US2376810A - Packing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

P. B. RICHARDSON PACKING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 20, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet l May 22, 1945.

, y 2Z,' 9 P. B. RlcHARbson PACKING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 20, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 P 8. RICHARDSON PACKING APPARATUS I May 22, 1945.

5 Sneets-Sheet Filed Sept. 20, 1941 ZZZ 451.3 lam/aw P. B. RICHARDSON PACKING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 20, 1941 May 22,1945.

5 Sheets-Sheet 4 May 22, 1945. P. B. RICHARDSON 2,376,810

PACKING APPARATUS Filed Sept. o, 1941 s sheets-sheet 5 Patented May 22, 1945 PACKING APPARATUS Philip B. Richardson, Montciair, N. J., assignor to Richardson ,Scale Company, Clifton, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application September 20, 1941, Serial No. 411,749

16 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in packing apparatus of the type adapted for use in connection with the. filling. of feeds or other ground or fluent materials into open mouth bags of cotton, burlap, paper or other flexible material, to settle the material in the bag to fill it compactly and enable the bag mouth to be closed immediately and with facility.

cording to the present invention, the packer oscillates the bag back and forth about its vertical axis as a center, while the bag is suspended by its open mouth and as it is being filled, the packer remaining in engagement with the bag during its oscillation and allowing for the lengthening or stretching of the bag under the weight of the material therein while being filled and packed, and the packer being quickly retractible from beneath the filled and packed bag to permit the bag to be dropped onto a conveyor or other support for subsequent operation or disposition.

The packer provided by the present invention is applicable advantageously to bag filling apparatus in which the bag is suspended by its mouth on afilling tube which receives weighed charges of material from a weighing machine, and in which the bags; after they have been filled and packed, are deposited on a conveyor which conducts them to a sewing machine or'other suitable means for closing their mouths.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the features of novelty being pointed out particularly in the claims at the end of this specification. Y

In the accompanying drawingsa Figure 1 is a front elevation of a bag-filling apparatus embodying packing means constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the bag-filling spout and bag holder shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the filling spout and bag holder asshown in-Flgure 2;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the improved packing apparatus, the same being shown in its advanced bag-engaging position;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, but showing the packing apparatus in retracted position, and showing the filled and packed bag in released position;

Figure 6 is a detail vertical section taken on the line 6-6 in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the packing apparatus on an enlarged scale, one of the supporting rails being removed and parts shown in section;

Figure 8 is a top plan view of the packing apparatus, as shown in Figure Figure 9 represents a plan view, partly in section, on the line 9-9 in Figure '7;

Figure 10 is a vertical section taken on the line Ill- ,40 in Figure 8; and

Figure 11 is a diagrammatic view showing the controlling means for the bag holder and the advancing and retracting means for the packing apparatus.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters, in the several figures.

The packing apparatus, according to the present invention, is applicable generally to the filling of bags and similar flexible containers, with feed,

flour and other ground or pulverized fluent ma-' terials, for the purpose'of settling the material compactly in the bags or containers, and the preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawings, and will be hereinafter described in detail. It is to be understood,

. however, that the invention is not restricted to the precise construction shown, since equivalent constructions are contemplated and such will be included within the scope of the claims.

In the present instance, the packing apparatus is disclosed in conjunction with bag-filling apparatus which comprises a hopper-like or other suitably spaced filling spout I, which may be supplied with pre-weighed charges of material from any suitable type of weighing machine, through the supply chute 2. According to the present invention, the filling spout is provided with means for releasablyholding the bag mouth in filling relation thereto, such bag-holding means comprising in'the present instance a pair of clamps 3 which are curved or otherwise suitably shaped to conform with opposite sides of the filling spout, these clamps being preferably faced with yieldable rubber strips 4 to enable them to obtain a firm grip upon the bag. The bag clamps are piv-,,

oted at 5 to brackets 6-which are fixed to the V opposite sides of the filling spout and are pivot ally connected at I to the rods, 8 of pistons 9, which aremounted to reciprocate in cylinders l@, the latter being mounted rockably at II on the brackets 8. Each cylinder is provided with an inlet l2 for compressed air, at the upper end, and

I an inlet l3 for compressed air at its lower end.

clamps being effected by admitting compressed air to the lower ends of the cylinders through the inlet l3, and the bag mouth is clamped to the filling spout by admitting compressed air to the upper ends of the cylinders, through inlets l2,

thereby forcing the pistons downwardly and swinging the clamps into the bag-gripping positions shown by full lines in Figure 2. The grip obtained upon the bag by the clamps is sufficient to withstand the shock of the preweighed load entering the empty bag and to suspend the filled bag from the filling spout. Release of the filled bag is effected by admitting compressed air to the lower ends of the cylinders through the inlets I3, the pistons being thereby forced upwardly and retracting the clamps 3 from the bag mouth, such retraction of the clamps permitting the filled bag to drop by gravity from the filling spout.

