The present disclosure a packaging apparatus for packaging bags equipped with a label printer, the packaging apparatus having a remarkably high packaging speed in comparison to packaging apparatuses of the related art. The packaging apparatus of the present disclosure includes a frame equipped with components for operating and controlling the apparatus therein, a bag feeding unit automatically conveying and feeding half-cut and wound bags, a label attaching unit installed on the frame and printing and attaching a label to the bags that are conveyed, and an opening and sealing unit opening tops of the bags, putting a product into the bags, and then packing the bags through sealing.

The present invention relates to a method for making pouches providing a continuous web; folding the web to provide confronting side surfaces joined along a bottom edge; forming a vertical seal between the confronting side surfaces, thereby providing a series of adjacent pockets having opposite side walls with each pocket having an unsealed opening along a top edge; filling the pockets through the unsealed opening with material; sealing the unsealed opening. In the inventive method, which facilitates handling of the continuous web forming the pouches, the web is perforated by a perforation between a leading length piece of the web adapted to form a leading pocket and a trailing length piece of the web adapted to form a trailing pocket, and the distance between a trailing edge of the leading length piece and a leading edge of a trailing length piece is increased for tearing the leading and the trailing lengths pieces apart at the perforation.

A web of bags configured to be guided through a filling station is provided. The web of bags may include a continuous guide of a guide material configured to be guided through the filling station. The guide may be connected with one or more bags of a bag material and with a bag opening. Also provided are methods of filling such bags on a web of bags and use of such web of bags.

Envelopes include one or more walls defining an envelope pocket configured to hold an item. The envelope also can include a closure seal configured to maintain the envelope pocket in a closed state once the item has been placed therein. At least one of the walls can be formed from an extensible paper having the ability to stretch, within limits, without tearing.

An exemplary apparatus for making packages from a web of interconnected bags includes an indexing mechanism, an opening arrangement, a pair of engagement devices, and a sealing arrangement. The indexing mechanism is configured to move the web of interconnected bags along a path of travel. The opening arrangement is configured to open a bag such that an opening is formed in the bag and a product can be placed into the opening of the bag. The pair of engagement devices are configured to engage the bag and close the opening of the bag. Each engagement device includes a base member, a first link, a second link, a sliding pivot member, and a finger. The first link is pivotably connected to the base member, and the second link is pivotably connected to the first link. The sliding pivot member is configured to allow the second link to slide through the sliding pivot member and pivot in relation to the base member. The finger is connected to the second link. The pair of engagement devices are configured to pull a first side and a second side of the bag in opposite directions. The sealing arrangement is configured to seal the opening of the bag.

A system and method according to which ice is automatically disposed in respective bags and the bags of ice are distributed and stacked within a temperature-controlled storage unit, such as an ice merchandiser.

There is disclosed a method for packing articles, liquid or loose material in film bags which are conveyed through a filling station in a continuous web of bag items, wherein the bag openings are kept open for reception of articles, after which the bags are closed and separated from the web. In order to increase the filling rate and make the bags cheaper, the bag web is provided with a central support region extending longitudinally of the bag web and connecting bag items that are disposed side by side transversely of the web. The central support region is conveyed on a support rail along the conveyor path through the filling station and formed as an entirely or partially closed channel. The peripheral areas of the bag items at the outermost opposite bag opening edges of two juxtaposed bag items are brought into guiding connection with guide means adapted for retaining and guiding edge areas at opposing bag opening edges along a conveyor path through the filling station. In connection with this passage, the guide means will force the bag opening edges apart for successive opening of the bags in the filling station, and then, after filling the bags, joining the bag opening edges for closing the bags again.

An exemplary web of preformed bags includes first and second layers, first and second side, first and second side seals proximate the first and second edges, a plurality of transverse seals extending between the first and second side edges, an opening in the first layer, and a line of separation in the second layer, and first and second cuts in the first and second side seals. The first and second cuts are configured to reduce or eliminate a breaking force necessary to break the first and second side seals when the web is torn along the line of separation.

There is disclosed a bag web for packing articles in film bags provided as a contiguous web. At an opening edge, the bag web is provided with peripheral strip areas having holes intended for guide connection with guide means that can retain and guide the bags along a conveyor path through a filling station. The bag items will thus be contiguous along an upper edge, which is used for guiding. The bag webs include the film webs forming opposing front and back sides of the bag and additional film pieces disposed between the flat sides of the bag in order thereby to form side or bottom, or both side and bottom, of the bag. By such a bag web is achieved a particularly simple and rapid filling of the type with stand bottom and with folded side edges.

A product bagging assembly and method of manipulating a web material bag that is operable to create a bag opening that is greater than six inches and which is operable without substantially detracting from product throughput associated with use and operation of the product bagging assembly. In a preferred embodiment, the bag opening/closing assembly includes a first actuator and a second actuator that are connected to one another such that a position of one of the actuators can be manipulated by operation of the other actuator. The product bagging assembly can be provided as a kit configured for plug and play operation with previously provided bag and product delivery systems.