US2899786A

US2899786A - Bag opening mechanism for packaging machine

Info

Publication number: US2899786A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1959-08-18
Anticipated expiration: 1976-08-18

Description

8, 1959 c. B. HARKER 2,899,786

BAG OPENING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Sept. 6, 1957 a Sheets-Sheet 1 mvsuo-ro C. B. HARKER BAG OPENING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINE Aug. 18, 1959 Filed Sept. 6, 1957 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 wvam-rok chcwlea IB-Q-(QM 7 w, @1 0 Ws/ CflTTQIQAJEY/ vAug. 18, 1959 c. B. HARKER 2,899,786

BAG OPENING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Sept. 6, 1957 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 QA TorzmsY/ Aug. 18, 1959 c. B. HARKER 2,899,786

BAG OPENING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Sept. e, 1957 a Sheets-Sheet 4 (fl TTQ ms; 7/

8, 1959 c. B. HARKER 2,899,786

BAG OPENING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Sept. 6, 1957 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 LE 3 mm l |l I ckcurze 1 7-,W J-5Z Aug. 18, 1959 c. B. HARKER BAG OPENING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Sept. a, 1957 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 qr v w /f l q 122% UQTTOYQMILY/ Aug. 18, 1959 c. B. HARKER 2,899,786

BAG OPENING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Sept. 6, 1957 I 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 c. B. HARKER 2,899,786

BAG OPENING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINE 8 SheetSFSheet 8 Aug. 18, 1959 Filed Sept. 6, 1957 F IJI BAG OPENING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINE Charles B. Harker, Rockford, llll., assignor to Bartelt Engineering Company, Rockford, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application September 6, 1957, Serial No. 682,476

' 14 Claims. (Cl. 53-187) This invention relates to a machine for forming, opening, filling and closing a succession of bags as the latter are advanced step by step along a predetermined path and presented successively to a plurality of stations. More particularly, the invention has reference to that portion of such a machine for separating the wall panels of a flexible plastic bag to form a mouth through which loose material such as pipe tobacco is inserted.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a new and improved mechanism for opening the bag to be filled whereby the entire mouth of the bag is held open to permit a large quantity of material to be dropped in a mass into the bag.

. A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the foregoing character having an improved mechanism for opening and filling bags of the above described type.

A more detailed object of the invention is to open the bag month by using a pair of flexible plates which are bowed outwardly to separate the bag panels and hold the bag mouth open and to form a spout through which material is guided into the bag.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new 'and improved machine of the above character which is capable of handling large flexible bags. formed of thin unsupported plastic film material such as polyethylene fihn, and which supports and holds the bag in the open position for filling.

Still another object of the invention is to support the bag adjacent its open mouth as it is being filled.

A further detailed object of the invention is to open the bag mouth and support the bag adjacent its open mouth by gripping the bag panels adjacent their upper ends between flexible clamp strips and the flexible plates as the latter are bowed to form a spout.

The invention also resides in the novel construction and arrangement of the mechanisms for opening the bag and supporting the bag while holding its mouth open for filling with the loose material.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of a mechamsm, embodying the novel features of the present invention, for opening and filling a polyethylene bag.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the opening mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the filling and opening mechanisms shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially in the plane of line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing one manner in which a bag is made and filled.

.Fig. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing another manner in which a bag is formed and filled.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of another form nited States Patent ICC of a mechanism embodying the novel features of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a plan view, with parts broken away, of the opening mechanism shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken substantially in the plane of line 9-9 in Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary section View taken substantially in the plane of line 1010 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary section view taken substantially in the plane of line 11-11 of Fig. 10, and showing the bag in position for being opened.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary view similar to that of Fig. 11 but showing the bag in an open position for being filled.

As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the invention is embodied in a machine for packaging a loose granular or powdered material, such as tobacco or corn starth, in a bag 31 (see Fig. 5). The bag 31 is expandable to assume a generally square or rectangular shape when opened and filled but is formed in a flat condition by folding a single sheet to form front and

back panels

32 and 33 disposed face to face and joined together along their side margins by seals 34 and along their bottom edges by a fold 35. The side seals 34 extend from a point below the upper edge of the front panel 32, which may be slightly shorter than the back panel 33, to the bottom fold 35. When the bag is opened and filled as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, with the powdered material occupying the lower portion of the bag, the top of the bag is closed by a seal which may be made, for example, by folding over the upper portion of the

panels

32 and 33. In the present instance, the panels are folded twice to provide a comparatively airtight package.

