Apparatus For Advancing And Retracting A Dispenser Body To And From A Bag Applicator

Abstract

A ram picks up a dispenser body from a dispenser body feed and indexer and carries the body to a bag applicator, where a bag is applied over an upper flange of the body and is drawn inside of the body by vacuum applied through an indexing head of the ram. As the ram retracts from the bag applicator, fingers of the ram engaged to the dispenser body over a bottom flange thereof carry the dispenser body to the feed and indexer where the dispenser body retaining fingers open and the dispenser body is stripped from the ram by lugs. Index wheels of the feed and indexer rotate 90.degree. to bring a new dispenser body into position for its capture and advance by the ram to the bag applicator, and to discharge the dispenser body which has just had a bag attached to it.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates in general to apparatus for fabricating fluid dispensers of the pressurized type wherein a barrier bag separates a pressurizing propellant from a product to be dispensed and, more in particular, to an apparatus used to advance and retract dispenser bodies to and from an apparatus for attaching bags to the bodies.

It is well recognized that pressurized dispensers employing a barrier between a pressurizing propellant and a product to be dispensed have several advantages over "aerosol" type dispensers where the propellant and the product are mixed together. One of the advantages of employing a barrier to separate a product to be dispensed from the pressurizing propellant which dispenses the product is that the character and texture of the product need not be affected by the presence of a propellant. Other advantages include the fact that in a barrier equipped dispenser the weight of a product per unit volume of dispenser is much larger, extremely viscous products such as heavy creams and cheeses can be dispensed, and product-propellant chemical compatibility need not be of concern. Because of these advantages, dispensers employing product-propellant separation barriers have come into increased usage.

One of the most promising of the barrier type dispensers employs a flexible bag attached between a covering dome and a body of the dispenser in a seam connecting the two. The bag extends deep into the dispenser body. The product to be dispensed is on one side of the bag and a pressurizing propellant is on the other. The type of dispenser is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,393,842 to John K. Bruce and Theodore R. Bruce.

As described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,523,492 to John K. Bruce and Roger K. Bruce, it is necessary to attach the bag of the dispenser to a dispenser body prior to the seaming of the covering dome to the body in order to effect a construction having the bag sandwiched between the dome and body throughout the extent of the seam. To do this, what is known as a "tube" or "bag" applicator is used to stretch the mouth of the bag open enough for the bag to accept the flange of the body. To stretch the mouth of the bag, to applicator has radially expandible fingers which stretch a bag received by them into a diameter large enough to pass over the flange of the dispenser body. With a dispenser body in place within the expanded fingers, the bag is stripped from the fingers and is captured by the flange and the body.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,523,492 also discloses the drawing of a bag into a dispenser body by vacuum applied interiorly of the body. Vacuum is applied through the ram that advances and retracts dispenser bodies to and from the bag applicator.

Obviously, in commercial production facilities each bag must be attached to its dispenser body as quickly as possible. This means that the mechanism for getting a dispenser body from some source, advancing it to the bag applicator, and subsequently withdrawing the dispenser body with an attached bag from the bag applicator for subsequent handling must be very rapid. In addition, it is necessary that the advance and retraction apparatus be very reliable to insure continuous production. The advance and retraction apparatus must also be extremely accurate in indexing the bag in the interior of a dispenser body to be sure that repeatable fill measures are obtained. It is also desirable that the apparatus be as simple as possible and as economical to produce and run as is commensurate with the other objectives stated here.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an apparatus for advancing dispenser bodies to an apparatus which applies a thin, flexible bag over a first end thereof, retracts the dispenser body with the applied bag from the bag applicator, and discharges the assembled bag and dispenser body from the apparatus.

A ram mounted for reciprocal movement on a frame has a head for engaging dispenser bodies and transporting them to and from the bag applicator. Fingers on the ram are selectively operable to engage and disengage a dispenser body in order to carry the dispenser bodies to and from the bag applicator.

Means are also provided for feeding dispenser bodies to the ram. The feed means preferably includes an indexing wheel mounted for rotation along an axis parallel to the line of reciprocation of the ram. The indexing wheel has a plurality of dispenser body receiving cradles disposed around its perimeter for successive rotation into the path of a ram for the ram's pickup of a dispenser body and return of the dispenser body. A drive for the indexing wheel advances one cradle at a time in step-like manner into the path of the advancing ram. During pickup of a dispenser body and its return to the indexing wheel the indexing wheel is stationary. The dispenser body is stripped from the ram's head by a mechanism on the indexing wheel and a frame of the apparatus. After the ram clears the indexing wheel, the stripped dispenser body is discharged down a discharge chute by a rotation of the indexing wheel. The discharge of a completed bag and dispenser body subassembly by rotation of the indexing wheel corresponds to the bringing of a new dispenser body into position in the path of the ram on the ram's next advance stroke. In other words, during each discrete rotation of the indexing wheel a dispenser body is brought into position to be picked up by the ram and brought back to the indexing wheel while a preceding cradle rotates a completed dispenser body-bag subassembly for discharge.

Preferably the means for seating the dispenser bodies on the ram include a pair of diametrically opposed lugs. One of these lugs is disposed on the interior perimeter of each of the cradles of the indexing wheel to act on a dispenser body against the force of the ram. The other lug is disposed on the frame to one side of the line of reciprocal motion of the ram to act on the dispenser body against the force of the ram. Each lug is pivotally mounted for pivotal movement between a contracted and an expanded position. Each lug is also spring biased into its contracted position. Heads on the lug in the contracted position are in the path of a dispenser body being advanced or retracted with the ram. An interior face on each of the heads is responsible for engaging an upper seaming flange of the dispenser body and providing a slight resistance to the force of the ram to seat the dispenser body on the head of the ram. A face on each of the heads facing outwardly towards the bag applicator is disposed to engage the upper seaming flange of a dispenser body during the retraction of the ram from the bag applicator to strip the dispenser body from the ram. Obviously, these faces are spaced apart a slight distance along the line of ram movement. The fingers of the ram must engage a dispenser body while the dispenser body is being held in a cradle of the indexing wheel. Accordingly, the fingers must close to engage the dispenser body as the ram picks up a dispenser body and before the dispenser body leaves the influence of the cradles. On the return or retraction of a completed dispenser body from the bag applicator, it is necessary to open the fingers to release the dispenser body for its stripping from the ram. Obviously, this closing and opening of the fingers occurs at different points along the line of ram movement. Consequently the means for opening and closing the ram's fingers must do so with the slight distance between the seating face and stripping face of the lugs taken into consideration.

Preferably the accommodation of the different distance along the line of ram movement where the ram's fingers open and close is effected by a mechanism which briefly includes a cam and a cam follower with the cam follower operatively coupled to the ram's fingers for the latters' opening and closing. The cam is a linear cam having two cam surfaces, with one cam surface corresponding to the open position of the fingers and the other surface corresponding to the closed position of the fingers. To effect the difference in when the fingers open and close with respect to the point on the line of movement of the ram, the cam itself is moved between the closing and opening of the fingers during each cycle of the ram.

The fingers preferably extend from a mounting point on an actuator shaft, coaxially disposed in the ram, outwardly and axially of the ram and present teeth-like engaging ends for passing over and engaging a seaming flange of a dispenser body. It is also preferred that the fingers be mounted in the ram for a limited axial movement as well as the limited radial movement. The axial movement is to effect a pulling of the seaming flange against a seat or washer on the ram's head, while the radial movement is to effect the engagement and disengagement of a dispenser body. The actuator shaft is spring biased to a fingers-closed position. The linkage between the cam follower and the actuator shaft is also spring biased by the same spring so that there is no slop or lost motion in the linkage and cam follower.

