Improvements in Apparatus for Filling Bags with Granular or other Material.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Feb., 1899-Accepted, 25th Mar., 1899
[Communicated from abroad by WILLIAM EMERY NICKERSON, of No. 1722,
Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, in the County of Middlesex and State
of Massachusetts United States of America, Chemist.]
Improvements in Apparatus for Filling Bags with Granular or other
Material.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to an apparatus for filling bags with material which has
been previously weighed or otherwise apportioned, and is especially intended to
be used in conjunction with an automatic weighing machine. The apparatus
embodying the invention comprises a bag carrier or holder adapted to receive an
empty bag and to present it in position to be filled, the said carrier being further
arranged to forward. the filled bag and subsequently deliver the same preferably
upon a conveyor which is adapted to convey the filled bags away from the
machine so that they can be conveniently gathered up and closed.
The carrier is arranged to be arrested after the bag has been forwarded to
the position where it is to be filled and to be released in response to the weight
of the material delivered into the bag, so that it will travel far enough to
present another empty bag to be filled, the filled bags being finally automatically
detached from the carrier and thus delivered from the machine.
The carrier is actuated by a continuously travelling actuating member friction-
ally engaged therewith, and, in accordance with the invention, the arresting
device which stops the carrier when the bag is in position to be filled also co-
operates with said carrier in such a manner that the parts in frictional engage-
ment are relieved of the weight of said carrier, while the latter is stationary,
so that frictional resistance is not encountered during the independent travel of
the actuating member.
A further feature of the invention consists in the means for clamping the
bags to the carrier, which is provided with one or more funnels each adapted to
receive a bag, the clamping means being so arranged that the mouth of the bag
is snugly held against the outside of the funnel with a substantially dust proof
joint. The clamping mechanism is arranged to be automatically opened when
the filled bag reached the delivery point, so that the said bag will drop of its
own weight upon a suitable conveyor, the conveyor herein shown being of novel
construction and arranged to prevent the bag from tipping over as it is carried
along before it has been sewed up or otherwise closed.
The said clamping device is also arranged to be automatically closed in upon
the bag after the latter has been placed in position, but is preferably also pro-
vided with means whereby the clamping is produced through the agency of an
actuating device to be operated by the attendant to relieve him of the necessity
of holding the bag in position until the carrier starts.

page_text: The machine is also provided with means for agitating the bags, after they
are filled, to shake down and condense the material therein, and to this end the
bag supporting parts of the carrier are vertically movable and arranged to be
rapidly moved up and down during the travel of the carrier after the bag has
been filled. The vertical movement of the bag carrier is furthermore so con-
trolled that the funnel to which the bag is secured will be lifted and fitted snugly
against the outlet through which the material is delivered to the bags, so that
there is practically a dust tight fit which prevents the escape and waste of any
fine powdery material, such as flour, when the bags are being filled with such
material.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is an elevation of the machine embodying the invention; Figure 2
is a vertical section partly in elevation looking towards the left of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a plan view of the machine; Figure 4 a detail showing the conveyor
and means for guiding the bags as they travel along, the same; Figure 5 a
horizontal section taken near the base of the machine, the frame and carrier
controlling mechanism being mainly shown in elevation; Figure 6 a partial
elevation showing the lower portion of the machine looking toward the right of
Figure 1; Figures 7 and 8 details upon a somewhat enlarged scale showing parts
which will be hereinafter referred to; and Figures 9, 10 and 11 details showing
in plan the bag clamping mechanism detached.
The carrier a is herein shown as a rotatable member guided and laterally
supported by a hollow vertical shaft b and connected by means of a crown
clutch a² with a friction wheel a³ co-operating with a similar friction wheel a*,
the weight of the_said wheels_and_the_parts_carried thereby_being_shown_as_
supported upon a set of antifriction rollers (Figure 2).
The friction wheel at may be driven in any suitable or usual way, and is herein
shown as provided with an annular bevelled gear as intermeshing with a similar
gear upon a driving shaft a mounted in bearings as and a and provided with
a pulley 10.
While it is obvious that the said rotating member might be driven in any
suitable or usual way, the driving mechanism above described forms a feature
of the present invention, the purpose of which will be more fully explained here-
inafter in conjunction with the carrier controlling mechanism.
The bag holding devices, of which there may be any suitable number, four
being herein shown, are connected with said carrier and are arranged to clamp
the mouth of the bag around a funnel or receiver d also supported thereon, the said
clamping devices and funnels being herein shown as connected with vertically
movable frames e connected by means of links e2 with arms a projecting radially from
the rotating member a, there being a pair of arms, one near the top and one near
the bottom for each of said bag carrying frames. The said frames are shown as
vertically movable with relation to the carrier, and as directly supported on a
suitable surface formed on the frame of the machine, each frame having a yoke e³
for a wheel e adapted to travel along said surface as will be hereinafter
described.
