Login| Sign Up| Help| Contact|

Patent Searching and Data


Title:
BAG CLOSING APPARATUS
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2023/214967
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
A bag closure machine includes a closure track that defines a channel structured to receive a plurality of closures and to position an outermost closure of the plurality of closures in a path of a production line. A break off lever is coupled to the closure track and includes a first leg and a second leg. The first leg is structured to support the outermost closure and the second leg is structured to contact a front side of the outermost closure in response to movement of the break off lever to apply a force to the outermost closure to separate the outermost closure from the plurality of closures. The first leg extends beyond an edge of the outermost closure that defines an opening in the outermost closure for receiving a neck of a bag or beyond a center of the outermost closure to prevent premature separation of the outermost closure.

Inventors:
HART ROGER KEITH (US)
ANSELMO ALEXANDER (US)
Application Number:
PCT/US2022/027675
Publication Date:
November 09, 2023
Filing Date:
May 04, 2022
Export Citation:
Click for automatic bibliography generation   Help
Assignee:
KWIK LOK (US)
International Classes:
B65B51/00; B65B51/04; B65B51/08
Foreign References:
GB1040535A1966-08-24
US20100122436A12010-05-20
US20060156881A12006-07-20
EP0018205A11980-10-29
US3579955A1971-05-25
US20210403192A12021-12-30
US6050053A2000-04-18
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
ZENTZ, Bradley, J. et al. (US)
Download PDF:
Claims:
CLAIMS 1. A closure machine comprising: a closure track including a first plate and a second plate coupled to the first plate; a channel defined by the first plate and the second plate of the closure track, the channel structured to receive a plurality of closures connected in series and to position an outermost closure of the plurality of closures in a path of a production line; and a break off lever coupled to the closure track, the break off lever including a first leg structured to support the outermost closure of the plurality of closures and a second leg, the break off lever structured to move to apply a force to a front side of the outermost closure of the plurality of closures with the second leg to separate the outermost closure from the plurality of closures, the first leg of the break off lever extending in a longitudinal direction relative to an outer edge of the break off lever to an opening in the outermost closure of the plurality of closures, the opening in the outermost closure of the plurality of closures structured to receive a neck of a bag. 2. The closure machine of claim 1 wherein the break off lever is positioned at a bottom of the closure track. 3. The closure machine of claim 1 wherein the first leg of the break off lever extends beyond a center of the outermost closure of the plurality of closures. 4. The closure machine of claim 1 wherein the plurality of closures include at least one of plastic, paper, paperboard, and cardboard.

5. The closure machine of claim 1 further comprising: a drive wheel coupled to the closure track, the drive wheel structured to rotate to move the neck of the bag into the opening in the outermost closure of the plurality of closures. 6. The closure machine of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of closures includes a front side and a rear side opposite to the front side, the front side including a slit leading into an opening in each of the plurality of closures, the channel structured to receive the front side of the plurality of closures. 7. The closure machine of claim 6 wherein the channel is a first channel, the closure track further including a third plate coupled to the first plate and spaced from the second plate, the first plate and the third plate cooperating to define a second channel structured to receive the rear side of the plurality of closures. 8. The closure machine of claim 1 wherein the plurality of closures are engineered paperboard including: a base weight between 440 and 470 pounds per 3000 square feet; a basis weight between 660 and 690 grams per square meter; a caliper average between 26 and 30 mils; a smoothness average between 55 and 65 Sheffield units; and a stiffness between 59,000 and 60,000 Gurley units. 9. The closure machine of claim 1 wherein the outermost closure of the plurality of closures includes: a body; and a pair of opposing legs coupled to the body, the opening in the outermost closure of the plurality of closures defined by the body and the pair of opposing legs with the first leg of the break off lever extending beyond an edge of an upper leg of the pair of opposing legs that defines the opening. 10. The closure machine of claim 9 wherein a center of the opening in the outermost closure of the plurality of closures is located along a horizontal line through a center of the outermost closure, the first leg of the break off lever extending to the horizontal line through the center of outermost closure of the plurality of closures. 11. The closure machine of claim 1 wherein the outermost closure of the plurality of closures includes a slit leading into the opening, the slit being positioned on a center line through the outermost closure at an outermost edge of the outermost closure, the closure track structured to align the slit of the outermost closure with the path of the production line. 12. The closure machine of claim 11 wherein the first leg of the break off lever extends to the slit of the outermost closure of the plurality of closures. 13. The closure machine of claim 1 wherein the first leg of the break off lever extends at least 40% of a width of the outermost closure of the plurality of closures. 14. A method, comprising: producing a plurality of closures including: a base weight between 440 and 470 pounds per 3000 square feet; a basis weight between 660 and 690 grams per square meter; a caliper average between 26 and 30 mils; a smoothness average between 55 and 65 Sheffield units; and a stiffness between 59,000 and 60,000 Gurley units; and attaching an outermost closure of the plurality of closures to a neck of a bag, including moving a break off lever coupled to a closure track to apply a force to the outermost closure and supporting the outermost closure with a first leg of the break off lever extending past an edge of the outermost closure that defines an opening through the outermost closure for receiving the neck of the bag. 15. The method of claim 14 further comprising, before the attaching the outermost closure of the plurality of closures: positioning the plurality of closures in a channel defined by a first plate and a second plate of the closure track. 16. The method of claim 14 wherein the attaching the outermost closure of the plurality of closures to the neck of the bag includes moving a second leg coupled to the break off lever to apply the force to a front side of the outermost closure of the plurality of closures. 17. The method of claim 14 wherein the supporting the outermost closure with the first leg of the break off lever includes the first leg of the break off lever extending past a center of the outermost closure of the plurality of closures.