It is preferred to mount the ram on a ram carriage and to drive both in reciprocation by a pair of cranks disposed at either end of the carriage and operatively coupled to a ram drive shaft. This preference is to ensure that the ram reciprocates true with respect to the indexing wheel and bag applicator without excessively heavy drive and ram carriage components.

It is also preferred to have the head of the ram configured in the shape of an arch to complement the arch-shaped bottom drawn into the bag as the bag is drawn into the dispenser by vacuum. By having this arch shape configuration and, in addition, by having vacuum applied to the interior of the dispenser through the flanks of the arches in the head, the bag will be drawn into register with the flanks and an accurate and repeatable fill measure will be effected.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description, appended claims and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the improved apparatus of the present invention for advancing a dispenser body to a bag attachment mechanism, withdrawing the dispenser body with the bag attached to it from the attachment mechanism, and for discharging the dispenser body and attached bag. The Figure is partly broken away and partly fragmented;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of the improved ram, ram carriage, and ram finger control mechanism of the apparatus of FIG. 1 taken generally along lines 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, front elevational view of a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 1 illustrating particularly the front end of the ram and the ram's finger control mechanism, the view being taken generally along lines 3--3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an elevational side view of a dispenser body feed and indexing mechanism, partly fragmentary, of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1, taken generally along the lines 4--4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, elevational front view of the dispenser body feed and indexing mechanism of FIG. 4 taken in general along the lines 5--5 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, elevational view of a dispenser body in the index wheels of the dispenser body feed and indexing mechanism of the last two Figures illustrating the ram of the present invention picking up a dispenser body and, in phantom, the stripping of a dispenser body from a ram.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The apparatus of the present invention is designed to advance a container or dispenser body into an apparatus for applying a thin, flexible follower or bag to the body, and the subsequent withdrawal of the dispenser body with attached bag. The invention is limited to the means for advancing the dispenser body into the apparatus for attaching a bag to it, for the subsequent withdrawal of the body and attached bag from the bag attachment apparatus, and the discharge of the body and attached bag from the apparatus of the present invention. Appropriate means for applying the bag to the body are described in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,523,492 to John K. Bruce and Roger K. Bruce.

In general, the apparatus of the present invention has a ram assembly which advances to pick up a dispenser body positioned and held by an index wheel, and to advance the dispenser body into a position where a bag is placed over an open end thereof and drawn inside the body. After the bag is attached, the ram withdraws the body and attached bag from the bag applicator into the index wheel, and releases the body. The index wheel advances one-quarter of a turn to discharge the completed dispenser body into a discharge chute and place another dispenser body into position to be picked up by the ram as it advances in its next feed stroke.

With reference to FIG. 1, the apparatus of the present invention can be viewed as three subassemblies. A first subassembly is a ram assembly 10. This assembly includes a pair of rams 12 and 14 carried by a ram carriage 16. The ram carriage, in turn, is driven through a crank and connecting rod combination 18 for reciprocal movement toward and away from a second of the subassemblies, the apparatus' dispenser body feed and indexing assembly 20.

The feed and indexing assembly includes two identical dispenser body feed and indexing assemblies 22 and 24 for rams 12 and 14, respectively. Because they are identical, only one of the feed and indexing assemblies will be described in detail.

As seen especially clearly in FIGS. 4 and 5, feed and indexing assembly 22 includes an infeed chute 26 and a discharge chute 28. The infeed chute stores and directs dispenser bodies for feeding dispenser bodies into cradles 30, 32, 34 and 36 of a pair of coaxially disposed indexing wheels 38 and 40. The cradles for index wheel 38 are the only ones shown explicitly, but the cradles for index wheel 40 are the same and are arranged to cooperate with the illustrated cradles for holding and transporting dispenser bodies in quarter circular arcs about the common axis of rotation of the cooperating index wheels. In other words, the cradles of each indexing wheel are axially aligned so that a dispenser body in a cooperating pair of cradles of both indexing wheels parallels the axis of rotation of the indexing wheels. The indexing wheels rotate 90.degree. for each cycle of the ram assembly to advance in succession each of the cradles from a dispenser body receiving position into a feed position and, thereafter, to a dispenser body discharge position. In the feed position, the lower left quadrant of FIG. 5 occupied there by cradle 32, ram 12 of the ram assembly advances to pick up a dispenser body to take it to the bag applicator and to withdraw a dispenser body with an attached bag back into the indexing wheels for rotation and discharge. The receiving position of the indexing wheels of feed and indexing assembly 22 is the upper left-hand quadrant in FIG. 5, occupied there by cradle 30. The discharge position of the indexing wheel is counterclockwise slightly from the feed position and corresponds to that point where the mouth of each cradle overlies discharge chute 28 sufficiently for a dispenser body to fall from the cradle by gravity down the discharge chute. Unlike the ram assembly, the feed and indexing assembly is stationary except for rotation of the index wheels.

The third subassembly is a drive assembly, which is shown in FIG. 1 and indicated by reference numeral 42. The drive for each apparatus is from one motor 44. The drive is responsible for the reciprocal movement of the rams of the ram assembly as well as for the stepped but synchronous movement of the index wheels of the feed and indexing assembly. The same drive is used to operate the bag applicators as well as the means for feeding bags to the bag applicators. As previously mentioned, the bag feed to the bag applicators is not a part of the present invention, nor is the bag applicator proper.

With reference to the FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the ram assembly of the present invention is illustrated. As previously mentioned, a pair of rams 12 and 14 are mounted to a ram carriage 16, which in turn is driven by crank and connecting rods 18 of a ram drive 46.

The ram carriage is mounted through pairs of linear bearings 48 and 50 on pairs of fore-and-aft oriented guide shafts 52 and 54, disposed on either side of a supporting frame 56 of the apparatus. FIG. 3 shows one pair of bearings and shafts. The shafts are held permanently in place on the frame by shaft mounts 58 disposed at regular intervals along the extent of the shafts. A pair of guide shafts and a pair of linear bearings on each side of the frame to support the rams and ram carriage insure proper orientation of the rams at all times under the rigorous operating conditions encountered by the apparatus of the present invention.

As seen best in FIG. 3, a slide 60 is attached to linear bearings 48 as by allen screws 61 and through a bracket 62 to ram carriage 16. Bracket 62 is attached to slide 60 as by bolts 63. The slide and bracket thus carry the ram carriage and couples it and rams 12 and 14 to linear bearings 48 and shafts 52. An identical mirror image arrangement is on the right side of FIG. 3 for linear bearings 50 and shafts 54.

A boss 64 mounts a pin 66 which pivotally receives an eye 68 of connecting rod 18. The boss extends through a long and narrow slot 70 in the side of frame 56. The boss anchors the driven end of connecting rod 18 and couples the connecting rod to the ram carriage for the latter's reciprocating motion.

With reference to FIG. 1, the other end of the connecting rod is pivotally connected to a crank 72 through an eye 74 by a pin 75. Both eyes are connected to the connecting rod as by threaded connections.

The crank is driven in rotation through a ram drive shaft 76. Appropriate bearing journals 78 support the drive shaft. Again, an identical crank arrangement is provided on both sides of the ram carriage to insure that the ram carriage does not cock and that an accurate advance and retraction of the rams is effected over the many cycles that the apparatus of the present invention is designed to operate.

Ram drive shaft 76 is driven in rotation through a driven sprocket 80 of drive assembly 42, which drive will be described in detail subsequently.

