Patent Publication Number: US-2022212828-A1

Title: Separator Assembly For Modular Filing Systems

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/740,600, filed Oct. 3, 2018, the entirety of which is incorporated herein for any and all purposes. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This disclosure generally relates to devices and methods of filling flexible containers with flowable materials, and more particularly relates to adjustable and automated assemblies for separating flexible containers as they are filled in filler assemblies. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Liquid filling and packaging requires many different steps and separate components. Depending on the desired setup, the process from start to finish can include preparing the liquid, preparing the packaging, moving the liquid into the package, and sealing the package with the liquid therein, as well as other steps, such as sterilizing, labeling, and organizing the packaging with liquid for storage or transportation. Each component responsible for any of the necessary steps must be maintained, serviced, and prepared such that it can work with each of the other related components. As more components are introduced into a system, more control is necessary to ensure proper interaction between all of the components to prepare the final product. Additionally, the assembly-line-type structure of the system often requires a specific order of processes. Such requirements result in needing multiple large machines and inconvenient component setups. It is often difficult to change one or more components in such systems in order to prepare a different product. Similarly, components are difficult to remove or replace. As such, it is desirable to have an assembly system that can operate with different interchangeable components that can be organized as necessary. 
     Because containers having different sizes, dimensions, shapes, and materials may be used, filler assemblies have to be configured to operate with different parameters, or, alternatively, separate filler assemblies must be utilized. When components of filler assemblies, such as container separating components, have to be moved or adjusted to correspond to a specific container type, the process is often long, requires many operators to complete, and results in inconsistencies or errors. Therefore, there is a need for better automated movement and adjustment of components, such as separating components, to correspond to different container types. 
     SUMMARY 
     The foregoing needs are met by various aspects of separator assemblies and related components disclosed. According to an aspect of this disclosure, a separator assembly for separating adjacent flexible bags in a filling assembly includes a body defining an opening therethough, a surface defined on the body within the opening, a clamp movable in the opening and configured to selectively contact the surface, a separator blade movable within the opening, a rail, and a rail guide configured to slidably engage with the rod. The separator assembly is movable along the rail. 
     In some aspects, the separator assembly may further include a rail lock configured to releasably prevent movement of the separator assembly along the rail. 
     The clamp may include a front clamp and a rear clamp, wherein a gap is defined between the front clamp and the rear clamp. In some aspects, the separator assembly may include a plurality of clamps. The clamp or plurality of clamps may include a rubber layer defined thereon, such that when the clamp is in contact with the surface, the rubber layer is disposed between the clamp and the surface. 
     In some aspects, the separator blade may have a wave cross-section and may define a plurality of peaks and valleys. 
     In some aspects, the separator assembly may be configured to releasably engage with a movable body, the movable body being movable along a second rail by a motor operationally connected to the movable body. The separator assembly may include a locking pin, and the movable body may include a receptacle configured to receive the locking pin therein. The locking pin may be movable between a first position in which the locking pin is not within the receptacle and a second position in which the locking pin is within the receptacle. The separator assembly may include a controller and a sensor configured to detect the position of the receptacle relative to the locking pin. The sensor may be configured to send an electronic signal to the controller when the locking pin is adjacent to the receptacle. The sensor may be an optical sensor. The controller may be configured to send a signal to the motor to actuate movement of the movable body or to terminate movement of the movable body. The controller may further be configured to send a signal to the locking pin to selectively move between the first position and the second position. 
     According to another aspect of the disclosure, a method of positioning a separator assembly to a predetermined location within a container filling assembly includes the steps of actuating a motor to move a movable body along a rail towards the separator assembly; aligning the movable body with the separator assembly; releasably coupling the movable body to the separator assembly; moving the separator assembly to the predetermined location; and decoupling the movable body from the separator assembly. 
     In some aspects, the separator assembly may include a lock configured to preclude movement thereof, and the method may further include disengaging the lock before the step of moving the separator assembly to the predetermined location. The method may further include re-engaging the lock after the step of moving the separator assembly to the predetermined location. 
     In some aspects, the separator assembly may include a sensor configured to detect movement of the movable body relative to the separator assembly, and the aligning step may include determining, via the sensor, when the movable body is positioned at a predetermined alignment position relative to the separator assembly. 
     In some aspects, one of the separator assembly and the movable body may include a locking pin, and the other of the separator assembly and the movable body may include a receptacle configured to removably receive the locking pin. The coupling step may further include moving the locking pin into the receptacle, and the decoupling step may further include moving the locking pin out of the receptacle. 
