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
  • B65B61/00—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages
  • B65B61/28—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages for discharging completed packages from machines
• • 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
  • B65B35/00—Supplying, feeding, arranging or orientating articles to be packaged
  • B65B35/10—Feeding, e.g. conveying, single articles
• • 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
  • B65B5/00—Packaging individual articles in containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, jars
  • B65B5/04—Packaging single articles
• • 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
  • B65B61/00—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages
  • B65B61/24—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages for shaping or reshaping completed packages
• • 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
  • B65B9/00—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, e.g. liquids or semiliquids, in flat, folded, or tubular webs of flexible sheet material; Subdividing filled flexible tubes to form packages
  • B65B9/10—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, in preformed tubular webs, or in webs formed into tubes around filling nozzles, e.g. extruded tubular webs
  • B65B9/20—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, in preformed tubular webs, or in webs formed into tubes around filling nozzles, e.g. extruded tubular webs the webs being formed into tubes in situ around the filling nozzles

Definitions

• This invention relates to bag handling apparatus, particularly but
• bag is used herein for convenience and is
• a web of flexible sealable wrapping material is formed into a ⁇ o tube provided with successive transverse seals around the bag contents, ii the tube being formed with side gussets adjacent the bottom seal and i2 the material adjacent said seal folded over the base of the bag.
• Such i3 bags may be produced on a vertical form fill and seal machine and i4 would typically contain flowable material such as washing powder. It is also known to produce bags with a block top.
• gussets i6 required for forming a block top may be produced on a vertical form fill i7 and seal machine, by insertion of gusset-forming fingers during the top is sealing process in the same way as gussets may be formed for the i9 bottom bag seal to produce a block bottom, the completion of a block
• the invention provides bag handling
• apparatus including a plurality of bag holder means for receiving a bag u from a bag making or filling machine, means for conveying successive
• Each holder means preferably has internal dimensions adapted to
• 35 holder means comprise open-topped containers so that bags may be
• the containers may be adapted to
• the containers are in the form of sleeves, with open tops and open
• the containers may conveniently be moved on said endless path by sliding over a stationary surface or on band
• the holder means may comprise individual unconnected ⁇ members which are conveyed on said endless path by suitable 9 conveying means, e.g. pushers, band conveyors or other means ⁇ o engaging the holder means.
• suitable 9 conveying means e.g. pushers, band conveyors or other means ⁇ o engaging the holder means.
• the holder means ii may move in line in abutment, with one holder means pushing the holder i2 means in front of it.
• the holder means may be linked, e.g. i3 by forming pockets of a pocket conveyor.
• the holder means may i be conveyed by endless conveyor means having means adapted to is engage individual holder means and convey said holder means on said i6 path in a predetermined relationship.
• the endless conveyor means may i7 extend in a substantially horizontal plane adjacent said path. In all cases, is the movement of the holder means may be synchronised with the i9 machine from which bags are received.
• the processing station may comprise a sealing 2A station at which the partially-completed bags are resealed with a
• the holder means may convey
• Figure 1 is a plan view of bag handling apparatus
• Figure 2 is a side view of the apparatus of Figure 1 ,
• Figure 3 is a schematic plan view showing stages of operation of the apparatus of Figure 1 ,
• FIGS. 4-6 are schematic perspective views showing process
• ⁇ o Figure 9 is a part-sectional plan view of the apparatus shown in ii Figure 8
• i2 Figure 10 is a part-sectional end elevation of the apparatus shown i3 in Figure 8
• i Figure 11 is a part-sectional side elevation of part of a modified is sealing station
• i6 Figure 12 is a part-sectional plan view of the apparatus shown in i7 Figure 11
• Figure 13 is a plan view of modified bag handling apparatus
• i9 Figure 14 is a sectional view on the line XIV-XIV in Figure 13
• Figure 15 is a sectional view on the line XV-XV in Figure 13,
• FIG. 2i Figure 16 is a sectional side view of a completed bag produced
• Figures 17A-17D are scrap sectional views showing operation of 2A folding apparatus in the apparatus of Figure 13.
• the bag handling apparatus 10 is
• the apparatus 10 receives the bags 14 from the
• Holders 18 are moved along the path 16A by a first pusher 20 A having a fixed stroke, the holders sliding over a stainless steel or similar
• the surface 9 22 is provided with holes 24 at and/or just downstream of the station A ⁇ o so that any loose powder or other filling material which may accompany ii the bags 14 when received from the machine 12 does not accumulate i2 on the surface.
• i3 At the end of the run 16A successive full holders 18 are stopped i in the path of a second pusher 26, which launches the holders along a is second run 16B of the path 16.
• a sensor 28 detects when there is a i6 holder in the path of the pusher 26.
• a similar sensor 30 is provided at i7 the end of the run 16B. The pusher 26 will operate when the sensor 28 is indicates that there is a holder 18 in its path and ready for pushing and if i9 there is no holder 18 sensed by the corresponding downstream sensor
