DEVICE FOR FILLING CARDBOARD BOXES WITH FILLED BAGS

Abstract: A device for filling outers with filled bags comprises a cassette (1) for the accommodation of a number of bags or rows of bags stacked on each other, feed means (10, 11) for filling the cassette with bags from the top, and discharge means (4, 5) for sliding the stack laterally out of the cassette into a tilted outer. For the purpose of simplification and for making the structure less susceptible to faults, the cassette has a fixed position, and a sliding cover plate or deposit plate (8) is placed at the top side of the cassette for supporting a row of bags. Means (9) are present for sliding the cover plate (1) to and fro between a covering position in which the top side of the cassette is covered and a free position in which the bags can fall into the cassette. At the top edge of a side wall of the cassette provision is made for a retaining element (16), and through displacement of the plate (8) to the free position the supported row of bags is retained by the retaining element (16) and falls into the cassette. Displacement means (3) are also added to the bottom plate (2), in order to shift the plate in stages from a position in the top of the cassette to a bottom position, and in order to make it possible for the bottom plate to be pressed upwards to compress the stack of bags between the bottom plate (2) and the cover plate (8).

Description: The invention relates to a device for filling cardboard boxes with filled bags, comprising a cassette for the accomodation of a number of bags or layers of bags stacked upon each other, feed means for filling the cassette with bags from the top, and discharge means for transferring the stack into the opened top of a tilted box, said cassette having a support plate for supporting a stack and displacement means to stepwise lower said plate according to a deposited bag or layer of bags from a position at the top of the cassette to a bottom position. Such a device is known from EU-A-303,307. The cassette of this known device can be moved to and fro between a receiving position, in which rows of bags can be stacked on each other in the cassette, and a discharge position in which the discharge means can slide the stack into a tilted box. In the receiving position a support plate moves stepwise downwards. The rows of bags are stacked on this intermittently lowered support plate. In the bottom position of the support plate, said plate moves laterally out of the cassette through a slit in the side wall. The movement mechanism of the support plate is complex and susceptible to break down. The object of the invention is to provide a device of the type mentioned in the preamble of claim 1 which does not have the above mentioned disadvantages, i.e. which is simpler in design and exhibits fewer faults. An other object of the invention is to provide a filling device which is capable of compressing the stack of bags thus rendering the stack more compact, and pushing the compressed stack accurately into a box. The technical solution for said object is defined by the features of the characterising part of claim 1. Since the cassette does not move to and fro, there is no complex mechanism for moving the intermittently moving bottom plate laterally out of the cassette. The doors are preferably swingable by means of hydraulic, pneumatic or mechanical devices. The invention will now be explained in greater detail with reference to the figures, in which an embodiment of the invention is shown. Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of the device. Fig. 2 shows a cross-section through the device during the collection in the cassette of stacks of bags arranged in a row. Fig. 3 shows the same flat cross-section after the cassette is filled. Fig. 4 shows the same cross-section (leaving out the supply and feed means) just before the stack is pushed into an outer. Fig. 5 shows the same cross-section (leaving out the feed means) while the stack is being pushed into an outer. The device shown comprises a cassette 1 for the accommodation of a number of layers of filled bags (e.g. with crisps) stacked on each other. The cassette comprises a bottom plate 2 which can be moved up and down by means of a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder 3, a push element 4 which can be moved to and fro by means of a pneumatic or a hydraulic cylinder 5, and two doors 6a, 6b which can be swung open and shut by means of pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders 7a, 7b. Placed on or above the cassette 1 is a cover plate 8, which can be moved to and fro by means of pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders 9 between a position (Fig. 3) in which the top side of the cassette is free and a position (Figs. 4, 5) in which the top side of the cassette is covered. Above the cover plate is a device for feeding in bags and collecting them in a row. This feed device comprises two adjacent tiltable conveyor belts 10a, 10b which can be tilted by means of pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder 11a, 11b about a longitudinal edge between a horizontal and a vertical position. A supply conveyor 12 for outers 15 is set up next to the cassette 1. The push element 4 is designed in the form of a cabinet whose inward-facing wall is provided with perforations 13 (Fig. 1). The cabinet is connected to a vacuum source by means of a line 17. The connection between the cabinet and the vacuum source can be interrupted by means of a valve (not shown). Fixed frame plates 14a, 14b (Fig. 1) are placed at right angles to the doors 6a, 6b. The device works as follows: A row (e.g. made up of five bags) is formed on the conveyor belts 10a, 10b. The cover plate 8 is in the covering position. Tilting the belts by means of the cylinders 11a, 11b about a longitudinal edge into the vertical position takes the row of bags onto the cover plate 8. The bottom plate 2 is taken by the cylinder 3 into the top position. By pulling back of the plate 8, the row of bags, which are prevented by the retaining element 16 from moving with said plate 8, will pass onto the bottom plate 2. This plate 2 will then be moved down the thickness of a bag. The belts have in the meantime tilted back into the horizontal position, so that a new row of bags can be collected. This cycle is repeated until the cassette is full. A number of rows (in the case shown, five) are then in the cassette, and the bottom plate 2 has gone into the bottom position. The cover plate 8 is then taken into the covering position (Fig. 4), and the bottom plate 1 is conveyed upwards some distance (e.g. approx. 5 to 10 cm), causing the stack to be compressed between the plates 2 and 8. In the meantime, the outer supply conveyor 12 conveys an outer 15 in the tilted position up to the doors 6a, 6b. The cabinet 4 is connected by means of the line 17 to the vacuum source (e.g. a suction pump), causing the stack to be held to the cabinet by suction. After opening of the doors 6a, 6b the stack of bags is pushed by the push element 4 into the outer 15. The lid flaps of the outer are outside the doors 6a, 6b at that point, and are possibly outside the frame plates 14a, 14b. After releasing of the vacuum and pulling back of the cabinet 4, the filled outer is discharged and closed.

Claims: Device for filling cardboard boxes with filled bags, comprising a cassette (1) for the accomodation of a number of bags or layers of bags stacked upon each other, feed means (10, 11) for filling the cassette with bags from the top, and discharge means (4, 5) for transferring the stack into the opened top of a tilted box, said cassette having a support plate (2) for supporting a stack and displacement means (3) to stepwise lower said plate (2) according to a deposited bag or layer of bags from a position at the top of the cassette to a bottom position, characterized in that the cassette (1) is fixedly positioned with respect to the feed means, that a slidable cover plate (8) is mounted at the top side of the cassette, said cover plate (8) having means (9) for sliding it into a covering position in which the top side of the cassette is covered and an inoperative position in which the bags can be deposited from said feed means into the cassette, said displacement means (3) urges the support plate from said bottom position upwards to compress the stack between said support plate and said cover plate, said discharge means is one side wall of the cassette, said discharge means being a pusher plate (4) connected to a horizontal displacement means (5), and in that the side wall opposite said pusher plate is constituted by outwardly swinging doors (6a, 6b) extending into the interior of the tilted cardboard box in their discharge position. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the push plate (4) is provided with perforations (13) and forms part of a cabinet connected to a vacuum source.

Inventors: PRAKKEN, BOUWE
Applicants: PRAKKEN, BOUWE
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B65B5
IPC codes: B65B5