     The method may further include communicating with a controller, the controller being configured to send electronic signals to the motor to operate the motor. 
     The method may further include selecting a type of container to be used before the step of actuating the motor, wherein the predetermined location may be based on the selecting step. 
     The method may further include moving the movable body to a second position different from the predetermined position after the decoupling step. 
     According to another aspect, a filler assembly for forming and filing a flexible container with a flowable material is disclosed that includes a movable separator assembly as described herein. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present application is further understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the subject matter, there are shown in the drawings exemplary aspects of the subject matter; however, the presently disclosed subject matter is not limited to the specific methods, devices, and systems disclosed. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an isometric perspective view of a separator assembly according to an aspect of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a front perspective view of the separator assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an isometric perspective view of a pusher assembly according to an aspect of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an isometric perspective view of a separator assembly and a pusher assembly according to an aspect of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a cross-sectional isometric view of the separator assembly and the pusher assembly of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a front perspective view of a separator assembly with the clamps in a closed configuration according to an aspect of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates an isometric perspective view of a pusher assembly and a separator assembly according to another aspect of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates an isometric perspective view of the pusher assembly of  FIG. 7  coupled to the separator assembly of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates an isometric perspective view of a filler assembly according to an aspect of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 10  illustrates a schematic of components of a separator assembly and a pusher assembly according to an aspect of the disclosure; and 
         FIG. 11  illustrates a flow chart of a process of positioning a separator assembly according to an aspect of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     Aspects of the disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer to like elements throughout, unless specified otherwise. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS 
     Filler assemblies are used with flowable substances and flexible containers, such as bags. The filler assemblies can form, fill, seal, and/or prepare the bags for shipment. It will be appreciated that the same filler assembly can be utilized for one or more of the above steps, or, alternatively, separate filler assemblies can be used that are responsible for different stages of the process 
     The disclosed filler assemblies should be designed to use as many components that are used in filling processes as possible. The filler assembly can be operated with a wide range of pouch sizes, spouts and caps, fill orientations, and various loading methods, such as side loading, flat drop, spout trailing, spout leading, and front and rear discharge. A filling area should be designed to handle a variety of filling requirements, such as ambient fill, ESL, Aseptic, Hot-fill, and other suitable filling concepts. The components present in the filler assembly allow for modularity of design, quick changeover and adjustments, and tool-less design considerations. 
     The filler machine assembly can operate with a wide range of suitable products and processing protocols. Suitable products include, but are not limited to, wine, syrup, water, carbonated beverages, other beverages, and industrial products. It will be under stood that the filling and production rate will depend on the product type, the fitment size, the specific components within the assembly, and other parameters of the filler machine assembly. 
     Depending on the specific arrangement of the filler machine assembly, the assembly may operate at different filling rates, for example, at 10 to 200 gallons per minute (GPM), at 40 to 150 GPM, at 60 to 100 GPM, at 80 to 90 GPM, or at another suitable range of filling rates. The assembly can be designed to fill the desired number of bags at different rates that can be adjusted based on the product, bag size, and other components in the assembly. In some aspects, the machine can fill 1-gallon bags at a rate of at least 10 bags per minute (BPM), preferably at least between 12 and 14 BPM. For 2.5-gallon bags, the assembly may be designed to fill the bags at a rate of at least between 10 and 12 BPM. For 5-gallon bags, the assembly may be designed to fill the bags at a rate of at least between 8 and 10 BPM. It will be understood that it will be preferable to achieve higher filling rates where possible without sacrificing quality or elimination necessary steps. 
     The filler machine assembly may utilize any suitable flow meter to measure the flow of the product being introduced into the bags. 
     While any suitable materials can be used to manufacture the filler machine assembly, it will be appreciated that the assembly should withstand repetitive use and be easily serviced, cleaned, and sterilized. A frame of the assembly may be constructed of a metal, such as stainless steel. In some aspects, the frame includes 304 stainless steel. The frame may include non-metal components, which should be approved for use in food applications. 
     The assembly may include various components for preparing a bag with a product therein. The assembly may include an inlet for the bag and/or product, a bag separator, a bag loader, a filling head, a capping assembly, and a suitable exit for the final product out of the assembly. 
