Figure 4. The member 50 then descends to the lower position shown in broken lines so that a turned up end portion holds the neck N of the bag against a spring loaded platen 70 whereupon the member 48 rotates anticlockwise from its position shown in Figure 4 so as to fold the top of the neck over the end portion of the member 50. The member 48 then moves clockwise sufficiently to enable the member 50 to disengage from the neck and withdraw to its original position, whereupon the member 48 once again moves anticlockwise to the position shown in Figure 5 so that the top portion of the neck is tightly folded against the adjacent side wall W of the bag in the still upstanding portion of the neck N so as to form a sharp crease. Since the material of the bag is of finite thickness, and the pleats inserted at the pleating station P result in most of the neck having four thicknesses of paper, the folding will result in the originally adjacent cut edges produced at the cutting station C no longer being immediately adjacent. Instead, they will be fanned slightly apart as seen in Figure 5 and subsequent Figures. This has a significance discussed further below.

[0021] Before the package leaves the folding station F, the folding member 48 retracts clockwise to its original position, allowing the creased top end N' of the package neck to spring back as shown in Figure 6.

[0022] The package next approaches the sealing station S, shown in more detail in Figure 7. The neck N of the package is still at this point gripped between the belts 16 and 18. On approaching the station, the package engages sequentially two switches 72 and 74, which may be operated by feelers as shown, or by photoelectric means. The switch 72 applies drive to sprockets driving two internally toothed belts 76 and 78 which advance a composite sealing strip means formed by a pair of strips 80 and 82 drawn from rolls 84 and 88. Both strips pass around part of the periphery of a sprocket 90 supporting the belt 76, this portion of the periphery being shown in section in Figure 8. The first strip 80 carries a non-setting adhesive upon its outer surface as seen in Figure 8, and the strip 82 is fed onto the surface of the belt 76 on the sprocket 90 so that it overlaps the adhesive surface of the strip 80 and adheres thereto to form the composite strip means. The belt 78 is narrower than the belt 76, and is disposed so as only to bear on the non-adhesive strip 82, thus enabling the combined strip means to be pinched between the belts and advanced without any contact with the adhesive surface of the strip 80. Upon emerging from between the belts, the combined strip means is fed between the blades 92 of a shear and onto the surface of a roller 94 driven so that its peripheral speed is the same as that of the chain 8. As best seen in Figure 9, the roller 94 has on its peripheral surface a number of small orifices 96 connected by drillings 98 to a stationary semi-circular vacuum manifold 100, so that suction forces are developed at the surface of the roller on its right hand side as seen in Figure 7. The combined strip means is thus drawn onto the surface of the roll 94 and is transported downwardly. When the package reaches the switch 74, drive to the belts 76 and 78 is interrupted, and a solenoid 102 (see Figure 10) is energized. The solenoid operates through a linkage 104 to actuate the shear blades 92 and sever the combined strip means.

[0023] In order to draw strip from the roll 84, the strip path is arranged so that it passes around a roller 108 and a tension arm 106. As the combined strip means is advanced by the belts 76 and 78, it is drawn from the loop formed by the tension arm 106 until a feeler 110 operates a limit switch 112 which in turn applies drive to the roller 108. The roller 108 is of similar construction to roller 94, with a vacuum manifold 114, and so that the non-adhesive side of the combined strip means is sucked against the roller, and further strip is drawn from the roll 84 as the roller 108 rotates, so as to replenish the loop formed by the arm 106.

