Machine for automatically applying bag closures

Abstract

 Apparatus is provided for applying closures to the neck of bags. The bag necks (100) are initially passed through a neck flattening station (22, 23) and then a gathering station. As the bag neck passes through the gathering station switch means (60) is actuated. The switch controls a closure feed (94) which advances a closure into a bag applying station in response to actuation of the switch. At this point, the closure is applied about the bag , neck by rotation and severed from the next adjacent closure.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to apparatus for applying the closures of the type disclosed in Canadian Patent 738,149 issued July 12, 1966, entitled "Bag Closure Fastener".

[0002] A similar type of machine was previously disclosed in U.S. 3,621,632 granted November 23, 1971.

[0003] These prior machines, however, had several considerable shortcomings in actual practice. The closures tended to jam in the machine; the speed of the closure application operation had to be varied both according to the speed of the conveyor which was carrying the bags to be closed and the size of the bags which were to be closed. These latter two variables are common to most types of baq closinq machines and present considerable difficulty. It will be understood that size in this context refers to the.lenqth of the bag opening which is to be secured.

[0004] With bag differences varying considerably, say from 4" to 20", it can be appreciated that the synchronism between bag speed and bag size is difficult to achieve particularly when the closure has to be "rolled" on.

[0005] The problems of jamming is common to all manner of bag closing machines and unfortunately no mechanism has been provided to the inventor's knowledge which precludes or clears any blocking bag or closure. The present structure provides such a mechanism effectively.

[0006] In view of the problems which have been encountered in the prior art the present invention provides apparatus which automatically applies bag closures to the neck of a bag. To overcome the prior difficulties of size and speed the closure applying mechanism operation is delayed until the bag is in position at the bag applying station at which time it is gathered and the bag closure is applied. This division of the two operations does not delay the application of the closure.

[0007] There is also provided in accordance with the present invention means for clearing the closure applying station of any blocking object.

[0008] These and other features of the present invention will be more apparent from the description of the specific embodiment shown in the drawings which serves to illustrate the invention by way of example. In the appended drawings,

Figure 1 is a general perspective view from the front illustrating apparatus in accordance with the invention being employed with a conveyor;

Figure 2 is a general perspective view from the rear of the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view partially broken away for clarity of the apparatus of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a general schematic view from the front of a bag applying station in the apparatus illustrated in the foregoing figures;

Figure 5 is an enlarged view from the rear of part of the machine and serves to illustrate the relative relationship of various components in a position immediately prior to actuation of the bag closure applying mechanism;

Figure 6 is an enlarged schematic view from the front illustrating the relationship between a bag, the bag closure and the closure applying mechanism as the bag approaches the closure applying station;

Figure 7 is a further enlarqed view similar to Fiqure 6 showinq a further stage in the closure applying process;

Figure 8 is an enlarged rear view similar to that of Figure 5 illustrating the relative response after passage of a bag past a bag actuated switch;

Figure 9 is a general view from the rear partially broken away of apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 10 is an enlarged schematic view of a bag applying station and serves to illustrate the relative motion and relationship of the parts thereof at a further stage in closure application from that of Figure 7;

Figure 11 is a schematic illustration of the gear and drive mechanism for operating the flattening brushes.

[0009] Figure 1 shows a general perspective view from the front of an apparatus, indicated generally at 10, mounted beside a conveyor 11, on which packages 12 are shown in -dotted outline.

[0010] As illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the apparatus comprises a housing with end plates 13 and 14, a top plate 15 and spaced transverse plates 16 and 17 which serve to space the end plates and support the operating mechanism.

[0011] A motor 18 is mounted on end plates 13 under the housing. Motor 18 may be of the constant or variable speed type depending on the particular application.

[0012] Motor 18 is operably connected either by gears or drive chain, not shown, to a shaft 19. Shaft 19 is rotatably supported on end plates 13 and 14 and through gears 20 and 21, and serves to drive a brush 22. A second brush 23 on shaft 24 is also connected to shaft 19 through a chain drive 25.

[0013] Brushes 22 and 23 rotate in opposite directions and serve as a bag neck orienting mechanism which serves to flatten an approaching bag neck which has to be flattened.