With reference to FIG. 2, ram 12 of the pair of rams is shown. Ram 14 is identical to ram 12 and will, therefore, not be described in detail. Ram 12 is secured to the ram carriage in a convenient manner as through bolts 82. The ram has body 84 which is generally square in cross section. A pair of vacuum lines or hoses 86 are mounted to the ram body as through threaded fittings and hose clamps 87. The vacuum lines lead into a pair of vacuum passages 88 and 90 which extend longitudinally of the ram. The free end of the ram includes a head and bag indexer 92. The head and bag indexer has a shape which conforms to the outside shape of an arch in the bottom of the bag developed in the bag insertion process. The ram's head also has a pair of vacuum inlet holes or ports, each of which is shown at 94 in FIG. 3, each opening through one of the flanks of the arch-like ram's head. The vacuum ports lead to a vacuum chamber 96, shown in phantom in FIG. 2, which in turn is in vacuum communication through vacuum passages 88 and 90 with vacuum lines 86. Vacuum is established through means such as a vacuum pump (not shown).

Head and bag indexer 92 is attached in place as by a pair of allen head screws 98 set in counterbored recesses within the apex of the arch-shaped configuration of the head and bag indexer.

An annular groove 99 is at the interior end of head and bag indexer 92. This groove seats a washer 100, only partially shown in FIG. 2. This washer is made of a hard wear resistant material and provides a seal against the seaming flange at the bottom of a dispenser body during the drawing of a vacuum within the body. It should be appreciated that the shape of head and bag indexer 92 and the drawing of the arch of the bag aginst the indexer provide a convenient way to insure repeatable fill measure in the bags attached to the dispenser bodies.

An annular right cylindrical surface 102 adjacent groove 99 and washer 100 and toward the free end of the ram receives the lower inside of a dispenser body.

Ram 12 also includes a pair of fingers 104 and 106 adapted to grab the bottom flange of a dispenser body to insure that the body is held in place over the head and bag indexer during its transport to the bag applicator apparatus and the withdrawal of the dispenser body with its bag attached to it from the bag applicator apparatus, and that there is a seal between the dispenser body and washer 100. The fingers are operable to open and close about the flange of a container body in order to permit acceptance and release thereof.

To this end, fingers 104 and 106 are pivotally secured through a pin 107 to a reciprocable finger actuator shaft 108 in a yoke at the end of the shaft. The tip or free end of each finger is notched, as indicated, at 109 and 111 for fingers 104 and 106, respectively, to define teeth 113 and 115. Each of these teeth passes in behind the bottom flange of a dispenser body to hold the dispenser body seated on washer 100 when the fingers are closed.

Reciprocable finger actuator shaft 108 extends through the back of the ram body and ram carriage to a finger actuator drive 110. The shaft may be received in a bushing 112 in its passage through the ram body and ram carriage. The fingers are also slidably secured to the body of the ram through shoulder bolts 114. A slot 116 and 118 in each of the fingers provides for the requisite longitudinal movement of the fingers when they are opening and closing. Finger guide pads and bushings 120 and 122 are pivotally secured to ram body 84 through shoulder bolts 114 to allow for the pivotal movement of the fingers. Washers 124 and 126 provide bearing for the fingers on the side opposite the guide pads. The fingers reside in a slot 127 in the ram body, the sides of which bear on the guide pads and washers.

Finger actuator 110 causes shaft 108 to reciprocate back and forth inside of ram body 84 to reciprocate and pivot the free ends of fingers 104 and 106 back and forth to open and close the fingers around the seaming flange of a dispenser body. When the fingers close around the seaming flange of a dispenser body, they draw longitudinally toward washer 100 to draw the engaged dispenser body firmly against the seat of washer 100. When the fingers open, they move longitudinally away from the seaming flange. The fingers are closed around a dispenser body flange only during the ram pickup of the dispenser body, the transport of the dispenser body to the bag applicator, and the withdrawal of the dispenser body with an attached bag from the applicator just prior to discharge from the feed and indexing assembly. The time the fingers are closed is during the middle of a cycle. The remaining time, the fingers are open. Thus during any cycle of the ram the fingers are open at both ends of the cycle and closed in the middle of the cycle. The times the fingers are open and closed are determined for the most part by cam 128.

Cam 128 has a lower cam surface 129 and an upper cam surface 130 connected by a sloping transition section. The lower cam surface, as best seen in FIG. 2, corresponds to a closed finger position. The upper cam surface corresponds to an open finger position. Cam 128 is coupled to both rams 12 and 14 through a crank assembly 131.

The crank assembly includes a cross shaft 132 journaled for rotation in a pair of bearings 133. Each of the bearings is secured in a respective one of a pair of bearing blocks 134. The bearing blocks are secured through bolts 135 to ram carriage 16.

A follower arm 136 mounts a cam follower roller 137 through a pin 138. The pin rotatably receives the follower, and the pin itself is secured to the follower arm. The follower arm is secured to cross shaft 132 to rotate the cross shaft in response to the position of the roller on cam 128.

An actuator arm 139 is secured to cross shaft 132, as by a split end clamp of the actuator arm effected through a screw 140, the securing of follower arm 136 to cross shaft 132 being through an identical arrangement.

Actuator arm 139 at its upper end has a yoke 141 which serves as a mount for a cross pin 142 secured in each of the ears of the yoke. Cross pin 142 bears with a force at all times on a head 143 of a shoulder bolt 144. Shoulder bolt 144 is threaded into actuator shaft 108.

A washer 146 bears on head 143 of the shoulder bolt. Washer 146 bears against a compression spring 146 which also bears against a surface of ram carriage 16. Spring 147, then, loads washer 146 which, through head 143, couples shaft 108 to the spring. The spring urges the shaft to the right in FIG. 2 against cross pin 142. Spring 146 always applies a force to cross pin 142 regardless of where follower 137 is on cam 128. In other words, spring 147 continuously urges follower 136 onto the cam surfaces of cam 128.

Cam 128 is secured for limited longitudinal reciprocation parallel to the line of reciprocation of the ram assemblies on a cam support 148 through a pair of gibs 149. Cam support 148 is secured to frame 56.

As previously mentioned, fingers 104 and 106 open and close over a bottom seaming flange of a dispenser body.

The time during a cycle when the fingers open and when they close corresponds to a different position of the rams relative to the dispenser indexing and feed assemblies. The fingers close over the seaming flange and pull longitudinally on the flange toward seat or washer 100 during the advance stroke of the rams at a point slightly closer to the dispenser body feed and indexers than the point where the fingers open to release a dispenser body on the retraction portion of the ram's cycle.

Because of this difference in when the ram fingers open and when they close, it is necessary for follower 137 to pass from surfaces 129 and 130 at a different point in the advance stroke than in the retraction stroke of a cycle.

The requirement for different points of opening and closing of the ram fingers is satisfied by movement of cam 128 so that surfaces 129 and 130 are shifted relative to cam follower roller 137. This shifting is effected through cam reciprocator 150.

Cam reciprocator 150 is driven off of ram carriage drive shaft 76 and includes a cam 151 secured to drive shaft 76. A wishbone follower 152 having follower rollers 153 for tracking on the surface of cam 151 is pivotally secured through a pivot pin 154 to support 148, as through a block 155. A link 156 is pivoted to the stem of the wishbone follower as through a pivot pin 157, at a point above pivot 154 which, in conjunction with the rise of cam 151, will produce the requisite amount of reciprocal movement of cam 128. In any event, link 156 is secured to a threaded pin 158 which is threadedly received in a head block 159. Head block 159, in turn, is pivotally secured to cam 128 proper through a pin 160.

Thus, the stem of wishbone follower 152, as it reciprocates in response to the drive of cam 151, reciprocates cam 128 back and forth on support 148 through the linkage consisting of link 156, pin 157, pin 158, head block 159 and pin 160.

The second subassembly will be described with particular emphasis on FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. The second subassembly is feed and indexing assembly 20. The function of the second subassembly is to feed dispenser bodies to an indexing wheel where individual dispenser bodies are brought into positon to be picked up by a ram of the ram assembly and, after dispenser bodies have bags attached to them, to discharge the "bagged" dispenser bodies.

