US2576471A - Bag handling machine having means for driving the bag downwardly and closing the mouth thereof - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 27, 1951 E. E. MESSMER ET AL 2,576,471

BAG HANDLING MACHINE, HAVING MEANS FOR DRIVING THE BAG DOWNWARDLY AND CLOSING THE MOUTH THEREOF 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 13, 1946 Illn- WI um llltlllrll T!- INVENTORS Bow/1v E. MfSSM/FE JOHN D. 5n 1/55/12 BY TORNEY Nov. 27, 1951 E. E. MESSMER ET AL 2,576,471

BAG HANDLING MACHINE, HAVING MEANS FOR DRIVING THE BAG DOWNWARDLY AND CLOSING THE MOUTH THEREOF Filed April 13, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 48 A 44 4e .Q

- INVENTORS [OW/N E. MESS/WEE 18 JOHN D. SYL vA-"sTER ATTORNEY E. E. MESSMER ETAL 2,576,471

BAG HANDLING MACHINE; HAVING MEANS FOR DRIVING THE BAG DOWNWARDLY .AND cmsme THE MOUTH THEREOF Filed April 13, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 L rl Ai :ORNE? F, Nov. 2'7, 39:2 E. E. MESSMER ET AL 2,576,471

BAG HANDLING MACHINE, HAVING MEANS FOR DRIVING THE BAG DOWNWARDLY AND CLOSING THE,MOUTH THEREOF Filed April 13, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS EDW/ V E. MESS WEB JOHN D. SYL VES EE A; EORNEY Nov. 27, 1951 E. E. MEssMER ET AL 2,576,471

BAG HANDLING MACHINE, HAVING MEANS FOR DRIVING THE BAG DOWNWARDLY AND CLOSING THE MOUTH THEREOF Filed April 13, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 will NIH INVENTO R5 a, EDW/N E. MESS/WEE 81 7 Jq q w 0.5m V55 T513 1 Z16 U t;

A ORNEY Patented Nov. 27, 1951 BAG HANDLING MACHINE HAVING MEANS FOR DRIVING THE BAG DOWNWARDLY AND CLOSING THE MOUTH THEREOF Edwin E. Messmer, Flushing, and John D. Sylvester, Garden City, N. Y., assignors to Amsco Packaging Machinery Inc., Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 13, 1946, Serial No. 662,050

16 Claims. (Cl. 22656) This invention relates to bag-handling machines.

In plants wherein bags are transferred manually from a filling machine to a sealing machine it heretofore has been customary for an operator, in addition to merely transferring the bags, to align the bags with regard to the sealing machine and to bring together the walls of the bag adjacent the mouth thereof in order to facilitate sealing. These walls are spread apart during filling and are maintained in such spread condition by the contents of the bag. If said walls are not brought together, sealing will not be uniform.

It also is desirable for the operator to shape the bags, inasmuch as bags usually are distorted during filling, the contents causing the walls to bulge. In addition, an operator often is required to expel most of the air from the bag above the contents so that the bag after sealing may be packed into as small a space as possible.

The performance of these four steps (aligning,

closing, shaping, and air-expulsion) over and above the simple act of transferal appreciably lessens the amount of work that an operator can do. Furthermore, an operator working at a relatively high speed cannot properly perform certain of these steps. For instance, it is diificult for an operator to straighten a bulged bag uniformly or quickly. It is also diflicult for an operator working rapidly to expel most of the air from a bag above its contents.

Pursuant to the present invention we provide a machine which overcomes the foregoing diificulties and which, during transferal of a bag from a filling machine to a sealing machine, will align the bag with the sealing machine, will bring the walls of the bag mouth close to each other in correct position for sealing, will shape the bag properly and will expel most of the air above the contents of the bag.

We also contemplate providing a machine of the character described which comprises relatively few and simple parts and is comparatively inexpensive to make and easy to use.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown various possible embodiments of our invention,

Fig. l is a front view of a bag-handling machine constructed pursuant to our invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are top and end views, respectively, of said machine;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view through the machine taken substantially along the line 4-4 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view through the machine, taken substantially along the line 5-5 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 8-6 in Fi 5;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 of a machine embodying a modified form of our invention; and

Fig. 8 is a top view of said modified machine.

In essence, the invention is carried out by providing means to guide a bag downwardly along a predetermined path of travel having a substantial vertical component so that it will be the bottom of the bag which first engages any of the operative elements of the machine and the top of the bag which leaves said elements, thereby avoiding the distortion which heretofore has occurred when flexible bags engaged such elements edge first. We also provide an element alongside the path of travel of the bag, this element being so mounted and arranged that it can move into said path of travel. Said element thus will bear against at least one side of the bag. This will (a) shape the bag by forcing in any bulges, (b) accurately control the location of the bag at the end of its downward descent so that the bag will occupy a predetermined aligned position with regard to the sealing machine, (0) force one wall of the open top mouth of the bag toward the other wall as it passes said element so as to bring said walls together in preparation for sealing, and (d) cause the bag to hug its contents and thus force the air out from between the walls and the contents of the bag, thereby expelling the air from the open top mouth of the bag.