The bag clamping devices are arranged, in accordance with the invention, to
hold the material of which the bag is made snugly against the outer surfaces of
the funnels d, which are preferably covered with a coating d of rubber or other
yielding material to afford a better fit for the bag.
As herein shown, the bag holding devices consist of clamps c, each arranged
to cover substantially a quarter of the periphery of one of the funnels, said clamps
being arranged in pairs and pivotally connected with equalizing members which
in turn are pivoted to the ends of arms having a pivotal support c upon the
bag supporting frame e, so that by moving the said arms upon their pivots
the clamps can be opened and closed as best shown in Figures 9, 10 and 11,
which respectively show the clamp as closed, partially opened, and wholly
opened.

page_text: To swing said arms 3, they are shown as connected by links through the
agency of a link with an arm e pivotally connected at to the radial arms 'a¹³,
at the upper portion of the member a, which carry the bag supporting frames e.
The said bag supporting frames, as has been stated, are connected with the said
arms by means of the links e, and in order that the arms c may not interfere
with the said links, they are shown as curved or circular and arranged to surround
the links, the construction being indicated in Figures 1 and 3, the pivot pin c
serving to support both the links and the arms.
The opening and closing of the clamps thus described is controlled through the
agency of the arms aforesaid by means of a cam 12, Figures 2 and 3, shown as
provided with a hub c¹³ having a bearing upon a projection c¹ from the upper
portion of the member a, one of the said parts being capable of rotation with
relation to the other, so that the said cam may be held stationary to automatically
control the opening and closing of the clamps as the carrier rotates, or may be
rotated while the carrier is stationary to permit the opening and closing to be
accomplished by the attendant.
In the ordinary operation of the machine, however, the clamps are preferably
automatically opened while their closure is under the control of the attendant,
and as herein shown, the cam e2 is provided with a radial projection c¹5 connected
by means of a chain or other flexible connecting member c6 with a treadle or
actuator, not herein shown, which is arranged normally to hold the said cam
in the position shown in Figure 3, so that it will not rotate with the carrier, while
it may be moved from said position by the attendant. With this arrangement
when the carrier has rotated to a certain, predetermined position, the arms c²,
which are provided with cam rolls, will be acted upon by the stationary cam,
and the clamps opened, so that the bag will fall of its own weight and thus be
delivered from the machine. As the carrier travels further the clamp will still
be held open, and during the dwell which takes place while a bag is being filled,
the attendant can place another bag upon the funnel from which a bag has been
delivered, and as soon as he has the bag in place he can, by pressing the treadle,
shift the cam so as to release the arm acted upon thereby, and permit the clamps
to close on the said bag, so that he does not have to hold the same until the carrier
has begun to rotate. If desired, moreover, the cam may obviously be adjusted
so that the bag may be released by the attendant instead of automatically.
The construction and operation is best shown in Figure 3, in which it will be
seen that a pull upon the chain c will shift the cam until the surface thereof
passes out of contact with the cam roll on the arm which controls the clamping
device where the bag is to be placed in position, so that the said clamp will close
and hold the bag prior to the starting up of the carrier.
The clamp is arranged to close automatically through the agency of a yielding
force as that of a spring c (Figure 1), which acts upon a pin c¹s formed on an
arm shown as pivotally supported at upon a projection c¹ from the bag
supporting frame e. The said spring is shown as coiled one or more times coaxially
with the pivotal support of said arm and engaged at its opposite end by a pin, or
projection also formed upon the said arm e. The arm forms an intermediate
member between the link and the links all of which links are pivotally
connected to the upper end of the said arm.
To control the operation of the carrier so that the said carrier will be arrested
while the bag below the delivery tube is being filled, the said carrier is arranged
to be acted upon by a latch f projecting from a shaft or support f² mounted
in bearings in which it is capable of both longitudinal and rotary movement.
The said latch is provided with an engaging portion f which normally stands,
as best shown in Figure 1, in the path of a projection which travels with
the carrier a, there being one of such projections corresponding to each bag
supporting frame, the projections being so positioned that they will come in
contact with the latch when one of the bags is under the delivery tube A.
As

page_text: herein shown, the projections are formed on the bag supports, and directly
secured to the spindles which carry the rollers et.
