US3473294A - Bag making machine - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 21, 1969 L. G. BATEMAN BAG MAKING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 2, 1966 INVENTOR Lawrence 6. Safe/nan BY MQL m a m hmmhfl M 51 m I :3; mm mm L H? X i on ATTORNEY O 1969 G. BATEMAN BAG MAKING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov. 2, 1966 INVENTOR Lawrence 6. Bafeman BY @iwzduig ATTORNEY 0d. 21, 1969 BATEMAN 3,473,294

BAG MAKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 2, 1966 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VE N 70/? L awrence 6. Bafeman ATTORNEY Oct 1969 L. G. BATEMAN BAG MAKING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov. 2, 1966 lNVE/VTOF? Lawrence G. Safe/7700 5r MQLLL ATTORNEY och 1959' L. G. BATEMAN BAG MAKING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet Filed NOV. 2. 1965 INVENTOR Lawrence 6. 50/6/7700 BY W ATTORNEY Oct. 21, 1969 5, BATEMAN 3,473,294

BAG MAKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 2, 1966 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 g\ /E l 38 36 I l 4 L l 126 i I 1 I I a a 40 F534 1 I24 n44 I I38 1 1 A117 1 fl,

I42 I34 INVENTOR F Lawrence G 50/6/770/7 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,473,294 BAG MAKING MACHINE Lawrence Giles lBateman, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, as-

signor to Delamere 8: Wiliiams Company, Limited, Toronto, Gntario, Canada, a corporation of Canada Filed Nov. 2, 1966, Ser. No. 591,619 Int. Cl. B311] 23/14; B2611 1/36, 1/40 US. Cl. 53187 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bag making machine for making pouch type bags wherein successive endmost bag sections of a continuously moving strip of connected bag sections are severed from the strip and wherein each severed bag section is immediately gripped and advanced in spaced relation by successive faster moving carriers which carry the bags to filling and top sealing mechanisms to complete the bag.

This invention relates to a bag making machine for producing pouch type bags.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel and improved bag making machine for producing pouch type bags characterized by novel provision for delivering successive endmost bag sections severed from a continuously moving connected strip thereof directly to successive spaced carriers traveling continuously at a higher rate of speed and which support and convey the bags in spaced relation through filling and top sealing mechanism to complete the bags.

The invention has for a further object to provide a novel and improved method of making filled and sealed pouch type bags of the character specified which includes the step of gripping successive endmost bag sections of a continuously moving connected strip thereof immediately upon severance of the bags from the strip to be carried continuously in spaced relation into operative relation to filling and sealing mechanisms.

With these general objects in view and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the bag making machine, in the method of producing bags, and in the various structures, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a bag making machine embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating that portion of the machine wherein the endmost bag section is gripped bya carrier immediately upon severance of the bag section from the strip;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the severing and gripping mechanism as seen from the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the severing mechanism as seen from the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the severing mechanism as seen from the line 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a detail view similar to FIG. 5 showing the cutting blades in their open position;

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FIG. 7 is a plan view of one end of the endless carrier showing the receiving run and the delivery run; and

FIGS. 8 and 9 are cross sectional views taken on the lines 88 and 9-9, respectively, of FIG. 7 showing the grippers in their open and closed positions.

In general, the present invention contemplates a bag making machine of the type having provision for heat sealing together the side walls of a continuously moving folded web of heat sealable bag making material along spaced transverse zones to provide a series of connected bag sections open at their upper ends. The connected bag sections are then severed intermediate the sealed areas to produce individual bags open at the top, the individual bags being then transferred to continuously moving spaced carriers or grippers. The carriers are arranged to convey the bags past filling mechanism wherein a predetermined quantity of material is deposited into each bag whereupon the open mouths of the bags are sealed and the completed bags are released by their grippers onto a conveyer to be delivered from the machine.

In practice, the stri of connected bag sections is continuously moved at the rate of one bag length per cycle of operation of the machine while the spaced carriers which receive successive bags severed from the strip necessarily travel at a higher rate of speed to convey the bags in spaced relation to the filling and sealing mechanisms. In prior machines of this type it has been the practice to transfer the individual bags severed from the strip into operative relation to be gripped by the carriers, the transferring operation being performed by means of accelerating rolls or belts arranged to bring the speed of the bags up to the speed of the carriers whereupon the bags were gripped by the carriers. This prior arrangement left much to be desired because of the difficulty in handling and supporting the individual bags after being cut from the strip and because of the additional mechanism required to transfer the bags from the severing mechanism to the carriers.