The foregoing multiple action of an element disposed as just described is enhanced substantially by providing means, e. g., a spring or gravity, to urge the element into the path of travel of the bag. This will have the effect of increasing the bearing pressure of the element so that the bag will be better shaped and more air will be expelled. In addition, by bearing more heavily upon the bag, the walls of the mouth thereof will be brought closer together when the bag is filled with certain types of materials.

In general, it is highly desirable for bag-han- 3 dling machinery to operate speedily, i. e., to perform quickly whatever operations are necessary and then to eject the bag rapidly therefrom. In the present machine, the aforementioned bearing element, particularly" if it is provided with means for urging the same into the pathof travel of a bag, will satisfactorily perform its multifarious functions. However, there will be a tendency for bags to travel slowly throughthe machine and for the shaping, aligning, mouth-closing and airexpelling operations to be performed at a rather slow tempo. Hence it is further desirable to so construct said element and the machine that the handling of the bags will be speeded up, and to this end the element may be arranged to impart a downward movement to the bag. By way of example this may be effected either by causing said element to move downwardly while bearing against the bag or to rotate so that the portion of the element which bears against the bag experiences a linearly downward movement.

Finally, it should be mentioned that passage of the bag through the machine may be aided by additional bag-moving means such as rollers which also bear against the bag and hasten its descent.

The foregoing basic elements of our invention,

as well as ancillary features, some of which have and some of which have notalready been mentioned, willnow be shown and described in depivotally mounted at one side of the motor base 24 on a shaft 26. Thehther side of the motor base is adjustably supported by a threaded eye bolt 23 rotatably secured to a shaft 30.

The motor turns a sheave 3| on the input shaft 32 of a speed reduction box 34 through a belt 36 which is engaged by a Reeves drive 38on the motor shaft. This drive is of a conventional type, essentially consisting of two flanges, one fixed to the motor shaft and one slidable along said shaft but urged toward the fixed flange by a heavy spring. Such arrangement is employed in order to vary the speed at which the machine is operated by changing the height of the motor.

The speed reduction box 34. is bolted on bars 40 pinned to the angle irons I l-20. The output shaft 42 of said box has two sprockets 44, 46 (Fig. 4) fixed thereon. The sprocket 46 drives a chain 48 which engages a sprocket 50 secured to a shaft 52 on which the driving pulley 54 for a conveyor belt 56 is mounted. Said belt runs horizontally, traveling over an idler pulley 58 remote from the frame l2. The conveyor belt serves to horizontally convey bags B handled in the machine I!) to a sealing machine S of any conventional type, such, for example, as that shown in co-pending application Serial Number 513,819, for Machines for Sealing Bags, filed December 11, 1943, now United States Letters Patent No. 2,410,834, dated November 12, 1946, and which is owned by the same assignee as that of the instant application, it being understood that the sealing machine S indicated by the dotted lines need not include air removing means such as shown, described andclaimed in said co-pending application.

The shaft 60 on which pulley 58 is mounted is journaled in brackets 62 fixed to a horizontal plate 64 having a pair of spaced parallel slots 65 through which the conveyor belt passes in order that the upper, reach thereof may rest upon the top surface of said plate, as seen in Fig. 6. Said plate also carries brackets (not shown) in which the shaft 52 of the driving pulley 54 is journaled. Thus, to vary the height of the conveyor belt, it is merely necessary to adjust the level of the plate 64. This we accomplish by bolting a side flange 6B of the plate 64 to a fixture 68 having a vertical sleeve it freely received on a post 12 fixed to: the angle irons i4, I8 by tie rods 14 at its upper and lower ends. Set screws it look the sleeve 10' in position upon the post and thereby fix the elevation of the conveyor belt.

It will be appreciated that varying the height of said belt varies the spacing between the sprockets 46, 50. Accordingly, the chain 48 interconnecting said sprockets is made sufficiently long to span the distance between the sprockets when they are spaced farthest apart. The slack in the chain at other times is taken up by an idler sprocket 75 (Fig. 6) journaled on the free end. of a swinging arm TI pivotally carried by a pin 18 extending from a side flange 66 of the conveyor plate 54. The arm 11 is fixed in any desired position by a nut and. bolt 80. passing through an aperture in an extension 82 integrally secured to the arm 11 and also passing through an arcuate slot 84 in an car 36- depending; from the side flanges 66 to which the pin is aifixed.