While the carrier is held stationary by means of said latch, an empty bag is
being filled and the attendant during this dwell places a new bag upon the
funnel or bag support next behind in the direction of travel, and the carrier is
so arranged that it will start up, in order to advance the filled bag and move
the empty one into position to take its place, as soon as the proper amount of
material has been delivered into the bag that is being filled. To this end the
latch f, is arranged to be tripped in response to the weight of the material in
the bag, and is shown as controlled by a tripping lever g pivotally supported
at g and having an inclined end g3 upon which is supported the weight of the
bag carrying frame e while the bag is being filled. The said bag carrying frame
as has been described is arranged to be supported by and to travel along a sup-
porting surface B2 shown as formed in the base portion or frame 1 of the
machine, the inclined end g³ of the tripping lever overlying the said surface
so that the roller will travel up the same as shown in Figure 1 lifting the bag
support until the funnel thereof is in position to receive material from the
delivery tube A. The army is counterpoised by means of weights g*, the
weight of which is sufficient to support the bag supporting frame and empty
bag, but not sufficient to support the same when the bag is wholly filled, so that
at this period, the arm g is rocked on its pivot. The said arm is operatively
connected with the latch f so that the rocking of the arm corresponding rocks
the latch support f, causing the said latch to swing laterally out of engagement
with the projection and allowing the carrier to travel forward. As soon as
the frame which supports the filled_bag_is_carried-beyond-the-end-of-the-arm-g=
it is obvious that the said arm will return to its normal position and restore
the latch so that the latter will engage the next projection upon the carrier and
arrest the said carrier when the empty bag is in position to be filled.
As herein shown, the arm is provided with a branch having a lateral
projection which is arranged to engage a radial projection f5 secured to the
end of the latch support f, the said projection being shown as having a hub or
enlargement f adapted to be secured to the end of said support. To control
the movement of the army, the said arm is shown as connected at 7 through
the agency of a link g with the plunger g6 of a dash-pot g10 which may be of
any suitable or usual construction."
As herein shown (Figure 8) the said plunger is movable in a vessel containing
oil or other suitable fluid and is provided with an opening g₁ to permit the
said plunger to pass through the liquid. The plunger stem gl
shown as
provided with a cap g¹ extending over the top of the dash-pot to protect the
same from dust ete.
As has already been stated, the carrier a is preferably rotated through the
agency of friction discs ³ and as, the actuating disc at being arranged to rotate
continuously; and in order to prevent the development of undue friction between
said discs when the carrier is arrested, the machine is so arranged, in accordance
with the invention, that the engagement of the latch f by the carrier results
in slightly lifting the said carrier so that the main portion of the weight thereof
is supported independently of the said discs. As has already been stated, the
latch carrier fa is capable of longitudinal as well as lateral movement and is
arranged to be held in its normal position so far as relates to longitudinal move-
ment by means of a spring f7 interposed between a collar f and the wall of
one of the bearings f³ as shown in Figure 7. When, therefore, the said latch
is engaged by the travelling stop it will be longitudinally moved against
the stress of the said spring, this movement being imparted through the arm f
connected with a rock shaft f10 mounted in bearings f12, the said shaft having
an arm f3 secured thereto and underlying a rod f which projects upward
through the hollow support b. The upper end of the said rod is arranged to
support the carrier a when moved upward and is herein shown as engaging a

page_text: set screw a whereby an adjustment may be effected. The carrier and parts
supported thereby are thus lifted from the disc as but prevented from being
disengaged therefrom by means of the crown-clutch a² so that as soon as the
latch is tripped the two discs will be pressed together and the carrier will
immediately be started. The parts described thus constitute means for practi-
cally disconnecting the carrier from its actuating mechanism. when the former
is arrested by the latch.
When bags are to be filled with granular or powdered material it is obvious
that the material should be packed down in the bags before the latter are sewed
up or otherwise fastened, and the machine embodying the invention is shown
as provided with means for shaking or jouncing the bags after they are filled
and before they are delivered. To this end the supporting surface 132 is shown
as provided beyond the place where the bag is filled with a series of inclines B³
each terminating abruptly so that after the bag support is lifted by one of said
inclines it will drop suddenly, the said surface being shown as provided beyond
each incline with a cushion B4 of rubber or similar material to deaden the
shock.
To prevent the material from escaping while it is being delivered from the
delivery tube A, the said tube is shown as provided with an annular mouth
piece A secured as by a flexible band A³ to the said tube A, the said band
being shown as fastened by means of strings or wires A. When, therefore,
the bag support rides up the inclined arm. g, the mouth of the funnel comes in
contact with the face of the mouth piece A2 which is preferably covered with
a yielding substance indicated by the letter A5, the flexible connecting band
allowing the said mouth piece to be lifted so that its own weight holds it firmly
against the mouth of the funnel, thus making practically a dust proof joint.