The packing apparatus provided by the present invention is adapted to be advanced to a position beneath the filling spout, so that it will receive the bottom of a bag suspended thereon, and it embodies means for oscillating it while in engagement with the bag to thereby impart an oscillating movement to the bag about its-vertical axis to settle the material compactly therein, the packing apparatus being capable of descending under the influence of the increasing weight of material in the bag as it is filled, the packing apparatus being thereby maintained in engagement with the bag and compensating for the lengthening or stretching of the bag under the increasing weight of material as'the bag is filled. After the bag has been filled and the material therein packed, the packing apparatus is retracted, and

during its retraction, it is operated in a manner to withdraw it from beneath the bag and to thereby allow the bag to drop or be deposited on a support such as a conveyor, which may conduct the filled bag to a sewing machine for sewing and thereby closing its mouth, or the filled and packed porting frame 20. The rails l8 may be conveniently formed of channel irons, for which purpose the rollers l8 are preferably of conical form to conform with the tapered flanges of the channel irons, The other end of the carriage l carries a pair of relatively smaller rollers 2|, which are journaled onaxles 22 bolted or otherwise secured in the carriage. These rollers 2| are sufilciently portion of their lengths, are reduced to approximately the diameter of the rollers 2i by the insertion of filler strips 23. Lateral displacement of the rollers 21 relative to the rails i8 is prevented by flanges 24, which may be secured to the axles 22 of these rollers.- By the construction just described, when the carriage i5 is shifted to a position at or near one end of the rails Hi, as shown in Figure 4, the carriage may tilt about the axles ll of the rollers It as a center, since the rollers 2| may then swing vertically between the upper and lower flanges of the rails but retraction of the carriage toward the other end of the rails carries the rollers 2| into the narrow space between the filler rails 23, as shown in Figure 5, the rollers 2| being then confined and thereby restraining the carriage against tilting. The inner ends 23 of the filler strips 23 are preferably beveled as shown, to guide the rollers 21 in their travel longitudinally of the rails l8. v

The carriage l5 has an extension 25 formed integrally thereon, or otherwise rigidly fixed thereto, this extension being provided with an antifriction or other suitable bearing 26, which supports the vertical pivot 21 of a rocker 28. This rocker embodies a pair of arms 28, which extend from opposite sides of its pivot, and these arms are provided at their ends wtih upturned flanges 33 which enter slots 3| in the under sides of a pair of curved arms 32, to which they are pivoted by pivot pins 33, so that the arms 32 may rock on a horizontal axis relatively to the. rocker 28. The arms 32 are curved and also chamfered, as indicated at 32, to conform substantially with the shape of the bag bottom, and these arms are rigidly connected by a pair of tie bolts 34, thus forming a cradle on which the bottom of a bag is adapted to rest. The pivotal mounting of the cradle on the pivots 33 enables the cradle to rock about these pivots as a horizontal axis, and the mounting of the rocker 28 on the vertical pivot 21 enables the cradle to oscillate about a vertical axis.

Oscillation of the rocker 28 about its vertical axis is effected by a link 35, one end of which is pivotally connected to the rocker at 38 and the other end of which is connected at 3? to a crank or eccentric 38, the latter being driven through a speed reduction gearing 39, which may be of a well known worm gear type, the input or worm shaft of which may be provided with a belt pulley 40 to be driven through a belt 4| by an electric motor 42. The motor 42 and also the speed reduction gearing 39 are mounted on the carriage I 5 at the side of the roller axles I'I opposite to the side thereof from which the extension 25 projects, for counterbalancing purposes, as will be hereinafter described. During the running of the motor 42, the crank or eccentric 38 will reciprocate the link 35 and thereby oscillate the rocker 28 about its vertical axis 21, and a bag resting on the cradle arms 32 and spanning them will be oscillated on substantially its central vertical axis.

