Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B29/00—Packaging of materials presenting special problems
  • B65B29/02—Packaging of substances, e.g. tea, which are intended to be infused in the package
  • B65B29/04—Attaching, or forming and attaching, string handles or tags to tea bags

Definitions

• This invention relates to a method and apparatus for the production of covered infusion bags, particularly tea bags.
• Patent AU 575226 there is described an infusion bag whereby the bag may be supported on the edge of a cup or other drinking vessel for the infusion of the tea, and which cover can then be grasped to squeeze the remaining liquid from the tea bag before disposal of the teabag and cover.
• Patent Application No.PCT/AU 87/00134 and the application AU73S84/87 corresponding thereto there is described a method and apparatus for producing tea bags attached to a cover in which the bag is fed onto the cover for attachment thereto and folding of the cover about the tea bag.
• Patent No GB 1245359 describes a method and apparatus fcr making s compressible infusion package in which an infusion package to which a string is attached is attached to a cover by the string being passed through a hole in the central crease of a cover, and a mechanism fcr winding the string about the package and cover and detachably anchoring the free end of the string to the cover.
• US 3092242 is directed to an infusible package with a cover, the cover being slidable on a string attached to the package and to an apparatus for producing same.
• US 4289493 describes an apparatus fcr applying an overlay to a substrate for example in the manufacture of book covers, by serially wrapping the overlay around a first pair of oppositely disposed edges of the substrate, folding the corners of the overlay into the substrate and wrapping the overlay around the two remaining edges of the substrate.
• US 3832829 describes an apparatus for banding hosiery with a band of pressure sensitive adhesive on one side by manually positioning the stockings on the band which is held by suction to a platform and whereby the band is mechanically applied to the stockings.
• the invention is particularly directed to the production of tea bags with a protective cover it is to be noted that the invention is not to be limited thereto for the bag can contain any desired infusible substance such as coffee.
• an apparatus for the attachment of a cover to a porous bag containing an infusible substance comprising means to supply a continuous sheet feed of the cover material, means to receive the bags from a pouch making machine, cutting means to cut the sheet material into the separate covers, means to positively feed the bags and position the bags on the covers, attaching means to attach a flange of the bag to the cover, creasing means to crease the cover immeec ' iately adjacent the edge of the flange of the bag anc folding means to fold the cover about the bag.
• the apparatus is attached to an existing pouch maker 1 [shown in dashed lines] with the cartoning portion removed as shown by 4, the pouchmaker being positioned on a floor 2.
• the cover material is supplied by reel 3 which cover material is preferably polystyrene.
• the bags are separated at 5 and carried by suction fingers to position 1 1 where they are pushed off the fingers and they then drop into the chute 12.
• the reel of cover material is preferably free running, but a friction device 35 is preferably used to maintain an approximately uniform tension on the strip around idler pulley 34 and up to the drive pulley 32. If more than one track is desired slitting of the strip may be accomplished in the region of pulley 34. If required heat may be applied to the strip by a heater to reduce the residual curvature of the strip of polystyrene.
• the strip of cover material is driven by drive pulley 32 which runs at constant speed and is such that one pitch [150mm] of material is delivered per machine cycle.
• pulley 32 would be driven at a variable speed controlled by a feed back loop which maintains a set phase between the machine cycle and any unique optically identifiable pattern detected by optical sensor 33. The mean speed of the strip would then be one pitch per machine cycle.
• the strip is thus fed from roller pair 31 and 32 at constant speed ' and forms a slack loop 30 in preparation fcr a quick advance phase, begun when pressure roller .0 is ailcwed :c crop onto driven roller 9, gripping the strip and driving it through guice 36.
• the free end moves from the guillotine position 13 and proceeds ever the sealer/hinger pad 26. through a gap between roller pair 17/27 and steps near folding bar 16. This ⁇ uick advance occurs in nominally 25% of the cycle time.
• the pressure of roller 1 C is set to provide sufficient friction to drive the strip until the slack loop 30 goes taut, when the rollers 9/10 will slip until roller 10 is lifted at which point the the strip stops moving and its stopped position will depend on the timing of the lift of roller 10. It is noted that the strip is moving at slow speed set by the feed drive roller 32 thus minimising the effect of timing variations of the roller 10 lifting.
• the phase of the strip with respect to its stopping position ie the relative position of the printing and guillotining
• the guides 8 are wire guides intended to keep the strip as straight as possible in order to maximise its stiffness when the slack loop 30 snaps taut and they also minimise the angle of wrap around pulley 9 to avoid tension build up when rollers 9 and 10 are slipping.
