Machine and associated apparatus for attaching zippers to plastic bags

• Main Authors: ELLSWORTH; WILLIAM D, DIKE; DAVID Z, LABER; DAVID I
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 25.06.1996
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNERANALOGOUS TO PAPER; MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN AMANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TRANSPORTING; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUSTO PAPER

The two separable elements of a conventional plastic zipper are advanced through a zipper guide slot from the inlet to the outlet end of a machine, simultaneously with two sections of a plastic film or web, one section of which overlies one of the zipper elements, and the other section of which overlies the other zipper element. Intermittently two jaws are advanced toward the web sections to squeeze them against opposite sides of the zipper, at which time a pair of registering hot bars that are resiliently mounted on the jaws adjacent the inlet end of the machine fuse each web section to a different one of the two zipper elements. At the same time, a pair of cold bars carried by the jaws adjacent the outlet end of the machine engage and cool portions of web sections which were previously fused to the two zipper elements. Idler rolls inclined to the zipper guide slot retain the folded web tautly over opposite sides of the zipper guide slot. One side of the guide slot is formed by an elongate metal plate having an elongate stiffening bar secured to one face thereof, and having secured in spaced openings therein a plurality of aluminum plugs which prevent undue distortion of the plate in response to extreme temperature changes.