Preferably the bags 31 are made on an automatic machine such as the one disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,649,674. The bags 31 are constructed from a flexible sheetmaterial, such as metal foil coated on one side with a heat scalable thermoplastic material, such as polyethylene film, or even of such thremoplastic material above. The coated sides of the

panels

32 and 33 are disposed on the inside of the bag in face to face relation so that the seals 34 may be formed by the application of heat and pressure to the outside of the bag at areas corresponding to the areas of these seals. The heat applied is sulficient to soften the thermoplastic material and the opposed areas of softened thermoplastic are fused by the pressure.

In general, the bags are formed, on the machine by unwinding a sheet 45 (Figs. 5 and 6) of foil coated on its upper side with the thermoplastic material from a suitable supply roll (not shown) and by folding the sheet longitudinally into two strips 47 and 48 corresponding to'the front and back panels 32. and 33. The fold is made to one side of the center of the sheet 45 so that the strip 47 is wider than the strip 48 to conform to the sizes of the bag panels.

After being folded, the sheet 45 is advanced step by step along a linear path through a succession of stations at which the various bag making, filling and closing operations are performed. At the first station 49 (Fig. 5), the two strips are heat sealed together transversely to form a series of bags connected at their side edges and open at the top. The cross seal 50 thus formed is twice as wide as the side seals 34 so that it forms the trailing edge seal of one bag and the leading edge seal of the next bag. After the strips are sealed, the bags are separated at a cut-01f station 51 and the severed bags then are opened at a station 52 and are filled with the material to be packaged at a station 53. Next, the material within the bag may be compacted or otherwise shaped, after which the bag top is closed. The supply through a spout 95 material which drops between the bowed plates and into the bag. Finally, the arm '73 is swung back to straighten the plates and the two arms are lifted raising the plates-out of the filled bag. The filling mechanism may be of any. of the many types well known in the art and suitable for dispensing the particular material being packaged and is operated in the proper timed relation to the other mechanisms.

A modified form of the invention is shown in Figs. 6 through 12. In the description of this modification, reference characters similar to those used above will be employed with the distinguishing suffix a.

A heat scalable thermoplastic film or sheet 45a is drawn from a supply roll and the strip is doubled and sealed as described above to form a succession of pockets or bags 31a. Individual bags are severed from the continuous strip at the seals and the bag mouths are expanded to receive a supply of material. Each bag 31a is supported during the opening and filling operations on a rotary turret mechanism indicated generally as 100'. The turret is indexed through a plurality of stations including a bag receiving and opening station 101, a filling station 102, a tamping and compacting station 103, and a discharge station 104, all of whichstations are disposed circumferentially about the turret axis of rotation 0. At the discharge station 104 the bag is released and continues to the closing and sealing mechanism.

As each bag 31a approaches the turret from the bag forming mechanism and feed rollers 61a, grippers 106 (Fig. 6) seize the bag and pull it on to the turret 100. At the receiving station 101 the bag is partially opened by a splitter bar 107 (Fig. 7) which bar also serves to guide the mouth of the bag on to the opening and sup porting mechanism 108.

The mechanism 108 for opening the bag mouth and for supporting the bag on the turret 106 is constructed in a novel manner to insure the proper separation of the bag panels to permit a large quantity of material to be introduced into the bag. To this end, the mechanism 108 includes a pair of

flexible plates

110 and 111 which are straddled by the upper ends of the

bags panels

32a and 33a as the bag enters the receiving station 1111 and which are separated by flexing or bowing to separate the bag panels.

The action of the plates in opening the bag mouth is substantially as described above and, accordingly, the

plates

110 and 111 are made of thin flexible sheet metal members which are normally flat and are disposed face to face as shown in Fig. 8. By pressing against the side edges-of the plates so as to move one edge of each plate toward the other edge as described'above, the plates are bowed outwardly and form an oval spout to guide the material into the bag.

The

plates

110 and 111 are supported for bowing between the free ends of

horizontal arms

115 and 116, which are carried on the turret 100 and which project in over the bag at the receiving station 101. Secured to the ends of the arms are

upright blocks

117 and 118 respectively. Notches 119 are cut out in the side edges of the

plates

110 and 111 and receive bars 120 secured to the

blocks

117 and 118 for supporting the plates on the

arms

115 and 116. The verticaledges of the plate project into a vertical groove 121 in the face of the blocks, the lateral surfaces of the groove serving to limit a the extent of the bowing of the plates.

