EP0573710A1 - Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Aufwickeln eines Bandes von zusammenhängenden Beuteln und zum Abgeben dieser Beutel - Google Patents

Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Aufwickeln eines Bandes von zusammenhängenden Beuteln und zum Abgeben dieser Beutel Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0573710A1
EP0573710A1 EP92305313A EP92305313A EP0573710A1 EP 0573710 A1 EP0573710 A1 EP 0573710A1 EP 92305313 A EP92305313 A EP 92305313A EP 92305313 A EP92305313 A EP 92305313A EP 0573710 A1 EP0573710 A1 EP 0573710A1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
web
bags
coil
mandrel
bag
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP92305313A
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English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0573710B1 (de
Inventor
Joseph F. Ball
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Automated Packaging Systems Inc
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Automated Packaging Systems Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Automated Packaging Systems Inc filed Critical Automated Packaging Systems Inc
Priority to DE69213439T priority Critical patent/DE69213439T2/de
Priority to AT92305313T priority patent/ATE142157T1/de
Priority to EP92305313A priority patent/EP0573710B1/de
Publication of EP0573710A1 publication Critical patent/EP0573710A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0573710B1 publication Critical patent/EP0573710B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H20/00—Advancing webs
    • B65H20/26—Mechanisms for advancing webs to or from the inside of web rolls
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B43/00—Forming, feeding, opening or setting-up containers or receptacles in association with packaging
    • B65B43/12—Feeding flexible bags or carton blanks in flat or collapsed state; Feeding flat bags connected to form a series or chain
    • B65B43/123—Feeding flat bags connected to form a series or chain

