US1701830A

US1701830A - Bag-filling machine

Info

Publication number: US1701830A
Application number: US102400A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ward Joshua
Original assignee: BATES VALVE BAG CORP
Current assignee: BATES VALVE BAG Corp
Priority date: 1926-04-16
Filing date: 1926-04-16
Publication date: 1929-02-12
Anticipated expiration: 1946-02-12

Description

J. WARD BAG FILLING MACHINE Filed April 16, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet Feb 12, 1929. 1,701,830

J. WARD BAG FILLI NG MACHINE Filed April 16, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 12, 1929.

UNITED srATEs PATENT OFFICE.

JOSHUA WARD, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO BATES VALVE BAG CORPORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION 01' DELAWARE.

BAG-FILLING- MACHINE.

Application filed April 16, 1926. Serial No. l02,400.

possible to have the weight responsive mech-.

anism mounted adjacent the filling spout, with the bag support suspended from adjacent to this point, thereby reducing the torque of thefilled bag about the forward fulcrum point to a minimum. The invention consists in the novel features, arrangements, and combination of parts embodied by way of example in the apparatus hereinafter described as illustrating the pre ferred form of the invention, and the inventhe appended claims.

This invention is a continuation, in part, of the copending application, Ser. No. 28,551, filed May 7, 1925.. i

Further objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which show by way of example, the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts of the various views:

Fig. .1 is a side elevation of the machine, with certain parts broken away, showing the machine in filling position,

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a part of the structure shown in Fig. 1, but showing the machine in non-filling position,

Fig-3 is a detailed View showing the filling spout, shut-off mechanism and other parts in section with the various parts moved into filling position as shown in Fig. 1,-

-Fig. 4 is a section taken at 4-4 of Fig: 3,

Fig. 5 is a section at 5- -5 of Fig. 2, Fig. 6 is a section taken at 66 of Fig. 2, and

r tion will be more particularly pointed out in.

Fig. 7 is a front view showing details of the filling throat and filling spout.

Before taking up a detailed description of the machine, a general description will be given setting forth some of the most important featuresin a general way. A feed bop. per, for holding .the filling material, is sup- I ported adj acent the top of the frame structure. A centrifugal impeller or other suitable feed means isprovided adjacent the lower end-of. this hopper for forcibly feeding the material, and a feed throat is provided adjacent this impeller and has an opening in register with a fixed bag valve filling spout, which is rigidly connected to the feed throat. The valve bag support is mounted adjacent the fixed filling spout and is adapted, in the'present embodiment, to extend into the valve of the bag and hold the same in a distended con' dition for the introduction of material from the filling spout, and this support is movable with respect to the'spout. The bag support is carried on suitable weight responsive meansi;

and is adapted to be moved when the bag has received a predetermined weight of material. The feed throat is provided with a gate which is operated by gravity to close the feed throat. This gate is held in open position by suitable so mechanism which is controlled by the weight responsivedevice to thereby permit the gate to cut ofi the flow of material when a predetermined amount has been fed into the bag being filled. For means of simplicity, the embodiment shown illustrates a single unit filling machine; but it is to be understood, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art, that a plurality of units may be embodied in a single machine as is customery in usual practice, and the embodiment is merely by way of illustrating the invention.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, a hopper or bin 1 for holding the filling material, such for ex- 5 ample as cement, is supported by upright members 22 and 33., which are attached at their lower ends to base members H". The rear upright members 55 are also attached to the base members 47-49 and diagonal brace members 66 are attached to the upper ends of the members 5-3 and 5 3 respectively. Diagonal brace members 7 -7 a are attached to the uprights 3 -3'*- adjacent the hopper 1, and to the lower portion of uprights 55, respectively. A longitudinal, substantially horizontal member 8, extending forwardly and rearwardly of the machine, is supportedat its respective ends by the members 8 and 5, to which it is attached by suitable means such as rivets; and a corresponding member 8 is similarly supported by members 3 and 5 for purposes to be more fully described following.

