CA2720609A1 - Device for filling bags - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for filling bags (2), especially flat bags and side-gusseted bags, comprising an opening unit (8) for opening a first bag end (21) of the bags (2) and a filling station (9). In order to reliably and quickly fill the bags, the device comprises a cross-cutter (3) for bag blanks (25), a closing unit (4) of a second bag end (22) of the bag blanks (25) opposite the first bag end (21), and a deviation station (5), the cross-cutter (3), the closing unit (4) and the deviation station (5) being actively interconnected by means of a transport system (6). The device further comprises a feed device (7) for feeding the bag (2) from the deviation station (5) to the opening unit (8).

Description

Device for filling bags The invention relates to an apparatus for filling bags, especially flat bags or side-gusseted bags, in accordance with the preamble of claim 1.
The flat bag is one of the simplest types of bags which substantially consists of a piece of tubular film closed off on one side and which can be sealed at the second end after filling. The closing region is provided with a flat configuration, thus leading to the name of flat bag. Such flat bags are especially known as bags for grain, fertilizer, coffee beans, etc.
The side-gusseted bag comprises lateral folds, through which the bag deforms into a substantially cuboid container during filling, as is the case in conventional paper carrier bags that can be obtained at supermarket checkouts. The side-gusseted bag can thus be stacked in an especially good manner and offers a high capacity in combination with a low amount of packaging material.
Apparatuses for filling bags are known, with the apparatus comprising a storage means for empty bags. Bags are taken from a stack of bags on the storage means and transferred to an opening unit. A first end of the bag is opened in the opening unit and then transferred to the filling unit.
DE 24 59 725 Al describes an apparatus for charging a bag-filling device, comprising a roll with a tube.
EP 1 129 950 A discloses an apparatus for removing a sack body from a stack of sack bodies and for supplying the removed sack body to a processing station.
WO 2006/007960 A also describes a method and an apparatus for producing bags.
US Pat. No. 4,726,170 A discloses a filling apparatus which comprises a roll with bag blanks which can be detached from one another by means of pre-perforation.
Adhesion may occur between the bags of the stack of bags. In the case of plastic bags, adhesion can occur as a result of static charging, and in the case of fabric bags this can occur as a result of fabric fibers of adjacent bags getting caught in one another.
The disadvantageous aspect is that several bags, especially two or three, can be taken simultaneously from the storage means for empty bags. The disadvantageous aspect is that several bags can be conveyed simultaneously to the opening unit. During this process, one or two bags can detach in an uncontrolled manner from the conveying unit. As a result, the opening unit and/or the storage means can be blocked by bags that are arranged in an uncontrolled manner.
Similarly, the simultaneously entrained bags can be transferred to the filling unit and can obstruct the filling process there. This is especially disadvantageous because the filling material is mostly loose and/or fluid and the loose and/or fluid filling material will distribute in the filling AMENDED SHEET

unit in the case of erroneous filling of the bag, thus causing time-consuming cleaning work for cleaning the filling unit and/or the ambient environment of the same.

It is therefore the object of the invention to provide an apparatus for filling bags of the kind mentioned above with which the mentioned disadvantages are avoided and with which a reliable and rapid filling of the bags can be ensured.

This is achieved by the features of claim 1.

This leads to the advantage that each bag blank and each bag is conveyed individually, with neither two bag blanks nor two bags coming into contact with each other.

It is advantageous that the simultaneous delivery of several bags to the opening unit can be excluded.

This leads to the advantage that faults caused by the simultaneous conveyance of bags can be avoided, so that the disadvantage mentioned initially can also be avoided.

This leads to the further advantage that no checks are required for the delivery of the bag to the opening unit as to whether one or, erroneously, several bags have been delivered simultaneously.
The delivery can thus also occur very rapidly, so that the throughput of the filling apparatus can be arranged to be high.

The invention also relates to a method for filling bags, especially flat bags or side-gusseted bags, in accordance with the preamble of claim 11.