Definitions

  • This invention relates to methods of making and coiling a web of interconnected bags, coils of such bags and method and apparatus for dispensing such bags.
  • the Autobag Patents disclose a packaging technique in which a chain of interconnected open plastic bags are used.
  • a roll of these bags was mounted on a mandrel and the mandrel was positioned in a box.
  • a blower was connected to the box. Bags were dispensed by feeding them closed end first, out of a slot in the box. Air from the blower exiting through the same slot would inflate each bag as it came out of the box.
  • a product was manually inserted into the inflated bag and the bag was separated from the chain. The loaded and separated bag was then usually closed and heat sealed.
  • the boxes used in the described earliest commercial form were disposable shipping containers that also served as dispensing containers.
  • manually controlled dispensing machines were developed. Each machine was adapted to receive a coil of interconnected open bags. The bags were fed through a dispensing opening in the machine and then vertically downwardly along a path of travel. In a typical operation, after a bag had been blown open an operator would manually insert a product. The operator would then manually separate the loaded bag from the chain of bags and insert its open end into a heat sealer. Concurrently with the separation of the loaded bag the operator would feed the chain of bags to bring the next succeeding bag into the loading station.
  • More sophisticated automatic equipment has been developed for loading and sealing chains of open bags on a roll.
  • An example of such equipment is that disclosed and claimed in the H-100 Patents. With that equipment, bags are automatically fed to a loading station. In addition, they are automatically sealed and separated from the chain after products have been loaded.
  • the H-100 machines like earlier machines until the invention of the Wig Wag Patent was made, used bags on a roll.
  • bags In order to achieve reasonable and efficient production speeds, bags have been fed closed end first during manufacture and coiled. Thereafter a "rewind" operation is performed at slow speeds to provide a finished coil from which bags are fed closed end first.
  • the Wig Wag Patent discloses a system by which bags were fed closed end first into a dispensing box and then dispensed on a first in--first out basis. To accomplish this, bags were arranged in a plicated array of horizontal layers. While this system has enjoyed some success, especially with relatively large bags, rewinding has continued to be used for most applications of Autobag products. While rewinding is expensive, in terms of overall efficiency it has prooved to be more efficient than the approach of the "Wig Wag" Patent for many applications because forming a plicated array in accordance with the teaching of that patent--slows the overall bag formation operation.
  • Practice of the present invention overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art by forming a coil of interconnected open bags in a novel and improved manner which permits bags to be fed from the center of a coil.
  • the bags of the coil of this invention are preferably those that have been sold commercially under the trademark AUTOBAG and described in the Autobag Patents. Since the bags are fed from the center of the coil they are fed on a first wound, first unwound basis. This permits the bags to be wound closed end first and unwound closed end first without the expense of the time consuming prior rewind practice.
  • Dispensing bags by pulling them from the center or hole in an annular coil of bags presents a problem. With prior coils it could not effectively and reliably be done even if it has occurred to someone to try to, because with such coils bags tend to "bunch up" and resist coming from the center to the point where the bags tend to separate from the web along the preformed lines of weakness.
  • the solution to the "bunching" problem lies in the discovery that if the diameter of the central aperture or hole in the coil is at least as great as the width of a web in the form of a chain of flattened interconnected bags, the bags may be fed easily and directly from the center hole. Accordingly, webs of open but interconnected and flattened bags are formed by known processes and then fed closed end first and wound into coils of bags each having a central opening of a diameter at least as great as the width of the web.
  • a novel web feed dispenser To accomplish the feed from the center hole and control the feed of a web from a dispensing location to a product loading station, a novel web feed dispenser has been devised.
  • This mechanism includes a bag supporting rotatable table mounted on a base.
  • the table includes a coil supporting surface which is horizontal when in use.
  • a tapered mandrel is connected to and projects upwardly from the table.
  • a shaft for the tapered mandrel and table projects upwardly from a base and the table and tapered mandrel are journaled on this shaft.
  • the dispensing mechanism also includes a feed control mandrel.
  • the feed control mandrel is preferably pivotally and removably mounted above the tapered mandrel.
  • the feed control mandrel includes a rotatable cylindrical roll which is rotatable about the axis of the feed control mandrel.
  • a support bracket is mounted on the tapered mandrel shaft.
  • the support bracket has an upwardly directed open ended slot.
  • a hanging bracket carries the feed control mandrel.
  • the hanging bracket includes a pin which is removably received in the slot to provide a pivotal support for the feed control mandrel.
  • the feed control mandrel includes a drive section which engages a driven section on the tapered mandrel.
  • An adjustment mechanism is interposed between the brackets to adjust the angular relationship between the mandrels and the engagement of the drive and driven sections.
  • a coil of bags is mounted on the support surface and around the tapered mandrel.
  • the feed control mandrel is then pivotally connected to the tapered mandrel. Bags are fed closed end first from the center of the coil along a path. The path angles upwardly from the center of the coil, reeves over a portion of the tapered mandrel, thence continuing upwardly over a portion of the feed control mandrel.
  • the web path includes a span from the feed control mandrel to a horizontally journaled idler roll. In this span the web under goes a slight twisting action to bring its major dimension horizontal. After passing over this horizontal idler roll, the web path continues to a loading station where bags are sequentially inflated and loaded. Once loaded, they are typically heat sealed and separated from the web in the manner disclosed in the H-100 Patents.
  • Another of the advantages of the present invention is that a series of coils of bags may be spliced together and stacked to provide trouble-free automatic dispensing over a long time frame without operator intervention.
  • the inner end of the bottom coil of a stack is connected to the outer end of the next to bottom coil and so on so that as the upper most coil is paid out it is spliced to the inner end of the next coil and the stack will automatically commence bag feeding from the next coil.
  • an object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved system for dispensing bags in the form of a web of interconnected open bags, a novel and improved coil of bags and a novel and improved dispensing mechanism.
  • a web of bags of the type disclosed in the Autobag Patents is shown at 10.
  • the web is in the form of a flattened plastic tube of bags 11 interconnected in end to end relationship.
  • the bags are connected together and ends of contiguous bags are delineated by transverse lines of weakness preferably in the form of perforations 12.
  • These perforations provide a parting line for facile separation of bags from the remainder of the web.
  • the perforations 12 are formed in a lower ply 14 visible in the two bags to the right were an upper ply 15 is broken away and removed to reveal the perforations.
  • the upper ply 15 of each bag 11 is open from one side edge to another at a location longitudinally coincident with the perforations 12 and indicated by the reference numeral 17.
  • Bag ply interconnections in the form of heat seals are provided at 19.
