EP1689643B1 - Continuously operating vertical bag forming, filling and sealing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A machine for forming a bag of a strip of weldable material, filling the bag with a fluent filling, and sealing the filled bag forms the strip into a longitudinally extending and laterally closed tube and continuously advances the tube longitudinally downward through a welding/folding station while pouring the filling into the tube above the station. A cross-seam welder and a folder at the station are both horizontally closable on opposite sides of the tube to form therein folds and a bag-forming crosswise weld. A vertically shiftable lifter is engageable under a filled section of the tube below the station. Simultaneously the welder and folder are closed on the tube to form a crosswise weld and to fold the tube horizontally inward while the filled section is raised and the welder and folder are moved downward generally synchronously while in contact with the downwardly moving tube.

Description

The present invention relates to a vertical tubular bag machine with a supply system for a tubular bag forming envelope, a filling tube around which the envelope is formed to form a tube and which serves to fill the material to be packaged, a Hüllstoffantrieb, a longitudinal seam welding device, a cross seam welding device for training a transverse weld on a tubular bag, a lifting device for the filled, not yet provided with an upper transverse weld seam tubular bag and provided below the Quernahtschweißvorrichtung folding device with two folding organs for the envelope, wherein the lifting device and the folding device are driven so controlled that is raised to fold the Hüllstoffs on the Füllgutoberfläche the filled tubular bag relative to the folding device and the two folding members of the folding device are moved horizontally inwardly.

A vertical bagging machine of the type described above is known from EP-A-1052170 known. In this known machine is a discontinuous machine in which suitable conveyors move the envelope in the form of a tube cyclically from top to bottom. In particular, in the inward movement of the welding jaws of the cross seam welding device and the folding mechanism of the folding device, therefore, the sheath material is not moved, but assumes a stop position in which the corresponding folding and welding operations can be performed. Also in this stop position, the filled tubular bag is lifted relative to the folding device, and the two folding members of the folding device are moved horizontally inwardly to press the wrapping material taut to the Füllgutoberfläche.

By moving inward of the two folding members with simultaneous lifting of the tubular bag, the envelope provided is pressed tightly and tightly against the product surface, with the air located in this region of the tubular bag being pushed out. There is therefore no air cushion below the intended transverse weld.

Good results are achieved with this known vertical tubular bag machine. It is understood, however, that due to its discontinuous mode of operation, the machine can not produce excessively high numbers of tubular bags filled with contents per unit of time.

From the US-A-5,398,486 is a continuous vertical bagging machine known. In this known machine, the cross seam welding device, folding device and lifting device move downwards synchronously with the downward movement of the hose, so that the welding and folding operations take place during the continuous downward movement of the hose and this is not stopped for this purpose. To fold the Hüllstoffs on the Füllgutoberfläche but no lifting of the filled tubular bag relative to the folding device using the lifting device instead to express air and to achieve a close concern of the Hüllstoffes on the Füllgutoberfläche.

The present invention has for its object to provide a vertical bagging machine of the type reproduced above, which works very fast, while allowing a largely precise folding and welding the Hüllstoffs in the upper Schlauchbeutelendbereich.

This object is achieved in a vertical bagging machine of the type indicated by the characterizing features of claim 1.

In the case of the tubular bag machine designed according to the invention, therefore, not only during the production of the longitudinal weld, but also during the folding and production of the transverse weld seam of the envelope continuously down along the filling tube, ie during the lifting process of the open-top, filled tubular bag, the folding process and the manufacturing process the cross-weld, the envelope is not at rest, but is continuously moved. To move the Hüllstoffs serves a Hüllstoffantrieb, which is preferably one or more endless belts, which contact the guided along the filling tube along the side. The production of the longitudinal weld can be carried out during this continuous movement readily with a suitable Längsnahtschweißvorrichtung. Such longitudinal seam welding devices are known, so that they no longer need to be described in detail at this point. The present invention relates to the folding of the Hüllstoffs on the surface of the filling material located in the open-top tubular bag and the production of the transverse weld during this continuous movement of the Hüllstoffs down. With the solution according to the invention, it is possible to perform the folding (by raising the filled with the contents, open-topped tubular bag) of Hüllstoffs on Füllgutoberfläche and producing the transverse weld without stopping the downwardly moving Hüllstoffs, so that the machine can work much faster than a corresponding discontinuous machine in which a corresponding stop is required.

