Abstract:
A sand bagging device comprises a portable support having a hopper mounted thereto to store sand for bagging. The device includes a bagging station mounted to the hopper having a chute extending therefrom. A cartridge of continuous bagging material is removably mounted to the chute. A scale is adjustably mounted below the chute which can selectably accommodate bags of different weights and heights. Sand flows into the chute from the hopper and is allowed to fill the bag material to a predetermined weight. A sealing member cuts and seals the bagging material into a discrete bag of sand.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to an apparatus for dispensing a granular material into bags and, more particularly, to a portable station for forming separate sand bags by filling a portion of continuous bag material with sand and then cutting and sealing the material. 
     The efficient filling and sealing of sand bags is of great importance during times of emergency, such as extreme flooding. As time is of the essence during a flood emergency, sand bags must be filled and sealed efficiently. Further, sand bags need to be relatively uniform in size when stacked for the damming of water. 
     Various devices exist for filling and sealing bags with sand. Although assumably effective in operation, existing devices still exhibit certain disadvantages. Some devices require manual operation either for filling or sealing the bag. Other devices require large supporting structures or must be mounted to a large truck in order to be portable. 
     It is therefore desirable to have an apparatus for filling sand bags that is easily movable to selected emergency locations. Further, it is desirable to have an apparatus for forming sand bags from a continuous length of bagging material. It is also desirable to have an apparatus which can selectively form sand bags having various weights without wasting bag material. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, I have invented a portable sand bag filling apparatus which utilizes a portable support frame having a hopper for storing sand for bagging. The apparatus includes a plurality of bagging stations mounted to the hopper. Each bagging station includes a chute into which sand is delivered from the hopper. A cartridge of continuous bagging material is removably mounted to each chute for receiving sand flowing therethrough. Each bagging station further includes a scale for determining when a predetermined weight of sand has been received in a bag. A cutter/sealer is attached to each bagging station for first severing a filled sand bag from the continuous bagging material and then sealing the top of the bag and the bottom of the remaining bagging material. 
     It is therefore a general object of this invention to provide an apparatus for filling sandbags which can form and fill bags with sand quickly and efficiently. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus, as aforesaid, which can form and fill sand bags automatically. 
     Still another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus, as aforesaid, which can be towed behind a truck or tractor to a selected location. 
     Yet another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus, as aforesaid, which includes a hopper that can be filled easily by a tractor or dump truck. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus, as aforesaid, which can dispense sand into a portion of a continuous length of sturdy bag material. 
     A still further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus, as aforesaid, which fills a sandbag to a predetermined weight. 
     A particular object of this invention is to provide an apparatus, as aforesaid, which severs a filled sandbag from the continuous length of bag material. 
     Another particular object of this invention is to provide an apparatus, as aforesaid, which heat seals both the top of the severed bag and the bottom of the remaining continuous length of bag material. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus, as aforesaid, which is powered by an on-board motor or by the power take-off of a tractor. 
     A still further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus, as aforesaid, in which the continuous length of bag material is provided by an easily replaceable cartridge. 
     Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of this invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the sand bag filling apparatus according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken along line  2 — 2  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a partial view of the apparatus of FIG. 2 on an enlarged scale; 
     FIG. 4 is a partial, side view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 with a bagging station side wall broken away and bag cartridge removed, for clarity; 
     FIG. 5 shows the apparatus of FIG. 4 as configured after the filling of a sand bag with the dashed lines illustrating the flow of sand through the cartridge; and 
     FIG. 6 shows the apparatus of FIG. 4 as configured during a cutting and sealing of a sand bag. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Turning more particularly to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a portable sand bagging apparatus  10  constructed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus  10  includes a trailer frame  12  having a hitch  13  for connection to a truck or tractor. A pair of wheels  14  (only one is shown) are axially mounted to the frame  12  such that the apparatus  10  may be quickly moved to a desired location for use. An engine  16  is mounted on the frame  12  which powers the augers  38 ,  40  (as in FIG. 2) with a drive shaft  18 . A control unit  20  is coupled to the engine  16  with a wire  22  and regulates operation of the augers  38 ,  40 . The augers  38 ,  40  could also be driven by connection to the crank shaft of a tractor. 
     The apparatus  10  further includes a hopper  30  mounted to the frame  12  for receiving and storing sand or other particulate material. The hopper  30  has sloped sides  32  for directing material downward into a trough. 
