Automatic bagger with intelligent programmable controller

Abstract

An automatic bagging system and method of operation having an intelligent programmable controller is described. Articles are discharged, one at a time, at a rapid rate into compartments of an article receiving housing and are then discharged in a bag. The article receiving housing has hinge gates for guiding the articles in respective ones of the compartments. A detector detects the position of articles being discharged into the article receiving housing and sends article detection signals to a controller. The controller has a programmable processor in which is inputted article loading time lapse data for each of the compartments. The system continuously loads articles into the article receiving housing and retains a first article during the discharge operation of the housing. The controller also operates the hinge gates after a delay of the time lapse data and in synchronism with the article detection signals. The controller controls the speed of an infeed conveyor, the number of articles to be placed in each of the compartments, the discharge thereof, the operation of the hinge gates and the operation of the holding device to support the first article during the discharge mode and controlling the rate of placement of articles on the infeed conveyor.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an automatic bagging system and method which is provided with an intelligent programmable controller thereby simplifying the mechanical construction of the bagging system and increasing the speed of operation thereof.

BACKGROUND ART

Reference is made to our U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,196 which is considered to be the closest prior art. As disclosed therein articles, such as pouches, are discharged within an article receiving housing which has three compartments and two hinge gates to direct the pouches into each of the compartments in a sequential operation. Mechanical switches are associated with each of the compartments whereby to detect that an article has entered into the compartment. These presence detecting switches have switch arms which project into the compartments and are depressed by a pouch entering the compartment. Support elements are also associated with the exterior ones of the compartments to hold an article being fed into one of these compartments during the discharge mode of the article receiving housing. These article holding elements are operated by pneumatic cylinders which also require adjustments when setting up the machine parameters. Each of the two hinge gates are also operated by a respective cylinder which also requires to be adjusted. Accordingly, a person is required to adjust all of these component parts whereby they can operate in synchronism. This means that a change in the article being bagged necessitates a readjustment of these parameters and this is a time-consuming job. These mechanical parts also require periodic servicing due to malfunctions and wear. Switches also require to be changed from time to time. Because of these various mechanical parts, there is also a speed restriction on the loading of the article receiving housing and the system is not easily converted to handle different products or to place more than one article in a compartment.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is a feature of the present invention to provide an automatic bagging system and method of operation which substantially overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.

Another feature of the present invention is to provide an automatic bagging system and method which utilize an intelligent programmable controller which does not require the use of detecting switches associated with the compartments and which is capable of operating the entire system in synchronism without requiring mechanical adjustment by a technician but by inputting command data within the processor of the controller.

According to the above features, from a broad aspect, the present invention provides an automatic bagging system with an intelligent programmable controller. The system comprises a feed conveyor having an article discharge end supported elevated above an article receiving housing having two or more compartments. One or more hinge gates are provided for guiding one or more articles in a respective one of the compartments. Actuating means is provided for displacing the hinge gates. A controller having a programmable processor is also provided. A detector is associated with the feed conveyor for detecting the position of articles being discharged at the discharge end of the conveyor and for feeding article detection signals to the controller. The controller controls a speed drive of the conveyor. The processor has inputting means to a memory thereof for storing article loading time lapse data for each of the compartments. An actuable article holding device is associated with at least one of the compartments above a bottom discharge trap door of the article receiving housing. The discharge trap door discharges articles from the compartments. The actuable article holding device supports an article in one of the compartments when the discharge trap door is in a discharge mode and releases the article on the trap door after the discharge mode. The hinge gates actuating means are operated by the controller after a delay of the time lapse data and synchronized to the article detection signals.

