U.S. patent number 3,916,770 [Application Number 05/376,112] was granted by the patent office on 1975-11-04 for method of making a flat bottom bag.
Invention is credited to Violet M. Hanson.
United States Patent |
3,916,770 |
Hanson |
November 4, 1975 |
Method of making a flat bottom bag
Abstract
The invention relates to a flat bottom plastic bag and to
methods of forming the same in which the bag is provided with an
initial closed bottom that is further sealed between the bottom and
the sides to produce a double-sealed, double-thickness closure.
Inventors: |
Hanson; Violet M. (Old
Bethpage, NY) |
Family
ID: |
23483760 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/376,112 |
Filed: |
July 3, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
493/189; 493/250;
493/936 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
31/08 (20130101); B31B 2160/20 (20170801); B31B
2150/00 (20170801); Y10S 493/936 (20130101); B31B
2150/0016 (20170801); B31B 2150/001 (20170801); B31B
2170/30 (20170801) |
Current International
Class: |
B31B
29/00 (20060101); B65D 30/18 (20060101); B65D
30/10 (20060101); B31B 031/60 () |
Field of
Search: |
;93/35SB,35R,31,DIG.1,44.1R,8R,12R ;229/57 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Coan; James F.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Bauer & Amer
Claims
I claim:
1. The method of making a double-sealed bag comprising the steps of
forming a sleeve having opposed faces and sides,
gusseting said opposed sides of the sleeve inward between said
opposed faces,
seaming closed the bottom of said sleeve to seal said opposed faces
together with the gusseted sides seamed therebetween,
pressing flat against the inside of the closed bottom by applying a
force to the whole of the gusseted sides on the inside of the bag
to form flaps having folds with said opposed faces such that the
gusseted sides and flaps are in overlying relationship,
and joining together to seal preselected portions of said overlying
sides and faces to retain said flat bottom.
2. The method of making a double-sealed bag as in claim 1,
said sides and faces being joined together along said folds.
3. The method of making a double-sealed bag as in claim 1,
said sides and faces being joined together in the direction of the
width of said sides.
4. The method of making a double-sealed bag as in claim 1,
said sides and faces being joined together in the direction of the
width of said sides and between said flaps and faces.
5. The method of making a double-sealed bag as in claim 1,
joining together the adjacent edges of said faces to the overlying
edges of said sides that are formed when the bottom is pressed
flat.
6. In a method of making a double-sealed flat bottom bag of a
plastic sleeve using a force applicator comprising forming gussets
at opposite sides of the sleeve with opposed faces
therebetween,
sealing closed one end of the sleeve along the opposed faces with
the gusseted sides sealed between and to said closed faces,
applying a pressing force against the whole of the interior of the
gusseted sides to form folds between such sides and the opposed
faces by moving the force applicator within the interior of the
sleeve until the same abuts the heat seal and flattens the whole of
the gusseted sides against the opposed faces to form a flat bottom
having folds in the gusseted sides that overlie the interiors of
the opposed faces,
and sealing together portions of said overlying sides and faces to
retain the flat bottom of the bag.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the past, methods of making flat bottom bags and bags formed
thereby have required the formation of numerous seals or seams that
resulted in a bag having a bottom of single thickness, more often
of non-reinforced construction. Examples of such bags may be found
in U.S. Pat. No. 3,237,845 to Piazze and U.S. Pat. No. 3,319,540 to
Stengle, Jr. Bags having multiple folds at the bottom but with
punctured corners may be found in the patent to Reiche U.S. Pat.
No. 3,435,736.
Applicant has filed Disclosure Document No. 018784 on Apr. 30,
1973, in the United States Patent Office.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to flat bottom bags constructed of any
desired material including plastic, paper and cloth or combinations
thereof and to methods of making the same.
More particularly, the invention is directed to a bag as an article
of manufacture having a double-thick, double-sealed flat bottom
produced by methods in which the sides of the bag are gusseted
inward between opposed faces and joined thereto during the initial
sealing and closing of the bag. Thereafter, further sealing and
joining of the faces and sides together at preselected adjacent
portions after the bottom of the bag is pressed flat to position
such portions of the gusseted sides of the face in overlying
relationship, results in the production of a double-thick,
double-sealed, reinforced flat bottom.
The resultant object and feature of the invention is the production
of a bag of reinforced construction that is imperforate and that is
capable of carrying solids, granular, and liquid materials.