The rocking of the cradle on the horizontal pivots 33 takes place automatically as the carriage is advanced and retracted along the rails l8. The means provided for this purpose in the present instance comprises a cam plate 45, which is fixed on the relatively stationary frame 28 and is provided with a cam track 48, a roller 41 mounted on arm 48 and arranged to travel in the cam track, the arm 48 being fixed to the lower I end of a shaft 49 which is journaled in a bearing 58 in the carriage l5, and has a yoke 5| fixed on carriage tilts.

.ts upper end, and a link 52 which operatively connects this yoke to the cradle. In order to and the cradle swing, the link 52 is preferably I connected to these parts by universal joints of any suitable construction. As shown in the present, instance; the link 52 is connected to the yoke by a block 53 which is pivotallyconnected to the yoke 5| by a vertical pivot 54 and is connected to the link 52 by a horizontal pivot 55. The other end of the link 52 is operatively connected to the cradle by a bracket 50, which is mounted preferably on the tie bolts 34, this bracket having a horizontal pivot 5-1 on which the block 58 is mounted rotatably, the link 52 having a yoke 59 thereon which is pivotally connected to the block 58 by a vertical pivot 60. The yoke-shaped ends of the link 52 may be composed of separate sections, connected by a longitudinal bolt 6|. The universal joint connections of the link 52 to the yoke 5| and cradle, enable the cradle to-be rocked by the cam roller 41 without binding. The cam track is of such a shape that when the car.- riage is advanced along the rails I8 to bring the cradle beneath the filling spout, the cradle will be rocked into a substantially horizontal position, as shown in Figure 4, and when the carriage is retracted along its rails, the cradle will be rocked into a tilted position, substantially as shown in Figure 5, so that as the cradle is removed from beneath the filling spout, the cradle will be rocked in a path which will withdraw it from beneath the bag.

The means for reciprocating the carriage I5 to bring the cradle 32 into bag-receiving position beneath the filling spout, and for retracting the cradle from such position, comprises a fluid pressure actuated device,'preferably in the form of a cylinder 65 which extends longitudinally between the rails I8 and is rigidly secured, as by bolts 66, to the relatively stationary frame 20. The cylinder contains a piston 61 fitted to reciprocate therein, and the forward end of the rod 68 of the piston is secured, as by a screw 69, to a yoke '10. Thisyoke is connected to the inner ends of the axles I! of the rollers I6, so that the piston rod 68 may reciprocate rectilinearly to advance and retract the carriage, without interference by or with the tilting movements of the carriage, since the axles II to which the yoke 10 is connected are coincident with the axis on which the well known typesuitable for the sewing of the mouths of the filled bags, in order to close them. In order to facilitate the transfer of the filled and packed bags from the filling and packing apparatus to the sewing machine, and avoid the necessity of lifting or carrying the bags by the attendant, the support I6 below the filling spout, on to which the filled and packed bags are dropped or deposited by the retraction and withdrawal of the packing apparatus, is preferably in the form of an endless b'elt orconveyor, which may be supported by rollers ll-mounted on a floor or relatively fixed base frame 10, the upper stretch of this belt extending from beneath the filling spout to and past the sewing machine and being supported to sustain the weight of the filled bags thereon by a plate 19, which may be rigidly supported from the base frame I8. The head 80 of the sewing machine is located at such a level that as the filled bags are conducted from the filling and packing apparatus, while standing upright on the belt 16, the open mouths of the bags will be on a proper level relatively to the sewing head 80 to be sewed thereby, as the bags are advanced by the belt.