The lower end of the feed hopper 1 is pro vi'ded with a discharge throat 9 connected rigidly thereto, and provided with an opening 10 in register with a tubular lilling spout 11, rigidly connected thereto, such for example as by being inserted snugly in a bore provided adjacent the face thereof. The front face of the throat 9 is cut out at 9 and 9 adjacent the upper and lower outer periphery respectively of the tube 11 as shown in Fig. 7,

for purposes to be described following. The

filling tube 11 is slotted longitudinally along its upper periphery for a substantial distance back from its outer end as indicated at 12. This filling spout is adapted to extend into the valve opening of a valve bag for the introduction of filling material to be inserted in the bag from the feed hopper 1.

A cross piece 13 (see also Fig. 5) is attached to the rear face of the uprights 33 and carries suitable knife edge weighing beam fulcrum points 14L and 14* adapted to support the fulcrum arms or weighing

beams

15 and 15*, respectively. The rear ends of the fulcrum arms are attached together as by the cross piece 16, and the forward ends of the fulcrum arms are attached together-as by the cross piece 17 A suitable weight 18 (see also Fig. 6) is suspended by the members 19-19 from a cross bar 20, which is provided at its respective ends with knife edges 21-21 which are seated in'suitable recesses in the respective arms 1515 A suitable rider weight or supplemental balance weight 22 is mounted on. the fulcrum arms adjacent their forward ends- The forward end of the fulcrum arms are provided with suitable recesses to accommodate fulcrum points 2323 (see also Fig. 4) which are attached to'the plate 24,

which carries rigidly connected thereto, a bag support 25. The support 25 is, in the present embodiment, in the form of a channel of inverted U-shaped cross-section and provided with a cylindrical inner end (see also Figs. 3 and 7 which is seated in a suitable bore in the plate 24, rigidly attaching the support to the plate. The upper portion ofthe inverted channel support is provided with a longitudinal slot 26 in alignment with the slot 12 formed'in the tube 11 and extending substantially the same distance back as the slot 12. The inverted U-shaped channel 25 partially surrounds the tube 11 adjacent its outer end and, in the present embodiment, entirely surrounds the tube 11 adjacent the base or inner end of the support 25. The support 25 is of a an internal diameter slightly greater than'the bag in proper position as herein set forth and may either be capable of entirely supporting the bag or not, as is desired.

Upright members 28 and28 are attached to the rear of theplate 24, extend downwardly therefrom and carry at their lower ends a stirrup member 29 which may support the bag being filled, although this stirrup support is not essential and is merely provided in case it is desired to relieve the strain on the upper supporting lip of the bag. It is obvious that if the stirrup is removed and the bag lip sufficiently strong, the operation of the machine will not be adversely effected. In order to re-' strict the support 25, plate 24 and parts con nected thereto, such as the members 2828, to a parallel substantially vertical motion, a compression rod 30 is provided having suitable means for adjusting its length and being pivoted at its rear end to a' member 31 attached to the uprights 33 and at its for-. ward end being connected to the plate 24: by means of a clip 32 attached to the uprights 2828; the pivot points at'the front and rear ends of the member 30 being in vertical alignment respectively with the fulcrum points 2323 and 14-14".

A cut-off gate (Fig. 3), such as 33, passes through a closely fitting passage in the throat 9 transversely to and in the path of the opening 10. This gate is provided with an opening 34: normally in alignment with the opening 10, such as during the filling operation, but adapted to be moved out of alignment therewith when the gate 33 is moved downwardly. A weight 35 is attached to the lower end of the gate 33 and is adapted to close the gate by gravity when the same is free to be so moved. The upper end of the gate 33 is provided with an engagement 36 adapted to be locked by the end 37 of the latch 38, which is pivoted adjacent its upper end to a suitable bracket such as 39 fastened'to the feed hopper 1, orother suitable stationary part of the machine. The lower end of the latch 38 is weighted to cause the end 37- to gravitate into engagement with the member 36 when released for such movement. A

