Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
I
The present invention relates to a continuous flexible
belt which displays two opposing walls and longitudinal
upper and lower edges and which incorporates a number of
consecutively arranged packaging blanks each with a bottom
section at the aforementioned lower edge and two bonding
zones arranged transversely in relation to the longitudin-
at direction of the belt which form the side closures of
the packaging blank. The invention also relates to a
device for the filling of packaging blanks arranged in a
continuous flexible belt at a filling station with guide
devices for opening the packaging blanks as well as a
method of filling and a method of opening such packaging
blanks.
British patent No. 1 509 639 describes a device for fill-
in bag-shaped pacXagings of fabric material which are
advanced by means of two drive belts in engagement with
the outer sides of the packaging belt. The packaging
are opened by means of a linkage mechanism and attendant
interacting guide devices. The device is complicated
and does not satisfy present-day demands for low costs of
packaging different kinds of articles. At all events,
the device is not suitable for packaging in bags of
plastic material which are arranged in the form of a con-
tunnels belt.
One purpose of the present invention is to achieve a con-
tenuous belt of packaging blanks which permits the use of
a simplified device for filling the packaging blanks in a
simple and reliable manner, particularly packaging blanks
of a plastic material.
This is achieved through the present invention in that tune
continuous belt incorporates two principally opposing up
strip sections which extend in the longitudinal direction
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of the belt at its aforementioned upper edge and which
are demarcated prom the packaging blanks by means ox a
tear initiation in each wall arranged parallel to the
aforementioned upper edge, whereby each strip section
is provided with a continuous suspension device for
interacting with packaging blank opening guide devices
arranged at a willing station for filling the packaging
blanks, in addition to which the belt is provided with
slots in both walls, each having a vertical slot
arranged between the bonding zones of two adjacent
packaging blanks and a horizontal slot formed in
advance or in conjunction with the filling operation
on either side of the aforementioned vertical slot and
between the packaging blanks and the suspension devices,
whereby two adjacent horizontal slots are arranged at
a distance from each other.
The simplified device according to the invent
lion is characterized in that the guide devices consist
of two adjacent guide bars arranged in the same place
for interacting with the specified belt, whereby the
guide bars display end sections which are situated in
the vicinity of each other and center sections which are
situated at a distance prom each other, these center
sections being arranged to separate the strip sections
of the belt in conjunction with the opening of the
packaging blanks, whereby the desired material or object
is placed in the packaging blanks.
A method is provided for filling the packaging
blanks whereby the continuous holding device is pulled
forward during interaction with the packaging blank
opening guide devices, which are in engagement with the
aforementioned holding devices, filling the opened
packaging blanks, closing the packaging blanks, and
- -removing the border strips from the packaging blanks.
The invention is described in greater detail
it the following with reference to the drawings, where:
I
- pa
Fig. 1 shows a side view of a longitudinal cross-
section of a continuous belt according to the present
invention,
Fig. 2 shows the belt as in Fig. 1 rum above as it is
advanced in a filling station,
Fig. 3 shows a cross-section through the belt at the
line III III in Fig. 4,
Fig. 4 shows schematically from above a device or hand-
lying a belt as in Fig. 1 from magazine to finished pack-
agings,
Fig. 5 shows a cross-s~ction through a belt and guide de-
vices according to another version of the invention,
Fig. 6 shows a cross-section through a belt and guide de-
vices according to a third version of the invention and
where
Fig. 7 shows a cross-section through a belt and guide de-
lo vices according to a fourth version of the invention.
With reference to Fig. 1, a section of a continuous belt
1, which incorporates a number of consecutively arranged
packaging blanks 2, is shown. The belt has been formed
by folding a broader material belt along its centerline 3
to form the bottom section 4 of the packaging blanks, the
said bottom section being folded inward as shown in Fig.
