U.S. patent application number 12/383724 was filed with the patent office on 2009-10-01 for empty bag supply method and empty bag supply devices.
This patent application is currently assigned to Toyo Jidoki Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Kakue Nakamoto, Shoji Tsutsui.
Application Number | 20090241475 12/383724 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40796966 |
Filed Date | 2009-10-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090241475 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tsutsui; Shoji ; et
al. |
October 1, 2009 |
Empty bag supply method and empty bag supply devices
Abstract
An empty bag supply method and empty bag supply device in which
a first suction-hold member suction-holds a bag set horizontally in
a conveyor magazine and the first suction-hold member is swung
upward so as to raise the front end of the bag, a grip member grips
a portion near the front end of the raised bag and suction-holding
of the bag by the first suction-hold member is released, the grip
member is swung upward and the bag is thus moved up while being
changed into a substantially vertical attitude, a second
suction-hold member suction-holds the front-side surface of the bag
in the substantially vertical attitude and the grip member opens to
release the bag; and when the grip member thus opens, unwanted
bag(s) adhering to the suction-held bag is dropped, and only the
bag suction-held by the second suction-hold member is moved
horizontally onto a bag support member.
Inventors: |
Tsutsui; Shoji;
(Iwakuni-shi, JP) ; Nakamoto; Kakue; (Iwakuni-shi,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges, LLP;Koda/Androlia
865 S. Figueroa Street, 10th Floor
Los Angeles
CA
90017
US
|
Assignee: |
Toyo Jidoki Co., Ltd.
|
Family ID: |
40796966 |
Appl. No.: |
12/383724 |
Filed: |
March 27, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
53/459 ;
53/386.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B 61/186 20130101;
B65B 43/18 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
53/459 ;
53/386.1 |
International
Class: |
B65B 43/26 20060101
B65B043/26; B65B 41/06 20060101 B65B041/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 28, 2008 |
JP |
2008-85095 |
Claims
1. An empty bag supply method comprising the steps of:
suction-holding, with a first suction-hold member, a top surface
near a front end of a bag-supply direction of an empty bag which is
at a top position inside a bag supply magazine, moving the first
suction-hold member upward to lift up the empty bag, gripping a
portion near the front end of the lifted-up empty bag by a grip
member and then releasing suction-holding of the bag by the first
suction-hold member, moving the grip member to transport the empty
bag to a first specified position and changing the empty bag to a
substantially vertical attitude, suction-holding by a second
suction-hold member a front-side surface in the bag-supply
direction of the empty bag which is in the substantially vertical
attitude, and moving the second suction-hold member to transport
the empty bag to a second specified position so as to hand over the
bag to an adjacent processing device.
2. The empty bag supply method according to claim 1, wherein the
second suction-hold member is moved to transport the empty bag to
the second specified position while changing the empty bag into a
substantially horizontal attitude, and then the empty bag is handed
over to the processing device.
3. The empty bag supply method according to claim 2, wherein a
plurality of the second suction-hold members are provided for each
empty bag, and the plurality of second suction-hold members
suction-hold at least two vertical points on the front-side surface
in the bag-supply direction of the empty bag.
4. The empty bag supply method according to claim 3, wherein the
empty bag is placed with one of a bag mouth side and a bag bottom
side thereof facing the bag-supply direction inside the bag supply
magazine, and upon changing the empty bag to the substantially
horizontal attitude, a lower side of the empty bag which is in a
substantially vertical attitude is caused to face a forward side in
the bag-supply direction, thus reversing an orientation of the bag
mouth side and bag bottom side of the empty bag from an orientation
thereof when the empty bag was inside the bag supply magazine.
5. The empty bag supply device comprising: a first suction-hold
member that moves back and forth between a first receiving position
and a first hand-over position, which is above the first receiving
position, the first suction-hold member suction-holding at the
first receiving position a top surface near a front end in a
bag-supply direction of the empty bag which is at a top position
inside a bag supply magazine, and then lifting up the suction-held
empty bag when the first suction-hold member comes to the first
hand-over position; a first suction-hold member moving mechanism
for moving the first suction-hold member back and forth between the
first receiving position and the first hand-over position; a grip
member that moves back and forth between a second receiving
position and a second hand-over position, wherein a grip surface of
the grip member, while the grip member is being moved from the
second receiving position to the second hand-over position, is
changed from a substantially horizontal state to a substantially
vertical state, and the grip member at the second receiving
position grips near the front end of the empty bag suction-held by
the first suction-hold member, which is at the first hand-over
position, and suspends the gripped empty bag in a substantially
vertical attitude when the grip member comes to the second
hand-over position; a grip member moving mechanism for moving the
grip member back and forth between the second receiving position
and the second hand-over position; a second suction-hold member
that moves back and forth between a third receiving position and a
third hand-over position, wherein the second suction-hold member at
the third receiving position suction-holds a front-side surface in
the bag-supply direction of the empty bag gripped by the grip
member when the second suction-hold member comes to the second
hand-over position and then hands over the empty bag to an adjacent
processing device when the second suction-hold member comes to the
third hand-over position; and a second suction-hold member moving
mechanism form moving the second suction-hold member back and forth
between the third receiving position and the third hand-over
position.
6. The empty bag supply device according to claim 5, wherein the
second suction-hold member moving mechanism changes a suction
surface of the second suction-hold member from a substantially
vertical state to a substantially horizontal state while the second
suction-hold member is being moved from the third receiving
position to the third hand-over position.