According to the invention, the machine is constructed so that during the inward movement of the welding jaws of the cross seam welding device and the folding mechanism of the folding device to the respective end point takes place almost no relative movement between the welding jaws and Hüllstoff at the upper welding jaw contact point. This is achieved by matching the downward movement of the envelope material and the inward movement of the welding jaws and folding members accordingly. Since the wrapping material is moved inwardly by the movement of the welding jaws, a relative movement between the jaws and the wrapping material can be almost avoided during this period, whereby the risk of damage to the Hüllstoffs is turned off by the inward movement of the welding jaws.

According to the invention, the continuous downward movement of the Hüllstoffschlauches is thus not affected by the folding and welding operations. Accordingly, according to the invention, the inward movement of the welding jaws and folding members is coordinated with the envelope movement so that the welding jaws and the associated contact point of the wrapping material move inwardly in synchronism with the welding jaws, ie there is virtually no relative movement between the jaws and the wrapping material. The word "nearly" as used herein means that an exact synchronous movement between the Hüllstoffschlauch and the welding jaws inward in practice is substantially impossible, so that the teaching of the invention also includes corresponding deviations. According to the invention in any case in a targeted manner an impairment of the continuous movement of Hüllstoffschlauches be avoided by the welding and folding operations.

When the welding jaws and folding members have almost reached their inner end point, in order that the continuous movement of the sheath material is not interrupted, they are moved down together with the lifting device in synchronism with the downward movement of the sheath material. During this period, the transverse weld can be formed and the filled tube bag can be separated. In the subsequent moving apart of the welding jaws and folding members and opening the lifting device for dispensing the finished tubular bag, the envelope continues to move down continuously, so that the continuous downward movement of the Hüllstoffs is not interrupted during these operations. This also applies to the subsequent lifting of the cross seam welding device, folding device and lifting device.

Preferably, according to the invention, a single movement unit is provided, which lowers the cross seam welding device, folding device and lifting device synchronously with the downward movement of the wrapping material and raises it again after delivery of the finished tubular bag package. This single movement unit preferably comprises a carriage which is movable along a rail arranged laterally of the hose axis. This movement is provided by a suitable slide drive, which can be controlled accordingly, in order to ensure that the lowering movement is synchronized with the envelope speed and rapid Upward movement to reach the starting position.

Of course, this embodiment is not mandatory. According to the invention, a plurality of moving units may also be provided, for example a moving unit for lowering the cross-seam welding device and folding device and a moving unit for lowering the lifting device.

If a single movement unit is provided, of course, the lifting device, regardless of the movement of this movement unit for folding the Hüllstoffs lift the open-topped, already filled with stuffed tubular bag and lower again. As mentioned, this process takes place during the phase of inward movement of the welding jaws and folding members, at which stage the only moving unit for lowering the cross seam welding device, folding device, is in its upper end position due to the inward movement of the sheath caused by the inwardly moving welding jaws no relative movement between Hüllstoff and welding jaws occurs. Only after the welding jaws and folding organs have almost reached their inner end position, the only moving unit begins to lower.

The inventively constructed machine may therefore comprise a single lowering device for the cross seam welding device, folding device and lifting device, or the lowering device may have separate devices for lowering the cross seam welding device and folding device on the one hand and the lifting device on the other hand.

Preferably, the lowering device is designed as a carriage movable along a vertical rail and carrying the cross seam welding device, folding device and lifting device. If separate lowering devices are provided, these are likewise preferably formed by carriages movable along vertical rails.

As mentioned, the lifting device as such must be able to raise and lower the filled tubular bag for refolding independently of the movement of the lowering device. It preferably comprises a slide movable along a vertical rail, wherein the rail of the lifting device is arranged on the lowering device. The carriage of the lifting device can therefore move along the associated vertical rail independently of the movement of the carriage of the lowering device and its vertical rail. The lifting device preferably has two open at the top container halves or flaps, which are mounted on a supported by the carriage of the lifting device crossbar and are mounted zuschwenkbar. By swiveling both container halves, the filled tubular bag received therein can be delivered down from the machine.

The cross-seam welding device can create a single transverse seam, simultaneously the lower transverse seam of the upper tubular bag and the upper transverse seam of the lower Tubular bag forms, or separately, an upper and lower transverse weld. In the latter case, it may have a welding device for creating the upper transverse weld and a welding device for creating the lower transverse weld. The folding device can be formed independently of the transverse seam welding device or can form a unit together with it or be fastened to the transverse seam welding device. Furthermore, the cross seam welding device itself can take over the function of the folding device, so that in this case no separate folding device must be provided. For example, the folding device may be formed by the welding device for creating the upper transverse weld seam (with respect to the lower tubular bag). In this case, by moving inwards the welding jaws of the welding device to create the upper transverse weld seam at the same time the envelope material is folded over onto the product surface.

