US1926802A - Bag filling machine - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 12, 1933.

Filed June 30, 1950 A. L. CURRIER 1,926,802

BAG FILLING lMACHINE 11 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 12, 1933.

A. L. CURRIER BAG FILLING MACHINE Filed June 30, 1930 ll Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 12, 1933. A. L. cuRRlER BAG FILLING MACHINE Filed June 30, 1930 ll She'etS-Sheet 3 Sept. 12, 1933. A. L. cURRlER BAG FILLING MACHINE Filed June 3U, 1950 11 Sheets-Sheet 4 auw 1g 5 Sept. 12, 1933. A. L. CURRIER BAG FILLING MACHINE Filed June 30, 1950 ll Sheets-Sheet 5 Sept. 12, 1933. A. L. cURRn-:R

BAG FILLING MACHINE Filed June 30, 1950 ll Sheets-Sheet 6 SePtl2, 1933. A, L. URRIER 1,926,802

BAG FILLING MACHINE Filed June 50, 1930 1l Sheets-Sheet 7 S@Ptl2, 1933. A. L. CURRIER 1,926,802

BAG FILLING MACHINE Filed June 30, 1930 l1 Sheets-Sheet 8 Sepf- 12, 1933. A. L. cURRn-:R 1,926,02

f BAG FILLING MACHINE v Filed June 30, 1950 11 Sheets-Sheet 9 FI 3. 1f 1% Sept 12, 1933. A. L. cURRlx-:R 1,926,802

BAG FILLING MACHINE Filed June 50, 1930 11 sheets-sheet 1o @Rouw 11 SePt- 12, 1933. A. L. CURRIER 1,926,802

-BAG FILLING MACHINE Filed June 30, 1950 1l Sheets-Sheet ll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BAG FILLING MACHINE Application June 30, 1930. Serial No. 464,787

12 Claims.

This application relates to apparatus for iilling bags and more particularly for filling valve bags. The purpose of the invention is to provide means which will ll bags and more particularly valve bags with granular or pulverulent material, and will deliver correctly weighed charges complete to each bag, and perform the weighing automatically and the delivering with rapidity and certainty. Other and minor details and objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this disclosure- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a group of lling devices embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in Figure l, parts being broken away for purposes of illustration, and the apparatus being viewed from the right side of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the starting device shown in Figure 2.

Figures 4 and 5 are enlarged details of the bag supporting and clamping mechanism and its connection with the starting device.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail partly broken away and partly in section, illustrating the driving mechanism for discharging material into the bag.

Figure 7 is a corresponding section disclosing in plan the iinal discharge propeller for driving material into the bags.

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Figure 7.

Figure 10 is a detail view of a discharge propeller.

Figure 11 is a vertical section through the mechanism for delivering and weighing charges of material.

Figure 12 is a section on the line 12-12 of Figure 1l.

Figure 13 is a View partly in plan and partly in horizontal section illustrating part of the discharge mechanism shown in Figure 11.

Figure 14 is an enlarged side elevation of the weighing beam connecting mechanism controlling the delivering shaft.

Figure 15 is a section on the line 15-15 of Figure 14.

Figures 16 and 17 are sections of the dumping sleeve in different positions, illustrating its operation.

Figure 18 is an enlarged elevation of the cam control and the discharge mechanism.

Figure 19 is a plan view of the clutch controlling the discharging screw and dumping sleeve.

Figure 20 is an elevation of the mechanism shown in Figure 19, viewed from the right of Figure 19.

Figures 21 to 26 inclusive are views of the clutch controlling cam and associated parts viewed in successive positions.

In the embodiment of the invention, there is shown apparatus mounted upon a suitable frame 55 30 and comprising three similar filling mechanisms designated generally as 31, 32 and 33. These mechanisms are identical and therefore only one need be disclosed in detail. A main drive shaft 34 is mounted in the frame. A bev- 79 eled gear 35 on the drive shaft engages a beveled gear 36 on a vertical shaft 3'7 which in turn drives the mechanism delivering material to each Weighing device. A belt or chain 38 is driven by a suitable wheel on shaft 34 and engages a wheel 39 75 on shaft 40 mounted in frame 3G and. extending horizontally beneath the lling mechanisms.