With reference to FIG. 1, two dispenser body feed and indexers are shown by reference numerals 22 and 24. As previously mentioned, both are essentially identical to each other and therefore only feed and indexer 22 will be described in detail.

Each feed and indexer is carried on a cross beam 172. Cross beam 172 is rigidly affixed to frame 56 through a pair of brackets, one of which is shown in FIG. 4 at 174. The brackets, in turn, are affixed to frame 56 as by bolts 176. A mounting bracket 178 of feed and indexer 22 is secured to cross beam 172 as by bolts 180. It is evident that feed and indexer 22 is stationary with respect to the reciprocal movement of the rams.

A pair of framing plates 182 and 184 depend vertically from mounting bracket 178. Coaxially disposed indexing wheels 38 and 40 are mounted for rotation between the two depending plates at right angles thereto. A sheave 186 drives the indexing wheels in response to the drive subassembly, to be described subsequently, 90.degree. of rotation with each cycle. Infeed chute 26 supplies dispenser bodies to the indexing wheels. Infeed chute 26 includes guide bars 188 throughout its length. Dispenser bodies are constrained longitudinally by guards 190 and 192. Framing brackets 194 are provided at regular intervals along the length of the infeed chute to hold the bars and guides together. The bracket holding the infeed chute to cross beam 172 is indicated by reference numeral 196 and the bolts holding the bracket to the cross beam are indicated by reference numeral 198.

The infeed chute extends generally vertically and to one side of the indexing wheels for a distance and then curves gradually toward the indexing wheels to approach them generally radially.

Guard 190 extends past the terminus of the infeed chute and in general follows the curvature of the indexing wheels from the dispenser body receiving position of the indexing wheels, shown in FIG. 5 where cradle 30 is located, to a feed position, the position in the Figure of cradle 32. In FIG. 5 the lower of the guide bars 188 follows the curvature of guard 190 and the indexing wheels past the feed position and on into discharge chute 28. Obviously, these extensions of the guards and guide bars keep dispenser bodies with the indexing wheels during the 90.degree. rotation from the receiving position to the feed position.

Discharge chute 28 is provided for receiving dispenser bodies having a bag attached to them. The chute is similar to the infeed chute in construction in that it consists of guide bars 200 as well as guards 202 and 204 to keep the dispenser bodies within the chute. A pilot tab 206 on guard member 202 flares away from the passage of the chute toward the bag applicators to pilot discharged dispenser bodies into the discharge chute. In like manner to the infeed chute, discharge chute 28 has a plurality of framing brackets 208 to hold its guard members and guiding bars together. As previously mentioned, one pair of the infeed chute guide bars 188 extends into the discharge chute and forms the bottom guiding bars thereof.

Indexing wheels 38 and 40 proper have four essentially semicircular cutout sections spaced around their periphery at 90.degree. intervals. Each of these sections is sized to conform to the cylindrical curvature of a dispenser body and all of the cradles have been identified previously as cradles 30 through 36. As can best be appreciated in FIG. 4, the provision of two indexing wheels allows the holding of dispenser bodies at their upper and lower ends to facilitate proper alignment of dispenser bodies for their pickup by the ram. Each of the cradles, then, can receive a dispenser body from the infeed chute and rotate that dispenser body through 90.degree. of arc to the feed position where the ram picks up the dispenser body and brings it back for discharge into the discharge chute. The discharge is effected by rotation of the indexing wheels through a few more degrees of arc during the next 90.degree. rotation of the indexing wheels.

It is preferred that the dispenser bodies be held during their transport from the receiving position to the feed position along their seaming flanges. For this purpose interrupted collars 210 are provided in the cradles. These collars have a diameter and axial extent suitable for carrying dispenser bodies by their seaming flanges.

Each of the dispenser body receiving cradles of rear indexing wheel 40 has a slot 212 located on its periphery for the passing of the upper finger of the ram assembly. There is sufficient clearance provided between each cradle and the guide bars for the passage of the lower of the ram assembly fingers.

There is provision to provide a slight resistance against the force of an advancing and retracting ram on a dispenser body in the feed position of the indexing wheels. This resistance helps seat dispenser bodies on the head of the ram against the seating washer and insures that the seaming flange most proximate the ram clears the teeth of the ram's fingers. Resistance is also provided at this station on dispenser bodies during retraction of the ram to strip the dispenser bodies from the rams after a bag has been applied to the body.

In the case of feed and indexing assembly 22, the seating and stripping functions are effected through a plurality of seating and stripping lugs disposed on indexing wheel 38 and one lug disposed on framing plate 234.

Thus, spring loaded seating and stripping lugs 214, 216, 218 and 220 are provided for dispenser body receiving cradles 30, 32, 34 and 36, respectively, on indexing wheel 38, and seating and stripping lug 221 is provided on framing plate 223 diametrically opposite the indexing wheel carried lug occupying the feed position. The lugs on the indexing wheels are disposed along the edge of their cradles, on a radius from the axis of rotation of the indexing wheels, and at the shortest distance from the cradle to the axis of rotation of the wheels. Each lug is pivotally mounted in a lug mount for rotation from the position shown in the drawings to a retracted position to provide clearance between dispenser body flanges and an engaging and stripping head of the lug.

Each lug and lug mount combination is identical in function and construction to the others and therefore only lug 220 and a lug mount 222 will be described.

Lug 220 is spring biased, as by leaf spring 225 in FIG. 6, to a contracted position in which an engaging and stripping head 224 lies in the path of the flanges of a dispenser body.

Head 224, as seen in FIG. 4, has a pair of faces 226 and 228. Face 226 is on the interior side of the lug and faces the flanges of a dispenser body as the dispenser body is being advanced towards the bag applicator by ram 12. Face 228 is in the path of the flanges as a dispenser body returns from the bag applicator. As a dispenser body is advanced by the ram and its flanges strike face 226, the lug will pivot from the contracted position to an expanded position but the head of the lug and a head of lug 221 do provide enough resistance before pivoting to the expanded posistion that when the first flange of a dispenser body engages the lugs a force will be applied to the dispenser body along its longitudinal axis of sufficient magnitude to seat the dispenser body on the head of the ram against washer 100. On the return from the bag applicator, face 228 will strike the bottom flange of the dispenser body and expand to allow the body to pass. The fingers of the ram release the dispenser body just before the upper flange of the dispenser body reaches the head of the lug and the lugs provide a resistance which is sufficient to strip the dispenser body from the head of the ram.

Lug 221, as previously mentioned, cooperates with the lugs of the indexing wheel in the seating and stripping function. Lug 221 is in a lug mount 232 which is mounted on framing plate 223. Lug 221 also has a head 236 and is spring biased and pivotally mounted to pivot out of the path of the dispenser body flanges as they travel toward the bag applicator and as one of these flanges passes the lug returning from the bag applicator for discharge down the discharge chute. A spring bias is also provided for lug 221 to effect in the lug a normally contracted position in the path of dispenser bodies.

Each of the lug mounts is essentially identical, including lug mount 232. Therefore, the detailed description of the lug mounts will be confined to mount 222 for lug 220. Mount 222 has a centrally disposed hollow U-section 238 for receiving lug 220. As is seen in FIG. 4, the walls of the mount defining this hollow U-section extend slightly past the back side of indexing wheel 38. Ears 240 of the mount lie against the front face of indexing wheel 38 and provide for the securing of the lug mount and its carried lug to the wheel as by fasteners 242.

On framing plate 223 of the feed and indexing assembly provision is made for jams. Thus, a section 243 of framing plate 223 is pivotally connected by pin 244 to the balance of the framing plate for selective rotation to clear infeed chute 26. Section 243 is of course capable of being secured in place in the position illustrated in FIG. 5.

In some applications it may be necessary to shut down one station. One way of doing this is to prevent the feeding of dispensers to the indexing wheels of the feed and indexing assembly. To this end, selectively lockable star wheels 246 and 248 are provided. Normally the star wheels are free to rotate and provide no restrictions to the flow of the dispenser bodies down the infeed chute.

