U.S. patent number 3,631,768 [Application Number 04/877,627] was granted by the patent office on 1972-01-04 for bag-processing machine.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Gebruder Holler GmbH. Invention is credited to Josef Breidenbach.
United States Patent |
3,631,768 |
Breidenbach |
January 4, 1972 |
BAG-PROCESSING MACHINE
Abstract
A bag-processing machine comprises a first arrangement for
advancing bags in a predetermined path at a first speed past a
first operating station. A second arrangement is spaced in
direction downstream from the first arrangement and serves to
advance the bags in the same path but at a higher second speed past
a second operating station. Transfer means is arranged intermediate
the first and second arrangements and receives the bags from the
first arrangement at the first speed, engages them by suction and
transfers them to the second arrangement at the aforementioned
second speed.
Inventors: |
Breidenbach; Josef (Bergisch
Gladbach, DT) |
Assignee: |
Gebruder Holler GmbH (Bergisch
Gladbach, DT)
|
Family
ID: |
5713711 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/877,627 |
Filed: |
November 18, 1969 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Nov 19, 1968 [DT] |
|
|
P 18 09 659.8 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
493/236 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B
43/12 (20130101); B31B 70/00 (20170801); B31B
2155/001 (20170801); B31B 2155/0014 (20170801); B31B
2160/10 (20170801); B31B 2155/00 (20170801) |
Current International
Class: |
B31B
23/00 (20060101); B65B 43/00 (20060101); B65B
43/12 (20060101); B31b 001/14 (); B31b
019/14 () |
Field of
Search: |
;93/1G,33,35PC,58.4,58P,62,93HT |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Morse, Jr.; Wayne A.
Claims
I claim:
1. In a bag-processing machine, in combination, first means for
continuously advancing a coherent chain of bags in a predetermined
path and at a first speed; severing means for severing the
respectively leading bag from said coherent chain; second means
spaced in direction downstream of said first means and said
severing means for continuously advancing the severed bags at a
higher second speed past an operating station; and transfer means
intermediate said severing means and said second means for
receiving severed bags from the former, engaging them by suction,
and transferring them to said second means at least at said second
speed, said transfer means comprising aperture-defining wall means
surrounding an internal chamber and at least substantially bridging
the space between said severing means and second means, said wall
means travelling at least in part in direction from said severing
means toward said second means, and suction means for creating
suction in said chamber so that, when severed bags advance from
said severing means onto said wall means, suction is exerted on
them through said apertures and said bags are maintained in
position during transfer to said second means.
2. In a machine as defined in claim 1, and further comprising
abutment means on said transfer means and arranged for abutting
engagement with the severed bags engaged by said transfer means for
imparting to such engaged bags a predetermined orientation with
reference to said path.
3. In a machine as defined in claim 2, said abutment means being
arranged for movement alternately into abutting position
transversely of the advancement of each engaged bag and thereupon
into withdrawn position subsequent to abutment with the respective
bag.
4. In a machine as defined in claim 2, wherein said wall means
comprises first wall means defining said internal chamber with the
latter having an open side, and travelling second wall means
traveling past said open side in close proximity thereto and
defining said apertures.
5. In a machine as defined in claim 4, wherein said second wall
means comprises a plurality of endless belts each having a belt
section overlying said open side and extending in direction from
said first means towards said second means, said belt sections
being spaced transversely of said direction and defining with one
another elongated gap-shaped apertures.
6. In a machine as defined in claim 5, wherein said abutment means
comprises an abutment element extending in a plane at least
substantially parallel with the general plane of said belt sections
and comprising a plurality of projections at least one of which
extends into each of said apertures in response to movement of said
abutment means from a withdrawn position to an operative abutting
position.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the processing of bags,
and more particularly to an apparatus for processing of bags.
