GB2117729A

GB2117729A - Bagging connection for filling dusty products into open top bags

Info

Publication number: GB2117729A
Application number: GB08309239A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mathias Muller
Original assignee: Haver and Boecker OHG
Current assignee: Haver and Boecker OHG
Priority date: 1982-04-02
Filing date: 1983-04-05
Publication date: 1983-10-19
Also published as: IT8312459A0; DE3212299A1; FR2524420B1; DE3212299C2; GB8309239D0; GB2117729B; FR2524420A1; IT1171107B

Abstract

A bagging connection for filling dusty products into bags (28) which are open at the top, is provided with two spreader flaps (8, 9) which are pivotal about horizontal axes, and clamping jaws (10, 11) which are also pivotal about said horizontal axes and which can hold the edge of the bag mouth against the spreader flaps (8, 9). The spreader flaps (8, 9) are joined at their lateral edges by dust-tight aprons (15). Associated with each apron (15) is a folding plate (18) or folding bar (30) cooperable with a spreading finger (33). When the spreader flaps (8, 9) are opened, the folding plates (18) or the spreading fingers (33) urge the outside faces of the aprons (15) and edge portions of the bag mouth against one another so as to prevent fouling in the region of the closure seam which is to be subsequently formed. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Bagging connection for filling dusty products into open top bags The invention relates to a bagging connection for filling dusty products into open top bags.

Such a bagging connection may incorporate two spreader flaps which are pivotal about horizontal axes and clamping jaws which are associated with the spreader flaps, are pivotal about horizontal axes and can secure the edge of the mouth of the bag to the spreader flaps.

A bagging connection of such a kind is proposed in German patent specification No 1948229.

Filling open top bags with dust-bearing products gives rise to various difficulties. Besides environmental pollution which such products can cause, particularly in the case of chemicals, there is the danger that deposits of dust in the closure seam region may mean that the edge of the bag cannot be closed with the required degree of security, or can be closed only by using expensive means. The dust problem can mean for example when sealing plastics bags that the weld seam region at the inside surface of the bag or sack must be cleaned manually or by mechanical means, and sometimes, depending on the nature of the dust and the chemical composition thereof, even that is not sufficient for bags to be reliably closed by means of a closure seam.Accordingly, it is then necessary to seal the bags by means of a slider strip or band which is fitted to the bags, or to use valved bags instead of open top bags.

However, at the same time as there is a need to solve the dust problem, there is also a need to achieve a filling capacity which can be attained with comparable products which however do not include dust.

It is not possible for side fold bags or sacks to be cleaned in the closure seam region, by using mechanical means. If the side folds are not opened in the filling operation, then the equipment has a correspondingly low filling rate.

According to the invention there is provided a bagging connection for filling dusty products into open top bags, comprising a pair of spreader flaps which are pivotal about horizontal axes; a pair of clamping jaws, a respective one of which is associated with each of the spreader flaps and which are also pivotal about horizontal axes to press the edge of the mouth of the bag against the spreader flaps; made from flexible material and fixed to the spreader flaps in the region of said edges thereof; in the case of side fold bags, a respective folding device for each apron movable with its folding means from outside the bagging connection into the interior of the bagging connection; and in the case of flat bags, a respective spreader device for each apron movable with its spreading means from the inside outwardly, the folding means or the spreading means pressing portions of the inner face of the bag adjacent the mouth of the bag against the aprons.

Thus the inside faces which are applied and clamped, of the side fold bag or flat bag to be filled, are effectively protected in the closure seam region, from the effect of dust, when filling and closing the bag.

In one embodiment of the invention, the spreader flaps are in the form of plates, wherein folding plate metal members which align with the plates are releasably secured to the vertical lateral edges of the plates, the combined width of each plate and its folding plate metal member fixed thereto corresponding to the width of the bag.

In order to provide a satisfactory seal between the folding plate metal members secured thereto, in the region of the connection, the aprons preferably engage in a U-shaped configuration around the folding plate members, in the region of the connection. The aprons may be provided with through apertures for screw-fastening bar portions of the folding plate members.

At the outer side of the folding plate members, the aprons align with strip or bar members of rubber or plastics material, which extend over the bottom horizontal edges of the plates, the inner face of the bag adjacent the mouth of the bag being pressed against the strip or bar members by means of the clamping jaws.

Therefore, the face of the mouth of the bag which is applied to and clamped fast to the bagging connection bears against said strip or bar members of the plates and against the aprons which connect the plates, more specifically, both during the filling operation, when the bagging connection is open, and after the filling operation is concluded, when the bagging connection is closed.