The star wheels are secured for rotation in framing plates 182 and 184. Both star wheels have fingers curved to conform to the curvature of a dispenser body identical to a finger 250 shown for star wheel 246.

As is illustrated in FIG. 4, indexing wheels 38 and 40 are jounaled for rotation in a sleeve 252. Sleeve 252 in turn is secured to depending framing plates 182 and 184, as by welding. It is preferred that each of the star wheels be rotated in sleeve 252 within bearings. Sheave 186 is coupled through a hub 254 to indexing wheel 40. Sheave 186 may be coupled to indexing wheel 38 as by an axle disposed through hub 254 and sleeve 252, the axle not being shown.

Drive assembly 42 will now be described with specific reference primarily to FIG. 1. As previously mentioned, the drive includes a motor 44 which through a clutch 260 drives a sheave 262. Sheave 262 drives an endless V-belt 264 which drives a driven sheave 266. Driven sheave 266 drives a gear reducer 268 through a shaft 270. The output of the gear reducer is manifested in a shaft 272. Shaft 272 drives a lower sheave 274, shown only partially, which, in turn, through an endless toothed belt 276 drives sheaves 278 and 280. Thus endless belt 276 lies in a triangle pattern. Sheave 278 is keyed to ram drive shaft 76 and rotates that shaft at a precribed rate of speed for the reciprocal motion of the ram assembly and rotation of cam 151. Sheave 280 drives a step drive 282 which has an output shaft 284. Shaft 284 drives an endless belt 285 for the rotation of the indexing wheels of the feed and index assemblies.

During any cycle the indexing wheels of both feed and index assemblies are driven one-quarter circle, 90.degree., to load dispenser body carrying cradles in the receiving position, to present the dispenser body carrying cradles to the rams with the dispenser bodies in them, and for advancing completed dispenser bodies for discharge down the chute. It is important to realize that the indexing wheels must be stationary during the advance and the retraction of the rams through them. This arrest of rotation motion is also conveniently used for the receipt of the dispenser bodies into the indexing wheels. The use of step-like drives, such as that shown schematically in FIG. 1, is well known and will not be described in further detail.

A brief description of the bag applicators, for the purpose of clarity, will now be undertaken. With reference to FIG. 1, a pair of bag applicators 286 and 288 are provided. These applicators are secured in a position on a bag applicator carriage 290. The carriage, through a pair of brackets and slides 292, is supported on shafts 52 and 54 in linear bearings 294 in a manner quite similar to mounting of the ram carriage. A drive-off motor 44 is provided, not shown here for purposes of clarity, to reciprocate the bag applicators back and forth in a prescribed pattern with respect to the rams and with respect to the apparatus for applying the bags to the fingers of the bag applicators.

At the moment of transfer of the bags to the fingers of the bag applicators, relative motion of the applying mechanism to the bag applicator is essentially zero. After transfer, the bag applicators continue to advance toward the advancing rams for the placement of the dispenser body within the expanded fingers of the applicators. As soon as the dispenser bodies are within the fingers, with the fingers behind the seaming flanges, relative movement between the rams and the bag applicators strips the bags from the fingers of the bag applicators. After the stripping operation, the fingers remain open to allow the retraction of the rams from the bag applicator heads and ultimate discharge of completed bagged dispenser bodies into the discharge chutes of the feed and index assemblies. The bag applicator fingers' expansion is determined by a pair of cams, the upper of which is shown as cam 296. Cam 296 controls the elevation of a roller cam follower 298. The cam which is not shown controls the elevation of a second roller cam follower in a manner entirely complementary to cam 296 and cam follower 298. A cross arm 300 is carried by follower 298 and a similar arm is carried by the complementary follower. Follower 298 through shafts 302 and the complementary follower through a similar shaft open and close the fingers of the bag applicators.

The operation of the apparatus of the present invention will now be described.

With reference to FIG. 1, the position of ram carriage 16 and rams 12 and 14 is in the ram's fully retracted position at the point of the ram's furthest distance from feed and indexing assembly 22. In this position, and with reference to FIG. 2, cam follower roller 137 will be on cam surface 130 to force actuator shaft 108 to the left in the Figure against the force of spring 147, through follower arm 136, cross shaft 132, actuator arm 139 and pin 142. In this interior position of actuator shaft 108, fingers 104 and 106 will be open because pin 107 will have forced the fingers to pivot about pins 114.

Ram carriage 16 will advance toward indexer and feed assembly 20 in response to drive assembly 42, and rotation of ram drive shaft 76 and crank and connecting rod assembly 18 of the drive.

Before the rams approach indexer and feed assembly 20, a dispenser body has been advanced from the input or receiving position to the feed position of the indexer wheels of each station. As previously mentioned, the feed position is shown in FIG. 5 in the lower left-hand quadrant of the indexing wheel illustrated there and the receiving position is in the upper left-hand quadrant. Dispenser body advance in the indexing wheels was effected by a 90.degree. rotation of the wheels in response to step drive 282 of drive assembly 42. After advance, the indexing wheels stop until the next cycle.

As ram 12 advances into the indexing wheels 38 and 40 to pick up a dispenser body, head 92 of the ram enters the bottom of the dispenser body and washer 100 on the ram engages the bottom flange of the dispenser body. The operation of ram 14 is identical.

Prior to dispenser body pickup, the seating and stripping lugs on the indexing wheels and framing plates, being spring-biased into a contracted position in the path of the dispenser bodies, temporarily resist the rams by acting on the upper flanges of the dispenser bodies to seat the dispenser bodies on the washers. Thus, lugs 221 and 216 resist the advance of a dispenser body in cradle 32 and seat the body on washer 100. The slight resistance provided by the lugs is ample for this seating even though a dispenser body may be slightly out of round and binds somethat on, say, surface 102. As the dispenser bodies are further advanced by the rams, the lugs of the indexing wheel and the cooperating lugs diametrically opposite them on the framing plates yield to the advancing dispenser bodies and allow them to pass. When the dispenser bodies are brought back into the indexing wheels for discharge, the lugs once again yield. However, when the upper or second flange of the dispenser bodies reach the slanted, outwardly disposed face of each head of the lugs, the fingers of the rams are open so that the lugs resist the dispenser bodies and the bodies are stripped from the rams.

This is illustrated best in FIG. 6. The dispenser body shown there between indexing wheels 38 and 40 in solid lines is being advanced by ram 12 from cradle 32 for the attachment of a bag to it. Lugs 221 and, say, lug 220, through their interiorly facing faces, for example, face 226 of lug 220, resist the passage of the upper flange of the dispenser body for the seating of the dispenser body on washer 100 of the ram. Fingers 104 and 106 are shown closed about the bottom of seaming flange of the dispenser body. This closing around the seaming flange occurs during the seating of the dispenser body on the washer to aid the lugs in their seating function. In fact, the fingers pull on the seaming flange to urge the dispenser body onto the washer. The return of the dispenser body to indexing wheels 38 and 40 is indicated by the phantom outline of the dispenser body. The lower seaming flange of the dispenser body illustrated there has already passed the lugs because fingers 104 and 106 are still closed over the lower seaming flange. However, when the upper seaming flange reaches the lugs, the fingers open and the outwardly exposed faces, for example face 228 of lug 220, resist the motion of the dispenser bodies and the dispenser bodies are stripped from the ram.

