Claims
- 1. An improved method for lining a container with flexible film bag-type liner, said container having an open top end and a bottom end positioned over a source of vacuum, said liner having a sealed end, an unsealed end, a first side, a second side, a first edge and a second edge, said method comprising the steps of:
- suspending the unsealed end of the liner between at least two jaw assemblies and a like number of flexible tongues such that a first jaw assembly faces the first side of said liner, a second jaw assembly faces the second side of said liner, a first flexible tongue is mounted facing the second side of said liner opposite said first jaw assembly and a second flexible tongue is mounted facing the first side of said liner opposite said second jaw assembly, each said jaw assembly having a first jaw and a second jaws, said first jaw being movable away from said second jaw to open the jaws and being movable toward and into contact with said second jaw to close the jaws;
- opening said jaws of each said jaw assemblies and moving said jaw assemblies and said tongues toward said liner until the tongues contact the sides of the liner and push both sides of the liner between the open jaws of the jaw assembly mounted opposite;
- closing the jaws;
- moving the jaw assemblies and the flexible tongues apart, such that each jaw assembly retains only the side of the liner with which it is in direct contact, to separate said sides of said liner and open the unsealed end;
- directing a stream of air into the opened, unsealed end of the liner to further separate the sides of the liner;
- moving the jaw assemblies holding the open end of said liner over the open top end of the container to be liner;
- actuating the source of vacuum of invert said liner, drawing said sealed end of said liner into said bottom end of said container; and,
- opening the jaws and moving the jaw assemblies away from the lined container.
- 2. The method of claim 1 in which said first tongue is attached to the second jaw assembly and said second tongue is attached to the first jaw assembly.
- 3. The method of claim 2 in which the liner is suspended between for jaw assemblies mounted so that a first jaw assembly faces the first side of the liner at about the unsealed end of the first edge, a second jaw assembly faces the first side of the liner at about the unsealed end at the second edge, a third jaw assembly faces the second side of the liner at about the unsealed end of the first edge to cooperate with the first jaw assembly, and a fourth jaw assembly faces the second side of the liner at about the unsealed end of the second edge to cooperate with the second jaw assembly.
- 4. The method of claim 1 in which said liner is suspended from a sealed top edge such that the unsealed end hangs freely between the jaw assemblies.
- 5. An apparatus for lining containers with a flexible film liner having a first side, a second side, a first edge, a second edge, a sealed end and an unsealed end, said apparatus comprising:
- a means for suspending the liner such that the unsealed end is down;
- a liner opener having at least two jaw assemblies mounted on the first side of the liner at the unsealed end, one such jaw assembly being mounted at about the first edge and one such jaw assembly being mounted at about the second edge, and an identical number of jaw assemblies mounted on the second side of the liner facing the jaw assemblies mounted on the first side, and, a means for slidably moving the jaw assemblies mounted on the first side of the liner towards and into contact with and away from the jaw assemblies mounted on the second side of the liner, each jaw assembly comprising a first jaw and a second jaw, each of said jaws having a gripping surface, a flexible tongue which extends beyond the first and second jaw, and a means for moving the first and second jaw with respect to each other such that when the gripping surface of the first jaw is spaced away from the gripping surface of the second jaw the jaws are in an open position, and such that when the gripping surface of the first jaw is in contact with and exerts pressure against the gripping surface of the second jaw the jaws are in a closed position, the jaw assemblies on the first side of the liner being mounted for relative movement towards and away from the jaw assemblies on the second side of the liner such that when the jaw assemblies on the first side are slidably moved toward the jaw assemblies on the second side, the jaws of each jaw assembly move to said open position and the tongues of the jaw assemblies on the first side push both sides of the liner between the gripping surfaces of the jaws of the jaw assemblies on the second side and the tongues of the jaw assemblies on the second side push both sides of the liner between the gripping surfaces of the jaws of the jaw assemblies of the first side thus allowing the jaw assemblies of the first side to grasp and hold the first side of the unsealed end of the liner and the jaw assemblies on the second side to grasp and hold the second side of the unsealed end of the liner when the jaws are moved to said closed position and the jaw assemblies on the first side are moved away from the jaw assemblies on the second side, for spreading open the unsealed end of the liner;
- an air blower for directing air into the opened, unsealed end of the liner;
- a means for moving the liner opener down over a container having an open container top and an air permeable container bottom, such that after the liner has been opened and air has been directed into the opened, unsealed end of the liner, the open end of the liner can be placed over the open container top; and,
- a means for applying a vacuum to the air permeable bottom of the container to draw the sealed end of the liner into the container.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 5 additionally including a conveyor means for moving the containers into position beneath the liner opener.
- 7. An apparatus for lining container with a flexible film liner having a first side, a second side, a first edge, a second edge, a sealed end and an unsealed end, said apparatus comprising:
- a means for suspending the liner;
- a liner opener having at least one first jaw assembly mounted on the first side of the bag at the unsealed end and at least one second jaw assembly mounted on the second side of the bag at the unsealed end facing the first jaw assembly, the jaw assemblies mounted for relative movement towards and away from each other, each jaw assembly comprising a first jaw and a second jaw, each of said jaws having a gripping surface, a flexible tongue, and a means for moving at least one of said jaws such that when the jaws are open, the gripping surface of the first jaw is spaced away from the gripping surface of the second jaw, and such that when the jaws are closed, the gripping surface of the first jaw is in contact with and exerts pressure against the gripping surface of the second jaw, the tongue of each jaw assembly being mounted to extend beyond the jaws of each jaw assembly and to slip between the gripping surfaces of the first and second jaws of the opposite jaw assembly when the jaws are open and the jaw assemblies are moved into contact with the liner and each other;
- a means for moving the liner opener down over a container having an open container top and an air permeable container bottom, such that after the liner has been opened, the opened, unsealed end of the liner can be placed over the open container top; and
- a means for forcing the sealed end of the liner into the container.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 7 additionally comprising an air blower for directing air into the opened, unsealed end of the liner.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the means for forcing the unsealed end of the liner into the container is a vacuum applied to the air permeable bottom of the container to be lined which draws the unsealed ends of the liner into the container.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the liner opener comprises four jaw assemblies mounted so that a first jaw assembly faces the first side of the liner at about the unsealed end of the first edge, a second jaw assembly faces the first side of the liner at about the unsealed end at the second edge, a third jaw assembly faces the second side of the liner at about the unsealed end of the first edge to cooperate with the first jaw assembly, and a fourth jaw assembly faces the second side of the liner at about the unsealed end of the second edge to cooperate with the second jaw assembly.
Parent Case Info
This application is a division of copending Application Ser. No. 07/044,005, filed Apr. 29, 1987, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,413.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
100829 |
Mar 1962 |
NLX |
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
44005 |
Apr 1987 |
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