     As seen in FIG. 2, a first auger  38  positioned within the trough operates to transfer the material into a staging area  36  near the front of the hopper  30 . A pair of augers  40  are mounted within the hopper  30  adjacent opposed sides  32  and are positioned to carry sand from the staging area  36  to bagging stations  42 . While a pair of oppositely disposed bagging stations  42  are illustrated in FIG. 2, it is understood that any number of bagging stations having identical constructions may be included. 
     Each bagging station  42  includes a chute  44  extending downwardly from a side wall  32  of the hopper  30 . Each auger  40  is in communication with the upper end of a chute  44  for delivering sand through an aperture  45  therein during operation. Each chute  44  includes a funnel  46  having an offset portion  48  which reduces the velocity and force of sand communicated therethrough and hence prevents damage to a scale  64  mounted therebelow (FIG.  3 ). A gate  50  positioned immediately beneath the funnel  46  is coupled to a piston/cylinder combination  52  which slidably operates said gate  50  between open and closed positions for regulating the flow of sand therethrough (FIG.  4 ). The piston/cylinder combination is connected to a support arm  79  of the frame  12 . 
     A cartridge  54  of continuous bagging material is removably mounted on a support  56  within a compartment  58  in the chute  44 . The bagging material is an elongated cylinder of sturdy material initially having an open top and closed bottom. The material is packed within the cartridge  54  such that the closed bottom is on the bottom of the stack of material. The bottom of the material is pulled downward by the sand&#39;s weight through an aperture in the support  56  as sand flows therein (FIG.  5 ). As shown in FIG. 1, the chute  44  further includes an access door  60  with a handle  62  for obtaining access to the compartment  58 , for example to replace a cartridge  54 . 
     The lower portion of the chute  44  includes a plurality of opposed pairs of support flanges  66  upon which a scale  64  is selectably mounted. The scale  64  is therefore height adjustable to accommodate bags of different weights. As the bag material is filled with sand, the closed bottom of the bag bears against the scale  64  (FIG.  5 ). A control unit  20 , as seen in FIG. 1, coupled to the scale  64  signals the piston/cylinder combination  52  to close the gate  50  and disengage the augers  38 ,  40  when a predetermined weight of sand is detected by the scale  64 . The adjustability of the scale  64  allows the amount of bag material that is left unused following a cutting and sealing thereof to be regulated, as to be further described below. 
     As in FIGS. 4-6, the apparatus  10  further includes a cutter/sealer  70  having first  72  and second  74  portions for first severing a filled bag from the continuous bagging material and then sealing both the open top of the filled bag and the bottom of the continuous material. A pair of piston/cylinder combinations having pistons  76 ,  76   a  and rods  77 ,  77   a  are connected to support arms  78  of the frame  12 . Rods  77 ,  77   a  are attached to first  72  and second  74  portions of the cutter/sealer  70  and are utilized to move first  72  and second  74  portions of the cutter/sealer  70  from a first spaced apart position which allows sand to pass into the bagging material (FIG. 5) to a second position wherein first  72  and second  74  portions of the cutter/sealer  70  close when a sand bag has been filled (FIG.  6 ). Upon closing, the cutter/sealer  70  cuts the bagging material and thermally seals the cut ends thereof. 
     In operation, a user prepares the bagging apparatus  10  for operation by inserting a cartridge  54  of continuous bagging material into compartment  58  in the chute  44 . The user also determines the desired bag weight and sets the control unit  20  accordingly. The hopper  30  may be filled with sand or other particulate material using the front end loader of a tractor or directly from a dump truck. The engine  16  is activated with a start/stop button  24  on the control unit  20  which in turn activates the augers  38 ,  40  to deliver sand to each bagging station  42 . Sand is allowed to flow through the open gate  50  beneath the funnel  46  and begins to fill the continuous bagging material of the cartridge  54 . The weight of the sand causes the closed bottom of the bagging material to engage the scale  64  (FIG.  5 ). 
     The control unit  20  is coupled with wires  22  to the scale  64  and to the piston/cylinder combinations  38 ,  40  of the cutter/sealer  70  and gate  50 , respectively. When the selected bag weight is reached, the control unit  20  suspends operation of the augers  38 ,  40 , closes the gate  50  within the chute  44 , and initiates the cutting and sealing operation described above. The filled and sealed sandbag may then be removed from the bagging station  42 . 
     It should be appreciated that the height of the scale  64  within the chute  44  may be adjusted according to the selected bag weight. For example, the scale  64  should be placed in a raised position if a low bag weight is selected so that a significant amount of bag material is not left unfilled following a cutting and sealing operation by the cutter/sealer  70 . 
     It is understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable functional equivalents thereof.