Packaging machine with inflated bag printer and method

A method and device for imprinting indicia on a product bag in cooperation with a product bagging machine in which the imprinting operation does not hinder or interfere with an accelerated packaging operation, including the steps of first continuously moving products to be bagged along a conveying surface in a spaced and generally aligned end-to-end relationship, second inflating a product bag by an air jet in order to receive the product, third prior to filling the inflated bag shifting it laterally into contact with a printer head of an imprinter device which is disposed off to the side of the moving stream of aligned and spaced products, and fourth imprinting the inflated bag during the interval of time that the space between adjacent moving products is adjoining the imprinter device. The apparatus provides means for moving aligned and spaced products along a conveying surface past a laterally disposed imprinter device and utilizing an air jet to inflate a product bag to raise an imprint surface thereon into proximity of the imprinter device, thereafter using a shifting means to laterally move the bag imprint surface into contact with a printer head of the imprinter device and providing a timing means to accommodate imprinting the inflated bag immediately prior to filling the bag with the product.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to marking devices adapted for use with product 
packaging machines and more particularly to a method and device of 
applying indicia to product bags which does not hinder or interfere with a 
product packaging operation. 
2. Prior Art 
Imprinting devices are in general current use to apply last-minute indicia 
to pre-printed wrappers or bags, immediately prior to filling the bags 
with a product, especially perishable food products such as bread or the 
like. Such last-minute indicia may include dating, pricing or other coded 
information which cannot be printed at the time the bags are manufactured. 
Because of the difficulty of applying printing to a stack of bags or after 
the bags are filled with a fragile product, inflated bag printing devices 
have been generally utilized to apply last-minute indicia in current 
packaging operations. Such an inflated bag printing device is described 
and shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,823,664, issued July 16, 1974, entitled 
"Inflated Bag Printer and Method". Therein, the impriting device is 
generally utilized adjacent to a bag inflating station where a stack of 
deflated bags are positioned prior to filling with a product. Each bag, in 
turn, is inflated by a jet of air directed at an open end of the bag at 
the top of the stack with the open end maintained in an expanded condition 
by a mechanical gripping mechanism which also releases the bag from the 
inflating position and moves it to a bag filling station where an awaiting 
product is to be packaged. However, prior to moving the bag to the filling 
station the imprinting device is activated to apply indicia to the 
inflated bag by taking advantage of the bags' inflating operation which is 
arranged to move a surface of the bag into contact with a marking face of 
the imprinter. The marking face is positioned directly above the inflated 
bag adjacent its closed end whereby activation of an anvil or striker of 
the imprinter at the closed end of the bag deflates and collapses a 
portion of the bag to thrust an imprint surface of the bag against the 
marking face. The anvil is then removed from contact with the bag 
whereupon the imprinted bag is moved to the filling station by the 
mechanical gripping mechanism. 
While this mode of bag imprinting has been extremely successful in the 
past, newly developed, high production product packing machines preclude 
the use of past imprinting arrangements. Herein, a rapid continuous flow 
of products move along a conveying surface in aligned and spaced 
relationship to one another, from a receiving station to a discharge 
station. Intermediate the receiving station and the discharge station 
inflated bags are placed in the path of the product flow to individually 
intercept each of the products. Herein, the flow of products along the 
conveying surface is effective to fill the bags and transport the product 
filled bag to the discharge station at a relatively high continuous rate. 
Thus, it will be seen that past imprinting devices which are positioned 
directly above and behind the inflated bags would interfere with the 
continuous straight through flow of these highly productive packaging 
machines. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
My invention provides a device and a method for use with continuous product 
flow types of packaging machines for applying printed indicia to product 
wrappers or bags which is compatible with these highly productive 
packaging machines and which does not interfere or hinder the product 
packaging operation. Typically, these most efficient machines which are 
now commonly used for wrapping bread or buns and the like, provide a 
conveying surface extending between a product receiving station and a 
product discharge station and having a bag inflating station intermediate 
the receiving and discharge stations. A stacked supply of flattened bags, 
having one end thereof sealed, are held in position adjacent the inflating 
station by a gripping means. An air jet directed at an open unsealed end 
of the topmost bag will inflate it to accommodate filling with product. 
The conveying surface being equipped with suitable guides, provides for 
the aligned and spaced transport of packageable products therealong by 
spaced product filling pusher members, which are continuously driven by an 
appropriate drive means. Thus, while continuously advancing the products 
along the conveying surface, the filling members individually load the 
products into an inflated bag which is interposed in the product flow path 
to intercept an approaching product. After abutting the sealed end of the 
bag the continued product advance frees the bag from the gripping means 
and the product filled bag is conveyed along to the discharge station. 