Another object and feature of the invention is the production of a
bag that has a self-sustaining shaped flat bottom of any desired
shape, as square or rectangular, and that is maintained in such
shape regardless of how the remainer of the bag is folded, and
further, that because of its double-sealed, double-thick reinforced
construction, is capable of supporting weights in excess of those
capable of being supported by presently known bag
constructions.
Another object of the invention is to provide a flat bottom bag and
method of making the same that enables the use of presently
existing bag making machinery with small or minimal adaptation.
The above description, as well as further objects, features and
advantages of the present invention, will be more fully appreciated
by reference to the following detailed description of a presently
preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiment in accordance
with the present invention, when taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a flat bottom bag constructed
according to the teaching of the invention and shown in folded
condition;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cylinder that may be used in
forming the flat bottom bag;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a sleeve that may be used in
forming the flat bottom bag;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the sleeve provided with gusseted
sides;
FIG. 5 shows the application of the first seal;
FIG. 6 shows the step for pressing flat the bag bottom;
FIG. 7 is a view of the bag produced in FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a bottom view showing one arrangement of double
seals;
FIG. 9 shows another arrangement of double seals;
FIG. 10 shows still another arrangement of double seals;
FIG. 11 shows a combinatin of the seals of FIGS. 8 and 10; and
FIG. 12 shows still another combination of seals as illustrated in
FIGS. 9 and 10.
Referring now to the drawing, a flat bottom bag constructed
according to the invention is illustrated in folded condition in
FIG. 1 and is generally identified by the numeral 10. The same
comprises opposing or oppositely disposed faces 12 and 14 that have
alternately positioned between them side walls 16 and 18. The sides
16 and 18 are sealed closed to the faces 12 and 14 at an initial
joining and closing seam 28. Referring to FIG. 2, it will be seen
that the cylinder there shown may be the shape of the initial or
starting material. The same may be formed of plastic, paper, cloth
or any combination thereof. It may be extruded as a single
cylindrical shape or the cylindrical shape may have been formed
from a flat sheet of material rolled and seamed to assume the shape
as there shown. Thus, for convenience, the cylindrical shape of
FIG. 2 is generally identified by the numeral 22.
In the making of the bag 10 as shown in FIG. 1, the cylinder 22 may
then be shaped with the opposed faces 12 and 14 and the opposed
interspaced sides 16 and 18, such as is illustrated in FIG. 3. On
the other hand, the discretely sided sleeve shown in FIG. 3, and
generally identified by the numeral 24, may be separately or
individually formed without first utilizing the cylindrical shape
22 as illustrated in FIG. 2. That is to say, the sleeve 24 may be
extruded or it may be formed of a flat sheet of material having a
seam along any one of its corners or four walls. Because it is
possible to form the sleeve 24 as a unitary element without initial
seams, the illustration in FIG. 3 does not show any seams at
all.
It is to be understood that it is immaterial as to how the sleeve
24 is formed. It is unimportant whether it is formed in the shape
such as shown in FIG. 3, or whether it is first formed as a
cylinder 22 as illustrated in FIG. 2 and thereafter provided with
the discrete walls 12, 14, 16 and 18 to result in the sleeve 24 as
shown in FIG. 3. In any event, the sleeve member 24 illustrated in
FIG. 3 is denominated as a sleeve to distinguish it from the
cylinder 22 of FIG. 2 and once so shaped as a sleeve, having
discrete sides and faces, the teaching of the present invention may
be utilized to form the flat bottom bag 10 illustrated in FIG.
1.
Initially, the sleeve 24 is gusseted along the opposed sides 16 and
18 to be provided with longitudinal fold lines 26. After being so
gusseted, the sleeve 24 is then seamed closed at 28 to join
together and close the bottom of the bag with the lower portions of
the faces 12 and 14 being connected with each other and with the
opposite inwardly gusseted sides 16 and 18 being automatically
secured and joined therebetween to the adjacent outer faces 12 and
14 by the seam 28. When formed with the seam 28, the sleeve 24 of
FIG. 4 now becomes the bag 10 and is so generally identified
beginning in FIG. 5.
The bag 10 of FIG. 5 is next pressed flat by placing the seamed
bottom thereof against a surface 30 and inserting into the bag a
plunger 32 having the flat shape which the bag bottom is to assume.