• An abutting line of holders 18 is advanced by the pusher 26 2A through a settling station B, which comprises a vibrating platform 32 over
• the new seal formed in the sealing station may be 3A closer to the bag contents than the top seal made in the bag by the
• the sealing station C includes a carriage 34 including a pair of
• 5 carries two sets of fingers 38, 40, movable with the beams 36.
• the horizontal is distance between the sets of fingers 38 and 40 corresponds to the i6 horizontal distance through which the beams 36 move, so that during the i7 next downward movement of the beams the second set of fingers 40 is engage in the slots 42 of the holder previously left in the station by the i9 fingers 38. At the same time, during this downward movement the top
• the conveyor 50 delivers successive holders 18 into the path of a 1 pusher 54 which operates to slide an abutting line of holders 18 along a
• holder 18 passes through a gluing station E at which a strip 58 of adhe- sive is applied along a sloping side of the top of the bag 14, as shown particularly in Figure 5.
• the adhesive may be applied by any convenient
• each holder 18 passes through a rolling station F, at which the top i3 flap of each bag 14 is rolled down by a weighted, pivoted flap roller 65 iA so that it is pressed onto the adhesive strip 58 and sealed down, thus is forming a block top bag.
• a vertical plunger 72 is moved downwards through each 2 holder at the station.
• An exit pusher 74 operates to push a line of
• an exit platform 70 an exit band conveyor 71 may be used, in which
• a sensor 80 similar to the sensors 28, 3 30 and 64, is provided adjacent to the pusher 20.
• the bags 14 could be transported in one or more pocketed s conveyors instead of in individual holders. In this case, or in the case
• each of the i6 horizontal beams 36 carries spaced outwardly-extending pins 100 each i7 of which is connected to identical adjacent drive mechanisms 102 is connected to a fixed part of the apparatus.
• Each mechanism 102 com- i9 prises a planetary gear wheel 104 to which the pin 100 is rotatably atta-
• the gear wheel 104 is rotatably
• the gear wheels 104, 108, 110 engage with a stationary internal annular 2A gear 1 12.
• the rotors 106 are driven by a common timing belt 1 18
• the carriage 34 also carries on each side a former plate 122 3i positioned adjacent the second set of fingers 40 which engage in the
• Each plate 122 is movable by an air cylinder
• the plates 122 reform the gussets 1 in the bag 14 and compress the bag contents just prior to and during
• Figures 11 and 12 show a slightly modified sealing station C.
• the holders 18 are formed at their sides with horizontal s slots 126.
• pneumatically-operated pins ⁇ o 128 located on each side of the surface are fired so as enter the slots ii 126 and arrest the holder (if necessary) with the pins at the upstream i2 ends of the slots (as shown in Figure 1 1 ): this prevents the holders i3 overshooting the pick-up position.
• the pins 128 are retracted prior to iA horizontal movement of the holders following engagement of the fingers is 38. Similar pins 130 are provided for the pick-up position for the fingers
• the jaws 44, 46 are movable together to perform the sealing and is cutting operation under action of the pneumatic cylinder 120.
• the jaw i9 44 is connected to a movable assembly 45 comprising upper and lower
• the jaw 46 is similarly connected to a
• movable assembly 47 comprising upper and lower mounting blocks 140, 2A 142 slidable respectively on upper rail 136 and a further lower rail 144
• the jaw assembly 45 is directly connected to the piston of the air
• a chain 146 is connected to the jaw assembly 45 on each
• the jaws 44, 46 include sealing faces which
• a knife 156 which can be advanced relative to the jaw 44 by an air
• the A knife 156 preferably operates against a slot or hardened insert in the jaw
• FIG. 13-15 illustrate a modified bag handling apparatus 210
• Open-ended sleeve-like holders 218 are conveyed by an endless i2 chain 219 around an endless path 216 on a substantially horizontal i3 stainless steel platform 222.
• the chain 219 passes around four sprockets iA 221 , at least one of which is driven intermittently to move the holders 218 i6
• Each of the holders 218 has an integral extension arm 223 which i7 removably connects the holder to the chain 219 by means of spaced is apertures 225 in the arm through which extend adjacent upstanding pins i9 227 carried by successive links of the chain 219. The spacing of holders
• sealing station C in the apparatus of Figure 1 is replaced by 3i sealing and trimming bars 244, 246, operable on the upper part of the
• 35 chain 219 is stationary.
• the folding station 290 1 causes a double fold of the top sealed portion of the bag 214 and the
• a is twists) along the length of the folding station 290 so that the engaged i6 part of the top-sealed portion 213 assumes the configuration shown in i7 Figure 17C.
• a is presser bar 251 D engages over the top-sealed portion 213 and i9 progressively presses it onto the top surface of the bag 214.
• a plunger (not shown), similar to the plunger 72 in the apparatus

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Auxiliary Devices For And Details Of Packaging Control (AREA)
• Supplying Of Containers To The Packaging Station (AREA)
• Closing Of Containers (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=10806993

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (1)

Family Cites Families (2)

• 1997
  • 1997-02-03 GB GBGB9702150.5A patent/GB9702150D0/en active Pending
• 1998
  • 1998-02-03 EP EP98902132A patent/EP1025005A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1998-02-03 ES ES9950037A patent/ES2158821B1/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-02-03 WO PCT/GB1998/000334 patent/WO1998033709A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1998-02-03 AU AU58749/98A patent/AU5874998A/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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