In accordance with the present invention, provision is made for presenting the endmost bag section of the strip directly into the partially open jaws of the gripper or carrier prior to severance thereof and for thereafter closing the jaws of the gripper on the endmost bag section immediately upon severance thereof from the strip whereby to obviate the need for any accelerating or transferring mechanism between the severing mechanism and the carriers. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention provision is made for supporting the leading end of the strip of connected bag sections in longitudinal alignment with the faster moving carriers and with the gripping jaws in their partially open position. The slower moving strip and the faster moving carriers are arranged so that just prior to registration of a carrier with the endmost bag section the severing operation is started so that at the completion of the severing operation the bag is in registered position with its carrier at which time the grippers are completely closed upon the bag to convey the bag at a higher rate of speed and in spaced relation to succeeding bags, the grippers serving to carry the bags through the filling and sealing mechanisms and to release the bags onto a discharge conveyer.

Referring now to the drawings, the present invention is embodied in a bag making machine, as more or less diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1, wherein a web of thermoplastic bag making material is withdrawn from a supply roll 12 thereof and guided under a shaping mem ber 14 arranged to form the web into a U-shaped strip 16 as the web is advanced. The leading end of the folded strip is threaded between a pair of upright rollers 18, 20, and the strip is then engaged between opposed upright sealing bars 22, 24, a series of which are carried in spaced relation by opposed continuously traveling conveyer chain units 26, 28, respectively. The continuously traveling cooperating sealing bars serve to grip and withdraw the web from the supply roll and to heat seal together the side walls of the strip along spaced transverse zones 30, see FIG. 2, to provide a series of connected bag sections 32 open at the top. The broken line 33 intermediate the edges of each sealed area 30 represents the line through which the bags are subsequently severed. The illustrated sealing mechanism forms the subject matter of my United States Patent No. 3,147,168, issued Sept. 1, 1964, to which reference may be made.

As herein illustrated, in general, the strip 34 of connected bag sections 32 is extended from opposed sealing units 26, 28 between a pair of continuously moving opposed belts 36, 38 which support the leading end of the strip in an upright position, the lower edge of the strip being supported on platforms 40, see FIG. 2, of a series of spaced gripper carriers 42 carried by an endless conveyer chain 44. The leading end of the strip passes between the open blades of the severing mechanism indicated generally at 46, and immediately upon severance of the endmost bag section 32 the grippers are closed on the bag section to carry successive bags in spaced relation to the filling and top closing mechanisms. The filling mechanism is indicated generally at 48, and the top closing mechanism is indicated generally at 50. The completed bags are then released by their grippers at the delivery end 52 of the conveyer, the bags being received by a discharge belt 54 to carry them out of the machine.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the conveyer chain 44 is arranged to run over sprockets 56, 58 carried by upright shafts 57 and 59, respectively, the latter comprising the driven shaft which is rotated from a main drive shaft 60 through gear connections indicated generally at 62 at one end of the shaft 60. The main shaft '60 is driven by a. motor 64 and belt and pulley connection 66. The other end of the shaft 60 is connected by an angle shaft 68 to the input shaft of a gear box 70, the output shaft 72 of the gear box being connected by a chain and sprocket drive 74 to a drive shaft 75 forming a part of the side seam or transverse zone sealing units 26, 28. The drive shaft 75 is connected by a chain and sprocket drive 76 to a shaft 77 forming a part of the web supporting belts 36, 38. It will be understood that the shafts 75, 78 of opposed sealing units 26, 28 are geared together to run at the same speed in opposite directions, and the shafts 77, 79 of the web supporting belts are likewise geared together to support and advance the leading end of the strip into operative relation to the grippers 42 and the severing mechanism 46. As indicated generally in FIG. 1, the severing mechanism is driven from the main drive shaft 60 through a gear box 80 having a vertical output shaft 82.

Referring now to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the severing mechanism 46 includes a pair of opposed cooperating shear blades 84, 86 carried by parallel crank arms 88, 90, respectively. The blades are arranged to be adjusted to a suitable shearing angle, as shown, and are arranged to be rotated through circular paths into and out of shearing engagement with the strip in a manner such as to move along with the continuously moving strip during the shearing operation.