In so doing, the bag may be held and the plunger inserted into it
or the plunger may be stationary and the bag moved over the
plunger, or a combination of such movements may be performed. Thus,
if it is desired to provide the bag 10 with a square bottom, the
plunger 32 will be substantially square in shape. If the bag bottom
is to be rectangular by reason of the relative width of the sides
16 and 18 in relation to the faces 12 and 14, then the plunger 32
will assume such rectangular shape. The plunger 32 is then inserted
into the open end 34 of the bag 10 such as is shown in FIG. 6.
During this operation of insertion of the plunger 32 into the bag
10, the gusseted sides 16 and 18 are straightened outward by the
air exiting around the plunger walls so that the sides are
substantially flat and planar and the gusset fold lines 26 thereof
become inoperative.
As the plunger 32 moves downwardly through the opening 34 and along
the length of the bag and finally down to the bottom, it presses
against the previously gusseted sides 16 and 18 to press them
downwardly against the adjacent surfaces of the faces 12 and 14.
During the final movement, the plunger progressively presses flat
the surfaces 12 and 14 against the die surface 30 so that the
bottom of the bag 10 assumes the shape of the plunger 32. As a
consequence, the resultant bag shape may take the appearance of the
plunger as illustrated in FIG. 7.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that the description made
of the present invention and the references to flat bottom bags
include all such flat bottom bags, whether the shape of the bottom
be square, rectangular or of any other configuration. During the
downward and pressing movement of the plunger 32 against the
internal surfaces of the bag 10 causing them to assume the desired
end bottom shape, certain fold lines result. That is to say, the
faces 12 and 14 are now provided with bottom defining fold lines 36
while the sides 16 and 18 are provided with edge fold lines 38.
Also during the formation of such fold lines, the portions of the
sides 16 and 18 previously sealed between the faces 12 and 14 when
they had assumed their gusseted shape such as is illustrated in
FIGS. 4 and 5, each now has a portion thereof forming a
substantially triangular shape flap 40 that is pressed downwardly
adjacent to and in overlying relationship against the inside
surface of the faces 12 and 14. The flaps 40 are formed along fold
lines 42 as illustrated more clearly in FIG. 7.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that the material of which
the bag 10 is constructed is not limiting upon the scope of the
invention. It will be recognized that if the bag 10 is fabricated
of a plastic material, such plastic material is easily heat sealed
such that adjacent surfaces, fold lines and other portions thereof
may be seamed and welded so as to be joined together simply by the
application of heat. However, if the bag is made of paper or
fabric, the adjacent portions thereof may be joined together either
by glue, adhesives, staples or sewing. For ease of understanding
the present invention, it will be assumed that the material of
which the bag 10 is made is plastic and, therefore, portions to be
joined together may be conveniently accomplished by heat welding or
sealing in any conventional and well known manner. In such case,
the bottom of the plunger 32 may be provided with certain
preselected portions (not shown) that will cooperate with certain
portions on the die surface 30 so as to create a heat weld and
joint or seal between preselected portions of the sides 16 and 18
and their related flaps 40 with adjacent overlying surfaces of the
faces 12 and 14, after the bottom of the bag 10 has been pressed
flat and the details thereof positioned in overlying relationship
such as is illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7.
In this connection, reference is now made to the embodiment
illustrated in FIG. 8 wherein the initial first seal formed by the
seam 28 is supplemented by welds or seams 44 depicted by double
lines. The seams 44 are shown positioned along the edges defined by
the end fold lines 38 on the sides 16 and 18 to join together the
adjacent edges of such sides 16 and 18 with the adjacent edges of
the faces 12 and 14 defining the bag bottom. The joining seams 44
extend in the direction of the width of each of the sides 16 and 18
and substantially for the full extent thereof. By so doing, access
to the folds of the flaps 40 between the edges 38 of the sides 16
and 18 and the adjacent folds of the faces 12 and 14, is prevented
and closed. As a consequence, the double-seal efffected by the
seams 28 and 44 retain the shape of the bag bottom to that defined
by the cooperation of the plunger 32 with the die surface 30.
The flaps 40 are positioned on the inside of the bag 10 and held in
their flat position against the flat bottom. This retention of the
flaps 40 against the flat bottom of the bag, which has been formed
in part by the faces 12 and 14 being folded at their lines 36,
forms a double bottom wall. When goods or other articles are placed
within the bag 10, they first rest upon the flaps 40 which are
supported by the seam 28 and by the faces 12 and 14. Because of the
double thickness of the flaps 40 resulting from the gusseting of
the sides 16 and 18, and further because of the secondary seals 44,
the initial weight and force of the contents placed in the bag is
supported by the flaps 40 which are reinforced by the underlying
portions of the faces 12 and 14.
