This invention relates to a novel construction of bag, apparatus and a method of producing said novel bag, and to a system of using said bag to achieve easy and rapid positioning of articles into the bag.

In one particular aspect the bag of the invention is used as a "check-out" bag, that is, a bag useful for carrying purchases away from the check-out counter of a retail store. In another particular aspect the invention relates to a system in which the bag receives articles which have been processed for, at least, price, at a check-out counter of a retail store.

While numerous constructions exist for plastic and paper bags, designed for carrying articles by hand, one example of which is the "check-out" bag found at check¬ out counters of retail stores, there exists a need for a construction of a bag which will allow easy access to the interior of the bag while articles are positioned or packed therein, which allows quick removal from the packing area, and which is suitable to allow the bag, preferably as one of a multiple number of similar bags, to be placed in a position to receive articles with ease and without rearrangement of the individual bags which may already exist there.

It is an object of this invention ro provide a construction of bag which fulfills the above needs.

It is also an object of the invention to provide apparatus and a method of construction of said bag. It is a further object of the invention to provide a system capable of handling articles which are to be placed in a bag, which provides a bag of the invention, positioned so that ready access to the interior of the bag is provided. In one aspect of the invention the bag is constructed from plastic material, preferably high density polyethylene.

In a further aspect of the invention the bag is

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gusseted on both sides.

Further description of the invention will be directed to a bag which is both of plastic material and is gusseted. In one aspect the invention provides a gusseted bag of plastic material formed as a flat elongated gusseted tub having two side _, edges and a top and a bottom end which are both sealed. At the top end two elongated cut-out portions of substantially equal length extend from the top of the bag parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof, to form a tongue portion therebetween, and two strap portions, one at each edge of the bag. The cut-out portion extends both sides of the internal fold of the gusset ineach side of the bag, so that the portion which is cut-out includes the internal fold of the gusset. The tongue portion is cut transverse to the longitudinal axis of the bag on one of its faces and on the other face a transverse perforation is provided.

Preferably means are provided adjacent the top of the bag in the tongue portion for securing and/or aligning a number of bags together. Such means are preferably one or more holes through which a retaining pin or pins may be placed.

In another aspect the invention provides a method and apparatus for producing the gusseted plastic bag described above from a continuous length of flat gusseted plastic tubing.

In this aspect there is provided means to supply said gusseted plastic tubing to a first set of opposed rollers, and then to a second set of opposed rollers, vertically above said first set. Between said first and second set of rollers an anvil in the form of a flat plate, is positioned within the plastic tube, cutting means on one side of the tube are provided to move against one side of the anvil to cut one face of the tube at a position corresponding to a portion of the tongue in the formed bag. In a similar manner perforating means on the other side of

the tube act against the other side of the anvil to perforate the other face of the tube at a position corresponding to a portion of the tongue in the formed bag; such cutting and perforating steps being conducted while the tube is stationary relative to the rollers and anvil.

As the tube is drawn through the rollers, as in the conventional bag making technique, the weight of the anvil prevents it from rising substantially above said first set of rollers, upon which it rests. In the conventional bag making technique the tube moves intermittently for pre¬ set distances which correspond to the steps of heat sealing and cutting of longitudinal slots in the tube whereby to form the straps and tongue portion of the bag. In the method of the invention these steps are performe together with the preliminary steps of cutthg one face of the tube and perforating the other face of the tube at positions which correspond to parts of the tongue, in the formed bag. Means are preferably provided to hold the tube and anvil firmly during the cutting and perforating steps

The invention also includes within its scope a system for using the bag described above. The system includes a plurality of bags held together by means adjacent the top of the bags in the tongue portion and above both the transverse cut and perforation.

The system provides a stepped path along which article to be positioned in a bag are moved so that they, move over and down at least part of the step. The plurality of bags are positioned with their top ends abutting, or closely adjacent, the riser of the step. All the bags are positioned with the cut portion of the tongue uppermost and means are provided at the top of the riser to blow air over the top face of the uppermost bag. As air moves over the bags it will, at least to some extent, blow into the uppermost bag, which, being cut across

the tongue portion, is free to open and allow more air to enter. As more air enters the bag it becomes substantially fully opened. Bags other than the uppermost bags are not free to open until the uppermost bag is removed. Thus, articles to be positioned in a bag are moved along the path .and are confronted with a bag held substantially fully open by air blowing into the bag from adjacent the top of the riser.

The articles may be readily positioned in the bag and when no further articles are to be positioned therein, the bag may be easily detached from the means positioning the plurality of bags adjacent the step by tearing of the tongue portion of the bag, along the perforation provided therein. When this occurs the air blowing over the bag which is now uppermost will cause -that bag to fill with air and open, to be ready to receive any further articles moving down the path.

In order to more fully describe- the invention reference will now be made to a preferred construction of bag, a preferred method for producing the preferred construction of bags, and a preferred system for using the bag, with reference to accompanying drawings, in which:- FIGS 1A and IB are a front and rear view respectively, of the bag of the invention;

FIG 2 is a schematic representation of the apparatus used to produce the cut and the perforation in the tongue portion of the bag of FIG 1; and FIG 3 is a view of apparatus used for positioning articles into bags of the invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1A and IB there is shown a bag 10 which is formed from gusseted tubing. The internal fold of gusset 12 is shown in broken lines. Bag 10 is sealed at the top end 14 and the bottom end 16 by heat sealing of the tubing during forming.

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Two cut-out portions 18 are provided which extend inwardly from the top of the bag parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof and which are positioned to include the internal fold of the gusset 12. Between cut- out portions 18 define a tongue 20 therebetween and two strap portions 22 and 24, at each edge of bag 10.

