US2113636A - Method and apparatus for forming packages - Google Patents

Description

April 12, 1938. c. w. VOGT 2,113,636

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING PACKAGES I Original Filed Nov. 1 5, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 6 INVENTOR W Chane/2w WVoyi BY I ,{Q 7W M L M J5 ATTORNEYS METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING PACKAGES Original FiledNdv. 15, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 e INVENTOR c a Clarence WVbyZ d BY WWM M ATTO RN EYS April 12, 1938. c. w. VOGT METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING PACKAGES Original Filed Nov. 15, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TO R Clarence W Vbyf BY ATTO RN EYS Patented Apr. 12, 1938 mam METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING PACKAGES Clarence W. Vozt. Weston, Comm, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Owens-Illinois Glass Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 15, 1935, Serial No. 49,955

Renewed November 9, 1937 26 Claims.

This invention relates to that type of method and apparatus in which sheet material in strip form is advanced endwise and progressively formed into a sheet into which the filling material is delivered and from which a plurality of packages may be formed in succession during the advancing movement.

The present invention relates more particularly to the packaging of pulverulent, granular or other solid material capable of flowing and being measured and delivered as successive charges.

As one important feature the packages are hermetically sealed, and I provide means for expelling the air from the material and replacing it with an inert gas prior to the sealing of the package so that deterioration of the material by oxidation, air absorption or the like is prevented or retarded.

As a further feature I subject the material to a double scrubbing by the gas, once during the dropping of the charge into the charge receiver, and again during the dropping of the cha 'ge from the charge receiver into the bag, the ga flowing upwardly through the material in each instance.

As another feature the tube sections are sealed off before being severed, and means are provided for preventing contact of the material with the surfaces which are to be sealed together so that perfect sealing may be insured.

As a further feature I form the tube of a sheet material, layers of which may be sealed together .by the application of heat and pressure and without the need for separate adhesive material and therefore without liability of contamination of the material by the adhesive.

, As a further feature the tube constituting the wrapping of the package is made up of a plurality of strips which are sealed together along a plurality of lines lengthwise of the tube.

in forming the tube is less than is the case where the tube is formed from a single strip.

As a further feature measuring mechanism is employed for delivering the material in separate successive charges, and these charges are separately released into the tube so that each package will contain a predetermined amount of material even though'the wrapping or casing of the pack age is not completely filled.

Other important features will be pointed out hereinafter or will be apparentfrom a consideration of the accompanying drawings and the description of the construction and operation thereof.

Although the invention is primarily intended Thus the extent to which the strips need be folded or bent for use with flowable solid materials, certain features of it may be employed in connection with other materials, such as liquids or plastics.

By the term flowable solid material I mean solid material in the form of powder, grains, particles, kernels, pellets, pieces or the like and of uniform or varying size, the size being such as to permit the material to be measured within comparatively narrow limits in a measuring apparatus and flow into the wrapping.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through an apparatus embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a. horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig.

Fig. 4 is a detail taken on the line fl-l of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the controlling cam and taken on the line 55 of Fig, 1,

Figs. 6 and 7 are plan and end views respectively of one of the strips which may be used in making the tubular casing,

Figs. 8 and 9 are plan and end views respectively of the companion strip which may be used in making the tubular casing,

V Fig. 10 is a vertical section on the line Illof Fig. 1,

Fig. 11 is a transverse section on the line I |-I I of Fig. 1,

Fig. 12 is a sectional detail on the line |2--l2 of Fig. 11, and

Fig. 13 is a series of diagrammatic views showing the tube, filling material and charge receiver in the form which they take or the position which they occupy in the successive steps of making a package.

In the drawings Ihave shown the apparatus somewhat diagrammatically, many of the details being omitted to facilitate a clearer understanding of the essential features and principle of operation.

The tube or bag which receives the material and is cut up into sections in forming the separate packages, is preferably made from two strips of material A and B shown in Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive. The strip A is of such width as will form approximately three sides of a rectangular tube,

. while the strip B is substantially of a width to form the fourth side.