Description:
BAG CLOSING APPARATUS Technical Field The present disclosure is directed to a bag closing apparatus and is particularly but not exclusively directed to a bag closing apparatus for applying paperboard or cardboard closures to a bag. BACKGROUND Description of the Related Art Bag closing machines are known for applying closures to bags. A common example is a machine for applying a plastic closure to a bread bag. However, plastic is a known pollutant and demand is increasing for recyclable materials that replace plastic to reduce the impact on the environment. Recent studies have contemplated using cardboard or paperboard for bag closures as an alternative to plastic. However, known bag closure machines are not capable of efficiently applying cardboard closures to bags because known closure machines will typically break the cardboard closure from the strip of closures prematurely, which can result in the closure not being properly applied to the bag. Alternatively, known closure machines can apply too much force and damage cardboard closures, among other issues. It would therefore be desirable to have a bag closing apparatus that overcomes the shortcomings of conventional bag closing machines. BRIEF SUMMARY A bag closure machine includes a closure track with a first plate and a second plate coupled to the first plate. The first and second plates define a channel structured to receive a plurality of closures that are connected in series. The closures may be plastic, paperboard, or cardboard closures with the closure track structured to position a first closure of the plurality of closures in a path of a production line. A break off lever is coupled to the closure track and includes a first leg and a second leg. The closure machine is structured to move or rotate the break off lever up and down as a bag is fed into the closures to break off individual closures from the plurality of closures. The first leg of the break off lever supports the first closure to prevent the closure from prematurely separating from the plurality of closures. More specifically, the first leg extends beyond an edge of the first closure that defines an opening in the first closure for receiving a neck of a bag or beyond a center of the first closure to prevent premature separation of the first closure. The second leg is structured to contact a front side of the first closure in response to movement of the break off lever to apply a force to the first closure to separate the first closure from the plurality of closures. For example, one or more embodiments of a closure machine include: a closure track including a first plate and a second plate coupled to the first plate; a channel defined by the first plate and the second plate of the closure track, the channel structured to receive a plurality of closures connected in series and to position an outermost closure of the plurality of closures in a path of a production line; and a break off lever coupled to the closure track, the break off lever including a first leg structured to support the outermost closure of the plurality of closures and a second leg, the break off lever structured to move to apply a force to a front side of the outermost closure of the plurality of closures with the second leg to separate the outermost closure from the plurality of closthe first leg of the break off lever extending in a longitudinal direction relative to an outer edge of the break off lever to an opening in the outermost closure of the plurality of closures, the opening in the outermost closure of the plurality of closures structured to receive a neck of a bag. The closure machine may further include: the break off lever positioned at a bottom of the closure track; the first leg of the break off lever extending beyond a center of the outermost closure of the plurality of closures; the plurality of closures include at least one of plastic, paper, paperboard, and cardboard; a drive wheel coupled to the closure track, the drive wheel structured to rotate to move the neck of the bag into the opening in the outermost closure of the plurality of closures; each of the plurality of closures including a front side and a rear side opposite to the front side, the front side including a slit leading into an opening in each of the plurality of closures, the channel structured to receive the front side of the plurality of closures. The closure machine may further include: the channel being a first channel, the closure track further including a third plate coupled to the first plate and spaced from the second plate, the first plate and the third plate cooperating to define a second channel structured to receive the rear side of the plurality of closures; and the plurality of closures being engineered paperboard including a base weight between 440 and 470 pounds per 3000 square feet, a basis weight between 660 and 690 grams per square meter, a caliper average between 26 and 30 mils, a smoothness average between 55 and 65 Sheffield units, and a stiffness between 59,000 and 60,000 Gurley units. The closure machine may further include: the outermost closure of the plurality of closures including a body and a pair of opposing legs coupled to the body with the opening in the outermost closure of the plurality of closures defined by the body and the pair of opposing legs with the first leg of the break off lever extending beyond an edge of an upper leg of the pair of opposing legs that defines the opening; a center of the opening in the outermost closure of the plurality of closures being located along a horizontal line through a center of the outermost closure, the first leg of the break off lever extending to the horizontal line through the center of outermost closure of the plurality of closures; the outermost closure of the plurality of closures including a slit leading into the opening, the slit being positioned on a center line through the outermost closure at an outermost edge of the outermost closure, the closure track structured to align the slit of the outermost closure with the path of the production line; the first leg of the break off lever extending to the slit of the outermost closure of the plurality of closures; and the first leg of the break off lever extending at least 40% of a width of the outermost closure of the plurality of closures. One or more embodiments of a method include: producing a plurality of closures including: a base weight between 440 and 470 pounds per 3000 square feet, a basis weight between 660 and 690 grams per square meter, a caliper average between 26 and 30 mils, a smoothness average between 55 and 65 Sheffield units, and a stiffness between 59,000 and 60,000 Gurley units; and attaching an outermost closure of the plurality of closures to a neck of a bag, including moving a break off lever coupled to a closure track to apply a force to the outermost closure and supporting the outermost closure with a first leg of the break off lever extending past an edge of the outermost closure that defines an opening through the outermost closure for receiving the neck of the bag. The method may further include: before the attaching the outermost closure of the plurality of closures, positioning the plurality of closures in a channel defined by a first plate and a second plate of the closure track; the attaching the outermost closure of the plurality of closures to the neck of the bag includes moving a second leg coupled to the break off lever to apply the force to a front side of the outermost closure of the plurality of closures; and the supporting the outermost closure with the first leg of the break off lever includes the first leg of the break off lever extending past a center of the outermost closure of the plurality of closures. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of the embodiments, reference will now be made by way of example only to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, identical reference numbers identify similar elements or acts. In some figures, the sizes and relative positions of elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the shapes of various elements and angles are not necessarily drawn to scale, and some of these elements may be enlarged and positioned to improve drawing legibility. In some figures, the sizes and relative positions of elements in the drawings are exactly to scale. Figure 1 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a closure machine according to the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a detail view of area A of the closure machine of Figure 1. Figure 3 is an isometric view of a closure track of the closure machine of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a detail view of area B of the closure track of Figure 3. Figure 5 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a closure machine according to the present disclosure. Figure 6 is a front isometric view of a closure track of the closure machine of Figure 5. Figure 7 is a rear isometric view of the closure track of the closure machine of Figure 5. Figure 8 is a detail view of area C in of the closure track of Figure 7. Figure 9 is a top plan view of an embodiment of an engineered paperboard closure prepared according to the concepts of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present disclosure is generally directed to closure machines for applying closures to bags. While the below description will proceed using the application of engineered paperboard closures to plastic bread bags in one non-limiting example, it is to be appreciated the concepts of the disclosure can be applied to closures made of different types of materials as well as different bags. Beginning with Figure 1, a closure machine 100 includes a closure track 102 coupled to a first housing 104 and a second housing 106. In some embodiments, the closure track 102 is coupled only to the first housing 104, or another component of the closure machine 100 generally. Although not shown, the closure machine 100 is structured to be positioned along a production line or a conveyor line that moves bags, such as bread bags in one non-limiting example, through a larger production system. For example, the closure machine 100 may be positioned toward the end of a production line for a bakery where a loaf of bread is inserted into a bread bag with the bread bag fed along a conveyor line to the closure machine 100 for applying a closure to the bread bag. The closure track 102 will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 2-4. Each of the first housing 104 and the second housing 106 may include motors or drive assemblies for operation of the machine 100. For example, the first housing 104 may include an electric motor or actuator for operating the closure track 102 and the second housing 106 may include an electric motor or actuator for operating or rotating a drive wheel 108 that pushes bags into the closures along the production line. The motors or drive assemblies in the first housing 104 and the second housing 106 may include various drives, bearings, gears, rotors, stators, cooling fans, windings, terminals, and the like that are mechanically or electrically coupled together to operate various aspects of the machine 100. The closure machine 100 further includes at least one closure reel 110 coupled to the first housing 104. As shown in Figure 1, the closure machine 100 may include two closure reels 110, although three or more reels are also contemplated herein. The reels 110 receive a plurality of closures connected in series and feed the closures to the closure track 102. When a reel 110 is empty, the reel 110 may be replaced, or if the machine 100 includes more than one reel, the reels 110 can be rotated to move the full reel 110 in position for feeding closures to the track 102 while the empty reel 110 is replaced. The closure machine 100 further includes a controller 112 coupled to the first housing 104. The controller 112 may include a “power” or “ON/OFF” switch for controlling the operation of the machine 100 in addition to other characteristics of the machine 100, such as the speed at which closures are applied to bags by the machine 100, the rotational speed of the drive wheel 108, the power to the motors or drive assemblies in the first and second housings 104, 106 as well as operational aspects. The controller 112 may include a memory and a processor for executing instructions stored in the memory for operation of the machine described herein, such as a recipe or operational characteristics for certain types of products or product runs. Further, the controller 112 may include toggle switches or user- manipulatable inputs for manual control of the machine 100 as well as display screens for displaying information regarding the operation of the machine 100. In some embodiments, the controller 112 includes a touch screen display instead of manual switches or toggles for adjusting the operational characteristics of the machine 100. The controller 112 may also be independent and structured to control only the machine 100 or the controller 112 may be connected to an external device, such as a central controller for the production system including the closure machine 100, or a laptop or computer in some non-limiting examples, through use of any known communication protocol. Figure 2 is a detail view of the area A of closure machine 100 in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, a plurality of closures 114 are received in the closure track 102 with the plurality of closures 114 connected to each other in series. Although Figure 1 does not illustrate the closures on the reels 110, it is to be appreciated that the reels 110 hold a roll of connected closures 114 that are fed into the closure track 102 with the closures 114 connected to each other, as shown in Figure 2. The closure track 102 positions a first closure 116 of the plurality of closures 114 above the drive wheel 108 and in a path of a production line of the larger system. The first closure 116 may be an outermost or foremost closure of the plurality of closures 116 that is closest to a break off lever or a path of a production line, as described herein. As mentioned above, the production line may be for bagging bread, in which case, a bag containing bread is advanced on the production line toward the first closure 116 of the plurality of closures 114. The drive wheel 108 then pushes the bag into an opening 118 through the first closure 116. Although not shown, the closure machine 100 may further include a drive mechanism or a drive assembly above the drive wheel 108 that assists in packing the bag into the first closure 116. Simultaneously, the drive assembly in the first housing 104 moves a break off lever 