Means is provided for co-ordinating the operations of the bag holder on the filling spout and the means for advancing and retractiing 'the packing apparatus. As shown diagrammatically in Figure 11, such controlling means comprises a valve 8| having an inlet 82 for fluid under pressure, such as compressed air, event 83 communicating with theatmosphere, a port 84 connected by a pipe 85 to the inlet 86 at the rear end of the cylinder 65, and also connected by a pipe 81 and branch pipes 88 to the upper ends of the cylinders I0 of the bag holder. The valve 8i also has a port 89 which is connected by a pipe 90 to the inlet at at the forward end of the cylinder 65, and is also connected by branch pipes 92 to the lower ends of the cylinders I0. The valve 8| comprises a rotatable valve member 93 having fluid passages 94 and 95, which in one position of the valve member as shown in Figure 11, connect .the fluid inlet 82 to the pipe 85 and the pipe 90 to the atmospheric vent 83, and when rotated a quarter revolution toward the right in that figure,

-, the fluid i-nlet'82 will be connected to the pipe 90 and the pipe 85 will be connected to. the vent 03. The valve member 93 may be operated manually by a lever 96, but it is preferably operated under control of a push button 91, which may be located at a remote or other suitable point, such an arrangement being shown in Figure 11, in which the lever 96 is operatively connected by projections 90130 a solenoid core 99, the opposite ends of which operate in a pair of solenoids I00 and IN, the arrangement being such that when the solenoid I00 i energized, the core 99 will be moved to the left into the position shown in Figure 11, and when the solenoid IN is energized,

the valve member 93 will be rotated a quarter The cylinder 65 is provided with r turn from the position shown in Figure 11. The winding of the solenoid I00 is connected in a branch circuit I02, which includes a pair of contacts I03 adapted to be bridged by the contactor I04 of the push button, and the winding of the solenoid IOI is connected in a branch circuit I05,-

which includes a pair of contacts I06 which are adapted to be bridged by a contactor I01 of the ment, when the push button 01 is moved into the position shown in Figure 11, the contactor I04 thereof will bridge the contacts I03 and thereby complete the circuit through the winding of the solenoid I00. and cause the latter to be energized, the circuit to the winding of the solenoid IOI being then broken, and when the push button is moved into the opposite position, the contactor I04 will disengage from the contacts I03 and the contactor I01 will bridge the contacts I06, thereby de-energizing the solenoid I00 and completing the circuit through the winding of the solenoid I0 I, causing this solenoid to be energized.

The detail construction and operation of the elements of the apparatus having been heretofore described, the general operation of the apparatus will now be described. The empty bag B to be filled is slipped up over the lower end of the filling spout I, while the clamps 3 of the bag holder are retracted, the carriage I5 of the packing apparatus then occupying it retracted position. The push button 91 is then operated to close the circuit through the solenoid I00, thereby causing the valve member 93 to be rotated into the position shown in Figure 11, thereby causing compressed air or other fluid under pressure, to enter the rear end of the cylinder 65, and to also enter the upper ends of the cylinders to of the bag holder. The clamps 3 of the bag holder are thereby caused to swing inwardly and to clamp the open bag mouth on the filling spout and the carriage I5 is advanced to bring the cradle 32 thereon into a position beneath the bottom of the bag suspended by the bag holder from the filling spout. A charge of material is then discharged from a weighing machine or other suitable source of supply through the filling spout and into the bag, and immediately thereafter the motor 42 is caused to operate, or if the motor has been operating continuously, as the case may be, it will be operating during the advance of the cradle, thereby oscillating the cradle 32 about its vertical axis, the cradle being then supported yieldingly in its relatively elevated position by the counterweighting influence of the motor 42 and the speed reduction gearing. The bag, composed of cotton, burlap, paper, or other flexible material lengthens or stretches under the weight of the material introduced into it, causing its lower end to bear on the cradle 32, and as the weight of the material in the bag increases, it will overcome the counterbalancing effect of the motor 42 and speed reduction gearing, and will cause the end of the carriage I5 on which the cradle 32 is mounted, to swing downward, about the axles ll of the rollers Is as an axis, to and below the position shown in Figure 4. The bag pushes the cradle down to its limit as the preweighed load enters the bag, but then the cradle works into the bag and rises because of its counter-balance and is maintained in engagement with the bag during the descent of the cradle, and the oscillation of the cradle on its vertical axis 21 imparts an oscillation to the bag about its central vertical axis, thereby settling the material com pactly in the bag. Also, during the packing of the material, the cradle moves up and down, about the axles ll of the rollers It as an axis, from its central position shown in Fig. 4, due to the fact that the bag is twisted as a tourniquet and becomes longer and shorter and also to the shock of reversal of the cradle, thus producing a jolting action as well as an oscillating action which promote the packing action. After the complete charge of material has been dumped into the bag and settled therein, the push button 91 is moved to its opposite position, disengaging the contactor I04 from the contacts I03 and thereby de-energizing the solenoid I and engaging the contactor III! with the contacts I06, thereby energizing the solenoid IOI. The valve member 93 is thereby rotated through a quarter turn to connect the pipe 5 to the vent I3 and to connect the fluid pressure inlet 82 to the pipe 90. Compressed air or fluid under pressure will thereby be admitted to the lower ends of the cylinders I0, causing the clamps 3 of the bag holder to be retracted'to release the bag mouth from the filling spout and simultaneously compressed air or fluid pressure will be admitted to the inner end of the cylinder 65, causing the carriage I! to be retracted and to withdraw the cradle 32 from beneath the bottom of the filled and packed bag attendant.