As shown in FIG. 1A a transverse cut 26 is provided across the full width of the tongue 20; FIG. IB shows a perforation 28 on the other face of tongue 20, said perforation also extending across the full width of tongue 20.

Two holes 30 are provided adjacent the top of tongue. 20 which serve to align and, by means inserted through said holes, retain, a plurality of bags 10 together. Referring to FIG. 2 of the drawings there is shown a flat plastic gusseted tube 32 entering a first set of pinch rollers 34. The tube is then passed through a second set of pinch rollers 36, vertically above said first set. From there the tubing is passed to conventional bag making apparatus which produces cut-out portions 18 and heat seals across top end 14 and bottom end 16. Such apparatus is known and does not form any novel part of the present invention.

Positioned in the tube 32 between rollers 34 and 36 is an anvil 38. Anvil 38 is in the form of a flat metal plate, and is provided with a transverse slot 39 as shown in FIG. 3. Spacer pads 41 are provided on both faces of anvil 38 above and below slot 39.

On one side of tube 32 there is positioned a cam actuated cutting means 40 and on the other side of the tube 32 a cam actuated perforating means 42 is provided. A number of pads 44, also cam actuated, are provided on both sides of tube 32 and when actuated act to hold tube 32 and anvil 38 firm. At that time cutting means 40 and perforating means 42 are actuated to either cut or perforate respectively, one side of tube 32. Both means

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40 and 42 move towards anvil 38 and are positioned to pierce the side of tube 32 at that portion of anvil 38 which is slotted. Thus, the sharp cutting edges of means 40 and 42 cannot contact the face of anvil 38 when cutting and perforating tube 32. Any such contact would have a serious and damaging effect on the cutting edges.

At the bottom of anvil 38 a slotted conduit 43 is provided to allow smooth flow of tube 32 past anvil 38 and to avoid any possibility of anvil 38 sticking between roller 34.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, conventional bag making apparatus of this type acts to move tube 32 forward intermittently and in present distance to allow the steps of bag making to occur. The apparatus shown in FIG 2 is co-ordinated with that intermittent movement and pads 44, cutting means 40 and perforating means 42 all act when tube 32 is stationary for bag making steps occurring further down the production line.

It will also be appreciated that while movement of tube 32 may tend to lift anvil 38 slightly off rollers 34, once tube 32 is stationary the weight of anvil 38 will bring it back to rest on rollers 34 and, therefore, be in position to be acted upon by pads 44, cutting means 40 and perforating means 42, when they are actuated. It is pointed out that as tongue 20 does not extend across the width of tube 32 the cutting means 40 and perforation means 42 are of a width sufficient to cut and perforate the full width of tongue 20 but not to act upon any part of tube 32 which will ultimately become strap portions 22 or 24.

Referring now to FIG. 4 there is shown a pathway 46 which, in the case of a check-out counter from a retail store would be adjacent the cash register. Articles are priced automatically by means of a scanning slit 47, or manually and are then passed to the end of path 46.

Pth 46 is stepped at 50 and at the top of the step

riser an outlet vent 52 (not fully seen) is provided through which air is blown downwardly and away from step 50. A plurality of bags 10 are provided with their top ends abutting or adjacent to the top of step 50 and are 5 located over pins 54 mounted in pathway 46. In this example the bags 10 are heat sealed together at their top end to provide a single bundle. This achieves easeof handling the plurality of bags 10 and enables ready location of them over pins 54. 10 Air blowing our of vent 52 blows over the bags and because the cut portion 26 of tongue 20 is free to open, air enters the bag and substantially fills the bag with air. As seen in FIG. 4 only one of the bags is shown in the open position. This is shown for convenience of 15 drawing, but, as will be explained later, is also contemplated by the inventor. Thus, articles to be positioned in the bag moving down path 46 are able to be easily positioned in the open uppermost bag of the bundle and when that bag is full, or no further articles are to 20 be positioned therein, it may be detached from the bundle by tearing tongue 20 along perforation 28. Once that bag has been removed, air blowing from vent 52 enters the next uppermost bag and once again, cut edge 26 is free to open and the bag fills with air and is ready to receive further 25 articles moving down ramp 46.

FIG. 4 shows two bundles of bags 10 in a side-by-side arrangement, and this is provided so that refrigerated and frozen merchandise from a retail store may be bagged separately from other merchandise, as is preferred in the ^• 30 art.

The air blowing our of vent 52 is provided by a fan unit conveniently stored under pathway 46. The fan unit is provided with a variable speed control to enable variation of the amount and velocity of the air blowing 35 out of vent 52.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art tha

any numbers of means may be employed to hold a plurality of bags 10 together, such as staples, and that other suitable means other than pins 54 and 56 may be provided for retaining the plurality of bags 10 in pathway 46. It will also be appreciated by persons silled in the art that if the- air blowing our of vent 52 does not immediately catach cut tongue portion 26 and commence filling of the bag with air that a simple lifting action on tongue 26 by an operator at a check-out counter would be sufficient to allow air to start entering the bag and once air commences to open tongue portion 26 more air will enter the bag and the bag will fill with air.

In fact, one of the advantages of the present inventio is that by controlling the amount of air flowing out of vent 52 it is possible to prevent the uppermost bag from filling with air until it receives a manual lifting action at cut section 26 by the operator, so that, when there is no necessity to have a bag in a substantially fully open position one will- ot be provided by the flow of air from vent 52. As soon as the necessity arises for an open bag to be presented the operator can simply manually lift up tongue section 26 and as soon as air commences to enter the uppermost bag 10 the remainder of the bag will continue to fill with air until the bag is substantially fully opened.