According to a still further broad aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of automatically placing a predetermined number of articles in a carrier using an intelligent programmable controller. The method comprises the steps of providing a feed conveyor for feeding articles sequentially to a discharge end of the conveyor above an article receiving housing having two or more compartments. One or more hinge gates are associated with the compartments for guiding one or more articles from the discharge end in a respective one of the compartments. A time lapse for discharging an article from the discharge end to each of the two or more compartments is calculated and inputted into a processor of the controller and stored in a memory of a processor thereof. The position of articles being discharged at the discharge end is detected by a detector which feeds article detection signals to the controller. The hinge gates are actuated in response to the article detection signals and the time lapse data associated with the compartment to be loaded. The time lapse data of each compartment is different from one another. The compartments are discharged after the article receiving housing compartments have been filled with the predetermined number of articles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1A is a simplified schematic diagram of an automatic bagging system constructed in accordance with the present invention and incorporating an intelligent programmable controller;

FIG. 1B is a further schematic diagram of the automatic bagging system;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the article receiving housing;

FIG. 3 is a side view of FIG. 2, but showing the hinge gates at different positions; and

FIG. 4 is a top view of the article receiving housing showing the position of the holding devices associated with the end compartments.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1A, there is shown generally at 10 an automatic bagging system provided with an intelligent programmable controller 11. A feed conveyor 12 is structured whereby to have a loading end 12′ positioned under an article discharge machine 13 whereby to receive articles 14 at the loading end 12′ thereof. The articles are conveyed along the conveyor 12 to a discharge end 12″ which is supported at an elevated position above an article receiving housing 15. The article discharge machine 13 as hereinshown is a form, fill and seal (FFS) bagging machine for forming plastic pouches, placing a liquid or other product therein and sealing the pouches prior to discharge at the loading end of the conveyor.

The article receiving housing 15 has two or more compartments, herein three compartments namely a first compartment 18, a second compartment 17 and a third compartment 16. One or more hinge gates, herein two hinge gates 19 and 20, are provided for guiding the articles 14 in respective ones of the compartments 16, 17 and 18. The hinge gates 19 and 20 are operated by piston cylinders 19′ and 20′, respectively. After an article 14 has been placed in respective ones of the compartments, a trap door 21 is operated whereby to discharge the articles from their compartments into a carrier, herein a bag 22. The bag is then discharged on a discharge conveyor 23.

The present invention is concerned with the intelligent programmable controller 11 which operates the entire system. With further reference to FIG. 1B, there are shown more details of the interconnections to the controller 11. The controller 11 has a processor 24 which is provided with a memory 25 which permits the controller to be programmed and to maintain the various operating parts of the system synchronized together. The controller is inputted to connect the system to handle different products or to place a certain quantity of products in each of the compartments of the article receiving housing 15.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a detector device 26, which is herein constituted by an ultrasound detector, detects the presence of pouches, such as pouch 14′ arriving at the discharge end 12″ of the feed conveyor 12. The detector 26 feeds signals to the controller whereby to store in the memory 25 article loading time lapse data for each of the compartments. This time lapse data is in milliseconds and it consists of the time that it takes for the article 14′ at the discharge end 12″ to enter into each of the compartments 18, 17 and 16. This time, lapse data is illustrated by the travel paths 18′, 17′ and 16′. As can be seen, the travel path 18′ is much longer than that of 17′, and the travel path 17′ is longer than that of 16′, as these compartments are disposed at different distances from the discharge end 12″. These time lapse data signals are inputted by an operator person with the conveyor 12 operating at a specific speed to permit proper discharge of articles. The inputting means for the three compartments are inputted through inputting devices 18″, 17″ and 16″ associated with a touch screen of the processor.

The article receiving housing 15 is operated sequentially by loading compartments 18, 17 and 16. The trap door 21 is then operated to discharge the articles. However, the feed conveyor does not stop operation during the discharge mode. Accordingly, during this discharge mode the next compartment to be loaded is compartment 16 again and then followed by compartments 17 and 18. In order to permit this continuous operation, a holding device in the form of a support plate 30 and 31 is associated with each of the outer compartments, namely compartments 18 and 16. These support plates 30 and 31 are operated by cylinders 32 and 33, respectively. These cylinders are operated by the controller 11 in synchronism with the operation of the feed conveyor, the gates 19 and 20 and the stored loading time lapse data. As previously described this data, for each of the compartments, differs from one another.