It is essential that in the present invention, the process of lifting the already filled, upwardly open tubular bag is realized to better fold the Hüllstoffs on the Füllgutoberfläche in a continuous machine in which the Hüllstoff along the filling tube moves continuously down. This Hüllstoffbewegung diametrically opposite upward movement is carried out according to the invention during the phase in which the envelope is moved radially inwardly through the welding jaws, so that in this way required for attaching the transverse weld additional envelope from the continuous Downward movement of the same is obtained, while the additional cover material required for folding the Hüllstoffs on the product surface is obtained by lifting the filled tubular bag with the lifting device. Both processes have been skilfully combined according to the invention so that the continuous movement of Hüllstoffs is not interrupted and in this way high quantities of the machine can be achieved.

To support or improve the folding process, the tubular bag machine designed according to the invention can have lateral folders which move in directions perpendicular to the movement of the cross seam welding device and folding device in the direction of the wrapping material and away from it and fold the wrapping material from the lateral direction onto the product surface.

The stroke performed by the jack is preferably about B / 2, i. corresponds approximately to half the width or thickness (dimension parallel to the welding jaw movement) of the formed tubular bag.

As far as the beginning of the lowering movement of the cross seam welding device, folding device and lifting device is concerned, this movement preferably begins shortly before the jaw closure, ie shortly before the end point of the inward movement of the welding jaws (and folding elements), whereby the movement is brought very quickly to the speed of the wrapping material. As mentioned, the further movement then takes place synchronously with the Hüllstoffbewegung.

Figur 1

eine schematische räumliche Darstellung der Hauptteile einer vertikalen Schlauchbeutelmaschine, wobei die Backen der Quernahtschweißvorrichtung im sich einwärts bewegeden Zustand dargestellt sind;

Figur 2

eine entsprechende Ansicht wie in Figur 1, wobei die Backen der Quernahtschweißvorrichtung im sich nach außen bewegenden Zustand dargestellt sind;

Figur 3

einen schematischen Vertikalschnitt durch die Maschine der Figuren 1 und 2 in einem Zustand, in dem die Backen der Quernahtschweißvorrichtung ihre äußere Stellung einnehmen;

Figur 4

eine Darstellung wie Figur 3, wobei sich die Schweißbacken dem Hüllstoff angenähert haben;

Figur 5

eine Darstellung wie Figur 3, wobei die Schweißbacken einwärts bewegt worden sind;

Figur 6

eine Darstellung wie Figur 3, wobei die Schweißbacken ihre innere Endstellung erreicht haben und der Faltvorgang beendet ist;

Figur 7

eine Darstellung wie Figur 3, in der sich die Absenkeinrichtung für die Quernahtschweißvorrichtung, Faltvorrichtung und Hebevorrichtung nach unten bewegt hat; und

Figur 8

eine Darstellung wie Figur 3, wobei die Absenkvorrichtung ihre untere Endstellung erreicht hat.

The invention will now be explained in detail with reference to an embodiment in conjunction with the drawings. Show it:

FIG. 1

a schematic three-dimensional view of the main parts of a vertical bagging machine, wherein the jaws of the cross seam welding device are shown in the inwardly moved state;

FIG. 2

a similar view as in Figure 1, wherein the jaws of the cross seam welding device are shown in the outwardly moving state;

FIG. 3

a schematic vertical section through the machine of Figures 1 and 2 in a state in which the jaws of the transverse seam welding device assume their outer position;

FIG. 4

a representation as Figure 3, wherein the welding jaws have approximated the Hüllstoff;

FIG. 5

a representation as Figure 3, wherein the welding jaws have been moved inwards;

FIG. 6

a representation as Figure 3, wherein the welding jaws reached their inner end position have and the folding process is completed;

FIG. 7

a representation as Figure 3, in which the lowering device for the cross seam welding device, folding device and lifting device has moved down; and

FIG. 8

a representation as Figure 3, wherein the lowering device has reached its lower end position.