Apparatus is known which forms bags at a first operating station
from suitable material and advances these bags in form of a chain
of connected bags in a predetermined path. A cutting device severs
the respectively leading bag from the chain, and the thus-severed
leading bag is then advanced to another operating station for
further processing, for instance for filling and closing, or for
other purposes. Usually, the bags must advance past the second
processing station at a speed greater than that at which they
advance past the first processing station and are supplied by the
cutting device for transfer to the second processing station. A
transfer device is provided for this purpose which engages the bags
at the first speed as they are supplied by the cutting device, and
accelerates them to supply them at the higher second speed to the
second operating station. Known transfer arrangements used for this
purpose engage the severed leading bags between pairs of rollers
and accelerate them prior to releasing them to the arrangement
which serves to advance them to and past the second operating
station. These arrangements have the disadvantage, however, that if
the bags are to be supplied in proper predetermined relationship to
the arrangement which advances them to the second operating
station--as they must be in order to be in proper position for the
further processing which they are to undergo--then the pressure
with which the rollers of the respective pairs engage the bags in
the transfer device must be precisely adjusted. Accordingly, if
different materials are used, that is when the device has been
adjusted for bags of one material and is now to be used with bags
of another material, or if the surface consistency of the bag
material differs, a readjustment of the pressure exerted by the
rollers is necessary in every instance. This is evidently both
time-consuming and demands a certain amount of skill so that
special personnel must be available for carrying out these
adjustments.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide
an apparatus for bag-processing purposes which is not possessed of
the aforementioned disadvantages.
More particularly it is an object of the present invention to
provide such an apparatus which requires no precise adjustment of
the transfer means if the material or surface consistency of the
material of the bags varies from batch to batch or from case to
case.
A further object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus
which is simple in its construction but highly reliable in its
operation.
In pursuance of the above objects, and others which will become
apparent hereafter, one feature of my invention resides, briefly
stated, in a bag-processing machine which comprises first means for
advancing bags in a predetermined path and at a first speed past a
first operating station. Second means is spaced in direction
downstream of the first means and serves to advance the bags in the
aforementioned path but at a higher second speed past a second
operating station. Finally, I provide transfer means arranged
intermediate the first and second means and serving to receive the
bags from the first means at the first speed, engaging them by
suction, and transferring them to the second means at the
aforementioned second speed.
By utilizing suction engagement for the bags I obtain various
advantages which cannot be had with the apparatus according to the
prior art. Among these is, of course, the fact that there is no
need to provide for specific adjustments if the material of the
bags varies, or if the surface consistency of the material differs.
A further advantage of my novel apparatus resides in the fact that
it permits me to interrupt in a most simple manner the supply of
bags from the first means to the second means if this is necessary
or desirable, for instance if the second means should become
temporarily inoperative, or if it is desired to make spot checks at
intervals of the bags being supplied by the first means, for
instance to determine whether their seams are properly sealed if
they are of synthetic plastic material, or for any other purpose.
This is accomplished by momentarily interrupting suction whereby
any bags supplied by the first means to the transfer means while
the suction is interrupted, will simply fall off and can be
collected for inspection or for any other purposes.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the
invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The
invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its
method of operation, together with additional objects and
advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following
description of specific embodiments when read in connection with
the accompanying drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a simplified rather diagrammatic perspective view of an
apparatus embodying the present invention, with components not
essential for an understanding of the invention having been
omitted; and
FIG. 2 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, of the transfer
means used in the apparatus of FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Discussing now the drawing in detail, and firstly FIG. 1 thereof,
it will be seen that reference numeral 1 identifies a supply roll
from which a web 2 of material--such as, for instance, synthetic
plastic material--is continuously withdrawn over an abutment 11.
Downstream of the abutment 11 there is arranged a folding member
12, having a generally fork-shaped configuration, and the web 2 is
drawn through the folding member 12 by the action of the
withdrawing rollers 13, 14 and is thereby folded longitudinally in
half into a generally V-shaped strip 3.
