Side seam bag with registered, perforated, promotional strips

Abstract

A side seam bag with registered, perforated, promotional strips is formed from a continuous sheet of polyethylene material folded along a longitudinal axis to form a pocket. A continuous strip of polyethylene material is perforated into serial groupings of first and second end sections located on either end of removable center sections. Promotional material is printed on a surface of the center sections. A portion of the strip is located orthogonally to the long axis of the pocket and the first and second end sections are registered and sealed to the upper surface of the pocket as it is divided into side seam bags with first and second side seals. The bags with strips attached are cut and stacked into packs or perforated and wound on rolls. When the pocket is formed, an additional perforation is spaced from the open side of the pocket to form a detachable header strip.

1 . A side seam polyethylene bag with registered, perforated, promotional strips comprising: 
 front and rear bag walls, each of said walls having a top edge, first and second side edges and a bottom edge;    said bottom edge of said front wall being joined to said bottom edge of said rear wall;    said first side edges of said front and rear bag walls being joined at a first side seam and said second side edges of said front and rear bag walls being joined at a second side seam;    at least one promotional strip, said promotional strip having a first end section, at least one detachable center section, a second end section, an upper surface, a lower surface, an upper edge and a lower edge;    said first and second end sections being removably attached to said at least one center section with perforations;    said promotional strip being attached at said first and second end sections to said first and second side seams, respectively;    said at least one detachable center section having at least one promotional message printed on at least one of said upper surface and said lower surface of said strip;    said promotional message being registered to said strip so that all of said message is disposed between said perforations; and    whereby, when said detachable center section is removed from said first and second end sections, it will comprise at least one complete promotional message.    
   
   
       2 . The side seam polyethylene bag with registered, perforated, promotional strips, as described in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said promotional strip has horizontal perforations along at least one of said upper edge and said lower edge;    said horizontal perforations removably attaching at least one additional promotional strip to said at least one promotional strip;    said at least one additional promotional strip having a first end section, at least one detachable center section, a second end section, an upper surface, a lower surface, an upper edge and a lower edge;    said first and second end sections being removably attached to said at least one center section with perforations;    said additional promotional strip being attached at said first and second end sections to said first and second side seams, respectively;    said at least one detachable center section having at least one promotional message printed on at least one of said upper surface and said lower surface of said strip;    said promotional message being registered to said additional promotional strip so that all of said message is disposed between said perforations; and    whereby, when said detachable center section of said additional promotional strip is removed from said first and second end sections, it will comprise at least one complete promotional message.    
   
   
       3 . The side seam polyethylene bag with registered, perforated, promotional strips, as described in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a side seam perforation, said side seam perforation removably attaching said second side seam of said bag to said first side seam of a subsequent bag; and    whereby, when said bags comprise said side seam perforation they are windable into a compact bag roll.    
   
   
       4 . The side seam polyethylene bag with registered, perforated, promotional strips, as described in  claim 1 , wherein said center section of said promotional strip further comprises: 
 at least one additional perforation, said at least one additional perforation extending from said upper edge to said lower edge of said promotional strip;    said center section having at least one promotional message printed on at least one of said upper surface and said lower surface of said strip;    said promotional message being registered to said strip so that all of said message is disposed between said perforation and said additional perforation; and    whereby, when said detachable center section is removed from said first and second end sections, it will comprise at least one complete promotional message.    
   
   
       5 . The side seam polyethylene bag with registered, perforated, promotional strips, as described in  claim 1 , wherein the top edge of at least one of the front and rear bag walls is attached to a header strip.  
   
   
       6 . The side seam polyethylene bag with registered, perforated, promotional strips, as described in  claim 5 , wherein the top edge of at least one of the front and rear bag walls is attached to said header strip with a perforation.  
   
   
       7 . The side seam polyethylene bag with registered, perforated, promotional strips, as described in  claim 5 , wherein a plurality of said header strips are attached together to form a bag pack.  
   
   
       8 . A method of making a side seam polyethylene bag with registered, perforated, promotional strips, comprising the steps of: 
 extruding a continuous strip of polyethylene material, said polyethylene strip having an upper edge, a lower edge, an upper surface and a lower surface;    printing a plurality of promotional messages and a plurality of first alignment indicators upon said upper surface of said polyethylene strip;    winding said continuous strip into a first roll;    extruding a continuous sheet of polyethylene material, said sheet having a first edge and a second edge;    folding said sheet along a longitudinal axis to form a continuous pocket having a closed bottom, an open top, an inner surface, an outer surface, a top layer and a bottom layer;    printing a plurality of second alignment indicators on said outer surface;    unwinding said strip from said roll;    perforating said strip into serial groupings of first end sections, detachable center sections and second end sections;    disposing a portion of said strip orthogonally over said pocket;    aligning one of said first alignment indicators with one of said second alignment indicators;    sealing said first end section of said portion of said strip to said outer surface on said top layer and sealing said top layer to said bottom layer, thereby forming a first side seam;    sealing said second end section of said portion of said strip to said outer surface on said top layer and sealing said top layer to said bottom layer, thereby forming a second side seam; and    cutting a finished bag from said continuous pocket.    
   