120 coupled to the closure track 102 to provide a force to the first closure 116 and separate the first closure 116 from the plurality of closures 114. Then, the closure track 102 advances the next successive closure of the plurality of closures 114 into the path of the production line via an advancement assembly 122 and the process continues for the next bag. The advancement assembly 122 may be driven by the motor in the first housing 104 and may include a plate with a protrusion received in the space or slot between the plurality of closures 114 (i.e., the air gap between webs of successive closures 114) for pulling the next successive closure down towards the drive wheel 108. Turning to Figure 3, and with continuing reference to Figure 2, the closure track 102 includes a first plate 124A and a second plate 124B coupled to the first plate 124A to define a channel 126 for receiving the plurality of closures 114. In Figure 3, only the first closure 116 of the plurality of closures 114 is illustrated for clarity. The track 102 may include a third plate 124C coupled to the first plate 124A. In some embodiments, the third plate 124C fills a gap in the first plate 124A to support the first closure 116 during separation from the plurality of closures 114 at the break off lever 120. Thus, the third plate 124C reduces the likelihood of premature separation of the closures 114, which is particularly beneficial for applying paper, cardboard, or paperboard closures. Further, the closure track 102 includes an actuator assembly 134 that is structured to move the break off lever 120 and the break off lever 120 includes a first leg 136 and a second leg 138. As shown in Figure 3, the actuator assembly 134 is coupled to a rear side of the break off lever 120 and is mechanically coupled to the motor in the first housing 104. The motor in the first housing 104 moves the actuator assembly 134 upwards in the orientation shown in Figure 3. As a result, the rear side of the break off lever 120 moves upward as well and a front side of the break off lever 120 moves downward in response. The downward movement of the front side of the break off lever 120 brings the second leg 138 of the break off lever 120 into contact with the front side 128 of the first closure 116 to separate the first closure 116 from the plurality of closures 114. In other words, the actuator assembly 134 moves upwards to rotate the break off lever 120 with the second leg 138 contacting the front side 128 of the first closure 116 to separate the first closure 116 from the plurality of closures 114. The first leg 136 of the break off lever 120 provides lateral support for the first closure 116 and prevents the first closure 116 from separating from the plurality of closures prematurely, as described further below. Figure 4 is a detail view of area B in Figure 3 and shows the break off lever 120 in more detail. In some embodiments, the break off lever 120 includes a third leg 140 positioned at the rear side 132 of the first closure 116 to support the first closure 116 while the neck of the bag is initially inserted into the opening 118 in the first closure 116 and before the break off lever 120 separates the first closure 116 from the plurality of closures 114. As shown in Figure 4, the first leg 136 is positioned at the front side 128 of the first closure 116 and extends beyond the front side 128 of the first closure 116 in a lateral or left to right direction in the orientation shown in Figure 4. Thus, the first leg 136 overlaps at least a portion of the first closure 116 at the front side 128 of the first closure 116 while also extending beyond the front side 128 of the first closure 116 in some embodiments. The first leg 136 may also be positioned at any selected lateral position relative to the first closure 116, such as the entire first leg 136 being to the left or right of the front side 128 of the first closure 128. The first leg 136 supports an upper flange 146 of the first closure 116 so that the lower flange 146 can be manipulated open (i.e., rotated open, moved open, or cammed open) to assist with packing the bag into the closure 116. The first closure 116, as well as the plurality of closures 114 generally, also includes an edge 142 that defines the opening 118 through the first closure 116 as well as a slit 144 in the front side 128 that leads into the opening 118. The slit 144 is located centrally between a top and a bottom of the first closure 116 with the slit 144 defined by opposing flanges 146 of the first closure 116. In some embodiments, the third leg 140 extends in a longitudinal direction (i.e., up and down in the orientation shown in Figure 4) beyond the edge 142 of an upper portion of the first closure 116. The third leg 140 may also extend to the slit 144 or beyond the slit 144 in some embodiments, as shown in Figure 4. As such, the third leg 140 of the break off lever 120 extends beyond a center of the first closure 116 in one or more embodiments (i.e., beyond a horizontal line through a center of the first closure 116). The third leg 140 extends further along the first closure 116 (i.e., has a greater length in a longitudinal direction) than in a conventional closure machine in order to support the first closure 116 and enable use of paper, cardboard, or paperboard closures (as well as plastic closures) with the machine 100. In particular, the third leg 140 prevents the first closure 116 from rotating around the third leg 140 and leaving the closure track 102. In some embodiments, the third leg 140 is also positioned further towards a front of the machine 100 relative to conventional closure machines for additional support (i.e., to assist in keeping the closure 116 in the track 102 until ready to separate after bag is packed into the closure 116). In some embodiments, the third leg 140 may be in direct contact with the rear side 132 of the first closure 116 or may be spaced from the rear side 132 by a distance of less than 1 millimeter (“mm”), 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5mm, or more accordingly. The first leg 136 provides lateral support for the first closure 116, and more specifically, to at least an upper flange of the opposing flanges 146 of the first closure 116 to allow for the lower flange of the opposing flanges 146 to be manipulated to an open position to receive a bag, as described above. The third leg 140 prevents the first closure 116 from prematurely separating from the plurality of closures 114 or from slipping out of the closure track 102 under the force of the bag entering the opening 118 through the slit 144. Compared to known closure machines for applying plastic closures, the closure machine 100 is advantageously adapted to applying paperboard closures. For example, a known closure machine for applying plastic closures may not include a leg for supporting the closures, such as the third leg 140, or the leg may not extend to the opening through the closures, but instead only overlaps an upper edge of the web of the closure. When applying plastic closures, these differences are less of an issue because the coupling between the plastic closures is strong enough to prevent the closures from prematurely separating or escaping the track without separating as a bag is inserted into the closures. However, existing closure machines are less efficient in applying paperboard