Claims
- 1. Apparatus for transporting a stack of bags having wicket receiving holes therein from a loading station onto wickets located in a transfer station, said apparatus including,
- a stack transfer means mounted for movement between a stack loading station containing a stack of bags having wicket receiving holes formed therein and a stack transfer station, said stack transfer station containing a wicket having spaced apart arms that are aligned with the holes formed in the bags contained in said stack,
- drive means for moving the transfer means between the loading station and the transfer station, and
- said stack transfer means further including a positionable head containing clamping means having jaws operable when the head is in the loading station to clamp a stack in said loading station between said jaws, placing the stack on said wicket in said transfer station wherein the wicket arms are passed through the holes in the bags contained in said stack, and opening said jaws to release the stack from said transfer means.
- 2. A method of wicketing a stack of bags having wicket holes proximate to a first end of the bags which comprises:
- stacking a preselected number of bags having wicket holes on a set of pins with the holes aligned on the pins;
- further aligning the stack and the holes independently of the pins;
- removing the stack of bags from the pins while maintaining the independent alignment of the stack and the holes;
- placing the independently aligned stack on arms of a wicket;
- releasing the independent alignment of the stack and holes with the stack on the wicket;
- wherein the further alignment of the stack is attained by inserting tubes into the holes and wound the pins, and wherein the tubes are removed with the stack of bags from the pins and placed with the stack on the wicket with the tubes around the arms of the wicket.
- 3. Apparatus for wicketing a stack of bags having wicket holes, which comprises:
- a stacker unit having a set of pins adapted to receive a stack of bags having wicket holes with the wicket holes aligned on the pins;
- a wicket having arms adapted to receive the stack of bags; and
- a transfer assembly operable to pick up the stack of bags from the pins and to transfer the stack on to the wicket with the wicket holes aligned on the arms of the wicket, said transfer assembly including tubes separate from said pins wherein the tubes are adapted to fit around the pins and within the holes when the stack is on the pins and around the arms of the wicket and within the holes when the stack is on the wicket to keep the wicket holes in alignment during such transfer.
- 4. An apparatus useful for receiving a stack of bags and placing the stack on wickets, comprising:
- at least one stacking bar unit, including pins for receiving a stack of bags having wicket receiving holes;
- a bag stack transfer assembly for receiving a stack of bags from the pins and for transferring the stack to a wicket, wherein the bag transfer assembly includes a set of locating tubes for receiving the pins and for receiving a stack of bags on the pins, and a set of jaws for restraining the stack of bags on the set of locating tubes; and
- a stack transfer station having a wicket for receiving the stack from the bag stack transfer assembly.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the stacking bar units include two pins per unit.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a stacker wheel onto which at least one stacking bar unit is mounted.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the stacker wheel is composed of a front plate and a back plate that are connected so that both plates rotate together as a unit, wherein the back plate is connected to a rotor control link assembly that is rotatably connected to the stacker bar units.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein three stacking bar units are mounted to the stacker wheel.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a pick-up head that includes the locating tubes and the set of jaws, wherein the pick-up head is pivotally mounted to a pivot arm for positioning the pick-up head.
- 10. A method useful for stacking bags and placing the stacked bags on wickets, comprising:
- placing a series of bags on a set of pins to form a stack of bags;
- inserting the set of pins with the stack of bags placed thereon into a set of receiving tubes, with the stack restrained on the receiving tubes;
- withdrawing the set of pins from the set of bag receiving tubes while the stack is restrained on the tubes;
- inserting a wicket into the tubes;
- releasing the stack of bags from the tubes and onto the wicket; and
- withdrawing the wicket and the released stack of bags from the tubes.
- 11. Apparatus for automatically stacking bags having aligned wicket receiving holes and placing the stack upon the wickets that includes:
- a bag feeder for delivering bags seriatim into a bag stacking station;
- loading means for periodically indexing stacker bar units into said stacking station and then into a stack loading station, said stacker bar traits each having upraised pins that are spaced in alignment with the wicket receiving holes when a stacker bar trait is in said stacking station so that bags delivered into said stacking station are placed upon said pins;
- indexing means for moving a said stacker bar unit from the stacking station into the stack loading station when a predetermined number of bags is placed upon the pins of said stacker bar unit in said stacking station;
- a stack transfer assembly mounted for movement of a stack of bags between said loading station and a transfer station, said transfer station containing a wicket having arms that are spaced in alignment with the holes in said bags;
- said stack transfer assembly including a positional head containing hollow tubes that are spaced apart in alignment with the holes in said bags, and articulating means for reciprocating the head between a home position and a stack receiving position when the transfer assembly is in the loading station wherein the tips of the pins are inserted into the tubes and between the home position and a stack ejecting position when the assembly is in the transfer station wherein the wickets are inserted into the tubes; and
- restraining means associated with said head operable when the head is in the stack receiving position to restrain the bags mounted upon said pins into a stack and moving the stack from the pins onto the tubes and to remove the stack from the tubes onto the wicket when the head is in the stack ejecting position.
- 12. An apparatus for accumulating a stack of bags having wicket receiving holes, comprising:
- a stacker wheel including a front plate and a back plate that are connected so that both plates rotate together in unison; wherein the back plate is connected to the front plate by a plurality of rotor control link assemblies; wherein the back plate is connected to a shaft that is connected to a gearbox of a motor for driving and rotating the stacker wheel;
- a plurality of stacker bar units having a plurality of pins secured to a support beam of each stacker bar unit, wherein each stacker bar unit is rotatably coupled to a rotor control link assembly so that the support beams remain in a horizontal position as the stacker wheel is rotated.
- 13. An apparatus for picking up and placing a stack of bags having wicket receiving holes onto a wicket, comprising:
- a pick-up head which comprises:
- alignment means for receiving and maintaining alignment oft he stack of bags having a top bag and a bottom bag,
- a pair of jaws comprising a restraining jaw and a rear jaw for restraining the stack of bags on the alignment means,
- wherein the rear jaw is also for pushing the stack of bags off the alignment means;
- and wherein the restraining jaw and the rear jaw are in opposed positions relative to the top and bottom bags when the stack of bags is restrained between the pair of jaws.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the alignment means is a tube.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a pivot arm pivotally mounted to the pick-up head.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a piston rod that is connected to a drive cylinder and to the pusher plate, and a second piston rod pivotally mounted to the pair of jaws and a second drive cylinder.
- 17. An apparatus for picking up and placing a stack of bags having wicket receiving holes onto a wicket, comprising:
- a pick-up head which comprises:
- alignment means for receiving and maintaining alignment of the stack of bags,
- a restraining jaw for restraining the stack of bags on the alignment means, and
- a pusher plate for pushing the stack of bags off the alignment means; and
- a piston rod that is connected to a drive cylinder and to the pusher plate, and a second piston rod pivotally mounted to the restraining jaw and a second drive cylinder.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of patent application Ser. No. 08/438,782, filed May 11, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,650.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Foreign Referenced Citations (5)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2 021 676 |
Jul 1970 |
FRX |
2 633 868 |
Jun 1989 |
FRX |
30 26 494A1 |
Jul 1980 |
DEX |
36 11 369A1 |
Apr 1986 |
DEX |
43 21 038A1 |
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DEX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
438782 |
May 1995 |
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