7. The empty bag supply device according to claim 6, wherein a
plurality of the second suction-hold members are provided for each
empty bag, and the plurality of second suction-hold members in a
vertical orientation suction-hold at least two vertical points on
the front-side surface in the bag-supply direction of the empty
bag.
8. The empty bag supply device according to claim 7, wherein the
second suction-hold member moving mechanism changes the suction
surface of the second suction-hold member from a substantially
vertical state to a substantially horizontal state and so as to
face downward while the second suction-hold member is being moved
from the third receiving position to the third hand-over
position.
9. The empty bag supply device according to any of claims 5 through
8, further comprising a suction-aid member which is installed below
the second hand-over position of the grip member and is moved back
and forth between an evacuation position, which avoids interference
between the grip member and the empty bag gripped by the grip
member, and a suction-aid position, which faces the suction surface
of the second suction-hold member that is at the third receiving
position, and a suction-aid member moving mechanism for moving the
suction-aid member back and forth between the evacuation position
and the suction-aid position, wherein at the suction-aid position
the suction-aid member faces the suction surface of the second
suction-hold member that is at the third receiving position and
supports a rear-side surface in the bag-supply direction of the
empty bag gripped by the grip member which is at the second
hand-over position.
10. The empty bag supply device according to any one of claims 5
through 8, wherein the grip member is comprised of grip sections,
and the grip section, which is positioned on a back side in the
bag-supply direction of the empty bag when the grip member is at
the second hand-over position, is provided with an extended portion
that faces the suction surface of the second suction-hold member
which is at the third receiving position, and the extended portion
supports the rear-side surface in the bag-supply direction of the
empty bag at the second hand-over position.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to an empty bag supply method
and an empty bag supply device for successively supplying empty
bags loaded and housed in a substantially horizontal state inside a
bag supply magazine to a processing device such as a bag packaging
apparatus, a device for manufacturing bags equipped spouts (spout
attaching apparatus) and the like.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] As disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Registration No.
2588135, Japanese Patent No. 3084539, and Japanese Patent
Application Laid-Open (Kokai) Nos. 2006-36325 and 2006-224546, a
technology in which a top-position empty bag of the empty bags
loaded and housed in a bag supply magazine (including the empty
bags which are in such a cascade like fashion that upper bags are
positioned forward than the lower bags in a bag supply direction as
seen in a conveyor magazine-type bag supply device) is supplied one
at a time in sequence to a bag packaging apparatus or a device for
manufacturing bags equipped with spouts is widely known.
[0005] In such a bag supply system, when bags in an empty bag group
loaded and housed in the bag supply magazine are in an adhered
state due to, for instance, static electricity, and if the top (the
upper-most) empty bag is held by suction with a suction disk and
picked up upward, such a problem sometimes occurs that an empty
bag(s) (one or a plurality) underneath the suction-held bag is also
picked up along with it (called a "multiple-bag pick-up"), and the
two (or more) bags are supplied together to a bag packaging
apparatus or to a device for manufacturing bags with spouts (called
a "multiple-bag supply").
[0006] To prevent this multiple-bag supply, in the Japanese Utility
Model Registration No. 2588135, resistance members that come in
contact with the empty bag raised by a suction disk are installed
in the upper portions of both side walls of the bag supply
magazine, so that the second (and subsequent empty) bag(s) raised
together with the top or the upper most empty bag is (are) brought
to contact the resistance members so as to be separated from the
top and suction-held empty bag. On the other hand, in the Japanese
Patent No. 3084539, the center portion of the top or the upper-most
empty bag is pressed lightly by a positioning bar, and then the
forward end of the top empty bag is suction-held by a suction disk,
and then the suction disk then turned slightly so that the forward
end of the suction-held empty bag is flipped slightly; and after
the air is blown into between the top empty bag and the second
empty bag to separate them, the suction disk is moved upward.
[0007] In any of the countermeasures described above, the bag(s)
beneath the top empty bag is (are) separated from the top empty bag
using a suction disk. However, due to the recent demands of
higher-speed bag supply process and shorter-time taking out of the
bags, an efficient bag separation cannot be-expected from the
relevant art described above.
[0008] Meanwhile, when a suction disk is used as a transporting
means for transporting the empty bags from the suction disk that
takes out the empty bag from the bag supply magazine and transfer
it to a specified empty bag receiving position (as seen in Japanese
Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 2006-36325), during the
transportation by the suction disk, air could flown into between
the suction-held empty bag (which is the top empty bag) and the
underneath empty bag adhered to the suction-held empty bag (second
and subsequent empty bags), so that the underneath empty bag(s)
drops and is thus separated from the top empty bag. In this case,
however, where the concerned empty bag(s) will drop is unknown; and
depending on the location the bag(s) drops, there is a possibility
that trouble will occur when taking out the next empty bag.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention is made in view of these kinds
problems seen in the conventional art.
[0010] It is, therefore, a general object of the present invention
to provide an empty bag supply method and an empty bag supply
device in which a multiple-bag supply is prevented when the top
empty bag is picked-up from the empty bag group loaded and housed
in a substantially horizontal state in a bag supply magazine and is
supplied to a bag packaging apparatus or to a device for
manufacturing bags equipped with spouts.
[0011] Another object of the present invention is to provide an
empty bag supply method and an empty bag supply device in which
when multiple-bag supply occurs, a second bag (and subsequent empty
bags) can be dropped (separated) without causing any interference
with a supply of the next bag.