[0014] On front plate 17 a closure applying station is provided and guide channel defined by a pair of spaced-apart plates 30 and 31 to feed the closures such as 32 towards the closure applying position. Plates 30 and 31 are provided with openings 33 and 34, respectively.

[0015] On plate 30 a finger 35 is pivotally mounted and urged by a spring 36 to pass through opening 33 and engage the closures such as 37 therein.

[0016] As mentioned previously, the lowermost end of the closure guide channel is positioned adjacent the bag applying station so that the lowermost closure 37 is positioned in the manner shown in Figure 4.

[0017] The closure applying station comprises a pair of spaced-apart free wheels 38 and 39 mounted on a pair of arms, one of which is shown at 40, pivotally mounted on front plate 17. The arms such as 40 are biased downward by springs such as 41 so as to urge wheels 38 and 39 into engagement with respective aligned serrated drive belts 42 and 43. Belts 42 and 43 are each driven by a driven wheel, such as 44 and free wheel 45 which are shown in the drawings. Belt 43.is similarly driven. A tensioning pulley 46 is also provided as shown to maintain the correct tension on the respective belts. Wheels 44 and 45 are mounted on shafts 50 and 51 and wheels 44 are connected through a chain drive 52, and gears 54 and 55 to motor 18.

[0018] Mounted on shaft 51 between wheels 45 a pair of spaced-apart pushing arms, one of which indicated at 56, are mounted.

[0019] Immediately behind arms 56, closure clearing arm 57 is mounted to follow arms 56 around as they rotate.

[0020] It will be observed that arm 56 follows a greater locus than the radius of wheel 45 so that it sweeps past the opening in the aligned closure 32.

[0021] Arm 57 serves to sweep out any closures on bags which may block or jam the motion.

[0022] Between wheels 38 an actuating arm 60 extends in the manner shown. Arm 60 pivots about shaft 61 and is biased into a downwardly extending attitude by a spring 62.

[0023] Shaft 61 extends through the front and rear plates 16 and 17 and is connected to a rod 63. Rod 63 is biased downwardly by a spring 64. The free end of rod 63 engages a stepped slot 65 in plate 66. Plate 66 is stepped on its underside for engagement with a correspondingly stepped plate 67 on a shaft 68.

[0024] Shaft 68 is slidably mounted on bracket 69 and pivotally mounted shaft 70. From shaft 70 a finger 71 extends downwardly and is also pivoted at 72. A spring 73 engaged with a collar 74 on shaft 68 biases shaft 68 into tendency to move about pivot 70.

[0025] A further finger 80 is connected to a further arm 81 and slot 82 on shaft 68. Finger 71 extends into the locus of a cam 75 of a round plate 76.

[0026] Plate 76 is mounted on a shaft 85 which is connectable through clutch 53 with motor 18. Finger 81 is in an "at rest" position engaged with a pin 99 on one plate of clutch 53. This engagement maintains disengagement of the clutch 53.

[0027] Thus wheels 44 are constantly driven and the remaining motor operated parts are inactive.

[0028] Eccentrically mounted on plate 76 are two pivotally mounted arms 90 and 91. Arm 90 is connected to arm 92 which pivots' about 93. On the end of arm 92 a closure advancing finger 94 is pivotally mounted and biased into closure engagement with a spring 95. Arm 91 is connected to pivotal shaft 96 on the front end of which a knife 97 is mounted to move into and out of a cutting position.

[0029] As shown in Figure 4 brushes 22 and 23 are conical in form and are mounted in the travel of the bags to which the closures are to be applied. One such bag is indicated at 100.

[0030] As the bag neck passes through rollers 22 and 23 it is flattened. As the bag approaches the bag applying station arm 60 is raised causing it to pivot about shaft 61 as in Figure 7. This action causes rod 63 to be pulled back in the direction of the arrow and engage the step on plate 66.

[0031] At this point spring 73 is cocked and wheel 44 is being driven. Bag 100 through the conveyor continues to move forward again and engage between belts 42 and 43 and wheels 38. The bag being gripped continues to move forward to the position shown in Figure 7. Arm 60 being biased down moves down as shown in Figure 7.

[0032] With movement of arm 60 downward rod 63 is moved forward as shown in Figure 8. With this motion shaft 68 and arms 71 and 81 move in the direction of the arrows shown in Figure 8.