  • the heat seals 19 both contribute to maintaining the web in a flattened condition with the plies in juxtaposed relationship and function to delineate the bottoms of fillable spaces for receiving products during a bagging operation.
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a method and apparatus for manufacturing the novel coils of this invention.
  • a supply coil of plastic tubing is shown at 20.
  • the coil 20 in the schematic showing of Figure 2 is shown as a web 22 in the form of a flattened tube, it being recognized that in commercial manufacture other procedures are often used especially where a higher volume is involved and two or more webs of bags may be concurrently formed.
  • the tubular web 22 is fed from the coil 20 over an idler roll 23 and then under a second idler roll 24.
  • the web 22 then passes over a sealer roll 25.
  • a shuttle sealer is shown schematically at 26.
  • the shuttle sealer oscillates in an arcuate path moving into and out of sealing engagement with the web to form the spaced seals 19.
  • the shuttle sealer 26 is under the control of a detector 28 which senses suitable indicia on the web.
  • the coil 45 has a central aperture 46 of a diameter at least as great as the width of the web 22 to provide a major feature of this invention. Another feature of this invention is that the web is tightly wound to form the coil 45. The tight winding of the coil prevents the coil from collapsing and thus, maintains the central aperture 46 which is important for proper withdrawal of the web from the center.
  • the coil should be wound so that the central aperture does not collapse or telescope, otherwise the coil will flatten during shipment and customers will not be able to mount or properly feed the roll.
  • the appropriate tension can be determined by one of ordinary skill in the art depending on varying bag material, size and similar parameters. Preferably, the tension is 2 ounces per linear inch of width per millimeter of thickness.
  • a bagging machine is shown generally at 50.
  • the bagging machine includes a dispensing mechanism shown generally at 52 which is at a dispensing location.
  • the bagging machine 50, apart from the dispensing mechanism 52 is the same as the machines described in the H-100 Patents where a detailed description is provided.
  • the machine 50 includes a loading station shown generally at 54.
  • the coil 45 is mounted on the dispensing mechanism 52.
  • the web is fed with the bags moving closed end first from the coil and along a path of travel to the loading station 54.
  • the bags are sequentially and one at a time delivered the loading station 54.
  • an end one 56 of the bags is opened by a flow of air, products indicated at 55 are fed into the opened bag and thereafter the machine closes and seals the bag.
  • the bag With the machine of the H-100 Patents the bag is separated from the web concurrently with the sealing operation and dropped onto a conveyor or into a receptacle. The web is then advanced to bring the next and now end one of the bags of the web into the loading station where it is inflated and so the process repeats.
  • the dispensing mechanism 52 is best seen in Figures 4 and 5.
  • the dispensing mechanism includes a base 58.
  • a bag supporting table 59 is mounted on the base 58.
  • the bag supporting table 59 includes a bag supporting surface 60 which is horizontal when the device is in use.
  • a guide mandrel support shaft 62 is provided.
  • the guide mandrel support shaft is fixed to the base 58 with an axis which is normal to the plane of the bag supporting surface 60. When the bag supporting surface is horizontal the guide mandrel support shaft projects vertically upwardly of the table 59.
  • a tapered control or guide mandrel 63 is provided.
  • the guide mandrel is connected to the table 59.
  • the table and tapered mandrel are journaled on the guide mandrel shaft by spaced bearings 64, 65.
  • the guide mandrel 63 includes an upwardly tapering frusto conical shaped web guiding surface 66 which terminates at an upper smaller end 67.
  • a cylindrically contoured driven section 68 is provided immediately above the smaller end 67.
  • a feed control mandrel support bracket 70 is mounted on the upper end of the guide mandrel support shaft 62.
  • a feed control mandrel hanging bracket 71 is provided which is comprised of a pair of spaced bracket plates 72, 73, Figure 5. The plates 72, 73 are bridged by a connecting pin 74.
  • the mandrel support bracket 70 includes an upwardly directed slot 75, Figure 4.
  • the slot 75 is laterally offset from an extension of the guide shaft axis and it is above the guide shaft.
  • the pin 74 resides in the base of the slot 75 to provide a removable pivotal support for the hanging bracket 71.
  • a feed control mandrel shaft 78 is secured to the hanging bracket 71.
  • the feed control mandrel shaft depends downwardly with its axis at an acute angle with the axis of the guide mandrel shaft 62. Extensions of the two shaft axes will intersect above the support bracket at, when the device is in use, a downwardly directed acute angle.
  • a cylindrical web feed control mandrel 79 is provided.
  • the feed control mandrel 79 is journaled on the feed control mandrel shaft 78 by spaced bearings 80, 81.
  • the feed control mandrel includes an elastomeric drive section 83 which is somewhat enlarged and of cylindrical configuration. When the dispenser is in use the drive section 83 is in driving engagement with the driven section 68.
  • an adjustment screw 86 is provided.
  • the adjustment screw 86 is threaded into and through a threaded bore 87 in the mandrel support bracket 86.
  • An inner end of the adjustment screw 86 acts against a flat adjustment surface 88 on the base of hanging bracket.
  • a lock nut 89 is provided to fix the adjustment screw in an adjusted position.
  • the feed control mandrel 79 is removed.
  • a coil of bags 45 is dropped over the tapered mandrel 63 and placed on the bag supporting surface 60.
  • the coil of bags 45 is positioned in coaxial relationship with the tapered mandrel 63 and its shaft 62.
  • the feed control mandrel is mounted in its depending relationship by placing the support pin 74 in the slot 75 of the support bracket 70. The angular relationship is, if required, adjusted by rotating the adjustment screw 86.
  • the end bag is pulled from a central aperture 92 of the coil 45 and fed upwardly along a first span 93, Figure-3, to engage the front of the feed control mandrel 63 as viewed in Figure 3.
  • the web is reeved around a portion of the tapered mandrel 63 and a second span 94 is fed upwardly and forwardly as viewed in Figure 3 from the tapered mandrel at an upward angle which is reduced with respect to the span 93.
  • the web is reeved around a front section of the cylindrical surface of the feed control mandrel 79, again, as viewed in Figure 3, thence along a twisting span 95, over a horizontally journaled idler roll 96 and thence along a feed span 97 through the machine in a manner described in greater detail in the H-100 Patents.
  • the transverse dimension of the web along the feed span 97 is parallel to the transverse dimension of a bag positioned at the load station 54 as is the axis of the idler roll 96.
  • the feed of the web is occasioned by a driven feed roll 98 of the bagging machine 50. Friction of the web with the tapered mandrel 63 and the inertia of the table 59 and tapered mandrel limit dispensing from the coil until the web firmly engages the feed control mandrel 79. Once the web engages the feed control mandrel, pulling of the web by the feed roll 98 will cause the feed control mandrel 79 to drive the tapered or guide mandrel causing it and the connected table 59 to rotate so that the span 93 maintains a substantially constant relationship with the guide mandrel. Thus, as the web is pulled by the driven feed roll 98 the tapered and cylindrical mandrels 63, 79 will rotate about their own axes so that there is no sliding of the web over the surfaces of the two mandrels.
  • an imaginary vertical plane located by the axes of the tapered and feed control mandrels 63, 79 is at an angle of about 60 to 85 degrees with a second imaginary plane located by the axis of the tapered mandrel and the base of the first span 93 (that is an upstanding locus at which the web is departing from the coil).

