A welding station for an installation for manufacturing packages with pads, the welding station including a plurality of longitudinal welding heads. Each welding head is configured to weld to one another two superposed sheets as said sheets advance in a first direction and may include a welder to apply heat on an action area. Each welding head has a main body, a first traction belt wound in the main body and a second traction belt wound to said main body, parallel to the first traction belt and separated from the first traction belt by a separation gap in a second direction which is transverse to the first direction. The action area is arranged in said separation gap, between both traction belts. Each of the longitudinal welding heads is configured to be able to be moved along the second direction.

The present disclosure is directed to a web inflation and sealing apparatus. The device may include a support member for holding a supply of web material and sealing apparatus may include an inflation and a sealing assembly operable to inflate the web material with a fluid by directing the fluid between superimposed plies of the web material and to seal the plies together to seal the fluid therein. The apparatus may include a guide member positioned between the support member and the inflation and sealing assembly such that when the web material is routed from the supply toward the inflation and sealing assembly via the guide member the web material follows a curved longitudinal path. The guide member may define a web-supporting surface extending transversely to the longitudinal path with an elevated profile portion defining at least a portion of the web-supporting surface.

A machine includes an inflation arrangement, a sealing arrangement, and a tensioning device. The inflation arrangement provides air at a first pressure to inflate a first web of a first type of inflatable material, provides air at a second pressure to inflate a second web of a second type of inflatable material, receives the first and second webs, and aligns the first and second webs on the machine. The first pressure is different from the second pressure. The sealing arrangement seals the first and second types of inflatable material. The tensioning device provides a first tensioning force to the first web as the first web moves between the inflation and sealing arrangements and provides a second tensioning force to the second web as the second web moves between the inflation and sealing arrangements. The first tensioning force is different from the second tensioning force.

A protective packaging formation device is disclosed herein. The device includes an inflation assembly that directs fluid between first and second overlapping plies of a web material. The device also includes a sealing mechanism that includes an arcuate web-support surface. The web-support surface includes a heater that defines a heating zone that is operable to heat the plies to create a longitudinal heat seal that seals the first and second plies together as the web is driven over the heating zone in a downstream direction. The web-support surface also includes a cooling zone disposed downstream of the heating zone operable to allow the heated plies to cool at the longitudinal heat seal as the web is driven over the heating zone in a downstream direction, such that the cooled longitudinal heat seal retains the fluid between the plies.

A machine for converting two different types of webs of inflatable material to two different types of inflated cushioning material includes an inflation arrangement, a sealing arrangement, and a tensioning device. The inflation arrangement is configured to provide air at a lower pressure to a first web of a first type of inflatable material to inflate the first type of inflatable material, and to provide air at a higher pressure to a second type of inflatable material to inflate the second type of inflatable material. The inflation arrangement includes a guide pin configured to the first and second webs and align the first and second webs on the machine. The sealing arrangement is configured to seal the first type of inflatable material and the second type of inflatable material to create the two different types of inflated cushioning material. The tensioning device is configured to provide a lower tensioning force to the first web as the first web moves between the inflation arrangement and the sealing arrangement, and to provide a higher tensioning force to the second web as the second web moves between the inflation arrangement and the sealing arrangement.

Provided is a method for manufacturing a cuff including a first outer layer, a first intermediate layer, a second intermediate layer, and a second outer layer, the method including disposing each of two non-bridge welded sheet members between the sheet member of the first intermediate layer bridge welded with the sheet member of the first outer layer and the sheet member of the first intermediate layer bridge welded with the sheet member of the second intermediate layer and between the sheet member of the second intermediate layer bridge welded with the sheet member of the first intermediate layer and the sheet member of the second intermediate layer bridge welded with the sheet member of the second outer layer, and welding the four sheet members constituting the intermediate layers.

A web of uninflated scented air pillows and a method of forming an air pillow filled with scented air. A scented material is applied to a first surface of a sheet of film material. The sheet of film material is formed into a two-ply web of film material with the first surface positioned as an inner surface within that web. A series of uninflated air chambers are formed in the two-ply web of film material, each of the uninflated air chambers bounded transversely and at a bottom edge and having an open upper longitudinal edge. In this manner, each of uninflated air chambers has scented material on an interior surface thereof. Each uninflated air chambers can be inflated and sealed to form an air pillow. The scented material on the inner surface of the inflated air chambers evaporates upon filling and the air within each inflated air pillow becomes scented.

A connective protective packaging element is provided. The connective protective packaging element may include a protective body in a high-density supply configuration. The protective body may be configurable into a low-density configuration for cushioning packaged products. The body may include an exposed surface in the low-density configuration. The connective protective packaging element may also include a bonding element attached to the exposed surface that operably bonds the exposed surface to an abutting surface by contact with the bonding element.

An inflatable cellular cushioning article has a plurality of inflatable chambers with each chamber comprising a plurality of inflatable cells connected in series with one another by connecting channels. The article is made from a first multilayer film sealed to itself or to a second film. The first film comprises a plurality of microlayers. At least 50 percent of the microlayers comprise a polymer selected from the group consisting of ethylene homopolymer, ethylene copolymer, propylene homopolymer, and propylene copolymer.

The present disclosure is directed to a compression belt for inflation and sealing devices. The device may include an inflation assembly, a heating assembly, and a drive mechanism. The inflation assembly may direct fluid between first and second overlapping plies of a flexible web material to inflate chambers between the plies. The heating assembly may be operable to heat the first and second plies of the web material to create a longitudinal heat seal that seals the fluid in the inflated chambers. The drive mechanism may drive the web material in a downstream direction. The drive mechanism may tension the web material against the heating assembly. The drive mechanism may include a first belt including a high grip material on a surface that contacts the web material to grip the web material during heating by the heating assembly.