Patent GB-652371-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to machines for opening and filling bags
IPC: B65B43/34
Filed: 1947-07-22
Abstract: 652,371. Opening and filling bags. CONSOLIDATED PACKAGING MACHINERY CORPORATION. July 22, 1947, No. 19600. Convention date, Nov. 4, 1938. [Class 94(i)] [Also in Group XXXII] A machine for opening and filling bags comprising a mechanism for opening, and means for filling, the bag, a gripper adapted to support an empty bag in predetermined operative position relative to the opening mechanism and filling means, but incapable of supporting it when filled, a second gripper adapted to engage and hold the bag while it is being opened and filled, and means operating in timed relation with the operation of the opening mechanism and filling means to cause the second gripper to engage and hold the bag while it is being opened and filled and release the bag when opening and filling has been completed. Bags 14, Fig. 1, are transferred manually from a magazine 13 into a position 37 beneath a spout 51, Fig. 6, of hopper 11. Four angle-section fingers 54-57 are projected vertically downwards into the bag and are simultaneously outwardly expanded in order to open the bag. The filled bag drops on to a conveyer 15. A spillage bin 38 is provided. Alternatively the bags 14 may be fed automatically to the position 37. The hopper 11 is supplied by automatic weighing devices 35 which are operated successively by the action of a cam shaft 34, connected by chain drives 32, 27 and a gear box 24<SP>1</SP> with a main driving motor 18. The chain drive 27 also operates the camshaft 29 of a valve device 30 which controls the supply of pressure fluid to piston and cylinder fluid motors 101, 102 which operate the expansion and contraction of the fingers 54-57, and to piston and cylinder fluid motors 184, 168 which operate respectively the means for downwardly projecting the fingers 54-57, and a gripper 156 for holding the bag in filling position. The valve box 30 is carried by angles 42, 43, which are clamped to a pedestal 10 on which the hopper 11 is supported. The fingers 54-57 may alternatively be of rectangular, circular or other cross-section. Mounting arrangement of the fingers 54- 57.-The finger 54 is secured to a hinge member 58, Fig. 10, for swinging movement about a pivot 64 carried by a mounting plate 66. The finger 55, Fig. 6, is secured to a similar hinge member 59 mounted on a pivot which is also carried by the plate 66. The fingers 54, 55 are connected by a link 70. Integral with the hinge member 58 is a boss 75 in which is mounted a pivot 77 which is connected with the finger 56. The finger 57 is similarly pivotally mounted in a boss 76 carried by the hinge member 59. Extensions 86. 87, Fig. 9, carried by the upper ends of the fingers 54, 55 respectively, are outwardly urged about their pivots by a spring 94 to bring the lower ends of the fingers 54, 56 and the fingers 55, 57 towards each other. This movement is assisted by the action of a further spring 95 acting between respective extensions on the fingers 55, 57. The fingers 55, 57 are inwardly urged towards the fingers 54, 55 about the axis of the bosses 75, 76 (i.e. at right-angles to the axis of the hinges 58, 59) by springs 99, 100 connected between upper extensions of the arms 56, 57 respectively and a clamp ring 107 which is carried by extensions of the hinge members 58, 59 and which forms a mounting for the cylinder 108 of the piston and cylinder device 102. The ring 107 is pivotally connected to links 118, 119 which are themselves pivotally connected at 121, 126 to the hinge members 58, 59. The piston 110 of the device 102 is connected to a transverse rod 131 which bears on rollers 133, carried respectively by the upper ends of the fingers 56, 57. On the application of fluid pressure to the cylinder 108 of the motor 102 through a tube 104 connected with the valve box 30, the lower ends of the arms 56, 57 are forced outwardly by the action of the piston 110 against the springs 99, 100, the movement being limited by adjustable stops 135. The cylinder of the fluid motor 101 is mounted in a ring 138 which is carried by rods 140, 141 which pass respectively through enlarged openings 142 and slots 143, Fig. 6, in the hinge members 58, 59. The rods 140, 141 are secured at their outer ends to a bar 144. A bar 148 which is slidably mounted on their inner ends is pivotally connected to the piston rod of the motor 101. The bar 144 bears on a roller 153 pivotally mounted on the upper end of the finger 57, and a stud 152 carried by the finger 55. The bar 148 similarly bears on a roller 150 and stud 149 associated respectively with the fingers 54, 56. The outward movement of the lower ends of the fingers under the