[0024] The belt 16 passes around a pulley 116 beneath the roller 94 and then around further pulleys 118 and 120 to raise its level so that a portion of the belt presses the creased over portion N' of the neck of the package towards the bottom of the roller 94 as shown in Figure 9. The upright portion of the neck N is supported by a further belt 122 driven parallel to the chain 8 at the same speed and engaging the side wall of the bag further from the neck portion N'. Thus as the severed portions of the strips 80 and 82 travel around the periphery of the roller 94, the outer edge of the adhesive coated side of the strip 80 is applied to the top surface of the folded over portion N' of the neck and adheres thereto. Since the vacuum manifold 100 ends just short of bottom centre of the roller 94, the strip means is released from the roller as it adheres to the package. As the package advances further, the upstanding portion of the neck passes between the belt 122 and a guide blade 124, and the creased over portion of the neck is then turned down by a rotating cam 126 as best seen in Figure 11. As the package passes beyond the end of the blade 124, a pressure roller 128 forms a nip with a roller 130 supporting the belt 122 (see Figure 12) so as to press the first strip 80 firmly into contact not only with the bent over portion N', but also the adjacent side wall W of the bag on the upstanding portion of the neck N, and intermediately the separated cut edges of the various layers of the bag as seen in Figure 12. It will of course be appreciated that the thicknesses of the bag layers in the various Figures have been greatly exaggerated for the sake of illustration and thus the composite strip means is quite readily brought into contact with and adheres to the various layers. The package B4 thus formed is then further advanced on its carrier 6 and discharged onto the conveyor 10.

[0025] As can be seen best from Figures 1 and 12, the completed package has a single fold at its neck N, secured and sealed by the strip 80. The upper edge of the strip 82 extends beneath the lower edge of the strip 80, so that the strip 82 is secured to the strip 80, and the lower edge of the strip 80 is not secured to the bag. The strip 82 may thus be used as a tab to lift the lower part of the strip 80 away from the neck of the bag, thus releasing the creased over portion N of the neck and allowing the bag to be opened. The bag may be resealed simply by folding over the portion N' of the neck and pressing the lower portion of the strip 80 back into contact with the neck of the bag.

[0026] The strip 82 not only serves to facilitate opening and reclosure of the bag, but may also advantageously be used for various other purposes. Firstly, it may be used to carry packaging dates and codes, which may either be preprinted on the second strip 82 or applied by a suitable printing head positioned at an appropriate point along the strip path at station F. Secondly, the strip 82 may be formed as a line of coupons, which are thereby automatically applied to the packages. In this case, the strip 82 may be formed with a longitudinal perforation 134 or other line of weakness so that a coupon portion may be removed from the package and still leave a tab for opening the package.

[0027] The strip 82 may further serve to provide a virgin seal on the package. To this end, a gluing head 130 may be provided, for example beneath the roller 94 (see Figure 9), to apply a row of dots or other pattern of hot melt adhesive 132 (see Figure 11) to the underside of the strip 82 so that the latter is locally adhered to the shoulder of the package B4 to provide a seal which must be broken before the package can be opened.

[0028] Although the operations described give rise to a package with an upstanding neck, it will of course be understood that an additional operation could be introduced to fold down the neck against a shoulder of the package, and if necessary adhere it lightly thereto.

[0029] As will be apparent from the foregoing descriptions, the various operations carried out by the apparatus must be properly synchronized to the passage of packages through the machine. Conveniently, this is achieved by utilizing positive chain and sprocket or gear drives to maintain synchronism. Only sufficient portions of these drives and of a supporting frame which maintains the proper spatial relationahip between the parts of the apparatus, have been illustrated as are necessary for a full understanding of the invention.

[0030] Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been described, and represents the best mode known for putting the invention into practice, it will be appreciated that a number of the operations involved in producing the package could be carried out by alternative means. As in the case of the pleating operation, the cutting and folding stations could be of different form, and alternative arrangements could . be used to dispense the composite strip means, due consideration being given to the difficulties involved in handling a self-adhesive strip. These problems are considerably facilitated by the present invention in which a non-adhesive strip is used in conjunction with the adhesive strip, since the composite strip means will have non-adhesive areas on both sides, thus facilitating handling and permitting the use of such expedients as the co-acting drive belts 76 and 78 acting on opposite sides of the strip means. The vacuum rollers 94 and 108 also permit advance of an adhesive strip with contact only being made with its non-adhesive surface. An alternative mode of advancing such adhesive strip into engagement with a package involves advancing the strip along a trough so that it assumes a laterally curved configuration in which it to a degree self-supporting, the drive force being applied to the adhesive side of the tape by adhesive drive rollers.