     A bag separating component may be present in the filler assembly to physically separate adjacent bags (or other flexible containers) as they are processed and filled in the filler assembly. The flexible containers (e.g. bags) may be introduced into the filler assembly as a plurality of flexible containers that are serially connected, one after another, in a suitable arrangement, such as flat sheets or rolls. Each individual flexible container is separated from the next flexible container by a separation region. In some aspects, this separation region may be a perforated region made from the same material as the rest of the flexible container but also having one or more punctures extending therethrough to allow for easier ripping, tearing, or other separation. It will be appreciated that the specific pattern of perforations can be designed based on the type of flexible container being used, the separating mechanism, the materials of the flexible container, or manufacturing constraints. 
     Various separating mechanism may be utilized to separate the connected adjacent flexible containers, such as guillotine-type separators (which have a movable blade that moves towards the perforated region and severs the entire perforated region substantially at the same time) or zipper-type separators (which have a movable blade that moves along the length of the perforated region and severs the perforated region from one end to the other end thereof). Other suitable separator types are envisioned, and it will be appreciated that the particular type of separator does not limit the scope of this application. 
     In existing filler assemblies, a separator is manually positioned in the desired location. The specific desired location depends on the size of flexible container that is used, the type of connecting or perforated region, the positioning of other components of the filler assembly, and other manufacturing constraints. This process is tedious and requires one or more operators to physically release the separator, move it to the proper location, and affix it in the new location. This requires extra time do accomplish and slows down manufacturing, as well as requires operators to be trained and available to perform this task. Additionally, the manual movement of the separator is prone to inconsistencies in placement of the separator, as well as other human error, such as improper securing of the separator, incorrect location placement, or other mistakes. 
     Alternatively, a mechanized setup may be utilized, in which the separator is moved via a motor to the desired location. However, such setups require having a dedicated motor, track, and other movement components that are reserved for moving the separator to the desired locations. This is often undesirable because of the added cost associated with the necessary components, as well as the added weight and complexity of the extra components in the already-complex filler assembly. Adding more of the above features also reduces space inside the filler assembly, requiring expanding the filler assembly to house all of the necessary components, thus increasing the footprint and requiring more manufacturing space to be designated for each filler assembly. 
     Disclosed are aspects of filler assemblies that utilize existing moving components of the filler assembly to automate movement of the separator assembly. Referring to  FIGS. 1-9 , a separator assembly  100  is disclosed. The separator assembly  100  includes a body  104  that defines therethrough an opening  108  that is configured to receive one or a plurality of flexible containers  1  (e.g. flexible bags  1 ). The flexible container  1  may be a flexible bag  1  configured to receive a flowable material therein. Although “bag” and “flexible container” may be used interchangeably throughout this application, it will be appreciated that other types of flexible containers may be utilized. A plurality of bags  1  includes individual bags attached to each other, for example serially or in a row, and being separated from one another by a separation region  2 , which may include a perforation. The plurality of bags  1  may be introduced into the opening  108  of the body  104  and, when in the desired position, the separation region  2  may be severed to separate an individual bag  1  from the plurality of bags. 
     The body  104  has a substantially flat surface  110  within the opening  108 . The bags  1  are positioned on the surface  110  when inserted into the opening  108 . A clamping mechanism operates to releasably secure the bags  1  within the separator assembly  100  during the separation process. As shown in the figures, the separator assembly  100  may have a front clamp  112  and a rear clamp  116 , with both clamps  112 ,  116  being configured to move towards and away from the surface  110 . Each of the front and rear clamps  112 ,  116  is configured to contact the surface  110  in a closed configuration and to be spaced away from the surface  110  in an open configuration. When the clamps  112 ,  116  are in the open configuration, the bag  1  may be moved and positioned within the opening  108  between the clamps  112 ,  116  and the surface  110 . When the clamps  112 ,  116  are in the closed configuration, the bag  1  is fixedly secured between the clamps  112 ,  116  and the surface  110 . 
     A gap  120  is defined between the front clamp  112  and the rear clamp  116  and is configured to receive a separator blade  124  therethrough. The separator blade  124  is configured to be moved within the opening  108  between the surface  110  and the front and rear clamps  112 ,  116 . The separator blade  124  may have any suitable shape and dimensions, but it will be understood that the selected shape and dimensions should allow for the separator blade  124  to contact and sever the separation region  2  (e.g. at the perforation). The separator blade  124  may be substantially uniform throughout, or it may have a shape or dimensions that vary along its body. In some aspects, the separator blade  124  may be substantially rectangular or trapezoidal. 