Above each lling mechanism there is a hopper 41, from which material is fed to a weighing can 42, which in turn delivers it to a hopper 43, from 8G which it is driven through bag supporting and filling devices 44 and 45. Devices 44 and 45 are identical except that one is at the right hand of a hopper 43 and the other at the left hand side thereof. For this reason, the mechanism of but one of the supporting and filling devices needs to be described. A bag supporting and clamping member 46 is adapted to enter the valve of a bag and is pivoted at 47 upon the discharging device, as shown in Figure 4. Extending upward from the pivot of member 46 there is a lug 48. A clamping latch 49 is pivoted upon a stationary pivot 50 and is provided with a notch 51 and adapted to contact the upper end of lug 48. A bell crank lever 52 is pivoted at 53 upon latch 49 and has oneI 95 arm pivoted at 54 to a link 55 mounted at its other end upon a pivot 56 on the top of a slide gate 259. Gate 259 has an opening 260 which registers with the discharge opening of lling device 44 when the gate is raised. The other arm 100 of lever 52 carries a handle 57 and is connected by a rod 58 with the starting device, as will be explained later. An abutment member 59 is mounted by fastening device 60 or the like stationed above member 46.

Beneath each hopper 43 and surrounding shaft 40, there is a gear casing 61. Within the gear casing there is a double beveled gear 62 rigid upon drive shaft 40, being fastened thereto by pin 63 in the embodiment shown. Engaging the right 110 side of beveled gear 62 there is a beveled gear 64 on the bottom end of a vertical shaft 65 which passes through a bearing 66 on the bottom 67 of hopper 43. Within the bottom 67 and on the top of shaft 65 there is an ejecting propeller 68. Engaging the left side of beveled gear 62 there is a beveled gear 69 on the other end of vertical shaft 70 which may extend upward through a bearing 71 on bottom 67 and has on its upper end an ejector 72 adapted to drive material outward through an opening 73. At the right side of bottom 67 there is a similar opening 74 through which material is driven by ejector 68. On the hub of gear 69 there is formed a gear 75 which engages a gear 76 on the bottom of the vertical shaft 77 which extends upward into hopper 43 and carries thereon a screw propeller 78.

Inserted between bottom 67 of the hopper and the side walls of the hopper there is a plate 80 having therein an opening 81 which registers throughout the greater portion of its circumference with the interior of the cylindrical bottom of hopper 43. Bottom 67 has a plate providing a surface 82 on a level with the bottom of plate 80. A substantially circular pocket 83 is formed with the right side of bottom 67 as most clearly shown in Figure 8. The upper surface of the bottom 67 is slanted downward from surface 82 in an inclined plane 84 to the rear edge of pocket 83. Within pocket 83 there is provided a ring lining 85 notched at 86 to coincide with the delivery edge of slanting portion 84. Within ring 85 in the bottom of the pocket there is a plate 79 which slants downward towards the edges of the pocket.

As will clearly appear from Figures 6 and 7, the pocket 83 extends outward beyond the inner wall of the cylindrical portion of hopper 43 and the corresponding opening 81 in plate 80. Plate 80 1s cut away at 87 to the rear of pocket 83, but has a guide portion 88 overlying the actual pocket, the underside 89 of portion 88 being beveled downward so as to guide material downward into the pocket. At the left front of member 67 there isa pocket 90 similar to pocket 83. Within pocket 90 there is a ring 91 similar to ring 85 and a bottom plate 92 similar to plate 79. Also the plate 80 is cut away at 93 similar to the cut away portion 87 and there is a guide portion 94 with its beveled edge 95 guiding material downward into pocket 90. It will be seen, however, not only from Figure 7, but also by comparison of Figures 8 and 9, that guide portion 94 is comparatively short and bevel 95 comparatively abrupt compared with guide portion 88 and bevel 89 Seated in plate 79 there is a guide member 96 substantially parallel with the direction of discharge opening 74. Seated in plate 92 there is similar guide member 97 substantially parallel with discharge opening 73.

