U.S. patent number 3,897,676 [Application Number 05/448,532] was granted by the patent office on 1975-08-05 for opening device for thermoplastic bags.
Invention is credited to Hercules Membrino.
United States Patent |
3,897,676 |
Membrino |
August 5, 1975 |
Opening device for thermoplastic bags
Abstract
An opening and filling device for thermoplastic bags which
comprises a nozzle connected to a source of gaseous fluid such as
air, the nozzle having means to hang one or more bags thereon with
the mouths of the bags just below the nozzle opening and having a
deflecting baffle for deflecting air from the nozzle against the
rear wall of the bag so that the gaseous fluid flows down between
the rear wall and the front wall of the bag to open the bag. The
nozzle is adapted to have a chute connected thereto with a gate for
opening and closing the chute, said gate, when in open position,
engaging the mouth of the bag to hold it totally in open
position.
Inventors: |
Membrino; Hercules
(Philadelphia, PA) |
Family
ID: |
27015163 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/448,532 |
Filed: |
March 6, 1974 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
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395542 |
Sep 10, 1973 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
53/572;
53/385.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B
43/36 (20130101); B65B 51/146 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65B
51/14 (20060101); B65B 43/26 (20060101); B65B
43/36 (20060101); B65b 043/36 () |
Field of
Search: |
;53/385,189 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Spruill; Robert L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Jacobs, Esq.; Arthur A.
Parent Case Text
This is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application Ser. No.
395,542, filed Sept. 10, 1973.
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A bag opening device comprising a chamber having an inlet for a
gaseous fluid and an outlet for said gaseous fluid, hanger means
adjacent said outlet for hanging thermoplastic bags in such a
manner that the mouths of said bags, defined by a front wall and a
rear wall, underlie said outlet, and a baffle plate depending from
said chamber, said baffle plate constituting a continuation of one
wall portion of said outlet and underlying said outlet, said baffle
plate being curved in a manner to deflect the gaseous fluid from
said outlet toward the rear wall of a bag hanging from said hanger
to open said bag, a chute positioned adjacent said chamber, said
chute having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, said outlet
opening being adjacent said outlet from said chamber, a gate
positioned for pivotal movement within said chute, said gate being
pivotally connected to one wall portion of said chute and having
one end thereof extending through said outlet opening of said
chute, said gate being pivotally movable from a chute-closing
position, wherein said gate is in an inclined position within said
chute with the said one end engaging said baffle plate, to a full
chute-opening position, wherein said gate abuts against the
interior surface of said one wall portion of said chute with said
one end underlying said one wall portion, said one end being of a
length to overlie the mouth of said bag when said gate is in said
chute-closing position and to engage the interior surface of the
rear wall of said bag when said gate is in said full chute-opening
position, and a gate-operating means connected to said gate, said
gate-operating means being positioned externally of said chute and
being operable to move said gate on its pivotal connection.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein said chute is separable from said
chamber.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein said chute is integral with said
chamber and is separated therefrom by a common wall.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein said gate operating means is a
handle for manual operation of said gate means.
5. The device of claim 1 wherein said gate operating means is a
solenoid actuating means.
Description
This invention relates to an apparatus for opening and filling
thermoplastic bags, and it particularly relates to an apparatus of
the foregoing type which utilizes air pressure to open the bags
prior to filling.
As indicated in the aforesaid parent application, bags constructed
of thermoplastic material such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and
the like, are ordinarily difficult to open because the
thermoplastic walls have a great adherence to each other so that it
is not only difficult to separate the edges or lips of the walls
defining the mouth of the bag but also difficult to separate the
walls themselves even when the lips have been separated from each
other.
The above difficulty was effectively solved by the apparatus
described in the aforementioned parent application where a pack of
superimposed bags are clamped to the outer peripheral portion of a
filling chute and where air is blown diagonally across the chute
between the lips of each successive bag in such a manner that the
air is blown over the front lip of the bag against the rear wall
thereof and then passes downwardly into the bag, thereby
effectively opening the bag in linear arrangement with the exit
opening of the chute, whereby the opened bag receives filling
material passing through the chute. This opening action is aided by
the fact that the bags are clamped to the chute by a clamping plate
or the like which conforms to about half the circumference of the
chute whereby the bags are bent partially around the chute. This
provides a lateral force which causes the lip of the front wall to
initially slightly separate from the rear wall to permit entrance
of the air between the lips.
