Vertical tubular bagging machine

In order to be able to remove in a vertical tubular bagging machine in a simple manner a worm-dosing means stored in a fill pipe, it is suggested that the fill pipe is formed out of two troughs aligned against one another with their insides, and that a trough is releasably connected to the other trough. One trough is in a preferred embodiment connected to the other trough via a swivel joint, and a fastening device is provided for locking the trough, which can be swung away, in a position supported by the other trough, so that the swingable trough can be swung away in order to remove the worm-dosing means laterally out of the opened fill pipe.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a vertical tubular bagging machine according to the generic terms of Claim1.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Vertical tubular bagging machines are used to create and fill tubular bags and are commonly known. A foil web unwound from a storage roller is reshaped on these machines into a vertically aligned foil tube by means of a forming shoulder. The foil tube surrounds a fill pipe for filling of the foil tube. The lower tube end is filled, welded and separated from the remaining foil tube in order to create tubular bags filled in this manner.

Depending on the type of bag to be created, varying forming shoulders and fill pipes are utilized. Generally, a forming shoulder consists of a one-part shoulder sleeve, over which the flat foil web runs in order to reach a guiding edge. The foil web is then reshaped at the guiding edge in order to move on as a vertically aligned foil tube after passing the guiding edge. The foil tube runs thereby through an annular passage, which is defined on the outside by a shoulder connection and on the inside by the fill pipe.

When packaging a flowable, for example powdery, product, it is common to use a worm-dosing means for the volumetric determination of the product mass to be packaged. The worm-dosing means consists of a dosing worm in a worm pipe. A drive rotates the dosing worm in the worm pipe. According to each one specified angle of rotation, the product volume given off by the worm-dosing means corresponds to the fill mass specified per tubular bag. The worm pipe is provided in the fill pipe.

The known tubular bagging machine has the disadvantage that it is relatively complicated to place a worm-dosing means into a fill pipe or to remove same therefrom. During insertion into the fill pipe, this relatively long and heavy assembly must be first lifted upwardly and then be let down again in order to move into the fill pipe. A relatively high installation space above the fill pipe is necessary for the installation of the worm-dosing means, which is up to 1.60 m long. In addition, this work cannot be done by one person alone.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The basic purpose of the invention is to further develop a vertical tubular bagging machine according to the generic terms of Claim1in such a manner that the installation of a worm-dosing means is simpler, and that a high installation space is no longer needed above the fill pipe.

The purpose is attained according to the characterizing part of Claim1. The installation friendliness of the tubular bagging machine is improved since the fill pipe is formed out of two troughs with their insides aligned opposite one another, whereby one trough is releasably connected to the other trough. This has the advantage that after removing the forming shoulder the fill pipe can be opened by removing one trough. A dosing worm, which is provided in the fill pipe and which is very often utilized when dosing powder or granulate, can be removed in a simple manner laterally out of the fill pipe. A complicated pulling out of a relatively long and heavy dosing worm, generally hindered by upper components, is thus avoided. The lateral removal of the dosing worm has in addition the advantage that the space above the dosing worm can be utilized for other important assemblies, that is, it need no longer be reserved, or this space can be entirely eliminated, which results in a more compact design and thus less space for the vertical tubular bagging machine. An easy cleaning is possible when the fill pipe is in its open state.

Further advantageous developments of the suggested tubular bagging machine are described in Claims2to8.

The conveyor worm is most easily lifted out of the fill pipe in direction of the longitudinal-sealing device, since a suitable free space exists there because of the design of the machine. This is possible when, analogous to Claim2, the releasable trough is provided in the area of the adjoining edges of the foil tube.

In principle, many techniques are conceivable to easily release the troughs and to thus connect them with one another in an operatively friendly manner. Thus it is possible to connect the troughs to one another in a technically simple manner through a plug connection (Claim4). Or one trough is connected to the other trough via a swivel joint, and a fastening device is provided for locking the trough, which can be swung away, in a position supported by the other trough (Claim3). After releasing the fastening device, a trough can in this manner be swung away in order to remove a worm-dosing means (Claim7).