means are preferably employed for the bag holdbefore the latter can disengage itself by gravity from the bag spout. During the retraction of the carriage 15, the roller 41 operating in the camgroove 46 will tilt the cradle 32 from the substantially horizontal bag-supporting position shown in Fig. 4, to the approximately vertical position shown in Figure 5, such tilting movement taking place concurrently with the retraction of the cradle, so that the cradle is withdrawn.

from beneath the bag bottom and the bag is then free to drop on to the conveyor belt or support 16. When the packing apparatus is used in conjunction with a sewing machine for sewing the bag mouth, the conveyor belt I6 conducts the filled and packed bag to the sewing machine, while the bag rests in upright position on the belt, to thereby bring the bag mouth into position for the sewing and closing of its mouth, and avoiding the necessity of lifting or carrying the bag by the attendant.

By oscillating the bag on its central vertical axis, or substantially so, at a frequency of about four oscillations per second for about two seconds, the particles of material in the bag are quickly and veifectively settled compactly therein and freed of entrained air, so that the bag will receive its full charge of material and be filled out so that it will retain its shape, and the material will be packed below the bag mouth, leaving the latter free to be closed by sewing or other means,

Since the cradle yields downwardly as the weight of material filling the bag increases, it not only allows the bag to stretch or lengthen as it is being filled, but the cradle is held in contact with the bag bottom so that the oscillations of the cradle will be transmitted effectively through the bag to the material itself and yet undue pressure of the bag bottom on the cradle, which would cause a change in the shape of the bag bottom or might cause the cradle to dig into the bag sufllciently to distort the bag is avoided.

The tilting of the cradle from an approximately horizontal bag-receiving position to an approximately vertical position while the cradle is being retracted, enables the cradle to be withdrawn from beneath the filled and packed'bag without pulling the bag out of its vertical position, so that the bag will be free to drop in upright position upon the conveyor belt and the packer will be removed from its path so that it may be conducted by the belt .to the bag-closing sewing machine, or to any other desired point, without requiring lifting or carrying of the bag by the attendant. When a filled and packed bag is removed from beneath the filling spout by the conveyor belt, an empty bag may be placed on the spout tor filling and packing.

-The control means for the operating means for the bag holder and the packing mechanism co-ordlnates the operations thereof and facilitates the operation. of the apparatus by the Although pneumatically operated may be employed for weighing the charges of' material and delivering them to the filling spout for introduction into the bags, it is generally preferable to employ a weighing machine of the net weighing hopper type, as disclosed in Patent No. 1,044,353, granted November 12, 1912, which i capable of weighing the charges rapidly, the packing apparatus provided by the present invention being capable of operating substantially as rapidly as the charges are weighed and delivered by such a weighing machine, so that the bag filling and packing operations are performed at maximum speed.

I claim as my invention:

1. Packing means comprising means for supporting a bag in filling position, rails, a carriage mounted to travel on said rails and having a cradle rockably supported thereon for movement into a position beneath the bag supporting means, a cam in fixed relation to the rails, and means carried by the carriage and cooperative with the cam to rock the cradle into a position to receive the bottom of a bag on said bag supporting means by travel of the-carriage in one direction and to rock the cradle into a tilted position for withdrawal from the bottom of such bag by travel of the carriage in the other direction.

2. Packing means comprising means for supporting a bag in filling position, rails, a carriage mounted to travel on said rails and having a bag-receiving cradle thereon and movable thereby to and from a position to receive and support the bottom of a bag on said bag supporting means, said rails being relatively wide toward one end to permit tilting of the carriage while the cradle is in a position to support the bottom of the bag and being relatively narrow toward the other end to prevent such tilting while the cradle is removed from said position.