In order that the material within the package may be readily determined it is preferable that one or more sides of the tube be of transparent material, and in order that the tube may be formed and the separate sections sealed oil. with-' out the use of any separate adhesive material. it is preferable that the strips comprise or include sheet material of such a character that superposed layers may be directly sealed together merely by the application of heat and pressure. The material suitable for this purpose is one now on the market and sold under the name of Pliofilm" and which comprises or includes a rubber base. and is transparent, freely flexible, moistureproof and slightly stretchable.

As shown the strip A is laminated and comprises a comparatively wide strip a of Pliofilm" and a very much narrower strip b of paper connected to one surface thereof and disposed ap proximately midway between the opposite edges of said strip a. The connection may be by spot sealing or in any other suitable manner, and is preferably along the edges of the strip b, but may be over the entire area of the latter.

The strip B is also laminated and includes a strip of paper and a slightly narrower strip d of Pliofilm, the strip d being similarly secured to the strip 0 and disposed midway between the edges of the latter so as to form nr row side flanges or extensions e of paper not covered by the Pliofilm.

Although I have referred to the strips b and c as being of paper, it will be understood that I may employ any other suitable sheet material which may be transparent, opaque or translucent, and which will not be melted or injuriously affected by the application of sufficient heat and pressure to seal together superposed layers of the Pliofilm. I

It will be further understood that wherever the terms paper and Pliofilm are used hereinafter, I use them as names of typical sheet materials for which equivalent materials may be used.

In forming the tube the wider laminated strip A is delivered between a pair of feed rollers l0 and II which grip the sheet and positively advance it at a definite, uniform and predetermined rate. The rollers are preferably geared together and may be relatively adjusted toward and from each other to insure the proper gripping or non-slipping action in respect to the sheet. The sheet is then passed downwardly from the feed roller il over a former or guide l2 which bends or folds the sheet to substantially channel shape so that the three walls of the channel may correspond to three sides of the tube rectangular in crosssection which is to be formed.

In order to permit the formed tube to be of the minimum length and without stretching of the material, the former is so positioned that the center line of the tube will come substantially tangential to the delivery side of the feed roller ii. Although I have shown the tube and former in a vertical position below the roller il, it will be understood that they may be inclined to any extent desired and which will not interfere with the free flow of the material into or along the tube by the action of gravity.

Projecting into the former I2 and uniting with said former at the lower end of the latter is an inclined delivery pipe [2. From the point where this pipe unites with the former there extends downwardly a pipe H which approximately corresponds in transverse section to the interior of the tube to be formed, and which serves as a portion of the delivery pipe. as a mandrel around which the tube is form-ed. and as a casing for a charge receiver hereinafter referred to.

The narrow laminated strip B is delivered over a feed roller i5 juxtaposed to one side of the mandrel it so that this strip when brought into position may have its opposite edges sealed to the opposite edges of the strip A to form the tube or bag around the mandrel. The feed roller I! need not extend across the entire side of the tube, but may be made up of two spaced roller sections as shown in Fig. 2 and engage the strip B only adjacent to its opposite edges.

The tube H is preferably substantially rectangular in cross-section as shown in Fig. 11 and at two opposite sides has extensions l6 also rectangular in cross-section and forming two separatevertical passages l1 and i8 which may be closed at their upper ends as shown in Fig. 10. Each oi the extensions i6 has one edge flush with one wall is of the mandrel H, but has the opposite edge spaced from the opposite wall 20 of the mandrel.

The relative proportions of the parts and of the strips are such that thelaminated strip A covers the wall I! of the mandrel and extends around both of the mandrel extensions l6 and has its edges bent outwardly substantially in the plane of the wall 20 of the mandrel. The paper strip b is of a width substantially equal to the width of the wall I! plus the width of the two extensions l6 and may curve slightly around the corners of the latter as shown in Fig. 11 to protect these corners of the tube being formed.

