EP2223857B1

EP2223857B1 - Automatic machine for packaging products in fabric bags

Info

Publication number: EP2223857B1
Application number: EP20100001793
Authority: EP
Inventors: Sergio Calloni
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-02-26
Filing date: 2010-02-23
Publication date: 2013-05-15
Anticipated expiration: 2030-02-23
Also published as: EP2223857A1; IT1396559B1; EP2223857B9; ITMI20090286A1

Description

The present invention refers to a machine suitable to handle, to fill and to automatically package loose, granular or pulverized products, or products already packaged in paper, plastic or composite material small bags, in permeable or impermeable to air fabric bags.
More specifically, the machine of the invention seizes, in a completely automatic manner, the fabric bags, pre-formed with the open mouth and stacked on a platform, by leafing them through, one at a time, and it places them on the lower mouth of a vertical tube or duct, located under a loading and weighing hopper, in order to fill them with loose, granular or pulverized products, or products already packaged in small bags of suitable sizes and material After the bags had been filled with the product of quantity of a desired weight, it moves them to a sealing device in order they can be delivered to the warehouse.

State of the art

In the art are known machines for the automatic filling of loose, granular or pulverized products (e.g. US 3 509 689 ). They use impermeable to air bags and the seizing of the bags to be filled is carried out with automatic devices by means of vacuum suction cups.
This kind of handling with vacuum suction cups cannot be utilized with air permeable fabric bags because the sucked air permeates through the bag fabric so jeopardizing its seizing, and, consequently, all the packaging process.
It may also happen that the vacuum suction cups seize, from the predisposed bag stack, more than one bag at a time, instead of only one: also in this case the packaging process is compromised.
With the existing machines it is therefore impossible to use air permeable fabric bags.
On the other hand, it is possible to remedy to the above mentioned drawbacks utilizing, further than the air impermeable material bags, also the air permeable material bags, covering them, in correspondence to the housings of the vacuum cups, with layers of suitable air impermeable material. This method, however, causes some complications in the bag production with a subsequent higher cost of the same.
The machine of the invention enables using air permeable or impermeable fabric bags and does not present the above mentioned drawbacks. Furthermore, it assures the seizing of only one bag at a time from the predisposed bag stack.

