Patent ID: 9517851
Filing Date: 2016-12-13
CPC Classification: B65B,B65G,F16C

Claim Text:
1. An apparatus for removing air from a bag configured for accommodating one or more articles while the bag is traveling on a moving conveyor belt of a conveyor system, comprising: a horizontal shaft disposed in operational relationship to the conveyor belt; a plurality of rings, each ring having a thickness and a centered opening dimensioned to loosely accommodate said shaft and to rotationally oscillate relative to said shaft such that each ring is vertically displaceable relative to said shaft, each ring separated from said shaft by a space defined by an inner surface of each said ring and an outer surface of said shaft without having any intervening material directly and consistently engaging the inner surface of each said ring and the outer surface of said shaft; wherein each ring independently and generally follows a corresponding contour defined by the one or more articles to expel air from the bag by downwardly depressing an outer surface of the bag, solely caused by weight of each ring while the bag is carried on the conveyor belt below said rings; and wherein a radial distance between the outer surface of said shaft and a peripheral inner surface of said ring is greater than a diameter of said shaft when assembled for generating said rotational oscillation.