GB2245879A - Apparatus for filling cartons with foil bags - Google Patents

Abstract

In apparatus for packaging foil bags e.g. containing potato crisps, the foil bags 10 are fed to a packaging station 13 and are deposited on top of one another on a platform 36 of an elevator 26 which lowers the foil bags 10 into the carton 11 which is open at the top. The elevator 26 enters the carton 11, which is also open at the bottom, from below. The carton the carton is discharged, folding flaps are folded over to form a contents are lowered to the plane of a carton bottom. When carton bottom. To increase performance, upstream of the elevator 26 there is arranged a retractable plate into which bags are pushed from a feed conveyor 12, retraction of the plate disposing the bags on pivotal plates 27, 28 of a vertically reciprocable carrier 20. The carrier plates 27, 28 are comb-like as is the platform of the elevator so that the plates can extend into or below the plane of the platform to prevent interference therebetween during transfer of the bags. A full carton load may be built up on the carrier 20 prior to transfer onto the elevator platform or alternatively layers of bags may be progressively built-up on the elevator, the latter being incrementally lowered. <IMAGE>

Description

1 APPARATUS FOR FILLING LARGE PACKS WITH FOIL BAGS The invention relates

to an apparatus for filling large packs (cartons) with a number of individuai articles, especially foil bags for bulk goods, said articles (foil bags) being fed to a packaging station individually or in a continuous row and being lowered into the open carton from above.

To package foil bags (tubular bag packs) containing delicate bulk goods such as potato crisps is particularly problematic as the bag contents are very susceptible to mechanical stress. The foil bags are received in a voluminous packaging receptacle, especially a carton, in the form of a pack group. In the carton, the foil bags are arranged in tiers and each tier may comprise a plurality of foil bags lying side by side.

c 1 In a known apparatus for packaging such foil bags in cartons, the foil bags are conveyed individually and in succession onto a receiving platform which transfers the foil bags to a collecting platform on which a group of bags which will form the pack contents is collected and then filled into the upwardly open carton as a unit. The foil bags or the group of foil bags are in each case transferred in a free fall. As a result, the foil bags - and their contents are subjected to considerable mechanical stress.

The invention is based on the object to propose an apparatus for handling delicate articles, especially foil bags containing delicate bulk goods, for the purpose of filling the foil bags into a large receptacle (carton), in is which the process of filling or packing is conducted in a way which treats the articles or foil bags particularly carefully in order to protect its contents, even though per formance is very high.

To attain this object, the apparatus according to the invention is characterized in that the articles can be deposited on an elevator being up and downwardly movable within the carton and they can be conveyed therewith in the carton to their required pack position.

The apparatus according to the invention is based on the idea to save the foil bags from falling down greater heights. In particular, the group of bags shall be introduced to the carton without any falling movements, specifically by the elevator according to the invention which can be lowered to the bottom of the carton, i.e. for depositing the foil bags on the bottom.

In the upper position for receiving the foil bags, the elevator is located outside the upwardly open carton, namely above said carton. The foil bags are deposited on the elevator as complete bag groups corresponding to the contents of the carton or successively in smaller part 4 3 1 groups. In the latter case, i.e. when part groups are transferred to the elevator, the elevator is lowered by a height corresponding to the height of the part groups, especially tier by tier, until a complete group of bags has been 5 collected on the elevator.

The elevator preferably enters the carton from below and for this purpose the carton is open at the bottom during the filling process. In the lower position of the elevator, the bag group is received by the carton whose bottom is formed by folding bottom folding flaps.

According to the invention, thearticles, namely foil bags, are deposited above the elevator on an up anddownwardly is movable intermediate conveyor which transfers the foil bags as a complete bag group or successively as part groups (tiers) to the elevator. Elevator and intermediate conveyor are provided with platforms having recesses and projections corresponding with one another, so that said lifting means can be moved past one another when they conduct the con veying movements and transfer or receive the foil bags. To be specific, the platforms are designed comb-like.

Further features of the invention relate to the conveying means for handling the foil bags and the group formed therewith. An illustrative embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention will be described below in more detail with reference to the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the apparatus for packaging foil bags, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus according to Fig. 1 # Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the apparatus according to Figs. 1 and 2, - 4 1 Fig. 4 is a vertical section or a view which is offset by 90' relative to Figs. 1 and 3, Fig. 5 is a side view corresponding to Fig. 4 of the upper portion of the apparatus.

The apparatus shown in the drawings serves for packing foil bags 10 into a large pack, namely a carton 11. The foil bags 10, especially tubular bags, are filled with bulk goods, especially potato crisps, which are susceptible to mechanical stress.