Ejecting propellers 68 and 72 might be of any suitable construction, but the preferred form is disclosed in Figure 10. In this form the propeller is provided with two discharge blades 98, each discharge blade being curved at the end 99. On the underside the blade is notched at 100 so as to just pass over guide member 96 or 97, as the case may be.

Beneath hopper or bin 41 there is a container within which there is mounted an agitator 111 mounted upon a shaft 112. On the left end of shaft 112, as viewed in Fig. 1, there is a pulley 113 driven by a belt 114 running from a pulley 115 on drive shaft 34. Beneath container 110 there is a discharge chute 116 containing a discharge screw 117. In front of chute 116 and in axial alignment with screw 117 there is a sleeve 118. A fixed frame 119 surrounds sleeve 118. A shaft 120 extends through the sleeve carrying screw 117 and through sleeve 118, and has its front end journaled in a bearing 121 mounted on frame 119. A grooved ring 122 is mounted upon sleeve 118 on the end adjacent chute 116. Spiders 123 and 124 within sleeve 118 are fixed upon shaft 120. The spiders hold the sleeve in close juxtaposition to the end of chute 116.

A weighing balance beam is provided with bearings 131 mounted upon knife edges 132 supported by a bracket 133 beneath chute 116. The front end of beam 130 is forked to provide arms 134, the front end of each of these arms ending in an upturned knife edge 136 cooperating with a bearing 137 upon weighing can 42. 'Ihe rear end 138 of the balance beam carries a weight 139 of sufiicient size to counterbalance can 42 and the desired load.

On the forward side of can 42 there is provided a door 140 pivoted at 141 near its upper edge. At its lower edge it is provided with a 100 lug 142 terminating in a hook 143. A latch 144 adapted to cooperate with hook 143 is mounted upon a rock shaft 145. An arm 146 of rock shaft has pivoted thereto a vertically slidable rod 147, the upper end of the rod being bent inward 105 and then downward and having thereon stops 148 and 149, for a purpose that will be described later.

Extending upward from beam 130 above its fulcrum, there is an arm 150 entering the fork of 110 an arm 151 extending downward from a rock shaft 152. (See Fig. 14.) An arm 153 near the end of rock shaft 152 extends upward and works between two stops 154 and 155 upon a bar 156. which slides through keepers 157 and 158 mount- 115 ed on the side of chute 116. A bracket 159 is attached to the rod or bar 156 and has pivoted thereto at 160 a link 161. The link is suspended from a fixed pivot 162 on container 110. The forward end 163 of bar 15e normally extends into 120 the path of a lug 164 mounted upon ring 122.

On the other side of chute 116 from bar 156 there is a similar bar 165 loosely mounted in retainers 166 and 167 and having a bracket 188 pivoted to a supporting link 169. An arm sim- 125 ilar to 153 extends upward from rock shaft 152 and engages between stops 170 and 171 on bar 165. Bar 165 is provided with a notch 172 which normally registers with the path of lug 164.

sleeve 11a is provided with a slot 173 which 13" is downward when lug 164 engages end 163 of bar 156 and is upward when lug 164 engages bar 165. A cover 174 mounted on frame 119 covers slot 173 when that slot is turned upward.

Attached to frame 119 in front or een 42, there 135 is a stop member 175 in position to be engaged by a lug 176 extending 'forward from the upper portion of gate 140, so that when can 42 is raised to the position in which it is shown in the drawings, the door is closed by engagement of lug 140 176 with stop 175.