According to another of its aspects, the invention contemplates the provision of a novel means which cooperates with the

flexible plates

110 and 111 to grip the upper edge portions of the

bag panels

32a and 33a automatically as an incident to the opening of the bag mouth. With such novel means, the mechanism is particularly well adapted to erect and fill bags which are formed of a thin sheet of thermoplastic material such as polyethylene. When such a material is used to form a large size 6/ bag, difficulties are encountered in supporting the bag for filling, these difliculties being due to the inherent tendency of the bag to collapse under its own weight.

This novel means comprises two flexible bands or strips 112 and 113 which are disposed face to face in spaced relation and on opposite sides of the flexible plates.

The

flexible bands

112 and 113 are also formed of thin flexible spring steel material and are mounted on the turret parallel to and spaced from the

flexible plates

110 and 111.

The spacing between each

flexible strip

112 and 113 and the adjacent flexible plates 110 and 111 (Fig. 8) is sufficient to allow the upper end portions of the bag panels to project between the strips and the plates when straddling the flexible plates. This spacing must be wide enough to prevent interference with the bag panels yet narrow enough to allow the plates and the strips to grip the bag panels. In this manner the bag 31a is supported at the upper end of its

panels

32a and 33a as the

plates

110 and 111 are bowed inside of the bag mouth by the clamping action of the

flexible plates

110 and 111 against the flexible bands or strips 112 and 113 respec tively spaced from the plates outside of the bag panels. Accordingly, the upper ends of the

bag panels

32a and 33a are frictionally gripped between the bowed plates and the flexible bands and the bag mouth is held open for receiving material, as shown in Fig. 12. Supported in this position the bags are then indexed with the turret to the filling, compacting and discharge stations. At the discharge station the plates are collapsed allowing the in Fig. 8. To this end the bands are coiled at one end around one of a pair of spaced pins 122 fixed to the turret. The other end of each band is doubled back to form a hook 123 within which is the second mounting pin. The hooked portion 123 of the band thus gives lateral support to the band while affording suflicient play to allow the band to be bowed in conformity with the bowed flexible plates and 111.

In the modification shown in the drawings, four sets of flexible plates are provided on one turret 100 although it should be understood that any suitable number could be mounted on the turret and the index cycle adjusted accordingly. To this end, the turret 100 includes a suitable mounting plate 124 rigidly supporting one of the arms 115. Relative movement of the arms and 116 to how the

plates

110, 111 is obtained by mounting the other arm 116 to swing back and forth relative to the fixed arm 115. This is accomplished by a parallel linkage mechanism, which includes a pair of

parallel links

125 and 126 pivotally mounted on the turret plate 124 and swingably joined to the arm 116. A cam follower 127 on one of the parallel links is engaged by a cam 128 to move that link back and forth to oscillate the arm 116 and bow the

plates

110 and 111.

For rotating the opening mechanism the turret plate 124 is carried on a hollow shaft 129 (Fig. 7) which is formed as a sleeve surrounding a continuously rotating shaft 130. The two shafts are coupled at their upper ends by an electric clutch and brake mechanism 131. By alternately clutching and braking the turret shaft the turret is intermittently rotated to index the bags which it carries to the various successive stations. The hollow turret shaft 129 is journaledin a bracket 132 mounted on the frame 58 of the machine.

The

plates

110 and 111 are bowed to open and support a bag by rotation of the cam 128 relative to the turret. To this end, the cam is journaled on the hollow shaft 129 and is rotated thereon by a suitable oscillating arm 133 Y driven by a cam mechanism (not shown). The cam 128 is provided with an enlarged diameter portion 134 against a 7 which the link follower 127 rides to flex the plates, and with a reduced diameter portion 135, whichrallow's the follower 127 to move sideways to relax the bow in the plates.

In the operation (if opening a bag mouth for filling, the bag 31a is pulled from the strip 4521 by the grippers 106 onto the

plates

110 and 111, To guide the bagdrit o the plates, the splitter bar 107 is swung towards the plates and is formed with a notched end which straddles the side edges er the plates and thereby provides a guiding surface over which the bag can travel. The splitter bar 107 is swingably mounted on the bracket 132 and is swung towards the flex plates by 'a s'i1ita'b1e cam mechanism and cam rod 137 (Fig. 7). to the position shown in Fig. 8. When a bag $171 has been pulled onto the plates, which are collapsed for unbowed at this point, the splitter bar is swung away from the plates and the knife 63a swings towards the bag and severs it from the strip. Simultaneously I with the operation of the -knife 63a tocut the bag 31a free of the 'strip, the cam 128 is rotated 90" to swing parallel the

