GB1578473A

GB1578473A - Bagfilling installation

Info

Publication number: GB1578473A
Application number: GB811077A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: WILHELMSTAL WERKE GmbH
Current assignee: WILHELMSTAL WERKE GmbH
Priority date: 1976-02-25
Filing date: 1977-02-25
Publication date: 1980-11-05
Also published as: DE2607528B2; FR2342206A1; DE2607528A1; FR2342206B1; DE2607528C3

Description

(54) BAG F5LLING-INSTALLATION (71) We, WILHELMSTAL - WERKE GmbH, PAPIERSACKFABRIKEN, of Fautenbacher Strasse 24, D-759 Achern (W.

Germany), a Geman body corporate, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to a bag filling installation, particularly for flat bags with or without side folds.

According to the invention there is provided a bag filling installation comprising a filling nozzle and a suspension conveyor constructed and arranged to convey successively individual upright bags, which are folded flat when empty and which are open along an upper edge, along a conveying path past a filling station, the suspension conveyor comprising at least three endless betls on each side of said path, a first belt on each side of the path extending between or substantially between second and third belts on the same side of the path and each belt being supported by at least two rollers, the rollers supporting said first belts and one of the rollers supporting each of the second and third belts being movable transversely to and away from the conveying path to provide an opening so that, in use, the upper end of a bag can be caused to follow or substantially follow the contour of the opening and the filling nozzle can be inserted into the open end of the bag.

Preferably, each one of two rollers supporting each first belt is mounted on a support for rotation about a first axis, each support being pivotable about a second axis spaced from and arranged parallel to the associated first axis, and means are provided for pivoting the supports about their respective second axis.

Conveniently, the second axis of each support is co-axial with the axis of a fixed roller associated with the adjacent second or third belt.

Preferably, means are provided for gripping and opening the bag at its upper end.

The gripping and opening means may comprise suction grippers.

Preferably, the filling nozzle tapers outwardly from an open end.

Advantageously, the installation further comprises a support conveyor located below the suspension conveyor for supporting the lower ends of the bag when filled.

The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of one embodiment of a bag filling installation according to the invention; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view along the rollers of a belt assembly of the installation shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of another embodiment of a bag filling installation according to the invention; Figure 4 is a diagrammatic sectional view along the rollers of a belt assembly of the installation shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a detailed plan view of one of the belts of Figures 3 and 4 and its associated support, with a part sectioned for clarity; Figure 6 is a side view, partly sectioned, of the belt and support shown in Figure 5; and Figure 7 is a front view showing the neck and mouth of a filling hopper and two crosssections, thereof, each at a level indicated by the dash-dotted conecting lines between the front view and the cross-section.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown therein a suspension conveyor constructed and arranged to convey successively individual upright empty bags along a rectilinear conveying path towards a filling station. The empty bags are folded flat and are open along an upper edge.

The suspension conveyor comprises two belt assemblies 11 and 12 on opposite sides of the conveying path. Each assembly 11, 12 comprises five endless belts 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23. The endless belts 19 and 23 are each mounted on two guide and drive rollers 16 which are spaced from each other. The endless belts 19 and 23 are each spaced from an adjacent belt 20 and 22 respectively. The endless belts 20 and 22 of each assembly 11, 12 are each mounted on two guide and drive rollers 17 which are rigidly or limitedly displaceably mounted in the direction of the conveying path, and guide roller 18 which is movable transversely to and away from the conveying path.The rollers 18 are movable between a first position in which their axes lie in a plane passing through the axes of the rollers 16 and 17 of the respective assembly 11, 12 and a second position in which their axes are spaced from the aforesaid plane in a direction away from the conveying path as shown in Figure 1.

The endless belt 21 is mounted on two further rollers 18 respectively coaxial with the two rollers 18 about which the endless belts 20 and 22 extend. Each pair of coaxial rollers 18 may be formed either as a double roller over which two endless belts, such as belts 20 and 21, extend or as illustrated in Figure 2 may be independent of each other. In the former case, adjacent endless belts 20 and 21 or 21 and 22 are coupled to each other by means of a common roller shaft.

