Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 2009640
(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements
in an automatic bag loading and heat sealing machine, and
wherein two or more articles may be placed in a bag and
the bag heat sealed and cooled prior to releasing the bag
on a transport conveyor.
(b) Description of Prior Art
More specifically, this invention relates to
improvements in automatic loading and bagging machines of
the type described in Canadian Patent 925,480 issued on
May 1, 1973. In that particular patented machine, milk
pouches were fed to a collator and were placed in various
compartments by gravity-operated chutes. The articles
were then dispensed in a bag which, upon placement of
articles therein, ripped itself from wicker pins and fell
onto a conveyor to be conveyed for further processing. A
major disadvantage of that apparatus is that it is slow
and problematic. For example, when an open bag is
conveyed with products therein, it often occurs that the
product will fall out of the bag and sometimes result in
machine shut-down in order to clean out the spilled
convents. This is time-consuming, requires constant
supervision, and is costly.
Another problem with bag loading machines
employing heat sealers is that the bag is usually
released on the discharge conveyor immediately after the
heat seal is made. Because the plastic in the sealed
region is still in a molten state, it often occurs that
the seal becomes undone and this causes the contents of
the bag to fall out. This is particularly true when the
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bag contains very small articles such as sand or grain as
only a small opening in the fused area will cause the
product to leak out of the bag.
St~MMARY OF INVENTION
The present invention is an improvement of this
type of machine, and wherein articles are placed in a
compartment by chutes which are pneumatically operated by
a control circuit to ascertain that the loading
compartment is filled with the desired articles prior to
releasing same in a bag and wherein the bag is displaced
to a heat sealing device which gathers the bag and heat
seals and cools the seal prior to freely releasing the
bag.
Another feature of the present invention is to
provide an automatic bagging machine which is fully
automatic and requires little supervision, and which is
substantially trouble-free.
Another feature of the present invention is to
provide an automatic bagging machine wherein the bag,
filled with the desired articles, is supported at a
loading station within the machine where the top portion
of the bag is pulled taut prior to gathering and sealing.
Another feature of the present invention is to
provide an automatic bagging machine wherein information
is further printed on the free end portion of the bag
prior to releasing same onto a discharge conveyor.
Another feature of the present invention is to
provide an automatic bagging machine which operates much
faster than the known bagging machines of the prior art,
and which has a longer life expectancy due to its
pneumatic controlled operation.
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According to the above features, from a ~roaP
aspect, the present invention provides an automatic
bagging machine for positioning articles in a bag and
sealing the bag prior to releasing same on conveying
means to displace it from the machine. The machine
comprises a collector for receiving a predetermined
number of articles to be placed in a single bag. A trap
door is provided under the collector. Support means is
provided for holding a plurality of stacked collapsed
bags having an open top end. Means is provided for
holding a first of the stacked bags adjacent the trap
door. Means is also provided for opening the first bag
to position its open end under the trap door. Control
means releases the predetermined number of articles in
the open end of the first bag. Displaceable support
means is provided and has a first bag support platform
which is positioned spaced under the collector for
supporting the bag from a bottom end thereof when the
articles are disposed within said bag. Clamping means is
also provided to retain a top open end portion of the bag
on a clamping surface. Means is still further provided
to displace the displaceable support means to position
the bag with the articles therein to a sealing station
where a section of the top end portion of the bag, spaced
from a mouth opening thereof, is guided in a bag
gathering means to gather that section. Heat sealing
means fuses the gathered section. A second bag support
platform is positioned under the trap door simultaneously
when the bag with the articles is positioned in the
gathering means. Bag discharge means is provided for
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discharging the sealed bag from the first bag support
platform at the sealing station and onto the discharge
conveying means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
A preferred embodiment of the present invention
will now be described with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:
FIGURE 1 is a simplified schematic view
illustrating the automatic bagging machine of the present
invention;
FIGURE 2 is a simplified end view showing the
relative positions of the collector, the bags prior to
loading, and the bag support platform together with the
clamping device;
FIGURE 3 is a simplified perspective view
showing the operation of the clamping device;
FIGURE 4 is a simplified top view of the
automatic bagging machine;
FIGURE 5 is a side view illustrating the
construction and operation of the gathering means;
FIGURE 6 is a simplified top view illustrating
the operation of the pin sealer;
FIGURE 7 is a section view showing the
construction of the collector;
FIGURE 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 but
showing the articles being transferred into the
compartments of the collector and the operation of the
chutes;
FIGURE 9 is a section view similar to Figure 8
but showing three articles positioned in each of the
compartments of the collector;
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FIGVRE 10 is an end view showing the position
of the bag relative to the trap door under the collector;
and
EIGURE 11 is a view similar to Figure 10 but
showing the articles as transferred within the open mouth
bag.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the drawings, and more particu-
larly to Figures 1 to 4, there is shown generally at 10
the automatic bagging mahcine of the present invention
for positioning articles 11, herein milk pouches, or any
other type article or articles in a plastic bag 12.