links

125 and 126 and the arm 116 to bow the

plates

110 and 111. This opens the bag mouth and holds the ends of the bag panels against the

flexible bands

112 and 113 as shown in Fig. 9. The turret clutch 131 is then engaged to index the bag to the filling station 102. During the indexing movement of the bag, the parallel cam follower 127 rides around the surfaceof the enlarged idiaineterfportion 134 of the cam 128 and thereby holds the

plates

110 and 111 bowed to grip the bag against the

bands

112 and 113. v

With the bag now dwelling at the filling station 102,

material is discharged from the filling mechanism into the bag. Simultaneously, another bag is being loaded on to the turret at the'receiving station 101, The finesse-g is then indexed again, by energizing the turret clutch 131, to the compacting station 103, where the sides of the bag are flattened by a pair of spaced 'clarnpingrand forming plates 138. These plates are suspended for swinging movement from arms 139 swingably fiiounted between plates 140 secured to the turret shaft 129. on tlieeiid of the arms 139 opposite from the forming plates 1 38 are carried cam followers 141 'engageabre by fixed 'eam's 142. The cams .142 'are designed to swing the in timed (relation to the rotation of the turret so that the plates 138 swing in and out towards the filled bag and compact and form the material therein. The plates arrns 139 are biased to swing the plates outwardly by suitable springs 144 and the cam and follower act against the 't'orce of the springs tocompact the material inthe bag. From the compacting station 103, the turret is indexed to the discharge station 104. Thebag remains supported at the station 104 until the cam 128 rotates to bow the flexible plates presently at the receiving station 101. As the cam 128 rotates, the follower 127 on the parallel link 126 drops onto and rides on the small diameter portion 135 of the cam 128. This allows the plates at the discharge station to relax whereupon the filled and compacted bag drops to a suitable discharge chute or conveyor. The turret mounted plates, which at this instant are bowed and supporting a bag, remain bowed inasmuch as their respective cam followers 127 ride on the large diameter portion of the cam 128.

Various sizes of bags can be accommodated by'changing the flexible plates to a larger or smaller size. To this end, means are provided for making a suitable adjustment in the distance between the

arms

115 and 116. One such means entails adjustably mounting one link 1 25 on the turret and providing a slot 146 in arm 116 for adjustably securing that'arm to the other parallel link 126.

l T o summarize the operation ofthe modified form of opening and filling mechanism, a formed and partially opened bag 31:: is advanced to the receiving station 101 where, guided by a splitter bar 107, the upper ends of the

side panels

32a and 33a of the bag straddle a pair .8 of

flexible plates

110 and 111 611a transfer turret 100. A cam 128 is rotated to inove the ends of the flexible plates towards e'ae-h other and how the plates outwardly thereby opening the ni'euth of the bag and clamping the tipper ends the Bagpaiers between the plates and a pair or spacea'fieinsi bands 1 12 and 1 13. The clamped bag is indexed by'retation of the turret to the filling station 102 where material is discharged into the bag. The filled bag is again indexed to the compacting and fo'nnin'g station .103"wheieapair of forming plates 1 38 square or otherwise shape the sides of the bag. The bag is again indexed to the discharge station 104 and, as the bath 12 8, is rotated to ela'inp a new bag at the receiving station, the filled and formed bag is released as the bow in the plates and 111 supporting it against the

bands

112 and 113 is relaxed. The filled and formed bag then drops from the turret.

It will be understood that although the use of flexible bands or strrips has been described only'inconnectionwith the modified form of the invention, that similar bands can be employed to advantage in connection with the first described form of the invention for holding the upper edges of the side panelso f the bag being processed.

This application is a 'continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial Nb. 465,885, filed November 1, 1 954.

I claim as my invention: I

1. In a machine for packaging material in a bag, the combination of, afilling mechanism having'a downwardly opening outlet through which a quantity of material is dispensed, a pair of horizontal generally parallel arms projecting in toward and spaced beneath said outlet, a flat vertical plate of resilient material disposed below said outlet and spanning s'aidarm's with the'edges of the plate supported on the arms, a second plate disposed face to face relative to the first plate and similarly supported "by said arms, means for presenting a bag open end up beneath said plates, said plates extending across said bag throughout substantially the full width thereof, power operated means operable to move said arms downwardly in unison thereby to lower said platesi'nto the bag, and mechanism operable after lowering "of the plates to move said arms relatively together and bow the plates outwardly away from each other thereby to spread the walls of the bag apart and form a spoilt guiding the material from the outlet into the bag.