Intermediate the folding member 12 and the withdrawing rollers 13,
14 there is arranged a sealing device comprising the
diagrammatically illustrated pairs of sealing jaws 15. Such sealing
devices are known to those skilled in the art and form no part of
the present invention. It is pointed out, however, that they are
pressed in known manner against the V-shaped strip 3 and that they
will usually advance with the strip 3 through a predetermined
distance, to thereupon return to their starting position. In any
case, the sealing jaws 15 serve to provide a plurality of sealed
seams extending transversely of the elongation of the strip 3,
thereby providing a chain 4 of connected individual bags, with the
width of each bag corresponding to the distance between two
adjacent pairs over the jaws 15. The open side of each of the bags
4 faces upwardly in FIG. 1.
Downstream of the withdrawing rollers 13, 14 there is arranged a
severing device consisting in the diagrammatically illustrated
embodiment of a stationary knife blade 16 and a rotary knife blade
17 (see also FIG. 2), with the rotation of the knife blade 17 being
so selected that it severs the respectively leading bag 5 from the
advancing chain 4 of connected bags.
The web 2, which is transformed into the chain 4 of bags, advances
in direction towards the cutting or severing arrangement 16, 17
under the influence of the withdrawing rollers 13, 14 at a
predetermined first speed.
Downstream of the severing device 16, 17 and spaced therefrom is a
pair of cooperating endless belts 19, 20 mounted for rotation about
pairs of rollers, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, and which
advance in the direction indicated by their associated arrows at a
second speed which is higher than the first speed imparted by the
rollers 13, 14. The belts 19 and 20 are so arranged that they
engage the bags 5 in the region of their open side, advancing them
to a further advancing arrangement located downstream of the belts
19, 20 and comprising engagement members 21 which may be of known
construction and which engage the bags 5 at their lateral edges
below the upper open side of the bags. Now the bags 5 are advanced
to a filling station 23 where they are filled with whatever
contents they are to accommodate, and thereupon the filled bags are
passed to a closing device 24 which closes their upper open ends.
The arrangement and construction of the filling station and of the
closing device form no part of the present invention and any
suitable and well-known type may be utilized. They are illustrated
in FIG. 1 only to clarify the further processing steps to which the
bags are subjected once they have been released by the belts 19,
20.
As pointed out above, the severed bags 5 are supplied from the
severing device 16, 17 at a first speed imparted to them by the
advancing rollers 13, 14. The belts 19, 20 advance at a second
speed which is higher than the first speed. In order for the
severed bags 5 to be brought up to the higher speed so that they
can be smoothly engaged by the belts 19, 20 a transfer device is
necessary. This transfer device, identified with reference numeral
18 and shown on an enlarged scale in FIG. 2, comprises in
accordance with my invention a suction chamber 25 having an open
side whose general plane coincides with the general plane of the
path in which the severed bags advance from the severing device 16,
17 to the belts 19, 20. A suction-producing device 27, such as a
vacuum pump, is diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1 and
communicates via suitable conduit means, and a valve 26, with the
interior of the suction chamber 25. In accordance with my invention
the suction chamber is surrounded by a movable wall overlying its
open side and being apertured so that, when the bags 5 move onto
this movable wall, they are held by suction against the same and
are advanced by movement of the movable wall.
The particularly advantageous embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and
2 shows the movable wall to consist of a plurality of endless belts
or bands 28 which are trained about the rotary rollers 29, 30 and
31 all of which are arranged in axial parallelism with one another.
In this embodiment the belts 28 actually are spaced from the wall
of the suction chamber 25 and the rollers 29, 30 and 31--of which
one, two or all may be driven in suitable manner by any drive means
known to those skilled in the art--are rotated continuously in the
direction of the arrows associated with them in FIG. 2.
It will be noticed that the belts 28 are spaced from one another
axially of the rollers 29, 30 and 31 at predetermined distances
which are advantageously constant and identical. The speed at which
the belts 28 advance in the sense imparted to them by the rotation
of the rollers 29, 30 and 31, is significantly higher than the
speed at which the withdrawing rollers 13, 14 advance the web 2 and
consequently the bags 5 which are produced from the web 2; it
equals the speed of the belts 19 and 20 which in turn equals the
speed of advancement of the engaging members 21.
