Patent ID: 9598192
Date: 2017-03-21
CPC Classifications: B65B

Claim:
1. A bag mouth opening apparatus for use in a bag filling and packaging machine in which a spout bag having a spout attached to an upper edge-side portion thereof and having a bag mouth formed at an upper edge thereof adjacently to the spout is moved along a predetermined path to open the bag mouth, fill an article to be packaged into the bag, and seal the bag mouth, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of pairs of gripping members, each pair comprising left and right gripping members movable toward and away from each other in a width direction of the bag, the gripping members gripping laterally opposite side edges of the bag in a suspended position and moving along the predetermined path; a bag mouth opening device having a pair of suction-adhering members disposed at opposite sides of the bag and movable toward and away from each other in a thickness direction of the bag to suction-adhere to and hold opposite side walls of the bag; and a spout holding device holding the spout; the spout holding device comprising: a pair of spout pinching members disposed at the opposite sides of the bag and movable toward and away from each other to pinch the spout by moving toward each other; a pinching member opening-closing device to move the pair of spout pinching members toward and away from each other; and a pinching member moving device to hold the pinching member opening-closing device at a predetermined initial position and allow the pinching member opening-closing device and spout pinching members to move in the width direction of the bag wherein: the spout holding device holds the spout and keeps the spout upright without a tilt relative to a plane in which the bag extends; and the suction-adhering members move away from each other while suction-adhering to the opposite side walls of the bag and the pair of gripping members move toward each other permitting the pinching member moving device to allow the pinching member opening-closing device and spout pinching members to move toward the bag mouth.