Patent ID: 6546971
Filing Date: 2003-04-15
Classification: B65B,B65G

Abstract:
An apparatus for inserting a plurality of bags into an outer container, comprising in combination a bag conveyor, a feed conveyor for the container, said bag conveyor comprising a star conveyor which is rotatably driven about a substantially horizontal axis to define a conveying direction, a circumferential portion of said star conveyor being provided with a plurality of equally spaced receiving compartments about an entire circumference of said star conveyor, each of the compartments being loadable at a loading point with a single bag in the conveying direction and the loading point being between a location at least as high as the horizontal axis and an apex of the star conveyor and at a position where the compartments are moving upwards, with the bags settling to a substantially uniform orientation in their respective compartments by gravity while the compartments travel from the loading location to the apex of the star conveyor, and each of the compartments being unloadable at an unloading location spaced in the conveying direction from a location at which each said compartment was loaded with a single bag, for transferring each bag into the container carried by the feed conveyor, the unloading location being arranged above the feed conveyor, the feed conveyor being driven to define a conveying direction thereof which is parallel to the conveying direction of the star conveyor at the unloading location to allow the bag to fall out of the compartment and into the container by gravity, said bag conveyor including a first partial conveyor and a first star conveyor for bags of a first set, and a second partial conveyor and a second star conveyor for bags of a second set, and the feed conveyor for the container communicating with both said star conveyors, wherein said bag conveyor includes a supply path for supplying a continuous row of bags and a slide for distributing the bags among said first partial conveyor and said second partial conveyor.