A lateral removal of a worm-dosing means is further simplified when, analogous to Claim5, the shoulder sleeve is formed of two separate sleeve parts, and the shoulder connection is formed of two separate connection parts, each one sleeve part and one adjoining connection part describe one component, the two components form the forming shoulder, and one component can be removed from the other component in order to be able to remove the fill pipe or a trough transversely with respect to the transport direction, thus laterally out of the forming shoulder.

Thus the forming shoulder need not be removed in order to release a trough. The forming shoulder is merely opened, just like the fill pipe in order to remove a worm-dosing means.

If a rear component is provided on the tubular bagging machine, which rear component is positioned toward the incoming foil web, and a front component is positioned in the area of the adjoining edges of the foil web (Claim6), then on the one hand a location-precise run of the foil web to the guiding edges and on the other hand a location-precise run of the edges of the foil web toward a longitudinal-sealing device is achieved.

A simple opening of the forming shoulder can occur when one component is connected to the other component via a plug connection. Then merely one component is pulled off the other in order to be able to open the fill pipe. In the alternative, one component is connected through a swivel joint and a fastening device with the other component (Claim7). The swingable component is then simply swung away in order to release a trough, for example, also by means of swinging away.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A foil web3is unwound from a storage roller2in a vertical tubular bagging machine1(FIG. 1). A forming shoulder4is utilized to reshape the foil web3into a foil tube5. A foil-removing means6is used to further transport the foil web3and the foil tube5. A vertically aligned fill pipe7is provided for receiving and filling of the foil tube5. A longitudinal sealing device8is used to weld the edges9of the foil web3and thus to create a longitudinal sealing seam10of the foil tube5. A cross-sealing device11with welding jaws13, which are movable against one another and weld the foil tube5transversely with respect to its transport direction12, is provided to create top seams14and bottom seams15on tubular bags16.

A separating device17is used to separate the tubular bag16from the foil tube5. The forming shoulder4has a guiding edge18at one upper edge19of the shoulder connection20surrounding the fill pipe7, also a shoulder sleeve21fastened to the curved guiding edge18and pointing outwardly away from the guiding edge18(FIG. 2). The shoulder sleeve21is formed out of two separate sleeve parts22,23. The shoulder connection20consists of two separate connection pieces24,25. Each one sleeve part22,23and an adjoining connection part24,25form a component26,27. The two components26,27describe the forming shoulder. One component27can be removed from the other component26in order to reach the fill pipe7.

A rear component26is provided, which is positioned toward the incoming foil web3, and a front component27in the area of the adjoining edges9of the foil tube5. The front component27is connected to the rear component26via a swivel joint33and a fastening device34.

In order to reach the fill pipe7, the fastening device34, which has a locking mechanism, is released, and the front component26of the forming shoulder4is swiveled about the swivel joint33in order to open the forming shoulder4(FIG. 3).

The fill pipe7consists of two troughs28,29, which are directed against one another with their insides, whereby one trough29is releasably connected to the other trough28. The releasable trough29is provided in the area of the adjoining edges9of the foil tube5. The releasable trough29is connected to the other trough28via a swivel joint30. A fastening device31with locking mechanism is utilized to lock the trough29, which can be swung away, in a position supported by the other trough28. After the front trough29has been swung away, a worm-dosing means37is revealed, which is provided between the troughs28,29, and which has a dosing worm35with a worm pipe36surrounding the dosing worm35, and which serves to provide a product dosing.

The worm-dosing means35can now be removed in a simple manner transversely with respect to the transport direction12forwardly out of the fill pipe7and out of the forming shoulder4.

The two troughs28,29forming the fill pipe7are in the exemplary embodiment ofFIGS. 4 and 5connected with one another through a simple, releasable and again connectable plug connection. After the front trough29has been removed from the rear trough28, it is possible to remove or insert in the same manner as in the preceding exemplary embodiment a worm-dosing means from the fill pipe7or into said fill pipe7. First a one-piece forming shoulder must be completely removed or a two-part forming shoulder must be opened. Besides reaching a worm-dosing means, a removable trough29also serves to open the fill pipe7in order to reach, for example, a deionization device, a protective-gas feed or another assembly arranged in the fill pipe7and known in the packaging industry.