Short description of the invention

The main characteristic of the machine of the present invention consists in that it makes possible the use of bags formed by permeable or impermeable to air fabric which are properly seized, one at a time, by pliers from a platform, on which they are horizontally or vertically positioned, depending on the typology of the material forming the bag. Said platform is adjustable both in height and in useful dimensions, depending on the size of the bag to be filled. The first bag over the stack of the predisposed bags on the platform is therefore positioned at the same suitable height which may be prefixed.
The machine of the invention is specifically suitable to package all the products which require or take advantage of some air circulation for their correct storage. They can be, for example, cereal products like rice, wheat, barley and dried legumes such as beans, chickpeas, lentils, peas, broad beans, etc. as well as some confectionery products like chocolate grains, optionally coated, candies, etc.
Said products are put in bags in weight quantities which may vary from some hectograms to some tens of kilograms. In the last case, and depending also on the apparent specific weight of the packaged product, the bags are more properly sacks. In the following, it will be used only the word "bags" meaning small bags as well as sacks.
The bags handled by the machine of the invention can be made of air permeable or impermeable fabric. In the first case, fabric means any manufactured article allowing air permeability and in the second case it means any coated, laminated or treated manufactured fabric, namely made impermeable to air.
The so defined kinds of fabric may be of different manufacture (knitted, weft and warp interwoven yarns or other type) and made with different materials such as, for example, cotton, hemp, jute, wool, etc.
Further than packaging bags filled with a weighed quantity of loose, granular or pulverized products, the machine of the invention can also use for the filling, bags having small sizes, already packaged in a material suitable to the use.
In operation, the machine works on the first upper bag of the bag stack which are horizontally positioned on a platform and, by suitable pliers, which operate automatically, seizes the single upper layer of the first bag, precisely in the central position of the fabric edge in correspondence with its mouth and then automatically lifts it in such a way to open said mouth.
The correct leafing through of a single bag at a time from the stack and the bag mouth opening are assured by some shakings imparted to the bag by the pliers.
Suitable pliers consist of a device which assures the seizing of only one bag at a time and operates with a tape, made adhesive or with glue application or with a particular type of bonding agent directly applied by a metallic small block which lays on the upper fabric of the bag to be seized. Said pliers are defined adhesive pliers.
Then, two widening arms that, in their minimum size position, are closer and at their ends, have four pneumatic cylinders with one portion coming out from each of them, easily enter the open bag mouth. By said portions coming out from the cylinders, they fix the bag inside the mouth, while, at the same time, the widening arms depart one from the other till they adapt to the bag mouth opening, blocking it tightly.
The above mentioned device, through a rotation of 90°, places the bag outside the lower end of a vertical tube or duct forming the continuation of a loading and weighing hopper.
On said tube or duct are placed two pneumatic cylinders, which tighten on the tube or duct, blocking the bag for filling it; when the filling is completed, the four pneumatic cylinders, together with the two widening arms retract, so freeing the bag mouth.
The loading tube or duct is characterized by two diametrically opposite rods that, suitably driven by the two arms, depart one from the other, so stretching the bag mouth when filled.
When the bag is filled with the weighed product, the two pneumatic cylinders of the tube or duct, which block the bag on said tube or duct, open and the bag falls down on a conveyor belt, while, at the same time, a device provided with pliers keeps outstretched and closed the bag mouth. In these conditions the bag is conveyed, by the conveyor belt, to the bag closure which is implemented by sewing or through other similar operations known in the art.
If the bag fabric is thermo-adhesive or thermo-made adhesive, its closure may be implemented by a heat welding system.
If the bag fabric is made of synthetic or mixed natural -synthetic material, its closure may be implemented by an ultrasonic welding system.
The machine of the invention can also foresee the bag closure by a quiff. In this case, the use of a system of quiff closure will be sufficient.
Before the bag closure, if requested, in any case for a more correct packaging, a coding label, free or tied to the closure, can be inserted inside the bag, for any closure type.
Alternatively to the described adhesive pliers, it is possible to use, always assuring the seizing of only one bag at a time, a device with needle pliers consisting of two or more needles opposed and tilted with respect to the horizontal plan where lies the bag to be removed.
Said needles are located on the lower end of the stems which may be translated along their axis inside their housings so that the needle tips can come out. The drive of the needles coming out is pneumatic and allows them to pierce into the fabric fibre when the housings containing them is laid on the fabric of the bag to be seized.
All the drives of the various devices of the machine of the invention are automatic with achievement times greatly determined by the requested weight of the product to be introduced into the bags, by its apparent specific weight and by the kind of bag fabric.

Detailed description of the invention

The machine of the present invention for the automatic packaging in air permeable or impermeable fabric bags with loose, granular or pulverized products or already packaged in small size and suitable material bags, is now described more in detail with reference to the attached drawings, given only as non limiting examples.
In the following the machine of the invention is described, which foresees the arrangement of the empty bags in a horizontal stack placed on a horizontal platform.

Figure 1 schematically shows, top view, the machine of the invention;
Figure 2 schematically shows, front view, a section of the machine of the invention wherein are present the platform suitable to the bags stack storage and the device, namely the pliers, for seizing them;
Figure 3 shows the cross section, according to arrows A-A, of the machine of Figure 2;
Figure 4 schematically shows, front view and into details, the seizing device of a single bag of the machine of the invention, consisting in adhesive pliers;
Figure 5 schematically shows, front view, the device of the machine of the invention during the removal of a bag, one at a time, in the position wherein the bag is seized by the device from one side of the open bag mouth;
Figure 6 schematically shows, front view, the device of Figure 5 after the bag has been placed and blocked around the loading vertical tube or duct for the product to be put in bag;
Figure 7 schematically shows, front view, the loading vertical tube or duct and the filled fabric bag with its unhooking devices;
Figure 8 schematically shows, front view and in detail, the seizing device of a single bag of the machine of the invention, consisting in needle pliers to seize the bags in alternative to the device shown in Figure 4;
Figure 9 schematically shows the device of Figure 8, side view.

