US3115905A

US3115905A - Settling device for bag filling machines

Info

Publication number: US3115905A
Application number: US83224A
Authority: US
Inventors: Erwin M Lau
Original assignee: Black Products Co
Current assignee: Amcor Flexibles North America Inc
Priority date: 1961-01-17
Filing date: 1961-01-17
Publication date: 1963-12-31
Anticipated expiration: 1980-12-31
Also published as: GB949347A

Description

Dec. 31, 1963 E. M. LAU

SETTLING DEVICE FOR BAG FILLING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 17, 1961 Dec. 31, 1963 M. LAU

SETTLING DEVICE FOR BAG FILLING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 17, 1961 w 5 M; 4 04 w j t. i 2 my; a 6 v 14 J .m w 7 5 E- M LAU SETTLING DEVICE FOR BAG FILLING MACHINES Dec. 31, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan; 17, 1961 'median plane.

United States Patent 3,115,905 SETTLING DEVICE FOR BAG FILLING MACHINES Erwin M. Lau, Dalton, 111., assignor to Black Products Co., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Jan. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 83,224 Claims. (Cl. 14176) This invention relates to a bag settling device for bag filling machines. More particularly, the invention is directed to improvements in the saddle type of settler in Which the settling action is obtained by vibrating a saddle on which the bag rests when it is filled.

It is customary in some types of bags filling machines to include a saddle which partially supports the bag and contents, the saddle being mounted on a saddle hanger which, although supported from the scale mechanism, nevertheless requires the use of a connecting link with the framework to take up the various lateral forces which are developed. A saddle type of settler is oftentimes in the form of a unitary device which can be mounted on the saddle hangers in place of the usual saddle.

An object of my invention is to provide an arrangement which eliminates the need of the connecting link for the saddle hanger, which connecting link is objectionable from a sensitivity viewpoint.

Another objection to a saddle type settling device is that, being suspended from the scale mechanism, the vibra-tion incident to its operation is transmitted to the bearing points with the result that they are sometimes disengaged or damaged. The term bearing points includes the knife edge or fulcrum and the other pivot points or spacer points of the scale mechanism. These are sensitive parts, and such bearing points are always arranged in pairs, one to the left and one to the right of the vertical As a result, if the settling device is of asymmetrical design, one set of bearing points will carry less weight than the others, and it is the unweighted set of bearing points which is thus subject to disengagement or damage.

Another object of my invention is to provide a settling device which is substantially symmetrical with respect to the vertical median plane so that the two sets of bearing points can be evenly weighted.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a bag settling device which is substantially balanced with respect to the transverse vertical plane of the saddle hanger on which it is mounted to the end that undue stresses on the scale mechanism may be avoided. This aspect of my invention is particularly adapted for use in connection with a floating frame type of construction, as shown in my earlier patents, Nos. 2,733,040 and 2,936,994 granted January 31, 1956, and May 17, 1960, respectively.

Another objection to the saddle type of settling device arises from the powdered material that dribbles from the spout after removal of the bag. In the usual device, the actuating mechanism is located directly under the spout, with the result that the bearings and pivoted connections thereof become clogged, thereby curtailing the 'life and efiiciency of the actuating mechanism.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved settler construction which avoids the use of pivoted connections as much as possible, and in which the bearings and other points which are subject to clogging are offset rearwardly from the saddles themselves where they will not be affected by the dribble.

Other objects, features and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

With reference now to the drawings in which like reference numerals designate like par-ts:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a bag filling machine embodying my invention;

.FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the settling device in which an empty bag is indicated by broken lines;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the bag in its filled condition so that it rests on the saddle so that the contents can be settled thereby;

FIG. 4 is a plan view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a detailed sectional view of the eccentric;

FIG. 6 is an end view of the eccentric;

FIG. 7 is a detailed elevation of the counterweight, and FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the forces acting on the floating frame.

In FIG. 1 the reference numeral 10 designates generally a bag filling machine on which is mounted a settling device 16. The bag filling machine includes a spout 11 which is connected by means of a flexible tube 12 with the hopper or conditioning chamber (not shown) of the bag filling machine. The spout 11 is mounted on and supported by a floating frame 13 which is supported by side brackets 14 in such a manner as to provide for movement in a vertical direction only. The brackets are supported by the framework 15 of the bag filling machine 10.

Depending from the floating frame 13 is the saddle hanger in the form of a pair of spaced hanger rails .17 on which the settling device 16 is \adjustably mounted. The hanger rails are rigidly connected to the floating frame by lugs 18 which may be welded to the floating frame '13. The hanger rails are maintained in laterally spaced position by means of two or more spacers 19.