The side portions of the Pliofilm" strip a which are not covered by the paper strip b may be caused to follow the contour of the extensions i5 by means of stationary guides ii.

The laminated strip B is such that the "Pliofilm strip d is slightly wider than the wall 20 of the mandrel and presents outwardly extending marginal portions which are of the same width as and will register with the outwardly turned edges of the Pliofllm strip a.

Mechanism is provided for folding the extensions or flanges e of the strip B around the edges of the strip a. Any suitable guiding means may be employed for that purpose.

Below the feeding rollers i5 there is provided means for pressing together the overlapped edges to form a seam C. As illustrated this means includes a pair of rollers 22 engaging the outer sides of the two seams C and a pair of rollers 23 for engaging the inner sides of the seams. These 1 two pairs of rollers press the overlapped layers together with the desired amount of pressure, and one pair of rollers, for instance the rollers 22. may be electrically or otherwise heated to soften the Pliofilm and cause the two superposed layers to unite under the pressure employed.

The lower portion of the mandrel constitutes a charge receiving chamber and is provided with a suitable closure at the lower end. This is illustrated as a flap valve 24 hinged to the lower end of the wall i9 and movable from a closed position downwardly to permit discharge of material within the mandrel. For operating this valve there may be employed a rod 25 extending down through the passage l8 and connected at its upper end to operating means for raising or lowering the rod and swinging the valve to closed or open position. This operating means is shown as a lever 26 pivoted intermediate of itsends and connected to opposed solenoids 21 so that upon energizing one solenoid the valve is closed and upon energizing the other it is opened. The lever 28 may carry an adjustable counterweight 2! to compensate in whole or in part for the weight of the rod, valve and the charge in the receiver and resting upon the valve.

The rod 25 may be formed of two sections pivotally connected together as at 3|! so that the upper section may move back and forth in a straight line, while the lower section swings with the swinging of the flap valve or closure.

The other passage I'I serves for the delivery of a non-oxidizing gas into the tube or bag below the charge. As shown in Fig. l the gas may be delivered by a compressor or pump 3| through a pipe 32 and a pressure reducing or controlling valve 33 to the upper end of the passage H, which passage is open at its lower end and is not covered by the closure or flap valve 24. One wall of the passage I'I may'have a slot or other opening 34 so that pressure above and below the closure 24 may at all times be equalized.

The apparatus illustrated may be employed for the packaging of coffee, and in that event, the gas employed may be carbon dioxid. The gas will be delivered directly through the passage II to the portion of the bag or tube below the closure 24 to flush out of the latter all of the air therein, and when the closure 24 is opened the charge of coffee will fall through this atmosphere of carbon dioxid and any 'air content between the particles of the coffee will be flushed out and pass upwardly through the mandrel and'delivery pipe IS. The filling mechanism at the upper end of the pipe may be so constructed as to permit the continuous escape of such exhaust gas comprising a mixture of air and carbon dioxid.

During the dropping 01. the charge upon the opening of the valve 24 some of the gas may flow up through the passage i1 and through the opening 34 above the charge. This opening is preferably formed by'pressing inwardly a portion of the metal above a slot so as to form a guard and prevent the coflee from entering the passage I'l while dropping into the charge'receiver which is formed by the lower end of the mandrel l4 and the valve 24.

-The mandrel may terminate at approximate ly the level of the valve 24, and spaced be 'low the end of the mandrel is provided means for sealing together the opposite sides of' the tube after a charge has been deposited therein, and then cutting off the tube intermediate of the edges of the sealed area so that there will be formed hermetically sealed packages containing the solidmaterial and the gas.- Merely as an example there may be employed a sealing and cutting mechanism substantially the same as that disclosed and claimed in copending application Serial No. 43,140. A portion of such mechanism is illustrated in Fig. l and includes the following parts:

A pair of downwardly converging shaper members 40, 4|, and a lower pair of upwardly converging shaper members 42, 43 which move toward and from each other to permit the full size tube with its charge to pass therebetween and thereafter to cooperate with other members to bring the opposite sides of the tube together.