33 and adapted to slide therein. Referring to Fig. 1, a forwardly extending suspension arm 42 is attached at its rear end to the plate 24, and carries a weighted member 43, provided with a lower arcuate serrated edge for engaging the top of the valve bag. The

weight 43 is pivoted at its forward end to a downwardly extending portion of the arm 42 and is pivoted at its rear end to a'suitable connecting link which is in turn pivotally attached to\bell crank 44, pivotally attached to the arm 42; the upper end of the bell crank 44 extends upwardly adjacent the upper ends of the bell'crank 40 and latch 38. A bracket 45 is attached adjacent the rear end of the members 88 extending upwardly therefrom; and a bell crank 46 is pivotally attached adjacent its upper end. The bell crank 46 is provided with a rearwardly ex tending arm carrying a weight 47 and an upwardly extending arm 48, which is rod 49, provided with a suitable forward looped end, which is in slidable engagement with the block 50 attached to the rear end of the control rod 51. The control rod 51 is slidably mounted in suitable bearings at-- "51 in the position shown in Fig. 1, the weight 43 is permitted to gravitate to its downward position, where it is adapted to engage the bag beingfilled, and firmly hold the same on the support 25, and the bell crank 40 is in its extreme anti-clockwise position; and the latch 38 has been allowed to gravitate into locking engagement with the lock 36 on the gate 33. An inverted U-s'haped bridging member 55 is rigidly connected at the ends of its respective downwardly extending arms to the rear end of the fulcrum arms 15-15, and carries suitably attached at its upper base a trigger '56 adapted toengage the upper extremity of'the arm 48 of the bell crank 46.

The engaging portions of the trigger 56 and arm 48 are formed-so as to present a minimum amount of friction between these parts. The trigger 56 is provided with a suitable-weight 57 which in conjunction with the trigger, bracket 55 andother associated parts, so substantially balances the mass of weights at tached to the plate 24 that the structural weights at the forward and rear end, respectively, of the balance of the fulcrum arms will be so proportioned that a sensitiveweight regulation may be obtained by means of the

balance weights

18 and 22.

Referring to Fig. 2, thefeed hopper 1 is iv=' otally connected to a forwardly exten ing It will It will be understood by those skilled in the art that although only one unit is shown by way of describing this invention, yet a plurality of units, such as described, may be mounted side by side as is usually the custom 'in this type of machine; and in such case the feed hopper will extend the entire length of the machine and may be common to all of the units, and a centrifugal impeller may be provided for each discharge throat.

Operation.

Fig.2 shows the position of the weighing mechanism and associated parts prior to the filling operation. The hopper 1 having been filled with filling material and the impeller 58 placed in operation by suitable motive means, an empty bag is placed on the support 25 in the following manner. The bag support 25 is inserted into the valve opening of the-bag so that the support will hold the valve in a distended condition, with the filling tube 11 extending into the valve opening of the bag a substantial distance, and free from frictional engagement with the bag or its movable support; The weighing beam is in its unbalanced position with its rear end held downwardly by means of the weight 18 and its forward end in its upper position, the

weights

18 and 22 beingset for the predetermined amount ofmaterial to be filled into the bag.

The operating handle 52 is pulled forward in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This moves the abutment 53 forwardly, thereby allowing the weight 43 to gravitate downwardly, so that its serrated lower edge moves into engagement with the top of the bag now being supported on the support 25. The abutment 54 is simultaneously moved forward into engagement with the up erarm of the bell crank 40- and isreleased action raises the gate 33, by means of the upward movement of the rear end of the bell crank 40 engaging the gate 33, and allows the lower end of the latch 38 to gravitate into engagement with the catch 36'carried on the V rom engagement with the latch 38. This double gate 33, to thereby lock the gate in its open position with the opening 34 in alignment with the feed throat passage 10. The forward movement of the handle 52 carrying mits the rod 52 and the abutments carried thereby to remain in the position shown .in Fig. 3.