action of pressure fluid supplied by a pipe 103 to the motor 101, against the springs 94, 95, is limited by adjustable stops 89, 90. The plate 66 carrying the finger assembly is secured to a channel member 176 which is mounted on four pairs of rollers 177 for vertical sliding movement on rails 181 which are rigid with anglesectioned frame members 44, 45 carried by the angles 42, 43. The upper end of the channel 176 is connected pivotally at 193, Fig. 2, to the piston rod 189 of the motor 184. The cylinder 187 of the motor 184 is clamped between upper and lower cylinder heads 185, 186 which are secured by respective members 46, 47 to the frame members 44, 45. The cylinder spaces above and below the pistons respectively are connected via the heads 185, 186 by pipes 228, 228' to the valves box 30. The heads 185, 186 each embody damping devices (see Group XXXII), operative to cushion the movement of the motor piston 188 at each end of its travel. Expansion of the fingers and also their vertical travel may alternatively be effected by electrical or mechanical means. The fingers 54-57, may alternatively be of circular, rectangular or other crosssection. The bag-gripping means.-The edge of the bag is manually pushed between an anvil 157, Fig. 6, and spring-urged rollers 155, Fig. 2, which provide insufficient grip to hold the bag when it is filled. A clamp 156 is pivotally mounted on one arm of a bell-crank 164 which is pivoted to a member 160, rigid with the frame members 44, 45. The other arm is connected with the piston 167 of the motor 168, the cylinder of which is connected by a tube 171 with the valve box 30. The valve assembly. - The motors 101, 102, the motor 184 and the motor 168 are associated with respective housings 254, 260 and 231 which are bolted to the inside face of a cover plate 229 of the valve box 30. The housing 231, Fig. 17, embodies two poppet valves 232, 233 which are spring- urged to a closed position but which are opened alternately by the action of a rocker 249 actuated by a cam 293 on the cam shaft 29. The rocker 249 is urged into the position shown by a spring 251 which is stronger than the springs 245 of the valve 232. The valve 233 when open (as shown), connects the pipe 237 (which leads via the pipe 171 to the fluid motor 168), with a passage 243 in the cover plate 229 leading to atmosphere. When the valve 232 is open (the valve 233 is then closed), the pipe 237 is connected with a pipe 230 in the cover plate 229, which leads to a source of pressure fluid not shown. The cam 293 is formed of two sectors 293, 293<SP>1</SP>, the relative position of which is adjustable by virtue of slots 296, 296<SP>1</SP>, and a clamping bolt 299. The housing 254 has an identical arrangement of valves operated by a cam 297 on the shaft 29 for controlling the supply of fluid to the motors 101, 102. The housing 260 embodies two pairs of valves 285, 287, Fig. 18, and 284, 286, Fig. 19, which are operated by a common rocker 289 and cam 300. When the valves 284, 285 are open (as shown), fluid passes from the pressure pipe 230 through the valve 284 and a passage 269 in the cover plate 229, to the tube which is connected with the lower cylinder head 185 of the fluid motor 184. Fluid from the upper head 186 passing through the pipe 228<SP>1</SP>, flows through the valve 285 and via passages 277, Fig. 18, 278, Fig. 19, 279, Figs. 18, 19, and 282, to atmosphere. Similarly when the valves 286, 287 are open (the valves 284, 285 are then closed) the upper head 86 is connected with the pressure source and the lower head 185 is connected with atmosphere. Operation.-When a bag 14 is inserted manually between the anvil 157 and the gripping rollers 155 into the position 37 the machine parts are as shown in Figs. 2, 6, 17, 18, 19. As, the shaft 29 continues to rotate, the cam 293 disengages from the rocker 249 and causes pressure fluid to be applied to the motor 168 and actuate the clamp 156. At the same time the cam 300 engages the rocker 289 and the connections of the pipes 228, 228' to pressure fluid and atmosphere are reversed thus causing the downward travel of the channel 176 and associated finger assembly 54-57. At about the middle of this travel the cam 297 disengages from its corresponding rocker and the pressure fluid is applied to the fluid motors 101, 102, thereby to cause the expansion of the fingers 54-57 within the bag 14. When the fingers reach their lowermost position, material commences to flow through the spout 51 and shortly afterwards the fingers 54-57 are collapsed and are then raised by the motor 184 while the filling operation continues. On completion of the filling operation the clamp 156 is released and the. bag drops by gravity on to the conveyer 15. Specification 652,405 is referred to.