GB2382062A

GB2382062A - Rotary bag emptying apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2382062A
Application number: GB0127300A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Ian Haith
Original assignee: Tickhill Engineering Co Ltd
Current assignee: Tickhill Engineering Co Ltd
Priority date: 2001-11-14
Filing date: 2001-11-14
Publication date: 2003-05-21
Also published as: GB0127300D0

Abstract

In bag emptying apparatus 10, a bag receiving part and tipping means are operable to at least partially empty at least one bag. The body 11 of the apparatus is cylindrical and comprises two parallel discs 13, with floor members 22, 23 to support the bags disposed between them. The body is rotatable about a main axis by a motor 24 which drives two sprockets, each engaging in endless chains 26 which are fixed around the discs 13, and rotates to invert the bags. A locking mechanism, comprising hook 31 and catch 32, is provided to prevent unwanted movement. The bag removal means 33 comprises a pair of arms 34 mounted rotatably either side of the cylindrical body, their distal ends connected to each other by bag engagement means and drive means. The drive means comprises two sprockets mounted on a rotatable shaft 35 between the two arms, said shaft being rotated by a motor 36, and said sprockets engaging with the endless chains 36 to rotate the bag removal means 33 with respect to the body. The bag engagement means comprises hooks 38 mounted on carrier bars 37 to engage with loops on the underside of a bag. A guide 46 and conveyer 41 are provided to remove matter discharged from the bags.

Description

PATENTS ACT 1977 A10435GB-JNL/ACL Title: Bag Emptying Apparatus Description of Invention This invention relates to a bag emptying apparatus, particularly, but not exclusively for use in emptying bags of produce such as root vegetables.

Vegetables such as carrots or potatoes may be transported, for example to a factory for processing the vegetables, in boxes, but once the boxes have been emptied of produce at the factory, they must be returned to the produce source for re-filling. Transporting the empty boxes is expensive, due to the size and weight of the boxes, and the boxes are often damaged in transit.

It is therefore becoming more common to transport such produce in bags, which are lighter than boxes, and can be compressed when empty so that more empty bags than boxes can be transported in given lorry. Thus the cost of transporting produce is reduced. Moreover, the bags are more resistant to damage than boxes.

The disadvantage of bags is that they can be difficult to empty, as when being tipped to be emptied, their flexible sides tend to collapse and trap produce inside the bag. Thus, it is known to provide such a bag with a discharge opening in a base portion of the bag, the discharge opening being closed whilst the bag is filled with produce. In order to empty the bag, the bag is lifted, for example with a fork lift truck, and suspended over a produce receiving hopper,

and the discharge opening is opened to allow produce to flow from the bag into C : l the receiving hopper.

This method of emptying a bag is, however, is time consuming and inefficient in terms of the man-power required, and the produce tends to be damaged as it falls from the bag into the receiving hopper.

According to the present invention, we provide a bag emptying apparatus comprising a bag receiving part, and a tipping means operable to

empty or at least partially empty at least one bag located in the bag receiving part.

Preferably the apparatus further comprises a bag removal means adapted to move an empty bag to a bag removal location in which the empty bag may be removed from the apparatus.

Preferably the bag emptying apparatus comprises a body and the bag receiving part comprises part of the body adapted to receive at least one bag, the body being rotatable about a main axis by said tipping means to empty or partially empty said at least one bag.

The bag removal means may comprise at least one arm mounted for rotation with respect to the body of the apparatus, the axis of rotation of the arm coinciding or generally coinciding with the main axis.

The or each arm may be mounted for rotation on the body of the apparatus at a first end of the arm, and may be connected to a bag located in one of the bag receiving parts at a second end of the arm.

The bag removal means may comprise two arms mounted for rotation on the body of the apparatus at a first end of the arm, the body being located between the two arms.

The two arms may be connected by means of a drive part which extends between and is pivotally connected to second ends of the arms.

The two arms may also be connected by at least one bag engagement part which extends between the second ends of the arms and which includes at least one hook means, the hook means being operable to be engaged with a

loop means provided on the base portion of a bag located in the bag receiving 0 part.

The bag removal means may further comprise motor means operable to rotate the drive part with respect to the arms, and the drive part may be provided with at least one engagement part adapted to engage with a corresponding engagement portion provided on the body of the apparatus, such

that operation of the motor means causes the arms to rotate with respect to the body of the apparatus.

Preferably the engagement portion comprises a chain arranged circumferentially around the body, and the engagement part of the bag removal means comprises a sprocket.

Preferably the body of the apparatus comprises a generally cylindrical frame.