   
       9 . A method of making a side seam polyethylene bag with registered, perforated, promotional strips, comprising the steps of: 
 extruding a continuous strip of polyethylene material, said polyethylene strip having an upper edge, a lower edge, an upper surface and a lower surface;    printing a plurality of promotional messages and a plurality of first alignment indicators upon said upper surface of said polyethylene strip;    perforating said strip into serial groupings of first end sections, detachable center sections and second end sections;    winding said continuous strip into a first roll;    extruding a continuous sheet of polyethylene material, said sheet having a first edge and a second edge;    folding said sheet along a longitudinal axis to form a continuous pocket having a closed bottom, an open top, an inner surface, an outer surface, a top layer and a bottom layer;    printing a plurality of second alignment indicators on said outer surface;    unwinding said strip from said roll;    disposing a portion of said strip orthogonally over said pocket;    aligning one of said first alignment indicators with one of said second alignment indicators;    sealing said first end section of said portion of said strip to said outer surface on said top layer and sealing said top layer to said bottom layer, forming a first side seam;    sealing said second end section of said portion of said strip to said outer surface on said top layer and sealing said top layer to said bottom layer, forming a second side seam and thereby forming a finished bag;    forming a perforation between said second side seam of a first bag and said first side seam of a subsequent bag; and    rolling said bags into a compact roll.    
   
   
       10 . A method of making a side seam polyethylene bag with registered, perforated, promotional strips, comprising the steps of: 
 extruding a continuous strip of polyethylene material, said polyethylene strip having an upper edge, a lower edge, an upper surface and a lower surface;    printing a plurality of promotional messages and a plurality of first alignment indicators upon said upper surface of said polyethylene strip;    winding said continuous strip into a first roll;    extruding a continuous sheet of polyethylene material, said sheet having a first edge and a second edge;    folding said sheet along a longitudinal axis to form a continuous pocket having a closed bottom, an open top, an inner surface, an outer surface, a top layer and a bottom layer;    perforating at least one of said top layer and said bottom layer parallel and adjacent to said open top to form an attached header strip;    printing a plurality of second alignment indicators on said outer surface;    unwinding said strip from said roll;    perforating said strip into serial groupings of first end sections, detachable center sections and second end sections;    disposing a portion of said strip orthogonally over said pocket;    aligning one of said first alignment indicators with one of said second alignment indicators;    sealing said first end section of said portion of said strip to said outer surface on said top layer and sealing said top layer to said bottom layer, thereby forming a first side seam;    sealing said second end section of said portion of said strip to said outer surface on said top layer and sealing said top layer to said bottom layer, thereby forming a second side seam; and    cutting a finished bag from said continuous pocket.    
   
   
       11 . An apparatus for making a side seam polyethylene bag with registered, perforated, promotional strips, comprising: 
 a supply of polyethylene material;    a first extruder, said first extruder forming a continuous polyethylene strip, said strip having an upper edge, a lower edge, an upper surface and a lower surface;    a first printer, said first printer marking a plurality of promotional messages and a plurality of first alignment indicators upon said upper surface of said polyethylene strip;    a winder, said winder forming said polyethylene strip into a first roll;    an unwind stand, said unwind stand controllably dispensing said polyethylene strip from said first roll;    a second extruder, said second extruder forming a continuous sheet of polyethylene material, said sheet having a first edge and a second edge;    a sheet folder, said sheet folder forming said sheet along a longitudinal axis to form a continuous pocket having a closed bottom, an open top, an inner surface, an outer surface, a top layer and a bottom layer;    a second printer, said second printer marking a plurality of second alignment indicators on said outer surface;    a first perforator, said first perforator perforating said strip into serial groupings of first end sections, detachable center sections and second end sections;    a tractor, said tractor pulling said strip from said first roll disposed upon said unwind stand and disposing a portion of said strip orthogonally over said pocket;    a first sensor, said first sensor detecting said first alignment indicator on said strip;    a second sensor, said second sensor detecting said second alignment indicator on said outer surface of said pocket;    a controller, said controller being connected to said first and second sensors and aligning one of said first alignment indicators with one of said second alignment indicators;    a sealer, said sealer sealing said first end section of said portion of said strip to said outer surface on said top layer and sealing said top layer to said bottom layer, forming a first side seam, sealing said second end section of said portion of said strip to said outer surface on said top layer and sealing said top layer to said bottom layer, thereby forming a second side seam; and    a cutter, said cutter cutting a finished bag from said continuous pocket.    
   