It is pointed out that the article detection signals from the detector 26 and the loading time lapse signals constitutes an article presence detection for the compartments without the use of physical sensing means such as the switches as shown in the prior art referred to hereinabove. In the event that an article does not arrive at the discharge end of the conveyor or is late in arriving, then this is detected by the detector and the gate is not operated until such signal is arrived and the time lapse signal associated with the compartment being loaded has expired. Accordingly, this eliminates a lot of machine unnecessary stoppages and permits the article receiving housing 15 to be loaded at a much faster rate than prior art machines.

As shown in FIG. 1B, inputting means is also provided at 35, 35′ and 35″ whereby to set the time lapses for the reverse sequential loading of the compartments. An inputting means 36 is also provided to program the controller to load the compartments as herein above-described or to load them at a repetitive rate, namely the loading of compartments 18, 17 and 16 and then resetting the gates to again load the compartments in the same order. However, this reduces the speed of operation due to the reset time.

Inputting means is also provided at 37 whereby to input grouping signals to identify how many articles are to be positioned in each of the compartments. For example, if each of the compartments is to be loaded with five articles, then the gates would only be operated after the lapse time of the loading and the detection of the five articles. Again, the gates are only operated after all articles to be loaded in a compartment have been detected and after the inputted time lapse data.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the controller 11 also controls the drive 40 of the feed conveyor 12 through its connection 41. It also controls the speed of operation of the article discharge machine 13 through its interconnection 42. Although not shown herein, the controller further operates the sequence of operation of the opening of the bag 12 under the trap door and the speed of the discharge conveyor 23. In other words, the entire operation of the system is controlled by the controller device 11 once the signals have been entered therein by the inputting unit 45.

Another feature of the present invention is that the hinge gates 19 and 20 and the trap door 21 have their surfaces, which are in contact with the products, treated or coated with a ceramic coating material to reduce friction and to facilitate cleaning.

With the system as above-described there is no longer a need to adjust the cylinders 19′ and 20′ which operate the hinge gates or to use detection switches in each of the compartments all of which have mechanical parts, and require mechanical adjustments and maintenance. All of this slows down the speed of operation of the machine.

Briefly summarizing the method of operation of the automatic bagging system of the present invention, it consists of automatically placing a predetermined number of articles, such as liquid pouches, in a bag or carrier using an intelligent programmable controller to operate the system in synchronism. The time lapse for discharging the pouches from the discharge end of the feed conveyor to each of the compartments is calculated and signals representative thereof are inputted into the processor of the controller and stored in a memory thereof. A detector detects the position of articles being discharged at the discharge end of the feed conveyor and feeds detection signals to the controller. The controller actuates the hinge gates of the article receiving housing 15 in response to the article detection signals and the time lapse data associated with the compartment to be loaded. The time lapse data of each compartment is different from one another. The compartments are discharged after they have all been loaded. During this discharge mode, a next loaded pouch is held above the trap door as it enters into the next to be loaded compartment.

If each of the compartments is to be loaded with more than one article then this is inputted into the processor of the controller and the articles are counted as they are loaded within each of the compartments and the gates are also operated in synchronism as above described. The controller also keeps count of how many articles have been discharged from the discharge end and can easily calculate the number of bags that have been filled.

As above described, the method comprises loading a first one of a compartment and actuating a first of the two hinge gates, namely gate 19 after the time lapse signal for loading compartment 18 has lapsed. The second compartment 17 is then loaded and after its time lapse the gate 29 is operated and the third compartment 16 is loaded. In the reverse sequence, the third compartment is loaded and after its time lapse, the second gate 29 is operated and the second compartment 17 is loaded and after its time lapse the gate 19 is operated and the third compartment 18 is loaded. The article support element is inserted before the next to be loaded pouch enters its compartment during the discharge mode of the trap door and withdrawn after the trap door has returned to its closed position whereby to permit continuous operation of the feed conveyor. Accordingly the entire method of operation is controlled by the controller 11 which automatically places the placement of the articles onto the feed conveyor, and controls the speed of the conveyor, the loading of the compartments and the actuation of the support elements and the bottom discharge trap door.