or cardboard closures due to the change in material properties and its impact on the coupling between the closures. Specifically, the coupling between paperboard closures will fail at a lower shear stress than plastic closures. Thus, as the bags are inserted into the paperboard closures using a conventional machine, the closures are more likely to separate prematurely or the force of the bag being inserted into the closure opening may cause the closure to escape the track without being separated. In contrast, the third leg 140 and the third plate 124C of the present disclosure contain the closure and allow for efficient separation of paper, cardboard, or paperboard closures. In some examples, it has been found that a conventional closure machine applying paperboard closures instead of plastic closures may result in 50% or less efficiency, meaning that approximately half of the closures separate prematurely or break due to the stress of the bag entering the opening. In addition, conventional closure machines can damage or tear paperboard closures under the force of the bag entering the closure due to a lack of support of the closure during insertion of the bag. In contrast, the concepts of the present disclosure prevent the closures 114, which may be cardboard or paperboard closures in a preferred embodiment, from breaking prematurely via the first leg 136 and the third leg 140. In particular, the first leg 136 prevents axial or side-to-side movement (i.e., in and out of the page in the orientation shown in Figure 4) of the upper flange 144 of the closures 114 and the third leg 140 prevents lateral movement (i.e., left to right in the orientation shown in Figure 4) to prevent the closures 114 from separating prematurely. The legs 136, 140 limit the movement of the closure and counteract the forces on the coupling between closures 114 such that the closures 114 are much less likely to break or to separate early from the remaining closures in the track 102. In some examples, the concepts of the present disclosure can be utilized to achieve 80% or more, 90% or more, or 95% or more efficiency in applying paperboard or cardboard closures to bags while also significantly reducing damage or tearing of the closures 114. The concepts of the disclosure are also advantageous because they can be used with conventional plastic closures as well without further modification. Thus, the closure machine 100 of the present disclosure is adapted to apply a wider range of closures made from different materials, including closures made from environmentally friendly alternatives to plastic. Figures 1-4 illustrate an embodiment of the closure machine 100 that may be referred to in the industry as a “non-reverse track” closure machine 100, meaning that the break off plate 120 generally faces away from the machine 100. However, the present disclosure also contemplates “reverse track” closure machines that employ the concepts described above. For example, Figures 5-8 are directed to a reverse track closure machine 200. The machine 200 may be similar to machine 100 except as otherwise noted below. Beginning with Figure 5, the closure machine 200 includes a closure track 202 structured to receive a plurality of closures 204 and a break off lever 206 structured to separate a first closure 208 of the plurality of closures 204 after a bag is received in the first closure 208, as described above. However, as shown in Figure 5, the break off lever 206 faces inward toward the machine 200 and thus the closure track 202 has a reverse orientation relative to the closure track 102 in machine 100. Figure 6 is a front isometric view of the closure track 202 and Figure 7 is a rear isometric view of the closure track 202 of the closure machine 200. Beginning with Figure 6, the closure track 202 includes a first plate 210 and a second plate 212. The first plate 210 may be similar to the third plate 124C described above for machine 100. Thus, the first plate 210 fills a gap in the second plate 212 and provides support for the closures, as described above. In some embodiments, the closure track 202 includes an opening 214 in an upper portion of the closure track with the first plate 210 extending further into the opening 214 than the surrounding body of the closure track 202. The second plate 212 is positioned at a lower portion of the body and includes a protrusion 216 extending into the channel that receives the plurality of closures 204. In some embodiments, the second plate 212 and the protrusion 216 provide slight pressure to the closures 204 in the channel to prevent the closures 204 from losing proper position as the closures 204 move through the track 202. Turning to Figure 7, the break off lever 206 may have a similar structure to break off lever 120 in machine 100. However, the closure track 202 includes a hex rod 216 coupled to an arm 218 , which is turn coupled to the break off lever. The hex rod 216 prevents the break off lever 206 from rotating upwards in response to the force of the bag entering the closure 104. Upward rotation of the break off lever 216 may result in premature or inadequate breakoff, or both, of the closures 204. Thus, the hex rod 216 prevents rotation to improve application of paper closures with the track 202. The track 202 with hex rod 216 may also be used with plastic closures. Figure 8 is a detail view of area C in Figure 7 showing the break off lever 206 in more detail. The break off lever 206 includes an opening 220 with a nut and bolt assembly 222 through the opening 220 to enable movement of the break off lever 206 over a path defined by the opening 220 via a force from the arm 218. The break off lever 206 also includes a first leg 224, a second leg 226, and a third leg 228 that support and separate the first closure 208 from the plurality of closures 204, similar to break off lever 120. As shown in Figure 8, the third leg 228 may extend further in a longitudinal or vertical direction relative to the first closure 208 than the first leg 224 with the first leg 224 similarly extending further in the vertical direction relative to the second leg 226. Alternatively, the first leg 224 may extend further than the second leg 224 or the third leg 228 in one or more embodiments in order to provide further support for the first closure 208. The break off lever 206 may have an irregular shape with a larger space between the first leg 224 and the third leg 228 than between the first leg 224 and the second leg 226, although the same is not necessarily required. In some embodiments, the first leg 224 may be positioned anywhere between the second leg 226 and the third leg 228 (i.e., at any selected location relative to the first closure 208 in a lateral or left to right direction) and thus the spacing may be different between the legs 224, 226, 228. In view of the above, the break off levers of the present disclosure are also adapted for different closure track configurations, including reverse and non-reverse closure tracks. Further, the arm 218 is coupled to the break off lever proximate an outermost peripheral edge of the break off lever 206 and proximate the opening 220. In some embodiments, the arm 218 is positioned on a same side of the break off lever 206 as the third leg 228 (i.e., the arm 218 is positioned closest to the third leg 228 relative to the other legs 224, 226). As shown in