The above-described apparatus, although effective for its purpose,
required the presence of the filling chute during the opening
operation, whereby the air stream had to be delivered diagonally
across the chute from front to rear. In order to obtain maximum
effectiveness, it was also necessary to clamp the bags around half
the periphery of the chute.
In accordance with the present invention, on the other hand the
filling chute is not required for the opening operation but may be
used, if required, as an auxiliary attachment. Furthermore, the air
stream does not require a diagonal path from front to rear but may
be directed along the rear surface so that lateral space is saved.
In addition, the bags need not be clamped in semi-circular
peripheral engagement with the chute in order to obtain effective
entrance of the air into the bag.
It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a
thermoplastic bag opening apparatus which can perform its function
in a highly effective manner without the presence of the filling
chute and without any particular peripheral engagement
therewith.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus
of the aforesaid type wherein a chute is optionally provided and
wherein said chute may be equipped with either a manually or
mechanically-operated means to serve both as a stop means for
filler materials passing through the chute and as an auxiliary
means for maintaining the lips of the bag in spaced-apart, open
position during the filling action.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus
of the aforesaid type which is extremely simple in construction,
inexpensive to manufacture and easy to use.
Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this
invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better
understood by reference to the following description when read in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side view, partly broken away in section, of a bag
opening device embodying the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the device of
FIG. 1 showing a chute assembly connected thereto.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side view, partly in section and partly in
elevation, showing a modification of the device of FIG. 2.
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side sectional view showing another
modified form of the device shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6--6 of FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of a bag of the type utilized in
conjunction with the present invention.
Referring now in greater detail to the various figures of the
drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar
parts, there is shown in FIG. 1 a bag opening device, generally
designated 10, comprising a housing 12 having an air inlet 14, a
duct 16 connected to the air inlet, and a blower (now shown) for
drawing the air through the inlet 14 and blowing it through the
duct 16 and through a two-piece elbow conduit 18 to a housing or
chamber 20. The housing 12 has a removable cover plate 21 connected
thereto by any desirable connecting means such as bolts, screws,
clips or the like.
The housing or chamber 20 is arcuate in cross-sectional shape (as
best seen in FIG. 3) and is provided with a flat wall 22. The upper
end 24 of the housing 20 is closed and is provided with a stud 26
which extends upwardly from the closed end 24. A washer 28 and nut
30 are provided on the stud for the purpose of releasably clamping
a lateral flange 32 extending from a chute 34. The flange 32 is
provided with a notch (not shown) which encircles the stud to
permit inter-fitting of the flange when in clamped position.
The lower end 36 of the chamber 20 is open and is defined at the
rear by the arcuate wall 38 and at the front by the lower end of
the flat wall 22. Depending from the lower end of wall 22 is a
baffle plate 40. The plate 40 is rearwardly and downwardly
curved.
Extending rearwardly from the wall 38 at the lower end of the
chamber 20 is a threaded stud 42 extending through an aperture in a
plate 44 which is itself connected at 46 to a bracket 48 pivotally
mounted on a base plate 50 extending forwardly from the housing 12.
The stud 42 is provided with a nut 52 which is adapted to bear
against the plate 44. The stud 42 acts as a hanger for one or more
thermoplastic bags 54 that are each provided with a front wall 56
and a rear wall 58 (as best seen in FIG. 7. Each bag 54 has an open
mouth defined by a front lip 60 and a perforated edge 62 defining
the rear lip. The perforated edge 62 is somewhat higher than the
front lip 60 and separates the rear wall of the bag from a selvage
strip 64 having an aperture 66 to receive the stud 42.
In operation, one or more bags, generally a pack of bags connected
together by their selvage strips 64, are hung on the stud 42, by
first removing the nut 52, bending the plate 44 backwards off the
bolt, inserting the bags onto the stud 42, bringing the plate 44
back onto the stud and then applying the nut 52 to the stud and
tightening it in place. The blower (not shown) is then operated to
blow a stream of air through the duct 18 into the chamber 20. The
air passes through the chamber 20 and through the lower end 36. As
it passes through lower end 36, it is deflected by baffle plate 40
toward the rear wall of the front bag 54. Since the lip 60 of the
front wall of the bag is lower than the upper edge of the rear
wall, the air stream passes along the rear wall between that rear
wall and the front wall, thereby fully opening the bag, as shown in
FIG. 1. While the bag remains hanging and open, the filler material
may be inserted by hand or by any other means into the bag. After
being filled, the bag is merely pulled away by tearing at the
perforated edge 62. It may then be sealed or left open as desired
for the particular purpose.