It may be mentioned that when adjusting the height of theconveyor belt the bolt 86 firstshould be loosened, the height of the conveyor then set, the slack in the chain next taken up and finally the bolt 86 retightened.

The other sprocket 44 onthe output shaft 42 of the speed reduction box serves as the source of power for the bag-handling elements of the machine. These elements are best shown in Fig. 5'where they will be seen to include a pair of horizontal coplanar rollers 88, 90 mounted on the proximal ends of swinging levers 92 which are fulcrumed on pins 54 carried between pairs of vertical rods as. Said rollers are urged toward each other by counter-weights 98 suspended from the opposite ends of the levers 92.

Suitable means preferably is employed to pre'-' vent the rollers from coming into contact with each other. Such means comprises a stop lug I 08' associated with each lever and consisting of a flange protruding from the lower end of a strip I02 adjustably held to the rod 95 by a bolt 104. The rods 96' also serve as an auxiliary frame for supporting plates 905- which define two opposed walls of a vertical chute Cor guide into which bags B are adapted to be inserted as shown in the dot and'dash lines of Figs; 1 and-3'.

It will now be seen that when a bag is dropped in said chute; it will encounter the two closely spaced rollers 88, 9B and spread themapart against the force of the counterweights 98. As the sides of the baggradually descend between the rollers, said rollers will push in bulges formed in the bag during filling, thus straightening out or shaping the wide front and back surfaces of the bag.

When the bag has descended so far that the rollers reach the top of the bagcontents, the rollers will be urged toward each other by the counterweights, thereby displacing most of the air above the material in the bag. This movement of the rollers toward each other also will bring together the walls of the bag adjacent the open mouth thereof, thus disposing said walls in proper position preparatory to sealing.

It may be mentioned that the construction of bags conventionally is such that when the walls near the mouth thereof are brought close to each other, the bag will tend to remain substantially closed and it therefore is not necessary to have the rollers 88 contact each other through the walls of the bag adjacent the mouth.

Said rollers 88, 90 are disposed close enough to the conveyor to enable the bottom of the bag to rest upon the conveyor while the rollers still engage the bag near the mouth thus making certain that the walls of the bag around the mouth do not spring open when the bottom of the bag strikes the conveyor belt 56. It is principally for this reason that the conveyor belt is adjustable in height. The minimum spacing of the rollers just described also enables the conveyor belt to move bags horizontally away from between said rollers and deliver them to the sealing machine. It will be observed that the rollers frictionally engage the bag during most of its descent.

The operation of the machine is considerably speeded up if the rollers 88, 90 are driven in a proper direction to force the bags downwardly and accordingly we provide means for turning said rollers. Such means will be described in detail shortly in conjunction with other driving means which are actuated by the sprocket 44.

When certain types of bags, notably square bottomed bags such as shown in Figs. 1-6, are handled in the machine I0, it is sometimes difficult for the bags to initially spread the rollers 88, 90 apart against the action of the counterweights 98. This of course can be remedied by reducing the weight of said counterweights. However, such solution lessens the pressure of the rollers 88, 90 upon the front and back walls of the bag, and this may not be desirable. Therefore we may include means for forcing bags downwardly between the rollers 88, 90.

Such means, as illustrated herein, includes a second pair of horizontal coplanar rollers I06, I08, displaced above the rollers 88, 90 and each mounted on a shaft I I carried by a pair of the rods 96. These rollers I06, I08 are spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the depth (front-to-back) of the bottom of the bag which is the depth the bags should have after pass- The sprocket 44 engages a chain II2 (Fig. 4)

which is trained over a sprocket II4 fixed to a shaft II6 journaled between the frame angle irons I8, 20. The shaft I I6 has a pair of bevelled ring gears I I8 fixed on the opposite ends thereof. Said gears mesh with bevel gears I20, I22 secured to shafts I24, I26 respectively. The shaft I24 is journaled between the angle irons I6, 20 at one side of the machine and the shaft I26 is journaled between angle irons I4, I8 at the other side of the machine. The drives from the shafts I24, I26 to the rollers 88, I06, and 90, I08 respectively are identical, so that only onesuch drive will now be described in detail.

The shaft I26 carries a sheave I28 which drives a belt I30 (Figs. 4 and 5). sheave I32 adjustably mounted in the angleiron I4 in order to take up slack in the belt. Another.

pulley I34 is mounted to rotate with the pulley I32. This latter pulley I34 engages a resilient belt I36, such, for example, as a spring wire helix, which travels around a sheave I38 secured to the shaft H0 and a second sheave I40 on roller I09.

Another sheave I42 on the roller I01 drives a belt- I44 trained about a sheave I46 fixed to the roller 90.

It will now be apparent that when the sprocket 44 turns, it will rotate the rollers 90, I 08, and I09 on one side of the machine, and the rollers 88, I06, and I01 on the opposite side of the machine, the drives for rollers 88, 90 being independent of the angular position of the levers 92.