Figure 8, the break off lever 206 may have a generally square or rectangular shape with a triangular extension to accommodate a connection with the arm

218.

Figure 9 is a drawing of a representative closure 300. The closure 300 may be formed of any selected material now known or developed in the future, but is formed of plastic, paperboard, cardboard or paper in some preferred embodiments. In one non-limiting example where the closure 300 is a paperboard closure, the closure 300 may have the properties or specifications listed below in Table 1 .

Table 1

It is to be appreciated that the above values in Table 1 include a range of values that may be acceptable in different applications. For example, although the target basis weight is 688 grams per square meter, a range of

600-800 grams per square meter may be acceptable or more preferably a range of 650-710 grams per square meter may be acceptable depending on several factors, including local recycling requirements in a given geographic region as well as the type of bag to which the closure 300 is applied, among others. Thus, the above values in Table 1 include at least a plus or minus 10% range and may also be selected to be more or less than the above values with a plus or minus 10% range. Further, the closure 300 may include a laminated material including four layers, or more or less, prepared according to the above specifications. The material selected for the layers may be any material now know or developed in the future that are laminated together with any adhesive now know or developed in the future. Although Table 1 describes a certain color for the closure, the color values are non-limiting and may be selected to be any value. The color ranges may change as dyes are added to create different color closures. Thus, the present disclosure is not limited to any particular color or color value.