In the above Figures are clearly shown: the platform 1 with a useful width manually adjustable, according to the fabric bag 9 width, by a slide 2 which, by means of the arms 3, causes the symmetric widening or narrowing of the horizontal rods 4 between them and, consequently, of the vertical rods 5, which are connected with the rods 4 and may slide inside the slids 6 made in the platform 1, limiting the useful space on which the stack 8 of the bags 9 rests; the platform 1 being automatically and vertically translated by the gearmotor 7, coupled to a vertical externally threated shaft 10, the first upper bag 9 of the bags stack 8 is always at the same predetermined height H during the bag seizing; the removal device 11 of a single bag 9, specifically indicated in Figure 4, fitted on a suitable structure, including the metallic body 12 provided with the fixing holes 13, on which are placed two coils, one of them, 14, of the adhesive tape 15 to be used and the other one, 16, of the used tape 17, at opposite sides with respect to the body 12; the adhesive tape 15 having the adhesive side turned down; the clutch 18, which serves to keep the tape 15 under tension, located at the coil 14 centre; the pneumatic cylinder 19; the structure with the pawl 20 and its pin 21; the toothed wheel 22 integral with the coil 16 of the used tape 17, being the active section 23 of the pliers placed under the metallic body 12, said active section 23 that is measurable by activating more or less frequently the pneumatic cylinder 19; some of said items being obviously replaceable by equivalent ones: for example, the structure with the pawl 20 can be replaced by a free wheel and the pneumatic cylinder 19 by a suitable motor; the basis dimensions of the metallic body 12 being of such an extent to assure an adequate contact surface between the adhesive tape 15 to be used, once laid on the upper fabric 24 of the bag 9 and said fabric 24, so as to raise the last one also with vertical shakings to make easier the mouth 25 opening of the bag 9, the vertical movements of the metallic body 12, downwards, in order to hook the upper fabric 24 of the bag 9, and upwards, in order to open the mouth 25 of the bag 9, as wel as the vertical shakings, being imparted to the metallic body 12 by a pneumatic cylinder not shown in Figure 4; the rotary cylinder 26 connected with two widening arms 27 that carry at their free ends four pneumatic cylinders 28 suitably spaced out among them and perpendicular to the arms 27 that, in their position of minimum size wherein they are closer, enter the mouth 25 of the bag 9; the four pneumatic cylinders 28 coming out for a section 29 towards the mouth 25 of the bag 9, hooking the bag 9 inside the mouth 25, while the two arms 27 depart one from the other adapting themselves to the mouth 25 opening; the rotary cylinder 26 provided with two widening arms 27 and its pneumatic cylinders 28, which rotate through 90° placing the bag 9 outside the loading vertical tube or duct 30, said duct having rectangular, square or even elliptical section; the two pneumatic cylinders 31 that tighten around the tube or duct 30 so blocking the bag 9 in the vertical position to carry out the filling and widen when the filling is completed; the four pneumatic cylinders 28 placed on the two widening arms 27 which remove the sections 29 so freeing the mouth 25 of the bag 9; the vertical loading tube or duct 30, located under a loading and weighing hopper, not shown in the Figures, provided with two extension rods 32 driven by two arms 33, which depart one from the other extending the mouth 25 of the bag 9 when the bag is full; the pliers system 34 which keeps stretched and closed the mouth 25 of the bag 9; the conveyor belt 35, adjustable in height, according to the bag 9 sizes, by the vertical translation device 36 coupled with a vertical externally threaded shaft 37, which receives the bag 9, kept in position by the belts 38, and delivers it to the closure device 39 of the mouth 25 that may be implemented by sewing or heat welding or by ultrasounds according to the bag fabric nature or by a quiff.
At the sewing end, a pneumatic cylinder pushes the sewing thread towards the chain cutting device and the bag is so packaged.
Before the bag enters the closure system, a device, not shown in the Figures, inserts a coding label which remains integral with the bag mouth and, in the case of closure by sewing, the same is sewn together with the bag mouth.
It's also possible to insert the label in the quiff or join it to suitably pendants in plastic material.
The above description and the relevant Figures, particularly Figure 4, refer to the machine of the invention wherein the single bag 9 is seized, from the bag stack 8, by the adhesive pliers 11.
The machine of the invention can also seize one bag at a time by the device 40, in alternative to the above described device 11 with adhesive pliers. In fact it is possible to utilize, always assuring the seizing of only one bag at a time, a device with needle pliers, fitted on suitable structure and movable by vertical translation by a suitable pneumatic cylinder. Said device 40 is formed by the system 41 of pliers with needles 42 and by the pneumatic cylinder 43, which switches on the pliers system 41, which, placed on the upper section of the stack 8 of bags 9, precisely on the first upper bag 9, carries out the seizing of its upper layer 24 by suitable pliers having two or more needles 42 opposite and inclined with respect to the resting plan of the bag 9, said needles 42, together with the stems 44, translating inside the housings wherein they are contained, of an extent which depends on the fabric 24 thickness and consistency and on the bag 9 weight, pierce into it inplementing the seizing on the central section of the mouth 25 edge of the bag 9, said needle 42 coming out being predetermined by the knob or screw 45 by which it is regulated.
The sizes and the material of needles 42, depending on the thickness and consistency of the fabric 24 and on the weight of the bag 9 to be seized, must be such that they safeguard the integrity of the same needles 42. For the same integrity, their correct moving timing is also important.
The needles 42 must furthermore pierce into the fabric 24, when they seize the bag, and come out from it, when they release the bag 9, without causing any laceration to it.
Once hooked the bag 9 with the needle pliers of Figures 8 and 9, by penetration of the needles 42 into the upper layer 24 of the bag 9, and consequent opening of its mouth, facilitated by some vertical shakings, the bag is handled as per the alternative with adhesive pliers 11 and therefore as above described and shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7.
When the machine of the invention is started up it is necessary to set the operation parameters of the automatic devices, greatly depending on the product to be packaged and therefore on the product weight and on its apparent specific weight and on the bag fabric type and sizes.
Depending on said characteristics of the bags to be handled, for the adhesive pliers, the adhesive tape 15 type and sizes and its advancing frequency have to be predetermined, taking into account that the active (adhesive) section 23 of the adhesive tape 15, because of dust and impurities incorporated during the operation, must be increased, and therefore the pneumatic cylinder 19 intervention must be more frequent over the time in order to suitably renew said adhesive section 23 of the adhesive tape 15 which slides under the metallic body 12 of the adhesive pliers 11.
For the needle pliers the type (sizes and material), the number of needle 42 pairs and the extent of their coming out in order to pierce into the upper layer fabric 24 of the bag 9, have to be prefixed.
The described devices, further than automatic, are driven in a sequential way by the seizing of the single bag 9, to the filling and its final packaging and repetitive for every single bag.
The sequence of times are prefixed and determined by a suitable control unit depending on the product amounts to be filled and the bag type to be utilized.