It will be noted that as a result of the above described arrangement, the belts 20 and 21 and the belts 21 and 22 overlap each other when viewed in a direction normal to the conveying path, whereas belts 19 and 23 are spaced from adjacent belts 20 and 22 respectively when viewed in the aforesaid direction.

The installation includes on each side of the conveying path two suction grippers which are located below the suspension conveyor and which are constructed and arranged to engage an adjacent side of a bag as will be more particularly described hereinafter.

There is also provided a filling hopper having a filling nozzle which tapers outwardly from an open lower end and which will be more particularly described hereinafter with reference to Figure 7.

Initially the rollers 18 are arranged in the aforesaid first position, i.e. with their axes lying in a plane passing through the axes of the rollers 16 and 17 of the respective belt assemby 11, 12. A flat bag is then conveyed by the belts 19, 20, 21 and 22 from an entry end of the conveyor assembly located on the left as viewed in Figure 1 to a position in which the bag is located with one side fold clamped between the two belts 20 and the other side fold clamped between the belts 22. When a bag reaches such a position, the movement of the belts is arrested and the rollers 18 are moved into their second position, shown in Figure 1, by means of an arrangement which is shown in Figure 6 and which will be described hereinafter.Movement of the rollers 18 between their first and second positions results in the two belts 21 and also the ends of the two belts 20 and the ends of the two belts 22 which are adjacent to the belts 21 moving apart from each other to create an opening 14. Simultaneously, suction grippers 13 engage opposite walls of the bag and pull these walls apart in a direction normal to the direction of the conveying path. As a result of this an opening corresponding to the opening 14 is produced in the bag so that the filling nozzle of the filling hopper can penetrate into the open upper end of the bag. The bag is tightly pressed against the filling nozzle of the hopper by the beltls 20, 21 and 22. The bag may then be filled from the hopper.

As soon as the bag has been filled, the filling nozzle is withdrawn and the rollers 18 are returned to their first position. Subsequent movement of the endless belts 20.

21, 22 and 23 conveys the filled bag, clamped between the rollers 16, 17 and 18, to the exit end located on the right of the suspension conveyor as shown in Figure 1.

It is important to note that the dimension of the bag in the direction of the conveying path is large enough such that the side folds of the bag remain clamped continuously between the rollers 17 during a filling operation.

During further conveyance of a filled bag, the open end of the bag extends above the suspension conveyor and thus assume a position which is required for closing by means of a stitched seam, adhesive seam, weld seam or the like. Thus, the suspension conveyor may lead the filled bag past or through an appropriate bag closing machine.

For example, a sewing machine may be disposed above the endless belts 23.

In order to permit movement of the rollers 18 from their first to second positions, the belts 20 and 22 should either possess sufficient elasticity to permit such movement or, alternatively, the rollers 17 associated with each belt 20, 22 and furthest from the roller 18 should be mounted for movement in a direction parallel to the conveying path against resilient tension.

Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, there is shown therein an alternative embodiment of a bag filling installation and this differs primarily from the embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 2 by virtue of the fact that each of the two conveyor belt assemblies comprises seven endless belts 33, 34, 35, 36, 37. 38 and 39. Each belt has associated there- with only two guide and drive rollers and like reference numbers are used to denote parts similar to those in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2. Instead of the rollers 17 of the embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 2, rollers 40, 41 and 42 support the endless belts 34, 35 37 and 38.

The rollers 41 and 42, which are located one above the other, may always be combined to form a double roller.

Once again, the endless belts 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38 are arranged to overlap each other when viewed in a direction normal to the conveying path. In the region of overlap, each belt extends around a roller which is coaxial with a roller around which the adjacent belt extends. This has the advantage that the upper end of a bag open along its upper edge is completely surrounded by endless belts and is pressed particularly tightly against the filling nozzle of the filling hopper during a filling operation. Whether the overlap of the endless belt is really necessary for the filling process or even a complete seal between bag and filling nozzle is desirable, must, however, be separately examined for each individual application.For a particularly tight seal between bag and filling nozzle, it may be of advantage to realise an overlap between the endless belts which is larger than that illustrated in Figures 1--4.