It is therefore the object of the invention to provide a method for filling bags in such a way that the initially mentioned disadvantage can be avoided and with which a reliable and rapid filling of the bags can be ensured.

This is achieved in accordance with the invention by the features of claim 11.

It is advantageous that in this way the simultaneous delivery of several bags to the opening unit can be excluded. This leads to the advantages and advantageous effects in the method as mentioned above.

AMENDED SHEET

2a The dependent claims, which simultaneously form a part of the description like claims I and 11, relate to further advantageous developments of the invention.
The invention will be described in closer detail by reference to the enclosed drawings in which merely preferred embodiments are shown, wherein:
Fig. I shows parts of the apparatus for filling an especially preferred first embodiment in a top view;

Fig. 2 shows the parts of the apparatus for filling in accordance with Fig. I
in a side view according to the direction A in Fig. 1;

(Continued on page 3 of the original description) AMENDED SHEET

Fig. 3 shows the deflecting station in a side view, in which the direction of sight corresponds to a direction of transportation of the bag blank or bag in the region of the transport system;
Fig. 4 shows parts of the deflecting station of Fig. 3 in a side view of Fig.
3;

Fig. 5 shows parts of the deflecting station of Fig. 3 and parts of the transport system in a top view, with the bag being arranged in the first position;

Fig. 6 shows parts of the deflecting station of Fig. 3 in the side view of Fig. 3, with the bag being arranged in a second position following the first position;

Fig. 7 shows the parts of the deflecting station of Fig. 3 and parts of the transport system in a top view, with the bag being arranged in the second position;

Fig. 8 shows the parts of the deflecting station of Fig. 3 in the side view of Fig. 3, with the bag being arranged in a third position following the second position, and Fig. 9 shows the parts of the deflecting station of Fig. 3 and parts of the transport system in a top view, with the bag being arranged in the third position.

Figs. I to 9 show parts of an apparatus I for filling bags 2, comprising an opening unit 8 for opening a first bag end 21 of bags 2 and a filling station 9. For the purpose of reliable and rapid filling of the bags, the apparatus 1 comprises a cross-cutting apparatus 3 for cutting to size the blank bags 25, a closing unit 4 for closing a second bag end 22 of the bag blanks 25 which is opposite of the first bag end 21, and a deflecting station 5 for deflecting the bags 2, with the cross-cutting apparatus 3, the closing unit 4 and the deflecting station 5 being operatively connected with one another by means of a transport system 6, and comprises a feed apparatus 7 for feeding the bag 2 from the deflecting station 5 to the opening unit 8. The apparatus I for filling bags 2 can be called a filling apparatus.

The apparatus I is especially suitably used for a method for filling bags 2, especially flat bags and side-gusseted bags. It can especially be provided in the method that a prefabricated tube 26 is drawn off from a roll 27, the bag blank 25 is cut to size from the tube 26, thereafter the bag blank 25 is sealed at the second bag end 2 for forming a bag 2, especially sewed thereto, the bag 2 is then supplied from the deflecting station 5 to an opening unit 8 with the closed first bag end 21 which faces forward and which is opposite of the second bag end 22, the wall regions of bag 2 which are opposite of the first bag end 21 are moved away from one another in the opening unit 8, with bag 2 thus being opened, and the bag 2 is thereafter transferred to a filling station 9.

In the illustrated first embodiment, the cross-cutting apparatus 3 and then the closing unit 4 are arranged as seen in the conveying direction of the bag blank 25, and subsequently the closing unit 4, and then the deflecting apparatus 5, as seen in the conveying direction. It can especially be provided that the cross-cutting apparatus 3, the closing unit 4 and the deflecting apparatus 5 are connected and operatively connected by each other by means of the continuously arranged transport system 6. For this purpose, the closing unit 4 can be connected with fixed position with the apparatus I and can be arranged at the edge of the transport system 6. The bag blank 25 conveyed by means of the transport system 6 to the closing unit 4 is sealed by means of the closing unit 4 during its conveyance past said unit, which conveyance past said unit can occur especially without any interruptions in the conveyance and especially with substantially constant speed, and will leave the zone of the closing unit 4 as the bag 2. The bag 2 can be further conveyed directly subsequently in the direction of the deflection 5, especially without any interruption in the conveyance and especially with substantially constant speed. The cross-cutting apparatus 3, the closing unit 4 and the deflecting station 5 are arranged one after the other, as seen in the direction of conveyance of the bag blank 25 or bag 2.

