Claims
- 1. Apparatus for closing the top of a bag containing product in a rectangular case having two opposite sides and two opposite ends and side closure flaps and end closure flaps hinged to the top of the sides and ends, respectively, the flaps extending up at the sides and ends, the top of the bag being turned down inside out on the outside of the flaps forming a cuff, the apparatus comprising:
- means for conveying cases with the bags therein endwise in a predetermined path one after another to an uncuffing station and holding each case at said station in a first position;
- means at said uncuffing station for uncuffing the bag and causing the top of the bag to extend upward above the closure flaps with the top having portions extending up at the sides of the case and portions extending up at the ends of the case, and with the bag mouth open;
- means at said uncuffing station for bringing the side portions of the top together to flatten the top generally in a vertical plane lying generally centrally between the sides of the case;
- the conveyor then being operable to convey the case farther along said path to a second position farther along said path, the flattened top portion moving forward endwise generally in said plane, the case being held in said second position;
- means for compacting said flattened top portion endwise to form it into a neck for the bag; and
- means for applying a closure to the neck to hold it closed;
- wherein said means for flattening the bag top is moveable up and down at said uncuffing station between a raised retracted position above the top of the bag at said uncuffing station and a lowered position for effecting the flattening operation and also moveable in a path above the conveyor means parallel to the path of the cases away from a retracted position above the uncuffing station to an advanced position above the uncuffing station to an advanced position along said path downstream from said uncuffing station, said apparatus further having stop means movable transversely with respect to said path between a retracted position clear of said path at one side of said path and a stop position extending across said path for engagement of the leading end of said flattened bag top for holding the leading end of the top against forward movement,
- said stop means also being movable along said path from a rearward position relative to said path and a forward position relative to said path,
- pusher means movable transversely with respect to said path between a retracted position clear of said path and a pushing position extending across said path for engagement with the trailing end of said top,
- said pusher means also being movable when in its said pushing position along said path from a rearward position relative to said path and a forward position relative to said path;
- means for moving the stop means transversely to said path to its stop position with the stop means in its said rearward position, then moving the stop means forward along said path while in its stop position, then moving said stop means transversely to said path out of said path for retracting the stop means after it reaches its said forward position, and then moving said stop means back with respect to said path for returning said stop means to its rearward position;
- means for moving the pusher means transversely to said path to its pushing position extending across said path behind the trailing end of said bag top with the pusher means at its rearward position, and then moving the pusher means forward along said path while in its pushing position to gather said top against said stop means in its rearward position to form said top into a neck for the bag, then moving the pusher means forward simultaneously with the stop means following the gathering of the top into the neck between the pusher means and the stop means, then moving the pusher means transversely to said path and out of said path to its retracted position after it reaches its forward position and then moving the pusher means back with respect to said path for returning it to its rearward position;
- and means for applying a closure to the compacted neck while it moves forward with the stop and pusher means from the rearward position of the stop means and while it is held compacted between the stop and pusher means.
- 2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 having means at the uncuffing station for intucking the end portions of the top to form gussets at the ends of the flattened top lying between the brought-together side portions of the top, and wherein the stop means, when interposed in said path, is generally directly above the position of the center of the case when the case is in its said second position.
- 3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the intucking means comprises a pair of intucking members movable toward and away from one another in said vertical plane, being movable toward one another for intucking said end portions.
- 4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for bringing the side portions of the top together comprises a pair of bag top clamp members movable inwardly against said side portions from both sides of the top.
- 5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 having means for folding down the side closure flaps of the case to extend outwardly from the case after the bag has been uncuffed.
- 6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the uncuffing means comprises forward and rearward uncuffer finger means at each side of the conveyor means at the uncuffing station, lift means mounting the forward and rearward finger means at each side of the conveyor means for movement upward from and movement back down to a lowered retracted position, and means mounting each finger means on the lift means for movement from a laterally retracted position to a position of engagement with a case below the lower edge of the cuff of the bag adjacent a respective vertical corner of the case at the uncuffing station for engagement of the finger means under the cuff upon raising of the lift means for the uncuffing of the bag.
- 7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein each finger means comprises a first finger engageable with an end of the case and a second finger engageable with a side of the case at the uncuffing station.
- 8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein the means mounting each finger means on each lift comprises an arm swingable in and out on said lift means, each finger means being swingable in and out with the respective arm.
- 9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 having a lift means at one side and a lift means at the other side of the conveyor and means mounting each lift means for adjustment transversely of the apparatus for handling cases of different widths.
- 10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 having a carriage movable between a retracted rearward position above the case at the uncuffing station and an advanced forward position, a head carried by the carriage movable up and down relative to the carriage, said bag top flattening means being carried by said head.
