Harold M Forman, 98103 Industrial Dr, Gilbertsville, PA 19525

6350057, Feb 26, 2002

Jul 29, 1999

09/364180

Harold M Forman - Pennsburg PA

Sealstrip Corp. - Boyertown PA

B65D 3316

383 61, 383 63, 383204, 24587

Packages having web formed resealable interlocking closures of packaging film fanfolded to form a stack and heat sealed together forming a multilayered strip in plane with the film. The strip is abraded on one surface, the film passing into the package former where packages are formed having longitudinal package seals, and which places portions of the strip in apposed position. The package ends are sealed and the resealable locking closure is formed in the strip. The female portion of the locking closure is formed in the package face that includes the overlapped longitudinal package seal. Alternatively, the strip is not abraded and the inner and outer parts of the resealable closure are separately formed before package formation takes place. To form the strip, heat sealing a strip of heat sealable material to the packaging film may also be utilized. Optionally formed in the resealable closure are hinges and reinforcing V-notches.

6371644, Apr 16, 2002

Oct 23, 2000

09/693963

Harold M Forman - Pennsburg PA

Sealstrip Corp. - Boyertown PA

B65D 3316

383 63, 383 34, 383109, 383 61

Packages having improved openable and reclosable interlocking seals and a method and apparatus for making the same from a novel continuous web of composite packaging film, the seal having male and female portions of arrowhead shape in cross section, snap detents, and being formed transversely to the direction of film flow during package formation at line speed. The packaging film is provided at package length intervals with thermoformable strips secured thereto transversely to the running length of the film, and is fed to a modified standard vertical form, fill and seal packaging machine where the film is formed into a bag with the thermoformable strip inside in ends abutting folded facing relationship at the upper end of the bag, product deposited into the bag, the bag sealed, the reclosable interlocking seal formed, and the bag severed from the next bag being formed. The package reclosable seal provides positive auditory and tactile indications of the closing of the reclosable seal so that the consumer is assured that the package has been resealed even in the absence of visual package inspection. The form-fill apparatus is provided with a novel bottom press for effecting the the package sealing and reclosable seal formation, and a novel fill tube forming collar oriented within a particular angular range for feeding the composite film to the packaging machine,.

6519917, Feb 18, 2003

Aug 3, 2001

09/920955

Harold M Forman - Pennsburg PA

Sealstrip Corporation - Boyertown PA

B65B 6118

53412, 53450, 531334, 531392, 53552, 493213, 493214, 493215, 493394

Methods and apparatus for making gusseted packages having openable and reclosable interlocking seals, the seals having male and female portions, snap detents, and formed transversely to the direction of film flow. The packaging film is provided at package length intervals with thermoformable strips secured thereto transversely to the running length of the film, and is fed to a modified standard vertical form, fill and seal packaging machine with gussets forming tooling where the film is formed into a bag with the thermoformable strips inside at the upper end of the bag, product deposited into the bag, the bag sealed, the reclosable interlocking seal formed, and the bag severed from the next bag being formed. The reclosable seal provides auditory and tactile indications of seal closing. Some packages are formed with the thermoformable strips in the gusset, and some are formed with the gusset free of strip material.

6519918, Feb 18, 2003

Dec 18, 2001

10/020194

Harold M Forman - Pennsburg PA
Trevor G Smith - Phoenixville PA

Sealstrip Corporation - Boyertown PA

B65B 6118

53412, 53451, 531334, 531392, 493394, 493927, 493203, 493213

Methods for making packages having improved openable and reclosable interlocking seals from a continuous web of composite packaging film, the seal having male and female portions of arrowhead shape in cross section, snap detents, and being formed transversely to the direction of film flow during package formation at line speed. The packaging film is provided at package length intervals with thermoformable strips secured thereto transversely to the running length of the film, and is fed to a modified standard vertical form, fill and seal packaging machine where the film is formed into a bag with the thermoformable strip inside in ends abutting folded facing relationship at the upper end of the bag, product deposited into the bag, the bag sealed, the reclosable interlocking seal formed, and the bag severed from the next bag being formed. The package reclosable seal provides positive auditory and tactile indications of the closing of the reclosable seal so that the consumer is assured that the package has been resealed even in the absence of visual package inspection.