The apparatus l can be used for filling bags 2 with different filling volumes, e.g. between 500 mL and 250 litres, especially between one litre and 120 litres, preferably between 3 litres and 60 litres, and different filling weights, especially between 0.5 kg and 250 kg, especially between 3 kg and 120 kg, preferably between 3 kg and 60 kg.

The bag blank 25 is further made into bag 2 by means of closing the bag blank 25 at its second bag end 22. The bag blank 25 is conveyed at first in the direction of conveyance of apparatus I and then the bag 2. The tube 26 can be conveyed before the arrangement of the bag blank 25, as seen in the direction of conveyance.
In this context, the filling material can be one or several gaseous, fluid or solid materials. The filling material can especially be pourable. Examples of conventional filling materials are sugar, salt, rice, peas, beans, grain, corn, flour, semolina, malt, milk powder, baking mixtures, lime, cement, potting soil, pet food, mineral feeding stuff, concentrated feed, grass seeds, seeds, fertilizer, plastic granulate, chemical substances, coal, wood pellets, sand, gravel, building materials, wood balls. The list can be extended at will.

The bags 2 can be made of a tube 26, especially a tubular film, e.g. a plastic film or a composite film, made of a tubular fabric, e.g. of linen fabric or plastic fabric, especially of PP
fabric or HDPE fabric, and/or of a paper tube.
The tube 26 can be fiber-reinforced, especially glass-fiber reinforced, and/or fabric reinforced, especially glass-fiber fabric reinforced.

The tube 26 is unwound especially from a roll 27 in the direction of an x-direction 28 shown in Fig. 1. In order to form the bag blank 25, pieces of predetermined longitudinal extension are cut to size in the x-direction 28 from the tube 26 by means of the cross-cutting apparatus 3, through which the bag blank 25 is arranged as a substantially flatly disposed tubular piece of tube 26. The bag blank 25 can also be aligned in the x-direction 28 when it is cut to size.

The cutting to size can occur during longitudinal transport of tube 26 or bag blank 25, as is schematically shown in Fig. 1. In order to deflect from the longitudinal transport of the cut bag blank 25 to transversal transport, a transversal deflection station 65 can be comprised by the transport system 6 between the cross-cutting apparatus and the closing unit 4, which station is shown schematically in Figs. I and 2. The transversal deflection station 65 can comprise at least one second stop for the purpose of reliable alignment of the bag blank 25 in the x-direction 28. In longitudinal transport, the bag blank 25 can be conveyed up to the second stop and from there in transversal transport in the direction of the closing unit 4 and further in the direction of the deflection 5.

In another further development of the apparatus 1, the transversal deflection station 65 and the transport system 6 can be arranged as separate parts of the apparatus 1, with the bag blanks 25 being transferred from the transversal deflection station 65 to the transport system 6.

The bag blank 25 and the bags 2 have a first bag end 21 and a second bag end 22 opposite of the first bag end 21. The first bag end 21 of bag 2 comprises an opening for filling the filling material. The second bag end 22 of bag 2 is sealed and is impenetrable for the filling material.

The bag blanks 25 have an open second bag end 22 in contrast to bag 2. In this way, the bag blank 25 is substantially a piece of tubular film with two open bag ends.

The bag blank 25 is then conveyed to the closing unit 4 in the direction of a y-direction 29 as shown in Fig. 1. The second bag end 22 is sealed in the closing unit 4 and can be especially folded, especially folded once or twice, provided with an easy-open end, i.e.
folded merely over a short section along the second bag end 22 and then sewn together.
Sealing by means of welding or gluing is also possible. The transport direction can advantageously be substantially parallel to one edge of the second bag end 2, so that the second bag end 22 is conveyed in a straight line past the closing unit 4 which is arranged for this purpose in a stationary manner in the apparatus 1. The transport of the bag blank 25 and further the bag 2 in the direction substantially parallel to the edge of the second bag end 2 can be designated as transversal transport.