1 during formation of the lower edge 38 of the belt. The
opposing walls 5, 6 obtained through folding are joined
to each other at regular intervals to form the bonding
zones 7, 8 which extend at right angles to the bottom sea-
lion 4 of the packaging blanks. The bonding zones, which
can be formed by welding or gluing, or by any other suit
able means, demarcate each packaging blank laterally and
extend from the bottom section 4 to an upper point which
is situated at a predetermined distance from the upper
edge 9 of the belt. The continuous belt also incorpor-
ales two longitudinal strip sections 10, 11 which comprise
the upper areas of the walls formed through folding and
which are demarcated from the packaging blanks by a long-
itudinal perforation 12 in each wall or other tear initial
lion which extends principally through the aforementioned
upper point in the bonding zones. The perforation 12
consequently demarcates the packaging blanks at the top
and defines the p~sitionoftheir openings 13.
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Arranged in or between the bonding zones 7, B are vertical
slots 14, whereby each 510t 14 may be interrupted by one
or more bridges 15 which hold the packaging blanks in a
line after each other. Further, horizontal slots 16 are
arranged in the area for the boundary between the package
in blanks and the upper strip sections 10, 11, i.e. age-
wording to the version disclosed in line with the horn-
zontal perforation 12, whereby these horizontal slots 16
are located adjacent to the vertical slots 14 and joined
to them in the form of a T. As will be evident from Fig.
1, two adjacent horizontal slots 16 are arranged at a
distance from each other. The slots are arranged in
both walls 5, 6 as also is the perforation 12.
The two strip sections are both provided with suspension
devices which in the version disclosed consist of sea-
lions of the walls 5, 6 folded and welded to form long
itudinal tunnels 17, 18 of predetermined size.
The aforementioned suspension devices, which are contain-
use, are arranged to interact with special guide devices
in the form of two guide bars or guide arms 19, 20 err-
angled in -the same horizontal plane over which the suspend
soon devices easily slide as the belt is advanced. ho
arrangement incorporating such guide devices is shown
schematically in Figs. 2 and 4. A continuous belt 1 is
advanced from a magazine 21 in the version shown in Fig. 1
over a roller 22 to a filling station 23 which incorpor-
ales the aforementioned guide devices in the form ox two
guide bars 19, 20 arranged in the same horizontal plane
which extend through the tunnels of the strip sections.
Viewed in the direction of travel, the bars display pane-
Lyle end sections 24, 25 which are located upstream and
situated in close proximity to each other and which open
into centre sections 26, 27 which are situated at a pro-
determined distance from each other and which are partially
parallel. Alternatively, they may be completely arc-
shaped. The end sections 2B, 29 located downstream are
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similarly parallel and situated in close proximity to
each other. Situated in the area for the end sections
28, 29 are, in the version disclosed, two interacting
welding jaws 30, 31 for sealing the packaging blanks after
they have been filled at the filling station. The two
bars 19, 20 are stationary an are supported by a stand
snot shown at their end sections 28, 29 situated down-
stream, whereby the transition sections between the bars
and the two vertical parts of the stand are arranged with
sharp cages to form cutting device 32 for cutting open
the tunnels of the strip sections as the belt 1 is ad van-
cede The arrangement also incorporates two opposing
guide rollers 33j 34 which bring about such a change in
the feed direction of the strips in relation to each other
and to the belt that they are torn loose from the belt and
from the filled packaging blanks which are collected at a
receiving station. From the guide rollers 33, 34 the two
strip sections are brought together over guide rollers 35,
36 and collected on a common take-up roller 37 which is
arranged to be driven by a drive device (not shown) in
the direction indicated by the arrow. The continuous
belt is consequently advanced through driving of the take-
up roller 37, whereby the strip sections are accordingly
pulled forward over the two guide bars which are arranged
to guide the strip sections away from each other at the
same time as the packaging blanks are opened so that each blank
can be filled with the desired material or object. Open-
in is made possible, i.e. without damaging the packaging
blanks, by the presence of the horizontal slots 16 whose
length is chiefly the same as, or slightly more than, the
distance between the two bars at their centre sections
The bridges 15 can be severed by means of a suitable cut-
tying device at the filling station as has taken place in
the version according to Fig. 2 or at another suitable
point situated downstream.