2. In a machine for packaging material in 'a bag, the combination of, a filling mechanism having a downwardly opening outlet through whieh a quantity of material is dispensed, a pair of horizontal generally parallel arms projecting in toward and spaced beneath said'outlet, a flat Vertical plate of resilient material disposed below said outlet and spanning said arms with the edges of the plate supported on the arms, a second plate disposed face to face relative to thefirst plate and similarly supported by said arms, means 'for presenting a bag open end up beneath said plates with the .platesprojec'ting into the bag,

and mechanism operable to move said arms relativelyto- .gether and bow the plates outwardly away from each other thereby to spread the bag walls apart and torma spout-guiding the material from theoutlet into the bag.

3. In a'machine for packaging material in -a bag having opposed flaps extending alongthe bag walls at the open upper end of the bag, the combination of, filling mechanism having a downwardly opening outlet through which material is dispensed, twoflat plates of resilient material disposed face to face beneath said outlet in a vertical plane, a horizontal bar disposed in said planewith the lower edge generally alined with the lower ends of said plates and with one end closely spaced to one side edge ofthe plates, means for supporting the bag beneath saidbar with-the 'flaps-straddlingthe bar, mechanism for advancing the bag along the bar toward said plates to transferfthe flaps fron the -ba1 to the plate and dwell the bag beneath the plates, means operable during dwellaspires ofthe bag to lower theplates into the Bag and'then remove the edges of each plate relatively together thereby to bo'w the plates outwardly away from each other, and

ears subsequently operable to I discharge material t "ougli said outlet, betw "d plates and into the bag.

'4. In a machine fof pack g material in abag, the combi'natioh of, meaasaf supporting a bag presentingihe same to a predete ned' pbsition, a filling mechanisr'r'r' disposed adjacent'said position and having a" downwardly opening outletthroii'ghwhich aquantity of material is dispensed, two. flat plates of resilient material normally disposed face .to face near planes betw'e'en'sa'id outlet and the bag at said position, said plates eit'ehding' across the bag throughout substantially the full width thereof, means for lowerir'i'gsaid plates into the hag, and mechanisrhtsubsequently operable to movevthe edges of each plate relatively together 116 how the plates outwardly away from each other thereby to spread the bag walls apart and form a ,spoutguiding the material from said outlet into the bag.

5. In a machine for packaging a material in a bag, the combination of, filling mechanism operable to dispense a quantity of material and having a downwardly facing opening through which the material is dispensed, two flat plates disposed face to face in vertical planes beneath said opening, means for delivering a bag open end up beneath said plates with the plates projecting into the bag through the open end, and mechanism for moving the edges of each plate relatively toward each other to how the plates outwardly away from each other thereby to spread apart the walls of the bag and form a spout guiding the material into the bag.

6. In a packaging machine, the combination of, a pair of generally parallel supports having opposed surfaces each formed with a vertical groove, two flat plates of resilient material disposed face to face in a vertical plane and spanning said supports with one edge of each plate received in the groove in one support and the other edge of each plate received in the groove in the other support thereby to hold the two plates together at their edges, a small member disposed between said plates and operable tobow the plates slightly away from each other, means for moving said supports relatively together to how the plates further and thereby form a spout, and a filling mechanism having an outlet disposed above said plates and operable after movement of said supports to dispense material through said outlet and between the plates.

) 7. In a mechanism for separating the side panels of a bag to define an open mouth preparatory to packaging material therein from a filling mechanism having a downwardly opening outlet through which a quantity of ma* terial is dispensed, the combination comprising, a support, a pair of generally parallel arms mounted on said support, said arms having opposed surfaces each formed with a vertical groove, two flat plates of resilient material disposed face to face in a vertical plane and spanning said arms with one edge of each plate received in the groove in one arm and the other edge of each plate received in the groove in the other arm thereby to hold the plates together at their edges, two spaced vertical pins mounted on said support on each side of said two flat plates, a first fiat strip of resilient material pivotally mounted at one end on one of said pins and disposed in a vertical plane substantially parallel to the plane of said plates, said strip being spaced from the adjacent plate an amount greater than the thickness of the bag panels, means on the other end of said strip for slidably engaging another of said pins, a second flat strip of resilient material similarly mounted on the remaining two pins, and means for moving said arms relatively together to how the plates outwardly into contact with said strips and thereby bow said strips, said plates opening the bag mouth to form a spout through which material can be dispensed from the outlet info the bag and sinhrltaneeusly clamping-the bag panels against saidstrips; I p 7 8. In a mechanism for opening a bag mouth preparatory to packaging material tli' er'ein'" from a filling-mecha nism having afdowh'warjdly op'e'nin'g' outlet through which a quantity of material is" dijspe'nsed,-'the'combination comprising a. support, a pair of generally parallel arm's mounted on said support andha'ving opposed surfaces each formed with a; vertical groove; two'flat plates; of resilient material disposed face to face in a vertical plane and spanning s'aid arrhs with one edge of'each plate received in the groove in one arm and the other edge of each plate receivedin the'groove of the other arm thereby t o hold the two plates together: at their edges, two flat strips (if resilient"niaterial mountedon said support in spaced vertical planes and disposed one on each side of said two plates, and rrre'ans' for moving said arms relatively together to bow the plates outwardly into contact'withtlrestrip'sl and thereby bow said strips, saidpl a'tes when" bowed forming a spout through" which material can be dispensed from the outlet into the bag and simultaneously clamping portions of a bag between the plates and said strips.