In addition, the raw materials for the closure 300 meet one or more U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines shown below in Table 2, among others.

Table 2

21 CFR 176. 170 and 176.180 for paper and paperboard in contact with aqueous, fatty and dry food

21 CFR 176.260 for pulps from reclaimed fiber

21 CFR 175.105 for adhesives

21 CFR 176.210 for defoaming agents

21 CFR 182.90 “Generally Recognized as Safe’ (GRAS) for substances migrating to food from paper and paperboard products

21 CFR 182. 1320 (GRAS) for glycerin

21 CFR 184.1139 (GRAS) for ammonium hydroxide, 21 CFR 184.1 191 (GRAS) for calcium carbonate and 21 CFR 184.1742 (GRAS) for sodium carbonate

Colorants considered GRAS by the Food Additives Amendment Act of 1958

Where the closure 300 is a paperboard or cardboard closure, the design of the closure may also be adapted for application with the closure machines described herein. The closure 300 includes a body 302 and closure legs 304 coupled to, and integral with the body 302 as a single unitary structure. The closure legs 304 are positioned on opposite sides of an opening 306 through the closure 300 and terminate in closure jaws 308. The body 302 defines a bottom limit of the opening 306, the legs 304 define side limits of the opening 306, and the jaws 308 define an upper or top limit of the opening 306. In some embodiments, the opening 306 is positioned deeper or lower into the body 302 than with a known closure for additional strength. For example, a depth or height 310 of the jaws 308 (i.e., a distance from a top of the opening 306 to a top of the closure) may be any value between 1 and 15 millimeters and may be increased by 1 to 2 millimeters relative to the dimensions of a known closure. As a result, a height or depth 312 of the body 302 may be decreased by a corresponding amount relative to known closures. The height 312 may be any value between 1 and 30 millimeters in some embodiments. It is to be appreciated that the above ranges may be selected to be any value in the range, including decimal values to two decimal places. In addition, the closure 300 includes webs 314 coupled to and extending from upper and lower portions of the closure 300. In particular, the webs 314 include first or lower webs 314A and second or upper webs 314B. The first webs 314A are coupled to opposite sides of the body 302 and the second webs 314B are coupled to opposite legs 304. The webs 314 connect successive closures 300 in a closure strip, with the closures 300 separated from each other at the webs 314 by the bag closure machine. In other words, the webs 314 between adjacent closures 300 in a strip are designed to fail under force applied by the bag closure machine to separate the closures 300 from each other as individual closures 300 are applied to bags by the closure machine. The webs 314 may have a size, shape, configuration, or any combination thereof that makes the webs 304 weaker than a known closure so that each closure 300 can be consistently separated from the closure strip in the closure machine. The closure 300 also includes protrusions 316 adjacent to the webs 314. Specifically, the protrusions 316 may be positioned below the first webs 314A and above the second webs 314B as shown in Figure 9. In an embodiment, the protrusions 316 are selected to have a different arrangement. The closure 300 may have fairly high tensile strength but a comparatively weak compression strength in some embodiments. The protrusions 316 prevent the closures from collapsing, while part of the strip, if the strip becomes jammed in the closure track. In other words, the protrusions 316 help offset the comparatively weak compression strength of the paperboard and reduce the collapsing distance of the webs 314 if jamming of the closure strip occurs in the machine during operation. In sum, the design of the closure 300 enables more efficient application of paperboard closures. As will be readily appreciated from the foregoing, the present disclosure achieves systems, devices, and methods for forming cardboard or paperboard bag closures to replace plastic with recyclable materials while achieving a high rate of efficiency in applying the closures to bags. In the above description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various disclosed embodiments. However, one skilled in the relevant art will recognize that embodiments may be practiced without one or more of these specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures associated with closure machines and closures have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring descriptions of the embodiments. Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims which follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, such as, “comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed in an open, inclusive sense, that is as “including, but not limited to.” Further, the terms “first,” “second,” and similar indicators of sequence are to be construed as interchangeable unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. It should also be noted that the term “or” is generally employed in its broadest sense, that is as meaning “and/or” unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. The foregoing detailed description has set forth various implementations of the devices and/or processes via the use of block diagrams, schematics, and examples. Insofar as such block diagrams, schematics, and examples contain one or more functions and/or operations, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that each function and/or operation within such block diagrams, flowcharts, or examples can be implemented, individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software, firmware, or virtually any combination thereof. In one implementation, the present subject matter may be implemented via Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs). However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the implementations disclosed herein, in whole or in part, can be equivalently implemented in standard integrated circuits, as one or more computer programs executed by one or more computers (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more computer systems), as one or more programs executed by on one or more controllers (e.g., microcontrollers) as one or more programs executed by one or more processors (e.g., microprocessors), as firmware, or as virtually any combination thereof, and that designing the circuitry and/or writing the code for the software and or firmware would be well within the skill of one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the teachings of this disclosure. When logic is implemented