However, prior to filling the inflated bags with the product they are 
imprinted with required indicia. When the filled bag clears the inflating 
station and before the following product arrives, the next bag at the top 
of the stack is inflated by the air jet. An inflated bag imprinter device 
is adjustably positioned at an imprinting station which is adjacent the 
inflating station and disposed laterally of the conveying surface to be 
clear of the product flow to allow unobstructed movement of the product 
and product pusher members past the imprinter device. Immediately after 
the top bag is inflated, a portion of the bag having a desirable 
imprinting surface area is shifted laterally by a shifting means, against 
a marking face carried by the imprinter device and the imprint is then 
applied by the action of an anvil or striker arm. The striker arm and the 
shifting means are quickly deactivated whereupon the pusher member fills 
the inflated bag with the following product. A timing means is provided to 
sequentially control the various operations in timed relationship with the 
conveying movements of the spaced products along the conveying surface. 
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an imprinting 
device for applying printed indicia to product bags which is compatible 
with an "in-line, continuous bagger" packaging machine. 
It is another more specific object to provide an imprinting device, which 
is positioned laterally to clear continuously moving spaced products 
through a packaging machine, for imprinting an inflated bag which includes 
a lateral shifting means to deflect an imprint surface of the bag against 
an imprint marker of the imprinting device. 
It is still another object of this invention to provide a method and 
apparatus for imprinting product bags which includes means to inflate the 
bag to elevate an imprint surface of the bag into proximity of an imprint 
marker positioned laterally of the product bag imprint surface and means 
to shift the bag laterally to bring the imprint surface against the 
imprint marker. 
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be 
readily apparent from the following description of the preferred 
embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings 
although variations and modifications may be effected without departing 
from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIG. 1 illustrates an in-line, continuous product flow bagging or packaging 
machine 10 having a frame 11 with a conveying surface 12 thereon to 
support a moving stream of packageable products "P" from a receiving 
station 14 to a discharge station 16. Packageable products P such as bread 
or the like are delivered to the receiving station 14 by suitable means 
(not shown) and are individually moved along the conveying surface 12 
toward the discharge station 16 in a spaced in-line relationship by 
continuously moving spaced pusher paddles 18 of a product filling means 
20. An inflating station 22, located intermediate the receiving and 
discharge stations of the conveying surface 12, is provided with a 
gripping means 24 to retain a plurality of flattened flexible product bags 
26 in a suitable position whereby the top bag 28 may be inflated by a jet 
of air directed toward an open mouth 29 of the bag 28 by a nozzle 30. Each 
bag 26 is provided with a bottom flap 32 by which the gripping means 24 
retains the bags 26 in the inflating station while allowing bag mouth 29 
to fully open and accept the insertion of a loading guide 34 by a suitable 
sequenced drive means 36. The loading guide 34 expands the bag mouth 29 
and facilitates loading the product into the inflated bag 28. However, 
prior to filling the bag, a bag shifting means 38 is activated to force 
the closed end 40 of the bag 28 laterally on the conveying surface 12 to 
place an imprint surface 42 of the bag 28 snugly against an imprint marker 
44 of an inflated bag marking device 46. An anvil or striker 48 is then 
activated automatically by a sequential timing means 50, to apply printed 
indicia to the imprint surface 42. 
It may be seen in FIG. 3 that the inflated bag marking or imprinting device 
46, which is of a type similar to the inflated bag printer described in my 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,823,664, issued July 16, 1974, is positioned at an 
imprinting station 49, adjacent the inflating station, which is 
sufficiently to the side and above the conveying surface 12 to provide 
ample clearance for unobstructed flow of the aligned and spaced products P 
along the conveying surface. The inflated bag marking device 46 provides a 
movable striker arm 52 for supporting the anvil means 48 for pivotal 
movement about a pivot pin 54 carried in a base member 56. The base member 
56 further supports the imprint marker and the usual tape supply and 
take-up reels 58 and 60, respectively, and the tape advancing means 62 and 
is adjustably positioned relative to the conveying surface 12 on a table 
64 and by a vertically telescopic leg 66 and a pair of horizontal 
telescopic legs 68, 68 to accurately locate the marking device 46 in the 
imprinting station 49. 
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the bag shifting means 38 comprises a fluid 
cylinder 70 having a pusher member 72 extensibly activated to abut a side 
wall 74 of the bag 28, adjacent the closed end 40. As best seen in FIG. 4 
the inflated bag, closed end 40 is sufficiently rigid to permit the pusher 
member 72 to shift the formed bag laterally into the imprinting station 49 
and against the anvil means 48 whereby the imprint surface 42 of the bag 
is brought into contact with the imprint marker 44. Immediately thereafter 
indicia is applied to the imprint surface 42 by the action of a cylinder 
78. The cylinder is connected to the striker arm 52, to drive the anvil 
means 48 toward the imprint marker 44, thereby collapsing a portion of the 
bag (as seen in FIG. 5) to thrust the imprint surface 42 of the bag 28 
firmly against the imprint marker 44. The imprinting operation is more 
fully described in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,823,664, the 
teachings of which are herein incorporated by reference. The pusher member 
72 may be cushioned with a soft yieldable abutment face 76 to minimize any 
damage to fragile bags. 