If desired, the frictional engagement between any roller or pair of rollers 88, 90, I06, I01, I08, I09, and a bag may be increased by providing rings I48 of rubber or other friction material. Alternatively, the entire surface of the roller or even the body of the roller can be made of a similar material.

It may be mentioned that by changing the.

speeds at which the rollers are turned bags may be driven down fast enough to subject the contents thereof to a, shock when the bags strike the conveyor belt, thereby settling the contents of the bag if desired. As thus far described, it has been assumed that the chute C is of fixed depth (front-to-back) with the vertical rods 96 fixedly mounted on the frame I2. However, it is desirable to have the chute adjustable in depth so that it may accommodate bags over a wide range of sizes. mounting said rods 98 we provide means for mounting said rods in such manner thatthey may be moved toward and away from the center of the machine. Such means is best shown in Fig. 5, where it will be seen to consist of eight horizontal shafts I50, four on each side of the machine and two attached to each rod 96 at vertically spaced points. These shafts are slidably received in sleeves I52 secured to the angle irons by nuts I54. Set screws I56 hold the shafts in any desired position in said sleeves. It will be appreciated that by axially shifting the shafts the depth of the chute can be varied without changing the position of rollers I06, I08 with respect to the chute. The location of the rollers 88, 90 can be adjusted relative to the chute by altering the disposition of the stops I00. It will be observed that moving the rods 96 away from each other changes the length of the spring belts I36. However, since the same are resilient they will automatically adjust themselves.

The foregoing arrangement permits the machine to handle bags of different depths. We also provide an adjustment to allow handling of bags of different widths (side-to-side). This adjustment comprises a pair of horizontally shiftable vertical plates I58 located between the plates I05. The plates I58 are carried by four vertical rods I60 which, like the rods '96, are

Said belt turns a Accordingly, instead of fixedly answer Itispointedi out that the breadth of. the plates I58 limits the minimum depth to which the chute canv be adjusted, that is,. the plates I can be moved no closer to each other than the breadth of the plates. I58. As illustrated, saidplate I58 is' rather wide andzthe machine It therefore is par-.

ticularly adapted to be used with deep bags (the so-c'alled square bottom? bags) such as are employed, for example, to package coffee. be understood that narrower plates can beu'sed for shallower bags.

Quite commonly square-bottom bags have gus sets in their sides and it is highly desirable: in such cases for the machine to collapse the gus sets during handling so asto aid in the proper shaping of the bags and facilitate bringing together' the walls of the bags adjacent the mouths thereof. For this purpose, we may provide a gusset-collapsing means which is best seen in Fig. 6. Said means includes two levers I'M, II'B', one lever being disposed on each side of thebag Each lever is pivoted on a shaft I18 extending between the two vertical rods 69 on a side of the machine and a tension sprin I88- urges the lower end of the lever into the chute; One end of said spring is connected to the upper end of the lever, and the other end of: the springto a spindle I82, which is slidably received in the upper cross-bar III], being fixed by a set screw I84. Said levers I14, I16 are located in the vertical center. lines of the plates I58. In operation the plates I05 are adjusted to lie equidistantly from-said levers, so that the levers will always be located. at the centers of the sidesof a bag where the gusset fo1dsare disposed. This enables the levers to press against the gusset folds and col lapse the. gussets once the lever has passed over the top of the contents of a bag.

It will be observed that when the bags are dropped on the belt 56 they occupy a definite position determined. by the placement of the chute C relative to said belt. I he bag-handling machine I!) is so arranged with regard to the sealing machine S that'bags moved by said belt will be fed accurately between the tworeceiving belts ofthe' sealing machine which will. take over conveyance of the bags before said bags have left the belt 56.

Unless the receiving belts of the sealing machine are brought very close to the delivery point of bags onto the belt 55, there will be a short space where the bags. are out of control of the-- rollers 88, 9G and have not yet reached said receiving conveying belts. Although it is unlikely that: the bags will be disturbed during travel through. this-spaceit is desirable to incorporate means to make certain that the bags stay aligned therethroughand, accordingly, we have included in: the machine side guides for the bags as they leave the rollers 88, so and are conveyed by the belt 56.. Said guides may be seen in Fig. 1. They consist of a pair of horizontal bars I85 supported from" theplate 64, one at the front and one at the back of bags moved by the conveyor'belt.-

It' also may be desirable to keep the walls of the mouths of the bags closed after the bags have left the rollers 88, 99', although, as already pointedout, a bag once closed by the rollers in thefashion above described will tendto remain closed. Said means for keeping the walls of the bagmouths closed comprises two spaced guide plates I88, aligned with the inner operative surface of the rollers 88, 90 so that said guide plates will assume control of the walls of the bag mouth as soon as said wallsleave' the rollers88, 9U;