The body of the apparatus may include a first and second bag receiving part, each bag receiving part being adapted to receive a single bag.

The or each bag receiving part may include a floor member adapted to support a base portion of a bag located in the bag receiving part.

The tipping means may be operable to invert said at least one bag.

The tipping means may further comprise a motor means and an engagement part adapted to engage with the engagement portion of the body, the motor means being operable to rotate the engagement part and hence cause the body to rotate.

Preferably the engagement part of the tipping means comprises a sprocket.

The apparatus may further comprise locking means operable to prevent or substantially prevent rotation of the body.

Preferably the locking means comprises at least one hook means and a locking motor means, the locking motor means being operable to move the or each hook means in engagement with a catch part of the body of the apparatus.

The hook means may be mounted on a shaft part, and the locking motor means may be adapted to rotate the shaft part about a longitudinal axis to bring the or each hook means into engagement with the catch part.

The apparatus may further comprise roller means to assist the bag

removal means in moving an empty bag to the bag removal location. z

The apparatus may further comprise a discharge conveyor adapted to discharge matter emptied from the or each bag from the apparatus.

The apparatus may further comprise a guide means adapted to direct matter being emptied from the or each bag onto the discharge conveyor.

Preferably the guide means is disposed along a path which extends from a first position which lies on a first radius of the main axis to a second position which lies on a second radius of the main axis, the first radius being angularly spaced from the second radius.

The guide means may comprise an endless belt entrained around roller means at the ends of the path such that the guide means may move along the path.

Thus, by virtue of the invention, a bag of produce may be emptied efficiently and economically, without produce becoming trapped inside the bag.

According to a second aspect of the invention, we provide a method of at least partially emptying a bag, the method comprising the steps of mounting the bag in a bag receiving part of a bag emptying apparatus, the bag operating apparatus further comprising a tipping means, and operating the tipping means to at least partially empty the bag.

The invention will now be described with reference to the following drawings of which: FIGURE 1 shows a side view of a bag emptying apparatus according to the present invention, FIGURE 2 shows an end view of the bag emptying apparatus of Figure 1 looking in the direction of arrow A, FIGURE 3 shows a top view of the bag emptying apparatus of Figure 1. Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a bag emptying apparatus shown generally at 10, which comprises a body 11 mounted on a ground

engaging support frame 12. z : l

The body 11 is wheel shaped and comprises two parallel discs 13 which are both mounted on a main shaft 14 which extends through the centres of each disc 13. Two ends of the main shaft 14 are mounted on the support frame 12 supported by roller bearings, such that main shaft, and hence also the body 11, may rotate relative to the support frame 12 about a main axis A along the longitudinal axis of the main shaft 14.

The support frame 12 comprises two sets of diagonal struts 15 which are joined at a first end, and which are each joined to a generally vertical ground engaging part 16 at a second end. A generally horizontal strut 15a extends between the diagonal struts. The two ground engaging parts 16 within each set are connected by two generally horizontal struts 17, and one of the two ground engaging part 16 of each set are connected by a generally horizontal cross strut 18.

The body 11 is divided into two bag receiving parts 19,20 by a partition 21 which extends between the two parallel discs 13 across substantially all of the diameter of the discs 13. Extending from the partition 21 into the first bag receiving part 19 at an angle close to 90 to the partition 21 is a first floor part 22, and extending from the partition 21 into the second bag receiving part 20 at an angle close to 90 is a second floor part 23. The first 22 and second 23 floor parts extend from diametrically opposite sides of the partition 21.

The body 11 is rotated relative to the support frame 12 by means of an drive motor 24 mounted on the support frame 12. The drive motor 24 is connected to a drive shaft 25 which extends between the two sets of diagonal struts 15 of the support frame 12, and is supported thereon at each end by means of roller bearings. The drive shaft is connected to the drive motor 24 such that operation of the drive motor 24 causes the drive shaft to rotate relative to the support frame 12 about its longitudinal axis.

A endless chain 26 is fixed around the circumference of each of the two discs 13, and two sprockets are mounted on the drive shaft 25 in such a location that each meshes with the chain 26. Thus rotation of the drive shaft 25, and hence the sprockets, causes the body 11 to rotate about the main axis.

Rotation of the body 11 with respect to the support frame 12 may be prevented by operation of a locking means. A locking means support strut 28 extends between the two upper most horizontal struts 15a, 17 of each set of struts, and a locking shaft 27 extends between locking means support struts 28.

The locking shaft 27 is supported at its ends on bearings 29 mounted on the locking means supports struts 28, and two hook means 31 are mounted on the locking shaft.