     In other aspects, the separator blade  124  may have an irregularly shaped cross section. As shown in the exemplary aspect of  FIGS. 1-2 , the separator blade  124  may include a plurality of peaks  124   a  and valleys  124   b  and may have a sinusoidal or wave-shaped cross section. Such a shape may be advantageous because it allows the separator blade  124  to first contact the separation region  2  with the peaks  124   a  rather than with the entire surface of the separator blade  124 , which results in a greater pressure being applied by the separator blade  124  onto the bag  1 , which in turn facilitates severing the separation region  2  by requiring relatively less movement force of the separation blade  124  than would otherwise be required if the force were not concentrated to the one or more peaks  124   a.    
     In some aspects, it may be further advantageous to have a separator blade  124  shaped as described above to allow components of the filler assembly  10  to be disposed near or in the separator assembly  100  without having to change those components. For example, referring to  FIG. 5 , it can be seen that several frame components  12 , such as rails, of the filler assembly  10  are disposed to be at least partly within the opening  108  of the separator body  104 . The separator blade  124  is shown to be dimensioned in such a way that the valleys  124   b  are substantially located below the frame components  12 , allowing the frame components  12  to occupy the space between adjacent peaks  124   a.    FIG. 5 , for example, depicts the separator assembly  100  where the front and rear clamps  112 ,  116  are in the closed configuration and the separation blade  124  is extended in the gap  120 . Also shown are frame components  12  (e.g. guide rails for the bag  1 ) that are disposed substantially perpendicular to the movement of the separation blade  124 . As evident from the figure, the presence of a peak  124   a  in the separation blade  124  allows for the frame components  12  to be disposed in the space between adjacent peaks  124   a.  In existing technology, such frame components  12  must be either positioned farther away (e.g. higher than the highest point the separation blade extends to) or they must include a gap or space therein to allow the separation blade to pass through. This requires additional structural components while also weakening the overall capabilities of the frame components. The dimensions and positioning of the disclosed separation blade  124  help overcome the above problems. 
     When the bag  1  is disposed in the opening  108  and contacts the surface  110 , the front and rear clamps  112 ,  116  may be moved into the closed configuration to secure the bag  1  in the separator assembly  100 . The front and rear clamps  112 ,  116  may apply as much force to the bag  1  as needed to fixedly secure the bag  1  against the surface  110 , but it will be understood that the force applied should not be so great that the bag  1  is damaged during its application. To facilitate securing of the bag  1 , the front clamp  112 , the rear clamp  116 , and/or the surface  110  may have an elastic layer  118  configured to provide better friction and grip with the bag  1  while being deformable enough to not damage the bag  1  when the clamps are in the closed configuration. In some aspects, the elastic layer  118  may include rubber. 
     When the front and rear clamps  112 ,  116  are in the closed configuration and the bag  1  is secured therein, the separation blade  124  is configured to be moved through the separation region  2  to completely separate adjacent bags  1  from one another. When the separation has been completed, the blade  124  may be moved away from the separation region, and the front and rear clamps  112 ,  116  can be moved away from the surface  110  into the open configurations. The bag  1  that was separated from an adjacently connected bag  1  can be moved to another part of the filler assembly  10 . 
     It will be understood that different arrangements of clamps are possible. For example, the separator assembly  100  may have a set of clamps. Referring again to  FIGS. 1-9 , in some aspects, a set of a first front clamp  112   a  and a first rear clamp  116   a  may be positioned on one side of the body  104 , and a second set of a second front clamp  112   b  and a second rear clamp  116   b  may be positioned on an opposite side of the body  104 . Each set of clamps may operate in substantially the same manner, and it will be appreciated that separator assemblies may utilize a different number of clamp sets, such as one, three, four, or another suitable number. 
     The separator assembly  100  may be attached to a frame  130  of the filler assembly  10 . The separator assembly  100  may also be movable relative to the filler assembly  10 , such that the separator assembly  100  can be positioned in the desired location. The specific positioning will depend on the type and size of bag  1  that is being used with the filler assembly  10 . The same filler assembly  10  and the same separator assembly  100  may be utilized with different types and sizes of bags  1 . Accordingly, it may be advantageous to have the capability to move the separator assembly  100  to a predetermined location that corresponds to the specific type or size of the bag  1  being used. In practice, various bags  1  may be sized or dimensioned differently from other bags  1 , and thus may have their respective separation regions  2  closer or farther apart from one another compared to different bags  1 . As such, the separator assembly  100  may be moved to a predetermined location that corresponds to the known location of the separation region  2  of the bag  1  being used. 