The base of the settling device consists of two plates, a motor support plate 20 and a shaft support plate 21, which are disposed on opposite sides of the hanger rails 17 and which are drawn up to engage the rails in clamping relationship by one or more bolts 22. Thus, the elevation of the settling device 16 may be shifted to accommodate bags 50 of different size.

The hanger device also includes a motor 23 suitably supported from the motor support plate 20, and saddle means comprising two

saddles

24 and 25 which are suitably supported from the shaft support 21. Each saddle is in the form of a shell type casting providing a shaped upper surface which is suitable for engaging the bottom of the filled bag 50, the saddles being spaced from each other so as to accommodate the seam of the bag as shown in FIG. 3.

The settling of the bag contents is accomplished by vibrating the

saddles

24 and 25 at a high rate of speed, preferably in opposed phase relationship. The driving means for each saddle are identical to each other, and therefore the same reference numerals are applied to the identical parts of each.

The shaft support plate 21 includes a sleeve 26 in which a shaft 27 is mounted so that it extends outwardly from both ends of the sleeve. Rock levers 28 are pivotally mounted on opposite ends of the shafts, the rock levers including suitable bearings 34 for this purpose. Suitable retainer discs 51 keep the rock levers 28 from slipping off the opposite ends of the shaft 27 and also serve as bearing seals. T'he saddle 2 4 is connected to the front end of the rock lever 28 by means of a leaf spring 29, the upper end of which is suitably secured to a T-shaped bracket 30 which depends from the saddle 24. Stabilizer springs 31 extend between the T-bnacket 30 and the shaft support plate 21, and are suitably secured at both ends. For instance, as shown in FIG. 1, a channel 32 provides means by which both the stabilizer spring 31 and the leaf spring 29 maybe firmly clamped to the T-bracket 30.

Brackets 33 formed integrally with the shaft support plate 21 provide means for clamping the rear ends of the stabilizer springs to the support plate. Thus the leaf spring 29 and the stabilizer springs 31 cooperate with each other to provide means for supporting the saddle 24 in its upright position, and at the same time, they permit the oscillating motion of the rock lever 28 to be transmitted to the saddle. The object of this arrangement is to avoid the use of pivoted or sliding connections which are subject to the clogging which would otherwise occur when the bag filling machine is: used in connection with powdered materials.

The means for oscillating the rock levers 28 in opposed phase relationship comprise two eccentrics 35 which are mounted at the opposite ends of the armature shaft 36 of the motor 23. As shown in FIG. 4, the armature shaft 36 extends outwardly from both ends of the motor. A hearing yoke 37 surrounds each eccentric 35 and carries at its lower end a bifurcated lug 38. A leaf spring 3? is embraced by the bifurcated lug 38 and secured thereto by screws 4-0, as shown in FIG. 1, thus providing a firm clamping engagement of the upper spring end which avoids fatigue and prolongs spring life. The lower end of the leaf spring 39 is secured to the rear end of the rock lever 28 by a similar clamping device which includes a clamping block 41 and screws 42, and a similar arrangement is provided at the front end of the rock lever 28 with respect to the leaf spring 29.

(Thus, oscillation of the bearing yoke 37 is transmitted to the saddle 24 by means of the rock lever 28 and the two

leaf springs

39 and 29 without the use of any pivoted connections.

Counterweig-hting means are provided for each eccentric 35 so as to permit high speed operation without damage to the motor bearings.

in this connection the eccentric 35, as shown in FIG. 5, is provided with a shaft portion 43 which is concentric with the armature shaft 36, the concentric shaft portion 43 being provided with a keyway 44. A counterweight 45, shown in FIG. 7 is mounted on the concentric shaft portion 43, and is also provided with a keyway 46 so that the

parts

43 and 45 may be suitably keyed to each other to provide a unitary counterweighted eccentric assembly. The eccentric 35 is also provided with a keyway 47 so that the two assemblies may be keyed to the armature shaft and maintained in the desired 180 positions. Thus each eccentric 35 is individually counterbalanced which permits the two eccentrics to be mounted at the opposite ends of the armature shaft so as to provide the desired symmetrical construction.

-In the usual scale mechanism, a connecting link is required between the saddle hangers and the framework which interferes with the sensitivity of the scale mechanism.

According to my invention, the saddle hangers are rigidly connected to the floating frame and form a part thereof with the result that no such connecting link is required which fact results in a scale sensitivity which is as fine as if the setting device were not present. This is due to the balanced construction in which the motor is located rearwardly of the hangers to offset the weight of the saddles, and it may also partially offset the weight of the bag contents, thus reducing the magnitude of the horizontal forces acting on the floating frame 13. These forces, represented by

vectors

57 and 58 in FIG. 8, are due to the lever arm effect of the bag and also would be substantially increased by the mounting of an unbalanced settling device on the hangers 17.

