A package of book-like shape having three leaves is used for maintaining asepsis of a sterile web of bags during web transfer or start up. Each of the leaves contains an absorbant layer to which a sterilizing medium such as hydrogen peroxide can be applied. The two outer leaves also carry anvil plates and a curved knife blade is positioned on one of the anvil plates, either as part of the original package or just prior to use. Where a transfer is to be made from the expiring end of a web of bags to a new web of bags, the package is applied with the central leaf, carrying a sterilizing agent, interposed between opposing surfaces of the expiring and new webs of bags. One of the outer leaves is positioned on an outer surface of the new web of bags and the other outer leaf is positioned on the outer surface of the expiring web of bags. Thereafter pressure is applied to the entire assembly, causing the knife blade to pierce through all of the layers between the two anvil plates. This provides a passage for a filling nozzle, permitting it to transfer from the expiring web of bags to the new web of bags while the sterility of the webs is maintained. At start-up the procedure is similar, except that in place of an expiring web of bags a sterilizing boot will have been placed about the filling nozzle and filled with steam or some other sterilizing agent. Thereafter the same process is carried out using the same package, except that corresponding surfaces of the boot are substituted for the surfaces of an expiring web of bags.

A method and apparatus for joining webs of aseptic pouches such that the internal asepsis of the pouches is preserved includes bringing the ends of the webs to be joined into overlapping relationship to form an overlapping area, applying a double-sided microbicidal adhesive tape between the overlapping ends so that the ends are held in overlapping relationship, applying heat to the overlapping area sufficient to form a peel seal between the opposing walls of the webs in the overlapping area, making a transverse fusion-like incision within the peel seal in the overlapping area, applying a microbicidal adhesive tape to outside surfaces of the webs in the overlapping area to microbicidally seal the fusion-like incision, and separating the walls of the webs thereby forming a continuous and sterile passageway between the pouches through the incision. The apparatus includes a bag supporting assembly including a splicing frame having flanges with clamps for supporting the bags in a fixed overlapping relationship across the flanges, a peel seal tool for making a peel seal between the walls of the bags, and a cutter device for making a fusion-like incision in the bags. The assembly also includes a tool support which may provide a work surface or slidably receive the peel seal tool or cutter devices so that the peel sealing and cutting portions are maintained at elevations coplanar with the bags supported on the splicing frame.

A steam sterilization system for a filling machine having dispensing nozzles connected to a source of product supply, the sterilizing system including a novel autoclave apparatus and a novel condensate purge system. The autoclave structure causes sterilizing steam to flow downward through the inside of the dispensing nozzle to its open ended bottom where it reverses and flows upward between the inside face of a reversing tube and the outside face of the dispensing nozzle to a series of holes through the sidewall of the reversing tube where it emerges and goes down between the outside face of the reversing tube and the inside face of the autoclave shell thereafter passing down into a steam and condensate line. Condensate formed within the dispensing tube drips out the bottom of the dispensing tube and through an aperture at the bottom of the reversing tube, the condensate effectively sealing the bottom of the reversing tube to steam. The condensate purge system includes a back pressure and constant bleed valve having its intake connected to the autoclave steam and condensate line, its outlet connected to a discharge line, and an actuatable by-pass purge valve connected from an internal point in the bleed valve to the discharge line. The purge valve is controllably actuated to effectively drain the bleed valve to prevent the back build up of condensate in the system without interfering with the sterilization operation.

An apparatus and method is disclosed for filling successive pouches which are interconnected in a continuous web by a tubular top portion. Material is dispensed into the pouches by an elongated filling pipe and a mass flow meter monitors the amount of material dispensed through the filling pipe. The rate at which the web is conveyed along the filling pipe is controlled in response to the measured mass flow of the material whereby the amount of material dispensed into each pouch is accurately controlled.

This invention relates to a retrofit apparatus utilized in Ultraviolet (UV) light sterilization equipment for paperboard packaging filling machines. Such structures of this type, generally, allow conventional paperboard packaging filling machines to be economically converted to include an ultraviolet light sterilization retrofit assembly wherein microbiological spoilage of the food product contained within the paperboard packaging can be significantly reduced.