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Making Paper Articles (AREA)
  • Package Closures (AREA)
  • Auxiliary Devices For And Details Of Packaging Control (AREA)
  • Winding Of Webs (AREA)
  • Replacement Of Web Rolls (AREA)
EP92305313A 1992-06-10 1992-06-10 Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Aufwickeln eines Bandes von zusammenhängenden Beuteln und zum Abgeben dieser Beutel Expired - Lifetime EP0573710B1 (de)

Priority Applications (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE69213439T DE69213439T2 (de) 1992-06-10 1992-06-10 Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Aufwickeln eines Bandes von zusammenhängenden Beuteln und zum Abgeben dieser Beutel
AT92305313T ATE142157T1 (de) 1992-06-10 1992-06-10 Verfahren und vorrichtung zum aufwickeln eines bandes von zusammenhängenden beuteln und zum abgeben dieser beutel
EP92305313A EP0573710B1 (de) 1992-06-10 1992-06-10 Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Aufwickeln eines Bandes von zusammenhängenden Beuteln und zum Abgeben dieser Beutel

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP92305313A EP0573710B1 (de) 1992-06-10 1992-06-10 Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Aufwickeln eines Bandes von zusammenhängenden Beuteln und zum Abgeben dieser Beutel

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0573710A1 true EP0573710A1 (de) 1993-12-15
EP0573710B1 EP0573710B1 (de) 1996-09-04

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ID=8211396

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP92305313A Expired - Lifetime EP0573710B1 (de) 1992-06-10 1992-06-10 Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Aufwickeln eines Bandes von zusammenhängenden Beuteln und zum Abgeben dieser Beutel

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EP (1) EP0573710B1 (de)
AT (1) ATE142157T1 (de)
DE (1) DE69213439T2 (de)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN102366776A (zh) * 2011-09-28 2012-03-07 安徽永钰过滤器有限公司 过滤器支撑中心管板材送料装置
CN115057047A (zh) * 2022-08-03 2022-09-16 重庆文理学院 一种茶叶打包机及其茶叶采摘机器人

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE244770C (de) *
US3254468A (en) * 1963-12-18 1966-06-07 Automated Packaging Corp Method of packaging articles
AT333691B (de) * 1974-02-22 1976-12-10 Ap Planungsgesellschaft M B H Spiralbandspeicher
FR2311606A1 (fr) * 1975-05-22 1976-12-17 Dujardin Montbard Somenor Procede et dispositif d'accumulation spirale automatique de bandes

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE244770C (de) *
US3254468A (en) * 1963-12-18 1966-06-07 Automated Packaging Corp Method of packaging articles
AT333691B (de) * 1974-02-22 1976-12-10 Ap Planungsgesellschaft M B H Spiralbandspeicher
FR2311606A1 (fr) * 1975-05-22 1976-12-17 Dujardin Montbard Somenor Procede et dispositif d'accumulation spirale automatique de bandes

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN102366776A (zh) * 2011-09-28 2012-03-07 安徽永钰过滤器有限公司 过滤器支撑中心管板材送料装置
CN102366776B (zh) * 2011-09-28 2013-07-17 安徽永钰过滤器有限公司 过滤器支撑中心管板材送料装置
CN115057047A (zh) * 2022-08-03 2022-09-16 重庆文理学院 一种茶叶打包机及其茶叶采摘机器人
CN115057047B (zh) * 2022-08-03 2023-12-12 重庆文理学院 一种茶叶打包机及其茶叶采摘机器人

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69213439T2 (de) 1997-02-20
EP0573710B1 (de) 1996-09-04
ATE142157T1 (de) 1996-09-15
DE69213439D1 (de) 1996-10-10

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