After the bag 28 has been imprinted, the anvil means 48 is quickly 
withdrawn from contact with the bag by the cylinder 78 and the pusher 
member 72 is retracted from the sidewall 74 to allow the bag 28 to shift 
back to its normal straight configuration produced by the initial 
inflating process, shown in broken lines in FIG. 4, to accommodate loading 
the bag with the oncoming product. As the product "bottoms" in the bag's 
closed end 40 the continuing advancing pusher paddle 18 frees the bag from 
the gripping means 24 and the loading guide 34 to move the imprinted and 
product filled bag downstream to the discharge station 16. 
Thus, it will be appreciated that the bag imprinting operation must take 
place during the interval of time a space between adjacent moving products 
is adjoining the inflated bag marking device 46, that is immediately prior 
to filling the bag with a product and following the removal of a 
previously filled product bag from the imprinting station 49. 
For this purpose the timing means 50 is provided to sequentially preform 
the various required operations in timed relationship with the conveying 
movements of the spaced products along the conveying surface. 
Now with specific reference to FIG. 9 of the drawings, a conveyor motor 80 
is provided to drive the product filling means 20 to advance the products 
along conveying surface 12 by the spaced pusher paddles 18. 
A photoelectric relay 82 is energized by a sensor light source means 84 to 
hold open a normally closed relay contact 86. The sensor means 84 is 
positioned to beam a light across the conveyor surface 12 at said relay 82 
whereby a product moving along the conveying surface will break the beam 
and de-energize the relay 82 and allowing the contact 86 to close. When 
the normally closed contact 86 is closed a circuit is completed to a 
solenoid 88 of an air valve 90. Energization of the solenoid 88 opens the 
valve 90 to supply pressure to the air line 94 and to the nozzle 30, 
providing the air jet to inflate the top bag 28 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). A 
branch air line 96 communicates with a pressure activated switch 98 which 
upon detecting pressure in the line closes the switch to complete a 
circuit to a time delay (closing) switch 100. 
After a predetermined time delay, the time required to fully inflate the 
bag 28, switch 100 closes to energize relay 102 and close relay contact 
104. When contact 104 closes solenoid 106 is energized to activate air 
valve 108, supplying pressure to the cylinder 70 to extend pusher member 
72 and shift the bag closed end 40 into the imprinting position. 
Concurrently with energizing the solenoid 106 a solenoid 110 is also 
energized through a normally closed time delay switch 112. Energizing 
solenoid 110 actuates an air valve 114 to supply pressure to the cylinder 
78 which thrusts the anvil means 48 toward the imprint marker 44 to 
imprint the bag. 
After a predetermined time delay the normally closed time delay switch 112 
opens, de-energizing solenoid 110 to reverse the valve's pressure 
connection to the cylinder 78 and retract anvil means 48. Solenoid 106 
will also be de-energized to reverse pressure connections to cylinder 70 
and thereby withdraw pusher member 72 from contact with the bag sidewall 
74. Further, as the product moves past the sensor beam, upon approaching 
the inflated bag mouth 29, the photoelectric relay 82 is again energized 
causing the normally closed relay contacts 86 to open and de-energize 
solenoid 88. This causes the valve 90 to close and stop the air pressure 
flow from the nozzle 30. Thus, if a product is not picked up and moved 
along the conveying surface 12 by the pusher paddles 18 the light beam 
will not be broken and the imprinting sequence will not function, allowing 
the pusher paddle 18 to pass over the stack of flattened product bags 26. 
Alternate forms of bag shifting means are shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 which 
may be effectively utilized with certain bag filling installations. In 
FIG. 6 a nozzle 116 is provided in place of the cylinder 70 and which 
directs a jet of air against a spot area of the bag sidewall 74 to achieve 
the lateral shifting of the product bag. FIG. 7 provides a vertically 
elongated nozzle 118 capable of directing a jet of air against 
substantially the full height of the bag sidewall 74 and the nozzle 120 of 
FIG. 8 provides a plurality of vertically extending nozzle orifices 122 to 
direct a plurality of air jets against the bag sidewall 74. 
It can, therefore, be seen from the above that my invention provides a 
method and apparatus for imprinting indicia on a product bag which is 
compatible with continuous product flow bagging machines which does not 
interfere with the packaging operation. 
Although the teachings of my invention have been disclosed with references 
to specific embodiments, it is to be understood that these are by way of 
illustration and that variations and modifications may be effected without 
departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of my invention.