GB2436322A

GB2436322A - Handling of bags to be filled

Info

Publication number: GB2436322A
Application number: GB0605936A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stephen Philip Haith; Paul Ramplin
Original assignee: HAITH IND Ltd
Current assignee: HAITH IND Ltd
Priority date: 2006-03-24
Filing date: 2006-03-24
Publication date: 2007-09-26
Also published as: GB0605936D0

Abstract

A bag handling machine comprising a feeder mechanism 11, and a presenter mechanism 12, the presenter mechanism comprising at least a first bag presenting element 22 and a second bag presenting element 22, the first bag presenting element and the second bag presenting element being movable between a first position in which the presenting element receives a bag from the feeder mechanism and a second position in which the bag 40 is presented for filling, wherein, when one of the presenting elements is in the first position, the other of the present elements is in the second position. There may be four of the bag presenting elements 22. The feeder mechanism may comprise upper and lower suction grips to open the mouth of a bag and engage it on a bag engagement part 26 of a presenting element 22.

Description

Title: Bag Handling Machine

Description of Invention

This invention relates to a bag handling machine, particularly for an apparatus for presenting bags to be filled with powered material, aggregate or other products as desired.

It is known to provide an apparatus to hold bags under a weighing and discharging head so that an appropriate volume of the product is discharged into the bag which is subsequently sealed. The apparatus must be provided with bags by an operator which can lead to a slow and irregular feed of filled bag.

According to a first aspect of the invention, we provide a bag handling machine comprising a feeder mechanism, and a presenter mechanism, the presenter mechanism may comprise at least a first bag presenting element and a second bag presenting element, the first bag presenting element and the second bag presenting element being movable between a first position in which the presenting element receives a bag from the feeder mechanism and a second position in which the bag is presented for filling, wherein when one of the presenting elements is in the first position, the other of the present elements is in the second position.

The bag handling machine may comprise a plurality of bag presenting elements.

The bag handling machine may comprise for bag presenting elements.

The bag presenting elements may be supported on a rotating support and the support is rotated in an operating direction to move a presenting element from the first position to the second position.

The bag presenting element may be further movable from the second position to the first position by rotating the rotating support further in the operating direction.

The further rotation of the rotating support in the operating direction may move another of the bag presenting elements from the first position to the second position.

The further rotation of the support may move a further bag presenting element to the first position. * ** * S S S...

.. The feeder mechanism may be operable to engage a bag with a bag S...

engagement part of the presenting element. S... S...

The bag engagement part may be receivable in the mouth of the bag and : 20 wherein the feeder mechanism may be operable to open the mouth of the bag :...: and engage the mouth with the holding part.

The feeder mechanism may comprise an upper suction grip and a lower suction grip, the upper and lower suction grips being moveable to engage opposite sides of a bag and moveable to open the mouth of the bag.

The suction grips are mounted on a movement arm, the movement arm being movable between a first position where the suction grips engage the bag and a second position where the bag is engaged with the bag engagement part.

The bag engagement element may comprise a pair of spaced arms moveable away from one another to engage opposite sides of a mouth of the bag.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is an illustrative side view of an apparatus embodying the invention, Figure 2 is a end view of the apparatus of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a plan view of the apparatus of Figure 1, Figure 4 is a side view of the apparatus in a first stage of operation, : .. 15 Figure 5 is a view of Figure 4 showing the apparatus in a second stage of a...

* operation, S...

: Figure 6 is a view of Figure 4 showing the apparatus in a further stage of operation, :. * 20 Figure 7 is an end view of the apparatus of Figure 6, Figure 8 is a view of the apparatus similar to Figure 4 showing the apparatus in a further stage of operation, and Figure 9 is a side view of the apparatus of Figure 1 in a yet further stage of operation.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 3, a bag handling machine is generally shown at 10 and has a feeder mechanism generally shown at 11 and a presenter mechanism generally shown at 12. The machine is intended to be used with a loading apparatus shown in broken outline at 13 which has a weighing head 14 for dispensing a suitable weight or volume of the product into a presented bag.

The feeder mechanism 11 is operable to receive a stack of empty bags generally shown at 15 supported on a feed tray 16. The feed tray 16 is lifted by an appropriate lift mechanism 17, in this example a screw jack, so that the top bag of the stack of bags 15 is at the right level to be removed and presented. A sensor (not shown, detects the top of the stack of bags 15 and operates the lift mechanism 17 accordingly.