Intermediate of the upper and lower pairs of I shaper members i s'apair of relatively movable sealing members 44, 45, one of which may carry heating means. Below the lower shaper members is a pair of relatively movable supporting members 45, "which may support the lower sealed end of the bag or tube while the charge is being delivered thereto and while the tube is being sealed off at a point above the charge. These members have vertical movement through levers 48, 49 as well as movement toward and from each other by carrying slides 50, St. The movement of all of these parts is controlled by a rotary cam member 52 shown in Fig. 5 and having on a section of the periphery thereof gear teeth 53 for meshing with an oscillating pinion 54.

All of the mechanism shown at the lower part of Fig. 1 may be intermittently raised or lowered by a rod 55 so that the parts may move downwardly along with the tube during the closing, sealing and cutting off operations. The cutting may be effected by a knife 56 oscillated by suitable means and serving to cut the tube between the upper. and lower edges of a sealed area and directly below the supporting members 46. 41. These parts constitute no portion of my invention and reference is to be had to the copending application above referred to for a fuller description of the construction and operation.

The cam member 52 serves not only for controlling the shaping, sealing and cutting mechanisms, but also serves to control the electromagnets 21 and 28.

As shown in Fig. 5 there is employed a double throw toggle switch 58 normally held in position whereby the solenoid 28 is energized and the circuit of solenoid 21 is broken. The switch is held in one position by a spring acting on a switch lever 59 which latter is intermittently ated to energize the electromagnet 2'! to lower the rod and open the valve 24 and permit the charge to drop into the section of the tube or bag directly above the last sealed transverse seam. As theparts shown at the lower part of Fig. 1 start to separate by the return movement of the cam member 52 the magnet 21 will be deenergized and the magnet 28 energized to pull the valve to closed position and permit the delivery of another charge to the charge receiver above said valve. The raising and lowering of the shaping, sealing and cutting means permits the strips forming the tube or bag to have a continuous downward movement at a uniform rate.

Any suitable mechanism may be employed for delivering measured charges to the upper end of the filling tube l3. Merely as an illustration of such means there is shown a rotor forming the bottom of a supply receptacle or hopper GI and having a series of measuring chambers 62 at spaced points about the axis of rotation. These chambers are normally closed at their lower ends by a plate 63 and are normally opened at their upper ends into the hopper 6|. At one point in the path ofv movement of the measuring chambers 62 they comeinto registry with the fillin pipe l3 and at the same time they move beneath a plate or partition 64. Thus the measuring chambers are successively filled from their upper ends and deliver from their lower ends into the filling pipe..

As the mechanism for forming the tube, dropping successive charges from the receiver thereinto, sealing off the tube above each charge, and

cutting ofi the sealed sections, maybe operated at a higher speed than ordinary forms of measuring or weighing mechanism adapted to insure accurately predetermined charges, it will be obvious that the filling pipe l3 may be of greater length than that indicated in the drawings and may have a plurality of upwardly diverging branches each supplied by a separate weighing or measuring mechanism instead of the turntable type shown, and the separate weighing or measuring mechanisms would be so timed that charges are delivered through the several branches separately and in succession to the single charge receiver within the mandrel.

As indicated in Figs. 1 and 13 each package is only partly filled with the solid material and considerable space is left for the gas. It will of course be obvious that this is entirely a matter of choice and a larger charge of material may be delivered to each package or the packages be made smaller so that there will be less free gas space. It is important that the charge should not be so large in respect to the capacity of the package as to permit any of the solid material from lying between the portions of the tube wall which are brought together and sealed.

It is also important that the sealing means be so positioned below the lower end of the mandrel that during one sealing operation the portions of the tube wall which are to be brought together for the next sealing operation will be above the lower end' of the mandrel-and protected from contact with the filling material. Thus while the charge is being delivered to the lower end of the tube it contacts only with portions of the tube wall which are spaced below the sections which are to be sealed together, and there is no liability of dust or fine particles interfering with the .presentation of clean wall surfaces to form the sealed area.