It is advantageous that the bag blank 25 was already aligned during the cutting by means of the cross-cutting apparatus 3 in the x-direction 28 and no renewed position of the bag blank 25 needs to occur before the closing unit 4. The closing of the second bag end 22 can thus occur in a simple, rapid and especially cost-effective manner.

By sealing the second bag end 22, the especially flatly disposed blank bag 25 becomes the especially flatly disposed bag 2 and is suitable for filling with the filling material. The bag 2 is thus especially also conveyed in a transversal transport. The advantageous aspect is that the predetermined location positioning of the bag in the x-direction 28 is not disturbed.

In this context, the bag blank 25 or bag 2 has a longitudinal axis which coincides substantially with the central axis of the tubular film forming the bag blank 25 and is arranged substantially normally to the edge of the first bag end 21 and/or the second bag end 22. The longitudinal axis can especially coincide with the x-direction 28.
After the completed closing of the second bag end 22, the bag 2 is further transported in transversal conveyance in the direction of the deflecting station 5. The conveying direction of the bag 2 is deflected in the deflecting station 5 in such a way that the especially flatly disposed bag 2 is conveyed up to a predetermined position in transversal transport. The advantageous aspect is that a location positioning of the bag 2 can occur in the y-direction 29.

Since the bag 2 is still aligned in the x-direction 28, which means it is location-positioned, the bag 2 is now aligned both in the x-direction 28 as well as in the y-direction 29. The advantageous aspect is that the alignment of the bag 2 can be especially precise and can occur at especially high speed. Advantageously, it is possible to omit further alignment apparatuses for the alignment of the bag, i.e. for the alignment of the bag 2, so that the apparatus 1 can be arranged in a cost-effective way.
The transport system 6 is arranged for conveying the bag blanks 25 and the bags 2. The transport system 6 can especially comprise a transversal conveyor 61 for the transport of flatly disposed bags 2 and/or bag blanks 25 for the purpose of simple arrangement of the transversal transport of the bag blanks 25 and the bags 2. The transversal conveyor 61 can comprise one or several revolving conveying means for this purpose.
The alignment of the bag 2 in the y-direction 29 can occur in an especially simple way by means of a stop 51 which is comprised by the deflection 5, i.e. a passive positioning device, or by means of a controlled positioning device, e.g. by means of slides, for the alignment of bags 2 which are supplied by means of a transport apparatus 6, especially the transversal conveyor 61.

The bag 2 which is location-positioned in this manner in the x-direction 28 and the y-direction 29 is subsequently grasped by the feed apparatus 7 and transferred to a first conveyor 52 with a first bag-body support 53 or to a second conveyor 54 with a second bag-body support 55.
For this purpose, the feed apparatus 7 lifts the first bag end 21 or the second bag end 22, with the bag 2 being lifted at least in sections, so that the first bag end 21 or the second bag end 22, when seen in the position of use of apparatus 1, is arranged above the conveyor 52 and/or the second conveyor 54. Fig. 6 shows the lifting of the second bag end 22 in the lifting direction 64, with Fig. 7 showing a top view of the parts of apparatus I as shown in Fig. 6, but without the feed apparatus 7.
The transfer of the bag 2 by the transport device 6 to the first conveyor 52 or the second conveyor 54 is described by reference to the lifting of the second bag end 22 as illustrated in Fig. 6, wherein such transfer of the bag 2 can also occur by means of the lifting of the first bag end 21 in an advantageous second embodiment of the deflecting station 5 and the feed apparatus 7 (not shown). The first conveyor 52 and the second conveyor 54 can also be comprised by the deflecting station 5, as is the case in the first embodiment of apparatus 1.