In FIGS. 2 and 3 there is shown the same bag opening device as in
FIG. 1, the parts being referred to by the same reference
characters, but in these figures, the device has attached thereto
the aforementioned chute 34. The chute 34, as described above, is
attached to the flat wall 22 of the chamber 20 by means of the
flange 32 held in position by stud 26 and nut 30.
The chute 34 has an inclined wall 68 and is open at its upper and
lower ends. The inclined wall 68 is provided with an aperture 70 in
which is pivotally positioned an elbow portion 72 of a gate plate
74 which is pivotally movable against and away from the baffle
plate 40 by means of a handle 76 attached to a lever portion 78 on
the outer side of the elbow portion 72. The lever portion 78 is
biased toward the wall 68 by a spring 80 so that the gate 74 is
normally in the closed position shown in FIG. 2. It is movable into
the open position by pushing up on handle 76. Although a biasing
spring 80 is illustrated, it may be omitted, especially if it is
desired to bias the gate into the open position since, in that
case, the weight of the gate 74 would act as its own biasing
means.
The chute construction shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 has several
functions: (a) it acts as a funnel for insertion of filling
material into an opened bag, (b) it serves to meter the amount of
filling material or prevent passage of such material when there is
no opened bag in place, and (c) it serves as an auxiliary retention
means whereby an auxiliary positive force is exerted to hold the
mouth of the bag wide open during filling. The last two functions
are provided by the gate 74 which, when in the closed position,
prevents passage of filling material through the chute, and, when
in open position, not only permits sucn passage but abuts against
the inner surface of the lip of the front wall of the bag (as shown
in dotted outline in FIG. 2) to hold the mouth in wide open
position.
Automatic metering may be accomplished by connecting the handle 76
or the gate 74 directly to a crank arm or the like (not shown)
which is attached to an electric motor or the like actuated by a
timing mechanism (not shown) or connected to a conveyor or the like
(not shown) for movement in timed relationship therewith. Another
manner of automatically actuating the gate is by means of a
solenoid. This latter type system is illustrated in FIG. 4 where
the apparatus, generally designated 90, is similar in all respects
to that shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, including an air duct 92, a
chamber 94 having a lower outlet end 96, a stud 98 extending
through a plate 100 for hanging bags 102, and a nut 104 for holding
the bags in place on the stud. The chute 106 is similar to chute 34
except it is integrally connected to housing 94 (although this is
optional). A gate 108, similar to gate 74 is provided in the chute;
however, the gate 108 is connected to the core 110 of a solenoid
112. The solenoid may be intermittently actuated by any desired
device such as a conveyor or other feed mechanism.
FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a modified form of the invention and is
generally designated 120. In this form, the chamber 122, similar to
chamber 20, is integral with a cylindrical chute 124, being
separated therefrom by a flat wall 126 having a baffle plate 128 at
its lower end.
The baffle plate 128 is curved downwardly and rearwardly toward the
rear wall of the outermost bag 130, the bags being hung on a stud
132 and held by a nut 134 bearing against a plate 136 in similar
fashion to the structure shown in FIGS. 1-4. The lower outlet end
of the chamber 122, indicated at 138, is situated above the baffle
plate 128 in similar manner to outlet end 36.
Attached to the chute 124 is a bracket 140 to which is hingedly
connected, as by pin 142, a yoke 144. The yoke 144 is connected to
a gate plate 146. A lever handle 148 extends laterally from the
gate 146. A spring 150 encircles the pin 142 and is connected to
the gate 146 to bias the gate into closed position. When the handle
148 is pushed up (as shown in dotted outline FIG. 5), the gate 146
swings into the open, downward position (shown in dotted outline in
FIG. 5), thereby acting in the same manner and serving the same
functions as gate 74.
The air stream for opening the bags may be continuous or, more
preferably, may be discontinuous or intermittent pulses dependent
either on a separate standard timing mechanism (not shown) or on
the actuation of a valve or pump motor by a conveyor or other feed
means (not shown).
The chute may have either a round, rectangular or any other
desirable cross-sectional shape, as is also true of the housing 122
and the ductwork.
Although air has been described as the gaseous bag opening means,
any other desirable gas or vapor may be substituted when
desired.
* * * * *