To the rear of chute 116 there is a casing 180 having at its rear end a bearing 181 for the rear end of shaft 120. Casing is also provided I- with a bearing 182 in its forward lower portion 1" for the upper end of shaft 37. The upper end of bearing 182 carries a thrust bearing 183 upon which shaft 37 is supported by means of a gear 184 fixed on the shaft, as by a set screw 185. 15o

Surrounding shaft 120 in the forward portion of casing 180 there s-a sleeve 186 loosely mounted on the shaft. The forward end of sleeve 186 carries lugs 187 adapted to enter notches in the rear end of sleeve 188 which carries screw 117. A clutch member 189 is xed on the rear of sleeve 186 by means of a. set screw 190 or the like. A gear 191 is mounted loosely upon sleeve 186 in position to engage gear 184 and to be constantly driven thereby. The hub of gear 191 is provided with notches 192. A slide 193 mounted in clutch member 189 is constantly urged by a spring 194 towards gear 191,the forward end of this slide entering a notch 192 when permitted. A notch 195 is provided in the upper edge of slide 193 and this notch is substantially in alignment with an annular groove 196 in clutch member 189. A lever 197 is pivoted at 198 on casing 180 and is adapted to move into or out of groove 196 and notch 195. The free end of lever 197 is perforated to receive a pin 199 upon the upper end of a controlling member 200. A pin 201 on the free end of lever 197 is connected by a spring 202 to' a pin 203 on the axis of a shaft 204 mounted beneath casing 180. The forked lower end 205 of member 200 straddles the shaft 204, and rollers 206 mounted on the sides of member 200 rest upon controlling cams 207 mounted upon shaft 204. Lever 197 is provided on its lower side with a lug 208 beveled at 209, the lug being adapted to enter groove 196 when the lever is lowered and the beveled end thereof adapted to engage the rear side of notch 195 in slide 193 when the clutch member turns the slide to its upper position. The end of shaft 204 opposite that which carries cams 207, has fixed thereon a ratchet A member 210 provided with two teeth 211.

A member 212 mounted loosely upon shaft 204 beside ratchet 210 has an outwardly projecting arm 213 connected to the upper end of a rod 214, the lower end of which rod is connected to an arm 215 on a rock shaft 216. (See Fig. 3.) Projecting downward from shaft 216 there is a lug 217. A xed bracket 218 extends to the rear and downward from shaft 216. A connecting member 219 is fixed on the rear of rod 58 and carries a pin 220 in alignment with rod 58 and working through the end of bracket 218. A hook 221 is pivoted at 222 on member 219. A spring 223 normally urges hook 221 to its upper position, a stop screw 224 limiting the upward movement of the hook.

A pawl 225 is mounted upon member 212 and is adapted to engage teeth 211 on ratchet wheel 210 when member 212 is actuated. A stop member 226 is mounted in position' to stop a downward movement of rod 214, as shown in Fig. 22. A collar 227 is fixed to rod 214 and is connected to a tension spring 228, the upper end of which is attached to a pin 229 fixed upon casing 180.

On the middle portion of shaft 204 beneath casing 180 there are mounted two ratchet wheels 235 connected by pins 236. Each of the wheels is provided with a plurality of teeth 237. A rod 239 is connected to the rear end of arm 138, and the upper end of rod 239 is adapted to play between the two ratchet wheels 235. A pin l240 extending crosswise through the upper end of rod 239 is adapted to engage in teeth 237.

A latch member 241 is pivoted on a pin 242 beneath casing 180 and with its forward end Working above ratchet wheels 235. The underside of latch member 241 is provided with a notch 243 adapted to engage pins 236. The forward end 244 of latch 241 extends into the upper end of the path of rod 239.

Pin 242 extends into the plane of member 212 and this end of pin 242 carries an arm 245 adapted to be engaged by a cam 246 on member 212, member 245 having a downwardly projecting cam surface 247 provided for this engagement, as shown in Figure 21.