The filling material is now being fed through the opening 10 in the throat 9 and out through the spout 11 rigidly attached thereto and in alignment therewith, and is passing into the bag, which is being suported on the member 25 on which it is held y means of the serrated portion of the weight In this connection it will be noted that the front pivot support of the weight 43 being elevated to such an extent that the weight is inclined downwardly and rearwardly, any tendency of the bag to move forward on its support against the serrated edges of the weight will tend to move the serrations forward, which will tend to cause a clockwise rotation of the weight about its front support, .thereby causing a greater gripping force between the weight and the bag.

against its support. When the predetermined amount of material has been fed into the bag, such as will overcome the balance weights carried by the fulcrum arms,

the fulcrum arms 15--1 5 will be tipped downwardly at their forward end, which will cause their rear ends to be raised thereby raising the bridge member and associated parts and causing the trigger 56 to release the arm 48 of the bell crank 46; and when such release has taken-place, the weight l7 will gravitate downwardly to thereby move the rod 49 rearwardly, moving with it the control rod 51. This causes abutment. 54 to release the bell crank s0 and to engage the latch 38, rotating the same in a clockwise direction to thereby release the engagement 36 and allow gate 33 to be moved downwardly due to the gravitation of the weight 35, hence acting to close the throat opening 10 to thereby cut off the flow of filling material; and simultaneously the abutment 53 rotates the bell crank 44 in a clockwise direction, thereby raising the weight 48 to release its serrated edge from, engagement with the bag. The upward movement of the rear ends of the fulcrum arms Iii-1.5 may be limited by suitable stop means carried'on the longitudinal members 88 such for example as the stop means 8". I

During the above filling operation, any filling material which might have been blown out through the space between the inner pe riphery of the support 25 and the outer periphery of the filling tube 11 is provided with a free rearward passage by means of the

cutout portions

9 and 9 in the face of the filling throat 9. The slot 12, formed in the filling tube 11. allows a limited amount of the cement being filled into the bag to create a turbulence through the slot 26 against the upper portion of the bag,,which thereby acts to prevent clogging of the filling material between the upper interior wall of the superation; and therefore the sensitiveness of the weight responsive device is maintained at. a maximum throughout the weighing operation, and is not subject to variation since it is entirely free of any contacting, relatively .moving parts between which grit or dirt could collect.

The filled bag is now removed and the.

load having been removed from the forward end of the balance mechanism, the parts return to their normal position and the trigger 5,6 is allowed. to gravitate back to its lower engaging position. This completes the filling operation, and ends one cycle of opera tion.

Referring to Fig.1, it will be noted that with the machine in the filling position as here shown provision is made to manually cutoff the flow of filling material with the balance beam in the position here shown by merely moving the control handle 52 rearwardly. Due to the block connection 50 with the forward looped end of the control rod 49, this rearward movement'of the con- "trol handle 52 will not be interfered with by the lock lever 48.

'It will be seen from the above description of the machine and operation thereof that this invention eliminates the friction inherent in machines of this class heretofore employed. In the machines heretofore em ployed the relatively movable surfaces acljacent the filling spout were in frictional con- ;tact and were subjected to the grit and dirt of the filling material, thereby causing sufficient friction to affect the weighing operation.

'It will also be obvious that by limiting the relative movement of the weight responsive device with respect to other associated parts'of the mechanism to a minimum, even the slight friction of the knife edges of the weighing apparatus is reduced to an absolute minimum. This invention comprises not only the two. features above enumerated, but many other features, as will be well understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, which provides an apparatus of great efficiency, simplicity and durability.

Having thus described my inventioniwith particularity with reference to the Preferred embodiment of the same, and having referred to some of the possible modifications thereof, y

it will be obvious to those skilled in the art after understanding my invention, that other changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention, and I aim in tially horizontally extending device mounted on the weighing mechanism in juxtaposition to but out of substantial weight aflecting engagement with the' feed spout and movable with said weighing mechanism and adapted to extend into said valve of the bag to support the bag and hold the valve extended and out of engagement with the feed spout during the weighing operation, so that said support and bag are free of substantial weight affecting engagement with the feed spout.

2. In a valve bag filling bination of wei hing mechanism, feeding mechanism, a su stantially horizontal feed spout fixedwith respect to the feeding mechanism and in communication therewith and adapted to extend into the valve of the bag to feed material into, the bag, a substantially horizontally extending device mounted on the weighing mechanism in juxtaposition to but out of substantial weight affecting engagement with the feed spout and movable with said-weighing mechanism and adapted to extend into said valve of the bag to sup port the bag and hold the valve extended and out of engagement with. thefeed spout during the weighing operation, so that said spout, and means operable responsive to a predetermined weight of material in the bag to cut off the flow of materialto the ba 3. In a valve bag filling machine, t e combination of a substantially horizontal fixed valvebag filling spout adapted to conduct the filling material into a valve bag, closure means cooperating, with said 1s out and adapted to close the same, meansc osely adjacent said spout adapted to extend into the supporting said bag and movable with re f valve opening of said ,bag to be filled for spect'to said spout responsive to the weight of said bag when the predetermined weight of filling'material has been'received there n, the

