Patent ID: 6662532
Filing Date: 2003-12-16
Classification: B65B

Abstract:
A bag filling apparatus for filling bags with a loose commodity comprising a bag wicket (44) for holding an interconnected array of empty bags, a bottom-opening discharge hopper (28), means for positioning said bags sequentially beneath said hopper and a bag gripping means for closing said bag when filled and displacing said filled bag away from said hopper; said bags having opposed sides and opposed ends;said hopper (28) including drive means (40) for displacing said hopper in a reciprocating vertical motion and a hopper mouth (34) insertable into said bag for holding said bag in an open position during filling; said bag gripping means comprising a first pair of arms (62a and 62b) each terminating in a downwardly-depending finger (64a and 64b); and a second pair of arms (66a and 66b) positioned between said first pair and each terminating in a corresponding downwardly-depending finger (67a and 67b), said second pair of arms being driven by first reciprocating drive means (70) for horizontal diverging and converging movement whereby within a converged position said fingers of said second arms are positioned for insertion within an open mouth of a bag, and in said diverged position, said fingers are positioned to draw apart opposed ends of said bag, thereby drawing together the opposed sides of said bag; second reciprocating drive means (92) to lower said fingers (67(a) and (b)) of said second pair of arms into the open mouth of said bag; and third reciprocating drive means (98) to retract said fingers and said first and second pairs of arms in tandem in a horizontal direction away from and opposite to the bag wicket (44) while gripping said bag for drawing the next empty bag from said wicket under said hopper.