[0012] The above objects are accomplished by unique steps of an
empty bag supply method of present invention, and the method
comprises the unique steps of:
[0013] suction-holding, with a first suction-hold member, the top
surface near the front end of the bag-supply direction of an empty
bag which is at the top position inside a bag supply magazine,
[0014] moving the first suction-hold member upward to lift up the
empty bag,
[0015] gripping a portion near the front end of the lifted-up empty
bag by a grip member and then releasing suction-holding of the bag
by the first suction-hold member,
[0016] moving the grip member to transport the empty bag to a first
specified position and changing the empty bag to a substantially
vertical attitude,
[0017] suction-holding by a second suction-hold member a front-side
surface in the bag-supply direction of the empty bag which is in
the substantially vertical attitude, and
[0018] moving the second suction-hold member to transport the empty
bag to a second specified position so as to hand over the bag to an
adjacent processing device.
[0019] In the above-described empty bag supply method of the
present invention, the second suction-hold member is moved to
transport the empty bag to the second specified position while
changing the empty bag into a substantially horizontal attitude,
and then the empty bag is handed over to the processing device.
[0020] In this structure, it is preferable that a plurality of the
second suction-hold members be provided for each empty bag, and the
plurality of second suction-hold members suction-hold at least two
vertical points on the front-side surface in the bag-supply
direction of the empty bag.
[0021] In a typically example, the empty bag is placed with the bag
mouth side or the bag bottom side facing the bag-supply direction
inside the bag supply magazine; and upon changing the empty bag to
the substantially horizontal attitude, the lower side of the empty
bag which is in a substantially vertical attitude is caused to face
the forward side in the bag-supply direction, thus reversing the
orientation of the bag mouth side and bag bottom side of the empty
bag from the orientation thereof when the empty bag was inside the
bag supply magazine.
[0022] The above objects are accomplished also by a unique
structure of the present invention for an empty bag supply device
that includes
[0023] a first suction-hold member that moves back and forth
between a first receiving position and a first hand-over position,
which is above the first receiving position, the first suction-hold
member suction-holding at the first receiving position a top
surface near the front end in a bag-supply direction of the empty
bag which is at a top position inside a bag supply magazine, and
then lifting up the suction-held empty bag when the first
suction-hold member comes to the first hand-over position;
[0024] a first suction-hold member moving mechanism for moving the
first suction-hold member back and forth between the first
receiving position and the first hand-over position;
[0025] a grip member that moves back and forth between a second
receiving position and a second hand-over position, wherein the
grip surface of the grip member, while the grip member is being
moved from the second receiving position to the second hand-over
position, is changed from a substantially horizontal state to a
substantially vertical state, and the grip member at the second
receiving position grips near the front end of the empty bag
suction-held by the first suction-hold member, which is at the
first hand-over position, and suspends the gripped empty bag in a
substantially vertical attitude when the grip member comes to the
second hand-over position;
[0026] a grip member moving mechanism for moving the grip member
back and forth between the second receiving position and the second
hand-over position;
[0027] a second suction-hold member that moves back and forth
between a third receiving position and a third hand-over position,
wherein the second suction-hold member at the third receiving
position suction-holds a front-side surface in the bag-supply
direction of the empty bag gripped by the grip member when the
second suction-hold member comes to the second hand-over position
and then hands over the empty bag to an adjacent processing device
when the second suction-hold member comes to the third hand-over
position; and
[0028] a second suction-hold member moving mechanism for moving the
second suction-hold member back and forth between the third
receiving position and the third hand-over position.
[0029] In this empty bag supply device, the second suction-hold
member moving mechanism changes the suction surface of the second
suction-hold member from a substantially vertical state to a
substantially horizontal state while the second suction-hold member
is being moved from the third receiving position to the third
hand-over position. By this changes in the second suction-hold
member, the empty bag suction-held by the second suction-hold
member is changed from a substantially vertical state to a
substantially horizontal state.
[0030] In this structure, it is preferable that a plurality of the
second suction-hold members be provided for each empty bag, and the
plurality of second suction-hold members in a vertical orientation
suction-hold at least two vertical points on the front-side surface
in the bag-supply direction of the empty bag.
[0031] In a typical example, the second suction-hold member moving
mechanism changes the suction surface of the second suction-hold
member from the substantially vertical state to the substantially
horizontal state and so as to face downward while the second
suction-hold member is being moved from the third receiving
position to the third hand-over position.
[0032] The above-described empty bag supply device of the present
invention can be further provided with a suction-aid member which
is installed below the second hand-over position of the grip member
and is moved back and forth between an evacuation position, which
avoids interference between the grip member and the empty bag
gripped by the grip member, and a suction-aid position, which faces
the suction surface of the second suction-hold member that is at
the third receiving position. In addition, a suction-aid member
moving mechanism for moving the suction-aid member back and forth
between the evacuation position and the suction-aid position can be
also provided.
[0033] In the structure above, at the suction-aid position the
suction-aid member faces the suction surface of the second
suction-hold member that is at the third receiving position and
supports the rear-side surface in the bag-supply direction of the
empty bag gripped by the grip member which is at the second
hand-over position.
[0034] In the above-described empty bag supply device of the
present invention, the grip member is comprised of grip sections,
and the grip section, which is positioned on a back side in the
bag-supply direction of the empty bag when the grip member is at
the second hand-over position, is provided with an extended portion
that faces the suction surface of the second suction-hold member
which is at the third receiving position, so that the extended
portion supports the rear-side surface in the bag-supply direction
of the empty bag at the second hand-over position.