It will be understood that the strip feeding means is operated at a speed directly proportional to that of the shaping, pressure sealing and cutting mechanisms. As shown both of the strip feeding mechanisms are driven from a shaft 65 which may extend downwardly to the source of power for the other operating mechanisms. The measuring mechanism may be .driven by a pinion 66 which may likewise be connected to the same source of power so that all of the operating parts will move in proper synchronism. This timing will be apparent from Fig. 13 in which the downward movement of the tube is indicated in six successive points in its uniform movement. The mechanism shown at the lower portion of Fig. 1 moves up and down through a distance substantially equal to the vertical distance between successive transverse sealing points.

It will also be understood that the tube as it leaves the mandrel and receives the charge will no longer retain the cross-sectional form shown in Fig. 11, but will be reshaped to a single substantially rectangular cross-section by the outward movement of the wall portion which had been guided inwardly by the part 2| and held in by the rollers 23 during sealing.

The shaper members 42 and 43 may be of such shape as to force inwardly the bag walls and leave very little free space for gas above the charge, but during storage said walls may flex outwardly to accommodate gas expelled from the material.

So far as concerns certain features of my invention the shaping, sealing and cutting mechanism might operate each in a single transverse plane, and the strips and tube forming mechanism operated intermittently or at a variable rate. So far .as other aspects of the invention are concerned the tube might be'iormed from a single strip of material as in application 43,140 above referred to.

So far as concerns the construction of the parts and other relative arrangement for protecting from contact with the filling material. the portion of the surfaces which are to be sealed together in making the package, it will be evident that the filling material may be a liquid or of any other such character as permits the delivery of measured or weighed portions.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for forming packages including means for gripping and advancing sheet material, means therebelow for progressively forming a tube therefrom, means for delivering separate and successive charges of flowable solid material into said tube, means for sealing together opposite sides of the tube at spaced points to form successive compartments each having a separate charge, said compartments being movable downwardly by gravity under the weight of the filling material and at a rate determined by the operation of said first mentioned means, and means for severing the tube intermediate of the opposite sides of the sealed areas to form separate sealed packages.

2. An apparatus for forming packages including means for positively advancing sheet material at a predetermined rate, means for progressively forming a tube, therefrom, means for delivering separate and successive charges of flowable solid material into said tube, means independent of said first mentioned means for sealing together opposite sides of the tube at spaced points to form successive compartments each having a separate charge, each of lesser volume than that of the compartment, and means for severing the tube intermediate of the opposite sides of the sealed areas to form separate sealed packages.

3. An apparatus for forming packages including means for advancing sheet material and progressively forming a tube therefrom, means for delivering separate and successive charges of flowable solid material and a gas into said tube, means for sealing together opposite sides of the tube at spaced points to form successive compartments each having a separate charge, and means for severing the tube intermediate of the opposite sides of the sealed areas to form separate sealed packages.

4. An apparatus for forming packages including a tubular depending mandrel having a closure at the lower end thereof whereby the lower portion of the mandrel serves as a charge receiver, means for delivering separate and successive charges of flowable material to said mandrel, means for progressively forming a tube of material around said mandrel, means spaced below said mandrel for sealing together opposite sides of the tube, and means for intermittently operating said closure to deliver a charge to the tube above each successive transverse seal.

5. An apparatus for forming packages including a tubular depending mandrel having a closure at the lower end thereof whereby the lower portion of the mandrel serves as a charge receiver, means for delivering separate and successive charges of flowable material to said mandrel, means for progressively forming a tube of matelivering sheet material to said mandrel at a conrial around said mandrel, means spaced below said mandrel for sealing together opposite sides of the tube, means for intermittently operating said closure to deliver a charge to the tube above each successive transverse seal, and means for severing the tube intermediate of the opposite edges of each transverse sealed area.