3. Packingmeans comprising means for suspending a bag in filling position, rails relatively I wide vertically toward one end and relatively narrow vertically toward the other end, a carriage having supporting rollers adapted to travel in said relatively wide portion of the rails, an extension on the carriage projecting therefrom at one side of the axis of said rollers and carrying a bag-receiving cradle movable by the carriage into a position to receive and support the bottom of a bag on said bag suspending means, and rollers on the carriage at the other side of the axis of the first-mentioned rollers and adapted to travel into the relatively wide portion of the rails when the carriage is moved in a direction to bring the cradle into bag-bottom supporting position to permit tiltin of the carriage and to travel in the relatively narrow portion of the rails to prevent such tilting when the carriage is moved in the opposite direction to withdraw the cradle from said position.

4. The combination of a filling spout, a bag holder for suspending a bag by its mouth in filling relation to the spout, means for operating the bag holder to hold and to release .the bag, packingmeans carrying a member adapted to engage the bottom of a bag suspended from the spout and operable to oscillate the bag about a substantially vertical axis, operating means for advancing the packin .means to bag-engaging position and for retracting it therefrom, and control means common to and controlling the operating means for the bag holder and packing means for simultaneously causing the bag holder ,to hold a bag and the, packing means to advance to bag-engaging position, and for simultaneously causing the bag holder to release a bag and the packing means to retract from bag-engaging position.

holder for holding the open end of a bag in filling relation to the spout, fluid pressure actuated means for operating the bag holder to clamp and release the bag, packing means having a member thereon engageable with a bag in filling relation ordinating the operations of the bag holder and packing means.

6. Packing apparatus comprising, in combination, a stationary filling spout to receive a bag mouth, mean for freely suspending the bag by its mouth in filling relation to the spout. a reciprocatory carriage havingmeans for supporting it to travel in a substantially horizontal path to and from filling'position beneath the spout, a cradle mounted on a'substantially vertical axis on the carriage and movable thereby into a position to receive the bottom of the bag suspended in filling relation to the spout, and means on the carriage for oscillating the cradle on its vertical axis to impart an oscillating movement to the bag about its vertical axis as a center.

7. Packingapparatus comprising in combination, a stationary filling spout to receive the open mouth of a bag, means for freely suspending the bag by its mouth on said spout in filling relation thereto, a carriage having means for supporting it for reciprocation in a substantially horizontal path and to tilt on a substantially horizontal axis, a cradle mounted to rotate on a substantially vertical axis on the carriage and movable thereby into position beneath the filling spout to receive thereon the bottom of the bag suspended on said spout in filling relation thereto, and means for oscillating the cradle about its vertical axis while located beneath said spout for oscillating on its vertical axis a bag restin thereon.

8. Packing apparatus comprising, in combination, a filling spout to receive the open mouth of a flexible bag, means for freely suspending the bag by its mouth in filling relation to the spout. a carriage having means for supporting it to reciprocate in a substantially'horizontal path and to pivot on a substantially horizontal axis which is transverse to its direction of reciprocation and thereby permit vertical movement of an end thereof, a cradle pivoted on said end of the carriage for oscillation on a substantially vertical axis and movable by the carriage into ,a position beneath the spout to receive the bottom of a bag suspended" thereon, and means on the carriage for oscillating the cradle about its vertical axis to thereby osciilate the bottom of the suspended bag. the cradle and the end of the carriage on which it is pivoted being movable vertically as the suspended bag is lengthened and shortened incident to the oscillation of the bottomthereof.

9. Packing apparatus comprising, in combina tion, a fillin spout to receive the open mouth of a bag, means for suspending the bag in filling relation to the spout, a carriage having means for supporting it for movement to carry an end thereof to and from a position beneath the spout, a cradle mounted on horizontal and vertical axes on the carriage and adapted to receive the bottom of the bag suspended from the spout, means controlled by said movements of the carriage for rocking the cradle on its horizontal axis into a position to receive the ag bottom and into another position for withdrawal from the bag bottom, and means for oscillating the cradle about its vertical axis to settle the material in the bag thereon.