For transferring purposes, bag 2 is lifted off by lifting the second bag end 22 in sections by the transport device 6, with the feed apparatus 7 penetrating cavities in the first conveyor 52 and the second conveyor 54 in order to reach the second bag end 22. Once the second bag end 22 has been lifted sufficiently, the first bag-body support 53 and/or the second bag-body support 55 can be guided beneath the bag 2. As a result of a movement of the first conveyor 52 and/or the second conveyor 54, the bag 2 can be transferred, which means moved, to the first bag-body support 53 or the second bag-body support 55. The alignment of the bag 2 in the x-direction 28 and the y-direction 29 can preferably be maintained. Since the first conveyor 52 and the second conveyor 54 are provided for conveying the bag 2 in the y-direction 29, the direction of transport of bag 2 is deflected after the completed transfer, thus leading to the name deflecting station 5.
The bag 2 is conveyed in substantially longitudinal transport by the first conveyor 52 and the second conveyor 54, for which purpose the first conveyor 52 and the second conveyor 54 can be arranged for forming a second conveying direction in x-direction 28 which is arranged to be normally to the conveying direction of the transport direction 6 in the y-direction 29.
As is shown in Figs. 3, 4, 6 and 8 which show parts of the apparatus I in the side view in the direction of view of the y-direction 29, the conveyors 52, 54 can be preferably be rotating conveyors 56, 57, 58, with the first conveyor 52 being arranged as the first rotating conveyor 57 and the second conveyor 54 as the second rotating conveyor 58. The movement and control of the conveyors 52, 54 can occur in an especially simple and energy-saving manner, through which the transport of the bags 2 can occur in a simple and energy-saving manner. As is shown in the side view in Figs. 3, 4, 6 and 8, the second conveyor 54 can enclose the first conveyor 52, as seen in the side view. The second conveyor 54 can also be designated as the outer conveyor and the first conveyor can also be designated as the inner conveyor. It can thus be excluded that the first conveyor 52 and the second conveyor 54 block each other during their independent movements.
The rotating conveyors 56 can preferably be arranged in such a way that they comprise two revolving parallel chains and the first bag-body support 53 is arranged between the two chains (in the first conveyor 52) and the second bag-body support 55 is arranged between the two chains (in the second conveyor 54), and they are connected with the chains, with the bag-body supports 53, 55 are arranged to be not completely circumferential, so that the first conveyor 52 and the second conveyor 54 each comprise at least one free space.

As a result, the feed apparatus 7 can penetrate said free spaces for gripping the bag 2 in order to grasp the bag 2 at the second bag end 22, which bag is location-positioned in a predetermined manner in the x-direction 28 and the y-direction 29 by resting on the transport system 6, and to lift the bag in the direction of the swiveling movement 64 as shown in Fig. 6.
It is advantageous that the predeterminable location positioning of bag 2 can be provided even after the transfer of the bag, which means also when resting on the second bag-body support 55, through which no further location positioning and/or checking of the location positioning is necessary. The deflecting station 5 can thus be arranged in a simple and cost-effective way and the bags can be transported in a location-positioned simple, reliable and rapid way.

The bag 2 can be transferred by the transport system 6 to the first conveyor 52. For this purpose, the first bag-body support 53 is positioned beneath the bag 2 by a movement of the first conveyor 52 in a counter-clockwise manner, as shown in the view of Fig.
2, with first bag-body support 53 moving beneath the bag 2 and the lifted second bag end 22, and the lifted second bag end 22 is thus especially placed on the first bag-body support 53, it is detached from the feed apparatus 7 and will drop by gravity on the first bag-body support 53.
The bag that now rests on the first bag-body support 53 can now be conveyed in the y-direction 29 towards the opening unit 8 and be transferred to the opening unit 8, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

The first bag end 21 is now gripped by the opening unit 8 and is opened in such a way that the filling material can be filled into the bag 2 in the filling station, which opening occurs in such a way that wall regions of bag 2 which are opposite of one another in the opening unit 8 in the region of the first bag end 21 are moved away from one another.