6. An apparatus for forming packages including a tubular depending mandrel having a closure at the lower end thereof whereby the lower portion of the mandrel serves as a charge receiver, means for delivering separate and successive charges of flowable material to said mandrel, means for progressively forming a tube of material around said mandrel, means spaced below said mandrel for sealing together opposite sides of the tube, and means for delivering a gas to the tube below said closure.

7. An apparatus for forming packages including a tubular mandrel substantially rectangular in cross-section, means for progressively delivering a strip of material along three sides of said mandrel, means for progressively delivering a separate strip along the fourth side of said mandrel, means for sealing said strips together to form a tube, means for delivering filling material through said mandrel to said tube, and means for cutting off successive sections of said tube to form separate packages.

8. An apparatus for forming packages including a tubular mandrel substantially rectangular in cross-section, means for progressively delivering a strip of materlal along three sides of said mandrel, means for progressively delivering a separate strip along the fourth side of said mandrel, means for sealing said strips together to form a tube, means for sealing together the opposite sides of said tube at spaced points along the length thereof to form'separate compartmerits, and means for delivering a separate charge of material through said mandrel'to said tube above each successive transversely sealed area.

9. An apparatus for forming packages including a tubular mandrel substantially rectangular in cross-section, means for progressively delivering a strip of material along three sides of said mandrel, means for progressively delivering a separate strip along the fourth side of said mandrel, means for sealing said strips together to form a tube, 'means for sealing together the opposite sides of said tube at spaced points along the length thereof to form separate compartments, means for delivering a separate charge of material through'said mandrel to said tube above each successive transversely sealed area,

and means for delivering a gas to said tube in advance of the delivery of said charge.

' charge receiver, means for delivering a non-oxidizing gas to the tube below said closure, means for intermittently opening and closing said closure to deliver said charges to said tube whereby the material falls through the gas, and means for transversely severing said tube at spaced points above successive charges.

11. An apparatus for forming packages including a tubular depending mandrel, means for detrolled rate, means for progressively forming a tube around said mandrel and of a sheet material adapted for direct heat sealing, means normally permitting downward movement of said tube by gravity and intermittently operable for bringing together and heat sealing together opposite sides of said tube to form transverse sealed areas, and means for delivering through said tube successive charges of material'above each such transverse sealed area.

12. An apparatus for forming packages including a tubular depending mandrel, means for delivering sheet material to said mandrel at a controlled uniform rate of speed, means for progressively forming a tube around said mandrel from said'sheet material, means for bringing together and heat sealing together opposite sides of said tube to form transverse sealed areas, and means of material above each such transverse sealed area, said sealing means being disposed beyond the end of said mandrel to such a distance that the portions of the tube wall to be sealed together are protected by the mandrel from contact with the material during the forming of each preceding transverse seal.

13. An apparatus for forming packages including a depending mandrel, a measuring mechanism for delivering to the upper end thereof separate successive charges of solid material, a closure for the lower end of said mandrel, means for forming and advancing a tube of sheet material over said mandrel, means for continuously delivering a stream of non-oxidizing gas to the tube below said closure, means for closing the tube at spaced points alongthe end thereof to form successive compartments, and means for operating said closure to discharge a separate predetermined quantity of material from said mandrel to each such compartment as formed. v

14. An apparatus for forming packages including a depending mandrel, a measuring mechanism for delivering to the upper end thereof separate successive charges of solid material, a closure for the lower end of said mandrel, means for forming and advancing a tube of sheet material over said mandrel, means for closing the tube at spaced points along the end thereof to form successive compartments, means for discharging from the end of said mandrel a separate predetermined quantity of material to each such compartment. as formed, and means for continuously delivering anon-oxidizing gas to said tube at a point beyond the end of said mandrel and down through which gas the charge is delivered.

15. An apparatus for forming packages including a tubular mandrel having a main passage and a separate auxiliary passage therethrough,

means for progressively forming a tube around said mandrel, means for delivering solid material through said main passage, and means for delivering a gas through said auxiliary passage.