[0035] As seen from the above, according to the present invention,
if a multiple-bag pickup has occurred when the top or the first
empty bag is picked-up by the first suction-hold member from the
bag supply magazine, those empty bags (including the top or first
empty bag and the second or subsequent bag(s)) are gripped by the
grip member, and in the process of being transported and converted
from a substantially horizontal attitude to a substantially
vertical attitude, the air flows into between the empty bags and
adhesion of the bags is eliminated; and when the bag surface of the
top or first empty bag is then suction-held by the second
suction-hold member and the gripped empty bag(s) is released from
the grip member, the second or subsequent empty bag(s) (or unwanted
empty bag(s) in the bags of the multiple-bag pickup) other than the
empty bag -actually suction-held by the second suction-hold member
is (are) dropped. Thus, a multiple-bag supply can be prevented.
[0036] Also, since the empty bags (including the top or first empty
bag and the second or subsequent bag(s)) that have been
suction-held and lifted up from the bag supply magazine by the
first suction-hold member are gripped by the grip member and
transported, the empty bags are avoided from dropping during this
transportation; and when the bag surface of the top or first empty
bag is suction-held by the second suction-hold member and the empty
bags are released from the grip by the grip member, then bags
except for the suction-held top or first bag are dropped
immediately. Accordingly, it is possible to have a stable one bag
supply (or a two bag supply in a W-type device) without having
trouble taking out the empty bags from the bag supply magazine and
transporting, and the unwanted (or the second or subsequent) empty
bag(s) is always dropped at a consistent location.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0037] FIG. 1 is top view of an example of a system in which the
empty bag supply device according to the present invention is
employed;
[0038] FIG. 2 is side view of the empty bag supply device according
to the present invention;
[0039] FIG. 3 is top view thereof;
[0040] FIG. 4 is cross sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in
FIG. 2(showing only the drive mechanism part;
[0041] FIG. 5 shows the relationship between the suction points by
the suction-hold members and the shape of the grip section of the
grip members.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0042] The present invention will be described below in detail with
reference to FIG. 1 through FIG. 4.
[0043] First, FIG. 1 shows an example of the empty bag supply
device according to the present invention used in a rotary-type bag
manufacturing device 1 for manufacturing bags that are equipped
spouts.
[0044] The spout-equipped bag manufacturing device 1 includes a
plurality of bag support members 3 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) installed on
the periphery of an intermittently rotating table 2; and while the
table 2 makes one rotation, the bag manufacturing device 1 receives
bags 4, in each of which the bag top edge part 4a is opened and the
shoulder part 4b is cut diagonally, and then holds the bags 4
horizontally on the bag support members 3. A spout 5 is inserted in
the shoulder part 4b of each one of the bags 4, the spout 5 is
adhered to the shoulder part 4b, and thus a bag 6 equipped with a
diagonal spout is manufactured (see Japanese Patent Application
Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 2006-224546). The bag manufacturing bag
device 1 is a W-type device designed to manufacture two bags at
once; and thus ten sets of bag support members 3 with each set
comprising two bag supporting members 3 are provided at equal angle
intervals.
[0045] More specifically, the table 2 stops ten times while it
makes one rotation, and at each stop position, each one of the bag
manufacturing steps for manufacturing the bag 6 equipped with a
diagonal spout is performed in sequence. In other words, at stop
position I a conveyor magazine-type bag supply device 7 (only the
tip part of the bag supply magazine 7a is shown) is provided, and
two bags 4 are simultaneously supplied onto the bag supply members
3 via the empty bag supply device 8 of the present invention (the
conveyor magazine-type bag supply device 7 and the empty bag supply
device 8 are also W-type devices). In the conveyor magazine type
bag supply device 7, an empty bag group is loaded with the bag
mouth of each one of the bags facing the forward direction in the
bag supply magazine 7a and skewed in the longitudinal direction so
that the top bag is positioned forward than the other bags
underneath; and two bag groups side by side are sent forward in a
substantially horizontal attitude, so that the tip end of the bag
of each group at the top position abuts a stopper 9 (see FIG. 2)
that is provided positioning of the bags. The bags 4 positioned
inside the bag supply magazine 7a are, as will be described below,
supplied to the bag support members 3 by the empty bag supply
device 8 with the bag mouth side and the bag bottom side directions
reversed (from those of the bags which were inside the bag supply
magazine) and in a substantially horizontal attitude.
[0046] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, corresponding to each one of the
bag support members 3, a bag holding member (comprising a movable
member 11 and a stationary receiving member 12) is provided
vertically with a bag support surface 3a in between. The movable
member 11 of the bag holding member is installed so that it swings
vertically on the table 2, and the receiving member 12 of the bag
holding member is installed on the bag support member 3. The
movable member 11 and the receiving member 12 respectively have
gripping portions 11a and 12a at the tip ends in the radial
direction. When a bag 4 is placed on the bag support surface 3a, an
air cylinder 14 operates so that the movable member 11 swings
downward, and thus the gripping portion 11a thereof is moved down,
and an area near the top edge part 4a of the bag 4 is gripped by
the gripping portion 11a of the movable member 11 and the gripping
portion 12a of the receiving member 12. Each one of the bag support
members 3 is supported so as to swing on the table 2 within the
vertical plane parallel to the radial direction of the table 2, and
the bag support member 3 is tilted by the air cylinder 15.
