Patent ID: 8197174

Claim:
A bag opening and emptying machine for cutting bags inside a controlled environment bag slitting chamber, said machine comprising: a star wheels assembly, including rotatable integral shaft transversely carrying a set of star wheels spaced from one another, wherein a spacer gap is formed between each pair of successive said star wheels along said shaft; spike means mounted within corresponding said spacer gaps and extendible radially outwardly from and retractable radially inwardly of the periphery of said star wheels assembly; means for feeding a bag into the controlled environment chamber and onto a conveying surface of said star wheels assembly; means for extending said spike means radially outwardly of said star wheels assembly so as to impale the bag and firmly secure the latter to said star wheels assembly; cutting means adjacent the star wheels assembly past which the bag is conveyed in a conveying direction and which serve to make a continuous cut around three sides of the bag whereby the bag is cut into upper and lower halves hingedly joined at the trailing side of the bag; the star wheels assembly serving to convey one half of the bag impaled on the spike means while the other half unfolds therefrom to release the contents of the bag, said star wheels assembly defining peripheral quadrants; receiving means for collection of the contents of the bag; means for retracting said spike means to release the empty bag from the star wheel assembly; collection means for the empty bag; a number of radially outwardly opening notches, formed at the periphery of each of said star wheels; and actuator rods each extending through registering said notches from corresponding successive said star wheels, said actuator rods cooperating with said spike means, with said means for extending the spike means, and with said means for retracting said spike means.