AU650978B2 - Air removal apparatus - Google Patents

Description

S F Ref: 211543

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 78 COMPLETE SPECIFICATIO FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGIMAL

Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL [311 Application No(s) PK6566 Ricegrowers' Co-Operative Limited Yanco Avenue Leeton New South Hales 2705

AUSTRALIA

Garry Duane Hutchinson and George Thomas Ollerenshaw Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, New South Males, 2000, Australia Air Removal Apparatus APPLICATION DETAILS [333 Country

AU

[321 Application Date 6 June 1991 The following statement is a Full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- II,. II. I 5815/5

J

Background of the Invention This invention relates to a method of removing excess air from packages and to apparatus for carrying out the method.

When packages of loose material, such as rice, are sealed, the air remaining in the package will cause the package to balloon, for example due to air expansion in higher temperatures. Ballooning causes problems with downstream packaging equipment designed to place the packages into shipping containers and it also causes pallet stacks to become unstable. In order to prevent ballooning, it is known to puncture the packages at the time of sealing to allow the air to escape. However, this has the disadvantage that the holes allow direct insect ingress or allow insects to lay their eggs inside the packages causing infestation at a later date. This is clearly unacceptable. Most attempts to prevent ballooning by expelling air from the package prior to sealing have been unsuccessful.

Summary of the Invention It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantages.

There is disclosed herein a method of removing air from packaging containing a loose, generally flowable substance, including the steps of: providing a stream of closed flexible packages of generally airtight sheet material containing said substance; settling the substance in the packages; positioning the sealingly closed packages on a conveyor; conveying the packages to a sealing station via a puncturing station and a squeezing station so that the packages are sequentially delivered to each station; puncturing the packages at the puncturing station to produce a hole in each of the packages; squeezing the packages at the squeezing station to force excess air from each package through the hole; and o o, sealing the hole of each package when at the sealing station, in an airtight manner o, by the application of a sealing element on the package.

There is also disclosed herein an apparatus to remove air from a packaging containing loose, generally flowable substance, said packaging including a stream of packages formed of airtight sheet material, said apparatus comprising: settling means for settling the substance in the packages; a puncturing device for puncturing a hole in each of the packages; means to squeeze air from within each package through the hole therein; a sealing device to apply a sealing element to each package to close the hole; and conveyor means for receiving the closed packages and transporting the packages to said settling means and to said puncturing device to have the hole formed in each -package, and then the squeezing means and subsequently to said sealing device to have IN:\LIBTTIOO1108LMM each hole closed, the packages being conveyed by the conveyor means so that the packages are sequentially transported thereby.

There is still further disclosed herein apparatus for removing air from packaging containing a loose, generally flowable substance, said packaging including a stream of packages formed of airtight sheet material, said apparatus comprising: settling means for settling the substance in the packages; conveyor means, including a split conveyor, for transporting the packages on said conveyor means via an orientation gate means, a puncturing station and a squeezing station to a sealing station so that the packages are sequentially delivered to each station; a puncturing device at said puncturing station for puncturing a surface of each package, when at said puncturing station, at a predetermined position to produce a hole in the package, said puncturing device including a spike positioned with respect to said split conveyor so that said split conveyor provides access to the packages for said spike; means at the squeezing station to squeeze air from the packages through said hole; and a sealing device at said sealing station and downstream of the means to squeeze air from the packages, said sealing device including means for sealing the hole in an airtight manner by applying a sealing element to the package.

Brief Description of the Drawings One embodiment of an apparatus for removing air from sealed packages will now be more fully described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings of which: Figure 1 is a schematic front elevational view of apparatus according to one aspect of the invention; 0 'i *dl [N\LIBrI00108LMM i i 4 cr -4- Figure 2 is a front elevational view of a punch assembly used in the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the punch assembly of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a side elevational view of an alignment gate used in the apparatus of Figure 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Thus, Figure 1 shows a front elevational view of an apparatus 1 for removing excess air from sealed packages so as to prevent ballooning.

The apparatus 1 comprises a first conveyor belt 3 along which the packages move through the apparatus 1. The conveyor 3 is driven by two rollers 4 and 5 and is also arranged to vibrate, by means of vibrator 2, in order to settle the rice in the packages throughout the operation.