The crank arms 88, 90 are similarly mounted and, as herein shown, the arm 90 which carries the blade 86 is carried by pins 92, 94 depending from crank disks 96, 98, respectively. Each crank disk is provided with a flange 100 interposed between and arranged to be rotatably adjusted relative to an upper flange member 102 and an annular retaining member 104, the parts being connected together in their adjusted position by bolts 106. Each flange member 102 has connected thereto an upstanding shaft 108 mounted to rotate an upper and lower bearings 109, 111, respectively, and to which a helical gear 110 is keyed. The gears 110 mesh with helical gears 112 fast on a shaft 114 mounted to rotate in bearings 116. The shaft 114 is arranged to be rotated from the vertical drive shaft 82 through intermeshing helical gears 118, 120. The severing mechanism is mounted in a casing 113 supported at one end by a bracket 115 and at its other end by an upright rod 117. The crank arm 88 is similarly mounted, corresponding parts being identified by the same numerals with the addition of a prime. The helical gears 118, comprise right hand gears, and the helical gears 110, 112 are likewise right hand gears to effect bodily rotation or orbital movement of the shear blade 86 in a counterclockwise direction viewing FIG. 4. The helical gears 110' and 112' comprise left hand gears to effect bodily rotation or orbital movement of the shear blade 84 in a clockwise direction viewing FIG. 4. Thus, in operation, the shear blades 84, 86 are moved in parallel alignment into and out of overlapping shearing engagement with the strip of connected bags, the shear being started a short distance prior to their centrally aligned or maximum overlap position, the shear being completed when the blades arrive at their centrally aligned position. It will be apparent that the orbital movement of the blades in parallel relation causes the same to move along with the continuously moving Web, the blades being retracted or moved away from each other after the cut is completed. FIG. 5 is a bottom view showing the blades 84, 86 in their centrally aligned shearing position, and FIG. 6 is a similar view showing the blades in their maximum spread apart position. It will be understood that the shearing operation is performed between adjacent carriers, the gripper jaws being spaced inwardly from the adjacent transverse sealed zones 30.

In accordance with the present invention, the endmost bag section 32 is arranged to be gripped between the stationary and movable jaws 121, 122, respectively, of a carrier or gripper unit 42 immediately upon severance of the bag section. As illustarted in FIGS. 8 and 9, each gripper unit 42 includes a laterally extended hollow gripper supporting member 124 bolted to a U-shaped block 126 connected to the chain 44, the block being guided in elongated tracks 128 along the straight runs of the chain, and in stationary semicircular guides 130 at the ends of the conveyer, see FIG. 1.

The outer end of the gripper supporting member 124 provides the platform 40 along which the bottom of the strip and also the severed bag section rests, the spaced stationary jaws 121 extending upwardly from the inner end of the platform for cooperation with the movable jaws 122. The spaced movable jaws are fast on the ends of a pin 132 carried by the supporting member. Also fast on the pin 132 and intermediate the ends thereof is an arm 134 having a segmental gear 136 formed thereon for cooperation with gear teeth 138 formed on the end of a shaft 140 slidingly supported in the hollow member 124. The movable jaws 122 are connected to move together by a pin 142 extended between arms 143 formed integrally with the jaws, and the arm 134 is slotted to embrace the pin 142 and to elfect rocking of the jaws 122 upon longitudinal reciprocation of the shaft 140. the shaft 140 is provided with a spring 44 coiled thereabout and interposed between a depending bearing portion 146 of the member 124 and a shouldered extension 148 formed at the inner end of the shaft. The spring 144 is arranged to urge the shaft 140 inwardly to eifect closing of the gripper jaws 122 into cooperating engagement with the stationary jaws 121, the inward movement of the shaft 140 being limited by closing of the jaws as shown' in FIG. 8.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, the movable jaws 122 are arranged to be opened by engagement of the inner end of the shaft 140 with a stationary curved cam rail 150 disposed at the receiving end of the conveyor, the jaws "being opened wide at this time, as shown in FIG. 9, so that the jaws will be rocked down out of the path of the lower edge of the extended end of the strip of connected bag sections as the gripper units are moved from the circular path into the straight run of the gripper conveyer. Thereafter, the inner end of the shaft 140 follows an angular surface 152 of a stationary cam rail 154 which is arranged to effect gradual closing of the movable jaws to a nearly closed position. It will be understood that at this time the extended strip of connected bags rests on successive platforms 40 of successive faster moving gripping units 42, the latter sliding along under the slower moving strip which is supported at its upper end between the driven belts 36, 38. With the gripper jaws 122 'in their nearly closed position, the lower edge of the strip is supported in alignment with the stationary jaws 121. Also, the nearly closed gripper jaws permit the jaws to pass between the open shearing blades 84, 36, as indicated in FIG. 3, to avoid interference with the blades. Furthermore, the nearly closed position of the gripper jaws 122 is arranged so that the remaining movement to effect complete closing of the jaws upon severance of the endmost bag section is reduced to a minimum for rapid clamping or gripping action. As herein shown, the end of the shouldered extension 148 in engagement with the cam rail 154 is provided with a narrow offset or stepped portion 156 and the cam rail 154 terminates at a point 155 arranged so that in operation when the narrow portion 156 slides off the end of the rail 154 immediately after severeance of the bag section, the jaws 122 are rapidly closed on the severed bag section with a snap by virtue of the spring 144.