Depending on whether the bag is a side fold bag or a flat bag, the edge of the mouth of the bag is held in position in the region of the lateral aprons by folding devices or by spreading devices so that dust is prevented from settling on the inside surface of the edge of the mouth of the bag and the entire bag opening can be utilised for filling the bag.

If flat bags are to be filled, then, in a preferred embodiment, the spreading device comprises two spreading fingers which engage with their lower ends into the bag, are arranged in the vertical central plane of the bagging connection, are mounted rotatably about horizontal axes and can be pivoted out of the region of the spreader flaps and the clamping jaws of the bagging connection outwardly, with resilient deformation of the aprons, for the aprons to be force-lockingly applied to the edge of the mouth of the bag.

By virtue of the spreading device being in the form of fingers which are pivotal about a horizontal axis, it is readily possible for the inward parts of each apron, which form a side fold, to be pushed out beyond the side edges of the spreader flaps so that the outer face of each apron bears sealingly against the inside face of the edge of the mouth of the bag. In that way, at least the region in which the weld seam is to be formed in a subsequent working operation is effectively protected against dust setting thereon.It is particularly advantageous, at each side of the bagging connection, for the folding finger which bears against the apron on the outside and the spreading finger which bears against the apron on the inside to be mounted rotatably about a common horizontal axis as the movement of both the folding finger and the spreading finger can be produced by a common drive means. It is particularly advantageous for the axis to be formed by a driven shaft on which a holder is fixedly clamped, the upper ends of the spreading and folding fingers being secured to the holder, as that arrangement provides a particularly simple design configuration.

To avoid dust which is developed in the filling process going into a space around the bagging connection having a central filling pipe, an upper frame-like cover arrangement can be provided through which the filling pipe or the like extends, while, disposed in a laterally displaced position relative to the filling pipe, suction pipes can be provided to suck the dust from above out of the filling opening which is closed on all sides relative to the exterior.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a front elevation of a first embodiment of a bagging connection according to the invention with a bag applied thereto, in the open and closed positions, with an associated conveyor belt; Figure 2 shows a view of the bagging connection taken in the direction of arrow II in Fig. 1; Figure 3 shows a view in section taken on line Ill-Ill in Fig. 2; Figure 4 shows to a greater scale a part of Fig. 3; Figure 5 shows to a greater scale a half section taken along line V-V in Fig. 2; Figure 6 shows a front elevation of a further embodiment of a bagging connection according to the invention for flat bags with a bag applied thereto, in the open position;; Figure 7 is a similar view to Fig. 6 but with the bagging connection in the closed position; Figure 8 shows a partly sectioned plan view of the Fig. 7 arrangement; Figure 9 shows a view of the bagging connection looking in the direction of arrow IX in Fig. 6, with the spreading device shown in the rest and in the operative positions; Figure 10 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 9; Figure ii is a view to a greater scale of part of the Fig. 9 arrangement; and Figure 12 shows a view in section taken along line XII-XII in Fig. 11.

Referring to the drawings and firstly to Figs.

1 to 5, a discharge hopper 1 for emptying out material has an outlet nozzle 2, to the lower edge of which is secured a flexible filling hose 3 of rubber or a rubber-like plastics material.

The hose 3 extends into the interior of a bagging or filling connection 4 to such a distance that a lower edge 5 is below the edge of the mouth of a bag which is clamped to the bagging connection 4.

The bagging connection has two spreader flaps 8 and 9 which are pivotal about horizontal axes 6 and 7 and which have associated therewith, clamping jaws 10 and 11 which are also pivotal about the horizontal axes 6 and 7. The spreader flaps 8 and 9 are in the form of plates, with folding plate metal members 1 2 releasably secured to the vertical lateral edges thereof. The combined width of each plate and the folding plate members 1 2 secured thereto corresponds to the width of a bag.

In the illustrated embodiments, the folding plate members 1 2 are provided with bar portions 1 3 which are secured to the spreader flaps 8 and 9 by means of screws 14. In order to provide a satisfactory dust-tight seal in the region of the join between the folding plate members 1 2 and the spreader flaps 8 and 9, edge portions of an apron 1 5 of rubber or a rubber-like plastics material engage in a U-shaped configuration around two mutually oppositely disposed folding plate members, in the region of the connection between the folding plate members 1 2 and the spreader flaps 8 and 9.In the region of the connection, each apron 1 5 is provided with through openings for the screw-fastening bar portions 1 3 of the folding plate members 12.