Figure 1 shows the essential parts of a continuous vertical bagging machine of interest to the present invention. A suitable covering material 1, for example made of polyethylene, is placed over a rectangular filling tube 2 via a feed system (not shown), so that a tube is formed. Suitable conveyors in the form of two vertically arranged endless belts 3 move the hose continuously from top to bottom in the figure. During this movement, a longitudinal seam welding device 4 welds the edges of the sheath material 1 together.

At a small distance from the lower end of the filling tube 2, a cross-seam welding device 5 is arranged, which serves to produce an upper transverse weld for a lower tubular bag and to produce a lower transverse weld for an upper tubular bag. The cross seam welding device 5 has on each side the Hüllstoffschlauches two superimposed welding jaws, which serve to produce the upper and lower weld. The welding jaws for producing the upper transverse weld simultaneously form a folding device 6 for folding over the Hüllstoffs on the surface of the Hüllstoffs contained in the lower tubular bag. These operations will be described in detail later. Furthermore, the tubular bag machine shown in Figure 1 has a lifting device 9, which serves for receiving the filled with filling lower tubular bag and for lifting the same against the Hüllstoffbewegungsrichtung. Finally, the machine has side folders 8 which assist in folding the envelope from the lateral direction.

In Figure 1, the machine is shown in a condition in which the cross seam welding device 5 and folding device 6 are spaced apart and the respective welding jaws or folding members move inwardly towards the wrapping material. Figure 2 shows the machine in a state after the folding and welding process in which the welding jaws 7 and folding members have moved outward again. In this state, the two flaps of the lifting device 9 have opened, so that the finished, the contents containing tubular bag 10 is delivered down. During the folding, welding and lifting steps, the wrapping material 1 performs a continuous downward movement, wherein the operation will be explained in detail with reference to the following figures 3 to 8 in detail.

FIG. 3 shows the machine in a state in which the welding device 5 and folding device 6 with their welding jaws 7 or folding members assume their outer radial end position. In this state, the Hüllstoffschlauch extends into the lifting device 9 and is further continuously moved down into this, while filling is filled at the same time. Figure 3 shows the state shortly after completion of Füllguteinfüllung. The two flaps 18 of the lifting device 9 are inwardly pivoted, i. closed state.

As FIG. 3 also shows, the welding jaws 7 and folding members are in part movably mounted on a carriage 11 which is vertically movable along a vertically arranged rail 12. The movement of the carriage 11 via a suitable drive (not shown). 16 with the guide rod of the welding jaws is designated. The carriage 11 has an upper and lower portion projecting to the right in FIG. 3, between which a further vertical rail 15 is arranged. Along the rail 15, a carriage 13 is vertically movable, which carries the two flaps 18 via a transverse bar 14, which are pivotally mounted on the crossbar 14 via suitable pivoting means 17. These parts form the lifting device 9, which serves for lifting the lower, filled with filling tubular bag for folding the Hüllstoffs on the Füllgutoberfläche.

Figure 4 shows a state in which the Schweißbakken and Faltorgane have moved further inward and contact the Hüllstoff 1 already. The tube has moved further into the lifting device 9 down, so that it is now supported by the horizontal portions of the flaps 18. The carriage 11 is in its upper end position, while the carriage 13 is in its lower end position.

Figure 5 shows a state in which the Schweißbakken and folding organs have moved further inward. The welding jaws have already pressed the wrapping material inwards, although there is virtually no relative movement between the wrapping material and the welding jaws, since the wrapping material continues to move continuously. During this phase of the inward movement of the welding jaws and folding members, the carriage 13 of the lifting device 9 has already moved slightly upward, so that the folding or inward folding of the Hüllstoffs can be carried out stress-free on the Füllgutoberfläche under supply of sufficient wrapping material.

Figure 6 shows a state in which the welding jaws and folding members have reached their inner end position. In this state, the production of the upper and lower transverse weld seam is now started. Shortly before reaching this state, the carriage 11 begins its downward movement. This downward movement has shortly reached the speed of the downward movement of the envelope, so that carriage 11 and envelope are moved synchronously downwards. In the meantime, has the lifting device 9 lifted the filled tube to the upper end position of the lifting device. By the inward movement of the folding organs all air has been moved out of the space above the contents and the envelope has been folded inwards on the Füllgutoberfläche.

Fig. 7 shows a state during the downward movement of the carriage 11 in synchronism with the downward movement of the envelope. The carriage 13 of the lifting device 9 in this case retains its upper end position. During this phase, both transverse welds can be formed.