Below is an Example of an operational sequence of the system under the control of the controller.

EXAMPLE

Operational Sequence

• Program #=format
• Speed belt speed tpm motor
• Dual Sequence 1-2-3-3-2-1
• Single sequence 1-2-3-1-2-3
• Pouches/door=#pouches/bag/3
• Timers
• 1.) Pouch 1 T triggered by rise-edge of pouch to go into last unit which is the first compartment
  • Trap door airjet will operate (to open (bag)
  • Wicket air jet will operate
  • At timeout (time runout), bagger gate #2 will operate
• 2.) Pouch 2 T triggered by rise edge of last pouch for 2nd compartment
  • At timeout, bagger gate #1 will operate
• 3.) Trap Lt (open) T triggered by rise-edge of last pouch for third compartment
  • At timeout, trap door will operate
  • At timeout, Wicket air jet will stop
  • At timeout, lip hold cyl timer will begin
  • At timeout, gate cyl Right timer will begin
• 4.) Close Trap Left T triggered by pouch (3) timer timeout duration of trap door close
  • At timeout, Wicket air jet will operate
• 5.) Pouch 4 T triggered by rise-edge of last pouch for third compartment
  • At timeout, bagger chute #2 will operate
• 6.) Pouch 5 T triggered by rise-edge of last pouch for 2^nd compartment
  • At timeout, bagger chute #1 will operate
• 7.) Trap Rt T triggered by rise-edge of last pouch for first compartment
  • At timeout, trap door will operate
  • At timeout, Wicket air jet will stop
  • At timeout, lip hold cyl timer will begin
  • At timeout, gate cyl Right timer will begin
• 8.) Gate L (Pouch Holder left) T triggered by timeout of trap left timer (3.)
  • At timeout, gate left will operate Remains open until rising edge of last pouch of 2^nd compartment
• 9.) Gate Rt T triggered by timeout of trap rt timer (7.)
  • At timeout, gate right will operate
  • Remains open until rising edge of last pouch of 2^nd compartment
• 10.) Close Trap T triggered by timeout of Trap L (4.) or Trap Rt (7.)
  • Duration Trap door is open
  • At timeout, Trap door closes
  • At timeout, wicket air jet will operate
  • Includes Close Trap time and bag retain time
• 11.) Lip Holder T triggered by timeout of Trap L (4.) or Trap Rt (7.) At timeout, Lip cylinder operates
  • Remains open until Close trap (10.) timeout

It is within the ambit of the present invention to cover any obvious modifications of the preferred embodiment described herein, provided such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An automatic bagging system with an intelligent programmable controller, said system comprising a feed conveyor having an article discharge end supported elevated above an article receiving housing having two or more compartments, one or more hinge gates for guiding one or more articles in a respective one of said compartments, actuating means for displacing said hinge gates, a controller having a programmable processor, a detector associated with said feed conveyor for detecting the position of articles being discharged at said discharge end and for feeding article detection signals to said controller, said controller controlling a speed drive of said conveyor, said processor having inputting means to a memory thereof for storing article loading time lapse data for each of said compartments, an actuable article holding device associated with at least one of said compartments above a bottom discharge trap door of said article receiving housing, said discharge trap door discharging articles from said compartments, said actuable article holding device supporting an article in one of said compartments when said discharge trap door is in a discharge mode and releasing said article on said trap door after said mode, said hinge gates actuating means being operated by said controller after a delay of said time lapse data and synchronized to said article detection signals.

2. An automatic bagging system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said inputting means further comprises article quantity signals for loading a predetermined quantity of articles in each said compartments.

3. An automatic bagging system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said inputting means further comprises inputting a sequencing signal for programming the sequence of operation of two or more of said hinge gates.

4. An automatic bagging system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said detector is an ultrasound detector device.

5. An automatic bagging system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said article receiving housing is provided with three compartments and two hinge gates for guiding said articles sequentially in each of said compartments.