In referring to the embodiment of FIG. 9, the underlying portions
of the faces 12 and 14 positioned beneath the gusseted flaps 40 are
secured to the sides 16 and 18 and their gusseted flaps 40 by
secondary seal means 46 which join together the underlying portions
of the faces 12 and 14 to such adjacently positioned flaps 40 of
the sides 16 and 18. The secondary seals 46 are positioned slightly
inward from the edges 38 of the sides 16 and 18 and may extend for
only a portion of the width of such sides. The seals 46 are
illustrated in FIG. 9 by the double lines and it is there shown
that the seals 46 extend between the fold lines 42 of the flaps
40.
The seal lines 46 function in the same manner as the previously
described seal lines 44 in that they close off access to the
interior of the flaps 40 and create a unitary arrangement of
structure. Such structure includes the flaps 40 and the underlying
adjacent surfaces of the faces 12 and 14. This results in a unitary
base in which the forces supported and absorbed by the flaps 40 are
transmitted to the underlying portions of the faces 12 and 14.
Thus, the bottom of the bag 10 is fluid-tightly closed and made
imperforate by the double-seal construction.
In FIG. 10, the overlying relationship of the gusseted flaps 40
with the adjacent portions of the faces 12 and 14 forming the flat
bottom of the bag 10, are sealed and secured together by
double-lined secondary seaming sealing means 48. The secondary
seals 48 join together bottom portions of the faces 12 and 14 with
the gusset flaps 40 along the fold lines 42 thereof so as to
prevent the separation of the flaps 40 from the adjacent surfaces
of the faces 12 and 14. Once again, the integrity of the flat base
of the bag 10 is maintained in the same manner as described with
respect to FIGS. 8 and 9 and the inwardly gusseted flaps 40 are
retained in position to initially suppot and absorb all forces of
goods that are placed within the bag 10.
In referring to FIG. 11, the bag bottom there shown combines the
teaching of the secondary seals 44 illustrated in FIG. 8 with the
seals 48 previously described with respect to FIG. 10. The
combination of the initial seal 28 with the secondary seals 44
positioned along the edges 38 of the sides 16 and 18 with respect
to the adjacent edges formed by the bottom portions of the faces 12
and 14, closes the interiors of the flaps 40 fluid-tightly while
the additional seals 48 provide for additional structural support
between the flaps 40 and the adjacent surfaces of the faces 12 and
14.
The embodiment of FIG. 12 also teaches the combination of utilizing
the secondary seals 46 discussed with respect to FIG. 9 in
combination with the additional seals 48 described with respect to
FIG. 10. The resulting benefits thereof would appear to be obvious
to those skilled in the art and as previously described.
It is apparent from the disclosure that in addition to the
secondary seals 44, 46 and 48 taught in the embodiments of FIGS. 8
to 12 inclusive, one may completely seam to seal and secure so as
to join together the adjacent overlying and related portions of the
flaps 40 with those surfaces of the faces 12 and 14 adjacent
thereto. Thus, in referring to any of the FIGS. 8 to 12 of the
drawing, but in particular to FIG. 8 once again, the whole or any
substantial preselected portion of any of the flaps 40 illustrated
therein may be heat sealed to the adjacent surfaces of the faces 12
and 14 forming the base of the bag 10. This would seem to be amply
illustrated in and obvious from FIG. 8. When the bag is made of
paper, an adhesive or glue is utilized, with or without the further
use of staples. In the event the bag were made of fabric or cloth,
stitching, glue and other adhesives could be utilized, with or
without staples.
What has been taught is an unusually simple and inexpensive flat
bottom bag that is of unitary construction having a double-thick
base in which the gusseted folds and flaps, secured to the faces
forming the bottom of the bag, create a unitary construction. In
such construction the folds, side walls and faces all function as a
unitary singular structure to support the contents of the bag and
divide the weight equally between them. The double-seals created at
the bottom of the bag prevent the separation of the folds from the
faces and thereby retain the imperforate integrity of the flat
bottom of such bag.
While there have been shown and described and pointed out the
fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a
preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various
omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of
the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those
skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the
invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as
indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.
* * * * *