A composite article assembly arrangement includes mechanized assembly station tooling for supporting certain composite article assembly methodologies with a view toward a preferred lid assembly application. First assembly station tooling includes a stationary main base plate, opposed intermediate compactor plates, and opposed outer plates, which compactor plates and outer plates are movable relative to the stationary main base plate. One or more continuous webs bearing thermoformed first and second workpieces are directed through the mechanized assembly station tooling, which operates to both separate the first and second workpieces from the web(s) as directed therethrough and assemble the first and second workpieces in one clapping movement of the compactor plates and outer plates relative to the main base plate. Alternative assembly station tooling operates to direct first composite elements into assembled relation with stationary second composite elements for forming basic composites to which successive composite elements are similarly added.

This disclosure relates to a machine (1) for sealing containers (91) using a film (95). The machine (1) comprises a first jaw member (21), comprising a plurality of seats (20) for respective containers (91) to be sealed, and a second jaw member (22), facing towards the seats (20) of the first jaw member (21). The first jaw member (21) and the second jaw member (22) are movable one relative to the other between a first condition, in which the two jaw members (21, 22) are separated from each other by an interspace (23) suitable for receiving a film (95), and a second condition, in which the two jaw members (21, 22) are clamped together and, in use, press the film (95) against the containers (91) in the seats (20). The seats (20) are side by side one after another along a longitudinal line (200) extending between a first side (231) and a second side (232) of the interspace (23). The machine also comprises a film feeding device (3) facing towards the first side (231) of the interspace (23), and a positioning apparatus for positioning the film (95) in the interspace (23). The film (95) positioning apparatus comprises a first gripping device (4), which is positioned at the second side (232) of the interspace (23), and a second gripping device (5), that is movable parallel to the longitudinal line (200) between a first position close to the film feeding device (3) and a second position close to the first gripping device (4). The second gripping device (5) in the first position is capable of gripping one edge of the film (95) which projects from the film feeding device (3) and is capable of pulling the gripped film (95) with a movement towards the second position, thereby positioning the film (95) in the interspace (23) at said plurality of seats (20). The first gripping device (4) is capable of gripping the edge of the film (95) positioned by the second gripping device (5). This disclosure relates also to a method for sealing a plurality of containers (91).

A head seal device of a bag making apparatus includes a pair of seal units configured to face each other in a facing direction. Each of the seal units includes a heat seal member and a heater. The heat seal device includes an adjustment unit configured to move the first seal unit in a width direction of continuous sheet panels, and to move the second seal unit in the width direction of the sheet panels in accordance with movement of the first seal unit in the width direction.

One or more implementations of a multi-layer film include a first layer non-continuously bonded to a second pigmented layer. The multi-layer film includes an unexpected appearance differing from the appearance of the pigmented layer. In one or more embodiments, the multi-layer film includes a metallic appearance despite the pigmented layer being devoid of metallic pigment. The multi-layer film also includes areas that are visually distinct from areas of the film with the unexpected appearance. The visually-distinct areas comprise areas in which the first layer non-continuously is in intimate contact with the second pigmented layer. The visually-distinct areas have the appearance of the pigmented layer or another appearance. One or more implementations also include methods of making multi-layer films and bags with an unexpected appearance and visually-distinct areas.

A bag-making and packaging machine, that makes bags by forming a conveyed film into a cylindrical film and putting product inside the cylindrical film, is disclosed. The bag-making and packaging machine includes a pair of ultrasonic sealing members, a cutting member, and clamps. The pair of ultrasonic sealing members are configured to sandwich the cylindrical film along a direction intersecting a conveyance direction and perform transverse sealing. The cutting member is configured to move between the pair of sealing members and cut transversely sealed portions of bags that have been made. The clamps are provided under the pair of sealing members and the cutting member. The clamps are configured to restrain the bags when the transversely sealed portions are cut.

The present invention discloses a household vacuum sealer and a bag-cutting sealing method. In the household vacuum sealer, at least one cutter device is slidably mounted on the upper hood, a heat-seal bar and an evacuative groove are arranged at the front side of the upper portion of the lower hood, the upper hood or the lower hood is provided with a bag receiving chamber, a detachable automatic rollback shaft is rotatably mounted in the bag receiving chamber, the elastic rollback mechanism for automatically rolling the rollback shaft back and the elastic unidirectional locking mechanism for locking the automatic rollback shaft are mounted at the end portion of the automatic rollback shaft; the cutter device protrudes from a bottom surface of the upper hood, and the cutter moves at one side of the heat-seal bar or one side of the evacuative groove back and forth after the upper hood is locked onto the lower hood, for cutting off the bag pressed tightly between the upper hood and the lower hood. The present invention has a simple structure since the bag is cut at the original heat-seal bar or the evacuative groove of the lower hood, which is more convenient. Subsequent to cutting off the bag, the vacuum packaging bags are automatically rolled back after the hood is opened, which reduces the number of operation steps for the user, and exhibits ease and quickness of operation.

A sealing tool module (100) is provided. The sealing tool module (100) comprises a housing; a heat-sealing plate (120); and a first actuator for use in moving said heat-sealing plate between a retracted position and a heat-sealing position, the first actuator being movably mounted with respect to the housing; wherein the first actuator is a first shaft on the end of which the heat-sealing plate (120) is mounted, the first shaft being axially movable relative to the housing; and the first shaft comprises a channel configured to guide wiring through the housing and to the rear of the heat-sealing plate (120). A sealing tool assembly (1) for heat sealing a cover film to a container is also provided. The assembly comprises a sealing module support (10) having a plurality of openings therethrough and a plurality of sealing modules each disposed in a respective one of the plurality of openings and configured to independently perform heat sealing, wherein each of the plurality of sealing modules is removable from the sealing module support independently of the other sealing modules.

Multifunction end effector apparatus and methods for assembling thermoplastic composite articles are disclosed. An example apparatus for assembling a thermoplastic composite article includes a robot and an end effector coupled to the robot. The end effector includes a cutting head, a vacuum head, and a welding head.

The present invention is directed to a method of forming a bottom-gusseted package, wherein each package includes an inwardly-extending, pleat-like gusset at the bottom of the package. To permit heat-sealing formation of each package, the sleeve from which each gusset is formed comprises a lamination of two differing polymeric materials, a sealant layer and a non-sealant layer, so that only an exterior surface of each sleeve, at which the sealant layer is positioned, exhibits the desired heat-sealing characteristics. To facilitate package formation, the sleeves from which the bottom gussets are formed are maintained in a closed or sealed configuration during package formation by providing a heat-sealed bond at the edge of each sleeve. In one embodiment, portions of the non-sealant layer are vaporized to provide sealable surface regions of the sealant layer. In an alternative embodiment, a lamination of the sealant and non-sealant layers is formed such that the sealant layer extends laterally beyond the non-sealant layer, to thereby provide sealable surface regions of the sealant layer.

One or more implementations of a multi-layer film include a first layer non-continuously bonded to a second pigmented layer. The multi-layer film includes an unexpected appearance differing from the appearance of the pigmented layer. In one or more embodiments, the multi-layer film includes a metallic appearance despite the pigmented layer being devoid of metallic pigment. The multi-layer film also includes areas that are visually distinct from areas of the film with the unexpected appearance. The visually-distinct areas comprise areas in which the first layer non-continuously is in intimate contact with the second pigmented layer. The visually-distinct areas have the appearance of the pigmented layer or another appearance. One or more implementations also include methods of making multi-layer films and bags with an unexpected appearance and visually-distinct areas.