A locking motor 30 is mounted on the locking means support struts 28, and is connected to the locking shaft 27 such that operation of the locking motor 30 causes rotation of the locking shaft 27 about its longitudinal axis.

An elongate catch part 32 extends between the two discs 13 of the body 11, adjacent to the edges of the discs 13, and when the body 11 is in to a locking position, operation of the electric motor brings the hook means 31 into engagement with the catch part 32 to prevent rotation of the body 11 with respect to the support frame 12.

The apparatus is also provided with a bag removal means 33, which comprises two arms 34 mounted at their first ends on the main shaft 14 for rotation about axis A. The two arms are mounted on spring loaded bearings so that they may rotate with respect to the main shaft, and are each located at the end of the main shaft adjacent to the support frame 12.

The arms 34 are bent in two places such that they extend from their first ends generally normal to axis A, before bending through an angle of approximately 30 toward the discs 13, and then bending again such that the second ends are mutually parallel and normal to axis A. The second ends of the arms 34 are connected by a bag removal shaft 35, which is mounted in bearings

to permit rotation of the shaft 35 relative to the bag removal arms 34 about its longitudinal axis.

A bag removal motor 36 is mounted on one of the arms 34, and is connected to the bag removal shaft such that operation of the motor 36 causes rotation of the bag removal shaft about its longitudinal axis. Two sprockets are mounted on the bag removal shaft 35, and these engage with the chains 26 around the body 11. Thus operation of the bag removal motor 36 causes the arms 34 to rotate about axis A with respect to the body 11.

Two bag carrier bars 37 also extend between the second ends of the arms 34, and are generally parallel to the bag removal shaft 35. Two bag hook means 38 are mounted on the bag carrier bars 37.

First and second bag removal rollers 39,40 extend between the two discs 13, adjacent to the first 22 and second 23 floor parts respectively.

A discharge conveyor 41, comprising a belt 42 and an electric motor means 43 adapted to drive the belt 41, is mounted on the support frame 12. A first end 44 of the conveyor 41 is located generally vertically below axis A, between the two discs 13. The conveyor 41 extends outwardly of the support frame 12, and a second end 45 of the conveyor 41 is vertically above the first end 44.

The apparatus is also provided with a guide means 46 comprising a pair of rollers 47 and a continuous belt part 48 which is entrained around the rollers 47 at its upper and lower ends, and which is constrained to follow a part circular path adjacent to the edges of the body 11 by a plurality of further roller elements 49. The rollers 47 are undriven, but the belt part 48 may rotate around the rollers 47 under the frictional forces exerted by matter falling onto the belt part 48.

The guide means 46 is supported on the support frame 12 vertically above the discharge conveyor 41, on either side of the body 11 by means of a

vertical 50 and diagonal 51 strut which are connected to one the diagonal struts 15.

In operation, assuming the body 11 is in the position shown in figure 1, with the hook means 31 of the locking means engaged with the catch part 32.

A bag 52 full of produce such as root vegetables is introduced using a forklift truck into the first bag receiving part 19. A base of the bag 52 is placed on the first floor part 22, and the bag is supported by the floor part 22 and the partition 21 in a generally upright position. The base of the bag 52 is provided with two straps (not shown), and the hook means 38 of the bag removal means 33 are attached to the straps.

The locking motor 30 is operated to release the hook means 31 from engagement with the catch part 22, and thus rotation of the body 11 with respect to the support frame 12 is permitted.

The drive motor 24 is operated to effect rotation of the body 11 about axis A in a clockwise direction. The bag removal motor 36 is not operated, so the bag removal means 33 does not rotate with respect to the body 11. Instead, it rotates with the body 11 in a clockwise direction.

As the angle through which the body 11 has rotated increases to around 900 produce starts falling out of the bag onto the partition and against the guide means 46, and as the angle increases further, produce falls onto the discharge conveyor 41. Such produce as engages the continuous belt 48 of the guide means 46 may cause the belt to move downwardly to relieve bruising of the produce and to guide the produce gently onto the conveyor 41. The conveyor motor 43 is operated to transport produce falling from the bag 52 along the conveyor 41.

The second end 45 of the discharge conveyor may be positioned vertically above a hopper to receive produce for processing.

When the body 11 has rotated through 180 or approximately 180 such that the bag 52 is inverted or partially inverted, most or all of the produce in the bag has fallen out of the bag 52 onto the discharge conveyor. The bag 52 is retained in position with its base adjacent to the floor part 22 by means of the straps which are attached to the hook means 38 of the bag removal means 33.

The drive motor 24 is stopped, so that the body 11 remains stationary with respect to the support frame 12.