Unless rollers are mutually fixed in the overlap region of the belt members, the degree of overlap changes continuously periodically with the operative state corresponding to the geometry of the movement paths of the displaceably mounted rollers.

These movement paths must always include one position in which the movable rollers are in line with the fixedly mounted rollers.

The rollers 17, 40, 41 and 42 may be mounted for limited displacement in a direction parallel to the conveying path.

Within the scope of their mobility they always remain in line with the fixedly mounted rollers 16. A degree of mobility in a direction parallel to the conveying path will have to be provided in particular when the slip between the belt assemblies 11 and 12 and a bag supported at a filling position is to be kept small. Such a slip could under certain circumstances disturb the course of operation dependently upon the use of the bag filling installation.

As shown, round belts are used but it is to be appreciated that flat belts could be used as an alternative. Round belts possess the advantage that because of their thickness they can yield resiliently to the counter pressure of the filling nozzle and the bags and are so narrow that their lines of contact with the bags in the region of overlap of the belts nearly merge into each other.

Accordingly round belts are preferred.

Whereas the suspension conveyors shown in Figures 1 to 4 are capable of holding without difficulty empty bags between belt assemblies in a positive clamping manner, the holding ability, with few exceptions, is insufficient in practice for full bags. Thus, bag support means, such as an endless travelling conveying belt driven in synchronism with the suspension conveyor, may be mounted below the latter for at least supporting the bags during a filling operation and subsequent conveyance of full bags.

Figures 5 and 6, give a detailed view of the belt 37 of Figures 3 and 4 and the rollers 18 and 42 supporting this belt. The roller 42 is fixedly mounted and the roller 18 is mounted for movement in a direction transverse to the aforesaid conveying path.

The rotary bearing of the roller 42 comprises an axial pin 53, a spacer disc 43, a washer disc 44 and a cotter pin 45. The axle pin is fixed to a pivot arm 46. The pivot arm 46 has a bearing pin 47 which is, as shown, coaxial with axle pin 53, but which alternatively may be located at another position of the pivot arm. The bearing pin 47 supports a spacer disc 48 and is rotatably mounted in a bearing bush 49.

The roller 18 has a rotary bearing comprising an axle pin 531 attached to the pivot arm 46 at the opposite end thereof from the axle pin 53, a spacer disc 431, a washer disc 441 and a cotter pin 451. Although not shown, the support arm 46 for carrying a second roller 18 is mounted coaxially with the roller 18 shown. The pivot arm may be displaced angularly so that during such movement the axis of the roller 18 defines a wide arm around the bearing pin 17 and is thus displaceable with a tangential component transverse to the conveying path.

The rollers 18 and 42 as shown in Figs.

5 and 6, support the endless belt 37, which, as shown, is of round cross-section. A holder pin 51 is provided on the pivot arm 56 in the vicinity of the roller 41. The holder pin is connected to a hydraulic or pneumatic drive motor 52. This motor is shown diagrammatically in Figure 6 and has a piston which can be subjected to pressure on both sides. A motor, which acts unilaterally against spring tension, could be provided instead. However, a pneumatic drive is preferred because as a rule compressed air is normally readily available. The drive motor serves to move the roller 18 between the aforesaid first and second positions.

With reference to Figure 7, the filling hopper shown therein comprises a filling nozzle 55, the mouth 53 of which is slightly smaller than the opening 14 which is de fined by the belts 20, 21 and 11 or the belts 35, 36 and 37 and has a cross-section which matches the shape of the opening. Thus the mouth of the filling nozzle can be inserted without difficulty into the opening 14 with a bag in position. The filling nozzle tapers outwardly from its mouth 53 and at a level 54 has a cross-section which is substantially as large as the opening 14 and which has a cross-section matching the shape of the opening 14.When the filling nozzle is inserted into the opening 14 as far as this cross-section 54, the bag walls are pressed by the filling nozzle snugly against the belts and the latter in turn against the rollers 17 and 18 or 41, 42 and 18.The filling nozzle is mounted on a hopper tube 56 so as to be telescopically displaceable relative thereto.