It should be emphasized that in place of the belts 28 a one-piece
belt or analogous wall-defining member could also be provided,
formed with suitable apertures to permit for suction engagement of
the bags 5. Such other possibilities, which also form a part of the
invention and which are not to be considered excluded by the fact
that I have illustrated a particularly advantageous arrangement,
are of course a part of the invention.
Evidently, the severed bags 5 are engaged by suction by the
transfer device 18. More specifically, the leading edge portion of
each bag 5 slides onto the belts 28 or analogous wall-defining
member before the trailing edge portion of the same bag is yet
severed from the chain 4. Because the chain 4 is firmly engaged
between the advancing rollers 13, 14 the fact that the leading edge
portion of the leading as yet unsevered bag 5 overlies the belts 28
does not permit the chain 24 to be accelerated to the speed of the
transfer device 18. This acceleration takes place only after the
trailing edge of the leading bag 5 is severed from the chain 4,
whereupon the bag 5, whose leading edge is already held by suction
against the belts 28 which slide underneath it during their
continued movement, can now be carried along by the belts 28 in
direction towards the belts 19, 20.
In order to prevent flexing of the belts 28 and of the bags 5
carried along by the same in direction into the interior of the
suction chamber 25, I provide supporting bars or the like 34
extending across the open side of the suction chamber 25 and each
located behind one of the belts 28 in registry therewith. The bars
or analogous elements 34 are of the same width or at least
substantially the same width as the belts 28 and are secured in
suitable manner so that the belts 28 slide over them; it is evident
that direct physical content is not necessary and that the bars 34
may be slightly spaced from the belts 28.
A comblike abutment element 32 is located inwardly of the open side
of the suction chamber 25 and provided with teeth or projections 33
which each register with a gap between two adjacent ones of the
belts 28. The abutment member 32 can rotate about an axis defined
by the shaft 32a so that its projections 33 can extend into the
gaps between adjacent ones of the belts 28, and be withdrawn
therefrom. When they are extending into these gaps, that is when
they are in the position illustrated in FIG. 2, the projections 33
serve as abutments for the bags held by suction against the belts
28 and being advanced by the same in direction from the right
towards the left-hand side of FIG. 2. Contact of the leading edge
of the bags 5 with the projections 33 serves to align any bag 5
which may be skewed, so that it is in proper position for
engagement by the belts 19, 20. Once such contact has taken place,
the member 32 rotates about the axis defined by its shaft 32a in a
sense withdrawing the projections 33 from the gaps between the
belts 28 so that the bag 5 can continue towards the belts 19, 20
for engagement by the same.
Control of the rotation of the member 32 may be effected by
suitable control means 35 which is already well known in the art
and which in turn may be actuated in dependence upon the particular
position of the engagement members 21 to which the bags 5 are
supplied by the belts 19, 20. For this reason the control means 35
is actuated by the driving means 36 of the engagement members
21.
Not only does the apparatus herein disclosed and illustrated by way
of an exemplary embodiment, provide the advantages which have been
set forth in the introductory portion of this disclosure, and avoid
the disadvantages of the prior art, but it has the additional
feature of affording at all times a very clear unobstructed view of
the accelerating or transfer device 18 so that the proper operation
of this device may be ascertained at a quick glance. This is
important because the device 18 is an important part of the
apparatus of the type under discussion, especially because of the
precision of cooperation between the various components of such
apparatus which is necessary to assure flawless functioning.
It is again emphasized that such details as the control of rotation
of the rotary knife 17, of the advancing rollers 13, 14, the
rollers 29, 30 and 31, the operation of the vacuum pump 27 and the
valve 26 and their construction, the operation and construction of
the filling station 23 and the sealing station 24, the guidance and
operation of the gripping members 21 are not essential for the
purposes of the present invention. All of this can be accomplished
with known apparatus in known manner which forms no part of the
present invention.
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or
two or more together, may also find a useful application in other
types of constructions differing from the types described
above.
While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied
in a bag-processing machine, it is not intended to be limited to
the details shown, since various modifications and structural
changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of
the present invention.
* * * * *