During the seating of the dispenser bodies on the washers of the rams, follower 137 goes down the ramp between cam surfaces 130 and 129 to close the fingers over the bottom seaming flanges so that seating and dispenser body capture are simultaneous events. In the case of ram 12, the follower tracking on surface 129 allows spring 147 to force actuator shaft 108 to the right in FIG. 2, and to close fingers 104 and 106 around the bottom seaming flange of a dispenser body and draw the fingers against the flange. The fingers will remain closed throughout the remainder of the advance portion of the ram cycle and through that portion of the retraction cycle just prior to the stripping of the dispenser bodies from the rams, just described. It will be noted that the point at which the ram fingers close on the advance stroke differs slightly from the point at which they open on the retraction stroke with respect to the position of the rams to the indexing wheels. This is to allow the outwardly disposed faces of the lugs to perform their stripping function. Of course, stripping can only be done with the fingers open.

To open the fingers before the stripping of the dispenser bodies from the rams, cam 151 and wishbone follower 152 cooperate to shift cam 128 to the left in FIG. 2 to present upper cam surface 130 to roller 137 at a slightly closer position to the feed and indexing assemblies than during the advance stroke. Thus the rise of cam 151 is timed to act through follower 152 on cam 128 just prior to the stripping event.

As the rams carry the dispenser bodies toward the bag applicators, the bag applicators pick up the bags with their fingers and expand the bags' mouths for receipt of the dispenser bodies. Transfer from the apparatus which applies the bags to the fingers of the bag applicators occurs when relative motion between the two is essentially zero. Relative motion between the dispenser bodies and the bag applicators will help cause the stripping of the bags from the fingers for the capture of the bags by the dispenser bodies.

Just before the bags are stripped from the fingers of the bag applicators, vacuum is applied through the rams' heads to augment the stripping action of the relative motion between the bag applicators and the rams and to draw the bags into the dispenser bodies. Under the force of the vacuum, the arch-shaped configuration of the bags developed during the drawing process register with the periphery of the rams' heads to develop an accurate fill measure in the pressurized dispenser to be made with the bagged dispenser bodies.

After the bags have been applied to the dispenser bodies, the dispenser bodies will withdraw from the bag applicators and be retracted toward the feed and indexing assembly.

Upon reaching the feed and indexing assembly the dispenser bodies are stripped from the ram heads, as previously described. After the stripping and the complete withdrawal of the rams from the feed and indexing assembly, the indexing wheels of the feed and indexing assembly rotate 90.degree. to bring new dispenser bodies from the receiving positions to the feed positions, receive dispenser bodies in the receiving positions from the infeed chutes, and rotate dispenser bodies with bags affixed to them over the discharge chutes where the bagged dispenser bodies fall by gravity.

The cycle is then completed.

The present invention has been described with reference to a certain preferred embodiment. The spirit and scope of the appended claims should not, however, necessarily be limited to the foregoing description.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for advancing a dispenser body to a bag applicator for the attachment of a bag over a first end of a dispenser body and for the subsequent retraction of the dispenser body from the bag applicator, the apparatus comprising:

a. a frame;

b. a ram carried by the frame for reciprocal movement with respect thereto and towards and away from the bag applicator;

c. means for reciprocating the ram with respect to the frame towards and away from the bag applicator;

d. a head on the ram adapted to receive a second end of the dispenser body, the second end being opposite the first end;

e. means for applying a vacuum through the ram head to draw a bag applied to the first end of the dispenser body into the dispenser body;

f. fingers on the ram for selectively engaging the second end of the dispenser body and holding the dispenser body during reciprocal movement of the ram towards and away from the bag applicator;

g. means for selectively opening and closing the fingers for engaging and disengaging the second end of the dispenser body; and

h. means for feeding dispenser bodies to the ram.

2. The apparatus claimed in claim 1 including seating and stripping means disposed in the path of reciprocal movement of the ram for engaging a dispenser body to seat the dispenser body so engaged on the ram head during the advancement of the ram towards the bag applicator, and for stripping a dispenser body with the bag attached to it on retraction of the dispenser body from the bag applicator, respectively.

3. The apparatus claimed in claim 2 wherein the seating and stripping means includes:

a. lugs disposed to engage the dispenser body at points on an outer circumferential edge thereof; and

b. means for expanding the lugs for the passage of a dispenser body is provided.

4. The apparatus claimed in claim 3 wherein the seating and stripping lugs each have a head with first and second dispenser body engaging faces spaced from each other along the line of reciprocal movement of the ram, with the first engaging face being disposed to engage the circumferential edge of a dispenser body during the advancement of the ram towards the bag applicator and the second engaging face being disposed to engage the dispenser body upon retraction of the ram from the bag applicator.

5. The apparatus claimed in claim 4 wherein means is provided to close the fingers of the ram on the second end of the dispenser body during the movement of the ram toward the bag applicator at a point along the line of reciprocal movement of the ram further from the bag applicator than the point of opening of the fingers from the dispenser body during the retraction of the ram away from the bag applicator to compensate for the spaced-apart distance between the engaging faces of the seating and stripping lugs.

6. The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for selectively opening and closing the fingers includes cam means having camming surfaces corresponding to the open and closed position of the fingers, cam follower means disposed for tracking on the cam surfaces, and means coupling the cam follower means to the fingers for their selective opening and closing in response to the position of the cam follower on the cam.

7. The apparatus claimed in claim 6 wherein the means for opening and closing the fingers includes an actuator shaft pivotally secured to the fingers and coupled to the cam follower, and mounting means between the fingers and the actuator shaft to cause the fingers to open and close radially and axially with respect to the ram's axis in response to longitudinal movement of the actuator shaft along the ram's axis such that upon closing of the fingers they pull radially and axially inwardly of the ram to firmly engage an exterior seaming flange on the dispenser body.

8. The apparatus claimed in claim 6 wherein the means for opening and closing the fingers includes an actuator shaft on the longitudinal axis of the ram, a pivot securing inner ends of the fingers to the actuator shaft along the axis of the ram for pivotal movement of the fingers with respect to the actuator shaft, a second pivot for each of the fingers between the fingers and the ram proper to orient the fingers at an acute angle to the axis of the ram and extending toward the bag applicator, the second pivots providing pivotal movement of the fingers radially towards and away from the axis of the ram for the closing and the opening of the fingers, respectively, in response to linear movement of the actuator shaft along the axis of the ram, and means for providing limited longitudinal movement of the fingers with respect to the second pivot and in response to linear movement of the actuator shaft such that with the closing of the fingers the fingers draw longitudinally towards an exterior seaming flange on the dispenser body and the head of the ram to engage the seaming flange and with the opening of the fingers the fingers move in the opposite longitudinal direction to disengage the seaming flange, the cam follower coupling means imparting the linear movement to the actuator shaft in response to the cam follower going from one of the camming surfaces to the other.

9. The apparatus claimed in claim 8 wherein the second pivots for the fingers, the first pivot and the actuator shaft are operable to provide the fingers' closing and the engagement of the seaming flange upon linear movement of the actuator shaft away from the head of the ram, and the fingers opening and the disengagement upon linear movement of the actuator shaft in the opposite direction.

10. The apparatus claimed in claim 9 wherein the coupling means includes spring means acting on the actuator shaft for urging the actuator shaft into a position away from the head of the ram and corresponding to the closed position of the fingers.

11. The apparatus claimed in claim 6 wherein:

a. the means for opening and closing the fingers includes an actuator shaft pivotally secured to the fingers and mounting means between the fingers and the actuator shaft to cause the fingers to open and close radially and axially with respect to the ram's axis upon linear movement of the actuator shaft toward and away from the ram head, respectively, such that upon closing of the fingers they pull radially and axially inwardly of the ram to firmly engage an exterior seaming flange on the dispenser body, and linear movement of the actuator shaft in the opposite direction causes the fingers to expand radially and move axially away from the ram to disengage the exterior seaming flange; and

b. the coupling means includes a cross shaft rotatably journaled to the ram, the cam follower being secured to the cross shaft for the cross shaft's limited rotation in response to rotational movement of the cam follower with respect to the axis of the cross shaft, an actuator arm secured to the cross shaft for rotation therewith, means on the actuator arm for engaging an end of the actuator shaft for applying a force thereto to force the actuator shaft towards the head of the ram, a spring acting between the actuator shaft and the actuator arm to urge the actuator shaft away from the head of the ram and through the actuator arm to urge the cam follower into engagement with the cam, and the cam surfaces being disposed to cause the cam follower to rotate with respect to the axis of the cross shaft with movement of the cam follower from one of the cam surfaces to the other.

