A bag-making and packaging machine includes a film supply unit that supplies film to a bag-making and packaging unit. The film supply unit has a film roll holding unit that rotatably holds a first film roll, a film temporary placement member on which a vicinity of a leading end portion of a first film wound into the first film roll is manually temporarily placed when attaching the first film roll to the film roll holding unit, a leading end portion detection sensor configured to detect that the leading end portion of the first film is positioned in a prescribed position, and a controller configured to control a rotating mechanism to convey the first film along a predetermined conveyance path until the leading end portion detection sensor detects that the leading end portion of the first film is positioned in the prescribed position.

A bag-making and packaging machine has a film supply unit that supplies film to a bag-making and packaging unit. The film supply unit has holding mechanisms each having a shaft that holds a film roll, a holding mechanism support frame supporting the holding mechanisms, a moving mechanism that rotates the holding mechanism support frame to move each holding mechanism between a film roll setting position and a film supply position, a splicing mechanism splicing a trailing end portion of the film of the roll of one of the holding mechanisms and a leading end portion of the film of the roll of another one of the holding mechanisms, and a film drawing mechanism that rotates the shafts of the holding mechanisms to draw the film independently from the film rolls attached to the shafts of the holding mechanisms and changes the drawing speed of the film during bag-making and packaging.

A bag-making and packaging machine has a film supply unit that supplies film to a bag-making and packaging unit. The film supply unit has holding mechanisms each having a shaft that holds a film roll, a holding mechanism support frame supporting the holding mechanisms, a moving mechanism that rotates the holding mechanism support frame to move each holding mechanism between a film roll setting position and a film supply position, a splicing mechanism splicing a trailing end portion of the film of the roll of one of the holding mechanisms and a leading end portion of the film of the roll of another one of the holding mechanisms, and a film drawing mechanism that rotates the shafts of the holding mechanisms to draw the film independently from the film rolls attached to the shafts of the holding mechanisms and changes the drawing speed of the film during bag-making and packaging.

A welding device for making and hermetically sealing at least one package containing a product, comprises first and second sealing and cutting equipment. Each sealing equipment is configured to receive a film forming a tubular envelope, to seal and cut it transversally for making at least one package. The welding device comprises a support body, bearing the first and the second sealing and cutting equipment, which is connectable to a packaging machine preferably a rotary drum of a packaging machine. Each sealing and cutting equipment comprises an arm operating as a sealing and cutting head and an abutment body. The arm is rotatably constrained to the support body and reversibly movable between an active position substantially abutting the abutment body, and an inactive position raised with respect to the abutment body. A locking device locks the arms in the active position in the welding step.

A welding device for making and hermetically sealing at least one package containing a product, comprises first and second sealing and cutting equipment. Each sealing equipment is configured to receive a film forming a tubular envelope, to seal and cut it transversally for making at least one package. The welding device comprises a support body, bearing the first and the second sealing and cutting equipment, which is connectable to a packaging machine preferably a rotary drum of a packaging machine. Each sealing and cutting equipment comprises an arm operating as a sealing and cutting head and an abutment body. The arm is rotatably constrained to the support body and reversibly movable between an active position substantially abutting the abutment body, and an inactive position raised with respect to the abutment body. A locking device locks the arms in the active position in the welding step.

A device for sealing and cutting a film in a packaging apparatus, a packaging apparatus including the device, and a process using the device are provided. The device includes first and second members, one or both of which are movable with respect to the other. One of the members includes an elongated blade, and one of the members includes a cutting means positionable in a plurality of positions. The process includes creating a first seal on a tubular film, thereby creating a semi-sealed package, creating a second seal on the semi-sealed package, thereby creating a sealed package, creating a substantially transversal cut in the tubular film, thereby separating the semi-sealed package from a subsequent portion of the tubular film, and creating an incision in a section of the first or second seal, the incision defining a pre-determined breaking zone in the tubular film of the sealed package.

A device for sealing and cutting a film in a packaging apparatus, a packaging apparatus including the device, and a process using the device are provided. The device includes first and second members, one or both of which are movable with respect to the other. One of the members includes an elongated blade, and one of the members includes a cutting means positionable in a plurality of positions. The process includes creating a first seal on a tubular film, thereby creating a semi-sealed package, creating a second seal on the semi-sealed package, thereby creating a sealed package, creating a substantially transversal cut in the tubular film, thereby separating the semi-sealed package from a subsequent portion of the tubular film, and creating an incision in a section of the first or second seal, the incision defining a pre-determined breaking zone in the tubular film of the sealed package.

The invention relates to a method for operating a bagging machine (01) having at least one vibration sensor (15, 18, 19) and a vibration evaluation device (16), wherein airborne and/or structure-borne signals can be measured with the vibration sensor (15, 18, 19), and wherein the measurement signals of the vibration sensor (15, 18, 19) can be evaluated with the vibration evaluation device (16), wherein

a) airborne and/or structure-borne signals produced by the filling material during operation of the bagging machine (01) are measured with the vibration sensor (15, 18, 19) on the format tube (06),

b) the measurement signals of the vibration sensor (15, 18, 19) are evaluated by the vibration evaluation device (16),

c) a function signal is output depending on the evaluation results.

The invention relates to a method for operating a bagging machine (01) having at least one vibration sensor (15, 18, 19) and a vibration evaluation device (16), wherein airborne and/or structure-borne signals can be measured with the vibration sensor (15, 18, 19), and wherein the measurement signals of the vibration sensor (15, 18, 19) can be evaluated with the vibration evaluation device (16), wherein

a) airborne and/or structure-borne signals produced by the filling material during operation of the bagging machine (01) are measured with the vibration sensor (15, 18, 19) on the format tube (06),

b) the measurement signals of the vibration sensor (15, 18, 19) are evaluated by the vibration evaluation device (16),

c) a function signal is output depending on the evaluation results.

An apparatus and process for packaging a product, such as a waste product, in a sealed tubular plastic container involves providing a source of a sheet of a plastic film and moving a portion of the film away from the source and about an open-ended, vertically-extending tubular pipe. The film is then moved toward an open top end of the pipe to form a second portion of the film into a tubular form around the pipe with the second widthwise end potions overlapping each other. The overlapping portions are sealed and the tubular form of the film is moved into an open top end of the pipe, so that the interior of the tube, formed by the film is open at the top of the pipe to receive the product. The product may then be transported downwardly through the tube, which is then sealed above and below the encapsulated product.