Title of Invention	A TWIN OR MULTIPLE-TRACK PACKAGING MACHINE
Abstract	A twin multiple track packing machine capable handling any product in any shape and state like solid, viscous. Thus any sort of material can be packed on any of the tracks of this multiple track packing machine in any pre-determined and/or required quantity.

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FORM 2 THE PATENTS ACT, 1970 (39 of 1970) COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (Section 10) "A TWIN OR MULTIPLE-TRACK PACKAGING MACHINE HARISH PRABHAKAR JOSHI, "Sawali", 857, Bhandarkar Institute Road, Shivajinagar, PUNE-411004 Maharashtra State, India Indian National The following specification describes the nature of this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed. GRANTED 6 AUG 2004 1 6-8-2004 The present invention relates to a twin-track or multiple-track for multi-purpose packaging machine. In the varied range of packaging, there are available various models to clients for their requirements of packaging in different weights, packing materials and styles. These models handle various products like ground spices, whole spices, tea, coffee, skimmed milk powder, dal, pulses, grains etc. For packaging of milk, in old days the old method of packaging was in bottles. Due to new technology and convenience of packaging milk in flexi-pack pouch, within a span of few years (about 5 years), the entire trend of milk packaging changed from bottles of flexi-pack. The machines catered to the requirement of liquid packing like milk, mineral water, fruit juice, oils, ghee, smitana (curds) etc. Presently, in the continuous development array of packaging and automation, I have invented and developed twin or multi-purpose track for packaging machines. The multi-track for multi-p[purpose packing machine is specially invented keeping in view the fast rate of urbanization, scarcity of space, high cost of manpower, increasing overheads, high cost of utilities, and demand of higher productivity. Multi-track for multi-purpose packaging machine meets almost all needs and the above requirements. PRIOR OR PRESENT .ART • Presently, single purpose and single track packaging machines are available to handle and pack only one particular product at a time, that too, only on single line basis. If more product/packaging, for example, double or triple quantity of production / 2 Packaging of an item is required, then respectively two or three packaging machines are required to be installed. Further, if there are two separate products, eg. one solid and another viscous or pasty, then again two separate packaging machines are necessary, one for solid and another for viscous or pasty product. It is also to be noted that, if for one particular product, two separate packaging modes are required, for example, 1000 g and 100 g, then again two separate machines are needed, one handling 1000 g packaging and another handling 100 g packaging mode. Thus, there are obvious drawbacks, limitations, disadvantages and inconveniences and troubles in the existing machines for packaging. These troubles are mentioned hereinbelow:- 1. Only "one variety of product" can be handled on one type of machine. As there are many varieties in the "states", shapes and forms in which the products are available, in the existing systems, many number of machines are required to handle the products which are in following forms: Solids state (powder form :- iodised salt, atta, maida; Solid state (granular form:- coffee, tea, cereals, sugar, rice, wheat etc.; Solid state (coarse materials & other forms :- small sized substances and objects for example, gur or jaggery, potato wafers, banana wafers, chewing-sweet-tablets-like-iimlet"-for-children, etc. Liquid state (edible oil, milk, mineral water, fruit juice) Viscous form - Lubricating oil, honey, ghee Pasty form - Toothpastes, Vanaspati ghee, butter, grease. 3 2. All the machines are operating on "single line basis". But, it is often seen that the single-track-machine falls short in productivity. So, if double or triple production packaging is required, two or three separate machines are required to be installed. For example, if there is a machine to pack salt powder in one kg plastic bag with about 30 bags per minute capacity; then if about 60 bags per minute are required to be produced, then two machines are required to be installed. 3. Needless to say that the two (or more number of) machines will require double or "more space". And, as per Factory Act, in between every two machines about 1.5 meter distance or gap should be kept. Thus, if there are four machines, the space-length for installation requirement becomes (four times the space of each machine) plus (3 x 1.5 meters). 4. So, also to operate each such above machine, "separate operators" are necessary. Thus, if there are four machines, four operators are to be employed. 