When the bag is delivered as shown at the right hand side of Figure 1 by
the opening of the bag holder, it is arranged to be engaged by an inclined
guide surface h and guided thereby towards a conveyor belt i may be continu-
ously driven in any suitable or usual way, the said belt being shown as driven
from a pulley in a support adjacent to the machine. As the bags travel
along the said conveyor they are prevented from turning by projecting strips
which extend over the conveyor belt to engage the bottom of the bag; while the
bag is prevented from tipping over sideways by guard rails projecting upward
from the surface of the said belt. The guides h are shown as arranged to
travel with the carrier and are secured at one end to the yoke and at the
other end to the member itself. These projecting strips are intended to cooperate
with bags in which there is a seam as indicated in Figure 1. When such bags
are used they are placed upon the carrier with the seam parallel to the direction
of travel thereof, so that when they are delivered to the carrier they fall on the
conveyor with the seam parallel thereto.
The bag having considerable stability along the line of the seam will not
tend to tip over in a direction parallel thereto, and is laterally supported by
the guards The projecting strips engage the bag just above the bottom
thereof and thereby prevent the same from turning, while they expose only so
much of the conveyor as will receive the bag when the seam extends in the
right direction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. An apparatus for filling bags comprising a bag carrier provided with funnels
to direct the material into the bags and means for clamping the bags to said
funnels, a controlling device for said carrier comprising a latch or engaging
projection adapted to engage and arrest said carrier when a bag is in position
to be filled, means for tripping the said latch in response to the weight of the
material in the said bag when the bag is substantially filled, and means for

page_text: agitating the bag support during the further movement of the carrier to shake
down the material in the bag.
2. In an apparatus for filling bags, a travelling carrier provided with funnels
to receive the material and means for clamping the bag to the said funnels,
controlling mechanism to arrest the said carrier when an empty bag is in posi-
tion to be filled and to permit the further travel thereof after the said bag has
been filled, means for unclamping the filled bag after it has been advanced by
said carrier beyond the place where it was filled, and a conveyor to receive the
said bag and carry it away from the machine.
3. In an apparatus for filling bags, the combination with a bag carrier, of
means for clamping a bag thereto, a cam co-operating with said clamping
means and arranged to unclamp the same after the carrier has moved a pre-
determined distance, and means for shifting the position of said cam whereby
the clamping devices may be controlled independently of the movement of said
carrier.
4. In an apparatus for filling bags comprising a bag carrier having a number
of vertically movable bag supports, the herein described means for compacting
the material after the bag is filled, which consists in a supporting surface having
a number of inclined portions along which said bag supports travel in the move-
ment of the carrier, substantially as described and best shown in Figure 5.
5. In an apparatus for filling bags, the combination with a bag carrier, an
arresting device to stop the travel of said carrier, and means whereby the co-
operation of said carrier with said arresting device substantially disconnects
said carrier from its actuating mechanism.
6. In combination_with_a_machine for filling-bags,-the-herein described con-
-veyor which consists of a travelling member or belt, strips or guide members
overlying said belt to engage the bag and prevent the same from turning, and
guards projecting upward at the sides of said belt to support the bag and prevent
the same from tipping.
7. In an apparatus for filling bags, the combination with a rotating bag
carrier, of vertically movable bag supports attached to the said carrier and pro-
vide with bag holding devices, a supporting surface along which said bag sup-
ports are adapted to travel, a latch adapted to arrest the rotating carrier, means
for causing the rotation of said carrier when not arrested by the said latch,
and mechanism whereby the weight of the material in the bag which has been
filled releases the said latch and permits the rotation of the carrier.
8. In an apparatus for filling bags, the combination with a rotating carrier,
of vertically movable bag supports attached to the said carrier and travelling
therewith, a supporting surface for the said bag supports having a series of
inclined surfaces and cushions adjacent to said inclined surfaces, a latch adapted
to arrest the said carrier until the weight of the material in the filled bag causes
the release of said latch, and means for rotating the said carrier when not
arrested by said latch.
9. An apparatus for filling bags comprising a funnel adapted to project into
the mouth of a bag, movable arms equalizing members pivoted to the
arms, clamp pieces pivoted upon the ends of the said equalizing members,
and means for actuating the arms whereby bags may be clamped upon the
funnel with a pressure which is uniformly distributed around the funnel forming
thereby an even support and a dust-tight connection.