Mounted upon shaft 120 at the rear oi' clutch member 189 there is a disk 250 having a hub 251 with a notch 252 enclosing a pin 253 passing through shaft 120. (See Fig. 19.) In this way disk 250 may slide endwise of shaft 120 but constantly rotates therewith. Friction material 254 is provided between disk 250 and the rear end of clutch member 189. A collar 255 is fixed cn shaft 120 to the rear of disk 250 and rests against a thrust bearing 256. A spring 257 between cellar 255 and disk 250 presses the disk against the rear end of clutch member 189.

Projecting from the forward face of gear 191 there are a plurality of pins 260. A lever i is pivoted at 262 within casing 180 and extends beneath the path of pins 260 and through the of the casing where it is attached to the end of a lever 263. (See Fig. 19.) Lever 263 extends forward and is fulcrumed at 264 upon the side of chute 116, and has its forward end 265 extending into the top of can 42. (See Fig. 2.) The end 265 is perforated and receives the upper end of rod 147 between stops 148 and 149.

The manner of operation of the device is as follows. It will be understood that hoppers 41 are supplied with material in any desired manner and that the moving agitator 111 insures that the material will move .from hopper 41 through trough 110 down into discharge chute 116. Screw 117 discharges the material into sleeve 118 from which it drops into weighing can 42. This weighing device is very similar to that described and claimed in my prior application for Filling machine, Ser. No. 348,380, filed January 20, 1929. However, the operation of this weighing device will be briefly described in order to furnish an adequate description of the filling machine. When the rotation of screw 117 is started in the manner which will be described later, material is forced out into sleeve 118 which then is in the position in which it is shown in Figure 16 and therefore the material drops through the slot 173 into weighing can 42 until weight 139 is overbalanced. When weighing can 42 moves downward arm 150 withdraws end 163 of bar 156. It will be readily understood that during the time such member 189 is rotating there is constant friction exerted through friction material 254 and disc 250 upon the shaft 120 which carries sleeve 118. Therefore, when end 163 is withdrawn from lug 164 sleeve 118 immediately proceeds to turn in the direction of the arrow 1ndicated on Figure 16 and continues to turn until lug 164 encounters bar 165, when the sleeve is stopped in the position which is shown in Figure 17. In this way the flow of material into can 42 is stopped during the dumping period. When can 42 is lowered by the weight of the material therein, rod 147 is lowered therewith until stop 148 comes in contact with the end of lever 265. Thereafter the end of lever 265 is lowered, rais` ing lever 261 into contact with pins 260 upon a gear 191. This imparts a succession of movements to rod 147 which insures the release of the latch from hook 143, so that gate 140 is a1- lowed to swing open. The continuous action of the vibrating lever 265 through rod 147 imparts vibration to the can and insures the complete discharge of the material therefrom.

As soon as the -can is emptied, weight 139 swings lever 130 back into the position in which it is shown in Figure 11. Lug 176 encounters stop 175 swinging door 140 into closed position. At the same time through the movement of arm 150 bar 165 is moved forward to the position in which it is shown in Figure 13 and notch 172 registers with lug 164 whereupon shaft 120 and sleeve 118 are allowed to make a half turn in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 17. so that it turns the sleeve into the position in which it is shown in Figure 16, with the slot in open position. Thereupon the material accumulated within the sleeve during the discharging operation drops into the can and suflicient additional material is forced forward by screw 117 to complete another turn, whereupon the dumping action is repeated.

The action above described is substantially the same as that taking place in my above mentioned application, but the control mechanism for starting and stopping the weighing action is diiferent from that disclosed in my prior application and will now be described.