To lift and move the bag to the presenter mechanism 12 the feeder mechanism 11 has a suction lifting head 18 supported on a small horizontal cylinder 19, and a separator plate generally shown at 20 which is moveable by : .. 15 arodlesscylinder2l. S.. S... * . S..

The presenter mechanism 12 comprises a plurality of bag presenting element, S...

: in this example for, shown at 22. The elements 22 are mounted on a support 23 which is rotatably mounted on a suitable frame 24. As seen in the end :. * 20 view of Figure 3, each bag presenting element 22 comprises a pair of opposed arms 25 each having a bag engagement part 26 at the lower end thereof. The arms 25 are pivotally mounted on the support 23 as shown at 27, and so are movable away and towards one another between a first position shown in solid outline in Figure 3 and a second position shown in broken outline in Figure 3. The bag engagement parts 26 each comprise an outwardly directed concave element 27 adapted to be received in the mouth of a bag to hold the bag in an open position and to present the bag appropriately to the filling apparatus 13. A plurality of guidance elements 42 are provided associated with each bag presenting element 22, such that when a bag presenting element 22 is in its second, horizontal position, the guidance element 42 is located opposite a corresponding guidance element 43 provide din the loading apparatus 13.

To transfer the bag from the bag feeder mechanism 11 to a bag presenting element 22 in its first position, a transfer mechanism is generally shown at 30.

The transfer mechanism 30 comprises a pair of upper suction elements 31 and a pair of lower suction elements 32 each mounted on a respective support bar 33, 34. The support bar 33 is mounted on an upper transfer arm 35 pivotally mounted to the frame 24 as shown at 36, and a lower support bar is mounted on a lower transfer arm 37pivotally connected to the frame 24 as shown at 38. The transfer arms 35, 37 are pivotally connected by a connecting rod 38, and an extendible piston 39a is connected between the frame 24 and the lower transfer arm 37 to cause pivotal movement of the transfer arms 35, 37 between a first inclined position and a second upright : 15 position to engage the bag with the presenting elements 22 as discussed * 1,S* hereinafter. **.S S...

The loading apparatus 13 as discussed comprises a weighing head 14 to dispense a selected weight of the product, received by a i.e. conveyor I 3a * 20 from a suitable source such as a hopper 13k. The weighing head 14 has a *:...: pair of clamps 41 which are operable to engage a bag 40 supported on the bag engagement element 22. A conveyor chamber outlined at 50 is provided to transport filled bags to a heat sealing system generally shown at 51.

The bag handling machine 10 operates as follows. Referring to Figure 4, the suction lifting head 18 is operated to engage an end part of a top bag 40 on the bag pile 50 and lift one end 40a of the bag 40. The rodless cylinder 21 is then operated to slide the separator plate 20 under the bag 40, under the lifted end 40a as shown in Figure 5. The cylinder 19 is operated to displace the suction head 18 to the right as shown in Figure 5, urging the bag to the right as shown in the Figure over the separate plate 20 where it is moved into engagement with the transfer mechanism 30. Upper suction elements 31 and lower suction element 32 are then operated such that they engage opposite sides of the mouth of the bag 40. The presenting mechanism 12 is operated such that there is a bag presenting element 22 in position to receive the bag 40 and the arms 25 are in their closed position as shown in the solid outline of Figure 3, and the feed mechanism returned to the start position of Figure 1.

To engage the bag 40 with the arm engaging part 25, the transfer mechanism is then operated by contracting the cylinder 39g. this causes the lower transfer arm 37 to pivot in a clockwise direction as shown in the Figure, and through the connecting rod 38 this moves the transfer arms 35, 37 to an upright position as shown in Figure 6. As the transfer arms 35, 37 are of different lengths this movement also moves the support bars 33, 34 away from each other in a vertical direction, separating the suction elements 31, 32 and *::* 15 thus opening the mouth of the bag 40 as illustrated in Figure 6. The mouth * 40 of the bag 40 passes around the bag engagement parts 26 of the bag presenting element 22, as seen in end view in Figure 7. The bag engagement parts 26 are moved outwardly to hold the bag and the suction elements 31, 32 are releasted. As illustrated in Figure 8, the bag presenting element 22 is then rotated around the support 23 to bring the bag presenting element 22 into a second, generally horizontal position in which the bag 40 is suspended vertically from the bag engagement part 25 beneath the weighing head 14.