The bag can then be further conveyed by means of known apparatuses, sealed at the first bag end 21, sorted, stacked and/or repackaged.

In summary, the apparatus I provides a method for filling bags in which it is provided that the prefabricated tube 26 is withdrawn from the roller 27, the bag blank 25 is cut to size from the tube 26, thereafter the bag blank 25 is sealed at a second bag end 22 for forming a bag 2, and is especially sewn, welded or glued, the bag 2 is supplied by the deflecting station 5 of the opening unit 8, with the first bag end 21 opposite of the second bag end 22 leading, wall regions which are opposite of one another in the opening unit 8 in the region of the first bag end 21 are moved away one another, with the bag 2 thus being opened, and the bag 2 is then transferred to the filling station 9.

The method can ensure the initially mentioned advantages and advantageous effects. In particular, the simple and quick conveyance of the bags with high throughput can thus be ensured.

Similarly, bag 2 can be transferred to the second conveyor 54, with this also occurring by means of the feed apparatus 7 and the lifting of the second bag end 22 and the movement of the second conveyor 54 preferably also occurring in analogy to the transfer of bag 2, which means the transfer of bag 2 from the transport device 6 to the first conveyor 52. The bag 2 which rests on the second conveyor 54 can also be location-positioned in a predeterminable manner both in the x-direction and the y-direction, and can similarly be conveyed in the y-direction without any further location position, i.e. in an especially fast manner with little effort, and can be supplied to the opening unit 8.

In order to grip one of the two bag ends 21, 22, it can advantageously be provided that the feed apparatus 7 comprises a gripping apparatus 71 for gripping and lifting the bag 2 at least in sections. The first bag-body support 53 and/or the second bag-body support 55 can be guided beneath the gripping apparatus 71 in the lifted state. The gripping apparatus 71 can preferably be arranged pneumatically, e.g. as air suction pads, or mechanically, e.g. as gripping pliers.

While the bag 2 resting on the first bag-body support 53 is conveyed in the y-direction 29, the bag 2 that follows this bag 2 directly can be gripped by means of the feed apparatus 7 and can be moved to the first conveyor 52 or the second conveyor 54, i.e. transferred.
The bags 2 can thus be conveyed with low distance from one another and thus with high throughput.

It can preferably be provided that two bags 2 conveyed directly one after the other are distributed among the first conveyor 52 and the second conveyor 54 in such a way that one of the two bags 2 is transferred to the first conveyor 52 and the other of the two bags 2 to the second conveyor 54. The throughput of the deflecting station 5 can thus be especially high.

In a further possible control of the first conveyor 52, the second conveyor 54 and the feed apparatus 7, the bag 2 can be transferred from the first bag-body support 53 to the second bag-body support 55, or from the second bag-body support 55 to the first bag-body support 53. In this case too, the previously produced location positioning in the x-direction 28 and the y-direction 29 can be maintained, so that the bag 2 can still be location-positioned in a predeterminable way. Bags 2 can be transferred advantageously in this control by the transport system 6 to the second bag-body support 55, for which purpose the first conveyor 52 is arranged in a position so that the feed apparatus 7 can penetrate the free space in the first conveyor 52 and can grip the bag 2 disposed on the transport system 6 and can lift the bag.
Once the second bag-body support 55 has moved beneath the bag 2, the first bag-body support 53 is brought to a position for supporting the bag 2, which means it is also arranged beneath the bag 2. Once the first bag-body support 53 stands still, the bag 2, which has been lifted for this purpose at least at one of the two bag ends 21, 22 by means of the feed apparatus 7, is transferred from the second bag-body support 55 to the first bag-body support 53 in such a way that the second bag-body support 55 is pulled away beneath the bag 2, so that the bag thus falls onto the first bag-body support 53 as a result of gravity, and the feed apparatus 7 thus also places the gripped bag ends 21, 22 onto the first bag-body support 53.
One or several bags 2 can already rest on the first bag-body support 53 as a stack of bags. The bag 2 can be transferred to said stack of bags. The advantageous aspect is that a stack of bags can be formed in the deflecting station 5 for buffering, which means for intermediate storing.
It is advantageous that bag blanks 25 can be produced and processed into bags 2 during a standstill and/or reconfiguration work on the filling station 9 for example.
It is also advantageous that a buffer can be set up in the deflecting station 5, so that the filling station 9 can be operated during a change of roll 27 for example. The capacity utilization of the apparatus I can thus be especially high. Short reconfiguration work or elimination of malfunctions on parts of apparatus I can thus be performed without having to switch off apparatus I entirely.

