Certain implementations provide a form-fill-seal machine that can efficiently seal a packaging material. The transverse sealing unit may have first members to sandwich the packaging material and sealing the packaging material in a transverse direction, and second members for squeezing the packaging material while sandwiching the packaging material with a prescribed gap left therebetween. The control unit may cause the packaging material to be squeezed by the second members by causing the transverse sealing unit located at a reference position to descend faster than the packaging material being conveyed downward. The control unit may cause the transverse sealing unit to ascend while the packaging material is being sealed by the first members. The control unit may cause the transverse sealing unit to move such that the first members are separated from the packaging material.

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.

An apparatus includes a drum that rotates about an axis and rotating an anvil roll that rotates about an axis of rotation. The drum includes a fluid nozzle and a press member, the press member having an outer surface. The anvil roll includes a compliant outer circumferential surface. First and second substrates are advanced in a machine direction onto the drum. The fluid nozzle moves radially outward and a jet of heated fluid may be directed onto the substrates. The fluid nozzle retracts radially inward and the press member may be shifted radially outward. The substrates may be compressed between the press member and the anvil roll such that the press member deforms the compliant outer circumferential surface of the anvil roll.

A flat strip 1, suitable for forming a tube flexible skirt, comprising a decorative film 15 superimposed on a primary film 16, said primary film 16 consisting of a series of polymeric layers and comprising a sealable inner layer 14 at the lower surface 20 of the strip 1, said decorative film 15 comprising a sealable outer layer 7 at the upper surface 19 of the strip 1 and a decorative layer 8, 9.

The primary film 16 comprises means for stabilizing the strip 1 and protecting the decorative layer 8,9 against heating.

A method for producing a tube skirt for a flexible tube, said tube skirt being manufactured from a flat strip 1 comprising a decorative film 15 superimposed on a primary film 16, said primary film 16 comprising a sealable inner layer 14 at the lower surface 20 of the strip 1 as well as two stabilizing layers 11, 13, said decorative film 15 comprising a sealable outer layer 7 at the upper surface 19 of the strip 1, and a decorative layer 8, 9.

This method comprises the following steps: winding the flat strip 1 into the form of a sleeve to shape the tube skirt; superimposing a first side border 2 of the strip 1 on a second side border 2 of the strip 1 to form an overlapping area 3, the sealable inner layer 14 of the primary film 16 of the first side border 2 overlapping the sealable outer layer 7 of the decorative film 15 of the second side border 2; applying a heating temperature T2 to the inside of the tube skirt at the inner face 22 of the overlapping area 3 to produce the side weld of the tube skirt; simultaneously with the application of the heating temperature T2, applying compression between the outer 21 and inner 22 faces of the overlapping area 3 so as to finalize the side weld of the tube skirt.

A device for manufacturing a tube skirt from a flexible strip, comprising a housing, a cylindrical elongated mandrel 30, means used to advance and guide this flexible strip to shape it in the form of a sleeve around the mandrel 30, one of the side borders of this strip overlapping the other side border to form an overlapping area to be welded, an inner heating means 32 located in the mandrel 30 to heat the inner face of the overlapping area, and inner cooling means 33 located in the mandrel 30 to cool the inner face of the overlapping area and downstream from the inner heating means 32.

The device is characterized in that said cooling means 33 is arranged across from the overlapping area and configured to be in direct contact with the overlapping area.

A device for cardboard storage and removal for a bridge in a corrugated cardboard production line includes a bridge over which a conveyor system for conveying the single-sided laminated corrugated cardboard web is arranged. The exit end of the conveyor system for conveying the single-sided laminated corrugated cardboard web is provided with a clamping and cutting unit and a movable cardboard storage carriage unit is provided under the conveyor system for conveying the single-sided laminated corrugated cardboard web, under which conveyor system a conveyor belt system is provided in the bridge, and in the bridge an opening is provided, under which a waste cardboard collecting carriage is provided. The movable cardboard storage carriage unit stores the cardboard by means of cardboard storage rolls, which retain the single-sided laminated corrugated cardboard web flat on the bridge. In the event that a splicing defect is detected, the defective piece is cut out by the clamping and cutting unit and ejected by the conveyor belt system to the waste cardboard collecting carriage through the opening. Hence, it follows that productivity is improved.

A method includes rotating a drum about an axis and an anvil roll about an axis of rotation. The drum includes a fluid nozzle and a press member, the press member having an outer surface. The anvil roll includes a compliant outer circumferential surface. One or more substrates are advanced in a machine direction onto the drum. The fluid nozzle moves radially outward and a jet of heated fluid may be directed onto the substrates. The fluid nozzle retracts radially inward and the press member may be shifted radially outward. The substrates may be compressed between the press member and the anvil roll such that the press member deforms the compliant outer circumferential surface of the anvil roll.

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 machine for welding an overlapped region of two adjacent strips of material and a method of using the same. The machine includes a housing with front and rear ends, a wheel train engaged with the housing for moving the housing across the material; a nozzle on the housing having a welding head at a free end; the nozzle being positionable at least partially beneath the housing's bottom wall for welding the overlapped region; front and rear pressure rollers engaged with the housing, where the front roller is positioned forwardly of the welding head and the rear roller is positioned rearwardly of the welding head; wherein the rear pressure roller applies pressure to the overlapped region when the wheel train moves the housing in a forward direction; and the front pressure roller applies pressure to the overlapped region when the wheel train moves the housing in a reverse direction.