The floating frame construction is described in detail in my aforementioned earlier patents to which reference is hereby made. As shown in FIG. 2, the floating frame 13 comprises a generally H-shaped structure, the side edges of which are confined bet-ween bracket rails 52 which form a portion of the bracket '14. The floating frame carries pads 53 which engage the scale beam 54 by means of disc points 55, and thus the force is transmitted to the scale beam 54 which may be pivoted on a fulcrum 56, also mounted in the brackets 14 behind the floating frame 13.

FIG. 8 shows the manner in which lateral forces are taken up by the floating frame and without resorting to the use of a connecting link.

To summarize the operation, the motor, when energized, will cause vibration of each one of the

saddles

24 and 25. As the bag becomes filled, more and more of the weight of the bag contents is taken up by the saddles, as contrasted with the spout 11, with the result that the vibratory motion of the saddles will be transmitted to the bag contents to settle the same and to provide a greater density of packed material.

The eccentrics 35 may be an'gularly located on the shaft at 180 from each other in order to provide opposed phase relationship of the saddle vibration, or they may be so located as to provide a phase relationship of any other type, such as zero degrees, or This considerable latitude in the angular location of the eccentrics is permitted by the use of a separate counterweight 45 for each.

According to a practical embodiment of my invention, the total weight of the settler device is 80 pounds, of which 53 pounds is represented by the motor and that portion of the settler which is located rearwardly of the hangers 17, and of which 27 pounds is represented by that portion of the settler device which is located forwardly of the hangers. Thus, the rear portion of the settler device completely offsets the weight of the front portion, even when the greater lever arm of the front portion is taken into account, so that the center of gravity of the settling device is located rearwardly of the hangers 17 and rearwardly of the plane of the floating frame 13. The hangers are in substantially the same transverse vertical plane as the floating frame, although it is not necessary that they be exactly aligned; for instance, as shown in FIG. 1, the center line plane of the hangers 17 is offset forwardly of the center line plane of the floating frame 13 by about oneahalf inch.

In the arrangement shown, the weight of motor 23 more than offsets the weight of the saddles so that it also partially offsets the weight of the bag contents, with the result that the maximum load on the bearing points is less than if no settler were used.

The driving mechanism, which includes the motor 23, the eccentric 35 and the bearing yokes 37, are all located to the rear of the hanger rails 17 where they will not become clogged by dribble from the spout 11. The

leaf spring connections

29 and 39 eliminate the need for cranks and pivoted connections, with the result that dribble and dust will not impair the operation.

The settler is symmetrical with respect to the longitudi nal vertical plane through the hanger rails 17 and the floating frame 13 with the result that its weight is evenly distributed between the two sets of bearing points of the scale mechanism, and the individual counterweights 45 result in comparatively little unbalanced vibration which would damage the scale mechanism or interfere with its accuracy.

For instance, with an eccentricity of M3 the throw of the eccentrics 35 will be A and the amplitude of the saddle vibration may be the same, and with a motor speed of 1800 rpm. 1 have found that the sensitivity of the scale mechanism is not affected.

Although only a preferred embodiment of my invention has been shown and described herein, it will be understood that various modifications and changes may be made in the construction shown Without departing from the spirit of my invention as pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A bag settling device adapted to be supported from the saddle hanger of a bag filling machine comprising base means adapted for mounting on said hanger, a motor mounted on said base means rearwardly of said hanger, a saddle mounted on said base means forwardly of said hanger, a shaft mounted on said base means, a rock lever mounted on said shaft, eccentric means driven by said motor, a leaf spring connecting the rear end of the rock lever with said eccentric means for oscillating the same, and a leaf spring connecting the front end of said rock lever with said saddle for transmitting the oscillations of said rock lever to said saddle, whereby the vibratory movement of said saddle will be transmitted to the contents of a bag which is resting on said saddle.

2. A bag settling device as claimed in claim 1 in which said base means comprises a pair of support plates adapted to be disposed on either side of said hanger, and clamping means for drawing up said support plates into clamping engagement with said hanger whereby the elevation of said bag settling device with respect to said hanger may be adjusted by shifting the position of said clamping means.

3. A bag settling device adapted to be supported from a saddle hanger of a bag filling machine comprising base means adapted for mounting on said hanger, a motor mounted on said base means rearwardly of said hanger, a pair of saddles mounted side by side on said base means forwardly of said hanger, a shaft mounted on said base means, a pair of rock levers mounted on said shaft, a pair of eccentric means driven by said motor, a leaf spring connecting the rear end of each rock lever with one of said eccentric means for oscillating the same, and a leaf spring connecting the front end of each rock lever with one of said saddles for transmitting the oscillations of said rock lever to said saddle.

