GB2168671A

GB2168671A - Apparatus for filling and closing valve bags

Info

Publication number: GB2168671A
Application number: GB08530903A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alois Combrink
Original assignee: Haver and Boecker OHG
Current assignee: Haver and Boecker OHG
Priority date: 1984-12-20
Filing date: 1985-12-16
Publication date: 1986-06-25
Also published as: IT1188067B; CH668401A5; GB8530903D0; FR2575133A1; GB2168671B; DE3446497A1; FR2575133B1; IT8512610A0; DE3446497C2

Abstract

In a bag filling machine the filling connection 1 is arranged on a bag chair 2 which is pivotable about a horizontal axis. After the bag has been filled, the bag chair 2 and consequently also the bag 6 are pivoted into an intermediate position with the filling connection (1) forming a guide means for the valve of the valve bag to ensure correct positioning of the valve (Fig. 4). In a second step, with the filling connection 1 stationary, the bag 6 is subjected to further tipping movement during which the bag is removed from the connection 1 and during which can be assumed that no change in the outside contour of the bat will be caused by a movement of the filling material. While the filling connection 1 and the bag chair are being moved back into the filling position (Fig. 1), the bag is then moved into a valve closing station. In another embodiment (Figs. 7-9), a vertical filling connection is moved down after filling with pivotal bag support member (9) to position the bag in an inclined orientation in shell member (24) in a predetermined position for transport to a valve closure station. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for filling and closing valve bags The invention relates to apparatus for filling and closing valve bags and comprising a filling machine which has at least one filling connection which engages into the valve of the bag to be filled, and valve closing means which is disposed downstream of the filling machine.

For the purposes of closing the valve of a valve bag, it is known for the inward sides of the valve to be joined together by adhesive or welding. In manufacture of a bag for that purpose, a connecting agent is applied to the position from which the valve is formed, to the side forming the inward side of the valve, with the connecting agent being activated after the bag has been filled. In order to join the inward sides of the valve together, it is necessary for the inward sides of the valve to be activated and to be cleaned beforehand, depending on the product involved. Tools that are required for that purpose must move into the valve, which means that the valve in each case must be disposed in a determined position relative to the tools.

The filled bag is usually tipped through about 45" from the filling position. At the beginning of that tipping movement, movement of the material filled into the bag is likely to occur, such movement ceasing after an initial angular range of the tipping movement has been exceeded. The movement of the material gives rise to a change, which cannot be predicted accurately, in the contour of the bag, and which is also additionally increased by an ejector member which urges the bag from the filling connection. Consequently the respective position of the valve relative to the closure tools therefor alters from one bag to another.

Therefore, not only is the proper functioning of the closure tools put in doubt, but in addition the tools may cause damage to the bag so that material therein can escape therefrom.

According to the invention there is provided apparatus for filling and closing valve bags comprising a filling machine which has at least one filling connection which engages into the valve of a bag to be filled, and valve closing means disposed downstream of the filling machine, wherein the filling connection which extends into the valve of the bag, after filling of the bag, is movable together with bag holding means to move the bag into a position in which the outside contour of the bag is determined solely by the filling weight and by support surfaces of the bag holding means, the bag can then be disengaged from the filling connection by continuing the movement of the bag and holding the filling connection stationary, and the filling connection can be moved back into the filling position.

With the apparatus of the invention the filled bag can be removed from the filling connection of the filling machine in such a way that the valve of each bag is disposed in the same position and is thus in the correct location relative to the tools of valve closing means which is disposed downstream of the filling machine.

The valve can be positioned in the correct location, irrespective of a change in the outside contour of the bag during the initial movement, which is preferably a tilting movement, after filling of the bag, as the filling connection which is movable over a predetermined path can remain in the valve until the bag has moved into a given angular position during the tilting movement. The filling connection thus forms a guide means for the bag and for the valve. The filling connection remains in the valve until the bag has reached a position in which it can safely be assumed that there will be no further movement of the filled material and consequently also no deformation of the bag. The filling connection is also to be deemed to act as a centering tool.