[0047] At stop position II, a bag positioning device 16 is
provided, and positioning of the bags 4 on the bag support member 3
is made by this bag positioning device 16. When the positioning of
the bags is performed, the movable member 11 of the bag holding
member is raised by the air cylinder 14 and temporarily releases
the bag 4, the positioning of the bag 4 is done, the movable member
11 is then lowered and again grips the bag 4, and the bag 4 is held
substantially in horizontal at a predetermined position on the bag
support member 3.
[0048] At stop position III, spout supply devices 17 and 18 are
provided, and a device (not illustrated) for opening the bag mouth
is also provided. Opening of the shoulder part 4b of each bag 4 and
supply of the spout 5 (insertion of the spout into the shoulder
part 4b ) to each bag 4 are performed at this stop position III. A
spout grip member 19 (see FIG. 3) that can open and close
vertically are provided on the table 2 so as to correspond to each
bag support member 3, and the spout 5 inserted in the shoulder part
4b of the bag 4 is gripped by this spout grip member 19 and held at
a predetermined position.
[0049] Sealing devices (only their heating plates 21, 22, and 23
are shown) are provided at stop positions IV to VI, and a cooling
device (only its cooling plate 24 is shown) is provided at stop
position VII; and thus adhesion sealing and cooling of the spout 5
and the shoulder part 4b of the bag 4 are performed at these stop
positions IV to VIII.
[0050] A testing device 25 that tests the attachment position of
the spout 5 is provided at stop position VIII; and when test
signals are received and the attachment of the spout 5 to the bag 4
is determined to be defective, the air cylinder 15 operates during
the rotation of the table 2, the bag support member 3 is thus
tilted outward and downward, and the defective bag(s) is
ejected.
[0051] At stop position IX, bags 6 equipped with diagonal spouts
are taken out by a bag transfer device (not illustrated) and
transported to a bag packaging device (not illustrated).
[0052] The empty bag supply device 8 provided between the table 2
and the conveyor magazine-type bag supply device 7 includes an
empty bag take-out means that takes out the bags 4 from the bag
supply magazine 7a; a first empty bag transport means that receives
the bags 4 from the empty bag take-out means, transports them in a
circular trajectory, and moves them into a substantially vertical
attitude; and a second empty bag transport means that receives the
bags 4 from the first empty bag transport means, moves the bags
into a horizontal attitude, and transports the bags to and places
them in the bag support members 3 of the bag manufacturing device
1.
[0053] The empty bag take-out means of the empty bag supply device
8 is comprised of first suction-hold members 26 that are moved back
and forth between the lower first receiving position and the first
hand-over position which is set above the first receiving position.
The empty bag take-out means is further comprised of a first
suction-hold member moving mechanism 27 that makes the
back-and-forth movement of the first suction-hold members 26
between the first receiving position and the first hand-over
position. In FIG. 2, the first suction-hold member 26 at the first
receiving position is shown by the solid lines, and it is shown by
the imaginary lines (dotted lines) when it is at the first
hand-over position; and the movement path of the first suction-hold
member 26 is shown by the two-headed arrow A1. As seen from FIG. 2,
the first suction-hold member moving mechanism 27 comprises, among
others, a lever 28 that supports the first suction-hold member 26
and a shaft 29 on which the lever 28 is mounted. The first
suction-hold member 26 is connected to a switching valve and a
vacuum source (not illustrated) by a vacuum pipe.
[0054] At the first receiving position, the suction surface of each
of the first suction-hold members 26 faces substantially
horizontally downward and suction-holds the top surface near the
front end in the bag-supply direction of the top or first empty bag
4 that is inside the bag supply magazine 7a and positioned abutting
the stopper 9. While swinging rearward (rearward in the bag-supply
direction of the empty bag 4 or to the right side in FIG. 2), the
first suction-hold member 26 is raised and moved to the first
hand-over position, so that the suction-held empty bag 4 is raised
and the front end part of the bag is lifted. There are two of the
first suction-hold members 26 (a left/right pair) provided for each
empty bag (see the suctioned points A of each one of the bags 4 in
FIG. 5).
[0055] The first empty bag transport means of the empty bag supply
device 8 is comprised of a grip member 31 that moves back and forth
between a second receiving position and a second hand-over position
that is above the second receiving position and where the grip
member 31 is raised along a circular path so as to be at an upward
front side of the second receiving position (or the front side in
the bag-supply direction of the empty bag 4). The first empty bag
transport means is further comprised of a grip member moving
mechanism 32 that makes back-and-forth movement of the grip member
31 between the second receiving position and the second hand-over
position. In FIG. 2, the grip member 31 at the second receiving
position is shown by the imaginary lines (dotted lines), and the
grip member 31 at the second hand-over position is shown by the
solid lines, and the movement path of the substantially circular.
shape is depicted by the two-headed arrow A2.