[0031] Although in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the neck of the bag is folded once, a similar seal may be applied to multiple folded bag necks although in this case the top edges of the bag will not be directly engaged by the strip means. The non-adhesive strip could also be overlapped beneath the top edge rather than the bottom edge of the adhesive strip although this arrangement will usually be less satisfactory since on opening, the composite strip means will remain adhered to the main portion of the bag neck and will not assist in unfolding of the folded over portion of the bag neck. This unfolding facilitates opening of the bag since it automatically tends to limit the extent to which the composite strip means is pulled away from the bag during opening.

[0032] Orientations are described herein on the basis that the packages are processed with the initially open end of the bags facing upwards. Whilst this orientation will normally be the most practicable, it should be understood that where the bags and their contents can be handled in alternative orientations, such alternative orientations are intended to be included within the scope of the invention.

[0033] When reference is made to the strip 82 being non-adhesive or non-adhesive coated, this is intended to refer to non-setting adhesive coatings such as that applied to a conventional self-adhesive tape. It is not intended to rule out the application of setting adhesive, e.g. the hot melt adhesive 132, which does not interfere with the application of the second strip 82 during closure of the package nor prevent the strip 82 from being used as a tab to open the package.

Claims

1. A method of forming a package, comprising the steps of closing an open-topped bag (B) filled with product by bringing together the upper portions of opposite side walls (W) of the bag to form a closed upstanding neck (N), and applying to the neck (N) a first strip (80)-bearing on its surface adjacent the bag a non-setting adhesive,-said first strip (80) being applied to the bag (B) so as to adhere to both opposite side walls (W) and close the bag, characterised in that the first strip (80) also bears on its surface adjacent the bag, a second non-adhesive coated strip (82) extending parallel to the first strip and at least partially beneath and adhered to one lateral edge portion of said first strip to prevent the adherence of the adhesive to the bag along that edge and to provide a tab whereby the portion of the first strip (80) adjacent the second strip (82) may be peeled from at least one of the walls (W) to which it adheres.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the non-adhesive coated strip (82) extends beneath the edge of that side of the adhesive bearing strip (80) applied to the adjacent side wall of the-bag.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the top edges of the upper wall portions of the bag (B) are trimmed to a uniform height after being brought together, and the neck (N) is folded over once only whereby to fan out the different cut edges of the bag and expose them to the adhesive on the adhesive strip (80).

4. A method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the neck (N) is first folded over a folding member (50), the folding member is withdrawn, the fold (F) is then compressed to produce a sharp crease and released, the non-adhesive strip (82) is applied to the adhesive strip (80) and the latter is applied to the folded over portion (N') of the neck, and the strip (80, 82) and that portion are then pressed against the adjacent side wall (W).

5. A method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein a continuous non-adhesive strip (82) is applied to a continuous adhesive strip (80) to form a combined strip (80, 82), the combined strip is advanced by applying drive means (76, 78) to opposite sides of the lap between the strips, and a length of the combined strip (80, 82) is severed for application to the bag (B).

6. A method according to claim 2, wherein the non-adhesive coated strip (82) is locally adhered to the adjacent side wall of the bag to form a virgin seal (132).

7. A reclosable package comprising a filled bag (B) formed at one end with a bag neck (N) in which the bag walls (W) are brought into parallel juxtaposition, the neck (N) being folded upon itself at least once and a folded over portion (N') of the neck being secured to the adjacent wall of the bag, the securement being provided by closure strip means (80) extending parallel to the width of the folded-over porticn, characterised in that the closure strip means comprises a first flexible strip (80) coated on one surface with a non-setting adhesive and a second flexible strip (82) without a non-setting adhesive coating overlapping with and adhered to one marginal edge portion of the adhesive-coated surface of the first strip, the other marginal edge portion and an intermediate portion of the adhesive-coated surface of the first strip being adhered, one to the folded-over portion (N') of the neck and the other to a portion of the adjacent wall (W) of the bag not overlaid by said folded-over portion.