Clamps 41 provided on the weighing head 44 are operated to engage the upper part of the bag 40 and hold it against the bag engagement parts 25, until the bag is filled. At the same time, the transfer mechanism 30 is returned to its first position and the bag feeder mechanism 11 is operated as discussed above in order to supply a bag to engage the next bag presenting element 22.

As illustrated in Figure 9, once the bag 40 is filled, the clamps 41 are released slightly to allow the bag 40 to fall onto the conveyor 50. Guidance elements 42, 43 mounted on the presenter mechanism 12 and the loading apparatus 13 respectively are extended to hold the mouth of the bag 40 closed. The conveyor 50 is then operated to transfer the filled bag 40 to the heat sealing apparatus 51 to seal the mouth of the bag. The guidance elements 42, 43 are provided to keep the mouth of the bag 40 closed as it is transferred into the heat sealing apparatus 51. The bag presenting arms 25 are then opened to their widest extent as shown in dashed outline in Figure 2 and the bag presenting apparatus 12 is rotated in an anti-clockwise direction so that the bag presenting arms 25 which have just presented a bag are rotated away from the weighing head 14, passing either side of the weighing head 14 in an open position, and bringing the next bag presenting element 22 provided with the bag into position under the weighing head 14 for filling.

The apparatus is thus advantageous in that while one bag is being filled, another bag is removed from the stack of bags and placed on the next bag engagement element ready for filling, i.e. when one pair of arms is in the second position presenting the bag for filling, the other pair of arms is in the *S..

first position to receive the next bag to be filled. Because each bag is a *SS : prepared to be ready for filling and swung into position immediately that the previous bag has been filled, a continuous feed of bags is provided to the * 20 weighing head 14 for filling and leading to a rapid and sufficient supply of bags. An operator is required to refill the stack of bags 15 when these are exhausted, but otherwise the apparatus can run continually without operator intervention.

Although no controller is shown, it will be apparent that any desired controller may be provided to receive signals from sensors and position detector on-the apparatus and control the machines as desired above.

When used in this specification and claims, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components.

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. * j . 3 *. * I * * *.; I. * S S * I

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Claims

CLAIMS

1. A bag handling machine comprising a feeder mechanism, and a presenter mechanism, the presenter mechanism comprising at least a first bag presenting element and a second bag presenting element, the first bag presenting element and the second bag presenting element being movable between a first position in which the presenting element receives a bag from the feeder mechanism and a second position in which the bag is presented for filling, wherein, when one of the presenting elements is in the first position, the other of the present elements is in the second position.

: ** 15
2. A bag handling machine according to claim I comprising a plurality of S...

S... bag presenting elements. S...

:r
3. A bag handling machine according to claim 2 comprising four bag presenting elements.

*
4. A bag handling machine according to any one of the preceding claims *...S.

* S wherein the bag presenting elements are supported on a rotating support and the support is rotated in an operating direction to move a presenting element from the first position to the second position.

5. A bag handling machine mechanism according to claim 4 wherein the* bag presenting element is further movable from the second position to the first position by rotating the rotating support further in the operating direction.

6. A bag handling machine according to claim 5 wherein the further rotation of the rotating support in the operating direction moves another of the bag presenting elements from the first position to the second position.

7 A bag handling machine according to claim 5 or claim 6 wherein the further rotation of the support moves a further bag presenting element to the first position.

8 A bag handling machine according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the feeder mechanism is operable to engage a bag with a bag engagement part of the presenting element.

9. A bag handling machine according to claim 8 wherein the bag engagement part is receivable in the mouth of the bag and wherein the feeder : ** 15 mechanism is operable to open the mouth of the bag and engage the mouth s..

with the holding part. *.S.

10. A bag handling machine according to claim 9 wherein the feeder mechanism comprises an upper suction grip and a lower suction grip, the upper and lower suction grips being moveable to engage opposite sides of a : bag and moveable to open the mouth of the bag.

S..... * *

11. A bag handling machine according to claim 10 wherein the suction grips are mounted on a movement arm, the movement arm being movable between a first position where the suction grips engage the bag and a second position where the bag is engaged with the bag engagement part.

12. A bag handling machine according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the bag engagement element comprises a pair of spaced arms moveable away from one another to engage opposite sides of a mouth of the bag.

13. A bag handling machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.

14. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings. * S. * S S S... S... * * *.SS *..S S. * * S * S *

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