10. In an apparatus for filling bags, a bag clamping device consisting of a
funnel d, pivoted arms 3, equalizing bars 2 pivoted to the said arm c³, clamp
pieces e pivoted upon the ends of the equalizing bars, links, and means for
actuating the said arms 3 through the agency of said links.
11. In an apparatus for filling bags, a bag clamp device consisting of clamp
pieces pivotally connected with equalizing bars, pivoted arms also connected
with said equalizing bars, an actuating lever for said pivoted arms, a spring
:.

page_text: adapted to cause the said actuating lever to close the clamp, and means for
opening the said clamp against the action of said spring.
12. In an apparatus for filling, bags, the means for connecting the empty
bags with the carrier and for disconnecting the same when filled, comprising
clamp pieces adapted to be closed by a yielding force as that of the spring,
levers connected with said clamps and arranged to open the same, a cam co-
operating with said levers, and means for operating the said cam.
13. In an apparatus for filling bags, the swinging arms c³, the equalizing
bars, the clamping devices c, the links e, intermediate levers e, springs c",
the actuating levers, and the cam 12 co-operating with said actuating levers.
14. In an apparatus for filling bags, the combination with the rotating car-
rier a, of the friction wheels and at, means for rotating the wheel a², the
tubular spindle b, the vertical rod f, the elbow lever f¹a, fl³, adapted to co-
operate with said rod, and the latch f, arranged to engage the said elbow lever,
whereby the weight of the rotating carrier a is supported upon the friction
wheel a while the said carrier is in motion and is independently supported
while said carrier is at rest.
15. In an apparatus for filling bags, the combination with the rotating carrier
provided with vertically movable bags supporting devices adapted to rotate there-
with, of a counterweighted arm adapted to support a bag supporting device when
the bag thereon is empty, a latch adapted to arrest the motion of the said
rotating carrier, and means for connecting the said latch with the said counter-
weighted arm so that the said latch will be tripped in response to the movement
thereof when the weight of the material in the bag causes such movement..
16. In an apparatus for filling bags, the combination with a rotating carrier
provided with bag supporting devices, of a counterweighted arm arranged to be
engaged by one of said supporting devices and to move in response to the weight
of material in the bag upon said supporting device, a retarding device suitably
connected with the said counterweighted arm whereby the rapidity of the move-
ment thereof will be regulated, a latch controlled by the movement of said arm
and adapted to arrest the rotating carrier, and means for rotating said carrier
when not thus arrested.
17. In an apparatus for filling bags, the combination with a discharge pipe,
as A, of a mouth piece connected with said discharge pipe by a flexible band
of material, and a bagholding funnel mounted on a vertically movable frame
and arranged to be lifted into contact with said mouth-piece, the said funnel
being adapted to automatically drop in response to the weight of material in
the bag when the bag is filled.
18. In an apparatus for filling bags, a travelling conveyor adapted to receive
the bag when filled, guards projecting upward along the sides of said con-
veyor to support the bag thereon, and strips projecting over the said conveyor
at each side and adapted to expose only so much thereof as will receive the bag
when placed with its bottom seam parallel with the conveyor, substantially as
and for the purpose described.
19. In an apparatus for filling bags, the combination with the rotatable carrier,
of bag supporting frames attached to said carrier and capable of vertical move-
ment with relation thereto, bag holding clamps attached to said frames, a sup-
porting surface along which said frames are adapted to travel, a latch to control
the rotation of said carrier, means for causing the said carrier to rotate when
not arrested by the said latch, and means for releasing the said latch when
required to thereby allow the carrier to rotate and advance an empty bag to a
position to be filled.
20. In an apparatus for filling bags, the combination with a rotatable carrier,
of bag supports connected with said carrier, a controlling device to arrest the
said carrier, co-operating friction wheels to rotate the said carrier when the same
is not arrested, mechanism connected with the carrier controlling device and
with the carrier itself whereby said carrier is supported independently of the

page_text: friction wheels while not in motion and is supported upon said friction wheels
when the controlling device is moved to release the said carrier.
21. In an apparatus for filling bags, the combination with a rotatable carrier,
of bag supports connected with said carrier, means for rotating said carrier when
the same is not arrested, a latch adapted to arrest the said carrier, the said latch
having two sets of movements one set throwing it into or out of engagement
with the said carrier and the other set caused by the impact of the carrier
against the latch when the two are in engagement, and means whereby the
movement of the latch due to the impact of the carrier operates to suspend the
action of the means for rotating the carrier and whereby the release and conse-
quent return movement of the latch causes the means for rotating the carrier
to be again applied, and means for operating said latch to properly control the
movement of the carrier.
Dated this 1st day of Wala 1900
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.