     Movement of the separator assembly  100  is done along one or more rails  134  that may be fixedly attached to the frame  130 . The one or more rails  134  are configured to slidably engage with one or more rail guides  138  disposed on the body  104 . It will be understood that the above arrangement may be reversed, such that the one or more rails  134  are disposed on the body  104 , while the one or more rail guides  138  are disposed on the frame  130  that is fixedly connected to the filler assembly  10 . 
     A rail lock  142  is disposed on the body  104  or on the frame  130  and is configured to releasably secure the one or more rails  134  to prevent relative movement between the one or more rails  134  and the one or more rail guides  138 , which, in turn, prevents relative movement between the separator assembly  100  and the filler assembly frame  130 . The rail lock  142  may be actuated manually, for example by pushing a button, securing a clamp, or turning a screw, or it may be actuated automatically by a controller configured to send an electronic signal to a receiver on the rail lock  142 . The receiver may then actuate a motor to selectively open or close the rail lock  142 . 
     In some aspects, the separator assembly  100  may be movable relative to the filler assembly  10  by a pusher assembly  200 . Referring to  FIGS. 3-9 , the filler assembly  10  may include a pusher assembly  200  that has a pusher  204  configured for moving the bag  1  within the filler assembly  10 . The pusher  204  is attached to a movable body  208  that is slidably attached to and configured to move along a pusher rail  212 , which may be a rail or pole. The movable body  208  may be connected to a belt  216 , or another suitable movement actuation mechanism, that is operationally connected to a motor  220 . Suitable motors include, but are not limited to, servo motor, stepper motor, linear motor, A/C motor, DC motor, air motor, pneumatic actuator, hydraulic actuation linear positioning encoder, or another suitable motor mechanism. Movement of the movable body  208  may be operated by a controller that receives commands from a program or from a user operator. 
     In addition to moving the pusher  204 , the movable body  208  may be configured to also move the separator assembly  100 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the separator assembly  100  may include a locking pin  146  that is configured to releasably engage with a corresponding receptacle  224  defined on the movable body  208 . It will be appreciated that the above arrangement may be reversed, such that the locking pin  146  is on the movable body  208  while the receptacle  224  is on the separator assembly  100 . 
     When the movable body  208  is moved along the pusher rail  212  such that the movable body  208  is adjacent the separator assembly  100 , and the locking pin  146  is next to the receptacle  224 , the locking pin  146  may be moved into the receptacle  224 , and the movable body  208  may be coupled to the separator assembly  100 , such that when the movable body  208  is moved along the pusher rail  212 , the separator assembly  100  also moves along the one or more rails  134 . The separator assembly  100  and the pusher assembly  200  may be aligned manually, for example, by an operator moving the movable body  208  such that the receptacle  224  is aligned with the locking pin  146 , or the two assemblies may be aligned automatically. In some aspects, a sensor  150  may be disposed on at least one of the pusher assembly  200  or the separator assembly  100  that is configured to detect when the locking pin  146  and the receptacle  224  are aligned and to send an electronic signal to the controller, which in turn sends a signal instructing the locking pin  146  to engage with the receptacle  224  (for example, by sending a signal to a motor configured to move the locking pin  146  selectively towards or away from the receptacle  224 ). The sensor  150  may be an optical sensor. Referring to  FIGS. 7-8 , the sensor  150  may be disposed on the body  104  of the separator assembly  100  and may be adjacent to the locking pin  146 . 
     The movable body  208  of the pusher assembly  200  may move the coupled separator assembly  100  to a predetermined location. The predetermined location may be pre-programmed into the controller or may be manually input by an operator. As described above, the predetermined location may depend on the size and dimensions of the bags  1  being used, and specifically on the location of the separation region  2  of each bag type. 