A feed conveyor 12 feeds the foil bags 10 to a packaging station 13. This feed conveyor 12 is a belt conveyor with transverse webs 14 for accurately positioning the foil bags 10 in a defined sequence on the feed conveyor 12.

In the region of the packaging station 13, the foil bags form a group of bags 15 forming the complete contents of the carton 11. The bag group 15 comprises a plurality of superposed tiers 16 made of a plurality of foil bags 10, in the present case of three foil bags 10. This tier forms a part group 17 of foil bags 10.

One part group 17 at a time, which in the present case comprises three foil bags 10, is pushed off by a slide 18 in a direction transverse to the feed conveyor 12. At a distance above the carton 11, this part group 17 is deposited on an intermediate support, namely a support plate 19 which is mounted on the side located opposite the feed conveyor 12 on about the same level. The support plate 19 can be moved transversely. In the receiving position (Fig. 4), the support plate 19 is located in lifted position adjacent to the feed conveyor 12. By retracting the support plate 19, the foil bags 10 of the part group 17 are stripped off the support plate 19 and are deposited on an up and downwardly movable intermediate conveyor 20.

- 5 The support plate 19 is mounted with a sliding member 21 on support rods 22 for conducting the described movements. The sliding member 21 can be moved backwards and forwards and is actuated by a push rod 23.

The slide 18 is designed and guided during its movement such that the return movement back to the initial position - after a push-off movement has been 'Conducted - takes place at a distance above the feed conveyor 12, so that during this time the feed conveyor 12 can be moved on by another cycle. The path of motion 24 of the slide 18 is shown in Fig. 4.

The foil bags 10 deposited on the intermediate conveyor 20 is are moved downwards. A number of foil bags 10 is collected on the intermediate conveyor in tiers 16 above one another. The number of foil bags 10 on the intermediate conveyor 20 can be as high as the number of bags making up the complete bag group 15 which forms the contents of the carton 11. In the most simple case, only one part group 17 comprising only one tier 16 is collected on the intermediate conveyor 20.

The intermediate conveyor consists of a carrier platform 25 being liftable up and down. In an upper initial position-, the carrier platform 25 is located directly below the plane of the support plate 19. By retracting the support plate 19, the foil bags 10 are thus directly deposited on the carrier platform 25. Thereafter, the carrier platform 25 is moved downwards a certain distance so that following foil bags 10 - a tier 16 can be deposited on the part group 17 already formed on the carrier platform 25.

The part group 17 or bag group 15 formed on the interme- diate conveyor 20 or the carrier platform 15 thereof is transferred to an elevator 26 which is movable up and down mainly within the carton 11. The elevator 26 takes over the bag group 15 or part group 17 and deposits same in the 6 - 1 carton 11. The elevator 26 moves down transmittently and continues to receive part groups 17 as long as it takes to collect a complete bag group 15 forming the contents of the carton 11.

is To fulfil] its functions, the intermediate conveyor 20 is designed in a special way. The carrier platform 25 consists of several, namely two carrier plates 2 7, 28. These are independently movable, namely pivotable. In working position, the carrier plates 27, 28 are located in a common horizontal plane (dashed in Fig. 1). In this position, the carrier plates 27, for receiving foil bags. By 27g 28 by 900, they can be moved next to the path ot motion group 17, so that the elevator (Fig. 3).

For this purpose, laterally mounted in case, the carrier pivot shaft 29. The bearing 30 in a piece 31, in an up crosspiece 31 is 28 together form the carrier platform 25 pivoting the carrier plates in a position on the side of the bag group 15 or part 26 can receive the bags the carrier plates 27, 28 are each a pivotable manner. In the present plates 27, 28 are each attached to a pivot shafts are mounted with a pivot support member, namely in a common crossand downwardly movable manner. This mounted in an up and downwardly movabl-e manner on upright guide means, namely spindle rods 32. A guide member 33 located on the ends of the crosspiece 31 is designed as a spindle nut. A turn of the spindle rods 32 therefore causes the crosspiece 31 and therewith the complete carrier platform 25 to move up or down.

The pivoting movements of the carrier plates 27, 28 are caused by rotating movements of the pivot shafts 29. On each end of the pivot shafts 29 there is arranged a pivot lever 34 which can be moved in the one or the other direction by the push rod 35 and therewith effects partial rotations of the pivot shaft 29.

1 The elevator 26 is provided with a platform 36 for receiving the bag group 15 or part group 17. The platform 36 is arrangedon a long-stroke vertical conveyor, in the present case on lifting scissors 37. The platform 36 can be moved up and down by these lifting scissors 37 between an upper receiving position, which is corresponding to the position shown in Fig. 3 but may also be considerably higher, and a lower end position (dot-dash line in Fig. 1).

