METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURE AND PACKAGING OF FILTER PACKS FOR USE IN A BREW BASKET

A packaging machine and a method for continuous forming of filled packages from relatively unstretchable roll stock of crinkled heat sealable filter paper. A series of pouch forming drum sockets are provided in an outer surface of a revolving drum and the paper is trained on the drum over the sockets. Another mechanism is provided for slitting the sheet of the filter paper along its length creating a pair of side-by-side heat sealable filter paper strips before the paper reaches the drum. A driven endless flexible before the paper reaches the drum. A driven endless flexible belt is operatively engaged with the outer drum surface. A suction device is provided for drawing overlapped belt areas of the belt into the drum sockets along with the relatively unstretchable crinkled filter paper strips sandwiched between the overlapped belt area and the pouch forming drum sockets thereby forming side-by-side continuous strips of crinkled filter paper pockets. An apparatus is provided for filling the crinkled filter paper pockets with material to be packaged while on the drum. A further apparatus is provided for training and overlapping a second sheet of heat sealable filter paper over the filled paper sockets on the pair of side-by-side paper strips. A heat sealer is provided for sealing the overlapped heat sealable sheets of filter paper in sealed connection about the filled paper sockets to form sealed filled pouches and a cutter cuts them apart and they are deposited on a conveyor.