[0056] As shown in FIG. 3, the grip member 31 has two grip sections
33 and 34 which have a width (horizontal direction width) that is
enough for the grip sections 33 and 34 to grip two bags 4
simultaneously as shown in FIG. 3; and of these two grip sections
33 and 34, the grip section 34, as shown in FIG. 5, is positioned
on the back side of the bag 4 (or the rearward in the bag-supply
direction of the empty bag 4) when it comes to the second hand-over
position, and this grip section 34 has extended portions 34a
extending in a tongue shape and are positioned so as to correspond
to the middle portion of each one of the bags 4 in the bag's width
direction. The grip section 34 is fixed to the swing lever 35
described later, and the grip section 33 is axially supported on
the swing lever 35 so as to be swingable within the vertical plane
along the bag-supply direction of the bag 4; and thus by the
operation of the air cylinder 36 provided on the swing lever 35,
the grip section 34 and the grip section 33 are opened and
closed.
[0057] The grip member moving mechanism for the grip member 31 is
comprised of the swing lever 35 and a fulcrum shaft 37 axially
supported in a box frame 30 in a rotatable fashion. The grip member
moving mechanism is further comprised of a swing arm 38 fixed at
its one end to the fulcrum shaft 37 and rotatably connected at its
other end to a shaft member 40 that is fixed to the intermediate
position of the swing lever 35, a link 41 that links the rear end
of the swing lever 35 and a link support member 39 installed on the
box frame 30, and a vertically swingable ascending-descending lever
43 of which one end is fixed to the fulcrum shaft 37 and the other
end is linked to a drive source (not illustrated) via a linking
member 42 (see FIG. 4). When the ascending-descending lever 43
swings vertically, the swing arm 38 swings within the vertical
plane along the bag-supply direction of the bag 4, and the swing
lever 35 also swings along a substantially circular-shaped path,
and the grip member 31 is thus moved back and forth along the
moving path between the second receiving position and the second
hand-over position.
[0058] When the ascending-descending lever 43 swings vertically,
the grip member 31 is moved up and moved down. More specifically,
when the ascending-descending lever 43 swings down, the grip
sections 33 and 34 of the grip member 31, which are opened, are
moved to the second receiving position; and at the second receiving
position, they are closed so as to grip the front end part of the
bag 4, which is lifted by the first suction-hold member 26 that has
come to the first hand-over position, across the full width of the
bag 4. Subsequently, the first suction-hold member 26 is vented and
the bag 4 is thus released from the first suction-hold member 26.
When the ascending-descending lever 43 swings upward, the grip
sections 33 and 34 are moved up toward the second hand-over
position, and during this upward movement, the gripped surface of
the bag 4 is changed from a substantially horizontal state to a
substantially vertical state; and when the grip sections 33 and 34
came to the second hand-over position, the bag 4 gripped by the
grip sections 33 and 34 is suspended in a substantially vertical
attitude.
[0059] As seen from FIG. 5, the suction points A of the first
suction-hold member 26 are set at both sides of the extended
portion 34a of the grip section 34 of the grip member 31.
Accordingly, there is no mutual interference between the grip
member 31 that has come to the second receiving position and the
first suction-hold member 26.
[0060] The second empty bag transport means of the empty bag supply
device 8 is comprised of two second suction-hold members 44 and 45
that are moved back and forth between the upper third receiving
position and the lower third hand-over position which is at the
front side below the upper third receiving position (the front side
in the bag-supply direction of the empty bag 4), and the second
empty bag transport means further includes a second suction-hold
member moving mechanism 46 that makes the back-and-forth movement
of the second suction-hold members 44 and 45 between the upper
third receiving position and the lower third hand-over position. In
FIG. 2, the second suction-hold members 44 and 45 at the third
receiving position are shown by the solid lines and by imaginary
lines (dotted lines) when it is at the third hand-over position.
Since the bag supply device 8 is a W-type device, the second
suction-hold members 44 and 45 are provided as one set for each bag
4 and for a total of two sets.
[0061] The second suction-hold members 44 and 45 of the second
empty bag transport means are linked by a conduit tube 47 of a
specified length; and a conduit tube 48 of the second suction-hold
member 44 is fixed to an attachment stay 49 described later and,
furthermore, is connected to a switching valve and a vacuum source
(not illustrated) by a vacuum pipe 51. At the third receiving
position, the second suction-hold member 44 is, as seen from FIG.
2, positioned at an upper side, and the second suction-hold member
45 is at a lower side or below the suction-hold member 44; and at
the third hand-over position, they are substantially at the same
height level.
[0062] The second suction-hold member moving mechanism 46 of the
second empty bag transport means is comprised of a fulcrum shaft
52, of which one end is axially supported so as to be able to
rotate horizontally on the box frame 30, and a swing arm 53, of
which one end is fixed to the fulcrum shaft 52. The attachment stay
49 of the second suction-hold member moving mechanism 46 is
rotatably provided at its base part 49a on the shaft member 53a,
which is at the other end of the swing arm 53, and it extends
horizontally. The second suction-hold member moving mechanism 46
further includes a shaft member 54 fixed to the base part 49a of
the attachment stay 49, a guide block 55 slidably provided on the
shaft member 54, a shaft receiving member 58 and a vertically
swingable ascending-descending lever 61. The shaft receiving member
58 is fixed to a support member 56, which is installed on the box
frame 30, and rotatably supports the shaft member 57 of the guide
block 55, and the vertically swingable ascending-descending lever
61 is fixed at one end thereof to the fulcrum shaft 52 and linked
at another end thereof to a drive source (not illustrated) via the
linking member 59 (see FIG. 4).