12. The apparatus claimed in claim 5 wherein:

a. the means for selectively opening and closing the fingers includes cam means having camming surfaces corresponding to the open and closed position of the fingers, cam follower means disposed for tracking on the cam surfaces, and means coupling the cam follower means to the fingers for their selective opening and closing in response to the position of the cam follower on the cam; and

b. the means for closing the fingers of the ram on the second end of the dispenser body during the movement of the ram toward the bag applicator at a point along the line of reciprocal movement of the ram further from the bag applicator than the point of opening the fingers from the dispenser body during the retraction of the ram includes means for moving the cam in the direction of reciprocal movement of the ram.

13. The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein each of the fingers has an engaging end with a notch therein to define an engaging tooth for engaging a radially outwardly extending seaming flange of a dispenser body at its second end.

14. The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for feeding of dispenser bodies to the ram includes at least one indexing wheel disposed to rotate about an axis parallel to the line of reciprocal movement of the ram, at least one dispenser body receiving cradle in the periphery of the indexing wheel, means for feeding dispenser bodies to the cradle, and means for rotating the indexing wheel a predetermined amount to present the cradle with a dispenser body in it to an advancing ram to feed the ram.

15. The apparatus claimed in claim 14 wherein the means for rotating the indexing wheel is operable to rotate the indexing wheel in steps corresponding in degrees of arc to the distance between dispenser body cradles in the periphery of the indexing wheel and for maintaining the indexing wheel stationary during the feeding of the ram.

16. The apparatus claimed in claim 15 including seating and stripping means disposed in the path of reciprocal movement of the ram for engaging a dispenser body to seat the dispenser body so engaged on the ram head during the advancement of the ram towards the bag applicator, and for stripping a dispenser body with the bag attached to it on retraction of the dispenser body from the bag applicator, respectively.

17. The apparatus claimed in claim 16 wherein the seating and stripping means includes:

a. lugs disposed to engage the dispenser body at points on an outer circumferential edge thereof; and

b. means for expanding the lugs for the passage of a dispenser body is provided.

18. The apparatus claimed in claim 17 wherein the seating and stripping lugs are mounted on the indexing wheel adjacent the periphery of the dispenser body receiving cradles.

19. The apparatus claimed in claim 18 wherein the seating and stripping lugs include a lug disposed on the frame in position to coact diametrically opposite the seating and stripping lugs on the indexing wheel.

20. The apparatus claimed in claim 14 including an infeed chute for feeding dispenser bodies to the cradles of the indexing wheel prior to the rotation of the cradle the predetermined amount.

21. The apparatus claimed in claim 14 wherein the selective finger opening and closing means maintains the fingers closed until the ram presents to the cradle from which the dispenser body was fed to the ram in the first place the dispenser body with attached bag, and the indexing wheel rotating means rotates the dispenser body with attached bag to a discharge position during the predetermined amount of rotation.

22. The apparatus claimed in claim 21 including a discharge chute for receiving dispenser bodies having a bag attached to them from the cradle at the discharge position.

23. The apparatus claimed in claim 14 wherein each of the cradles has a collar for supporting dispenser bodies around seaming flanges thereof.

24. The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein the head of the ram has an arch-shaped exterior periphery conforming to the shape of an arch developed in the bottom of the bag during the drawing of the bag into the dispenser body, and the vacuum means opens through flanks of the periphery of the arch on the ram's head for drawing the sides of the arch of the bag into engagement with the flanks of the arch on the ram's head and for drawing the apex of the bag into engaging register with the apex of the arch on the ram's head.

25. An apparatus for advancing a dispenser body to a bag applicator for the attachment of a bag over a first end of a dispenser body and for the subsequent retraction of a dispenser body from the bag applicator, the apparatus comprising:

a. a frame;

b. a ram carried by the frame for reciprocal movement with respect thereto and towards and away from the bag applicator;

c. means for reciprocating the ram with respect to the frame towards and away from the bag applicator;

d. a head on the ram adapted to receive a second end of the dispenser body, the second end being opposite the first end;

e. means for applying a vacuum through the ram head to draw a bag applied to the first end of the dispenser body into the dispenser body;

f. fingers on the ram for selectively engaging the second end of the dispenser body and holding the dispenser body during reciprocal movement of the ram towards and away from the bag applicator;

g. means for feeding dispenser bodies to the ram including at least one indexing wheel having peripheral dispenser body receiving cradles disposed around its perimeter;

h. means for rotating the indexing wheel such that each cradle in succession is in a ram feed position in the path of the advancing ram for the ram to pick up a dispenser body;

i. means for acting on a dispenser body to resist the force of the ram to effect the seating of a dispenser body on the head of the ram and upon retraction of the ram to retard a dispenser body with a bag affixed thereto to strip the dispenser body from the head of the ram; and

j. means for selectively opening and closing the fingers of the ram for engaging the second end of the dispenser body during the seating of the second end of the dispenser body on the ram and for disengaging the second end of the body at least during the stripping of the dispenser body from the ram.

26. The apparatus claimed in claim 25 wherein the resisting means effects the seating of a dispenser body at a point along the line of the ram's movement spaced along such line from the point at which the stripping occurs.

27. The apparatus claimed in claim 26 wherein the resisting means includes at least one seating and stripping lug having a head with first and second dispenser body engaging faces spaced from each other along the line of the ram's movement, with the first engaging face being disposed to engage the dispenser body during the advancement of the ram towards the bag applicator and the second engaging face being disposed to engage the dispenser body upon retraction of the ram from the bag applicator.

28. The apparatus claimed in claim 27 wherein a plurality of the seating and stripping lugs is provided with one of the lugs for each of the dispenser body receiving cradles mounted on the indexing wheel and another of the lugs on the frame for acting in concert with each of the lugs on the indexing wheel on diametrically opposite sides of a dispenser body in the ram feed position.

29. The apparatus claimed in claim 26 wherein the means for selectively opening and closing the fingers includes cam means having camming surfaces corresponding to the open and closed position of the fingers, cam follower means disposed for tracking on the cam surfaces, and means coupling the cam follower means to the fingers for their selective opening and closing in response to the position of the cam follower on the cam.

30. The apparatus claimed in claim 29 wherein the means for opening and closing the fingers includes an actuator shaft on the longitudinal axis of the ram, a pivot securing inner ends of the fingers to the actuator shaft along the axis of the ram for pivotal movement of the fingers with respect to the actuator shaft, a second pivot for each of the fingers between the fingers and the ram proper to orient the fingers at an acute angle to the axis of the ram and extending toward the bag applicator, the second pivots providing pivotal movement of the fingers radially towards and away from the axis of the ram for the closing and the opening of the fingers, respectively, in response to linear movement of the actuator shaft along the axis of the ram, and means for providing limited longitudinal movement of the fingers with respect to the second pivot and in response to linear movement of the actuator shaft such that with the closing of the fingers the fingers draw longitudinally towards an exterior seaming flange on the dispenser body and the head of the ram to engage the seaming flange and with the opening of the fingers the fingers move in the opposite longitudinal direction to disengage the seaming flange, the cam follower coupling means imparting the linear movement to the actuator shaft in response to the cam follower going from one of the camming surfaces to the other.