[0033] The disengagement of finger 81 and pin 9₉ brings about engagement of clutch 53. With the engagement of clutch 53 motor 18 is connected with a drive chain 200 to rotate shaft 85 and rotate plate 76.

[0034] As plate 76 rotates arms 90 and 91 are caused to rotate. As arms 90 and 91 rotate the particular arrangement illustrated ensures that knife 97 is moved into its cutting position and sever the adjacent connection between closures.

[0035] As plate 76 continues to rotate arm 92 is caused to pivot about 93. Finger 94 is urged downwardly and advance the next closure down into a bag receiving position.

[0036] At the same time as knife 97 cuts, as shown in Figure 7, the bag pushing arms 56 are moving round to urge the bag 100 into closure 32.

[0037] These arms engage the bag neck at points spaced apart on either side of the.closure 32. With the continued motion of bag pushing arms 56 the bag 100 is pushed into the closure 32 and the closure by flexing in a helical fashion permits entry. The continued pushing, the front connection of the closure having been severed, and the rear connection being maintained causes the closure, bearing against the rear wall of the guide channel, as shown in Figure 10, to rotate relative to the bag neck and to be broken from the next adjacent closure.

[0038] The sweeper arm 57 clears any objects from its path as it passes.

[0039] From the foregoing description it will be evident from the independent operation of the feed and the bag applying operation that it is immaterial what size of bag is fed to the machine the flattening operation is independent of the length of the bag. The delay in actuating the bag applying action until the entire bag is at the bag applying station obviates the necessity for varying the bag applying speed. The only variable which has to be accommodated is the speed of the conveyor. It will of course be understood as mentioned previously that the motor speed and the conveyor speed will be synchronized to operate together.

[0040] The operation of this machine has been found to be more reliable to those previously in use.

[0041] It will of course be evident to those skilled in the art that while a specific embodiment has been described with some particularity it will be evident that various modifications and alternatives may be available and adopted without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. Apparatus for applying closures to bag necks characterised by switch means (60) responsive to movement of a bag neck (100) through a predetermined path; conveying means (38,39;42,43) for moving said bag neck through said path; a closure applying station, means (56) responsive to said passage of said bag neck past said switch means for urging said bag neck into a closure opening so that relative rotational movement takes place between the closure(37)and bag neck, and means (30,31) for feeding bag closures towards said closure applying station.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 characterised by means (97) for severing a first bag closure at least partly from a second bag closure.

^3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2 chanactentd by mens for advancing a second bag closure into a bag applying position at said bag applying station.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 when appendant to claim 2, characterised in that the switch means comprises an arm (60) which lies in the path of the bag neck and which moves as the neck passes towards the closure applying station, movement of the arm (60) being arranged to trigger the operation of the severing means (97) and the means (94) for advancing the bag closures.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim.4, characterised in that movement of the arm (60) causes a motor (18) to drive means (76,90,91) for operating the means (94) for advancing the bag closures and the severing means (97).

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the arm (60) is moved in one direction by the bag neck as the neck travels along the path and positions means (63) relative to an actuating mechanism (66,81,82) for a clutch (53) for drivably connecting the motor (18) to the drive means (76,90,91) so that when the arm (60) moves in the opposite direction having disengaged the neck, the means (63) triggers the clutch operating mechanism so that the clutch (53) drivably interconnects the motor and the drive means.

7. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, characterised in that the drive means comprises a plate (76) which is rotated by the motor, the plate carrying an eccentric pin pivotally supporting a pair of arms (90,91) for operating the means (94) for advancing the bag closures and the severing means (97).

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that the plate (76) is circular and has a peripheral cam (75) which operates a finger (71) for re-setting the clutch actuating mechanism (68,81,82) during rotational movement of the plate.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the means for urging the bag neck (100) into a closure opening comprises a rotatably mounted arm (56) which, after the bag neck has been urged into the closure opening, causes the closure which is attached by an un-severed connection to the next adjacent closure to rotate relative to the bag neck prior to causing the closure to break free from the next adjacent closure.

10. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the conveying means comprises a pair of axially spaced wheels (38,39) which co-operate with drive belts (42,43), the bag necks (100) being conveyed to the closure applying station by passing between the wheels and the drive belts.

Drawing