In an upper or intermediatte position, the foil bags 10 are received from the carrier platform 25. For this purpose, platform 36 and carrier platform 25 are designed such that they can be moved past one another.

In the present embodiment, the carrier plates 27, 28 on the is onehand and the platform 36 on the other hand are designed comb-like. Web-like projections 38 of the carrier plates 27, 28 fit into corresponding recesses 39 of the platform 36. The platform 36 is also provided with web-like pro jections 40 which in their turn project into recesses 41 of the platform 36. Carrier plates 27, 28 on the one hand and platform 36 on the other hand are designed such that there is a sufficient support surface for the foil bags 10.

When the foil bags 10 are transferred by the carrier platform 25 tothe platform 36, the carrier plates 27, 28 are lowered with the foil bags 10 until the carrier plates 27, 28 extend in or below the plane of the platform 36. As a result, the foil bags 10 are taken over by the platform 36. Subsequently, the carrier plates 27, 28 are pivoted to the side to an upright position. Thereafter, the platform 36 with the foil bags 10 can be moved down.

When a number of foil bags 10 (bag group 15) corresponding to the contents of the carton 11 is collected onthe elevator 26 or the platform 36, the platform 36 is lowered to the position shown in Fig. 1 (solid lines). Here, the platform 36 is located in the plane of a bottom of the carton 11.

The mode of operation of the described apparatus follows:

i S a s An empty carton 11 is supplied to the packaging station 13, for instance by hand. The carton is open at the top and bottom. Upper folding flaps, namely side flaps 42 and longitudinal flaps 43 extend the side walls of the carton 11. Lower side flaps 44 and lower longitudinal flaps 45 are downwardly directed and extend the associated side walls of the carton. The carton is placed with the lower longitudinal flaps 45 onto a lateral holder, namely onto rails 46 47.

support having a f lans 45 9 These are provided with grooves 48 lightly tilted cross-section. The longitudinal enter these grooves 48 and are therewith fixed in the inclined position.

Now, the elevator 26, coming from the lower initial position (dot-dash lines in Fig. 1), can enter the open carton 11 with the platform 36 from below. The platform 36 moves up to an upper receiving position.

At the top side, the carton 11 is prepared for an introduction of the foil bags. The carton 11 is located directly below a housing 49 having a rectangular crosssection. The dimensions (in the longitudinal and the transverse direction) of this housing 49 are slightly smaller than the dimensions of the carton 11. Mouthpiece means 50, namely pivotable sheet metal strips or webs, are located at the lower edge of the housing 49. These strips or webs are located at the inside of the upper side flaps 42 and longitudinal flaps 43. To widen the top of the carton in a funnelshaped manner, the side flaps 42 and longitudinal flaps 43 are slightly pushed to the outside by the mouthpiece means 50 to an inclined position. This facilitates the process of filling in the bags and prevents malfunctions.

Moreover, the housing 49 is designed such that the means entering the housing 49 from the side find appropriate recesses. Narrow side walls 51, 52 of the housing are provided with upright slots 53 so that the carrier plates 27, 28 or the projections 38 thereof can enter the housing 49.

In the upper region, a longitudinal wall 54 has a smaller overall height (Fig. 4) to allow the slide 18 to push the foil bags 10 into the housing 49, namely onto thesupport plate 19. The support plate 19 passes through a slot 55 in lonaitudinal wall 56.

the opposite When a sufficient number of foil bags is collected on the intermediate conveyor 20, i.e. on the carrier platform 25 thereof, the bag group 15 or part group 17 is transferred to the platform 36 by means of a respective downward movement of the carrier platform 25. When a bag group 15 corresponding to the contents of the carton 11 is collected on the platform 36, the downward movement to the already described position on a level with the carton bottom is con ducted. Now, the carton 11 is pushed off together with the contents in the direction of the support rails 46, 47. In this process, first the side flap 44 being forward in the direction of movement is folded over by a folding means (not shown). The pushing-off movement reaches far enough for the platform 36 to be emptied so that it can be moved to the lower position. The other flaps of the carton 11 are folded in an appropriate way, especially in analogy to the solution disclosed in EP-B-0 113 899.

After the transfer of the bag group 15 to the platform 36, that is to say after the platform 36 has been lowered, the intermediate conveyor 20 returns to the upper initial position. Consequently, foil bags 10 can be continuously fed to the intermediate conveyor 20 without delays while the carton 11 is filled and pushed off. By the time the next carton is moved to the filling position, the inter- - 10 mediate conveyor 20 has already received a greater number of foil bags 10. Performance is thus very high.