6. An automatic bagging system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said processor is programmed by said inputting means to operate said gates in a reverse sequence, said reverse sequence comprising loading a first to a third one of said compartments with said articles, operating said discharge trap door, and loading said third to said first compartment and again operating said discharge trap door and repeating said reverse sequence.

7. An automatic bagging system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said articles are pouches, said discharge trap door discharging articles in said compartments into an open end of a bag supported under said trap door.

8. An automatic bagging system as claimed in claim 7 wherein there is further provided a pouch forming, filling and sealing machine for placing a product in a bag being formed and sealed, said controller controlling the speed of said machine and synchronizing said feed conveyor thereto as well as to the operation of said hinge gates and said trap door.

9. An automatic bagging system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said hinge gates and discharge trap door have an article contact surface which is ceramic coated.

10. An automatic bagging system as claimed in claim 5 wherein there are two of said actuable article holding devices, each said holding devices being a support plate secured to a cylinder and displaceable in and out of an associated one of said first and third compartments, said cylinders being operated in alternating sequence by said controller to discharge alternating full loads of said article receiving housing.

11. An automatic bagging system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said article loading time lapse signals of each of said compartments differ from one another, said third compartment being furthest of said feed conveyor discharge end and having a greater time lapse signal than said second and first compartments.

12. An automatic bagging system as claimed in claim 11 wherein said article detection signals and said inputted article loading time lapse signals constitute an article presence detection for said compartments without the use of physical sensing means in said compartments.

13. A method of automatically placing a predetermined number of articles in a carrier using an intelligent programmable controller, said method comprising the steps of: i) providing a feed conveyor for feeding articles sequentially to a discharge end of said conveyor above an article receiving housing having two or more compartments, one or more hinge gates associated with said compartments for guiding one or more articles from said discharge end in a respective one of said compartments, ii) calculating a time lapse for discharging an article from said discharge end to each of said two or more compartments, iii) inputting signals representative of said time lapse into a processor of said controller and storing time lapse data in a memory of a processor thereof, iv) detecting the position of articles being discharged at said discharge end and feeding article detection signals to said controller, v) actuating said hinge gates in response to said article detection signals and said time lapse data associated with said compartment to be loaded, said time lapse data of each compartment being different from one another, and vi) discharging said compartments of said article receiving housing after they are loaded with said articles.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein there is further provided the step of inputting into said memory of said processor article quantity signals for loading a predetermined quantity of articles in each said compartment, said step (v) being in further response to said article quantity signals.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein there is further provided the step of inputting into said memory of said processor a sequence signal for programming the sequence of operation of said two or more of said hinge gates.

16. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said article receiving housing is provided with three compartments and two hinge gates for guiding said articles sequentially in each of said compartments, said compartments being by the steps of: (a) loading a first one of said compartments and actuating a first of said two hinge gates as described in step (v), (b) loading a second one of said compartments and actuating a second of said two hinge gates as described in step (v) and (c) loading a third one of said compartments.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16 wherein said step (a) comprises loading said third compartment which is disposed further away from said discharge end, and wherein after step (vi) there is provided the steps of: (d) loading said third one of said compartments and actuating said second one of said hinge gates as described in step (v), (e) loading said second one of said compartments and actuating said first of said hinge gates as described in step (v), (f) loading said first one of said compartments, and repeating step (vi) and thereafter repeating said step (a).

18. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein after step (v) and simultaneously with step (vi) there is provided the step of inserting a support element in said compartment last loaded to momentarily support a further article discharged therein, and withdrawing said support element to cause said further article to fall on a bottom discharge trap wall of said article receiving housing.

19. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said controller detects the presence of said one or more articles in each said compartments by reception of said article detection signal, said hinge gates being actuated only upon receiving an article detection signal and a time delay corresponding to said time lapse of a compartment being loaded.

20. A method as claimed in claim 18 wherein said controller automatically controls in synchronism the placement of said articles onto said feed conveyor, the speed of said conveyor, the loading of said compartments and the actuation of said support element and said bottom discharging trap door.