10. Packing apparatus comprising, in combination, a filling spout to receive the open mouth of a bag, means for suspending the bag in filling relation to the spout, a carriage movable to and from a position beneath the spout, a cradle to receive the bag bottom thereon, said cradle being pivoted on the carriage on horizontal and vertical axes for rocking movement into a bag bottom receiving position and into another position for withdrawal from the bag bottom and for oscillation about its vertical axis, means for retracting the carriage to withdraw the cradle from beneath the spout and concurrently rocking the cradle on its horizontal axis into position for withdrawal from beneath the bag bottom, and means for oscillating the cradle on its vertical axis to settle the material in the bag.

11. Packing apparatus comprising, in combi-. nation, a filling spout to receive the open mouth of a bag, means for suspending the bag in filling relation to the spout, a carriage having means supporting it for movement substantially horizontally to carry an end thereof toand from a position beneath the spout, a cradle mounted on substantially horizontal and vertical axes on said end of the carriage to tilt on its horizontal axis into a position to receive the bag bottom thereon and into a position for withdrawal from beneath the bag bottom and for oscillation on its vertical axis, means for oscillating the cradle on its vertical axis to impart oscillation to the bag bottom about its vertical axis, means for retracting the carriage to remove the cradle from beneath the spout, and means operative during retraction of the carriage for tilting the cradle on its horizontal axis for withdrawal from beneath the bag bottom.

12. Packing means comprising a vertical filling spout having means for suspending a bag in filling position thereon, a carriage having means supporting it for reciprocation horizontally to and from filling position beneath the spout and for tilting on an axis transverse to its direction of reciprocation, a cradle mounted on the carriage and adapted in one position of the carriage to receive the bottom of the suspended bag thereon,

and counterbalancing means acting on the carriage to hold the cradle thereon in engagement with the bag bottom but permitting tilting of the carriage on said axis and descent of the cradle under the weight thereon of material in the bag.

18. Packing means comprising a vertical filling spout having means for suspending a bag in filling position thereon, a carriage, a track along which the carriage may be advanced horizontally toward the suspended bag on the filling spout and retracted therefrom, the carriage having pivots for tiltably supporting it on the track, a cradle pivoted on a vertical axis on one end or the carriage and movable to a position beneath the bottom of the suspended bag by the carriage when advanced, and means for oscillating the cradle on said axis to settle material in the bag, said means including an operating motor mounted on the carriage and counterbalancing it sufiiiciently to retain the cradle in engagement with the bag bottom during the oscillation thereof but to allow the cradle to descend under the weight thereon of material in the bag.

14. Packing means comprising a travelling conveyor, a vertical filling spout having means for suspending a bag thereon above the conveyor, rails extending transversely of the length of the conveyor, a carriage having a bag-receiving cradle thereon and movable thereby into a position above the conveyor and beneath the spout and bag suspending means, a pair of rollers arranged on the carriage between its ends to travel on said rails, said rollers supporting the carriage tiltably on the track, a rectilinearly reciprocable actuating member, and a yoke connecting said member to the carriage pivotally on an axis coincident with the axis of said rollers.

15. Packing means comprising a travelling conveyor, a vertical filling sD ut above the conveyor having means for suspending a bag in filling position, rails extending transversely of the direction of travel of the conveyor, a carriage having a bag-receiving cradle thereon and movable thereby into a position to support the bottom of a bag suspended by said bag suspending means, a pair of rollers arranged on the carriage between its ends to travel on said rails, said rollers supporting the carriage tiltably on the track, a cylinder having a fluid pressure actuated piston mounted to reciprocate therein, and a member connecting said piston to the carriage pivotally on an axis coincident with the axis of said rollers.

16. The combination of a filling spout, a bag holder for suspending a bag by its mouth in filling relation thereto, a carriage movable laterally relatively to the spout to and from operative position beneath the spout, a cradle pivoted on the carriage on a vertical axis and also on an axis transverse to the direction of movement of the carriage and engageable with the bottom of a bag suspended from the spout, means for oscillating the cradle on its vertical axis to pack material in the bag, means for tilting the cradle on its transverse axis for withdrawal from beneath the suspended bag as the carriage is moved from operative position, and a travelling conveyor beneath the spout and beneath the path of movement of the cradle to receive the bag thereon 4 when the cradle is withdrawn from beneath the suspended bag.

PHILIP B. RICHARDSON.

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