The apparatus according to the invention can be used in relation to series packaging machines in which the filling connections are disposed in a horizontal direction and in filling machines with vertical filling connections, operating on the basis of the gravity pipe system.

The design configuration is particularly simple if the filling connection is fixed to a bag chair of the filling machine. With such a design, the bag chair and the filling connection can be tipped by a common drive unit.

Preferably the bag chair is of an angular configuration and has two carrier shell members which are arranged at a spacing from each other, the support means is provided with a saddle which can be fitted to the side of the bag which is in opposite relationship to the bag chair, and a carrier lever which is pivotable about a horizontal axis is pivotally connected to the saddle. The carrier shell members support the bag at its lower end, with the saddle preventing the filling connection from slipping away. By virtue of carrier lever disposed on the saddle, the bag is still supported at the lower end even when the bag chair is pivoted back into the filling position.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a highly diagrammatic view of part of a series packaging machine, showing a filling connection thereof in a filling position; Figure 2 is a view, similar to Fig. 1, of a first embodiment of a filling portion of apparatus for filling and closing valve bags according to the invention, in the condition adopted directly after a bag has been filled; Figure 3 is a view corresponding to that shown in Fig. 2, in which however an additional carrier lever has been pivoted against the lower end of the bag; Figure 4 is a further view showing a bag chair moved into a limit condition of a tilted position; Figure 5 is a view showing part of the arrangement, with a filled bag illustrated in a limit condition of the tilted position;; Figure 6 shows part of the bag chair which is disposed in the region of the lower end of the bag; Figure 7 is a view showing a second embodiment of a filling portion of apparatus for filling and closing bags according to the invention with a filling pipe shown in the filling position; Figure 8 is a view corresponding to Fig. 7, showing the filling pipe in a lowered position; and Figure 9 is a view corresponding to Fig. 7, after a bag transfer operation, with the filling pipe again in the filling position.

Figs. 1 to 6 are purely diagrammatic views of the arrangement for a series packaging machine. A filling connection 1 which is not described in greater detail herein is secured to an angular bag chair 2 comprising a vertical frame member 3 and a horizontal frame member 4. As can be seen from the drawing, the filling connection 1 is arranged at the upper end of the vertical member 3. The bag chair 2 is pivotable about a horizontal spindle 5 which is disposed approximately centrally with respect to the width of a bag 6 which is suspended on the filling connection 1. Two carrier shell members 7 are arranged rotatably on the horizontal spindle 5. Considered in crosssection, the carrier shell members 7 are of an angular configuration and support the bag on a part of its bottom surface and the adjoining portions of the side walls thereof.The bag 6 which is fitted onto the filling connection 1 is also fixed in position by means of a bag holder 8 which is only shown diagrammatically and which is movable in a vertical direction.

Referring to Fig. 2, after the bag has been filled but before a tipping movement is started, a support means 9 is abutted with the side of the bag 6 which is remote from the bag chair 2. The support means 9 substantially comprises a shell-like saddle 10 and a control cylinder 12 which is pivotable about a horizontal axis 11. The free end of the control cylinder 12 is pivotally connected to the saddle 10. The saddle 10 is secured to an angle lever 13 which is mounted rotatably on the horizontal spindle 5. Also connected to the saddle 10 is a piston cylinder unit 14, the piston rod of which is pivotally connected to an angular carrier lever 15. The carrier lever 15 is rotatably mounted on a further horizontal spindle 16 which is disposed at the level of the lower end of the bag 6.It will be seen from Fig. 3 that, by extending the piston rod of the piston cylinder unit 14, the carrier lever 15 can be pivoted to support the bag at the underside thereof. Fig. 4 shows a position in which the bag chair 2 has been moved into a tilted limit condition. In that condition the bag 6 is held by the support means 10, the carrier shell members 7 and the carrier lever 15. As the filling connection 1 moves over a predetermined path during the tipping movement, displacement of the valve is impossible. In the position shown in Fig. 5, the bag 6 has been withdrawn from the filling connection 1 as the support means 9 has been tipped even further by suitable actuation of the cylinder 12. Before the filling connection is withdrawn, the bag holder 8 is moved upwards.In regard to transfer of the arrangement from the position shown in Fig. 4 into the position shown in Fig. 5 it is to be assumed that there is no further movement of the material filling the bag so that the valve remains in a predetermined position. The bag is then moved from the position shown in Fig. 5 to a closing device in a manner not described herein. The filling connection 1 is moved into the filling position again by pivotal movement of the bag chair 2.