When the operator has placed a bag upon support 46, the support entering the valve bag as indicated in Fig. 5, handle 57 is pulled to the front or from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 4 to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 5. During this movement of the handle, latch 49 is swung downward, notch 51 engaging the beveled corner of lug 48 and raising support 46 so that it clamps the top of the bag against abutment 59. Notch 51 is suiliciently deep so that it passes below the bevelled corner of lug 48 and engages the vertical surface of the lug, so that there is no tendency for the weight of the bag to lift the latch. At the same time that the bag is thus clamped in position, rod 58 is pulled longitudinally and thereby pulls latch member 221, as will appear from Figs. 2 and 3, and oscillates arm 215 downward. This -pulls downward rod 214 and swings arm 213 so as to move pawl 225 and ratchet 210, as indicated by Figs. 21 and 22. 'I'his moves cam wheel 207 upward so that the roller 206 rolls up from notch 230, in which it is shown in Fig. 21 to notch 231 in which it is shown in Fig. 22. raises lever 197 out of register with slide 193 and allows spring 194 to press the slide into a notch 192 and thereby cause the rotation of clutch member 189. This in turn drives screw 117 and feeds material into sleeve 118 and through slot 173 into weighing can 42.

The counterbalance weight is of such a size that it requires a plurality of charges of the can to constitute a charge for a single bag. With the construction of mechanism here disclosed, there must be three weighings tomake one charge for a bag. When the can is filled and descends as described above, rod 239 is raised from the position in which it is shown in Figs. 2 and 22 to that in which it is shown in Fig. 23. It will be noted that pin 240 is not raised quite far enough to enter notch 232. Upon the upward movement of cam 42, rod 239 is drawn downward until pin 240 enters notch 233 and moves that notch from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 23 to that in which it is shown in Fig. 24. During the next weighing operation, pin 240 is raised far enough to drop into notch 232, as shown in Fig. 25, and rotates cam 207 through another 60. After this weighing operation, when the can again returns upward, the cam wheel is turned through another 60 until roller 206 enters notch 230,

1,9aa,soa

which allows lever 197 to drop suiiiciently to intercept slide 193 and disconnect clutch portion 189 and thereby stop the weighing device until it is again actuated by the movement of handle 57.

As will be readily understood from Fig. 3, the parts are so constructed that catch 221 can slip past lug 217 after arm 215 has oscillated a certain amount, and spring 228 thereupon returns arm 215 on lug 217 to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3. After the bag has been filled in a manner which will be described below, handle 57 is once more pushed back to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 4, thereby releasing lug 48 and permitting bag support 46 to drop away from abutment 59, and release the bag. At the same time rod 58 is pushed to the right, as viewed in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, to a suiiicient distance so that latch 221 is again pushed onto lug 217, spring 223 yielding to allow the latch to pass the lug.

Shaft 40 is preferably actuated continuously so that as soon as a charge is dropped into hopper 43, it is at once pressed downward by worm 78. Assuming that the bag is upon filling mechanism 44, the movement of handle 57 raises pin 54 and thereby elevates gate 259 until its opening 260 registers with outlet opening 74. Therefore, as soon as material is pressed into depression 83 by worm 78, propeller 68 immediately begins to force the material out through passage 74 into the bag. It will be seen that-the rotation of the screw tends to sweep material through the inlet opening formed between slanting portion 84 and bevelled guide 89, as viewed in Fig. 8. Abutment 96 deflects material and insures that it passes out through opening 74 instead of a portion in the bottom of the depression following around with the ejecting blade. This aids in the rapidity of the discharge during the entire filling period, but it is particularly important in the final period, as it results in the complete emptying of the pocket.

The operation of the device is more uniform when the amount of material in hopper 43 is limited, and this is an additional reason for using a plurality of weighings to form the charge with discharging apparatus of the kind herein described. Plate with its notch 87 and guiding member 88, and the location of the discharge pockets with their discharging portion beyond the periphery of the screw, increases the rapidity of the discharge with respect to the speed of the parts and aids in the complete discharge of the material weighed into the apparatus. A certain amount of material remains in the discharge pocket whose gate is not opened, but this amount is comparatively small, and is substantially the same in each case and therefore does not interfere with obtaining charges of correct size.

After a bag has been filled through filling device 44, filling device 45 is operated in the same manner, the details of the operation not requiring separate description, but it may be mentioned that the handles 57 are so connected that arm 215 is swung downward upon the forward pull of either handle, the lug 217 swinging idly with respect to the rod 58 which is not moved, there being a lug 217 and corresponding latch mechanism in connection with each rod 58.