Claims

An automatic machine for packaging products in air permeable or impermeable fabrio bags (9), characterized by:
- a vertically movable platform (1) for supporting a heap of bags and having vertical slits (6) perpendicular to its longitudinal edges and being underneath connected to a slide (2) carrying two arms (3) connected with horizontal rods (4) in turn connected to vertical rods (5) slidable in the slits (6);

- a seizing and raising device (11,40) for the upper fabric (24) of the upper most bag (9);

- a rotary cylinder (26) provided with two widening arms (27), which carry, at their free ends, two pairs of pneumatic cylinders (28), which are perpendicular to the arms (27), each cylinder (28) being provided with an axially movable portion (29) for seizing the mouth of the opened upper most bag and rotating by 90° positioning the bag to the loading vertical means (30);

- a vertical loading means (30), provided with two pneumatic cylinders (31);

- stretching rods (32), integral with arms (33);

- pliers (34) for stretching the mouth (25) of the bag (9);

- a vertically and axially movable conveyor belt (35) for receiving the bag, provided with small belts (38) for keeping the bag in position and with a vertical translation device (36) coupled to a vertical externally threaded shaft (37);

- a closure system (39) of the bag (9):
wherein the seizing device (11) of the bag (9) consists of a metallic body (12), provided with fixing holes (13), on which are suitably fitted both the coil (14), from which an adhesive tape (15) unrolls, and, in a position diametrically opposite as to the body (12), the coil (16), on which the used tape (17) rolls up, a clutch (18) axially aligned with the unrolling coil (14) and a pneumatic cylinder (19) connected with a part (30), in turn engaged with a toothed wheel (22) integral with the unrolling coil (16);

or wherein the seizing device (40) of the bag (9) consists of a pneumatic cylinder (43) and a system (41) of pliers with a housing wherein stems (44) slide, these stems (44) having at their lower ends needles (42), each other opposite and tilted with respect to the resting plan on the platform (1) of the bags (9), said needles (42) suitably extending from the housing by a suitable extent prefixed by a device (45).
The automatic machine according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the loading means (30) is a tube or a duct.