Prior to releasing the plastic bag 12 on the discharge
conveyor 13, the bag is fed to a sealing station 14 where
it is gathered to form a gathered neck 15 (see Fig. 6)
and sealed.
The machine comprises a collector 16 in which
there is positioned a predetermined number of articles 11
to be placed in a single bag 12. As shown in Figure 2, a
plurality of bags 12' are stacked on support wicker pins
17 and advanced towards the collector 16 by means of a
pusher element 18 so that a first bag 12" is positioned
under the trap door 19 of the collector 16. The open top
end of the first bag 12" is firstly opened by an air jet
20 (see Fig. 10) and when the articles 11 are released
therein from the collector 16, the trap door 19 engages
within the open mouth 21 of the bag 12" to pull it wide
open and taut, as shown in Figure 11, so that the
articles 11 may be received therein. As soon as the
articles are released in the open bag 12", the weight of
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the articles will rip the engaged flap 18' of the bag 12"
from the wicker pins 17. This bag holding and filling
means just described is well known in the art.
Referring now more particularly to Figures 2 to
4, there is shown the construction and operation of the
displaceable support means 22 which is comprised of two
bag support platforms 23 and 23' formed of a base plate
or base wall 24 having a transverse end plate 25 secured
therein whereby to receive the bag 12" and its contents
therein. The base wall 24 extends at an angle so that
the filled bag 12' will fall with its top open end
portion 26 extending in the direction of a backing plate
27 extending in the same plane as the base wall 24 and
spaced therefrom to form a gap 28 therebetween into which
the sealer 29 is received when the support platforms 23
and 23' are displaced to their respective sealing
stations 14 and 14'.
Clamping means 30 in the form of a clamp plate
31 is hingedly secured to a hinge bracket 32 and operated
from a bag receiving position as shown in Figure 3 to a
bag clamping position as shown in Figure 2 by means of an
actuating piston 33 whereby to clamp the top end portion
26 of the bag 12" onto the backing plate 27. However, in
order to have the bag open end portion 26 taut across -the
gap 28, the clamp plate 31 is mounted on a retraction
piston 34 so that the friction surface 35 of the plate is
initially positioned in the region of the front end 27'
of the backing plate 27, as shown at 36, and retracted
over the backing plate 27 to its position as shown at 37
in the direction of arrow 38. The friction surface 35 is
constructed of rubber material or other suitable friction
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retention material and provided with a plurality of
ridges 35' to assure good frictional retent1on of the
plastic bag over the backing plate 27.
After the clamping means 30 has engaged the top
open end portion 26 of the bag, the displaceable support
assembly 22 is shifted axially in the direction of arrow
40, as shown in Figure 4, on guide rods 41 by means of a
platform displacing piston 42 mounted under the
displaceable support assembly 22. Accordingly, the back
support platform 23' is advanced to the sealing station
14' and the other back support platform 23 is positioned
under the collector 16 to receive the next load of
articles 11 from the collector.
With particular reference now to Figure 5, it
can be seen that as the back support platform 23'
advances to the sealing station 14', a portion of the top
end portion 26' enters into a bag gathering means which
is comprised of a guide member 43 which consists of two
jaw plates 44 and 44' which have an open end 45 with the
jaw tapering inwardly from the open end and terminating
at a stop wall 46 which is constituted by the front face
of a pin sealer 47, see Fig. 6. As the top end portion
26' of the bag is entered into the jaw of the guide
member 43, the front end portion of the bag will gather
itself in the region closest to the stop wall 46.
However, the outside portion of the bag is substantially
ungathered because the support platform 23 has gone to
its maximum travel in alignment with the sealing station
14'. Therefore, in order to gather the remaining portion
of the bag, there is provided a bag pulling means which
is constituted by a gathering bar 48 mounted on a piston
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activated lever arm 49. After the top end portion of the
bag has been inserted within the jaw, the pivoted
actuating lever 49 positions the gathering bar 48 into
the open end 45 of the jaw (as indicated by arrow 53) and
retracts the bar against the bag portion within the jaw.
This causes the bag portion within the jaw to gather to
form the neck portion 15, as shown in Fig. 6. As also
shown in Fig. 6, the gathering bar 48 is provided with a
plurality of holes 50 therein which are aligned with
holes 51 also provided in the stop wall 46 of the pin
sealer 47. A plurality of heated sealing pins 52 then
project out of the holes 51 of the pin sealer, across the
gathered neck portion 15 of the plastic bag, and into the
aligned holes 50 in the gathering bar 48. The pins are
then immediately retracted and the heat of these pins has
now formed a seal in the nèck portion 15. This pin
sealer is known in the p~ior art and no further
description thereof is deemed necessary.