     The pusher assembly  200  is configured to temporarily and releasably act as a transporter for the separator assembly  100 . Referring to  FIG. 10 , the filler assembly  10  may include a controller  300  configured to send and receive signals to various components to control operation thereof, including operation and movement of the separator assembly  100  and the pusher assembly  200 . The controller  300  may be configured to send and/or receive signals based on the type of bag  1  that is used with the filler assembly  10 . An operator may select the type of bag  1  that will be used via a known input device  304 , such as a touchscreen, mouse, keyboard, voice command, physical switch, or another suitable input device. The input device  304  communicates with the controller  300  that includes a program  308  that is associated with the selected bag type. It will be understood that the same program  308  may be utilized for multiple or all of the different bag types, or, alternatively, a separate program  308  is associated with each different bag type. The program  308  includes instructions for moving the separator assembly  100  to the predetermined locations. The controller  300  is configured to communicate the instructions from the program  308  to the motor  220  to cause the motor  220  to move the movable body  208 , which also moves the separator assembly  100  when coupled thereto. 
       FIG. 11  depicts the operational process  400  of moving the separator assembly  100  to the desired predetermined location. In step  404 , the movable body  208  is moved along the pusher rail  212  towards the separator assembly  100 . The movable body  208  is not coupled with the separator assembly  100  at this point. 
     In step  408 , the sensor  150  is operating and optically monitoring for the movable body  208 . When the movable body  208  aligns with the sensor  150 , the sensor  150  sends a signal to the controller  300  to indicate that the movable body  208  is in the proper alignment with the separator assembly  100 . The controller  300  then sends a stop signal to the motor  220 , and the motor  220  stops moving the movable body  208 . In this position, the movable body  208  should be aligned relative to the separator assembly  100  such that the locking pin  146  and the pin receptacle  224  are positioned opposite one another to allow the locking pin  146  to enter the pin receptacle  224 . 
     In step  412 , when the movable body  208  is positioned in the predetermined orientation relative to the separator assembly  100  and the receptacle  224  is aligned with the locking pin  146 , the locking pin  146  is moved into the receptacle  224 . The movement of the locking pin  146  may be actuated manually by the operator or may be done in response to an electrical signal sent from the controller  300 . When the locking pin  146  is in the receptacle  224 , the pusher assembly  200  and the separator assembly  100  are coupled together. 
     In step  416 , the controller  300  sends a signal to the motor  220  to cause the motor  220  to move the movable body  208  (and the separator assembly  100  coupled thereto) to the predetermined position. The predetermined position, as described above, may come from the program  308  and may correspond to a particular bag type. 
     When the separator assembly  100  has been moved to the predetermined position by motor  220  via the coupled movable body  208 , then, in step  420 , the locking pin  146  is moved out of the receptacle  224 , thus decoupling the pusher assembly  200  from the separator assembly  100 . The movement of the locking pin  146  may be actuated manually by the operator or may be done in response to an electrical signal sent from the controller  300 . 
     Additional steps may be optionally performed in the above process  400 . It will be understood that these steps may occur before, after, or during any of the steps described above, and that the process  400  may include some, all, or none of the optional steps. 
     In some aspects, before step  404 , a step of selecting the bag type may be performed. The operator may select, via one of the method described above, the type of bag  1  that will be used with the filler assembly  10 . This selection may determine which program  308  is used and may indicate the specific predetermined position to which the separator assembly should be moved. 
     In some aspects, before step  404 , the pusher assembly  200  may disengage or otherwise move the pusher  204 , such that during the proceeding steps, the pusher  204  does not adversely interfere with any components present in the filler assembly  10 . 
     In some aspects, after step  420 , and after the pusher assembly  200  is decoupled from the separator assembly  100 , the pusher assembly  200  may be moved back to its original starting position or to another position. It will be understood that the pusher assembly  200  may serve other purposes in the filler assembly  10  in addition to moving the separator assembly  100 , and so the pusher assembly  200  may be moved by the motor  220  to a position corresponding to any of the other purposes. 
     Various aspects of separator assemblies  100  can be utilized. In some aspects, the separator assembly  100  may be configured to translate or rotate within the filler assembly  10 , and it can be configured to be removable, such that the separator assembly  100  can be disposed in various locations within the filler assembly  10  and in various orientations. 
     The separator assembly  100  may be used in a horizontal (i.e. flat) position for horizontal filling of the flexible containers  1 , or in a vertical position (perpendicular to the horizontal position) for vertical filling of the flexible containers  1 . It will be appreciated that the separator assembly  100  may be designed such that it can operate in conjunction with any container filler assembly  10 . 
     While systems and methods have been described in connection with the various aspects of the various figures, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the aspects without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this disclosure is not limited to the particular aspects disclosed, and it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims.