US3667188A

US3667188A - Method and apparatus for forming and filling individual pouches

Info

Publication number: US3667188A
Application number: US13873A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harold Thomas Benner Jr; Charles E Cloud
Original assignee: Cloud Machine Corp
Current assignee: Cloud Machine Corp
Priority date: 1970-02-25
Filing date: 1970-02-25
Publication date: 1972-06-06
Anticipated expiration: 1989-06-06
Also published as: CA946726A; DE2056475A1; GB1334242A

Abstract

A method of packaging including the steps of forming and sealing a continuous web of film material into a plurality of longitudinally spaced pouches separated by transversely sealed areas having opposed sidewalls opened along an upper edge portion and closed along a bottom edge is characterized as further comprising the steps of moving adjacent ones of the seals together while injecting air into the pouch and lifting the closed bottom edge to optimally open the pouches prior to filling the same. The open pouches are filled by introducing a nozzle into the pouch and communicating the nozzle with pressurized source of fluid, such as condiments, to be packaged for a set time interval to inject a measured quantity of the liquid into the pouch. Pouches severed from the web are counted and directed to a shipping container until a predetermined number of pouches necessary to fill the container are counted, at which time subsequently severed pouches are momentarily retained to permit replacement of the filled container with an empty one. Also a packaging apparatus has appropriate means for automatically performing the above described packaging method.

Description

United States Patent Benner, Jr. et al. June 6, 1972 [54] METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR 3,382,644 5/1968 Vogt ..53/29 FORD ENG AND FILLING END iil C S Primary Examir zerTheron E. Condon Assistant ExammerEugene F. Desmond [72] Inventors: Harold Thomas Benner, Jr.; Charles E- Att0rneyHill, Sherman, Meroni, Gross & Simpson Cloud, both of Wilmette, ll].

[73] Assignee: Cloud Machine Corporation, Skokie, Ill. [57] ABS [RACT [22] Filed:- Feb. 25 1970 A method of packaging including the steps of forming and sealing a continuous web of film material into a plurality of [21] Appl. No.: 13,873 longitudinally spaced pouches separated by transversely sealed areas having opposed sidewalls opened along an upper edge portion and closed along a bottom edge is characterized [52] US. Cl ..53/29, 53/53, 53/78, as further com risin [he Ste 5 ofmovin adjacent ones of the 53/l83 g 5i 1 Int. Cl. ..B65b 43/04, B65b 57/10 seals njectmg the and f closed bottom edge to optimally open the pouches prior to [58] Field of Search ..53/28, 29,180,183, 53, 54,

53/59 78 62 159 141/119 filling the same. The open pouches are filled by introducing a noule into the pouch and communicating the nozzle with l 56] References Cited pressurized source of fluid, such as condiments, to be packaged for a set time interval to inject a measured quantity UNITED STATES PATENTS of the liquid into the pouch. Pouches severed from the web are counted and directed to a shipping container until a predeter- 2,269,532 1/1942 Howard ..53/l80 X mined number f pouches necessary to fin the container are 3,371,461 3/1963 Aronson counted, at which time subsequently severed pouches are mo- 3,453,799 7/1969 Cloud et a1 mentarily retained to permit replacement of the filled con- 2335301 1/ 1940 Kraus et a1 tainer with an empty one. Also a packaging apparatus has ap- 3,390,5O7 7/ 1968 Repko propriate means for automatically performing the above 3,505,778 4/1970 Cloud et al. described packaging method 3,415,369 12/1968 Hennig... 53/53 X 3,306,002 2/1967 Vogt ..53/29 39 Claims, 17 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUH 6 I972 3,667. 188

sum 7 or 8 I N VEN TORS METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND FILLING INDIVIDUAL POUCll-ES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for packaging material into individual pouches and more particularly refers to forming and filling individual pouches from a continuous web of film material horizontally moving through various forming, filling and severing stations.

2. Description of the Prior Art Pouch forming and filling machines are generally categorized into horizontal and vertical machines depending upon the general direction of movement of one or more webs of packaging material progressively moving through the machine. Heretofore, liquids, such as liquid condiments including catsup and mustard, have generally been packaged into individual pouches on vertical packaging machines which form a rectangular package having a sealed area extending round an entire periphery thereof and having a width of approximately one-quarter inch. By utilizing a horizontal packaging machine of the type having means for folding a single web of material about a longitudinal axis of the web to form a closed bottom edge for the pouches, one sealed edge may be eliminated, thereby providing a substantial reduction in the amount of packaging material required for each pouch.

Further, a folded edge permits bulging opposed sidewalls of the pouches by lifting that edge in a manner to approximate a circular cross section, thereby to approximate an optimum configuration providing a maximum cross sectional area for a given perimeter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a packaging apparatus of the type including means for folding a continuously moving web of material about a longitudinal axis thereof and forming transverse sealed areas at longitudinally spaced intervals has means for moving adjacent seals together while directing a stream of air into a pouch between the adjacent seals and lifting the folded bottom edge, thereby to outwardly bulge sidewalls of the pouch in a manner permitting insertion of a maximum quantity of material into the pouch.

Liquid, such as liquid condiments, is injected into the opened pouches by inserting a nozzle thereinto and communicating the nozzle with a pressurized source of the liquid to be packaged for a set time interval to inject a measured quantity of the liquid into the pouch. To prevent spillage of the liquid from the nozzle as the same is withdrawn from the pouch, suction is applied to the nozzle subsequent to communicating the nozzle with the pressurized source of the liquid to be packaged.

To facilitate bulk shipment of individual filled pouches, the filled pouches are severed from the web of material, counted and directed to a shipping container. When a predetermined number of the pouches necessary to fill a shipping container has been counted, subsequently severed pouches are momentarily retained to permit replacing the filled container with an empty one.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAMNGS FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic top plan view of a horizontal packaging apparatus embodying the features of the present invention;

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 taken together illustrate a side elevational view of a packaging machine constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, enlarged elevational view of a sealing means for transversely sealing a folded web of packaging material in a manner to provide spout-like portions;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of a filled pouch produced by the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 and illustrates a prior art pouch of the type produced by a vertical packaging apparatus;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line VIII-VIII of FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating web conveying means of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line X-X of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line XI-Xl of FIG. 8;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along line XIIXII of FIG. 3 and illustrates a filling station embodying the features of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a front elevational view of a portion of the filling station illustrated in FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a view similar to FIG. 12 and illustrates an alternative embodiment of a filling station constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken substantially along line XV-XV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary elevational view of a portion of the discharge section of the packaging apparatus of the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. 4, with pouch retaining means shown in a retaining position for permitting replacement of a filled shipping container with an empty container; and

FIG. 17 is a diagrammatic top plan view illustrating drive means for the packaging apparatus of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings, and first referring to FIGS. 1 through 4, inclusive, a pouch forming and filling apparatus, constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, is generally indicated at 20 and includes a base or frame 21 supporting various means for operating on a continuously moving web 22 of packaging material. The packaging material may be a film or foil having at least one side surface thereof heat scalable and being sufi'rciently flexible to permit folding the web into a double-walled channel configuration.

The packaging material is unwound from a spool 23 and trained over a tensioning roll 24, a driven supply roll 26 and an idler 27 directing the web 22 to a folding station generally indicated at 28. As the web 22 horizontally moves through the folding station 28 opposite side portions of the web are upwardly folded about a longitudinal axis, thereby forming an upwardly opening, double-walled channel having a folded bottom edge as at 29. A pair of

guide rollers

31, 31 direct the folded web of material in an arcuate path around a sealing drum generally indicated at 32 and having a circumferentially spaced series of vertically extending, heated lands as at 33 for transversely sealing the folded web at longitudinally spaced areas to form a series of individual pockets or pouches. A guide roller 35 and a driven feed roll 36 define a path having a length selected to permit proper cooling of the transverse heat seals.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the feed roll 36 directs the folded and sealed web 22 tangentially onto an arcuate run of a web conveyor generally indicated at 37 and having grasping means as at 38. As the web 22 moves to the arcuate chain conveyor run, the grasping means 38 engage upper portions of the transversely extending sealed areas for clamping the web to the conveyor means 37 for movement therewith. The web conveyor 37, which is generally driven in a counterclockwise direction around horizontally spaced sprockets pulls the clamped web around the arcuate path and onto a linear path as at 42 extending tangentially of the arcuate path and passing beneath a filling station 43, thereby to move each sealed area 34 toward an adjacent leading sealed area as the conveyor 37 passes through a point of tangency of the linear path 42 with the arcuate path. Air jets or nozzles as at 44 direct one or more streams of compressed air into the upwardly opening pockets at the tangency point. In that manner, as adjacent ones of the sealed areas 34 move together, the air streams outwardly bulge opposite sidewalls as at 46 to open the pouches or pockets.

Further, in accordance with the principles of the present invention bottom lifting means 47 engage the folded bottom edge 29 substantially at the tangency point and upwardly lift the pocket bottom wall to further outwardly bulge the pocket sidewalls 46, thereby to open the pockets or pouches in a manner approximating a cylinder to provide an optimum configuration for receiving a maximum quantity of material to be packaged. By lifting the bottom, somewhat arcuate, self sustaining junctures are formed in the pouch sidewalls at margins of the lifted bottom to maintain the sidewalls in the outwardly bulged position during a filling operation.

The fully opened pockets or pouches are conveyed by the web past the filling station 43 where a measured quantity of material to be packaged, such as liquid condiments including mustard and catsup, are injected into the pockets. Downstream of the filling station 43 releasing means as at 48 disengage the conveyor grasping means 38 to enable the web of filled pouches to horizontally move along a path substantially colinear with the linear conveyor run or path 42 and through a top sealer 49 where the upper opened edge portions of the pouches are sealed together to enclose the pouch. A pair of confronting

drive rolls

51, 51 pull the sealed web through the top sealer 49 and direct the web between horizontally extending

guide rollers

52 and 53 to twist the web from a generally vertical disposition to a horizontal disposition for movement over a rotating indexing wheel 54 having a plurality of axially extending supporting strips as at 56 engaging the transversely extending sealed areas 34. A ganged slicer 57 having a plurality of blades as at 58 intermeshes with the indexing wheel strips 56 to slice the web at the sealed areas and form individual filled pouches as at 60, as illustrated in FIG. 6. As the strip of filled pouches passes between the

rollers

52 and 53, the sidewalls of the pouches are urged together to flatten the pouches into the shape shown in FIG. 6, thereby to provide a more convenient shape for bulk packaging of the individual pouches into shipping containers.

It is-also contemplated by the present invention to provide a deflecting plate 61 directing the severed pouches 60 into a bulk shipping container 62. Each filled pouch 60 breaks a light beam extending from a light source 63a to a photoelectric eye means 63 prior to being directed into the shipping container 62. lmpulses from the electric eye means 63 actuate a counting circuit which in turn controls a baffle means generally indicated at 64 to move the same into a catching or retaining position, as illustrated in FIG. 16, counting a predetermined number of pouches necessary to fill one of the shipping containers 62. In that manner subsequently severed ones of the pouches 60 are caught on the baffle means 64 to permit replacing a filled one of the shipping containers 62 with an empty shipping container whereupon the baffle means is pivoted to an open position, as illustrated in FIG. 4.

Having thus generally describe the machine elements and components and their function, structural details of the invention will be described hereinbelow.

POUCH FORMING MEANS Referring now to FIGS. 2 and through 7, inclusive, the spool 23 having a supply of the packaging material wound thereon is supported on an arbor 71. The arbor 71 is sup-.

spool 23. One end of the brake band 75 is anchored as at 76 to the platform 72, and an opposite end of the brake band is fastened as at 77 to a pivoted lever arm 78 having the tensioning roller 24 mounted at a free end thereof. A tension spring 79 upwardly biases the lever arm 78 in a manner to tighten the brake band 75 and thus impede rotation of the spool 23. As the tension of the web increases, the lever arm 78 pivots downwardly against the bias of the spring 79 to loosen the brake band 75, thereby permitting additional material to be unwound from the spool 23.

The driven supply of feed roll 26 having the web 22 looped thereunder pulls the packaging material from the spool and delivers the same over the guide roller 27 and horizontally into the folding station 28.

oftentimes, the packaging material has advertising material printed thereon and longitudinally spaced along the material so that each face of the pouch 60 contains a printed message. Thus, in order to align the transversely extending seals 34 with the printed material, the supply roll 26 is constructed to be radially expandable and contractible for varying the feed rate of the web 22 to align printed markings on the web with the vertically extending, heated lands 33 on the transverse sealer 32. Means for controlling a mean diameter of the driven supply roll 26 include a photoelectric eye means 81 sensing the markings as the web enters the folding station 28 and a registration unit 82 including a micro-switch 83 actuated by a cylindrical carnming member 84 rotating with the sealer 32 and having radially extending projections as at 86 corresponding to the vertical lands 33. The driven supply roll 26 is constructed so that axial movement of one end portion thereof by the pivoted yoke 87, which in turn is pivoted by a pneumatic cylinder 88, radially expands or contracts the roller. The photoelectric means closes a pair of contacts for a set dwell time, for example 0.075 seconds, in response to sensing a marking, and in a like manner, contacts of the micro-switch 83 are closed by the cam projections 86 for a set dwell time. A series circuit including the micro-switch contacts and the photoelectric cell contacts controls a solenoid valve supplying pressurized fluid to the cylinder 88. Thus, the radially deformable supply roller 26 is held in a deformed position for a time determined by the overlapped time or coincidental time during which both the micro-switch contacts and the photoelectric cell contacts are closed. Additional details of the alignment means are described in Charles E. Cloud application for US. Pat. Ser. No. 664,996, filed Se t. 1, 1967.

The folding means 28 comprise a frame including a base plate 91 and a pair of framing members attached to a rear portion of the base plate and each characterized by an upstanding arm 92 and a rearwardly extending arm 93. A plow member 94 is supported above the base plate 91 on uprights 97. The plow member 94 has a pair of forwardly converging sidewalls 98 and a triangular bottom wall 99 sized and arranged to gradually fold the web 22 about a longitudinal axis to form a double-walled channel.

In order to align the folding means 28 with the horizontal path of movement of the web 22, a pivot shaft 100 depends from a forward end portion as at 101 of the base plate 91 and is joumaled in a pair of vertically spaced bearings as at 102, thereby to enable the folding means 28 to pivot transversely of the web path of movement. A pair of horizontally spaced

rollers

103 and 104 are journaled between the horizontally extending arms 93 at opposite end portions thereof and have the web trained thereover. Thus, in the .event the folding means 28 becomes misaligned with the web path, frictional engagement between the traveling web and the space rollers will create a moment am about the vertical pivoting axis defined by the pivoted shaft 100 and in a direction to align the folding means 28, thereby to provide automatic alignment means for the folder 28.

It is also contemplated by the present invention to provide adjustment means for vertically positioning the folding means 28, and in particular a lowermost point as at 106 of the plow member, and thus the bottom folded edge 29, with the transverse sealing means 32. The transverse sealing means 32 may include sealing lands arranged and configured to form sealed areas defining a spout portion for each pouch, and thus, for differently sized webs of packaging material it may be necessary to vertically adjust the bottom fold 29 relative to the spout forming lands to properly position the spout on the formed pouch 60. The adjustment means comprise a cup member 107 loosely received in an aperture 108 formed through an upper plate 109 of the frame 21 and having the pair of vertically spaced bearings 102 fixedly mounted therewithin. A vertically extending rod 111 has one end portion as at 112 fixedly attached to the cup member 107 and is characterized by a threaded portion as at 113. The rod 111 is guided in a bushed aperture 116 formed in a support block 117 supported in a frame 118 depending from the plate 109, and the threaded portion 113 of the rod is threadingly received in a threaded aperture 1 19 formed in a second support block 120 supported in the frame beneath the first support block, thereby to enable vertical movement of the folding means 28 by threadingly adjusting the rod 1 11 through the second support block 120.

A hand wheel 122 is attached to a lowermost end of the rod 11 1 for enabling convenient adjustment of the rod 111 through the lower support block 120. Further, a jam nut 123 threaded onto the threaded portion 113 of the rod 111 engages a spacer 124 for locking the rod 111 in a selected positron.

The vertical sealer generally comprises a drum 126 corotatably mounted on a rotating drive shaft 127, which in turn is journaled in the frame 21, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced, elongated sealing strips as at 128 attached to a periphery of the drum and defining the plurality of sealing lands 33. Suitable electric heaters are disposed behind the sealing strips 128 for heating the sealing lands 33. Each of the sealing lands 33 has a circumferential width selected to form the transverse sealed areas 34 with a width for enabling slicing of the sealed areas along a longitudinal axis to sever the individual filled pouches 60 from the formed and filled web 22.

To enhance transfer of heat from the heated lands 33 to the web 22, an upstanding roller 129 supported on the frame 21 presses the folded web against the heated lands 33.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 in accordance with the principles of the present invention, suitably configured inserts or extensions as at 131 may be disposed adjacent the sealing strips 128 for sealing the web sidewalls 46 together in a manner to form inwardly tapered sidewalls as at 132, thereby to provide a spout portion for the pouches 60. Each insert or extension 131 has a face surface 133 forming a lateral extension of the sealing face 33. Each face surface 133 is characterized as comprising a rectangular portion 134 and a triangular portion 136 having a canted edge 137 tapering from the rectangular portion and toward the sealing lands 33. The canted edge 137 terminates at a juncture line as at 138 corresponding to a position on the package or pouch 60 substantially midway between the folded bottom edge 29 and a lower edge 139 of the upper sealed area or top seal 140. Thus, approximately an upper half of the pouch 60 is gradually tapered to form a spout.

A position of the folded web on the sealing lands 33 and 133 is indicated by

center lines

141 and 142, respectively indicating positions of the upper unsealed edge of the folded web and the fold 29. It should be noted, that differently sized pouches may be formedby providing packaging material having lesser or greater widths than that illustrated and by lowering or raising the position of the fold line 142 on the transverse sealing means 32. As mentioned hereinabove, the position of the fold line 142 on the transverse sealing means 32 may be adjusted by vertically adjusting the folding means 28. Thus, it is contemplated by the present invention to provide pouch forming and filling means adapted to accept differently sized packaging material and to form differently sized pouches having a configuration similar to the pouch 60 as illustrated in FIG. 6.

In order to facilitate opening the pouch 60 to permit use of the packaged contents, each of the transversely extending seals 34 is slit as at 143 along a line extending longitudinally of the web 22. Each slit 143 crosses a longitudinal axis of each of the sealed areas 34 so that subsequent to slicing the sealed areas along the longitudinal axis to sever the individual pouches 60 from the web 22, the slits 143 extend inwardly of the pouches from opposite marginal edges as at 144 thereof.

Means for slitting the web 22 to form the slits 143 comprise hardened inserts as at 146 (FIG. 5) and a circular knife blade 147 (FIG. 2) having a circumferentially extending knife edge 148. The circular knife 147 is supported on a shaft 149 having opposite end portions journaled in a pair of vertically spaced bearings as at 151 which in turn are supported on a bracket 152 at a location relative to the sealing drum 126 so that the peripheral knife edge 148 frictionally engages the inserts 146. Each of the inserts 146 has a rectangular face surface 153 straddling the longitudinal axis of the sealing lands 33 and slightly raised from the sealing lands. Thus, the insert face surfaces 153 cooperate with the circular knife edge 148 to form the slits 143.

WEB CONVEYING AND POUCH OPENING MEANS The web conveying means 37 generally comprise a pair of vertically spaced, closed roller chains as at 161 trained around a vertically spaced pair of driven sprockets as at 162 disposed downstream of the filling station 43 and a vertically spaced pair of idler sprockets as at 163 disposed upstream of the filling station. The idler sprockets 163 rotatably mounted on an upstanding shaft 164 define an arcuate conveyor run onto which the folded and transversely sealed web 22 is directed by the driven feed roll 36. Adjustment means as at 165 horizontally position the shaft 164 to properly tension the chains 161. The driven sprockets 162 mounted on a drive shaft 166 for corotation therewith are horizontally aligned with the idler sprockets 163 and cooperate therewith to define a horizontal conveyor run extending tangentially from the arcuate run and passing beneath the filling station 43, thereby to convey the web 22 past the filling station 43.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a plurality of the grasping means 38 are attached to the conveyor chains 161 at equally spaced intervals therealong for clamping the web 22 at the transversely sealed areas 34 to the conveyor chains for movement therewith through the arcuate path and along the linear path extending beneath the filling station 43. As illustrated in FIGS. 8 through 11, inclusive, each of the grasping means have a body portion characterized as comprising a vertically elongated bar member 166 forming a vertically elongated, rectangular clamping surface 167 facing outwardly of the chains 161 and having a width slightly less than the width of the transversely sealed areas 34 formed on the web 22. A roller as at 169 supported by a wire form member as at 171 on each of the grasping means 38 vertically rolls along the clamping surface 167 for clamping the sealed areas 34 to the clamping surface.

Each of the wire form members 171 has a vertically extending shank portion 172 received in a recess 173 fonned on a side of the body portion 166 opposite the clamping surface 167 and a hook portion 174 terminating in a bend 176, Each of the rollers 169 has a reduced medial portion nestled in the bend 176 of one of the wire form members 171, and each of the wire form members is configured to resiliently urge the roller toward the clamping surface 167.

Equally spaced ones of the roller chain links as at 179 have a vertically extending, apertured attachment flange as at 181. Spacer blocks as at 182 having clearance apertures as at 183 formed in alignment with apertures as at 184 in the attachment flanges 181 properly space the body portions 166 from the chains 161 and enclose the recesses 173 for retaining the wire form members 171. Machine screws as at 186 pass through the aligned

apertures

183 and 184 and thread into a threaded aperture 187 formed in the body portions, thereby to clamp the grasping means 38 to the conveyor chains 161.

Further, in accordance with the principles of the present invention, a canted plate 188 is disposed above the idler sprockets 163 and forms an inclined camming surface 189 against which the hooked portions 174 of the wire form members 171 engage as the conveyor chains 161 are driven through the arcuate path defined by the idler sprockets 163, thereby to downwardly roll the rollers 169 over the transversely sealed areas 34 formed on the web 22 for clamping the web to the web conveying means. The plate 188 is supported in bearing means for rotation about a canted axis disposed perpendicular to the camming surface 189.

As the conveyor chains 161 move from the arcuate path defined by the sprockets 163 onto the linear path, trailing ones of the sealed areas 34 are moved toward adjacent leading sealed areas for, slackening the pouch'sidewalls 46, as best illustrated in FIG. 8, thereby to permit the sidewalls to be outwardly bulged to provide a cavity for receiving material to be packaged. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the nozzles 44 connected via the conduits 191 to a source of pressurized air, direct air jets downwardly onto the pouches at approximately the point of tangency between the arcuate conveyor path and the linear conveyor path, for outwardly spreading or bulging the pouch sidewalls.

To further open the pouch sidewalls and form the material receiving cavity in a manner providing an optimum capacity to the pouch, the bottom folded edge 29 of the web 22 is upwardly lifted to further bulge the pouch sidewalls 46 as the web 22 passes through the point of tangency. The bottom lifting means 47 generally comprise a disc member 192 supported on a shaft 193 for rotational movement about a horizontal axis passing through the tangency point and intersecting a longitudinal axis of the idler sprocket shaft 164. A plurality of rod-like members as at 194 are supported on, and circumferentially spaced around, the disc 192 and extend parallel to the rotational axis of the disc. As best illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 11, the spacing of the rod-like members 194 and the rotational velocity of the disc 192 are so selected relative to the movement of the web 22 so that each of the rod-like members engage the fold 29 of the web 22 at points intermediate adjacent ones of the sealed areas 34 and upwardly lift the bottom edge as the web passes through the tangency point, thereby further openingv or bulging the pouch sidewalls 46 to form the material receiving cavity. The bottom is maintained in its lifted position during the filling operation by somewhat arcuate self sustaining junctures or creases formed in the pouch sidewalls at margins of the lifted bottom.

The releasing means 48 for disengaging the grasping means 38 at a location downstream of the filling station 43 comprise a pair of horizontally spaced wheels 196, as illustrated in FIG. 3. Each of the wheels 196 is supported on a shaft 197 for rotational movement about a horizontal axis extending at right angles to thelinear conveyor path. A lowermost end portion as at 198 of each shank portion 172 of the roller attachment members 171 extends below a lowermost one of the conveyor chains 161 whenever the rollers 169 are disposed in a web clamping position. The wheels 196 are sized and disposed in a staggered relationship so that the lowermost end portions 198 of the wire form members 171 engage a periphery of the wheels as the conveyor chains 161 pass thereover, thereby to upwardly shift the wire form members, and thus the rollers 169, to release the web 22 for further horizontal movement along a line colinear with the linear run of the web conveying means 37.

FILLING STATION Referring to FIGS. 3 and 12 through 14, the filling station 43 generally comprises a filling wheel 201 keyed to a drive shaft 202 for corotation therewith and having a plurality of radially extending nozzles as at 203 circumferentially spaced therearound. The filling wheel 201 is rotated about a horizontal axis extending at right angles to the linear conveyor path, and the nozzles 203 are so spaced around the filling wheel and the filling wheel is rotated at a velocity so that each one of the nozzles enters one of the opened pockets or pouches 60 as the horizontally moving web 22 is conveyed past the filling station 43.

Each of the nozzles 203 communicates via a passageway 204 formed in the wheel 201 with one of a plurality of circum- V, ferentially spaced ports'as at 206 opening at a face surface 207 of the wheel 201. A circular plate member 208 having a centrally disposed clearance aperture 209 loosely fitted over the shaft 202 has a face surface 211 abutting the wheel face 207 and extending radially outwardly beyond the nozzle ports 206. In order to hold the abutting face surfaces 207 and 21 1 in sealing engagement, a spring 212 surrounding the shaft 202 urges the circular plate member 208 against the filling wheel 201. One end portion as at 213 of the spring 212 operatively engages the plate member 208 and a pair of

jam nuts

214 and 216 threaded over a threaded portion 217 formed on the shaft 202 engage the other end portion as at 218 of the spring 212. As illustrated in FIG. 3, a support bracket 219 is attached as at 221 to the plate 208 for restraining the same against rotational movement relative to the rotating filling wheel 201.

A suitable pump 223 supplies liquid to be packaged, such as liquid condiments including catsup and mustard from a reservoir 224 to a supply hose 226. A single passageway 227 formed in the circular plate 208 forms a port 228 disposed radially outwardly of the drive shaft 202 a distance equal to a radial spacing of the circumferentially extending nozzle ports 206. A threaded outer end portion 229 of the passageway 207 threadingly receives a nipple 231 having an outlet end of the hose 226 clamped thereto by a suitable clamp as at 232. Thus, the circular plate 208 having the supply port 228 formed therein cooperates with the nozzle ports 206 formed in the rotating filling wheel 201v to form a plate valve for sequentially communicating the nozzles 203 with the pumped source of liquid to be packaged as each one of the nozzles is inserted into one of the opened pouches 60. The supply port 228 is sized relative to the nozzle ports 206 so that each one of the nozzles 203 is in communication with the pumped source of liquid for a set time interval to inject a'measured quantity, of the liquid into each of the pouches 60.

In order to prevent inadvertent spillage or dripping of the liquid from the nozzles 203 as the same are withdrawn from the pouches 60 subsequent to the filling operation, suction is momentarily applied to each of the nozzles 203 as the same rotates out of registry with the supply port 228.

In one embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 13, means for applying the suction to the nozzles 203 subsequent to the filling operation comprise a port 233 formed in the fixed circular plate member 208 and suitable suction pump means connected via the pipe 234 and passageway means 236 to the suction port. An end portion of the pipe 234 threadingly engages a threaded outer end portion 237 formed in a radially extending portion of the passageway 236.

The port 233 is circumferentially spaced from the supply port 228 in a direction of rotation of the rotating filling wheel 201 and is radially spaced outwardly of the drive shaft 202 a distance equal to the spacing of the supply port 228. Thus, as each of the nozzle ports 206 move out of registry with the supply port 228, the same move into registry with the suction port 233 for applying a suction to the associated nozzle 203 to prevent liquid remaining in the passageway 204 and the nozzle 203 from dripping onto outer surfaces of the web 22.

Referring now to FIG. 14, an alternative embodiment of the present invention contemplates providing suction applying means comprising resilient tubes as at 239 each having a throughbore 241 fomling a portion of the passageway 204' communicating the nozzles 203 with the nozzle ports 206' and means for squeezing the resilient tubes to reduce a cross sectional area of the throughbores 241 while an associated one of the nozzle ports is in communication with the supply port 228 and then allowing the throughbore to expand to its normal size subsequent to the filling operation. In that manner excess liquid is drawn out of the noules 203' and into the tubes 239. One of the resilient tubes 239 is provided for each of the nozzles 203, and each tube has opposite end portions fitted over pairs of nipples as at 242 and 243 respectively communicating the tube bores 241 with the nozzle ports 206' and the noules 203.

An annular recess 244 cut into a side of the rotating filling wheel 201' opposite the face 207 receives the resilient tubes 239. A plate 246 supported on a fixed sleeve 247 having a bore 248 loosely receiving the rotating shaft 202 is canted relative to a longitudinal axis of the shaft 202. The plate is mounted on bearing means for rotation about an axis perpendicular to a face of the plate. A lower peripheral edge portion as at 249 of the canted plate 246 is disposed to enter the annular recess 244 and squeeze each of the resilient tubes 239 as an associated one of the nonle ports 206 moves into registry with the supply port 228, thereby reducing the cross sectional area of the tube bore 241 while the liquid to be packaged is pumped therethrough and then allowing the tube bore to expand to its normal size as the associated one of the nozzles is withdrawn from the filled pouch.

When the machine 20 is operated at high production rates, for example rates in excess of 450 filled pouches per minute, the stream of liquid is directed downwardly into the opened pouches 60 at such a high velocity that, if the stream directly hits the pouch bottom wall 29, the liquid may splash upwardly and wet the inside of the pouch sidewalls 46 in areas which form the pouch top seal. Thus, the top sealing operation may be impaired, thereby preventing the formation of completely sealed pouches.

In order to prevent the liquid from splashing onto the areas forming the pouch top seals, the present invention contemplates pivoting the opened pouches 60 about the upper clamped portions and transversely of the path of movement of the web 22, as illustrated in FIG. 13, so that the stream of liquid impinges onto one of the sidewalls 46, which is slanted relative to the stream path, thereby to reduce rebounding or splashing and to limit any rebounding to heights below the top sealed areas. Means for pivoting the pouches 60 include a bar or strip-form member 250 supported on the frame 21 by a bracket 251 and interposed between the inside one of the pouch sidewalls 46 and the clamping surfaces 167 of the grasping means 38. The bar member 250 extends horizontally from a position upstream of the filling station 43 to a position slightly beyond a center line of the filling wheel 201 and is configured to engage a lower half of the web 22 for deflecting the same outwardly of the filling station. The bar has a leading edge portion 251 slanted from the vertical in the direction of movement of the web 22 so that the pouches gradually pivot outwardly of the filling station 43 as they progressively engage the bar leading edge prior to their being filled. Subsequent to the filling operation, the web 22 disengages from the bar 250 and returns to its normal disposition for entrance into the top sealing means 49.

TOP EDGE SEALING MEANS As the web 22 having pouches therein filled is released from the web conveying means 37, the pair of drive rolls 51 pull the web through the top edge sealing means 49 for forming a top seal as at 252, thereby to close the pouches 60. An inclined trough 253 supported on a bracket 254 supports the bottom folded edge 29 of the web 22 as the same is pulled though the top edge sealing means 49.

The top edge sealing means 49 includes a support bracket 256 supporting a fixed sealing plate having a suitable heating element disposed therethrough for providing a heated planar surface against which upper edge portions of the web 22 may be pressed for forming the top seal 252. A plate 257 hinged as at 258 to the heated plate presses upper edge portions of the web against the heated plate for heat sealing the pouches 60 to form the top sealed edge 252. A handle 259 extending laterally outwardly of the hinged plate 257 provides convenient means for arcuately moving the hinged plate 257 between a clamping position, as illustrated in FIG. 3, and an open position for permitting initial threading of the web 22 through the machine 20.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 15, the pair of drive rollers 51 are mounted on a pair of

drive shafts

261 and 262 for corotation therewith and are disposed to drivingly engage the top seal edge 252 for pulling the web 22 through the heat sealing means 49 and for pressing the heated areas together to in- 1 F9 sure that a proper seal is formed. The drive shaft 261 is journaled within a bearing 263 fixedly mounted in a box frame 264 supported above the web path of movement. A pair of miter beveled gears as at 266 and 267 drive a gear 268 which in turn meshes with and drives a gear 269 corotatably mounted on the shaft 261 for rotating the fixed one of the drive rolls 51.

In order to squeeze the web 22 between the pair of drive rolls 51 for drivingly gripping the web, the drive shaft 262 is journaled within a plate 271 pivotally mounted as at 272 to the frame 264 and having a spring attachment arm 273 extending therefrom. A tension spring'274 having one end portion as at 276 attached to the spring attachment an'n 273 and having the other end portion 277 anchored to an adjustment rod 278 biases the drive shaft 262 and the roll 51 corotatably attached thereto toward the fixed drive shaft 261 and its associated roll 51. To counterrotate the rolls 51, another gear 279 corotatably attached to the drive shaft 262 meshes with the gear 269.

WEB SEVERING AND POUCH PACKING MEANS Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 16, the sealed web 22 twists to a horizontal position between the pair of drive rolls SI and the horizontally extending

guide rollers

52 and 53 and then passes upwardly through a pair of

guide rollers

281 and 282 and over the index wheel 54. The index wheel 54 is supported for corotation on the rotating shaft 283 and moves the web 22 having the sealed areas 34 supported on the circumferentially spaced support strips 56 to a position wherein the knife blades 58 on the ganged slicer 57 mesh with the support strips to slice the web along a longitudinal axis of the sealed areas 34, thereby to sever the individual pouches 60 from the continuous web 22.

The deflecting plate 61 attached to a shaft 284, which in turn is journaled in a frame side plate 286, is pivotally movable from a normal position, as shown by solid lines in FIG. 4, for directing the severed pouches 60 into the shipping container 62, to another deflecting position as shown by dashed-lines in FIG. 4. In the abnormal position, the deflecting 'plate 61 directs pouches away from the shipping container 62 and into a suitable container for collecting spoiled or otherwise deflective ones of the pouches 60. It should be noted that an upper end as at 287 of the deflecting plate 61 blocks the photoelectric eye means 63 when the plate is in the abnormal position, thereby to omit the spoiled pouches from the count of pouches entering the shipping container 62. A tension spring 288 having at one end adjustably attached to the frame side plate 286 and having another end attached to a free end of an arm 289 attached to, and extending radially of, the plate sup port shaft 284 biases the deflecting plate 61 into the normal position for directing the severed pouches 60 into the shipping container 62.

The baffle means 64 generally comprise a shaft 291 journaled within the frame side plate 286 and mounting a plate member 292 for pivoting movement by a pneumatic cylinder 293 between an open position, as illustrated in FIG. 4, and a catching position, as illustrated in FIG. 16. A torsion spring 294 surrounds the shaft 291 and operatively engages the plate member 292 for biasing the baffle means to the open position. The pneumatic cylinder 293 is supported on a back side of the frame side plate 286 and has an arm 296 having an outer end portion 297 engaging a lever arm 298 attached to the support shaft 291.

When a predetermined number of the pouches 60 necessary to fill one of the shipping containers 62 has been counted by the photoelectric eye means 63, a counting circuit actuates a suitable solenoid valve for supplying compressed air to the cylinder 293, thereby to extend the cylinder arm 296 from the fixed cylinder for pivoting the bafile plate 292 to the catching position. In that manner subsequently severed ones of the pouches 60 are momentarily caught on the baffle plate 292 and retained between a pair of spaced side plates 299 attached to the baffle plate and arranged to form a scoop, thereby to permit replacing a filled one of the shipping container 62 with an empty container. When the empty container has been properly positioned, the cylinder arm 296 is retracted for permitting the torsion spring 294 to urge the baffle plate 292 to the open position, thereby dumping the caught pouches into the empty shipping container and permitting subsequently severed pouches to be directed by the deflecting plate 61 into the shipping container.,

DRIVE MEANS As illustrated in FIG. 17, it is contemplated by the present invention to drive the packaging apparatus by a single prime mover, such as an electric motor as at 301, thereby to insure synchronous motion between the various moving components. The motor 301 rotates a first line shaft 302 via a chain 303 and

sprockets

304 and 305. A second line shaft 306 is driven from the first line shaft.302 via a chain 307 and

sprockets

308 and 309, and a third line shaft 311 is rotated from the first line shaft 302 via a jack shaft 312 and two pair of miter beveled gears as at 313 and 314.

The third line shaft 311 drives the variable diameter feed roll 26 through appropriately selected gears as at 316 and 317 and a chain and sprocket drive as at 318. A right angle drive 319 couples the third line shaft 31 1 to a sprocket 321 having a vertical rotating axis. The transverse sealer shaft 127 is driven from the sprocket 321 via a chain 322 and another sprocket 323 mounted on the shaft 127 for corotation therewith.

A chain drive as at 324 interconnects the second line shaft 306 with a right angle drive 326, which in turn drives the feed roll 36 directing the web tangentially onto the arcuate web conveying path. The web conveying means including the conveyor chains 16] and the drive sprockets 162 is directly driven via a right angle drive 328 from the second line shaft 306. The rotating filling wheel drive shaft 202 has a sprocket 329 mounted thereon and driven from the second line shaft 306 via the chain 331 and sprocket 332.

The pump 223 supplying the liquid to be packaged to the filling station 43 is joined to the driven filling wheel shaft 202 through a variable speed drive 333 and pulley drive means as at 334. The bottom lifting means 47 including the disc member 192 supported on the shaft 193 is rotated in a direction opposite to the rotation of the second line shaft 306 and is joined thereto via a pair of equally sized

meshed gears

336 and 337 and a pair of chain drives 338 and 339.

l A chain and sprocket drive as at 341 couples the mitered beveled gear 266 to the first li'ne shaft 302 for counterrotating the pair of drive rolls 51, 51. Also, the indexing wheel 54 and the ganged slicer 57 are counterrotated by the

meshed gears

342 and 343 and the chain drive 344.

From the foregoing description, it should be noted that the pouch 60, as illustrated in FIG. 6, produced by the packaging apparatus 20 of the present invention includes a folded bottorn edge portion 29 as opposed to a normal prior art pouch 346, as illustrated in FIG. 7, which includes a wide sealed area 347 forming a lower or bottom edge of the pouch. The folded bottom edge 29 of the pouch 60 enables lifting the bottom edge in a manner to outwardly bulge the pouch sidewalls 46, whereas the wide sealed bottom edge 347 of the illustrated prior art pouch 346 stiffens the pouch bottom edge and makes difficult proper lifting thereof to bulge the pouch sidewalls as contemplated by applicants invention. Further, the wide sealed bottom edge 347 of the prior art consumes an additional amount of packaging material over that required for a similarly sized pouch formed in accordance with applicants invention. Thus, applicants method provides a substantial savings in material cost over that heretofore available.

Although those versed in the art may suggest various minor modifications it should be understood that we wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of the patent warranted hereon and our contribution to the art.

We claim:

1. A method of forming and filling individual pouches comprising the steps of:

supplying a continuous web of film material;

forming and sealing the web of film material to provide a series of substantially horizontally disposed pouches separated by sealed areas extending transversely of the web and having opposed sidewalls unsealed along top edge portions;

moving adjacent sealed areas toward each other in areas near the unsealed top edge; e I

deforming closed bottom edges of each of the pouches toward the unsealed top edge thereby moving the sealed areas toward one another in areas adjacent the closed bottom edge and forming self sustaining, somewhat arcuate junctures in each of the opposed pouch sidewalls defining margins of a bottom to outwardly bulge the pouch sidewalls so that the pouch approaches a cylindrical shape for optimally opening the pouches to enable their accepting a maximum amount of material to be packaged; filling the opened pouches; sealing top edge portions of the pouch sidewalls together to enclose the filled pouches; and severing individual filled and sealed pouches from the web. 2. A method of forming and filling individual pouches as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by:

directing a stream of air into .the pouches substantially simultaneously with the step of lifting the bottom edges to prevent inward collapse of the pouch sidewalls. 3. A method of forming and filling individual pouches as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by:

directing the supplied web of film material along a horizontally extending path; upwardly folding opposite sides of the web of film material about a longitudinal axis of the web to form a pair of opposed sidewalls interconnected along a fold forming a bottom edge; and sealing the sidewalls together at longitudinally spaced areas to form a longitudinally spaced series of pouches separated by sealed areas. 4. A method of forming and filling individual pouches'as defined in claim 3 and further characterized by:

said sealing step including sealing the web so that an upper half of each sealed area has flared side edges canted inwardly of the pouches for providing gradually tapered spout portions for each of the pouches. 5. A method of forming and filling individual pouches as defined in claim 3 and further characterized by:

partially slitting each sealed area along a line extending longitudinally of the web and intersecting an upper portion of the pouches to define a tear line along which the pouches may be opened by an ultimate user. 6. A method of forming and filling individual pouches comprising:

supplying a continuous web of film material; forming and sealing the web of film material to provide a series of substantially horizontally disposed pouches separated by sealed areas extending transversely of the web and having opposed sidewalls unsealed along top edge portions; moving adjacent sealed areas toward each other; said step of moving adjacent sealed areas toward each other comprising: training the formed and sealed web around an arcuate path; grasping upper portions of the sealed areas while the web is trained around the arcuate path; and moving the web from the arcuate path into a linear path substantially tangent with the arcuate path while continuing to grasp the sealed areas; lifting closed bottom edges of the pouches to outwardly bulge the pouch sidewalls for optimally opening the pouches to enable their accepting a maximum amount of material to be packaged; filling the opened pouches;

sealing top edge portions of the pouch sidewalls together to enclose the filled pouches; and

severing individual filled and sealed pouches from the web.

7. A method of fonning and filling individual pouches as defined in claim 6 and further characterized by:

continuing to grasp the sealed areas for maintaining the pouches in an opened disposition while said filling step is performed; and

releasing the web prior to sealing top edge portion of the pouch sidewalls.

8. A method of forming and filling individual pouches as defined in claim 1 and fur her characterized by said step of deforming a closed bottom edge comprising the steps of:

providing at least one rod extending laterally of the formed web and having a diameter less than a longitudinal width of each of the pouches;

moving the rod in a generally upward direction into engagement with the bottom closed edges of the pouches to deform the opposed sidewalls.

9. A method of forming and filling individual pouches comprising:

supplying a continuous web of film material;

moving adjacent sealed areas toward each other;

lifting closed bottom edges of the pouches to outwardly bulge the pouch sidewalls for optimally opening the pouches to enable their accepting a maximum amount of material to be packaged;

filling the opened pouches;

sealing top edge portions of the pouch sidewalls together to enclose the filled pouches;

severing individual filled and sealed pouches from the web;

counting individual filled pouches as the same are severed from the web;

directing the severed and counted pouches into a container;

catching the severed and counted pouches after a predetermined number of pouches have been counted to permit replacement of a filled container by an empty container; and

dumping the caught pouches into the empty container while continuing to count severed pouches.

10. A method of forming and filling individual pouches as defined in claim 9 and further characterized by:

directing spoiled ones of the pouches away from the container; and

discontinuing the counting step as the spoiled packages are directed away from the container to omit the spoiled packages from the count.

1 l A method of forming and filling individual pouches from a horizontally moving web of film material formed into a longitudinally spaced series of upwardly opening pouches having opposed sidewalls with the individual pouches being separated by sealed areas, and having closed bottom edges and opened top edges, the improvement comprising the steps of:

moving adjacent sealed areas toward each other in areas near the opened top edges for separating opposed sidewalls of the pouches; and

deforming the closed bottom edges of each of the pouches toward the opened top edge thereby moving the sealed areas toward one another in areas adjacent the bottom edge and forming self sustaining, somewhat arcuate junctures in the opposed sidewalls defining margins of a bottom for maintaining the sidewalls in an outwardly bulged position,

whereby the pouches approach a cylindrical shape for receiving a maximum quantity of material for a given pouch size.

12. In a method of forming and filling individual pouches as defined in claim 11 and further characterized by:

directing a stream of air into the pouches substantially simultaneously with the step of lifting the bottom closed edges to prevent inward collapse of the pouch sidewalls.

13. In a method of forming and filling individual pouches from a horizontally moving web of film material formed into a longitudinally spaced series of upwardly opening pouches having opposed sidewalls with the pouches being separated by sealed areas, and having closed bottom edges and opened top edges, the improvement comprising the steps of:

moving adjacent sealed areas toward each other for separating opposed sidewalls of the pouches, said step of moving comprising the steps of:

training the web around an arcuate path;

grasping upper portions of the sealed areas while the web is stretched around the arcuate path;

moving the web from the arcuate path into a linear path substantially tangent with the arcuate path while continuing to grasp the'sealed areas; and

lifting the closed bottom edges of each of the pouches to outwardly bulge the pouch sidewalls for opening the pouch.

14. In a method of forming and filling individual pouches from a horizontally moving web of film material formed into a longitudinally spaced series of upwardly opening pouches separated by sealed areas and having a closed bottom edge, the improvement comprising the steps of:

severing individual filled pouches from the web;

counting the severed pouches;

directing the severed and counted pouches into a container;

dumping the caught pouches into the empty container while continuing to count the severed pouches.

15. In a method of forming and filling individual pouches as defined in claim 14 and further characterized by:

directing spoiled ones of the pouches away from the container; and

discontinuing the counting step as the spoiled pouches are directed away from the container to omit the spoiled pouches from the count.

16. An apparatus for forming and filling individual pouches comprising: 7

means supplying a continuous web of film material;

pouch forming means forming and sealing the web of film material into a substantially horizontally disposed series of pouches extending longitudinally of the web and separated by sealed areas extending transversely of the web, the pouches having opposed sidewalls unsealed along top edge portions;

web conveying means grasping the web at the sealed areas adjacent the unsealed top edge and moving the grasped areas together to outwardly separate the opposed sidewalls of the pouches,

pouch opening means including means engaging and deforming the closed bottom edge of each pouch toward the unsealed top edge thereby moving the sealed areas toward one another in areas adjacent the closed bottom edge and forming self sustaining, somewhat arcuate junctures in each of the opposed pouch sidewalls said junctures defining margins of a bottom;

whereby the pouches approach a cylindrical shape for receiving a maximum quantity of material for a given pouch size,

a filling station injecting material to be packaged into the opened pouches;

top sealing means sealing the open top edge portions of the sidewalls to enclose the pouches; and

pouch severing means slicing the web substantially along a longitudinal axis of the transverse sealed areas to separate individual filled and sealed pouches from the web.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 16 and further characterized by:

a source of pressurized air;

at least one nozzle connected to said source of pressurized air and disposed to direct a stream of air into the pouches as the adjacent sealed areas are moved together for preventing inward collapse of the opposed pouch sidewalls.

18. An apparatus for forming and filling individual pouches comprising:

means supplying a continuous web of film material;

web conveying means grasping the web at the sealed areas and moving the sealed areas together to outwardly separate the opposed sidewalls of the pouches, said web conveying means comprising i at least one continuous chain; sprocket means having said chain trained therearound and defining an arcuate chain path leading into a linear chain path tangent to the arcuate path and extending adjacent to said filling station; means propelling said chain around said chain path; means directing the web from said web forming means and against said chain at a location on said arcuate chain path; and web grasping means attached to said chain and grasping upper portions of the sealed areas to clamp said web to said chain as the latter moves through the arcuate path, whereby each transversely extending sealed area moves toward an adjacent leading sealed area as the web moves with the chain from the arcuate path onto the linear path pouch opening means including means engaging and lifting the closed bottom edge of each pouch;

a filling station injecting material to be packaged into the open pouches;

pouch severing means slicing the web along a longitudinal axis of the transverse sealed areas to separate individual filled and sealed pouches from the web. 7

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein said web grasping means comprise:

a series of support members longitudinally spaced along said chain and each having an outwardly facing, vertically extending surface disposed to engage the sealed areas separating individual ones of the pouches, said vertically extending support surfaces having vertical axes spaced apart a distance substantially equal to a spacing between vertical axes of said sealed areas when said support members are disposed around said arcuate chain path; and

clamping means engaging upper portions of the sealed areas and clamping the same to said vertical support surfaces.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein said clamping means comprise:

a plurality of rollers;

attachment means attaching at least one said roller to each of said support members for movement vertically along said support surface; and

camming means operatively engaging said attachment means as said chain moves through said arcuate chain path for downwardly rolling said rollers over an adjoining one of the sealed areas to clamp the web to the support members for movement with said chain around said arcuate chain path; and

clamp releasing means disposed adjacent a portion of said chain path downstream of said filling station for operatively engaging said attachment means to upwardly roll said roller along said support surface for releasing said web subsequent to the pouches being filled with material to be packaged.

21. An apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein said filling station comprises:

a circular body portion disposed above the horizontally moving continuous web of film material and mounted for rotation about an axis extending laterally of the web;

a plurality of circumferentially equally spaced nozzles attached to said body portion and extending radially outwardly of the axis of rotation of said body portion;

means rotating said body portion at a speed relative to the speed of the moving web so that successive ones of the nozzles move into and out of successive ones of the upwardly opened pouches formed in the moving web; and

valve means communicating each said nozzle with a pressurized source-of fluid to be packaged while each said nozzle is inserted into one of the pouches and for a set interval of time selected to inject a measured quantity of fluid into the pouches.

22. An apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein said valve means for communicating each said nozzle with the pres-- surized source of fluid comprise:

a series of nozzle ports opening at a face of said body portion and being circumferentially spaced about the axis of rotation, one said port being provided for each said nozzle, and passageway means disposed in said body portion and respectively communicating each said port with individual ones of said nozzles; a plate member fixedly mounted adjacent said body portion and having a face surface thereof sealingly abutting said body portion face surface, 7 said plate having a supply port formed therein and opening at said face surface thereof and radially disposed from the axis of rotation a distance equal to the spacing of said nozzle ports,

conduit means directing pressurized fluid from the source to said supply port,

each said nozzle port being sized relative to said supply port so that each said nozzle port is in register with said supply port for a set time interval selected to inject a measured quantity of fluid into the pouches.

23. An apparatus as defined in claim 22 and further characterized by:

adjustable biasing means urging said plate member into sealing engagement with said body portion face surface.

24. An apparatus as defined in claim 21 and further characterized by:

means for applying a suction to each said nozzle for a short time interval subsequent to communicating said nozzle with the source of pressurized fluid for preventing inadvertent spillage of material from the nozzle subsequent to withdrawing the same from a pouch.

25. An apparatus as defined in claim 22 and further characterized by:

a vacuum source; a suction port formed in said plate member and opening at said plate face, said suction port radially spaced from the axis of rotation of said body portion a distance equal to the spacing of said nozzle ports, and

said suction port circumferentially spaced from said supply port in a direction of rotation of said body portion; and

conduit means interconnecting said vacuum source and said suction port, 1

whereby a suction is applied to each said nozzle for a short time interval subsequent to said nozzle communicating with said source of pressurized fluid, thereby to prevent inadvertent spillage of fluid from said nozzle subsequent to withdrawing the same from the filled pouches.

26. An apparatus as defined in claim 22 and further characterized by: 7

said passageway means including a plurality of resilient tubes extending radially outwardly of the axis of rotation and being exposed at a side of said body portion oppositesaid face surface;

means disposed adjacent said body portion for sequentially squeezing said resilient tubes to reduce a cross-sectional area of a throughbore of each said tube while an associated one of said nozzle ports is in registry with said supply port and for releasing said tubes as said associated nozzle port moves out of registry with said supply port to permit expansion of said tube throughbores for creating a slight suction to prevent inadvertent spillage of fluid from the nozzle subsequent to withdrawing the same from a filled one of the pouches.

27. An apparatus as defined in claim 16 wherein said pouch opening means comprise:

a disc member disposed adjacent said moving web and mounted for rotation about an axis extending laterally of said web;

a plurality of circumferentially spaced rods attached to said disc and extending axially thereof toward said moving web, said rods disposed relative to said web to rotate into engagement with and lift closed bottom edges of successive ones of said pouches as said disc rotates; and means rotating said disc at a speed relative to a speed of said moving web to sequentially engage said rods with successive ones of the pouches on the web.

28. An apparatus for forming and filling individual pouches comprising:

means supplying a continuous web of film material;

web conveying means grasping the web at the sealed areas and moving the sealed areas together to outwardly I separate the opposed sidewalls of the pouches;

pouch opening means including means engaging and lifting the closed bottom edge of each pouch,

a filling station injecting material to be packaged into the open pouches;

top sealing means sealing the open top edge portions of the sidewalls to enclose the pouches;

pouch severing means slicing the web along a longitudinal axis of the transverse sealed areas to separate individual filled and sealed pouches from the web;

means directing severed ones of the pouches into a shipping container;

means counting the severed pouches directed to the shipping container;

baffle means movable into a position for catching the severed pouches to permit replacement of a filled shipping container with an empty container; and

actuating means moving said baffle means to the catching position in response to said counting means counting a predetermined number of the severed pouches necessary to fill a shipping container. 7

29. An apparatus as defined in claim 16 and further characterized by:

means directing the severed pouches into a shipping container and including a deflecting plate;

means mounting said deflecting plate for movement between a normal position wherein the pouches are directed into a shipping container and an abnormal position wherein the pouches are deflected away from the shipping container for diverting deflective pouches from the shipping container.

30. An apparatus as defined in claim 16 and further characterized by:

said pouch forming means including a plow plate engaging the web of film material and folding the same about a longitudinal axis of the film; and

adjustment means for vertically moving said plow plate to vertically align the web fold with subsequent stations operating on the web.

31. A packaging apparatus having means forming a web of packaging material into a horizontally disposed series of pouches separated by a longitudinally spaced series of transversely extending sealed areas and having opposed sidewalls closed at bottom edge portions and opened at top edge portions, and comprising:

web conveying means grasping the web at the transversely sealed areas adjacent the opened top edge and moving adjacent ones of the sealed areas together to outwardly separate the opposed sidewalls of the pouches; and

pouch opening means including means engaging and deforming the closed bottom edge portions of each pouch toward the opened top edge thereby moving the sealed areas toward one another in areas adjacent the bottom edge and forming self sustaining, somewhat arcuate junctures in the opposed sidewalls for maintaining the sidewalls in an outwardly bulged position, with said junctures defining margins of a bottom,

32. In a packaging apparatus as defined in claim 31, and further characterized by:

a source of pressurized air;

33. In an apparatus having means forming a web of packaging material into a horizontally disposed series of pouches separated by a longitudinally spaced series of transversely extending sealed areas and having opposed sidewalls closed at bottom edge portions and opened at top edge portions,

web conveying means grasping the web at the transversely sealed areas and moving adjacent ones of the sealed areas together to outwardly separate the opposed sidewalls of the pouches, said web conveying means comprising at least one continuous chain; sprocket means having said chain trained therearound and defining an arcuate chain path leading into a linear chain path tangent to the arcuate path; means propelling said chain around said chain path; means directing the web against said chain at.a location on said arcuate chain path; and web grasping means attached to said chain and grasping upper portions of the sealed areas to clamp said web to said chain as the latter moves through the arcuate path, pouch opening means including means engaging and lifting the closed bottom edge portions of each pouch to further outwardly bulge the opposed pouch sidewalls, whereby each transversely extending sealed area moves toward an adjacent leading sealed area as the web moves with the chain from the arcuate path onto the linear path.

34. In an apparatus as defined in claim 33, wherein said web grasping means comprise:

35. In an apparatus as defined in claim 34, wherein said clamping means comprise:

a plurality of rollers;

clamp releasing means disposed along the linear chain path for operatively engaging said attachment means to upwardly roll said roller along said support surface for releasing said web subsequent to the pouches being filled with material to be packaged.

36. A method of opening preformed pouches, each pouch having opposed sidewalls closed along three side edges and opened along one side edge, the improvement comprising:

moving oppositely disposed ones of the closed side edges toward one another in areas near the opened edge; and

deforming the closed side edge disposed opposite the opened side edge toward the opened top edge thereby moving the sealed areas toward one another in areas adjacent the bottom edge and fonning self sustaining, somewhat arcuate junctures in the opposed sidewalls with the junctures defining margins of a bottom opposite the opened side edge for maintaining the sidewalls in an outwardly bulged position, whereby the opened pouches approach a cylindrical shape for receiving a maximum quantity of material for a given pouch size.

37. In a packaging apparatus having means forming a web of packaging material into a horizontally disposed series of pouches separated by a longitudinally spaced series of transversely extending sealed areas and having opposed sidewalls closed at bottom edge portions and opened at top edge portions and means for opening the pouches and conveying the web along a horizontal path, a filling station comprising:

a circular body portion disposed above the horizontal web path and mounted for rotation about an axis extending laterally of the web;

means rotating said body portion at a speed relative to the speed of the moving web so that successive ones of the nozzles move into and out of successive ones of the upwardly opened pouches formed in the moving web;

valve means communicating each said nozzle with a pressurized source of fluid to be packaged while each said nozzle is inserted into one of the pouches and for a set time interval selected to inject a measured quantity of fluid into the pouches; and

means pivoting the web of opened pouches in a direction transversely of the horizontal path of movement prior to and during the time said nozzles are inserted into the pouches so that the fluid injected by said nozzles impinges against a slanted sidewall of the pouches to limit splashing of the fluid.

38. An apparatus for forming and filling individual pouches comprising:

means supplying a continuous web of film material;

web conveying means grasping the web at the sealed areas and moving the sealed areas together to outwardly separate the opposed sidewalls of the pouches;

pouch opening means including means engaging and lifting the closed bottom edge of each pouch;

a filling station injecting material to be packaged into the open pouches;

means including a bar disposed adjacent said filling station and having an edge portion configured to pivot the web about portions grasped by said web conveying means and in a direction so that the material injected by the filling station impinges against one of the pouch sidewalls whic is slightly slanted relative to a path of the injected material, thereby to prevent the material from splashing onto the unsealed top edge portions of the sidewalls;

pouch severing means slicing the web along a longitudinal axis of the transverse sealed areas to separate individual filled and sealed pouches from the web.

39. An a paratus as defined in claim 38 wherein said bar member leading edge portion horizontally extends from a position upstream of said filling station to a position beyond said filling station and slants from a vertical position in the direction of the web movement.

Claims

1. A method of forming and filling individual pouches comprising the steps of: supplying a continuous web of film material; forming and sealing the web of film material to provide a series of substantially horizontally disposed pouches separated by sealed areas extending transversely of the web and haviNg opposed sidewalls unsealed along top edge portions; moving adjacent sealed areas toward each other in areas near the unsealed top edge; deforming closed bottom edges of each of the pouches toward the unsealed top edge thereby moving the sealed areas toward one another in areas adjacent the closed bottom edge and forming self sustaining, somewhat arcuate junctures in each of the opposed pouch sidewalls defining margins of a bottom to outwardly bulge the pouch sidewalls so that the pouch approaches a cylindrical shape for optimally opening the pouches to enable their accepting a maximum amount of material to be packaged; filling the opened pouches; sealing top edge portions of the pouch sidewalls together to enclose the filled pouches; and severing individual filled and sealed pouches from the web.

2. A method of forming and filling individual pouches as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by: directing a stream of air into the pouches substantially simultaneously with the step of lifting the bottom edges to prevent inward collapse of the pouch sidewalls.

3. A method of forming and filling individual pouches as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by: directing the supplied web of film material along a horizontally extending path; upwardly folding opposite sides of the web of film material about a longitudinal axis of the web to form a pair of opposed sidewalls interconnected along a fold forming a bottom edge; and sealing the sidewalls together at longitudinally spaced areas to form a longitudinally spaced series of pouches separated by sealed areas.

4. A method of forming and filling individual pouches as defined in claim 3 and further characterized by: said sealing step including sealing the web so that an upper half of each sealed area has flared side edges canted inwardly of the pouches for providing gradually tapered spout portions for each of the pouches.

5. A method of forming and filling individual pouches as defined in claim 3 and further characterized by: partially slitting each sealed area along a line extending longitudinally of the web and intersecting an upper portion of the pouches to define a tear line along which the pouches may be opened by an ultimate user.

6. A method of forming and filling individual pouches comprising: supplying a continuous web of film material; forming and sealing the web of film material to provide a series of substantially horizontally disposed pouches separated by sealed areas extending transversely of the web and having opposed sidewalls unsealed along top edge portions; moving adjacent sealed areas toward each other; said step of moving adjacent sealed areas toward each other comprising: training the formed and sealed web around an arcuate path; grasping upper portions of the sealed areas while the web is trained around the arcuate path; and moving the web from the arcuate path into a linear path substantially tangent with the arcuate path while continuing to grasp the sealed areas; lifting closed bottom edges of the pouches to outwardly bulge the pouch sidewalls for optimally opening the pouches to enable their accepting a maximum amount of material to be packaged; filling the opened pouches; sealing top edge portions of the pouch sidewalls together to enclose the filled pouches; and severing individual filled and sealed pouches from the web.

7. A method of forming and filling individual pouches as defined in claim 6 and further characterized by: continuing to grasp the sealed areas for maintaining the pouches in an opened disposition while said filling step is performed; and releasing the web prior to sealing top edge portion of the pouch sidewalls.

8. A method of forming and filling individual pouches as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by said step of deforming a closed bottom edge comprising the steps of: providing at least one rod extending laTerally of the formed web and having a diameter less than a longitudinal width of each of the pouches; moving the rod in a generally upward direction into engagement with the bottom closed edges of the pouches to deform the opposed sidewalls.

9. A method of forming and filling individual pouches comprising: supplying a continuous web of film material; forming and sealing the web of film material to provide a series of substantially horizontally disposed pouches separated by sealed areas extending transversely of the web and having opposed sidewalls unsealed along top edge portions; moving adjacent sealed areas toward each other; lifting closed bottom edges of the pouches to outwardly bulge the pouch sidewalls for optimally opening the pouches to enable their accepting a maximum amount of material to be packaged; filling the opened pouches; sealing top edge portions of the pouch sidewalls together to enclose the filled pouches; severing individual filled and sealed pouches from the web; counting individual filled pouches as the same are severed from the web; directing the severed and counted pouches into a container; catching the severed and counted pouches after a predetermined number of pouches have been counted to permit replacement of a filled container by an empty container; and dumping the caught pouches into the empty container while continuing to count severed pouches.

10. A method of forming and filling individual pouches as defined in claim 9 and further characterized by: directing spoiled ones of the pouches away from the container; and discontinuing the counting step as the spoiled packages are directed away from the container to omit the spoiled packages from the count.

11. A method of forming and filling individual pouches from a horizontally moving web of film material formed into a longitudinally spaced series of upwardly opening pouches having opposed sidewalls with the individual pouches being separated by sealed areas, and having closed bottom edges and opened top edges, the improvement comprising the steps of: moving adjacent sealed areas toward each other in areas near the opened top edges for separating opposed sidewalls of the pouches; and deforming the closed bottom edges of each of the pouches toward the opened top edge thereby moving the sealed areas toward one another in areas adjacent the bottom edge and forming self sustaining, somewhat arcuate junctures in the opposed sidewalls defining margins of a bottom for maintaining the sidewalls in an outwardly bulged position, whereby the pouches approach a cylindrical shape for receiving a maximum quantity of material for a given pouch size.

12. In a method of forming and filling individual pouches as defined in claim 11 and further characterized by: directing a stream of air into the pouches substantially simultaneously with the step of lifting the bottom closed edges to prevent inward collapse of the pouch sidewalls.

13. In a method of forming and filling individual pouches from a horizontally moving web of film material formed into a longitudinally spaced series of upwardly opening pouches having opposed sidewalls with the pouches being separated by sealed areas, and having closed bottom edges and opened top edges, the improvement comprising the steps of: moving adjacent sealed areas toward each other for separating opposed sidewalls of the pouches, said step of moving comprising the steps of: training the web around an arcuate path; grasping upper portions of the sealed areas while the web is stretched around the arcuate path; moving the web from the arcuate path into a linear path substantially tangent with the arcuate path while continuing to grasp the sealed areas; and lifting the closed bottom edges of each of the pouches to outwardly bulge the pouch sidewalls for opening the pouch.

14. In a method of forming and filling individual pouches from a horizontally moving web of film material formed into a longitudinally spaced series of upwardly opening pouches separated by sealed areas and having a closed bottom edge, the improvement comprising the steps of: severing individual filled pouches from the web; counting the severed pouches; directing the severed and counted pouches into a container; catching the severed and counted pouches after a predetermined number of pouches have been counted to permit replacement of a filled container by an empty container; and dumping the caught pouches into the empty container while continuing to count the severed pouches.

15. In a method of forming and filling individual pouches as defined in claim 14 and further characterized by: directing spoiled ones of the pouches away from the container; and discontinuing the counting step as the spoiled pouches are directed away from the container to omit the spoiled pouches from the count.

16. An apparatus for forming and filling individual pouches comprising: means supplying a continuous web of film material; pouch forming means forming and sealing the web of film material into a substantially horizontally disposed series of pouches extending longitudinally of the web and separated by sealed areas extending transversely of the web, the pouches having opposed sidewalls unsealed along top edge portions; web conveying means grasping the web at the sealed areas adjacent the unsealed top edge and moving the grasped areas together to outwardly separate the opposed sidewalls of the pouches, pouch opening means including means engaging and deforming the closed bottom edge of each pouch toward the unsealed top edge thereby moving the sealed areas toward one another in areas adjacent the closed bottom edge and forming self sustaining, somewhat arcuate junctures in each of the opposed pouch sidewalls said junctures defining margins of a bottom; whereby the pouches approach a cylindrical shape for receiving a maximum quantity of material for a given pouch size, a filling station injecting material to be packaged into the opened pouches; top sealing means sealing the open top edge portions of the sidewalls to enclose the pouches; and pouch severing means slicing the web substantially along a longitudinal axis of the transverse sealed areas to separate individual filled and sealed pouches from the web.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 16 and further characterized by: a source of pressurized air; at least one nozzle connected to said source of pressurized air and disposed to direct a stream of air into the pouches as the adjacent sealed areas are moved together for preventing inward collapse of the opposed pouch sidewalls.

18. An apparatus for forming and filling individual pouches comprising: means supplying a continuous web of film material; pouch forming means forming and sealing the web of film material into a substantially horizontally disposed series of pouches extending longitudinally of the web and separated by sealed areas extending transversely of the web, the pouches having opposed sidewalls unsealed along top edge portions; web conveying means grasping the web at the sealed areas and moving the sealed areas together to outwardly separate the opposed sidewalls of the pouches, said web conveying means comprising at least one continuous chain; sprocket means having said chain trained therearound and defining an arcuate chain path leading into a linear chain path tangent to the arcuate path and extending adjacent to said filling station; means propelling said chain around said chain path; means directing the web from said web forming means and against said chain at a location on said arcuate chain path; and web grasping means attached to said chain and grasping upper portions of the sealed areas to clamp said web to said chain as the latter moves through the arcuate path, whereby each transversely extending sealed area moves toward an adjacent leading sealed area as the web moves with the chain from the arcuate path onto the linear path pouch opening means including means engaging and lifting the closed bottom edge of each pouch; a filling station injecting material to be packaged into the open pouches; top sealing means sealing the open top edge portions of the sidewalls to enclose the pouches; and pouch severing means slicing the web along a longitudinal axis of the transverse sealed areas to separate individual filled and sealed pouches from the web.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein said web grasping means comprise: a series of support members longitudinally spaced along said chain and each having an outwardly facing, vertically extending surface disposed to engage the sealed areas separating individual ones of the pouches, said vertically extending support surfaces having vertical axes spaced apart a distance substantially equal to a spacing between vertical axes of said sealed areas when said support members are disposed around said arcuate chain path; and clamping means engaging upper portions of the sealed areas and clamping the same to said vertical support surfaces.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein said clamping means comprise: a plurality of rollers; attachment means attaching at least one said roller to each of said support members for movement vertically along said support surface; and camming means operatively engaging said attachment means as said chain moves through said arcuate chain path for downwardly rolling said rollers over an adjoining one of the sealed areas to clamp the web to the support members for movement with said chain around said arcuate chain path; and clamp releasing means disposed adjacent a portion of said chain path downstream of said filling station for operatively engaging said attachment means to upwardly roll said roller along said support surface for releasing said web subsequent to the pouches being filled with material to be packaged.

21. An apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein said filling station comprises: a circular body portion disposed above the horizontally moving continuous web of film material and mounted for rotation about an axis extending laterally of the web; a plurality of circumferentially equally spaced nozzles attached to said body portion and extending radially outwardly of the axis of rotation of said body portion; means rotating said body portion at a speed relative to the speed of the moving web so that successive ones of the nozzles move into and out of successive ones of the upwardly opened pouches formed in the moving web; and valve means communicating each said nozzle with a pressurized source of fluid to be packaged while each said nozzle is inserted into one of the pouches and for a set interval of time selected to inject a measured quantity of fluid into the pouches.

22. An apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein said valve means for communicating each said nozzle with the pressurized source of fluid comprise: a series of nozzle ports opening at a face of said body portion and being circumferentially spaced about the axis of rotation, one said port being provided for each said nozzle, and passageway means disposed in said body portion and respectively communicating each said port with individual ones of said nozzles; a plate member fixedly mounted adjacent said body portion and having a face surface thereof sealingly abutting said body portion face surface, said plate having a supply port formed therein and opening at said face surface thereof and radially disposed from the axis of rotation a distance equal to the spacing of said nozzle ports, conduit means directing pressurized fluid from the source to said supply port, each said nozzle port being sized relative to said supply port so that each said nozzle port is in register with said supply port for a set tiMe interval selected to inject a measured quantity of fluid into the pouches.

23. An apparatus as defined in claim 22 and further characterized by: adjustable biasing means urging said plate member into sealing engagement with said body portion face surface.

24. An apparatus as defined in claim 21 and further characterized by: means for applying a suction to each said nozzle for a short time interval subsequent to communicating said nozzle with the source of pressurized fluid for preventing inadvertent spillage of material from the nozzle subsequent to withdrawing the same from a pouch.

25. An apparatus as defined in claim 22 and further characterized by: a vacuum source; a suction port formed in said plate member and opening at said plate face, said suction port radially spaced from the axis of rotation of said body portion a distance equal to the spacing of said nozzle ports, and said suction port circumferentially spaced from said supply port in a direction of rotation of said body portion; and conduit means interconnecting said vacuum source and said suction port, whereby a suction is applied to each said nozzle for a short time interval subsequent to said nozzle communicating with said source of pressurized fluid, thereby to prevent inadvertent spillage of fluid from said nozzle subsequent to withdrawing the same from the filled pouches.

26. An apparatus as defined in claim 22 and further characterized by: said passageway means including a plurality of resilient tubes extending radially outwardly of the axis of rotation and being exposed at a side of said body portion opposite said face surface; means disposed adjacent said body portion for sequentially squeezing said resilient tubes to reduce a cross-sectional area of a throughbore of each said tube while an associated one of said nozzle ports is in registry with said supply port and for releasing said tubes as said associated nozzle port moves out of registry with said supply port to permit expansion of said tube throughbores for creating a slight suction to prevent inadvertent spillage of fluid from the nozzle subsequent to withdrawing the same from a filled one of the pouches.

27. An apparatus as defined in claim 16 wherein said pouch opening means comprise: a disc member disposed adjacent said moving web and mounted for rotation about an axis extending laterally of said web; a plurality of circumferentially spaced rods attached to said disc and extending axially thereof toward said moving web, said rods disposed relative to said web to rotate into engagement with and lift closed bottom edges of successive ones of said pouches as said disc rotates; and means rotating said disc at a speed relative to a speed of said moving web to sequentially engage said rods with successive ones of the pouches on the web.

28. An apparatus for forming and filling individual pouches comprising: means supplying a continuous web of film material; pouch forming means forming and sealing the web of film material into a substantially horizontally disposed series of pouches extending longitudinally of the web and separated by sealed areas extending transversely of the web, the pouches having opposed sidewalls unsealed along top edge portions; web conveying means grasping the web at the sealed areas and moving the sealed areas together to outwardly separate the opposed sidewalls of the pouches; pouch opening means including means engaging and lifting the closed bottom edge of each pouch, a filling station injecting material to be packaged into the open pouches; top sealing means sealing the open top edge portions of the sidewalls to enclose the pouches; pouch severing means slicing the web along a longitudinal axis of the transverse sealed areas to separate individual filled and sealed pouches from the web; means directing severed ones of the pouches into a shipping container; means counting the severed poUches directed to the shipping container; baffle means movable into a position for catching the severed pouches to permit replacement of a filled shipping container with an empty container; and actuating means moving said baffle means to the catching position in response to said counting means counting a predetermined number of the severed pouches necessary to fill a shipping container.

29. An apparatus as defined in claim 16 and further characterized by: means directing the severed pouches into a shipping container and including a deflecting plate; means mounting said deflecting plate for movement between a normal position wherein the pouches are directed into a shipping container and an abnormal position wherein the pouches are deflected away from the shipping container for diverting deflective pouches from the shipping container.

30. An apparatus as defined in claim 16 and further characterized by: said pouch forming means including a plow plate engaging the web of film material and folding the same about a longitudinal axis of the film; and adjustment means for vertically moving said plow plate to vertically align the web fold with subsequent stations operating on the web.

31. A packaging apparatus having means forming a web of packaging material into a horizontally disposed series of pouches separated by a longitudinally spaced series of transversely extending sealed areas and having opposed sidewalls closed at bottom edge portions and opened at top edge portions, and comprising: web conveying means grasping the web at the transversely sealed areas adjacent the opened top edge and moving adjacent ones of the sealed areas together to outwardly separate the opposed sidewalls of the pouches; and pouch opening means including means engaging and deforming the closed bottom edge portions of each pouch toward the opened top edge thereby moving the sealed areas toward one another in areas adjacent the bottom edge and forming self sustaining, somewhat arcuate junctures in the opposed sidewalls for maintaining the sidewalls in an outwardly bulged position, with said junctures defining margins of a bottom, whereby the pouches approach a cylindrical shape for receiving a maximum quantity of material for a given pouch size.

32. In a packaging apparatus as defined in claim 31, and further characterized by: a source of pressurized air; at least one nozzle connected to said source of pressurized air and disposed to direct a stream of air into the pouches as the adjacent sealed areas are moved together for preventing inward collapse of the opposed pouch sidewalls.

33. In an apparatus having means forming a web of packaging material into a horizontally disposed series of pouches separated by a longitudinally spaced series of transversely extending sealed areas and having opposed sidewalls closed at bottom edge portions and opened at top edge portions, web conveying means grasping the web at the transversely sealed areas and moving adjacent ones of the sealed areas together to outwardly separate the opposed sidewalls of the pouches, said web conveying means comprising at least one continuous chain; sprocket means having said chain trained therearound and defining an arcuate chain path leading into a linear chain path tangent to the arcuate path; means propelling said chain around said chain path; means directing the web against said chain at a location on said arcuate chain path; and web grasping means attached to said chain and grasping upper portions of the sealed areas to clamp said web to said chain as the latter moves through the arcuate path, pouch opening means including means engaging and lifting the closed bottom edge portions of each pouch to further outwardly bulge the opposed pouch sidewalls, whereby each transversely extending sealed area moves toward an adjacent leading sealed area as the web moves with the chain from the arcuate path onto the linear path.

34. In an apparatus as defined in claim 33, wherein said web grasping means comprise: a series of support members longitudinally spaced along said chain and each having an outwardly facing, vertically extending surface disposed to engage the sealed areas separating individual ones of the pouches, said vertically extending support surfaces having vertical axes spaced apart a distance substantially equal to a spacing between vertical axes of said sealed areas when said support members are disposed around said arcuate chain path; and clamping means engaging upper portions of the sealed areas and clamping the same to said vertical support surfaces.

35. In an apparatus as defined in claim 34, wherein said clamping means comprise: a plurality of rollers; attachment means attaching at least one said roller to each of said support members for movement vertically along said support surface; and camming means operatively engaging said attachment means as said chain moves through said arcuate chain path for downwardly rolling said rollers over an adjoining one of the sealed areas to clamp the web to the support members for movement with said chain around said arcuate chain path; and clamp releasing means disposed along the linear chain path for operatively engaging said attachment means to upwardly roll said roller along said support surface for releasing said web subsequent to the pouches being filled with material to be packaged.

36. A method of opening preformed pouches, each pouch having opposed sidewalls closed along three side edges and opened along one side edge, the improvement comprising: moving oppositely disposed ones of the closed side edges toward one another in areas near the opened edge; and deforming the closed side edge disposed opposite the opened side edge toward the opened top edge thereby moving the sealed areas toward one another in areas adjacent the bottom edge and forming self sustaining, somewhat arcuate junctures in the opposed sidewalls with the junctures defining margins of a bottom opposite the opened side edge for maintaining the sidewalls in an outwardly bulged position, whereby the opened pouches approach a cylindrical shape for receiving a maximum quantity of material for a given pouch size.

37. In a packaging apparatus having means forming a web of packaging material into a horizontally disposed series of pouches separated by a longitudinally spaced series of transversely extending sealed areas and having opposed sidewalls closed at bottom edge portions and opened at top edge portions and means for opening the pouches and conveying the web along a horizontal path, a filling station comprising: a circular body portion disposed above the horizontal web path and mounted for rotation about an axis extending laterally of the web; a plurality of circumferentially equally spaced nozzles attached to said body portion and extending radially outwardly of the axis of rotation of said body portion; means rotating said body portion at a speed relative to the speed of the moving web so that successive ones of the nozzles move into and out of successive ones of the upwardly opened pouches formed in the moving web; valve means communicating each said nozzle with a pressurized source of fluid to be packaged while each said nozzle is inserted into one of the pouches and for a set time interval selected to inject a measured quantity of fluid into the pouches; and means pivoting the web of opened pouches in a direction transversely of the horizontal path of movement prior to and during the time said nozzles are inserted into the pouches so that the fluid injected by said nozzles impinges against a slanted sidewall of the pouches to limit splashing of the fluid.

38. An apparatus for forming and filling individual pouches comprising: means supplying a continuous web of film material; pouch forming means forming and sealing the web of film material into a substantially Horizontally disposed series of pouches extending longitudinally of the web and separated by sealed areas extending transversely of the web, the pouches having opposed sidewalls unsealed along top edge portions; web conveying means grasping the web at the sealed areas and moving the sealed areas together to outwardly separate the opposed sidewalls of the pouches; pouch opening means including means engaging and lifting the closed bottom edge of each pouch; a filling station injecting material to be packaged into the open pouches; means including a bar disposed adjacent said filling station and having an edge portion configured to pivot the web about portions grasped by said web conveying means and in a direction so that the material injected by the filling station impinges against one of the pouch sidewalls which is slightly slanted relative to a path of the injected material, thereby to prevent the material from splashing onto the unsealed top edge portions of the sidewalls; top sealing means sealing the open top edge portions of the sidewalls to enclose the pouches; and pouch severing means slicing the web along a longitudinal axis of the transverse sealed areas to separate individual filled and sealed pouches from the web.

39. An apparatus as defined in claim 38 wherein said bar member leading edge portion horizontally extends from a position upstream of said filling station to a position beyond said filling station and slants from a vertical position in the direction of the web movement.