Patent GB-1195959-A (GB)
Title: Packaging Method and Machine for Forming and Filling Bags of Different Lenghts and Widths.
IPC: B65B9/093
Filed: 1968-12-05
Abstract: 1,195,959. Packaging machines. RIEGEL PAPER CORP. 5 Dec., 1968 [20 Feb., 1968], No. 57719/68. Heading B8C. A packaging machine operable to handle bags 32 varying in width within a predetermined range of widths, comprises feed mechanism 66, 67 for advancing a strip of interconnected bags of a width within said range along a predetermined path, a cutter 55 having a centre line disposed along said path downstream of said feeding mechanism and operable to cut the leading bag from the leading end portion of the strip, the cutter being disposed between said feeding mechanism and an imaginary datum line DL which is disposed parallel to the cutter in the plane of the strip and which remains in a constantly fixed location regardless of the width of the bags, means operable to adjust said cutter for selectively positioning of said centre line along said path to space the centre line from the datum line a distance correlated with the bag width, a gripper disposed downstream of said datum line, and means supporting said gripper for selective adjustment toward and away from said datum line whereby the position of said gripper may be correlated with the bag width and the machine may accommodate a bag of different width by making equal adjustments of the cutter and gripper but in opposite directions. The bags 32, as shown, Fig. 1, are formed from a web 30 of heatsealable material such as polythene film and comprises opposing face-to-face side panels 33 joined by a fold 34 and sealed along two side margins thereof 35; after filling with a granular or powdered material food product the bags are heat-sealed at 36 along the upper margins of the panels. The web is drawn from a supply roll 40, Fig. 2, and trained over a roller 43, spring-loaded vertically-movable roller 44 operable to maintain tension on the web, guide roller 46 and beneath a vertical-adjustable former 47 which folds the web upwardly along the longitudinal centre-line thereof, the folded web being advanced between heated upright side-sealing bars 50 which seal the strips of the web together along longitudinally spaced lines to form a row of connected bags; during such sealing and prior to filling the bags the upper edges of the bags are spread apart by bars 53, 54. The cutter unit 55 separates successive bags, by cutting through the seals 35, which are delivered to the bag-filling section 39 which includes a conveyer 57 for picking up each bag and advancing the bags in upright, spaced relation, a bag opener 59 comprising suction cups being positioned alongside a filling station 60 and to pull apart the side panels 33 of the bags whereafter a dispenser 61 deposits a measured charge of product into the open bag. The filled bags are advanced between horizontal sealing bars 63 periodically shiftable into engagement with the bags to close the bags by the top seal 36, and after advancement between cooling bars 64 the filled bags are removed by a pick-off device 65, and transferred to a cartoner. Regardless of width the bags are kept centred on the working centres of the various operating mechanisms of the bagfilling section 39 and so that the machine can be changed from running a first series of bags of one width to a second series of bags of different width without adjustment of the working centres of the mechanisms. Step by step advance of the folded web 30 is effected by coacting feed rolls 66, 67 frictionally engageable with the web between the sealing bars 50 and cutter bars 55 and intermittently rotatable through arcs sufficient to advance the web through steps equal to the width of the bag being formed; to change from one to another size of bag only the cutter bars 55, sealing bars 50 and rolls 66, 67 are adjusted relative to the imaginary vertical datum line DL. Additionally to running bags of different widths, the machine may fill a series of bags of a different height or length to those formed and filled during a preceding run by maintaining the upper ends of the bags positioned on a common top datum line and dispensing with the need for raising or lowering the splitters 53, 54, dispenser 61 and seal bars 63, 64 between each run; a web of different width is loaded and former 47 raised or lowered to make shorter or longer bags.