The bag removal motor 36 is then operated such that the bag removal arms 34 rotate in an anticlockwise direction with respect to the body 11, and the bag 52 is pulled by its straps over the bag removal roller 40 and into the second bag receiving part 20. This ensures that any remaining produce is emptied from the bag 52.

Once the bag removal arms 34 have rotated through approximately 180 , the bag removal motor 36 is stopped, so that the bag 52 may be removed from the apparatus 10. A full bag may then be placed in the second bag receiving part 20, and the process repeated to empty the new bag.

By use of this bag emptying apparatus 10, bags of produce may be emptied in an efficient, cost effective manner, whilst damage to the produce is reduced. A single forklift truck may maintain an effectively continuous supply

of produce, bringing a full bag from a holding position, loading the full bag t ZD onto the apparatus 10, and returning empty bags to a store in a single round trip.

In the present specification"comprises"means"includes or consists of and"comprising"means"including or consisting of.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any

combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

1. A bag emptying apparatus comprising a bag receiving part, and a tipping means operable to empty or at least partially empty at least one bag located in the bag receiving part.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a bag removal means adapted to move an empty bag to a bag removal location in which the empty bag may be removed from the apparatus.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the apparatus further comprises a body and the bag receiving part comprises part of the body adapted to receive at least one bag, the body being rotatable about a main axis by said tipping means to empty or partially empty said at least one bag.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 where dependant on claim 2 wherein

the bag removal means comprises at least one arm mounted for rotation with respect to the body of the apparatus, the axis of rotation of the arm coinciding or generally coinciding with the main axis.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the or each arm is mounted for rotation on the body of the apparatus at a first end of the arm and is connected to a bag located in one of the bag receiving parts at a second end of the arm.

6. An apparatus according to claim 4 or 5 wherein the bag removal means t : p comprises two arms mounted for rotation on the body of the apparatus at a first end of the arm, the body being located between the two arms.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the two arms are connected by means of a drive part which extends between and is pivotally connected to second ends of the arms.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the two arms are also connected by at least one bag engagement part which extends between the second ends of the arms and which includes at least one hook means, the hook means being operable to be engaged with a loop means provided on the base portion of a bag located in the bag receiving part.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7 or 8 wherein the bag removal means further comprises motor means operable to rotate the drive part with respect to the arms, and the drive part is provided with at least one engagement part adapted to engage with a corresponding engagement portion provided on the body of the apparatus, such that operation of the motor means causes the arms to rotate with respect to the body of the apparatus.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the engagement portion comprises a chain arranged circumferentially around the body, and the engagement part of the bag removal means comprises a sprocket.

11. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the body of the apparatus comprises a generally cylindrical frame.

12. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the body of the apparatus includes a first and second bag receiving part, each bag receiving part being

adapted to receive a single bag. c

13. An apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the or each bag receiving part includes a floor member adapted to support a base portion of a bag located in the bag receiving part.

14. An apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the tipping means is operable to invert said at least one bag.

15. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the tipping means further comprises a motor means and an engagement part adapted to engage with the engagement portion of the body, the motor means being operable to rotate the engagement part and hence cause the body to rotate.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the engagement part of the tipping means comprises a sprocket.

17. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the apparatus further comprises locking means operable to prevent or substantially prevent rotation of the body.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the locking means comprises at least one hook means and a locking motor means, the locking motor means being operable to move the or each hook means in engagement with a catch part of the body of the apparatus.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18 wherein the hook means is mounted on a shaft part, and the locking motor means is adapted to rotate the shaft part about a longitudinal axis to bring the or each hook means into engagement with the catch part.

20. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the apparatus further comprises roller means to assist the bag removal means in moving an empty bag to the bag removal location.

21. An apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the apparatus further comprises a discharge conveyor adapted to discharge matter emptied from the or each bag from the apparatus.

22. An apparatus according to claim 21 wherein the apparatus further comprises a guide means adapted to direct matter being emptied from the or each bag onto the discharge conveyor.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22 where dependent on claim 3 wherein the guide means is disposed along a path which extends from a first position which lies on a first radius of the main axis to a second position which lies on a second radius of the main axis, the first radius being angularly spaced from the second radius.

24. An apparatus according to claim 22 wherein the guide means comprises an endless belt entrained around roller means at the ends of the path such that the guide means may move along the path.

25. An apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.

26. A method of at least partially emptying a bag, the method comprising the steps of mounting the bag in a bag receiving part of a bag emptying apparatus,

the bag operating apparatus further comprising a tipping means, and operating the tipping means to at least partially empty the bag.

27. A method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

28. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.