The ends of the bagging connection 4 are formed by the aprons 1 5.

The spreader flaps 8 and 9 have strip or bar members 1 6 of rubber or plastics material, which extend over the lower horizontal outside edge. The clamping jaws 10 and 11 associated with the spreader flaps are also provided with strip or bar members 1 7 of rubber or plastics material, so that the upper edge of the bag is clamped fast, between the spreader flaps and the clamping jaws, by the strip or bar members 16 and 17.

Fig. 5 in particular shows that the outside surface of the apron 1 5 is in a position of alignment, in the region of the folding plate members 12. The bagging connection shown in Figs. 1 to 5 is designed for filling side fold bags. Associated with each side of the bagg ing ing connection is a folding device which has a shaped folding member 1 8 formed of metal plate. The folding member 1 8 is mounted movably in the region of the vertical central plane 1 9 of the bagging connection and acts from the outside against the edge of the bag applied to the connection, the edge of the bag being shown in dash-dotted lines in Figs. 4 and 5 and being denoted by reference numeral 28 in Fig. 5.

While Figs. 4 and 5 show the bagging connection in the filling position, Fig. 5 also shows, in dash-dotted lines, the position of the apron 1 5 after the filling operation is concluded and after the bagging connection has been closed. In that operative position, the folding members 1 8 are in their inward limit position.

Disposed above each folding device is a finger 22 which is pivotal about an upper horizontal axis 20 and which is loaded by a spring 21. The lower end of the finger 22 bears force-lockingly against the respective apron 1 5 on the outside thereof, in the region of the vertical central plane 1 9.

The fingers 22 cause the aprons 1 5 to be pre-folded inwardly of the bagging connection, and held in a taut condition.

When the bagging connection is closed, the sprung fingers 22 are in the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 2. The aprons 1 5 are thereby drawn inwardly about the folding plate members 1 2 so that the aprons are folded in like a side fold, in the lower region of the spreader flaps which, even in the closed position, remain at a small spacing from each other.

The bagging connection as shown in Figs.

1 to 5 is particularly suitable for filling side fold bags. If flat bags are to be fitted thereto, the folding members 1 8 are removed and the drive units of the folding devices are fitted with U-shaped spreading fingers so that the folding devices are converted into spreading devices.

The U-shaped spreading fingers have a member or portion which extends downwardly from an upper limb portion, engages behind the apron and extends into the region of the edge of the mouth of the bag. The aprons are pressed against the edge of the mouth of the bag by means of the spreading fingers so that a force-locking connection is formed, between the aprons and the edge of the mouth of the bag, in the region of the lateral aprons, after the edge of the mouth of the bag has been firmly clamped in the region of the spreader flaps.

The embodiment of bagging connection which is illustrated in Figs. 6 to 1 2 is particularly suitable for filling flat bags, but can also be used for filling side fold bags. Provided at each side of the bagging connection 4 is a folding device and a spreading device. Each folding device essentially comprises a folding bar 30 which is fixedly connected to a holder 32 that is secured on a shaft 31. In addition, the holder 32 carries a spreading finger 33 which extends into the upper region of the bag 29. Each apron 1 5 lies in the gap formed between the respective folding bar 30 and spreading finger 33, and the edge of the mouth of the bag embraces the lower region of the apron 15, the upper edge of the bag being below the lower edge of the folding bar 30.

Clamped onto each shaft 31 is a lever 34, the free end of which is pivotally connected to the piston rod 35 of a piston cylinder unit 36.

As can be seen from Figs. 9 and 11, both the folding bar 30 and the spreading finger 33 can be pivoted from a right-hand limit position into a left-hand limit position, by actuation of the piston cylinder unit 36. Fig. 6 additionally shows an intermediate position. In the righthand limit position of the folding bar 30 and the spreading finger 33, the spreader flaps 8 and 9 are closed, i.e. only slightly open. In the left-hand limit position, the spreader flaps 8 and 9 are opened, for filling of the bag. The oppositely disposed spreading device (not shown) is of a mirror-image construction so that the spreader flaps 8 and 9 are open in the right-hand limit position of the folding bar and closed in the left-hand limit position. The opened position of the spreader flaps is indicated at 8' and 9' in Fig. 12, while the opened position of the clamping jaws is indicated at 10' and 11'.As can be seen in particular from Fig. 12, the spreading finger 33 when extended into the left-hand limit position cause the apron 1 5 to be forcelockingly pressed against the inner face of the bag in the region of the upper edge of the bag, to produce a sealing effect. In that way, the edge of the mouth of the bag is effectively protected against dust settling thereon during the filling operation so that there is no need for a cleaning operation before the weld seam is formed.