5. Also, if market requires same product in "different quantities" of packagings, for example, 1000 g and 100 g, then presently two "separate" machines are required. All the above drawbacks are eliminated in my invention explained below. The concept of packaging is fast changing. The end consumer so also the industrial consumer needs packaging for "preserving" the properties and qualities of the materials, as well as improving the outlook i.e. outward appearance and because of competition and other pressures, the companies are looking for better output with lesser or same input. My invention answers all these requirements :- 4 MY INVENTION: The main object of my invention is to develop a multi-purpose machine with twin-track or multi-track system tapable of handling any product in any form, shape, & "state", like solid, liquid, viscous, pasty; that too, any pre-determined and/or required quantity can be packed in a particular track irrespective of the form, shape, "state" of the product and the quantity of product being packed on other remaining tracks. Thus, any sort of material can be packed on any of the tracks of this multi-purpose machine, in any pre-determined and/or required quantity. Thus, eg. one track may be used for powdered common salt, another for rice, third for edible oil, fourth for honey and fifth for paste of any variety, and the like and so on; thus, the most important object is to offer ENERGY SAVER, ECONOMICAL, MULTI-PURPOSE, AND VERSATILE PACKAGING MACHINE MEETING ALL THE DEMANDS OF LABOUR, SPACE, POWER, UTILITIES, AND, OF COURSE, QUALITY AND QUANTITY, the machine being easy to operate with lesser efforts and more comfort. According to yet another object, the production quantities can be different and independent for different tracks. According to yet another object, the packaging speeds can be different and independent for different tracks. According to yet another object, (as many number of "single-line" machines are obviated and discarded, the space required for many machines and the free space which 5 is a statutory requirement in between every two machines, is also saved), the space utilization is improved. According to yet another object, the number of operators are reduced to only one single operator per new multi-purpose multi-track machine. According to yet another object, the utilities required for one multi-purpose multi-track machine are very less compared to the quantities of utilities required for many single line machines. According to yet another object, as the quantity of utilities required are reduced, naturally the cost of utilities is reduced. According to yet another object, even though my machine may be multi-purpose multi-track, only one or two rolls of plastic films are required for feeding and packaging; these rolls are cut longitudinally and/or horizontally, as determined by the packing quantity. The cutting operation is done by any type of cutters, for example, sheer cutters, male/female cutters, perforation system/cutter, any other type of blades, and the like. According to yet another object, different materials in different forms can now be packed in same machine/s. According to yet another object, as the multi-track machine is a "single body" machine with a multiple of tracks for higher productivity, the cost of the machine does not multiply with respect to single-track machine. 6 According to yet another object, the new machine is so versatile that it takes any packing material: PE (Polyethylene), LDPE, LLDPE,HDPE, HDLDPE, PP, any polymer Film, Polyester, PVC, any thermoplastic film, aluminized films, paper laminated films, multi-layered films, aluminium foils, and the like depending on machine-configuration and packing requirements, each track/line is designed to take and accept any type of packaging film and/or material and the like; so also each track can take separate film roll. According to this invention, a twin or multiple track packaging machine consists of a hopper or plurality of hoppers having one or more track lines so designed to take and accept any type of packaging film or material or the like; each said hopper being connected through a suitable flange or flanges and supply valve(s) to the plurality of dispensing (supply) multi track(s), each dispensing or supply track being further equipped with suitable volumetric and/or gravimetric measuring and controlling systems incorporated thereon by means of which the material coming from each supply track is measured and its quantity is controlled, there being another mechanism (not shown in the drawings) from which the packing material in the form of a thermoplastic film and the like is separately supplied after being suitably cut longitudinally in long continuous length to each track, there being further provided a sealing mechanism on each individual track whereby the first vertical side and then bottom side the plastic material so supplied is sealed to get a plastic bag opening at the top which is then filled with the controlled and measured material from supply track/s above and these plastic bags then move on the conveyor belt and in the process they get sealed at the top end by sealing mechanism and perforated after the sealing joint; thereafter these packed and sealed bags from different track(s) being collected separately, optionally after counting, and then sent to Quality Control and Dispatch sections. The invention will now be described with the help of suitable drawings accompanying this specification wherein the salient features have been shown by suitable numerals and referred to appropriately in the following description : Drawings comprise 2 figures. Figures are schematic, figures are not to scale. Figures are only line diagrams. 