- 11. Apparatus for closing the top of a bag containing product in a rectangular case having two opposite sides and two opposite ends and side closure flaps and end closure flaps hinged to the top of the sides and ends, respectively, the flaps extending up at the sides and ends, the top of the bag being turned down inside out on the outside of the flaps forming a cuff, the apparatus comprising:
- a conveyor for conveying cases with bags therein endwise in a horizontal path;
- means for arresting each case and holding it for uncuffing of the bag therein at an uncuffing station;
- means at said uncuffing station for uncuffing the bag and causing the top of the bag to extend upward above the closure flaps with the top having portions extending up at the sides of the case and portions extending up at the ends of the case, and with the bag mouth open;
- a carriage movable in a horizontal path above and parallel to the path of cases on the conveyor between a retracted position above the uncuffing station and a forward position downstream from the uncuffing station;
- means movable with the carriage and movable up and down relative to the carriage operable when back in retracted position with the carriage and in down position relative to the carriage for flattening the top of the bag generally in a vertical plane lying generally centrally between the sides of the case;
- means for moving the carriage from its retracted position to its forward position and back to retracted position;
- means carried by the carriage for moving the flattening means up and down relative to the carriage between a raised retracted position and said down position;
- stop means movable transversely with respect to said path between a retracted position clear of said path at one side of said path and a stop position extending across said path for engagement of the leading end of said flattened bag top for holding the leading end of the top against forward movement;
- said stop means also being movable along said path from a rearward position relative to said path and a forward position relative to said path;
- pusher means movable transversely with respect to said path between a retracted position clear of said path and a pushing position extending across said path for engagement with the trailing end of said top;
- said pusher means also being movable when in its said pushing position along said path from a rearward position relative to said path and a forward position relative to said path;
- means for moving the stop means transversely to said path to its stop position with the stop means in its said rearward position, then moving the stop means forward along said path while in its stop position, then moving said stop means transversely to said path out of said path for retracting the stop means after it reaches its said forward position, and then moving said stop means back with respect to said path for returning and stop means to its rearward position;
- means for moving the pusher means transversely to said path to its pushing position extending across said path behind the trailing end of said bag top with the pusher means at its rearward position, and moving the pusher means forward along said path while in its pushing position to gather said top against said stop means in its rearward position to form said top into a neck for the bag, moving the pusher means forward simultaneously with the stop means following the gathering of the top into the neck between the pusher means and the stop means, moving the pusher means transversely to said path and out of said path to its retracted position after it reaches its forward position and returning it to its rearward position; and
- means for applying a closure to the compacted neck while it moves forward with the stop and pusher means from the rearward position of the stop means and while it is held compacted between the stop and pusher means.
- 12. Apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein said flattening means comprises a pair of intucking members carried by the carriage for said movement therewith and for said movement up and down relative thereto, said apparatus having means on the carriage for moving said intucking members toward and away from one another in said vertical plane, said intucking members when away from one another being movable down on the outside of the end portions of the bag top and, when down, being movable toward one another for intucking said ends of the top, and bag top clamp members carried by the carriage for said movement therewith and for said movement up and down relative thereto and means carried by the carriage for moving said bag top clamp members inwardly when down for flattening the bag top.
- 13. Apparatus for closing the top of a bag containing product in a rectangular case having two opposite sides and two opposite ends and side closure flaps and end closure flaps hinged to the top of the sides and ends, respectively, the flaps extending up at the sides and ends, the top of the bag being turned down inside out on the outside of the flaps forming a cuff, the apparatus comprising:
- a conveyor for conveying cases with bags therein endwise in a horizontal path;
- means for arresting each case and holding it for uncuffing of the bag therein at an uncuffing station;
- means at said uncuffing station for uncuffing the bag and causing the top of the bag to extend upward above the closure flaps with the top having portions extending up at the sides of the case and portions extending up at the ends of the case, and with the bag mouth open;
- said uncuffing means comprising forward and rearward uncuffer finger means at each side of the conveyor at the uncuffing station, lift means mounting the forward and rearward finger means at each side of the conveyor for movement upward from and movement back down to a lowered retracted position, and means mounting each finger means on the lift means for movement in a plane parallel to the horizontal path from a laterally retracted position to a position of engagement with a case below the lower edge of the cuff of the bag adjacent a respective vertical corner of the case at the uncuffing station for engagement of the finger means under the cuff upon raising of the lift means for the uncuffing of the bag;
- a carriage movable in a horizontal path above and parallel to the path of cases on the conveyor between a retracted position above the uncuffing station and a forward position downstream from the uncuffing station;
- means movable with the carriage and movable up and down relative to the carriage operable when back in retracted position with the carriage and in down position relative to the carriage for flattening the top of the bag generally in a vertical plane lying generally centrally between the sides of the case;
- means for moving the carriage from its retracted position to its forward position and back to retracted position;
- means carried by the carriage for moving the flattening means up and down relative to the carriage between a raised retracted position and said down position;
- said flattening means comprising a pair of intucking members carried by the carriage for said movement therewith and for said movement up and down relative thereto, said apparatus having means on the carriage for moving said intucking members toward and away from one another in said vertical plane, said intucking members when away from one another being movable down on the outside of the end portions of the bag top and, when down, being movable toward one another for intucking said ends of the top, and bag top clamp members carried by the carriage for said movement therewith and for said movement up and down relative thereto and means carried by the carriage for moving said bag top clamp members inwardly when down for flattening the bag top;
- means for compacting the flattened top portion of the bag to form it into a neck for the bag; and
- means for applying a closure to the neck to held it closed.
- 14. Apparatus as set forth in claim 13 wherein each finger means comprises a first finger engageable with an end of the case and a second finger engageable with a side of the case at the uncuffing station and wherein the means mounting each finger means on each lift comprises an arm swingable in and out on said lift means, each finger means being swingable in and out with the respective arm;
- said apparatus having a lift means at one side and a lift means at the other side of the conveyor and means mounting each lift for adjustment transversely of the apparatus for handling cases of different widths.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/710,108, filed Jun. 4, 1991, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
710108 |
Jun 1991 |
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