In particular, the conveyors 52, 54 can be moved independent from one another.
In this way, the sequence of the deflection in the transport direction can be optimized and disturbances in the transport can be prevented.

The first conveyor 52 can comprise several first bag-body supports 53 and/or the second conveyor 54 can comprise several second bag-body supports 55. One or several free spaces can be arranged in the first conveyor 52 and in the second conveyor 54. The throughput of bags 2 in the deflecting station 5 can be especially high.

It can be provided in an advantageous third embodiment (not shown) of the deflecting station and the transport system 6, that a receiver is provided for a stack of bags formed outside of the apparatus. The receiver can advantageously be arranged between transport system 6 and the first conveyor 52. The transport system 6 can advantageously be arranged for this purpose in the region of the deflecting station 5 in a movable manner, especially swivelable. In an especially preferable manner, the transport system 6 can be folded downwardly in the region of the deflecting station 5, for which purpose the transport system 6 is arranged to be vertically foldable at least in sections. In the case of a transport system 6 which is folded downwardly, sufficient space for the arrangement of the stack of bags can be ensured in the receiver.

When the deflecting station 5 is not arranged for receiving a stack of bags in an advantageous fourth embodiment of the deflecting station 5 (not shown), the deflecting station 5 can also be arranged with a low height extension. The apparatus I can thus be arranged in a compact and/or cost-effective way.

Both in the first, second, third and fourth embodiment of the deflecting station 5, an alignment device for x/y-positioning of bag 2 can be provided, which means for predeterminable positioning in the x-direction 28 and y-direction 29. The alignment device can position the bag 2 again directly before the transfer to the opening unit 8 and/or check the positioning again. The advantageous aspect is that deviations in the intended position of the bag 2 are checked again directly before the transfer to the opening unit 8 and are optionally corrected. A
transfer of bag 2 with high positioning precision is thus possible.
The bag 2 is conveyed by the transport system 6 to the deflecting station 5 in an advantageous fifth embodiment of the deflecting station (not shown). When supplied into or onto the deflecting station 5, the bag 2 is positioned by means of the stop 51 or by means of the controlled positioning device in the x-direction 28, gripped underneath by a liftable conveying system, e.g. liftable rollers or liftable belts, and is further conveyed in the y-direction 29 to the opening unit 8. The liftable rollers or liftable belts are moved from below to the bottom side of bag 2, with the bag 2 being lifted off by the transport system 6. Timing of delivery can occur after the location positioning of bag 2 in the x-direction 28, with the delivery timing of bags 2 being brought into agreement with the filling timing of the filling station 9.
In an advantageous sixth embodiment of the deflecting station 5 (not shown), the bag 2 is also conveyed by the transport system 6 to the deflecting station 5. The stop 51 or the controlled positioning device again stops the bag 2 in the x-direction 28. A gripper system which is similar to the gripper apparatus 71 or which is arranged by the gripper apparatus 71 grips the part of the bag 2 which is at the front as seen in the y-direction 29, which means the bag 2 in the region of the first bag end 21, lifts the bag 2 at least in this region from the transport system 6 and pulls the bag in the y-direction 29 from the deflecting station 5 to the opening station. The gripper system can advantageously perform an additional location positioning of the bag 2 in the x-direction 28 and/or in the y-direction 29, so that the bag 2 can be conveyed with especially reliable location positioning to the opening unit 8 and from there with especially reliable location positioning to the filling station 9.
In another embodiment of the transport device 6, it can be arranged with small dimensions in such a way that the closing unit 4 is movably arranged on the transport device 6. The bag blank 25 can be arranged in a stationary manner in relation to apparatus I
during the sealing of the second bag 2 and the closing unit 4 can be moved parallel to the y-direction 29. The closing unit 4 can also be moved at least in sections into cross-cutting apparatus 3. The cross-cutting apparatus 3 can thus be arranged closer to the deflecting device 5 and the transport device 6 can thus be arranged with small dimensions, especially with small dimensions in the y-direction 29. This enables an especially compact arrangement of the apparatus 1, so that existing filling apparatuses can be modernized and/or expanded in a compact way.
Further embodiments in accordance with the invention merely have a part of the described features, with any combination of features being provided, especially also such of different described embodiments.