In the state shown in Figure 8, the carriage 11 is in its lower end position. The welding jaws and folding members have already moved apart again, and the carriage 13 of the lifting device moves back to its lower starting position, wherein the two flaps 18 have been pivoted outwardly to deliver the finished, filled with filling 10 tubular bag down. Thereafter, the carriage 11 moves up again, the flaps 18 close again, and reaches its upper starting position shown in Figure 3. The next transverse welds can now be made.

The folding device 6 is attached to the cross seam welding device 5 via height adjustment elements 19 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. These Höheneinstellelemente 19 allow a height adjustment of the folding device or an adjustment of the distance thereof to the welding device 5. When the folding device 6 is formed by or attached to a lower welding device, a height adjustment of the lower welding device or an adjustment of the distance of the same from the upper welding device is thus achieved. In this way, the folding device or lower welding device can be adapted to the height of Füllgutstandes.

The page folder 8 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 has upper and lower side folding members. Also, the lower Seitenfaltelement is arranged vertically adjustable relative to the upper Seitenfaltelement, as is the case with the folding device 6.

It is understood that the side folders 8 are lowered and raised together with the welding device 5, folding device 6 and lifting device 9.

Claims (13)

1. A vertical bag forming, filling and sealing machine comprising a feed system for a wrapping material (1) forming the flexible tube bags, a filling tube (2) around which the wrapping material is fed for the formation of a flexible tube and which serves for the filling of the material which is to be packed, wrapping material drive means, a longitudinal seam welding device, a cross seam welding device (5) for the formation of a cross weld seam at a tube bag, a lifting device (9) for the filled tube bag which is not yet provided with an upper cross weld seam, and a folding device (6) with two folding members for the wrapping material provided below the cross seam welding device (5), wherein the lifting device and the folding device are driven in such a controlled manner that, for folding the wrapping material (1) onto the surface of the filling material, the filled tube bag is lifted relative to the folding device (6) and the two folding members of the folding device (6) are moved horizontally inwardly, characterized in that the tube bag forming, filling and sealing device is designed as machine with continuously moving flexible tube and includes a device for lowering the cross seam welding device (5), folding device (6) and lifting device (9) synchronously with said downward movement of the flexible tube, and in that the inward movement of the weld jaws (7) of the cross seam welding device (5) and the folding members of the folding device (6) is controlled up to the respective end point in such a manner that at the upper weld jaw contact point with the wrapping material (1) nearly no relative movement between the weld jaws (7) and the wrapping material (1) takes place whereafter the cross seam welding device (5) is lowered synchronously with the downward movement of the tube bag.
2. The bag forming, filling and sealing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the cross seam welding device (5) produces an upper and a lower weld seam.
3. The bag forming, filling and sealing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the cross seam welding device includes a welding device for the generation of an upper cross weld seam and a welding device for the generation of a lower cross weld seam.
4. The bag forming, filling and sealing machine according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that the folding device (6) is fixed at the cross seam welding device (5).
5. The bag forming, filling and sealing machine according to one of the claims 1 to 3,
   characterized in that the folding device is formed by the cross seam welding device.
6. The bag forming, filling and sealing machine according to claims 3 and 5, characterized in that the folding device (6) is formed by the welding device for the generation of the upper cross weld seam.
7. The bag forming, filling and sealing machine according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that it includes a single lowering device for the cross seam welding device (5), folding device (6) and lifting device (9).
8. The bag forming, filling and sealing machine according to one of the claims 1 to 6,
   characterized in that the lowering device includes separate means for lowering the cross seam welding device and the folding device on the one side and of the lifting device on the other side.
9. The bag forming, filling and sealing machine according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that the lowering device is formed as slide unit (11) movable along a vertical rail (12) and supporting the cross seam welding device (5), folding device (6) and lifting device (9).
10. The bag forming, filling and sealing machine according to claim 9, characterized in that the lifting device (9) includes a slide unit (13) movable along a vertical rail (15) and that the rail (15) is disposed at the lowering device.
11. The bag forming, filling and sealing machine according to one of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that the lifting device (9) has two container halves which are open on the upper side or flaps (18) supported at a cross beam (14) so that they can be pivoted into an open and closed condition, wherein the cross beam (14) is supported by the slide unit (13) of the lifting device (9).
12. The bag forming, filling and sealing machine according to one of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that it includes side folders (8).
13. The bag forming, filling and sealing machine according to one of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that the folding device (6) is disposed in a height adjustable manner.

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