Settling rollers 6 are also provided upstream of conveyor 3 in order to substantially settle the rice before the air removal operation begins.

Nhen a package is in a predetermined position at a hole punch station 7, the package is punctured by a suitable device such as a spike 8. As best seen In Figures 2 and 3, the punch assembly 7 comprises a pneumatic cylinder 9 arranged to drive the spike 8 through the surface of the package. The pneumatic cylinder 9 Is activated by a sensor, not shown, such as a photoelectric cell, which senses that a package is in the correct position below the spike 8. The spike 8 is mounted on a member 13 connected to the pneumatic cylinder 9 and is arranged so as to be movable within a plunger 10 connected to the pneumatic cylinder 9 via a biasing spring 12 mounted on a washer 13. On an end face of the plunger 10 there is provided a friction ring 11 which, when it comes into contact with the package, causes the pneumatic cylinder, plunger and spike assembly to move with the package at the same rate while the spike is penetrating the package to prevent the packaging material being ripped.

Thus, when the pneumatic cylinder is first activated, the plunger with the friction ring 11 moves downwards until the friction ring 11 comes into contact with the package. The punch assembly then moves with the package while the punching operation continues. Once the friction ring has come into contact with the packasge, as the pneumatic cylinder moves further downwardly, the plunger 10 and friction ring 11 are biased rhk/0361E downwards by the action of spring 12, and the spike 8 then moves downwards through the aperture in the plunger 10 and friction ring 11 to puncture the package. The hole produced by the spike is generally no more than 3 mm in diameter. After puncturing, the reverse process takes place where the spike 8 is first withdrawn within the plunger 10 as the pneumatic cylinder moves upwardly, and then the bias of spring 12 is ro -ed before the friction ring 11 is removed from contact with the A'.ge.

The pneumatic cylinder 9 is mounted on a bracket 14 having a pair of followers 15 mounted thereon, which cooperate with a linear slide 16 to guide the movement of the pneumatic cylinder 9. Nhen the friction ring 11 is in contact with the package moving on the conveyor 3, the :pneumatic cylinder moves with the package on the bracket 14 with the followers cooperating with the linear slide 16. A spring 17 is provided 15 adjacent the linear slide, against which the movement occurs, so that when the friction ring is no longer in contact with the package, the bias of the spring 17 moves the bracket 14 and pneumatic cylinder 9 back to the original position for the next package.

Furthermore, the spike should be arranged so that no dislodged S 20 packaging material is injected loose into the package. As the package continues down the conveyor 3, excess air is removed from the package by means of a spring loaded conveyor 19 which is biased against the package.

The spring loaded conveyor 19 is driven by rollers 20 and includes eccentric spring loaded rollers 21 biasing the conveyor belt 22 against the package resting on conveyor 3. The speed of the spring loaded conveyor is synchronised with that of the conveyor 3 so that the packages O can be held by both conveyors on their top and bottom surfaces as they pass through the machine. The spring loaded conveyor 19 is conveniently split so as to provide access for spike 8 to puncture the package.

Clearly, as spring loaded conveyor is pi ssed against the package, air in the package is forced out through the hole made by spike 8.

Once the excess air in the package is removed, the package reaches a position where a sticker is placed over the hole in the package by a sticker applicator 18, which can be of any known type. As the package passes the applicator 18, it activates a photoelectric sensor which triggers the applicator to apply the sticker. The sticker applicator can be of any conventional type.

rhk/0361E

I-

1- -6- The sticker can be any suitable size and shape but is conveniently circular with a maximum diameter of 20 mm. Both the adhesive used and the label forming the sticker should be of materials suitable for direct food contact. Furthermore, the sticker should be such as to reestablish the integrity of the seal, which should be maintained for a minimum of 12 months on the normal hand, ng conditions.

The apparatus 1 is capable of handling packages of different sizes, e.g. from 0.5 kg to 10 kg packages and the different size packages are conveniently arranged to lie along the conveyor 3 via suitable positioning means, such as an alignment gate 23. The alignment gate 23, as shown in Figure 4, consists of a flap 24 mounted on a bracket 26 for pivotal movement. The flap is normally in a vertical orientation. The packages being conveyed collide with the flap 24, straighten against the flap and activate a sensor. After a predetermined delay period, a pneumatic cylinder 25 pivots the flap upwards to allow the straightened package to pass underneath.