It will the second unit II. p

herein, comprises" a finger 298 (Fig. 5) pivotally" 8 satisfactorily in carrying out our invention and will greatly speed up the work of a transferring operator. However even with the use of such a machine an operator may be unable to keep up v with a high-speed sealing machine which some- -aligning unit such as the unit I- just described,

the term unit being employed herein to denote that part of the machine It above the conveyor belt 56. One such additional unit II is illustrated in Fig. 1;, this unit being disposed between the unit: I and the'sealing machine S. Said unit II isan exact duplicate of the unit I. However, this unit II,- rather than being driven by an independent motor, is actuated by thesame motor M as that which drives-the unit I and the conveyor belt.

For this purpose the output shaft 42 of the speed reduction box 34 has a third sprocket I86 which engages a chain- I 92 furnishing the source of power for the second unit II. The chain I92 is trained about a sprocket I94 in the unitII carryin bevel gear rings [96 similar to the bevel gear rings I I8 of the unit I. The unit II is bolted to the plate 64 in such manner as to permit vertical adjust ment of said plate, and said uni-t II is supported by legs I9}? constituting extensions of its frame angle irons. When two or more units are em ployed, the side guides I86 and guide plates I88 run from'one to another unit and preferably extend from the rollers 89', 90 of one unit up to the corresponding rollers of the following unit so as to retain control over previously handled bags.

If care is not excited by the operators transfer ring bags from the filling machines to the units I, II', ashapedand aligned bag delivered to the con vey'ofbelt 56 by the unit I may collide with a bag descending" through the chute of the unit II. We prevent the happening of such an occurrence by providingme'ans to halt the passage of one of two bags which would meet beneath the chute C of Such means, as illustrated mounted in the chute, as for example on the plate I05, said fi'ngerpreferably extending in a gen-- orally vertical direction. The lower end of the fingerproiects into the chute and is biased to such position by helical spring 202 at the finger pivot. The lever 209 fa backed up by the actu ating element of a normally open electric momentary' snap switch 20I which latter is seriesconnected in a circuit including a source of energ-y' 204 and a pair of solenoids 206. One solenoid is disposed at one side ofthe belt conveyor 56 slightly before the rollers 88', 90 of the unit II and: the other'solenoid on the other side of said conveyor opposed to the first mentioned solenoid. These solenoids, whenengaged, each actuate a resilient thin strip 208, moving said strips to positions in: which theyare spaced apart slightly less than the depth of a bag. By virtue of their positions, said strips,- when moved toward each other will engage a bag" before it enters between the rollers 88; 90 of the unit II. In this fashion a bag in the eh-u'te of the unit I I willprevent another bag which istraveling along the conveyor belt from colliding with it after it has passed through the chute. The bag on the conveyor belt is detained just long enough for the bag being discharged through the'chute to reach the'belt. Thereupon springs 209; urge the strips 268 apart and 'allow the detained bag to' resume its travel, whereupon The machine as thus far described will operate its closed mouth will pass between the spread-01k However, we have found that a machine which carried out our invention may comprise fewer parts for handling a fiat bag than for handling other types of bags, the term flat bag for the purpose of this invention denoting bags of relatively slight depth when filled and having a ridged.

bottom. Therefore, in Figs. 7 and 8 we have illustrated a machine 2H] specially constructed to operate upon flat bags. This machine differs in several respects from the machine I8, but essentially the difference between said machines lies in the provision of an inclined rather than an absolutely vertical chute and in the absence of means to force bags between the spaced elements which urge the walls of the bag together at and over the bag contents so as to shape the bag and close the mouth thereof. These differences mainly are due to the fact that a flat bag even when filled is thinner than other types of bags and thus may be inclined without spilling its contents, and to the fact that a fiat bag has a ridged bottom which enables the bag to enter between the spaced operating elements. The machine 2I8 also differs from the machine I8 in other respects which will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Said machine 2 I 8 straddles a conveyor belt 2I2 supported in the usual manner by a pair of horizontally spaced pulleys 2 I4, one of which is driven by an electric motor 2I6 or other suitable means, e. g., from a line shaft. The machine includes a frame consisting of four angle irons 2 I8, 220, 222, 224 held together in rectangular arrangement by tie rods such as the tie rod 226. These angle irons are slidably mounted on four similarly disposed angle irons 228 in order to permit vertical adjustment of the frame so as to enable the height of the operative elements of the machine to be varied relative to the horizontally fixed conveyor belt 2I2.

An inclined chute C is mounted on the angle irons 2I8, 224. Said chute includes an inclined base plate 238 with a pair of transversely adjustable side guides 232. The base plate has bottom flanges 234 secured to the ends of four horizontal shafts 236 which are slidably received in sleeves 238 in the angle irons 2I8, 224. Said chute is fixed in any given position by set screws 240. The bottom flanges 234 have journaled between them a roller 242 which is disposed immediately below the lower end of the chute as seen in Fig. 7.