8. A package according to claim 7, wherein the other marginal edge portion of the first strip (80) is adhered to the folded-over portion (N') of the bag neck.

9. A package according to claim 8, wherein the bag walls (W) prior to folding all have the same height, and the neck (N) is folded upon itself once only whereby said edges are fanned slightly apart and adhered to said adhesive-coated surface of the first strip (80).

10. A package according to claim 7, 8 or 9, wherein the second strip (82) is a vehicle for printed matter.

11. A package according to claim 7, 8 or 9, wherein said second strip (82) incorporates a tear-off coupon portion remote from that edge overlapping the first strip (80).

12. A package according to claim 7, 8 or 9, wherein said second strip (82) is locally adhered to said adjacent wall to form a virgin seal (132).

13. Apparatus for forming a reclosable package from a filled open-topped bag (B), comprising means to transport successive bags along a path sequentially through a plurality of operating stations, said operating stations comprising in sequence a closing station (P) having means to bring opposite bag walls (W) of the open end of the bag into parallel juxtaposition to form a closed upstanding neck (N), and a sealing station (S) comprising means to dispense a first strip (80) having a non-setting adhesive coating on one surface, means (92) to sever lengths from said first strip (80) and means to apply said lengths to the bag neck (N) to adhere to both opposite walls (W) and seal the bag (B), characterised in that, the sealing station (S) also includes means (88) to apply a length of a second strip (82), without an adhesive coating, with the first strip (80), one edge of the second strip (82) overlapping one marginal edge portion of the adhesive-coated surface of the first strip (80) and the remainder of the adhesive-coated surface of the first strip (80) adhered to both side walls (W) of the bag (B).

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein folding means (48, 50) at a folding station (F) are operative to fold the neck (N) once only, and further comprising a cutting station (C) between the closing (P) and folding stations (F), the cutting station (C) comprising means to cut the bag walls (W) at said closed neck (N) to a common height.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the means in the sealing station (S) for severing the strips (80, 82) and presenting the severed lengths to the bag neck (N) comprise means (76, 78) to adhere said strips together in overlapping relation and to advance said strips comprising drive means (76, 78) engaging opposite surfaces of the overlapped portions of said strips (80, 82), means (92)to sever a predetermined length of said adhered strips, means (94) to deliver said severed length to the folded-over portion (N') of the bag neck, and means (126, 122, 128) to press said folded-over portion (N') and said strip length against a side wall (W) of the bag (B).

16. Apparatus according to claim 15, including means to apply a pattern of setting adhesive (132) to that side of the second strip (82) facing the same way as the adhesive coating of the first strip (80) prior to its being pressed against said side wall (W).

17. Apparatus according to claim 14, 15 or 16, wherein the folding station (F) comprises multiple folding heads (42) on a carousel (28) rotating within a bend in the package path so that the heads (42) keep pace with the packages through the station (F), and a cam drum (36) coaxial with the carousel (28), each folding head (42) comprising two folding members (48, 50) and a platen (70) and followers (44, 46) engaging the cam drum to actuate the members (48, 50), the cam drum (36) defining cam tracks (38, 40) engaging the followers (44, 46) and profiled so that the folding members (48, 50) perform successive movements relative to the path of the packages such that the first member (50) advances to clamp a lower portion of the neck (N) of the bag (B) against the platen (70), the second member (48) advances to fold an upper portion (N') of the neck over the first member (50) and then withdraws, the first member (50) withdraws, the second member (48) advances again to fold the upper portion (N') against the lower portion and the platen (70), and the second member (48) withdraws to release the folded upper portion (N').

Drawing