There has thus been disclosed a method and apparatus for removing air from sealed packages so as to prevent, or substantially reduce ballooning in such packages. It will be apparent that although one particular embodiment of apparatus has been described in more detail, the invention is not limited to the particular apparatus so described but could utilise any apparatus suitable for carrying out the invention.

rhk/0361E U 1

Claims (27)

1-, 7 The claims defining the invention are as follows: 1. A method of removing air from packaging containing a loose, generally flowable substance, including the steps of: providing a stream of closed flexible packages of generally airtight sheet material containing said substance; settling the substance in the packages; positl'ning the sealingly closed packages on a conveyor; conveying the packages to a sealing station via a puncturing station and a squeezing station so that the packages are sequentially delivered to each station; puncturing the packages at the puncturing station to produce a hole in each of the packages; squeezing the packages at the squeezing station to force excess air from each package through the hole; and sealing the hole of each package when at the sealing station, in an airtight manner by the application of a sealing element on the package.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the packages are conveyed to said puncturing station by a split conveyor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein at said puncturing station a spike forms the hole in each package, and said split conveyor is positioned to permit said spike to travel therepast to puncture the package,

4. The method of claim 1, 2 or 3, further including the steps of: positioning the packages on said conveyor in a correct orientation prior to their passage past said puncturing station so that the packages each present an upper package surface; and wherein only one surface of each of the packages is punctured at the puncturing station to produce said hole. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the step of puncturing comprises: puncturing only the upper surface of each of the packages to produce the hole,

6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the settling step includes at least one of the operations of vibration and agitation of the substance.

7. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sealing element is applied to the packaging with an adhesive,

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the sealing element is a sticker with an adhesive and the sealing step comprises positioning the sticker on the package in the area of the hole and applying the sticker to the package around the hole so as to seal the hole.

9. The method of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the puncturing step takes place while the package at the puncturing station is moving. The method of claim 1, wherein the upper surface of each of the packages is N punctured by a spike, and said method further comprising advancing the spike with and at I L N N:\L1BTTlOO1O8:LMM 8 the same speed as said package at the puncturing station while effecting the puncturing of the package.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising pressing a friction ring onto each of the packages when at said puncturing station, while the package is moving on said conveyor means, and passing said spike through said friction ring to effect said puncturing of the package.

12. Apparatus to remove air from a packaging containing loose, generally flowable substance, said packaging including a stream of packages formed of airtight sheet material, said apparatus comprising: settling means for settling the substance in the packages; a puncturing device for puncturing a hole in each of the packages; means to squeeze air from within each package through the hole therein; a sealing device to apply a sealing element to each package to close the hole; and conveyor means for receiving the closed packages and transporting the packages to said settling means and to said puncturing device to have the hole formed in each package, and then the squeezing means and subsequently to said sealing device to have each hole closed, the packages being conveyed by the conveyor means so that the packages are sequentially transported thereby.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further including an orientation gate means to engage the packages prior to delivery to the puncturing device so that the packages pass at predetermined timed intervals to the puncturing station, with each package presenting an upper package surface. 14, The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said puncturing device is positioned and adapted to puncture only one surface of the package, The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said puncturing device is adapted to puncture only the upper surface of the package.

16. The apparatus of any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein said conveyor means includes a first conveyor and a second conveyor, with one of said conveyors being a split conveyor which provides access to the packages for said puncturing device, with the conveyor also constituting the squeezing means.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said second conveyor is above said first j conveyor, and said second conveyor is said split conveyor,

18. Apparatus for removing air from packaging containing a loose, generally flowable substance, svid packaging including a stream of packages formed of airtight sheet material, said appararas comprising: settling means fo" setling th!e substance in the packages; conveyor means, unluding a split conveyor, for transporting the packages on said conveyor means via an orienution gate means, a puncturing station and a squeezing station to a sealing station so that the packages are sequentially delivered to each station; IN:\LIBTTIOOOs:LMM 1 i In Ir -i- 9 a puncturing device at said puncturing station for puncturing a surface of each package, when at said puncturing station, at a predetermined position to produce a hole in the package, said puncturing device including a spike positioned with respect to said split conveyor so that said split conveyor provides access to the packages for said spike; means at the squeezing station to squeeze air from the packages tlhrough said hole; and a sealing device at said sealing station and downstream of the means to squeeze air from the packages, said sealing device including means for sealing the hole in an airtight manner by applying a sealing element to the package.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said conveyor means includes a further conveyor located beneath said split conveyor so that the two conveyors constitute the means to squeeze air from within the package. The apparatus of claim 18 or 19, further including an orientation gate means to adjust the position of the packages so that a succession of packages arrive at predetermined timed intervals at the puncturing device and present upper package surfaces thereto.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, 19 or 20, wherein said puncturing device is positioned to puncture only said upper surface of each package.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the puncturing device is a spike mounted for vertical reciprocation,