It will be noted that member 88 and the corresponding member 94 are somewhat differently located and shaped. This is because discharging devices 68 and 72 operate in opposite directions and the different arrangement of these guiding lugs is so that substantially the same amount of material will be left in each pocket when the filling of a bag through the other pocket has been completed. In other words, when one pocket is being operated for filling purposes and the other pocket is operated idly, the idle pocket retains at the end of the operation substantially the same amount. If members 88 and 94'were similar, there would be a difference in the remainder of material which was not thrown out of the idle pocket at the end of the filling operation.

While one form of mechanism has been described in considerable detail, it will be understood that various changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus for filling bags, a charge-forming device regulated to deliver a charge which is l/n of the desired charge for a bag, a hopper in position to receive charges from said device, means adapted to discharge from said hopper material delivered thereto, a clamp adapted to hold a bag in receiving relation to said discharge means, means connected to said clamp for initiating the operation of said device when the clamp is actuated to hold a bag in position, and automatic means for stopping said device after it has delivered n charges.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 and in which said discharge means comprises a centrifugal propeller and a screw driving material into said propeller.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 and in which said hopper has a cylindrical lower portion, a screw within said portion and driving material downward, a smaller cylindrical pocket at the bottom of said portion, and a centrifugal propeller in said pocket.

4. Apparatus for filling valve bags comprising a hopper having a cylindrical lower portion with its axis vertical, a plate beneath said portion and having an opening forming a continuation of the opening in said portion, a member beneath said plate having a pocket therein lying partly beneath said opening and partly therebeyond, a screw within said portion driving material downward, a centrifugal propeller in said pocket, and a spout adapted to receive material from said pocket and deliver it into a bag.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 and in which the plate is notched for part of the distance above said pocket and beyond said portion and the remaining portion of the plate overhanging said pocket is beveled to guide material downward into said pocket.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in combination with means for driving said screw and propeller constantly and means for intermittently dropping charges of material into said hopper.

7. In apparatus for filling valve bags, a cylindrical hopper with its axis vertical, a screw within the hopper driving the material downward, a member having two pockets beneath the hopper, each of the pockets being smaller across than said hopper, partly underlying said hopper, and partly extending therebeyond, centrifugal propellers in said pockets, means to drive said propellers in opposite directions, and substantially parallel spouts extending from said pockets and adapted to deliver material in the same direction into valve bags.

8. Apparatus for filling valve bags comprising a hopper, a member beneath the hopper and having two pockets partly underlying the hopper, a screw within the hopper adapted to sweep material into said pockets, a centrifugal propeller in each pocket, means to turn said propellers in opposite directions, spouts in position to receive material from said pockets and deliver it into valve bags, and means for intermittently delivering charges of material into said hopper, the openings from the hopper into the pockets being modified in accordance with the direction of the motion of the propellers, whereby substantially an equal amount of material remains in each pocket when it is closed and the other pocket is open.

9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 8, and including a plate between the hopper and the pocketed member, said plate having therein a beveled part overlying each pocket and facing the sweep of the screw, the bevel being more abrupt over the pocket wherein the propeller turns oppositely from the screw than that over the propeller turning in the same direction as the screw.

l0. In apparatus for filling valve bags, a member having a substantially cylindrical pocket therein, a centrifugal propeller in the pocket, a tangential spout extending from the pocket and adapted to discharge into the valve of a bag and a guide plate on the bottom of the pocket beneath the path of the propeller blades, parallel with the tangential side of said spout and substantially in line with the other side of said spout.

11. Apparatus in accordance with claim 10 and in which the propeller has blades having the lower portions of their forward faces shaped to drive material downward, whereby material is urged against said guide plate.

12. Apparatus in accordance with claim 10, and in which the propeller has blades which are convex on their forward side both in the horizontal plane and in the vertical plane.

ARTHUR L. CURRIER.

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