The apparatus can be operated such that a bag group 15 corresponding to the complete contents of the carton 11 is first collected on the intermediate conveyor 20 and then as a whole transferred to the elevator 26. Instead, it is also possible to form part groups 17 made up'of one or several tiers 16 and to transfer this part group 17 to the elevator 26 in the upper position of the platform 36. In this mode _of operation, the carrier plates 27, 28 remain in the laterally pivoted position. The other foil bags 10 or tiers 16 are now directly deposited on the platform 36 or rather on the part group 17 already lying on the platform 36. Now, the platform 36 is lowered section by section, corre sponding to the height of one tier 16, until the complete bag group 15 is formed.

Regarding the lifting movement of the platform 36, the lift ing scissors 37 are particularly suitable for covering the relatively great lifting heights. In the present case, lifting scissors 37 with a transmission ratio of 2.5: 1 are provided. To attach and guide the lifting scissors 37, an upper center link 57 is firmly connected with the bottom side of the platform 36. A center link 58 is located there- under and guided in a guide slot 59. The guide slot is formed by a guide member 60 on the bottom side of the platform 36.

11

Claims (14)

1. An apparatus for filling large packs (cartons) with a number of individual articles, especially foil bags for bulk goods, said articles (foil bags) being fed to a packaging station individually or in a continuous row and being lowered into the open carton from above, wherein the articles (foil bags) are depositable on an elevator being movable up and down within the carton or the like and said articles are conveyable by said elevator into the carton to a required pack position.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elevator is lowerable from an upper initial position, especially above the open carton, intermittently in response to the feed of foil bags until a group of foil bags (bag group) corresponding to the carton contents is formed and wherein said elevator is lowerable with the bag group to deposit said bag group in the carton.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the elevator can be introduced from below to the carton, which is (also) open at the bottom, and passes through said carton.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and one or more of the further claims, wherein upstream of the elevator there is arranged an intermediate conveyor onto which foil bags in the form of a part group or a bag group corresponding to the carton contents are depositable, said part group or said bag group being transferrable to the elevator in an upper position of said elevator.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 and one or more of the further claims, where__in a part group is collectable by the intermediate conveyor and is transferrable to the elevator and wherein further foil bags are directly feedable to said elevator to form a complete bag group, especially in the form of tiers while the elevator is lowered in steps.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and one or more of the further claims, wherein tiers comprising especially three side by side foil bags are formed by being pushed off a feed conveycr and are depositable on the intermediate conveyor (carrier platform) or the elevator (platform).

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and one or more of the further claims, wherein the incoming foil bags are depositable on a 17 support plate being an intermediate support, preferably by means of being pushed off the feed and wl--iere-Ln the foil bags are depositable by the support plate onto the intermediate conveyor or the elevator by means of a retraction of said support plate.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claiin 4 and one or more of the further claims, wherein the intermediate conveyor or the carrier platform thereof can be moved out of the path of mot= of the bag group or part group, especially by means of pivoting away parts (carrier plates) of the carrier platform to an upright lateral position.

9. the apparatus as claimed in claim 8 and one or more of the further claims, wherein the carrier plates forming the carrier platform of the intermediate conveyor are mounted an lateral conveying means, especially on spindle rods for commonly moving the carrier plates up and down.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 and one or more of the further claims, wherein intermediate conveyor and elevator can be moved past one another without touching in order to transfer foil ke design of, on the one hand, bags, especially by means of a comb-1. the carrier platform and, on the other hand, the platform.

11. The apparatus as claimed L- claim 1 and one or more of the further claims, wherein a housing being open at the top and bottom is arranged above the carton for receiving the foil bags when bag groups or part groups are formed.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 and one or more of the further claims, wherein the car-un being open at the bottom is supported with extended or slightly inclined f olding flaps (longitudinal flaps) in guide means, especially in support rails extending in the direction of discharge.

13. The apparatus as. claimed in claim 1 and one or more of the further claims, wherein the elevator or the platform thereof is movable by means of lifting scissors.

14. An apparatus for filling large packs with a number of individual articles substantialIv as hereinbefcre described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Published 1993 at The Patent Office. Concept House. Cardiff Road. Newport. Gwent NP9 1RH. Further copies nian be obtained froni port. NPI 7HZ. Printed by Multiplex technique, lid S, Marv Sales Branch. Unit 6 Nine Mile Point. C%A7rifelinfach. Cross Keys. Nea N - 1 -. Cray. Kent.