6523325, Feb 25, 2003

Dec 18, 2001

10/020236

Harold M Forman - Pennsburg PA
Trevor G Smith - Phoenixville PA

SealStrip Corporation - Boyertown PA

B65B 6120

531334, 531392, 53551, 493212, 493213, 493214, 493927

Apparatus for making packages having improved openable and reclosable interlocking seals from a continuous web of composite packaging film, the seal having male and female portions of arrowhead shape in cross section, snap detents, and being formed transversely to the direction of film flow during package formation at line speed. The packaging film is provided at package length intervals with thermoformable strips secured thereto transversely to the running length of the film, and is fed to a modified standard vertical form, fill and seal packaging machine where the film is formed into a bag with the thermoformable strip inside in ends abutting folded facing relationship at the upper end of the bag, product deposited into the bag, the bag sealed, the reclosable interlocking seal formed, and the bag severed from the next bag being formed. The package reclosable seal provides positive auditory and tactile indications of the closing of the reclosable seal so that the consumer is assured that the package has been resealed even in the absence of visual package inspection. The form-fill apparatus is provided with a novel bottom press for effecting the the package sealing and reclosable seal formation, and a novel fill tube forming collar oriented within a particular angular range for feeding the composite film to the packaging machine,.

6568150, May 27, 2003

Mar 15, 2001

09/808174

Harold M Forman - Pennsburg PA

Sealstrip Corporation - Boyertown PA

B65B 6120

531334, 531392, 493215, 493212, 493390, 493927

Apparatus for making packages having interlocking closures from a web of film, the closure having male and female portions and being formed in line with or transversely to the direction of film flow. A converter fanfolds the film into spaced apart stacks of heat sealed together layers. Abrading means abrade one surface of each strip to remove the thermoplastic coating. A package former forms packages having longitudinal seals, and places strip portions in apposed position. The package ends are sealed and the locking closure is formed in the strip. The locking closure female portion is formed in the face including the longitudinal seal. In another embodiment the strip inner and outer parts of the resealable closure are separately formed before package formation. Alternatively, layering is done by heat sealing a strip of heat sealable material to the packaging film. Optionally formed in the resealable closure are hinges and reinforcing V-notches.

6572267, Jun 3, 2003

May 8, 2001

09/850085

Harold M. Forman - Pennsburg PA

Sealstrip Corporation - Boyertown PA
Sig Pack Inc. - New Richmond WI

B65D 3316

383 612, 383 63, 383 34, 383109, 383120

Gussetted packages having openable and reclosable interlocking seals, the seals having male and female portions, snap detents, and formed transversely to the direction of film flow. The packaging film is provided at package length intervals with thermoformable strips secured thereto transversely to the running length of the film, and is fed to a modified standard vertical form, fill and seal packaging machine with gussets forming tooling where the film is formed into a bag with the thermoformable strips inside at the upper end of the bag, product deposited into the bag, the bag sealed, the reclosable interlocking seal formed, and the bag severed from the next bag being formed. The reclosable seal provides auditory and tactile indications of seal closing. Some packages are formed with the thermoformable strips in the gusset, and some are formed with the gusset free of strip material.

6755927, Jun 29, 2004

Mar 15, 2001

09/808171

Harold M Forman - Pennsburg PA

Sealstrip Corporation - Boyertown PA

B29C 4320

156199, 156 66, 156222

Methods of making packages having improved resealable interlocking closures from a web of film, the closure having male and female portions formed in line with or transversely to the film flow during package formation. The film is fanfolded to form a stack, the layers of which are heat sealed together. The strip is abraded on one surface to remove the thermoplastic coating, the film then being formed into packages having overlap longitudinal package seals, and in which portions of the strip are apposed. The package ends are sealed and the locking closure is formed in the strip, the female portion formed in the package face that includes the longitudinal package seal. In another embodiment the inner and outer parts of the resealable closure are separately formed. Layering other than by fanfolding to form a stack may be utilized, by heat sealing a strip of heat sealable material to the packaging film, Also optionally formed in the resealable closure are hinges and reinforcing V-notches.