It will be seen from Fig. 6 that there are two angle levers 13 securing the saddle 10 and disposed in parallel relationship and at a spacing from each other, with each lever being mounted rotatably on the horizontal spindle 5. It will also be seen that the carrier lever 15 for supporting the bag 6 lies between the two angle levers 13.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 7 to 9, the filling connection 1 is in the form of a vertically extending filling pipe. A filling machine of that kind preferably operates on the basis of the volume filling principle, which provides that a given volume of material, rather than a predetermined weight, is introduced into the bag 6. Connected to the filling connection 1 is a drive link 18 which is pivotable about a stationary horizontal axis as indicated at 17 and a guide link 20 which is also pivotable about a horizontal axis 19. The links 18 and 20 jointly form a parallel guide means for the filling connection 1. The drive link 18 is engaged by the piston rod of a piston cylinder unit 21. The valve bag 6 which is suspended on the filling connection 1 in a manner not shown in detail herein, in turn bears with its opposite side against the support means 9.

The support means 9 is in this case also pivotable about a horizontal axis 22 by means of a piston cylinder unit 23.

As soon as the stream of filling material is interrupted, the piston cylinder units 21 and 23 are actuated in such a way that the filling connection 1 and the support means 9 are moved downwardly. That position can be seen in Fig. 8. In this embodiment also the filling connection 1 remains in the valve of the bag 6 until movements of the material filling the bag with a corresponding change in the outside contour of the bag 6 can be excluded.

In this case, the bag is fitted into a shell member 24, in the lowered position. Thereafter the bag holder 8 and the filling connection 1 are moved back into the filling position again, as can be seen from Fig. 9. The bag 6 is now disposed freely and precisely positioned in the shell member 24 and can thus be moved into a closing device.

Accordingly in this case also the filling connection remains in the bag valve until movements of the material filling the bag, with in this case corresponding changes in the outside contour of the bag 6, can be excluded.

Claims

1. Apparatus for filling and closing valve bags comprising a filling machine which has at least one filling connection which engages into the valve of a bag to be filled, and valve closing means disposed downstream of the filling machine, wherein the filling connection which extends into the valve of the bag, after filling of the bag, is movable together with bag holding means to move the bag into a position in which the outside contour of the bag is determined solely by the filling weight and by support surfaces of the bag holding means, the bag can then be disengaged from the filling connection by continuing the movement of the bag and holding the filling connection stationary, and the filling connection can be moved back into the filling position.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bag holding means is formed from a bag chair and a support means.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the filling connection is fixed to the bag chair of the filling machine.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the bag chair is of an angular configuration and has two spaced-apart carrier shell members, the support means includes a saddle which can be engaged with the side of the bag which is in opposite relationship to the bag chair, and a carrier lever which is pivotable about a horizontal axis is connected to the saddle.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the carrier lever can be moved between the two spaced-apart carrier shell members of the bag chair to engage the bottom of the bag.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the carrier lever is in the form of a doublearmed angle lever which is pivotable by means of a piston cylinder unit pivotally connected to the saddle of the support means.

7. Apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the bag chair and the support means provided with the saddle are pivotable about a common horizontal axis.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a filling connection which extends in a vertical direction and wherein the filling connection is pivotally connected to a parallel-guidance linkage.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the parallel-guidance linkage is formed from a drive and a guide link which are respectively pivotable about a horizontal axis and the oppositely disposed ends of which are connected to the filling connection.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a piston cylinder unit engages the drive link.

11. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the support means is formed from an angle lever which is pivotable about a horizontal axis by means of a piston cylinder unit.

12. Apparatus for filling and closing valve bags substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.