A supporting belt or conveyor belt 45, which primarily ox-
tends from the filling station, supports the packaging
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blanks with their contents. The finished packaging are
subsequently received on a conveyor belt 46 which carries
the picnics to a receiving station for packing or
other handling.
The horizontal slots 16 are formed in advance in the walls
at the same time as the vertical slots 14. Alternative-
lye at least the horizontal slots can be formed in the
walls before opening and willing of the packaging blanks,
e.g. in close proximity thereto or after the belt has
left its magazine 21. Lateral folding of the angular
sections between the horizontal and vertical slots will
thus be avoided as the belt is advanced, particularly if
it is advanced horizontally, unless upper uniting bridges
are used.
In the version disclosed the length of the centre sect-
ions 26, 27-of the bars is such that a packaging blank 2
can be held fully open between them. If desired, these
centre sections 26, 27 can nevertheless be extended so
that two or more packaging blanks can be opened simultan-
easily. The belt can be advanced intermittently or con-
tenuously, whereby in the latter case the willing device
follows the movement of the belt in the filling station.
The filling device may incorporate a funnel, e.g. when the
material that is to be packaged is in liquid form or in
free-running particle form Alternatively, it may cons-
it of mechanical transfer arms or a conveyor belt. Fit-
lying can of course also be carried out manually.
The supporting junction of the tunnels of the strip sea-
lions can also be achieved with other forms of suspension
ED devices. In Fig. 5 these are shown in the form of thicker
material 39 with-a circular cross-section, whereby the guide
devices are modified in a corresponding manner to receive
these thicker parts of the material, i.e. guide tubes
40 or guide rails with a downward-facing longitudinal
slot, whereby the thicker material runs smoothly and with-
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out friction inside the tube or rail.
. .
Instead of folding a material belt to form the belt of the
packaging blanks it can be formed from two smaller material
belts which are placed together and welded, glued or
5 joined in some other manner along an edge to form the
bottom sections of the packaging blanks.
The belt of packaging blanks consists of a flexible mat-
Primal which has surfaces which can be welded by heat seal-
in or which can be glued together or which can be joined
in some other manner. A suitable plastic or a laminate
which incorporates a suitable plastic layer can be used
as the weldable material.
The disclosed 'guide devices 1 or 20 are stationary and
completely fixed. The same 'function of opening the pack-
aging blanks can nevertheless be achieved by means of two straight and movably arranged guide bars which are situated
in the same horizontal plane. The guide bars may hereby
be capable of parallel lateral movement to outer positions
in order to open the packaging blanks or else they may be
pettily ~ournalled-at their ends situated downstream so
that their free ends can swing out to outer positions in
order to open the packaging blanks.
Fig. 6 shows an alternative version of the belt as in Fig.
1, in that the tunnels of the strip'sectionsr instead of
folding the walls outward, are formed by separate strips
41 ox material which are fixed to the outside of one of
the belt walls and to the inside of the other wall.
Fig. 7 shows an alternative version ox the belt and guide
devices as in Fig'. 5, in that the thicker material of the
strip sections instead of being-formed by the-walls con
sits of separate round pieces 42 of material which are
fixed to the outside and the inside of the belt, whereby
the guide devices consist of rails 43 with a downward-
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facing slot. In the three latter versions (Figs. 5, Rand I there is also an upper bridge 44 arranged in the
vertical slot in the vicinity of the horizontal slot. An
upper bridge of this kind is principally easily breakable
so that it breaks as a result of the force to which it is
subjected when the walls of the heft are forced away from
each other in the filling station.
, This application is a division of application
Serial No. 380,815, filed June 29, 1981.