The other pair of irons 228, 222 each carry a pair of vertically spaced sleeves 244 in which horizontal shafts 246 are slidably received. Said shafts are fixed at their outer ends to vertical rods 248. A roller 25!] is journaled between the lower ends of said rods, said roller being in the same horizontal plane as the roller 242. It will be apparent that by suitably manipulating the rods 236, 246, the rollers 242, 258 may be spaced apart any desired distance. Set screws 252 fix the shafts 246 in adjusted position.

A third roller 254 is also provided. This roller is journaled between a pair of arms 256 swingably mounted to revolve about the center of rotation .of' the roller 258 at the opposite ends thereof. The

arms. 256 have rearward extensions 258 to Which there are attached tension springs 260 anchored on pins 262 at the upper ends of the rods 248. By virtue of this construction the arms 256 are urged in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 7, to bias the roller 254 in the direction generally toward the roller 242. Movement of roller 254 in such direction is limited by abutment of the extensions 258 against the lower end of screws 264 threaded in tapped ears 266 integral with the rods 248. Said screws are formed with wing fingers 268 for ease of manipulation. By turning the screws 264 the idle position of the roller 254 may be varied.

Any suitable means may be employed to turn the rollers 242, 258, 254 in the proper direction to drive a bag downwardly through the machine. For example, the conveyor motor 2 I 6 may be employed to actuate said rollers by means of a suitable driving train such as shown in the first described form of our invention. Alternatively said rollers may be turned by a separate motor so as to render their actuation independent of the conveyor drive. This latter system is shown herein. The power for the rollers is furnished by a motor 218 which turns the several rollers through a resilient belt 212. Said belt passes in turn around a sheave 214 on the motor draft, an idling sheave 216, a sheave 218 mounted on the shaft of the roller 242, an idling sheave 288, a sheave 282 mounted on the shaft of the roller 250 and idling sheaves 284, 286. Another belt 288 turns the roller 254 from the roller 250.

A vertical deflecting plate 290 is disposed be neath the roller 250 in order to straighten out bags being fed through the machine and to make sure that the bags are bent over the roller 242 for a purpose which will soon beapparent. The bags are maintained in aligned position after leaving the rollers 242, 250 by side guide plates 292, 294, which are mounted on a frame 296 in such manner as to permit adjustment trans versely of the path of travel of the bags on the conveyor belt 212.

To set the machine up for operation the rollers 242, 258 are placed apart a distance approximately equal to the depth the bags are desired to have after handling. This is done by adjusting the rods 236, 246. Then the screw 264 is manipulated to set the roller 254 to an idle position such that at least a portion of said roller extends over the midpoint between the rollers 242, 250.

In operation the ridged bottom of a flat bag placed on the chute C will enter freely between the rollers 242, 254 and then be driven downwardly thereby through the machine. When the bottom of the bag strikes the deflecting plate the bag will be bent about the roller 242, the upper surface of the bag at such time resting against the roller 250, whereby to shape the bag to a predetermined depth. As the bag starts to straighten out and assume a vertical position the roller 254 will lean against the mouth of the bag, as shown in Fig. '7, forcing one wall of the mouth to lie against the other. Inasmuch as the several rollers are spaced from one another, the bag as it is discharged onto the conveyor belt 2| 2 will be free to be moved by said belt away from the shaping and mouth closing rollers and either through another similar unit or to a sealing machine.

With certain types of bag contents, e. g., pop corn, the pressure, with which the swinging rollers (of either described form of our invention) should be urged against bags cannot be applied as it would force the contents out of the bags.

Accordingly we may also provide means, for instance solenoids, to retract said rollers and render them ineffective when the filled portion of the bags are passing and to allow said rollers to be= come operative when the mouths of the bags reach the rollers. Optionally, the solenoids may force the rollers to operative position. The solenoids are controlled by switches which are operated by elements so disposed in the path of travel of the bag that solenoids are energized when the body of the bag is passing the swinging rollers and de-nergized at .all other times.

