Patent GB-1505115-A (GB)
Title: Packaging apparatus
IPC: B65B43/34
Filed: 1975-04-10
Abstract: 1505115 Packaging apparatus PROCTER & GAMBLE CO 10 April 1975 [15 April 1974] 14849/75 Heading B8C Apparatus for filling and sealing bags with metered quantities of articles comprises a turret head 61, Fig. 1, having three radially extending bag accommodating vacuum sleeves 85a, 85b, 85c spaced about a horizontal rotatable shaft 91 controlled by known drive and synchronization means 66 to index each vacuum sleeve to a bag insertion station 62, then to a bag filling station 63, and finally to a bag sealing and package removal station 64. Glassine bags 70, to be filled with nestable articles such as potato crisps, are removed one at a time by a suction means 100, Figs. 9, 10, which comprises a carriage 120 movable on inclined guides 125, and a swivel head 121 mounting a vacuum head or shoe 122 which removes a bag from the magazine and rotates and carries it to a slidable bag spreader 101 having a vacuum plunger 136 which fastens to and opens the bag mouth as in Fig. 12 for the insertion of a two-part mandrel 150. The mandrel is mechanically expanded when it is fully within the bag, see Figs. 13-16 (not shown.), and the fully opened bag is then pushed into a vacuum sleeve 85a, Fig. 24 (not shown), so that the closed end is wrapped around camming block 92, Fig. 17. At this point vacuum is applied to the sleeve to secure the bag therewithin until the bag is filled. The mandrel is then fully retracted to the Fig. 1 position and the turret 61 indexed clockwise about a cam 76 non-rotatably fixed to frame 65 but not fixed to shaft 91, this movement of the turret bringing the bag containing vacuum sleeve 85 carried by the turret to the bag filling position 63, see also Fig. 25. The turret also comprises two plates 200, one of which is shown in Fig. 8, secured to three vacuum conduits 201 and tubes 97. The plate 200 shown is provided with guides 96 each supporting a vacuum sleeve 85 mounted on pivoted links 211, 212 attached to blocks 205 slidable on the guides, the sleeves 85 being slid along their guides by arms 231 fixed to shafts 93 which are oscillated by arms 94 pivoted to the ratchet wheel 99 but engaging the fixed cam 76. In the bag filling position 63, previously referring to Fig. 25, nested crisps 74 metered between a piston and cylinder operated member 174 and a downwardly retractable gate 175 are fed on to a forwarding trough 180 mounted on a vibrator 181, which trough forwards the crisps beneath a raised sweep carriage 192 into the vacuum sleeve 85b and bag 70 brought into abutting relationship with 171. The chip forwarding continues until the leading chip (68b), Fig. 28 (not shown), reaches the closed end of the bag 70 and leans against camming block 92. The chips are then secured in the bag by a block 176 forming part of the pivotable sweeping means 173, piston rods 186 being operated to lower the block 176. After 176 is lowered, the arm 197 is rotated clockwise to move the block 192 to a position where it is held by a latch 278, Fig. 30 (not shown), in which position the chips are made to stand upright in the bag 70. The turret 61 complete with mechanism 188 is then rotated clockwise on shaft 91, Figs. 32, 33 (not shown), to tilt the bag sufficiently to retain the articles by gravity. After the bag is filled the vacuum sleeve is vented and the cam 76 caused to move the camming block 92 radially outwardly, Fig. 35, and lift the bag 70 in the sleeve so that the mouth extends therefrom. The bag sealing and package removal station comprises, a bag mouth spreading means 250 having oppositely acting fingers 301, 302, and bag sealing and withdrawal means 251 having a carriage 320 provided with electrically heated jaws 321 and arms 322 and means, not shown, for opening and closing the jaws. These jaws also grip the bag and withdraw it upwardly where pivotable bag removal means 252 having a vacuum head 340 picks the bag from the jaws and delivers it to a take-away conveyer.