movement of said support serving to-actuatef said closure means, I

v 4. In a valve bag fillin machine, the combination of a substantia ly horizontalfixed valve bag fillingspout adapted to extend intothe valve of the bagfor filling the same, means closely adjacent said "spout adapted.

to extend into the valve openingiof said bag machine, the com-' to be filled for supporting sai. bag and movable with respect to said sp'v ut, and means operable simultaneously with said supportmaterial through said spout. I

5. In a valve bag filling machine, the combination of feeding means, a substantially horizontal filling spout fixed in position with respect to the feeding means in feeding communication therewith adapted to extend into the valve of the bag for filling the same, means disposed partly around said spout tor supporting said valve bag and movable with res ect to said spout responsive to the weight of lling material, closure means for shutting off the fiow of filling material, and control means also responsive to the weight of filling material for operating said closure means.

6. In a valve bag filling machine, the combination of a substantially horizontal fixed filling spout adapted to extend into the valve of the bag for filling the same, weight responsive' means provided with a portlon closely adjacent to said spout for supporting said bag and adapted to shield said spout from substantial frictional engagement with said bag, and closure means operable by said weight responsive means for shutting ofl the flow of material through said spout.

7. In a'valve bag fillingmachine, the combination of a bag support adapted toextend' into the valve opening of the bagto hold said valve in a substantially distended condition and movable responsive to the wei ht of said filled bag, a relatively stationary ling spout operatively connected to a filling source adapted to feedfilling material through said valve while in its distended condition and in support and bag are free of substantial weight affecting engagement with the feed 7 continuous cross-sectional alignment with said valve while said bag is on said support and'fre'e from engagement with said support, and means also operable'responsive to.

said filled bag, axrelatively stationary filling spout operatively connected to a filling source adapte to extend into said distended valve in substantial non-frictional relation thereto to feed filling material through said valve while in its distended'condition and in continuous cross-sectional alignment 'with said valve while said bag is on said support and free from engagement with said support, and

closure means controlled responsive'to the movement of said bag support for shutting oil the flow of filling material when a predetermined amount has been fed into said tion and movable responsive to the weight of bag, said spout remaining in substantially non-frictional relation with respect to said bag during the weighing operation.

9. In a valve bag filling machine, the coinbination of a bag support adapted to extend into the valve opening of the bag and hold said valve ina substantially distended condition and movable responsive to the weight of said filled bag, a relatively stationary filling spout operatively connected to a filling source positioned within said support and adapted to extend into the valve opening of said bag to feed filling material thereto free from weight ai'lecting frictional engagement with said support and said bag carried thereby, and means also responsive to the weight of said filled bag for shutting off the flow -of filling material when a predetermined amount has beented into said bag.

10. In a valve bag filling machine, the combination of an inverted U-shaped bag support adapted to extend into the valve opening of the bag to hold said valve in a substantial distended condition and movable responsive to the weight of'said filled bag, a relatively stationary filling spout spaced a slight distance beneath and partially within said support extending substantially parallel thereto connected to a filling source and adapted to feed filling material through said valve opening while in its said distended condition, and means also operable by the weight of said filled bag for shutting oil the flow combination of an approximately horizontal feeding spout adapted to enter the valve of a bag to be filled, a weighing device, means supporting on the weighing device a bag to be filled and maintaining the bag out of weight afl'ecting engagement with said spout during filling and weighing, a closure for the spout, and means responsive to the weighing means for moving the closure to close the spout.

13. In a valve bag-filling machine, the combination of a substantially horizontal filling spout adapted to enter the valve of a bag to be filled a weighing device, and a bag support on the weighing device spaced upward from the spout and adapted to enter the valve of a bag to be filled.

In .testimony whereof I have signed by name to this specification.

JOSHUA WARD.