23. The apparatus of claim 12, 18 or 22, wherein the sealing device comprises means for positioning a sticker, constituting said sealing element, over the package adjacent to the hole therein and means for contacting the sticker to the package around the hole so as to seal the hole,

24. The apparatus of claim 12, 18, 22 or 23, wherein the settling means comprises means for effecting at least one operation of vibration, agitation and eccentric mechanical action on said first conveyor means. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the second conveyor means includes a portion arranged to vibrate against the package on the first conveyor means,

26. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the conveyor means includes a first conveyor to receive the closed packages and transport the packages via the orientation gate means, the puncturing device, the means to squeeze air from each package and then to the sealing station, so that the packages are sequentially delivered to each station.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said conveyor means includes a second conveyor located above the first conveyor and biased towards the first conveyor so that in combination therewith, the first and second conveyors provide the means to squeeze air from within each package, the conveyor cooperating so that each package passing between the conveyors is squeezed in a continuous motion to force excess air from within each package through the hole therein. N:\LIBTTIOOIO8:LMM ir-

28. The apparatus of claim 26 or 27, wherein said gate means is arranged above said first conveyor means for abutting against the package on the first conveyor means and biased against the movement of the package on the first conveyor means so that the package is arranged on the first conveyor means in a predetermined orientation before moving past the gate means.

29. Apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said gate means comprises a flap biased by pneumatic cylinder means against the movement of the package for a predetermined time interval. Apparatus according to claim 29, comprising a sensor that senses when a package has contacted the flap and starts said predetermined time period.

31. Apparatus according to claim 30, further comprising sensors to sense the position of each package when on the first conveyor means to indicate when the package is at said puncturing device and at said sealing device, said sensors co-operating to activate said puncturing device and said sealing device.

32. Apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the puncturing device punctures the package while the package is moving.

33. Apparatus according to claim 32, wherein ,;aid puncturing device comprises a spike mounted on a mrember coupled to a pneumatic cyliner, the member being movable within a hollow plunger which is biased away from the pneumatic cylinder, the hollow plunger having a friction ring on an outer end thereof, such that the friction ring first contacts a package and then, as the pneumatic cylinder is further actuated, the spike, on the member, is moved through the plunger and the friction ring to puncture the package,

34. Apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the puncturing device further comprises a carriage arranged to travel on a guide track, the pneumatic cylinder being mounted on the carriage so as to travel at the same speed as the package at the puncturing station while the package is being punctured, the carriage being biased back to an initial position when the puncturing operation has been completed. A method of removing air from packages, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings, 36, An apparatus to remove air from packages, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated 24 March, 1994 Ficegrowers' Co-Operative Limited Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON FERGUSON (W 0' 8 IN:\L)BTTO010;:LMM Air Removal Apparatus ABSTRACT Apparatus for removing excess air from sealed packages so as to prevent ballooning. The apparatus comrrises a first conveyor belt along which the packages move thro gh the apparatus The conveyor is driven by two rollers (4 and 5) and is also arranged to vibrate, by means of vibrator in order to settle the contents, e. g. rice, in the packages throughout the operation. When a package is in a predetermined position, as determined by a sensor, such as a photoelectric cell the package is punctured by a suitable device such as a spike As the package continues down the conveyor excess air is removed from the package by means of a spring loaded conveyor which is biased against the package. As spring loaded conveyor is pressed against the package, air in the package is forced out through the hole made by spike Once the excess air in the package is removed, the package reaches a position where a sticker is placed over the hole in the package by a sticker applicator which can be of any known type. Figure 1. rhk/0361E A