Claims (12)

1. An apparatus (1) for filling bags (2), especially flat bags or side-gusseted bags, comprising an opening unit (8) for opening a first bag end (21) of the bags (2), a filling station (9), a cross-cutting apparatus (3) for cutting to size the blank bags (25), a closing unit (4) for closing a second bag end (22) of the bag blanks (25) which is opposite of the first bag end (21), and a deflecting station (5), with the cross-cutting apparatus (3), the closing unit (4) and the deflecting station (5) being operatively connected with one another by means of a transport system (6), and with the cross-cutting apparatus (3), the closing unit (4) and the deflecting station (5) being arranged one after the other, as seen in the direction of conveyance of the bag blank (25) or bag (2), characterized by a transversal deflecting station (65) which is comprised by the transport system (6) for deflecting the conveying direction of the bag blank (25) from longitudinal transport to transversal transport, with the transversal deflecting station (65) being arranged between the cross-cutting apparatus (3) and the closing unit (4) as seen in the conveying direction of the bag blank (25) or the bag (2), and by a feed apparatus (7) for feeding the bag (2) from the deflecting station (5) to the opening unit (8).

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the closing unit (4) is arranged in a stationary manner in the apparatus (1).

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the transport system (6) comprises a transversal conveyor (61) for the transport of flatly disposed bags (2) and/or bag blanks (25).

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the deflecting station (5) comprises a stop (51) for the alignment of bags (2) supplied by means of the transversal conveyor (61).

5. An apparatus according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the transversal deflecting station (65) comprises at least one second stop for aligning the bag blank (25) in the x-direction (28).

6. An apparatus according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the feed apparatus (7) comprises a gripping apparatus (71) for gripping and lifting the bag (2) at least in sections, and at least one first conveyor (52) with at least one first bag-body support (53), with the first bag-body support (53) being guidable beneath the gripping apparatus (71) in the lifted state.

7. An apparatus according to one of the claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a second conveyor (54) is provided with at least one second bag-body support (55), with the second bag-body support (55) being guidable beneath the gripping apparatus (71) in the lifted state.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the conveyors (52, 54) can be moved independent from one another.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the conveyors (52, 54) are rotating conveyors (56).

10. An apparatus according to one of the claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the deflecting apparatus (5) comprises a receiver for a stack of bags.

11. A method for filling bags (2), especially flat bags and side-gusseted bags, with a prefabricated tube (26), especially made of PP fabric or HDPE fabric, being drawn off from a roll (27), and a bag blank (25) is cut to size from the tube (26) in longitudinal transport of the tube, characterized in that the bag blank (25) is deflected from longitudinal transport to transversal transport in a transversal deflecting station (65) comprised by the transport system (6), the bag blank (25) is then sealed at the second bag end (22) for forming a bag (2), especially sewn thereto, the bag (2) is then supplied from the deflecting station (5) to an opening unit (8) with the open first bag end (21) which faces forward and which is opposite of the second bag end (22), the wall regions of the bag (2) which are opposite of the first bag end (21) are moved away from one another in the opening unit (8), with bag (2) thus being opened, and the bag (2) is thereafter transferred to a filling station (9).

12. A method according to claim 11, characterized in that the second bag end (22) is conveyed in a straight line past a closing unit (4) which is arranged in a stationary manner in an apparatus (1).