9. In a mechanism for opening a bag mouth preparatory to packaging material therein from a filling mechanism having a downwardly opening outlet through which a quantity of material is dispensed, the combination comprising a pair of generally parallel supports having opposed surfaces each formed with a vertical groove, two flat plates of resilient material disposed face to face in a vertical plane and spanning said supports with one edge of each plate received in the groove in one support and the other edge of each plate received in the groove in the other support thereby to hold the two plates together at their edges, and means for moving said supports relatively together to bow the plates apart and thereby form a spout through which material can be dispensed from the outlet into the bag.

10. In a machine for packaging material in a bag from a filling mechanism having a downwardly opening outlet through which a quantity of material is dispensed, the combination comprising a pair of horizontal generally parallel arms adapted to be positioned beneath said outlet, a flat vertical plate of resilient material spanning said arms with the edges of the plate supported on the arms,,a second plate disposed face to face relative to the first plate and similarly supported by said arms, a flat vertical strip of resilient material spaced from and disposed face to face with each of said plates, means for presenting a bag open end up beneath said plates, said plates extending across said bag throughout substantially the full width thereof, and means operable to move said arms relatively together and how the plates outwardly away from each other into contact with said strips thereby to grip the upper edges of the bag for suporting the same and to spread the bag walls apart and form a spout for guiding the material from the outlet into the bag.

11. In a machine for packaging a material in a bag from a filling mechanism operable to dispense a quantity of material and having a downwardly facing opening through which the material is dispensed, the combination comprising two flat strips disposed face to face in parallel vertical planes, two flat plates disposed face to face in parallel vertical planes intermediate and spaced from said strips, means for delivering a bag open end up beneath said plates and between said strips with the plates projecting into the bag through its open end, and a mechanism for moving the edges of each plate relatively toward each other to how the plates outwardly from each other thereby to spread apart the walls of the bag and clamp the bag between the plates and the strips for supporting the bag and for forming a spout to guide the material into the bag.

12. In a machine for packaging material in a bag, the

combination of, a pair of horizontal generally parallel arms, a fiat vertical plate of resilient material spanning said arms with the edges of the-plate supported on the arms, a second plate disposed face to face relative to said first plate and similarly supported by said arms, means for presenting the bag open end up beneath said plates with the plates projecting into the bag, said plates extending across said bag throughout substantially the full width thereof, mechanism operable to move said arms relatively together and bow the plates outwardly away from each other thereby to spread the walls of the bag apart, and a filling mechanism operable to dispense a quantity of material downward between said plates and into the opened bag.

13. In a machine for packaging material in a bag, the

vcombination of, means for supporting a bag and presenting the same to a predetermined position, two flat plates of resilient material located at said position and normally disposed face to face in vertical planes, said plates projecting into the bag and extending across the bag throughout substantially the full width thereof, mechanism operable to move the edges of each plate relatively together to bowthe plates outwardly away from each other thereby to spread the bag walls, and a filling mechanism subsequently operable to dispense a quantity of material between said plates and into said bag.

14. In a machine for packaging material in a bag, the combination of, two flat plates disposed face to face in vertical planes, means for delivering a bag open end up beneath said plates with the plates projecting into the bag through the open end, mechanism for moving the edges of each plate relatively toward each other to bow the plates outwardly from each other thereby to spread apart the walls of the bag and form a spout to guide material into the bag, and filling mechanism operable to dispense a quantity of material and having a downwardly facing outlet operable to dispense material through said spout and into the bag. V

No references cited.