As can be seen in particular from Fig. 12, the pivotal movement of the spreading finger 33 causes the apron 1 5 to go from the side fold shape, when the spreader flaps 8 and 9 are opened, into a flat shape. When, after the bag is filled, the spreader flaps 8 and 9 are closed, the folding bar 30 and the spreading finger 33 are moved back into the right-hand limit position by suitable actuation of the piston cylinder unit 36. When that occurs, the folding bar 30 which acts on the outside of the apron 1 5 moves the apron 1 5 back into its original side fold configuration. The opposite spreading device (not shown) performs mirror image movements, in that operation.

In the illustrated embodiments, the bagging connection 4 with the spreader flaps 8 and 9 in a closed condition and the clamping jaws 10 and 11 in an opened condition is moved downwardly into the opened mouth of the bag. When the bagging connection is opened, the edge of the bag is pressed against the clamping jaws 10 and 11 by the spreader flaps 8 and 9 and the lateral aprons 1 5 are tightened slightly, in an outward direction, against the inner face of the bag. In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, the effect of tightening the aprons 1 5 against the edge of the bag is further enhanced by the folding plate members 1 2 completely stretching out the opened side folds, in an inward direction. In that way, the inner face of the bag adjacent the mouth is protected from the effect of dust, all around.

The bag is filled with the dust-bearing product from the filling material container 1 through the filling hose 3, in which opertion air entrained by the product can escape into the outer regions 23 between the filling hose 3 and the lateral aprons 1 5. The air or dustbearing constituents can be sucked away from the regions 23 by a suction device 24 which is arranged above the horizontal pivot axes 6 and 7 of the spreader flaps and which essentially comprises two pipes 37 and 38. As can be seen from Fig. 8, the pipes 37 and 38 are arranged diagonally opposite each other.

The bagging connection shown in Figs. 6 to 1 2 is also provided with two mounting pipes 39 and 40 which are also disposed diagonally opposite to each other, each mounting pipe carrying an air internal shaker or vibrator 41 and 42. The pipes 39 and 40 and thus also the shakers or vibrators 41 and 42 can be lowered into the lower region of the bag 29 in a manner not shown in the drawing, during the filling operation. The shakers or vibrators 41 and 42 are shown in their lower position in dash-dotted lines in Fig. 6. Instead of the vibrators 41 and 42, the pipes 39 and 40 may be provided with suction probes. As can be seen from Figs. 6 and 7, in the inoperative position the vibrators 41 and 42 are so disposed that they partially project into the closed bagging connection 4.

When the bagging connection 4 is closed, the filled bag still remains clamped fast to the spreader flaps 8 and 9, while the aprons may be moved back into their previous configuration by the action of the folding members 1 8 or the folding bars 30. In that way, the edge of the bag is protected in its full entirely from the effect of dust, right into the position in which the bagging connection is closed. In the closed position, the edge of the bag which is still clamped fast is then gripped by grippers 25 directly below the bagging connection, before the clamping jaws 10 and 11 are moved into the open position and the bagging connection 4 is raised into an upper position.

The range of movement of the bagging connection in a vertical direction is indicated in Fig. 1 by markings representing the limit positions.

The grippers 25 shown in the illustrated embodiments are moved, during conveying movement of the filled bag, synchronously with a discharge belt 26 which is provided with trough or cradle-like members 27 for positively or form-lockingly receiving the bottom region of the filled bag, for conveying the bag to a closure station. The discharge belt 26 is only indicated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 2 shows that, when the bagging connection is in a closed condition, the folding members 18 project downwardly and partly out of the bagging connection and the grippers 25 grip the edge of the bag in the region of the outwardly projecting parts of the members 18. Therefore, the grippers must be provided with suitable openings for receiving the outwardly projecting parts of the folding members 18.

The grippers 25 and the belt 26 may alternatively be arranged for removal of the bags laterally of the bagging connection, in which case the closure apparatus is also suitably arranged.

The aprons 1 5 extend over the entire height or substantially the entire height of the spreader flaps.