It will thus be seen that we have provided baghandling machines which accomplish the several objects of our invention and are well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention and as various possible changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth it, is to be understood that all matter herein described or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A machine for handling bags having front and back faces, said machine comprising means to guide bags bottom first downwardly along a predetermined line of travel having a substantial vertical component, a wide element disposed alongside the path of travel of the bags, means to mount said element for movement. from a position in which it lies in the path of travel of one of said bag faces to a position in which it is clear of the path of travel of the bag, means to urge said element to its first-named position whereby said element bears against said bag faces as the bags move downwardly through the machine, an element disposed to engage the opposite face of a bag, rotary elements on opposite sides of said guide means and disposed to engage a substantial vertical component, a roller disposed with its axis of revolution perpendicular to the direction of travel and parallel to the path of travel of a ba face, means to mount said roller alongside of said path of travel for movement from a position in which it lies in said path .of travelto a position in which it is clear of said path of travel, means to urge said roller to its first-named position, an element disposed to enage the opposite 'face of a bag, rotary elements onopposite sides of said guide means and disposed to engage the opposite faces of bags passing through said guide means, and means to turn said rotary elements in a direction to drive said bags downwardly through the machine past said roller,

3. A machine for handling bags, said machine comprising means to guide bags bottom first downwardly along a predetermined line of travel having a substantial vertical component, a pair of horizontal driven rollers lying on opposite sides of said path of travel and adapted to simultaneously bear against opposite "faces of the bags to feed the bags downwardly through the machine, 'atleast one additional horizontal rollerdispose'd alongside the path of travel of the bag, means to mount said last-named roller for movement from a position in which it projects into the path of travel of the bag to a position in which it is clear of said path of travel, means to urge .said additional roller to its first-named position, whereby it will bear against the faces of the bags as they are fed downwardly through the machine and an element disposed to engage the opposite face of a bag.

4. A machine for handling bags, said machine comprising means to guide bags bottom first downwardly along a predetermined line of travel having a substantial vertical component, a pair of horizontal driven rollers lying on opposite sides of said path of travel and adapted to simultaneously bear against opposite faces of the ba s to feed the bags downwardly through the machine, at least one additional horizontal roller disposed alongside the path of travel of the bag, means to mount said last-named roller for movement from a position in which it projects into the path of travel of the bag to a position in which it is clear of said path of travel, means to urge said additional roller to its'first-named position, whereby it will bear against the faces of the bags as they are fed downwardly through the machine, said additional roller being spaced vertically from said pair of rollers and an element disposed to engage the opposite face of a bag.

5. A machine for handling bags, said machine comprising means to guide bags bottom first downwardly along a predetermined line of travel having a substantial vertical component, a pair of horizontal driven rollers lying on opposite sides of, said path of travel and adapted to simultaneously bear against opposite faces of the bags to feed the bags downwardly through the machine, at least one additional horizontal roller disposed alongside the path of travel of the bag, means to mount said last-named roller for movement from a position in which it projects into the path of travel of the bag to a position in which it is clear of said path of travel, means to urge said additional roller to its first-named position, whereby it will bear against the faces of the bags as they are fed downwardly through the machine, said additional roller being disposed 'below said pair of rollers and an element disposed to engage the opposite face of abag.

6. A'machine for handling bags, said .machine comprising means to guide bags bottom first downwardly along a predetermined line of travel having a substantial vertical component, a pair of horizontal .driven rollers'lying on oppositesides of said path of travel and adapted to simultaneously bear against opposite faces of the bags to feed the bags downwardly through the machine, at least one additional horizontal roller disposed alongside the path of travel of the bag, means to mount said last-named roller for movement from a position in which it projects into the path of travel of the bag to a position in which it is clear of.said path of travel, means to urge said additional roller to its first 'named position, whereby it will bear against the -faces of the bags as they are fed downwardly through the machine, said additional roller being disposed below said rollers and an element disposed to engage the opposite face of a bag.

7. A machine for handling bags, :said machine comprising means to guide bags bottom first downwardly along a predetermined line of travel having a substantial vertical component, a'pair of horizontal driven rollers lying on opposite sides of said path of travel and adapted to simultaneously bear against opposite faces of the bags to .feed the bags downwardly through the machine,

at least one additional horizontal roller dlsposed alongside the path of travel of the bag, means to mount said last-named roller for movement from a position in which it projects into the path of travel of the bag to a position in which it is clear of said path of travel, means to urge said additional roller to its first-named position, whereby it will bear against the faces of the bags as they are fed downwardly through the machine, means to vary the spacing between said pair of rollers and an element disposed to engage the opposite face of a bag.

8. A machine for handling bags, said machine comprising means to guide bags bottom first downwardly along a predetermined line of travel having a substantial vertical component, a pair of horizontal driven rollers lying on opposite sides of said path of travel and adapted to simultane- 7 ously bear against opposite faces of the bags to feed the bags downwardly through the machine, at least one additional horizontal roller disposed alongside the path of travel of the bag, means to mount said last-named roller for movement whereby it will bear against the faces of the bags as they are fed downwardly through the machine, means to vary the amount which the additional roller projects into the path of travel of the bag in its first-named position and an element disposed to engage the opposite face of a bag.