4. A bag settling device as claimed in claim 3 in which said motor is mounted symmetrically with respect to said pair of saddles, and has an armature shaft extending from both ends thereof, one eccentric means being located at each end of the motor, and in which said eccentric means each comprises an eccentric mounted on said armature shaft and yoke means surrounding same, whereby a settling device is pr ovided in which the parts may be symmetrically arranged with respect to said hanger means.

5. -A bag settling device as claimed in claim 3 in which said motor is mounted symmetrically with respect to said pair of saddles, and has an armature shaft extending from both ends thereof, and in which each eccentric means comprises an eccentric member mounted at one end of said armature shaft, 21 counterweight located adjacent to said eccentric, and yoke means surrounding said eccentric, whereby each eccentric means is separately counterbalanced to permit the location of said eccentric means at opposite ends of said armature shaft.

6. A bag settling device as claimed in claim 5 in which said eccentric member includes an extended portion which is concentric with said armature shaft, said counterweight being mounted on said extended portion and keyed thereto so as to provide a unitary counterweighted eccentric assembly.

7. A bag settling device as claimed in claim 5 in which said eccentric members are offset from each other so that said saddles will be vibrated in an out of phase relationship.

8. In a bag filling machine which includes scale mechanism, the combination of a settling device comprising a saddle hanger mounted on and extending downwardly from said scale mechanism, a saddle supported from said hanger at a point forwardly thereof and beneath the spout of said bag filling machine, a motor supported from said hanger rearwardly of the same, eccentric means driven by said motor, a shaft supported from said hanger, a rock lever mounted on said shaft, and resilient drive means connecting the rear end of said rock lever with said eccentric means and connecting the front end of said rock lever with said saddle, whereby said motor is located rearwardiy of said hanger and offsets the weight of said saddle.

9. in a bag filling machine of the floating frame type which includes a floating frame, the combination of a saddle hanger rigidly secured to and extending downwardly from said floating frame, a saddle supported from said hanger at a point forwardly thereof and beneath the spout of said bag filling machine, a motor supported fnom said hanger rearwardly of the same, eccentric means driven by said motor, a shaft supported from said hanger, a rock lever mounted on said shaft, and drive means connecting the rear end of said rock lever with said eccentric means and connecting the front end of said rock lever with said saddle for vibrating same, whereby the center of gravity of said settling device is located rearwardly of the plane of said floating frame and tends to offset the weight of the contents of a bag Which is resting on said saddle.

10. A bag filling machine of the floating frame type which includes a supporting framework, a floating frame assembly mounted on said framework and comprising a floating frame and a saddle hanger rigidly secured thereto and extending downwardly therefrom, said floating frame being supported from said framework and constituting the sole connection between said saddle hanger and said framework, and a bag settling device mounted on said saddle hanger and including a saddle for supporting a bag during the filling operation, a motor, and vibration producing means connecting said motor and said saddle, said saddle and said motor being disposed on opposite sides of said saddle hanger whereby the weight of said motor partially offsets the weight of the contents of a bag which is resting on said saddle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,205,010 Hartman et a1 June 18, 1940 2,602,626 Vredenburg July 8, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 936,255 Germany Dec. 7, 1955

Claims

9. IN A BAG FILLING MACHINE OF THE FLOATING FRAME TYPE WHICH INCLUDES A FLOATING FRAME, THE COMBINATION OF A SADDLE HANGER RIGIDLY SECURED TO AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID FLOATING FRAME, A SADDLE SUPPORTED FROM SAID HANGER AT A POINT FORWARDLY THEREOF AND BENEATH THE SPOUT OF SAID BAG FILLING MACHINE, A MOTOR SUPPORTED FROM SAID HANGER REARWARDLY OF THE SAME, ECCENTRIC MEANS DRIVEN BY SAID MOTOR, A SHAFT SUPPORTED FROM SAID HANGER, A ROCK LEVER MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT, AND DRIVE MEANS CONNECTING THE REAR END OF SAID ROCK LEVER WITH SAID ECCENTRIC MEANS AND CONNECTING THE FRONT END OF SAID ROCK LEVER WITH SAID SADDLE FOR VIBRATING SAME, WHEREBY THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF SAID SETTLING DEVICE IS LOCATED REARWARDLY OF THE PLANE OF SAID FLOATING FRAME AND TENDS TO OFFSET THE WEIGHT OF THE CONTENTS OF A BAG WHICH IS RESTING ON SAID SADDLE.