Claims

1. A bagging connection for filling dusty products into open top bags, comprising a pair of spreader flaps which are pivotal about horizontal axes; a pair of clamping jaws, a respective one of which is associated with each of the spreader flaps and which are also pivotal about horizontal axes to press the edge of the mouth of the bag against the spreader flaps; dust tight aprons connecting the lateral edges of the spreader flaps, made from flexible material and fixed to the spreader flaps in the region of said edges thereof; in the case of side fold bags, a respective folding device for each apron movable with its folding means from outside the bagging connection into the interior of the bagging connection; and in the case of flat bags, a respective spreader device for each apron movable with its spreading means from the inside outwardly, the folding means or the spreading means pressing portions of the inner face of the bag adjacent the mouth of the bag against the aprons.

2. A bagging connection according to claim 1, in which the spreader flaps are in the form of plates, folding plate members are aligned with the plates and are releasably secured to the vertical lateral edges thereof, and the combined width of each plate and its folding plate members secured thereto corresponds to the width of a bag.

3. A bagging connection according to claim 2, in which the aprons engage in a Ushaped configuration around the folding plate members in the region of the joins between the folding plate members and the plates and the folding plate members have screw-fastening bar portions which extend through apertures in the aprons.

4. A bagging connection according to claim 3, in which the outside surface of each apron, at the outer sides of the folding plate members, is aligned with outer side surfaces of strip or bar members of rubber or plastics material, which extend over the lower horizontal edges of the plates, the inner face of the bag adjacent the mouth of the bag being pressed against the strip or bar members by means of the clamping jaws.

5. A bagging connection according to claim 1, for side fold bags in which each folding device has a shaped folding member made from metal plate, mounted movably in the region of the vertical central plane of the bagging connection, acting from the outside on the edge of the bag bearing against the apron, taking up its inward limit position after the bag is filled and projecting downwardly partly out of the bagging connection when the bagging connection is in a closed condition.

6. A bagging connection according to claim 5, in which a finger is disposed above the folding device, is pivotal about an upper horizontal axis and is loaded by a spring, the lower end of the finger bearing force-lockingly against the apron on the outside thereof, in the region of the vertical central plane of the bagging connection.

7. A bagging connection according to claim 1, for flat bags, in which the spreading device comprises a U-shaped spreading finger which, with a vertical portion extending downwardly from an upper limb portion, engages behind the apron and extends into the region of the edge of the mouth of the bag.

8. A bagging connection according to claim 1, claim 5 or claim 7, in which the folding device and the spreading device have the same drive unit and either the folding member or the spreading finger can be connected to the drive unit.

9. A bagging connection according to any one of the preceding claims in which the aprons extend over the entire height of the spreader flaps.

10. A bagging connection according to any one of claims 1 to 9, in which the aprons are made from rubber or a rubber-like plastics material.

11. A bagging connection according to claim 1, including a flexible filling hose fixed to the discharge nozzle of the material supply hopper and a suction device disposed above the horizontal pivot axes of the spreader flaps, the suction device drawing in air which escapes from the filling material into a space between the filling hose and the aprons, and also dust.

1 2. A bagging connection according to claim 6, for flat bags, in which the spreading device comprises two spreading fingers to engage with their lower ends into the bag, disposed in the vertical central plane of the bagging connection, mounted rotatably about horizontal axes and pivotable out of the region of the spreader flaps and the clamping jaws of the bagging connection in an outward direction, with resilient deformation of the aprons for the aprons to be force-lockingly applied to the inner face of the bag adjacent the mouth of the bag.

1 3. A bagging connection according to claim 12, in which at each side of the bagging connection, the folding finger which bears against the apron on the outside thereof, and the spreading finger which bears against the apron on the inside thereof are mounted rotatably about a common horizontal axis.

14. A bagging connection according to claim 13, in which the axis is formed by a driven shaft to which a holder is clamped, the upper ends of the spreading and folding fingers being secured to the holder.

1 5. A bagging connection according to any one of the preceding claims, including an upper frame-like cover arrangement through which the filling pipe extends and, disposed at a laterally displaced position relative to the filling pipe, suction pipes which suck dust from above out of the filling opening which is closed outwardly in all directions.

1 6. A bagging connection according to any one of claims 12 to 15, in which mounting pipes for air internal vibrators or suction probes are provided on the bagging connection and the vibrators or suction probes partially project into the closed bagging connection, in their inoperative position.

1 7. A bagging connection according to claim 16, in which the vibrators or suction probes can be lowered into the bag to be filled, when the bagging connection is opened, and can be retracted into an upper initial position after the filling operation.

1 8. A bagging connection for filling dusty products into open top bags substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.