9. A machine for handling bags having front and back faces, said machine comprising means to guide bags bottom first downwardly alone a predetermined line of travel having a substantial vertical component, a wide element disposed alongside the path of travel of the bags, means to mount said element for movement from a position in which it lies in the path of travel of one of said bag faces to a position in which it is clear of the path of travel of the bags, means to urge said element to its first-named position whereby said element bears against said bag faces as the bags move downwardly through the machine, an element disposed to engage the opposite face of a bag, rotary members on opposite sides of said guide means and disposed to engage bags passin through said guide means. means to turn said rotary members so as to drive the bags downwardly through the machine, and means to move the bags away from the machine when the mouth of the bag has reached said first-named element, said last-named means being so arranged with respect to said first-named element that said means will arrest the downward descent of the bag while said first-named element bears against said bag near its mouth.

10. A machine for handling bags having front and back faces, said machine comprising means to guide bags bottom first downwardly along a predetermined line of travel having a substantial vertical component, a wide. element disposed alongside the path of travel of the bags, means to mount said element for movement from a position in which it lies in the path of travel of one of said bag faces to a position in which it is clear of the path of travel of the bags, means to urge said element to its first-named position whereby said element bears against said bag faces as the bags move downwardly through the machine, an element disposed to engage the opposite face of a bag, rotary members on opposite sides of said guide means and disposed to engage bags passing through said guide means, means to turn said rotary members so as to drive the bags downwardly through the machine, means to move the bags away from the machine when the mouth of the bag has reached said first-named element, said last-named means being so arranged with respect to said first-named element that said means will arrest the downward descent of the bag while said first-namedelement bears against said bag near its mouth, and means to adjust the relative position of said first-named element and said bag-moving means.

11. A machine for handling bags having front and back faces, said machine comprising means to guide bags bottom first downwardly along a predetermined line of travel having a substan tial vertical component, a wide element disposed alongside the path of travel of the bags, means to mount said element for movement from a position in which it lies in the path of travel of one of said bag faces to a position in which it is clear of the path of travel of the bags, means to urge said element to its first-named position whereby said element bears against said bag faces as the bags move downwardly through the machine, an element disposed to engage the opposite face of a bag, rotary members on opposite sides of said guide means and disposed to engage bags passing through said guide means, means to turn said rotary members so as to drive the bags downwardly through the machine, means to move said bags away from the machine, said bagmoving means being disposed to arrest the downward descent of bags as said first-named element bears against the bags adjacent the mouth thereof, and a single means to actuate said rotary member-turning means and said bag-moving means.

12. A machine for handling-bags having front and back faces, said machine comprising means to guide bags bottom first downwardly along a predetermined line of travel having a substantial vertical component, a wide element disposed alongside the path of travel of the bags, means to mount said element for movement from a position in which it lies in the path of travel of one of said bag faces to a position in which it is clear of the path of travel of the bags, means to urge said element to its first-named position whereby said element bears against said bag faces as the bags move downwardly through the machine, an element disposed to engage the opposite face of a bag, rotary members on opposite sides of said guide means and disposed to engage bags passing through said guide means, means to turn said rotary members so as to drive the bags downwardly through the machine, means to move said bags away from the machine, said bagmoving means being disposed to arrest the downward descent of bags as said first-named element bears against the bags adjacent the mouth thereof, means to actuate said rotary member-turning means, and separate means to actuate said bagthird roller toward said :first roller, and means @to turn all of said rollers in a direction to drive :bags downwardly through the machine.

14. A bag-handling machine comprising a vertical chute, a pair of horizontal rollers disposed .on Opposite sides of said chute, said rollers having their axes of rotation lying approximately in the same horizontal plane, asecond pair of horizontal rollers disposed on opposite sides of said chute, said second pair of horizontal rollers having their axes of rotation lying in-approximately :the same horizontal plane and below the plane in which the axes of the first pair of horizontal ing their axes of rotation lying in approximately the same horizontal plane and below the plane in which the axes of the first pair of horizontal rollers are disposed, means to urge said second pair of horizontal rollers into .said chute and toward each other, stop means to prevent said :second pair of rollers fromcontacting each other, :and means :to turn all of said rollersin a direction to drive bags downwardly through the machine.

16. A bag-handling machine comprising a vertical chute, :a pair of horizontal rollers disposed on opposite sides of said chute, said .rollers'having ".16 their axes of .rotation lying approximately ,in the same horizontal plane, a second pair of horizontal rollers disposed on opposite sides of said chute, said second named pair of rollers having their axes of rotation lying in a horizontal plane below said first named plane and in vertical alignment with theaxes of rotation of said first named ,pair of rollers, a third Pair of horizontal rollers, means to urge said third pairof rollers into said chute and toward each other, and means to turn all of said rollers in a direction to drive bags downwardly through the machine.

EDWIN E. MESSMER.

,JOHN D. SYLVESTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 122,651 Great Britain Apr. 3, 1919

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