It will be understood that the rate of speed of the slower moving strip of connected bag sections and the rate of speed of the gripper units are coordinated so that the endmost bag section will be momentarily aligned with its respective faster moving gripping unit immediately upon severance of the endmost bag section and that the shearing blades 84, 86 and the end of the cam rail 154 are disposed relative to the momentary registration of the bag and the gripping unit so as to effect gripping of the bag section immediately upon severance thereof. As illustrated in FIG. 2, after severance and gripping of the bag sections at their lower ends, the upper ends of the bags are supported between spaced guide rails 160, 162. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the strip of connected bag sections travel one bag width or two and three-quarters inches per cycle, and the gripper units travel four inches per cycle corresponding to the spacing thereof.

After the bags supported in the gripper units 42 have passed through the filling and sealing mechanisms, the bags are released at the end of the return run 52 of the chain 44 by engagement of the inner end of the shaft 140 with a stationary curved cam 164, as shown in FIG. 7, to effect outward rocking of the grippers 122, the released bags being received on the discharge conveyor 54.

From the above description it will be seen that the present bag making machine is capable of aligning and registering successive endmost connected bag sections traveling at one rate of speed with successive spaced carriers traveling at a higher rate of speed in a manner such that the endmost bag section may be gripped by its carrier immediately upon severance thereof from the strip whereby to eliminate intermediate accelerating and advancing mechanism between the shearing mechanism and the carriers.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a bag making machine of the character described, in combination, means for continuously advancing an elongated strip of connected bag sections sealed along spaced transverse zones, means for severing successive endmost bag sections from the strip through said transverse zones during the continuous advance thereof to form individual bag sections, and continuously moving means for gripping and conveying successive bag sections in spaced relation immediately upon severance thereof from the strip, each of said gripping means having a supportion platform upon which the strip is supported in non-gripping relation prior to the severing operation, and against which the individual bags rest during and after the severing and gripping operation.

2. A bag making machine as defined in claim 1 wherein the elongated strip of connected bag sections is continuously advanced at a rate of one bag width per cycle of operation of the machine, and wherein the spaced gripping and conveying means comprise carriers traveling at a greater rate of advance per cycle of operation of the machine.

3. A bag making machine as defined in claim 1 wherein the elongated strip of connected bag sections is continuously advanced at a rate of one bag width per cycle of operation of the machine, and wherein the spaced gripping and conveying means comprise carriers traveling at a greater rate of advance per cycle of operation of the machine, said severing operation being completed and said gripping operation occurring upon momentary registration of a slower moving bag section with its faster moving carrier.

4. A bag making machine as defined in claim 3 wherein the severing means is arranged to move along with the strip of connected bag sections during the severing operation, and wherein the severing operation is initiated prior to registration of the bag section with its carrier.

5. A bag making machine as defined in claim 1 wherein the gripping and conveying means includes gripper jaws, and wherein the elongated strip of connected bag sections is aligned with and supported between the partially open jaws of successive gripping and conveying means prior to and during severance of the endmost bag section from the strip, and means for rapidly closing the gripper jaws on the endmost bag section immediately upon severance thereof from the strip.

6. In a bag making machine of the character described, in combination, means for continuously advancing an elongated strip of connected bag sections sealed along spaced transverse zones, an endless conveyor having spaced carriers provided with gripper jaws and traveling continuously at a faster rate than said strip, said advancing means arranged to guide said slower moving strip in longitudinal alignment with said carriers and with the strip supported between the partially open jaws of said carriers, means for severing successive endmost bag sections through said sealed transverse zones to form individual bag sections, and means for closing said jaws upon a bag section immediately upon completion of the severing operation and at a time when the endmost bag section is momentarily aligned with its carrier, each of said carriers being provided with a platform upon successive of which the lower edge of said elongated strip is supported during longitudinal alignment with said carriers, and wherein said strip advancing means includes a pair of cooperating belts arranged to support the strip in an upright position.

7. A bag making machine as defined in claim 6 wherein the machine is provided with a bag filling means, top closing means, and a bag release station associated with said conveyor, and wherein the carriers are adapted to convey the individual bags in spaced relation to the bag filling and closing means and to the bag release station to discharge the completed bags.

8. A bag making machine as defined in claim 6 wherein the gripper jaws include a relatively stationary jaw upstanding from each platform for cooperation with movable jaws, said jaws being closed upon the lower end of each individual bag, and stationary rails for supporting the individual bag sections in an upright position.

9. The method of producing bags Which consists in advancing a strip of connected bag sections sealed along spaced transverse zones, arranging the strip in longitudinal alignment with and supporting the same in non-gripping relation by a series of faster moving spaced gripper carriers, severing successive endmost bag sections from the strip through said sealed zones to form individual bags while supported in said non-gripping relation, and then gripping successive endmost bag sections in the carriers immediately upon severance thereof from the strip and 2/1942 Robinson 5328 X 8/1953 Bartelt 53-183 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner E. F. DESMOND, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

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