After or during the formation of the heat seal
of the neck of the bag, the support platform 23' moves
back under the collector 16 to receive another filled bag
thereon. The support platform 23 then moves to the other
sealing station 14 to again repeat that cycle. As the
platform 23 is displaced from the sealing station, the
gathering plate 48 still retains the bag at the sealing
station and the bottom end of the bag is supported and
guided by means of a support plate 55 disposed imme-
diately under the support platform at the sealing
station. This support plate is pivotally connected on a
pivot connection 56 and guidingly supports the bag onto
the discharge conveyor 13 positioned thereunder with the
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support plate pivoting on the connection 56 in the
direction of arrow 57. During this time, the bag top end
portion is still held by the gathering plate to give
sufficient time to the formed seal in the neck portion 15
to cool down. Accordingly, when the bag is released by
the gathering plate, the seal is set and cannot tear
apart by pressure applied thereagainst by the articles in
the bag, when the bag is released onto the discharge
conveyor 13. The support wall 55 also acts as a slide so
as to minimize the impact on the bag when discharged on
the discharge conveyor 13.
Referring now to Figure 4, it can be seen that
the backing plates 27 are each provided with a hole 59
disposed at a predetermined position thereon and in
alignment with the clamp plate 31 when in its bag holding
position. This hole provides for the passage therein of
a printing head 60 which is located under the backing
plate. During the sealing operation, the printing head
60 will move into the hole 59 and imprint a date on the
top end portion of the bag with the clamping plate 31
providing a backup surface for the printing head.
It is pointed out that the bagging machine of
the present invention was designed to be economical,
efficient, fast and substantially entirely automatic.
This is achieved by providing a displaceable support
means having two support platforms axially displaced to a
respective one of two sealing stations 14 and 14'
disposed in axial alignment with the axis of displacement
of the support means 22 on a respective side of the
collector 16. Accordingly, the collector may be
continuously loaded by conveyor 64 with articles 11. When
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a bag is being sealed, another bag is loaded and there is
therefore provided only two cycles in the operation, and
that being of moving the displaceable support assembly on
a straight axis from one side to the opposite side.
Referring now additionally to Figures 7 to 11,
there will be described the construction and operation of
the collector housing 16. As herein shown, the collector
housing is utilized as a collator to direct the articles,
herein milk pouches 11, into three separate compartments,
namely compartments A, B and C. The housing is a
rectangular housing having side walls 65 and end walls
66. The top end of the housing is an open top with the
bottom end being closed by the trap door 19. Division
walls 67 separate the housing into the compartments. In
addition, displaceable transfer chutes, herein transfer
chutes 68 and 69, are hingedly connected on a hinge 68'
and 69' respectively, and direct the articles to the
compartments. The chutes are actuated by linkage 70 and
71 respectively, from an article receiving position, as
shown in Figure 7, to an article discharge position, as
shown in Figure 9. The linkage 70 and 71 is actuated by
pistons 70' and 71' (see Figure 1). These pistons are
commanded by a control circuit 75, as shown in Figure 7,
including sensors 72, 73 and 74, associated with each
compartment C, B and A, respectively. The detectors 72
to 74 detect when an article 11 has been placed in a
respective compartment. As soon as all compartments are
filled, the actuation of the chute circuit 75 causes the
trap door 19 to open and release the contents from the
collector 16. The pouches are then dropped from the
collector into the open mouth bag 12". As soon as the
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trap door 19 closes and the detector 72 has detected a
first pouch in compartment C, the chute 69 is then
actuated by its respective linkage to position it at a
bag receiving position, as shown in Figure 8. The second
compartment B then receives a pouch and the detector 73
sends a signal to the control circuit 75 to activate the
other chute 68 to place it into a bag receiving position,
as shown at 38''' in Figure 7, where the third compart-
ment A then receives an article 11. The detector 74 is
then actuated and the trap door 19 is again opened. It
can therefore be noted that the compartments A, B and C
are loaded in sequence and in reverse. Accordingly, the
housing or collator 16 may receive articles therein more
quickly than with similar prior art collectors where the
cutes have to be reset by a gravity operated linkage to
load the compartments in a single sequence from A to C.
With the prior art bag loaders, it is necessary
to displace the gates twice to load each collector
compartment. With this present pneumatic control
arrangement, the gates are only displaced once per
compartment loading, as pointed out above. It is also
pointed out that when a pouch is released in compartment
B, the signal from the detector light source 73 is fed to
the control circuit and this activates the air jet 20
which causes the mouth opening of the first bag 12" on
the wicker pins 17 to open, as shown in Figure 10. When
the trap door 19 is opened by retracting piston rod 76 of
piston 77, the trap door enters the mouth opening 21 of
the bag 12" and pull it out taut, as shown in Figure 11,
to make sure that the articles 11 are properly directed
therein. The weight of the articles 11 in the bag 12"
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causes the flap portion 18' tear off from the wicker pins
17 and the bag falls on the support platform 23 or 23'.
As soon as the trap door 19 is open, the air jet 20 is
shut off by the control circuit 75.
It is within the ambit of the present invention
to cover any obvious modifications of the preferred
embodiment described herein, provided such modifications
fall within the scope of the appended claims. For
example, all types of articles may be directed in the
compartments of the collector. Also, the collector may
have only two compartments or a single compartment with
many articles discharged therein. Still further,
although the invention has been described with respect to
a pin sealer, the sealer may be a bar sealer and the
printing head may have incorporated therein other
information and even print a logo on the bag.