   
       12 . The apparatus for making a side seam polyethylene bag with registered, perforated, promotional strips, as described in  claim 11 , wherein said controller adjusts the speed of said unwind stand to align said first alignment indicator with said second alignment indicator.  
   
   
       13 . An apparatus for making a side seam polyethylene bag with registered, perforated, promotional strips, comprising: 
 a supply of polyethylene material;    a first extruder, said first extruder forming a continuous polyethylene strip, said strip having an upper edge, a lower edge, an upper surface and a lower surface;    a first printer, said first printer marking a plurality of promotional messages and a plurality of first alignment indicators upon said upper surface of said polyethylene strip;    a first perforator, said first perforator perforating said strip into serial groupings of first end sections, detachable center sections and second end sections;    a winder, said winder forming said polyethylene strip into a first roll;    an unwind stand, said unwind stand controllably dispensing said polyethylene strip from said first roll;    a second extruder, said second extruder forming a continuous sheet of polyethylene material, said sheet having a first edge and a second edge;    a sheet folder, said sheet folder forming said sheet along a longitudinal axis to form a continuous pocket having a closed bottom, an open top, an inner surface, an outer surface, a top layer and a bottom layer;    a second printer, said second printer marking a plurality of second alignment indicators on said outer surface;    a tractor, said tractor pulling said strip from said first roll disposed upon said unwind stand and disposing a portion of said strip orthogonally over said pocket;    a first sensor, said first sensor detecting said first alignment indicator on said strip;    a second sensor, said second sensor detecting said second alignment indicator on said outer surface of said pocket;    a controller, said controller being connected to said first and second sensors and aligning one of said first alignment indicators with one of said second alignment indicators;    a sealer, said sealer sealing said first end section of said portion of said strip to said outer surface on said top layer and sealing said top layer to said bottom layer, forming a first side seam, sealing said second end section of said portion of said strip to said outer surface on said top layer and sealing said top layer to said bottom layer, thereby forming a second side seam; and    a second perforator, said second perforator forming a side seam perforation between said second side seam of a first bag and said first side seam of a subsequent bag;    a roller, said roller rolling said bags into a compact roll.    
   
   
       14 . The apparatus for making a side seam polyethylene bag with registered, perforated, promotional strips, as described in  claim 13 , wherein said controller adjusts the speed of said unwind stand to align said first alignment indicator with said second alignment indicator.  
   
   
       15 . An apparatus for making a side seam polyethylene bag with registered, perforated, promotional strips, comprising: 
 a supply of polyethylene material;    a first extruder, said first extruder forming a continuous polyethylene strip, said strip having an upper edge, a lower edge, an upper surface and a lower surface;    a first printer, said first printer marking a plurality of promotional messages and a plurality of first alignment indicators upon said upper surface of said polyethylene strip;    a winder, said winder forming said polyethylene strip into a first roll;    an unwind stand, said unwind stand controllably dispensing said polyethylene strip from said first roll;    a second extruder, said second extruder forming a continuous sheet of polyethylene material, said sheet having a first edge and a second edge;    a sheet folder, said sheet folder forming said sheet along a longitudinal axis to form a continuous pocket having a closed bottom, an open top, an inner surface, an outer surface, a top layer and a bottom layer;    a first perforator, said first perforator perforating at least one of said top layer and said bottom layer parallel and adjacent to said open top to form an attached header strip;    a second printer, said second printer marking a plurality of second alignment indicators on said outer surface;    a second perforator, said second perforator perforating said strip into serial groupings of first end sections, detachable center sections and second end sections;    a tractor, said tractor pulling said strip from said first roll disposed upon said unwind stand and disposing a portion of said strip orthogonally over said pocket;    a first sensor, said first sensor detecting said first alignment indicator on said strip;    a second sensor, said second sensor detecting said second alignment indicator on said outer surface of said pocket;    a controller, said controller being connected to said first and second sensors and aligning one of said first alignment indicators with one of said second alignment indicators;    a sealer, said sealer sealing said first end section of said portion of said strip to said outer surface on said top layer and sealing said top layer to said bottom layer, forming a first side seam, sealing said second end section of said portion of said strip to said outer surface on said top layer and sealing said top layer to said bottom layer, thereby forming a second side seam; and    a cutter, said cutter cutting a finished bag from said continuous pocket.