as software and stored in memory, logic or information can be stored on any computer-readable medium for use by or in connection with any processor-related system or method. In the context of this disclosure, a memory is a computer-readable medium that is an electronic, magnetic, optical, or other physical device or means that contains or stores a computer and/or processor program. Logic and/or the information can be embodied in any computer-readable medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer-based system, processor-containing system, or other system that can fetch the instructions from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device and execute the instructions associated with logic and/or information. In the context of this specification, a “computer-readable medium” can be any element that can store the program associated with logic and/or information for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, and/or device. The computer-readable medium can be, for example, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus or device. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readable medium would include the following: a portable computer diskette (magnetic, compact flash card, secure digital, or the like), a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM, EEPROM, or Flash memory), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CDROM), digital tape, and other nontransitory media. Many of the methods described herein can be performed with variations. For example, many of the methods may include additional acts, omit some acts, and/or perform acts in a different order than as illustrated or described. In some embodiments, components or modules of the systems described herein are implemented using standard programming techniques. For example, the logic to perform the functionality of the various embodiments or implementations described herein may be implemented as a “native” executable running on the controller, along with one or more static or dynamic libraries. In other embodiments, various functions of the controller may be implemented as instructions processed by a virtual machine that executes as one or more programs whose instructions are stored on ROM and/or random RAM. In general, a range of programming languages known in the art may be employed for implementing such example embodiments, including representative implementations of various programming language paradigms, including but not limited to, object-oriented (e.g., Java, C++, C#, Visual Basic.NET, Smalltalk, and the like), functional (e.g., ML, Lisp, Scheme, and the like), procedural (e.g., C, Pascal, Ada, Modula, and the like), scripting (e.g., Perl, Ruby, Python, JavaScript, VBScript, and the like), or declarative (e.g., SQL, Prolog, and the like). In a software or firmware implementation, instructions stored in a memory configure, when executed, one or more processors of the controller, such as a microprocessor, to perform the functions of the controller. The instructions cause the microprocessor or some other processor, such as an I/O controller/processor, to process and act on information received from one or more transmitters to provide the functionality and operations described herein. The embodiments described above may also use well-known or other synchronous or asynchronous client-server computing techniques. However, the various components may be implemented using more monolithic programming techniques as well, for example, as an executable running on a single microprocessor, or alternatively decomposed using a variety of structuring techniques known in the art, including but not limited to, multiprogramming, multithreading, client-server, or peer-to-peer (e.g., Bluetooth®, NFC or RFID wireless technology, mesh networks, etc., providing a communication channel between the devices within the systems), running on one or more computer systems each having one or more central processing units (CPUs) or other processors. Some embodiments may execute concurrently and asynchronously, and communicate using message passing techniques. In addition, programming interfaces to the data stored on and functionality provided by the controller, can be available by standard mechanisms such as through C, C++, C#, and Java APIs; libraries for accessing files, databases, or other data repositories; scripting languages; or Web servers, FTP servers, or other types of servers providing access to stored data. The data stored and utilized by the controller and overall systems may be implemented as one or more database systems, file systems, or any other technique for storing such information, or any combination of the above, including implementations using distributed computing techniques. Different configurations and locations of programs and data are contemplated for use with techniques described herein. A variety of distributed computing techniques are appropriate for implementing the components of the illustrated embodiments in a distributed manner including but not limited to TCP/IP sockets, RPC, RMI, HTTP, and Web Services (XML-RPC, JAX-RPC, SOAP, and the like). Other variations are possible. Other functionality could also be provided by each component/module, or existing functionality could be distributed amongst the components/modules within the systems in different ways, yet still achieve the functions of the controller and systems described herein. Furthermore, in some embodiments, some or all of the components within the systems may be implemented or provided in other manners, such as at least partially in firmware and/or hardware, including, but not limited to, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (“ASICs”), standard integrated circuits, controllers (e.g., by executing appropriate instructions, and including microcontrollers and/or embedded controllers), field- programmable gate arrays (“FPGAs”), complex programmable logic devices (“CPLDs”), and the like. Some or all of the system components and/or data structures may also be stored as contents (e.g., as executable or other machine-readable software instructions or structured data) on a computer- readable medium (e.g., as a hard disk; a memory; a computer network, cellular wireless network or other data transmission medium; or a portable media article to be read by an appropriate drive or via an appropriate connection, such as a DVD or flash memory device) so as to enable or configure the computer- readable medium and/or one or more associated computing systems or devices to execute or otherwise use, or provide the contents to perform, at least some of the described techniques. The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.