• the bags are pushed off the suction fingers 7 at position 11 and free fall into the chute 12 which restrains the bags sideways and guides them onto the strip just ahead of the heater/sealer/creaser units 15 and 16.
• the slope of the surface on which the strip rests is such that the bag will slide down to register against the creasing blade 16 which is positioned within a tolera ⁇ ced height above the strip after the free end has advanced through and before the bag arrives.
• the creasing unit can induce a blade or knife which can have a continuous edge or have an edge which is serrated or toothed.
• the knife or blade can be heated to assist in producing a satisfactory hinge.
• the cover material of polystyrene or ether thermoplastic material is softened and may be slightly melted so that the thickness of the material at this area is thinner
• the guillotine biade 25 heat sealer 15 and the creasing blade 16 activate against their working surfaces 13 and 26 which may be replaceable pads of polyurethane or UHMWPE. After sealing the heat sealer 15 and the creasing blade 16 retract to allow the bag to pass underneath.
• the folding bar 18 leaves its home position beneath the plane of the strip and rises to its alternate position as shown in Figure 1 and in doing so it lifts the free end of the strip forming the cover of the tea bag.
• the roller 17 is allowed to fall on to roller 27, gripping the bag and driving it under the folding bar 18 so that the first part of the cover is folded over the bag by pivoting and sliding under the folding bar 18.
• the bag and cover move into the transfer arm 19 hinge first.
• Roller 27 is continuously driven at the same peripheral speed as roller 9 to prevent the advancing strip overtaking the finished bag and cover, roller 17 lifting after the bag has passed through and remains lifted until the next cycle.
• the transfer arm 19 As the bag slides into the transfer arm 19, its edges are guided and rest upon guide rails, the transfer arm 19 having a hinged thumb on its underside which is spring loaded shut, and is opened by a tab 21 protruding from triple shaft assembly 22 pushing via a red entering at 20 to allow the bag to slide in. Tab 21 is rotated to allow the thumb to gently grasp the bag, then the arm pivcts around shaft 22 carrying the bag along the circular wire guide 28.
• the bag is added at 23 to the bottom of the output channel 24, and the thumb pushes the whole stacK along, there being passive restraining fingers in the channel to prevent the stack of bags falling back.
• the thumb is then extracted from the channel by a further motion displacing shaft 22 upwardly in the plane of the last bag. the guides preventing the bag from lifting cut of the channel.
• the guides 28 and the transfer arm are not in the same plane and Once the thumb is cut of the stack the transfer arm returns to pick up the next bag, a c the thumb ccened.
• FIG. 2 there is shown a further embodiment illustrating an alternate means for accurately positioning the bag for attachment to the cover strip.
• the bag 37 as shown is held by the suction finger 7 and is dropped onto tray 38, the tray 38 carrying the bag 37 to position 38(a) where the bag 37(a) is positioned adjacent the creasing and sealing mechanisms.
• the tray 37 In order to move the tray 37 to transfer the bag 38 the tray 37 is supported by a pair of links 39 and 40 hinged to the tray 37 forming a four bar linkage.
• Link 39 is pivoted at 41 to a portion of the frame while link 40 is pivoted at 42, whereby it will be seen that the tray 38 will transfer the bag from the suction finger to be positioned on the cover strip for creasing and heatseaiing.
• the bags being positioned on the cover strip in a longitudinal direction the bags may be positioned across the cover strips, and the creasing and heat sealing may thus be performed by rotary members.
• the bags and covers may be stacked vertical in the output channel cr may be stacked in an overlapping manner as is known as Penny Stacking, so that the bags can be removed for packaging in boxes or other containers.
• acccrcing to this invention a simple and economical attachment to a pouch making machine whereby the pouches or tea bags are attached to a cover so that the tea bag can be supported on a cup or other drinking vessel and then be easily removed from the cup by squeezing to remove the surplus liquid therefrom and then for ease of disposal.
• the machine can be a single track machine or can be a multiple track machine so that a plurality of bags are provided with covers at the same time.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Making Paper Articles (AREA)
• Auxiliary Devices For And Details Of Packaging Control (AREA)
• Containers And Plastic Fillers For Packaging (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=3773208

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (2)

Family Cites Families (1)

• 1989
  • 1989-07-10 IN IN524MA1989 patent/IN174961B/en unknown
  • 1989-07-10 EP EP19890907624 patent/EP0423173A4/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1989-07-10 WO PCT/AU1989/000295 patent/WO1990000497A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1989-07-10 CA CA000605177A patent/CA1320376C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1989-07-11 NZ NZ22990889A patent/NZ229908A/en unknown

Patent Citations (2)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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