31. The apparatus claimed in claim 28 wherein the means for selectively opening and closing the fingers includes cam means having camming surfaces corresponding to the open and closed position of the fingers, cam follower means disposed for tracking on the cam surfaces, and means coupling the cam follower means to the fingers for their selective opening and closing in response to the position of the cam follower on the cam.

32. The apparatus claimed in claim 31 wherein the means for opening and closing the fingers includes an actuator shaft on the longitudinal axis of the ram, a pivot securing inner ends of the fingers to the actuator shaft along the axis of the ram for pivotal movement of the fingers with respect to the actuator shaft, a second pivot for each of the fingers between the fingers and the ram proper to orient the fingers at an acute angle to the axis of the ram and extending toward the bag applicator, the second pivots providing pivotal movement of the fingers radially towards and away from the axis of the ram for the closing and the opening of the fingers, respectively, in response to linear movement of the actuator shaft along the axis of the ram, and means for providing limited longitudinal movement of the fingers with respect to the second pivot and in response to linear movement of the actuator shaft such that with the closing of the fingers the fingers draw longitudinally towards an exterior seaming flange on the dispenser body and the head of the ram to engage the seaming flange and with the opening of the fingers the fingers move in the opposite longitudinal direction to disengage the seaming flange, the cam follower coupling means imparting the linear movement to the actuator shaft in response to the cam follower being from one of the camming surfaces to the other.

33. The apparatus claimed in claim 32 wherein the second pivots for the fingers, the first pivot and the actuator shaft are operable to provide the fingers' closing and the engagement of the seaming flange upon linear movement of the actuator shaft away from the head of the ram, and the fingers opening and the disengagement upon linear movement of the actuator shaft in the opposite direction.

34. The apparatus claimed in claim 31 wherein:

a. the means for opening and closing the fingers includes an actuator shaft pivotally secured to the fingers and mounting means between the fingers and the actuator shaft to cause the fingers to open and close radially and axially with respect to the ram's axis upon linear movement of the actuator shaft toward and away from the ram head, respectively, such that upon closing of the fingers they pull radially and axially inwardly of the ram to firmly engage an exterior seaming flange on the dispenser body and linear movement of the actuator shaft in the opposite direction causes the fingers to expand radially and move axially away from the ram to disengage the exterior seaming flange; and

b. the coupling means includes a cross shaft rotatably journaled to the ram, the cam follower being secured to the cross shaft for the cross shaft's limited rotation in response to rotational movement of the cam follower with respect to the axis of the cross shaft, an actuator arm secured to the cross shaft for rotation therewith, means on the actuator arm for engaging an end of the actuator shaft for applying a force thereto to force the actuator shaft towards the head of the ram, a spring acting between the actuator shaft and the actuator arm to urge the actuator shaft away from the head of the ram and through the actuator arm to urge the cam follower into engagement with the cam, and the cam surfaces being disposed to cause the cam follower to rotate with respect to the axis of the cross shaft with movement of the cam follower from one of the cam surfaces to the other.

35. The apparatus claimed in claim 25 wherein the dispenser body feed means includes an infeed chute disposed to feed dispenser bodies into the cradles in the indexing wheel for their pickup by the ram.

36. The apparatus claimed in claim 25 wherein the means for seating and stripping the dispenser body on the ram includes lugs pivotally mounted on the indexing wheel and the frame for coaction together between a contracted position and an expanded position, means for biasing each lug into its contracted position, each lug having a head for selectively engaging the dispenser body, the head having an interior face and an exterior face for engaging the dispenser body during the advance stroke of the ram toward the bag applicator and during the retraction stroke of the ram away from the bag applicator, respectively, the faces being spaced apart along the line of reciprocal movement of the ram.

37. An apparatus for advancing a dispenser body to a bag applicator for the attachment of a bag over a first end of a dispenser body and for the subsequent retraction of the dispenser body from the bag applicator and discharge from the apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a. a frame;

b. a ram carriage mounted on the frame for reciprocal movement towards and away from the bag applicator;

c. means for reciprocating the ram with respect to the frame towards and away from the bag applicator, the reciprocating means including:

i. a ram drive shaft;

ii. a crank an a connecting rod combination at either end of the ram carriage and driven by the ram drive shaft, the cranks and connecting rods being coupled to the ram carriage for reciprocal movement thereof,

d. a ram carried by the ram carriage;

e. a head on the ram adapted to receive a second end of the dispenser body, the second end being opposite the first end;

f. means on the ram for effecting a sealing and seating relationship with a seaming flange on the second end of the dispenser body;

g. means for applying a vacuum through the ram head to draw a bag applied to the first end of the dispenser body into the dispenser body;

h. the head having a peripheral shape complementing the peripheral shape of an arch formed in the bottom of the bag during the drawing of the bag into the dispenser body, the vacuum means including:

ports opening through the flanks of the head for drawing the sides of the arch-shaped bottom of a bag into register with the flanks;

i. fingers on the ram for selectively engaging the second end of the dispenser body and holding the dispenser body during reciprocal movement of the ram towards and away from the bag applicator, each of the fingers having a tooth and a notch for overlying the seaming flange at the bottom of the dispenser body;

j. means for selectively opening and closing the fingers for engaging and disengaging the second end of the dispenser body;

k. a pair of indexing wheels having a plurality of dispenser body receiving cradles disposed around their perimeters, the indexing wheels being mounted for selective step-like rotation to present individual dispenser bodies to the ram in an indexing wheel feed position, each cradle of each indexing wheel having a complementary cradle in the other indexing wheel aligned parallel to the axis of rotation of the indexing wheels and parallel to the line of reciprocal movement of the ram;

l. means for driving the indexing wheels in rotation in steps such that individual cooperating pairs of the cradles are in the path of the ram during each reciprocal cycle thereof;

m. means on the indexing wheels and the frame for engaging the first end of the dispenser body and during the closing of the fingers over the flange at the second end of the dispenser body to resist the force of the ram and cause the dispenser body to seat against the seat; and

n. means on the indexing wheels and the frame for engaging the seaming flange at the first end of the dispenser body on the retraction of the ram to strip the dispenser body from the ram.

38. The apparatus claimed in claim 37 wherein the resisting means effects the seating of a dispenser body at a point along the line of the ram's movement spaced along such line from the point at which the stripping occurs.

39. The apparatus claimed in claim 38 wherein the means for selectively opening and closing the fingers includes cam means having camming surfaces corresponding to the open and closed position of the fingers, cam follower means disposed for tracking on the cam surfaces, and means coupling the cam follower means to the fingers for their selective opening and closing in response to the position of the cam follower on the cam.

40. The apparatus claimed in claim 39 wherein:

a. the means for opening and closing the fingers includes an actuator shaft pivotally secured to the fingers and mounting means between the fingers and the actuator shaft to cause the fingers to open and close radially and axially with respect to the ram's axis upon linear movement of the actuator shaft toward and away from the ram head, respectively, such that upon closing of the fingers they pull radially and axially inwardly of the ram to firmly engage an exterior seaming flange on the dispenser body, and linear movement of the actuator shaft in the opposite direction causes the fingers to expand radially and move axially away from the ram to disengage the exterior seaming flange; and

b. the coupling means includes a cross shaft rotatably journaled to the ram, the cam follower being secured to the cross shaft for the cross shaft's limited rotation in response to rotational movement of the cam follower with respect to the axis of the cross shaft, an actuator arm secured to the cross shaft for rotation therewith, means on the actuator arm for engaging an end of the actuator shaft for applying a force thereto to force the actuator shaft towards the head of the ram, a spring acting between the actuator shaft and the actuator arm to urge the actuator shaft away from the head of the ram and through the actuator arm to urge the cam follower into engagement with the cam, and the cam surfaces being disposed to cause the cam follower to rotate with respect to the axis of the cross shaft with movement of the cam follower from one of the cam surfaces to the other.