16. An apparatus for forming packages including a tubular mandrel having a main passage and a separate auxiliary passage lengthwise thereof, means for progressively forming. a tube around said mandrel, means for delivering-solid material through said main passage, means for delivering a gas through said auxiliary passage, a closure for said main passage, means for delivering gas through said auxiliary passage to saidtube below said closure, and means for intermittently operating said closure to deliver successive charges of solid material to said tube,

17. A method of forming packages which includes positively advancing sheet material at a uniform rate, progressively forming said material into a tube around a hollow mandrel and advancing said tube endwise at a uniform rate, delivering separate successive measured charges of material to the upper end of said mandrel, sealing together the opposite walls of the tube beyond the end of the mandrel to divide the tube into successive compartments, and delivering from said mandrel a separate charge to each compartment as formed.

18. A method of forming packages which includes progressively forming a tube around ahollow mandrel, delivering separate successive measured charged of material to the upper end of said mandrel, sealing together the opposite walls of the tube beyond the end of the mandrel to divide the tube into successive compartments, delivering through said mandrel a separate charge to each compartment as formed, and separately delivering inert gas to each compartment in advance of the admission of the solid material thereto.

19. A method of forming packages which includes progressively forming a tube, transversely sealing the tube at spaced points along the length thereof to form separate compartments, and delivering a charge of solid material and a gas to the end portion of the tube after each transverse sealing.

20. A method of forming packages which in-- cludes progressively forming a tube, transversely sealing the tube at spaced points along the length thereof to form separate compartments, delivering a charge of solid material and a gas to the end portion of the tube after each transverse sealing, and severing the tube intermediate of the opposite edges of each sealed area.

21. The method of forming packages including charging a bag-like tube with a non-oxidizing gas and thereafter dropping solid filling material down through the gas and to thereby scavenge air from the descending material entering the tube.

22. The method of forming packages, which includes progressively forming a tube around a hollow mandrel, delivering a gas to the tube below the lower end of the mandrel, and delivering separate, successive, measured charges of material downwardly through the mandrel, whereby air is scavenged from the material by the upflowing gas as the material descends through the mandrel and as it descends into the tube from the lower end of the mandrel.

23. An apparatus for forming packages including a tubular mandrel having a main passage and a separate auxiliary passage therethrough, means for progressively forming a tube around said mandrel, means for delivering solid material through saidimain passage, and means for causing a gas to flow through said auxiliary passage.

24. The method of forming packages'which includes delivering a continuous strip of Pliofllm, folding it around a mandrel to form three sides of a tube substantially rectangular in cross-section, delivering a second strip of Pliofilm" to form the fourth side of said tube, progressivelyheat sealing the strips together to progressively form a tube around the mandrel, intermittently delivering separate and successive measured charges through said mandrel into the tube, and transversely sealing the tube beyond the end of the mandrel at spaced points along the length of the tube to subdivide the interior of the tube into separate and successive compartments each containing a separate charge of said material.

25. An apparatus for .forming packages including a hollow mandrel, means for supplying lengthwith thereof two strips of Pliofllm, one adapted to form three sides of a tube and having a narrow strip of paper extending lengthwise to cover the outer surface of one side of the tube, and the other adapted to form the fourth side of the tube and having a wider strip of paper extending lengthwise thereof to cover the side of the tube opposite to that covered by the first mentioned paper strip, and means for progres-.

sively heat sealing the edges together to form a tube of Plioflim having its opposite sides paper covered.

26. An apparatus for forming packages including a hollow mandrel, means for progressively forming a tube of Pliofllm" around the mandrel with a lengthwise seam and a paper strip on one side of the tube, extending lengthwise thereof and covering said seam, a measuring device for delivering separate and successive charges of material to be packaged to said mandrel, and a device movable back and forth along the length of the tube for heat sealing opposite walls of the Pliofilm" together to subdivide the tube into compartments, each containing a separate charge of said material.

CLARENCE W. VOGT.

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