7 Fig.l shows a twin or multiple track for multi-purpose packaging machine as per this invention. Typically in this drawing four tracks have been shown. Item (1) is the overall machine. Item (2) is the hopper or system of hopper, and/or fillers and/or feeders more details of which are given separately in fig.2. As there are number of different states / forms / shapes of materials, different hoppers are necessary or one hopper with many compartments is necessary. From the different hoppers connections are taken through supply valves shown as item (3). On each supply line from each hopper one supply valve (3) is necessary. These supply valves are shown as items (3.1, 3.2, 3.3...). From the valves the material is coming to each track or line shown as item (4). On each track or supply line suitable volumetric and/or gravimetric measuring and controlling systems are incorporated. These are shown as item (5). The individual measuring/controlling system/s is thus represented by items (5.1, S.2,5.3...). Thus, the measured and controlled quantity is now coming in each track. At the same time, through another mechanism, the packing material in the form of thermoplastic film and the like is separately supplied, suitably, longitudinally cut, and then each film suitable for individual track is supplied in long continuous length to each track. Item (6) is the sealing mechanism thus the individual sealing mechanisms on individual track are shown by items (6.1, 6.2, 6.3....). The vertical side/s is first sealed and immediately thereafter the bottom is sealed, thus a plastic bag with opening at top is available, and in this bag, now the controlled and measured quantity dispensed by item (5) is filled. Once the required quantity is filled in each bag, the mechanism at item (5) stops or shuts the flow or supply of material, momentarily, and at this juncture of time, the bag is further advancing and also getting sealed at the top end, and also getting cut and/or optionally getting perforated after the sealing joint. Thus, now the sealed bag is available in each respective track item (7) is "static-electricity-charge removal gadget/s" or device(s), where the individual devices) are marked as items (7.1, 72, 7.3....) or it may be one common device for all. Item (8) is optionally, a counting device, located separately on each track. Item (9) is optionally the dispatch tray and/or conveyor belt and the like for the material to go to the quality control and dispatch sections. 8 Fig.2 shows the general arrangement of system of hoppers and/or fillers and the like. As there may be different products in different states, shapes and forms required to be handled, corresponding number of hoppers are necessary. However, in the figure only two hoppers are shown as items (2.1 and 2.2). From each of these hoppers, through supply valve/s (3) shown separately as items (3.1, 3.2....), the connections of feeding mechanism are established with suitable flange/s to each of the multi-track/s (4). The individual tracks are thus shown as items (4.1,4.2,4.3....). 9 I CLAM: 1. A twin or multiple track packaging machine consisting of a hopper or plurality of hoppers having one or more track lines so designed to take and accept any type of packaging film or material or the like; each said hopper being connected through a suitable flange or flanges and supply valve(s) to the plurality of dispensing (supply) multi track(s), each dispensing or supply track being further equipped with suitable volumetric and/or gravimetric measuring and controlling systems incorporated thereon by means of which the material coming from each supply track is measured and its quantity is controlled, there being another mechanism (not shown in the drawings) from which the packing material in the form of a thermoplastic film and the like is separately supplied after being suitably cut longitudinally in long continuous length to each track, there being further provided a sealing mechanism on each individual track whereby the first vertical side and then bottom side the plastic material so supplied is sealed to get a plastic bag opening at the top which is then filled with the controlled and measured material from supply track/s above and these plastic bags then move on the conveyor belt and in the process they get sealed at the top end by sealing mechanism and perforated after the sealing joint; thereafter these packed and sealed bags from different track(s) being collected separately, optionally after counting, and then sent to Quality Control and Dispatch sections. 2. A twin or multiple track packaging machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of hoppers is decided according to machine configuration and packaging requirement. 3. A twin or multiple track packaging machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said hopper is made of copper or stainless steel. 4. A twin or multiple track packaging machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said hoppers, flanges, valves or dispensing (feeding) tracks being optionally coated with non-static and non-sticky chemical inert material like PTFE Teflon and the like. Dated this 27th Day of December, 1999 (M.D.BHATE) AGENT FOR APPLICANT 10

Documents:

1-mum-2000-cancelled page(06-08-2004).pdf

1-mum-2000-claim(granted)-(06-08-2004).doc

1-mum-2000-claim(granted)-(06-08-2004).pdf

1-mum-2000-correspondence(06-08-2004).pdf

1-mum-2000-correspondence(ipo)-(17-11-2004).pdf

1-mum-2000-drawing(06-08-2004).pdf

1-mum-2000-form 1(03-01-2000).pdf

1-mum-2000-form 2(granted)-(06-08-2004).doc

1-mum-2000-form 2(granted)-(06-08-2004).pdf

1-mum-2000-form 4(27-07-2004).pdf

1-mum-2000-power of authority(03-01-2000).pdf

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