[0063] In the above-described structure, when the
ascending-descending lever 61 swings vertically, the swing arm 53
swings within the vertical plane in the bag-supply direction of the
bag 4, and the attachment stay 49 also swings vertically (see the
two-headed arrow A3 in FIG. 2). Also, when the attachment stay 49
swings downward, as can be seen from the solid lines and imaginary
lines (dotted lines) in FIG. 2, the attachment stay 49 rotates
substantially 180.degree. in the reverse direction (rightward
rotation in FIG. 2) with respect to the bag-supply direction of the
bag 4 with the shaft member 53a of the swing arm 53 as the center.
Ultimately, the attachment stay 49 makes a rotation of
substantially 90.degree. in the opposite direction with respect to
the bag-supply direction with a summation of a substantially
90.degree. rotation in the forward direction with respect to the
bag-supply direction caused by the swing motion of the swing arm 53
and a substantially 180.degree. rotation in the reverse direction
described above with the shaft member 53a of the swing arm 53 at
the center.
[0064] The second suction-hold members 44 and 45 of the second
empty bag transport means are provided so that, as described above,
they are positioned above and below (the suction-hold member 44
being above the other suction-hold member 45) at the third
receiving position, and the suction surfaces of the second
suction-hold members 44 and 45 face the substantially vertical back
side (back side in the bag-supply direction). Thus, the suction
surfaces of the second suction-hold members 44 and 45 suction-hold
the front-side surface of the bag 4 (forward surface of the bag
with respect to the bag-supply direction), which is gripped by the
grip member 31 that has come to the second hand-over position and
is in a substantially vertical attitude, so that the bag 4 is
suction-held at two vertical points in the width direction center
part thereof (In other word, as seen from FIG. 5, the suction
surface of the upper suction-hold member 44 suction-holds the bag
at B1 which is close to the bag mouth of the bag 4, and the suction
surface of the lower suction-hold member 45 suction-holds the bag
at B2 which is close to the center bottom of the bag).
Subsequently, the grip members 31 of the first empty bag transport
means are opened, and after the bags 4 are thus released from the
grip members 31, the second suction-hold members 44 and 45 of the
second empty bag transport means swing downward toward the third
hand-over position when the attachment stay 49 swings to the
downward forward side by the swing motion of the swing arm 53; and
when the second suction-hold members 44 and 45 rotate about the
shaft member 53a of the swing arm 53 and come to the third
hand-over position, the suction surfaces of the second suction-hold
members 44 and 45 take a substantially horizontal state and face
down, and thus the bags 4 are also changed from a substantially
vertical attitude to a substantially horizontal attitude.
[0065] At the third hand-over position, the bags 4 are placed on
the bag support member 3 of the bag manufacturing device for
manufacturing bags equipped spouts (see the imaginary lines (dotted
lines) in FIG. 2), the moveable members 11 are moved down, and a
portion near the top edge part 4a of each one of the bags 4 is
gripped between the moveable members 11 and the receiving members
12, the second suction-hold members 44 and 45 are vented to the
atmosphere to release the bags 4, and subsequently, the second
suction-hold members 44 and 45 are raised back to the third
receiving position.
[0066] During the above-described movements, since two vertical
points of each one of the bags 4 are suction-held by the second
suction-hold members 44 and 45 as described above, though the
suction-hold members 44 and 45 are rotated during the movement, it
is possible to securely hold (the attitude of) the bags 4.
[0067] The empty bag supply device 8 is further provided with two
suction-aid means that assures reliable suction-holing by the
second suction-hold members 44 and 45.
[0068] One suction-aid means is a suction-aid means for the second
suction-hold member 44 that is positioned at the upper side at the
third receiving position. This suction-aid means is the extended
portions 34a formed on the grip section 34 that are on the back
side when the grip members 31 come to the second hand-over
position. When the second suction-hold member 44 suction-holds the
front-side surface of the bag 4 which is in a substantially
vertical attitude by being gripped by the grip member 31 at the
third receiving position (see suction point B1 in FIG. 5), the
extended portion 34a facing the suction surface of the second
suction-hold member 44 supports the rear-side surface of the bag 4.
In this way, suction-holding of the bag 4 by the second
suction-hold member 44 is assured.
[0069] The other suction-aid means is a suction-aid means for the
other second suction-hold member 45 which comes to a lower side at
the third receiving position, and it is a suction-aid means 62
provided at a lower position of (or below) the second hand-over
position of the grip member 31. The suction-aid means 62 is, as
seen from FIG. 2, comprised of a plate-shaped suction-aid member 63
and a suction-aid member moving mechanism 64. The plate-shaped
suction-aid member 63 is moved by the suction-aid member moving
mechanism 64 back and forth between the evacuation position, at
which it takes a substantially horizontal state, and the
suction-aid position, at which it takes a substantially vertical
state; and the suction-aid member moving mechanism 64 makes the
back-and-forth movement of the suction-aid member 63 between the
evacuation position and the suction-aid position (see FIG. 4). In
FIG. 2, the suction-aid member 63 at the evacuation position is
shown by the imaginary lines (dotted line) and shown by the solid
lines when it is at the suction-aid position, and the movement
(swing) path of the suction-aid member 63 is shown by the
two-headed arrow A4. The bag supply device 8 is a W-type device,
and thus two of the suction-aid members 63 are provided in
parallel.
[0070] As seen from FIG. 4, the suction-aid member moving mechanism
64 is comprised of a fulcrum shaft 65 rotatably provided in the box
frame 30 (two suction-aid members 63 are provided) and a vertically
swingable ascending-descending lever 67 of which one end is fixed
to the fulcrum shaft 65 and the other end is linked to a drive
source (not illustrated) via the linking member 66. When the
ascending-descending lever 67 swings vertically, the fulcrum shaft
65 rotates, and thus the suction-aid member 63 swings and moves
back-and-forth between the evacuation position and the suction-aid
position.
