Patent ID: 6712196
Filing Date: 2004-03-30
Classification: B65B

Abstract:
An empty bag supplying apparatus in a continuous conveying type bag-filling packaging machine wherein said empty bag supplying apparatus receives empty bags that are positioned in a vertical attitude with mouths of said bags facing upward and transfers said bags to respective gripper pairs of said continuous conveying type bag-filling packaging machine, said gripper pairs being moved continuously at a constant speed and at a uniform spacing and gripping both side edges of said bags by means of gripping sections thereof and conveying said bags in a vertically suspended fashion; and wherein:said empty bag supplying apparatus is comprised of: downward-facing bag holding members which open and close at a specified timing so as to hold upper portions of said bags when closed, a reciprocating movement mechanism which causes said bag holding members to perform a reciprocating motion along an arc-shaped path on a horizontal plane and which causes said bags held by said bag holding members to be set substantially parallel to a direction of movement of said gripper pairs at all times, and a bag transfer region that is established at an intermediate point on said arc-shaped path, said arc-shaped path substantially overlapping a movement path of said gripping sections of said gripper pairs within said bag transfer region, and a speed of said reciprocating motion of said bag holding members in a direction of movement of said gripper pairs being set to be substantially equal to a moving speed of said gripper pairs at least within said bag transfer region.