Two sealing and guide rings are interposed between the nozzle 55 and the tube 56.

In an automatic bag filling installation the filling nozzle 55 is engaged by a lifter motor (not shown), such as a pneumatic lifter motor which reciprocates the filling nozzle downwardly and upwardly relatively to the stationary hopper tube 56. The hopper tube 56 connects the filling nozzle 55 to a silo (not shown) which contains flowable material to be packaged.

As can be clearly seen in Fig. 7, the filling nozzle is non-collapsible.

As above described, the rollers 18 are moved transversely to and away from the conveying path by the hydraulic or pneumatic drive motor 52.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A bag-filling installation comprising a filling nozzle and a suspension conveyor constructed and arranged to convey successively individual upright bags, which are folded flat when empty and which are open along an upper edge, along a conveying path past a filling station, the suspension conveyor comprising at least three endless belts on each side of said path, a first belt on each side of the path extending between or substantially between second and third belts on the same side of the path and each belt being supported by at least two rollers, the rollers supporting said first belts and one of the rollers supporting each of the second and third belts being movable transversely to and away from the conveying path to provide an opening so that, in use, the upper end of a bag can be caused to follow or substantially follow the contour of the opening and the filling nozzle can be inserted into the open end of the bag.

2. A bag-filling installation as claimed in claim 1, wherein each one of two rollers supporting each first belt is mounted on a support for rotation about a first axis, each support being pivotable about a second axis spaced from and arranged parallel to the associated first axis, and wherein means are provided for pivoting the supports about their respective second axis.

3. A bag-filling installation as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second axis of each support is co-axial with the axis of a fixed roller associated with the adjacent second or third belt.

4. A bag-filling installation as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein means are provided for gripping and opening the bag at its upper end.

5. A bag-filling installation as claimed in claim 4, wherein the gripping and opening means comprise suction grippers.

6. A bag-filling installation as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the filling nozzle tapers outwardly from an open end.

7. A bag-filling installation as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a support conveyor located below the suspension conveyor for supporting the lower ends of the bags when filled.

8. A bag-filling installation substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. a bag in position. The filling nozzle tapers outwardly from its mouth 53 and at a level 54 has a cross-section which is substantially as large as the opening 14 and which has a cross-section matching the shape of the opening 14. When the filling nozzle is inserted into the opening 14 as far as this cross-section 54, the bag walls are pressed by the filling nozzle snugly against the belts and the latter in turn against the rollers 17 and 18 or 41, 42 and 18.The filling nozzle is mounted on a hopper tube 56 so as to be telescopically displaceable relative thereto. Two sealing and guide rings are interposed between the nozzle 55 and the tube 56. In an automatic bag filling installation the filling nozzle 55 is engaged by a lifter motor (not shown), such as a pneumatic lifter motor which reciprocates the filling nozzle downwardly and upwardly relatively to the stationary hopper tube 56. The hopper tube 56 connects the filling nozzle 55 to a silo (not shown) which contains flowable material to be packaged. As can be clearly seen in Fig. 7, the filling nozzle is non-collapsible. As above described, the rollers 18 are moved transversely to and away from the conveying path by the hydraulic or pneumatic drive motor 52. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A bag-filling installation comprising a filling nozzle and a suspension conveyor constructed and arranged to convey successively individual upright bags, which are folded flat when empty and which are open along an upper edge, along a conveying path past a filling station, the suspension conveyor comprising at least three endless belts on each side of said path, a first belt on each side of the path extending between or substantially between second and third belts on the same side of the path and each belt being supported by at least two rollers, the rollers supporting said first belts and one of the rollers supporting each of the second and third belts being movable transversely to and away from the conveying path to provide an opening so that, in use, the upper end of a bag can be caused to follow or substantially follow the contour of the opening and the filling nozzle can be inserted into the open end of the bag.