[0071] The suction-aid members 63 avoid interference with the bags
4, which are gripped by the grip members 31, and the grip members
31 at the evacuation position; and after the grip members 31 pass
through above the suction-aid members 63 and come to the second
hand-over position, the suction-aid members 63 are moved to the
suction-aid position. Each of the suction-aid members 63 that has
come to the suction-aid position faces the suction surface of the
second suction-hold member 45 and touches to support the rear-side
surface of the bag 4 when the second suction-hold member 45
suction-holds the front-side surface of the bag 4 that is gripped
by the grip member 31 and in a substantially vertical attitude (see
suction point B2 in FIG. 5). In this way, the suction-holding of
the bag 4 by the second suction-hold member 45 is assured.
[0072] In the empty bag supply device 8 described above, if a
multiple-bag pickup occurs when the top-position (upper-most) bag 4
is picked up by the first suction-hold member 26 from the bag
supply magazine 7a, all the bags (top-position (upper-most) or
first bag and subsequent bag(s)) are gripped by the grip member(s)
31 and then transported. Accordingly, no drop of unwanted
(subsequent) bag(s) during the transportation occurs; and thus
since no bag(s) drops on, for instance, the bag supply magazine 7a,
a trouble that would occur when picking up the next bag 4 from the
conveyor magazine-type bag supply device 7 can be prevented.
[0073] When multiple-bag pickup does occur, those bags
(top-position (upper-most) or first bag and subsequent bag(s)) are
gripped by the grip member 31, and in the process of transporting
while being converted from a substantially horizontal attitude to a
substantially vertical attitude, air flows into between the bags
and the adhered state of the bags is thus eliminated. Accordingly,
when the front-side surface of the gripped first bag is
suction-held by the second suction-hold members 44 and 45 and this
gripped bag is released from the gripping by the grip member 31,
only the bag actually suction-held by the second suction-hold
members 44 and 45 (which is the top-position (upper-most) or first
bag) remains suction-held "as is" by the second suction-hold
members 44 and 45, and the bag(s) that is not suction-held
(unwanted empty bag(s) in the multiple-bag pickup) drops at that
location. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a supply of bag(s)
in the multiple-bag pickup to a device for manufacturing bags
equipped with spouts without releasing the unwanted empty bag(s);
and since the bag drop position is consistent, it is also possible
to prevent the unwanted bag(s) from dropping on the table 2 or on
the bag support member 3 of the device for manufacturing bags
equipped spouts.
[0074] The above-described empty bag supply device 8 is only one
example of the present invention, and it is possible to provide
modifications as described below within the technical scope of the
present invention.
[0075] (1) In the structure described above, at the third receiving
position, the second suction-hold members 44 and 45 suction-hold
the bag 4 in a substantially vertical attitude with their suction
surfaces facing backward in a substantially vertical attitude; and
during the process of being moved to the third hand-over position,
the suction surfaces are rotated substantially 90.degree. in the
opposite direction to the bag-supply direction, so that at the
third hand-over position, the suction surfaces are in a
substantially horizontal state facing downward. However, for
example, it is possible to fix the attachment stay 49 to the swing
arm 53 so that the suction surfaces can make only a forward-facing
rotation of substantially 90.degree. by the swing motion of the
swing arm 53, and at the third hand-over position, the suction
surface is in a substantially horizontal state and faces upward on
the bag support member. In this structure, however, reversing in
the direction of the bag 4 bag mouth side and the bag bottom side
between the bag in the bag supply magazine 7a and the bag
transferred onto the bag support member 3 does not occur. It is
also necessary to prevent interference between the bag support
member and the second suction-hold member.
[0076] (2) In the structure described above, so as to assure the
orientation of the bag 4 while it is moved from the third receiving
position to the third hand-over position by the second suction-hold
members 44 and 45, two vertical points of the bag 4 are
suction-held by the two second suction-hold members 44 and 45.
However, it is also acceptable to suction-hold only one point or to
suction-hold three or more points on the bag.
[0077] (3) In the structure described above, the bag 4 is changed
from its substantially vertical attitude to its substantially
horizontal attitude while the bag 4 is being moved by the second
suction-hold members 44 and 45 from the third receiving position to
the third hand-over position, and this is done so as to supply the
bag 4 in a horizontal attitude to a device for manufacturing bags
equipped spouts which is the bag supply destination. However, when,
for example, supplying bags to a pair of grippers of a typical
rotary-type bag packaging apparatus, bags are supplied in a
substantially vertical attitude; and thus, in this situation, the
second suction-hold members holding the bag can be simply moved
horizontally, for example, from the third receiving position to the
third hand-over position with the bag 4 being held in a
substantially vertical attitude.
[0078] (4) Furthermore, in the above-described structure, the
suction-aid holding is made possible by the extended portion 34a of
the grip section 34 of the grip member 31 for the second
suction-hold member 44 and by the suction-aid member 63 for the
other second suction-hold member 45. However, for example when the
suction-holding point is only one in the upper portion of a bag,
then it is not necessary to provide the suction-aid member 63.
Furthermore, it is also possible to omit the extended portion 34a
and to provide the suction-aid member 63 only.
* * * * *