IE60085B1 - Improvements in bagging machines - Google Patents

Abstract

A bagging machine of the type (Fig 1) comprising a plurality of filling chutes 12 rotatable about a central pillar 11 and connected to weight measuring mechanism, and a drive means 14 to intermittently rotate the filling chutes 12 through predetermined angular distances and stop the filling chutes 12 for a predetermined period at each one of a number of workstations angularly displaced about the axis of rotation, the drive means being actuated in response to downward movement of a chute at a filling station when a predetermined product weight is loaded into a bag suspended on the chute, is characterised in that each filling chute 12 comprises an upper part 20 pivotally connected to a lower part 21 so that the lower part can freely pivot about a generally horizontal axis to enable a bag 18 secured to the lower chute part 21 to hang vertically and enable precise weight filling of the bag. Clamps 24, 24' retain the bags on the chutes and are automatically released by a cam 3D (Figs 3a, 3b) at a discharge station in which a dispatch support 40 (Fig 4) tilts downwardly on receiving a filled bag to deposit the bag on a discharge conveyor.

Description

The present invention relates to improvements in bagging machines.

A bagging machine is known which comprises a plurality of filling chutes rotatable about a central pillar, the filling chutes enable material to be filled into a bag suspended on the lower end of the chute, and drive means to intermittently rotate the chutes through predetermined angular distances and stop the filling chutes for a predetermined period at each one of a number of workstations angularly displaced about the axis of rotation. An electrically operated control means is provided to energise the drive means and control the intermittent rotation of the filling chutes. Each filling chute is connected to a weight measuring ' mechanism so that once a predetermined weight of material is loaded into a bag suspended on a filling chute, the chute pivots downwardly slightly causing a switch to close, thus energising the drive means to rotate the filling chutes through a predetermined angular distance.

The material to be filled into the bags is continually dispensed above the chutes at a filling station by means of a conveyor apparatus.

The bagging machine is normally employed for example in the filling of compost, grain or other materials into bags. There is provided a number of workstations at which the bags are secured to the filling chutes, the material is filled into the bags, the material is compacted by means of a packer ram, and the bags are removed from the chutes at a dispatch station.

Such a bagging machine will hereinafter be referred to as / a bagging machine of the type described.

However, a number of problems are present in the bagging machine of the type described. For example, if the bags are not secured to the filling chutes in a manner such that the bags hang vertically, the weight distribution of the bag can cause the weight measuring mechanism in the bagging machine to operate and erroneously energise the drive means either too early or too late so that the weight of material in the bag is incorrect. In addition, the bags have to be manually released from the chutes once they have been filled.

An object of the present invention is to provide a bagging machine which mitigates the abovementioned problems.

According to the present invention there is provided a bagging machine of the type described characterised in that the filling chutes each ccmprise an upper chute part and a lower chute part, the lower chute part being pivotally mounted to the upper chute part and directly below the upper chute part, the lower chute part having means for securing a bag, such that in use the lower chute part can pivot about a generally horizontal axis to enable a bag secured to the lower chute part to hang vertically and enable precise weight filling of the bag. , Further preferably, there is provided means to automatically release a bag from the filling chute once • the chute has rotated to a dispatch station. The bags are preferably suspended on each filling chute by means ) 5 of a pair of handles which can pivot upwardly and downwardly and when in the lowermost position a holding rod on the handles engages an upturned lip on the filling chute so that the bag is retained between the holding rod and the upturned lip.

The release means preferably comprises a cam surface mounted on the central pillar and one of the handles on each filling chute carrying a cam follower which engages the cam surface as the chute rotates into the dispatch location. The cam follower is preferably forced upwards as it engages the cam surface thus forcing the handles upward and releasing the engagement of the holding rods with the upturned lip of the filling chute to release a bag.

At the dispatch location there is preferably provided a dispatch frame onto which a bag falls when released from the filling chutes. Preferably, the dispatch frame is resiliently biassed into an upright position, and is adapted to tilt forward approximately 45° when a bag is dropped onto the frame, so that the bag tilts and falls away from the frame and onto a conveyor.

Further preferably, there is provided a bag closing flap mounted generally vertically in front of the dispatch frame and arranged so that as a bag falls off the * dispatch frame its open upper end strikes the closing flap which acts to temporarily hold the top of the bag closed. ff a An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a general perspective view of a bagging machine according to the present invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the filling chutes of the apparatus of Figure 1; Figures 3a and 3b are perspective views of the bag releasing means of the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the dispatch frame of the apparatus of Figure 1; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of the dispatch frame and bag closing flap of the apparatus of Figure 1 in use.

Referring now to the drawings wherein similar numerals have been used to indicate like parts there is shown therein a bagging machine according to the invention generally indicated at 10. The bagging machine 10 comprises a central pillar 11 including a plurality of filling chutes 12 fixed to a hub 13 rotatable around the vertical axis of the central pillar 11, by means of a drive means 14. An electrically operated control means 15 is provided to energise the drive means 14 to provide intermittent rotation of the filling chutes 12. More specifically the control means 15 enables the drive means 14 to intermittently rotate the filling chutes through an angular rotation of 60°, to rotate each filling chute in turn to a filling station X. The filling chutes 12 rotate in a clockwise direction as indicated by arrow A.

A conveyor 16 including a discharge chute 17 is arranged to provide a continuous supply of material to be filled into bags 18 secured to the filling chutes 12.

The discharge chute 17 is located at a position above the filling station X. Once a predetermined weight of material has been loaded into a bag 18 at the filling station X a weight measuring mechanism (not shown) energises the drive means 14 via the control means 15 to rotate the filling chutes in a clockwise direction through another 60° to bring the next bag 18 into position at the filling station. Thus the bagging machine 10 includes six filling chutes 12 which intermittently rotate 60° during each operation of the drive means 14. The bagging machine 10 includes a bag securing station A at which an operator 19 secures the bags 18 to each filling chute in turn, a filling station X at which material is loaded into the bags 18, a packing station Y at which a packing ram 20 compacts the material in the hags 18 and a dispatch station Z at which the bags 18 are removed from the filling chutes 12.

As shown more clearly in Figure 2 the filling chutes 12 are of two part construction and comprise an upper chute part 20 and a lower chute part 21. The lower chute part 21 is pivotally mounted to the upper chute part 20 hy means of a bracket 22 which is fixed to the upper chute part 20, and is connected to the lower chute part 21 hy means of bolts 23 (only one shown).

The lower chute part 21 can pivot about the generally horizontal axis of the bolts 23. Further, the lower chute part 21 has pivotted thereon a pair of handles 24,24* which can pivot upwardly and downwardly, each handle having a holding rod 25 which when in the lowermost position engages with an upturned lip 26 (shown in dotted outline) on the lower edge of the filling chute so that a bag 18 is retained between the holding rod 25 and the upturned lip 26.

V During operation of the bagging machine 10 it often occurs that a bag 18 will be secured to the filling chute not quite symmetrically and with the prior art form of filling chute, this had a tendency to cause the weight measuring mechanism to operate erroneously because of the asymmetric distribution of the weight of material in a bag. However, as shown in Figure 2, even if a bag 18 is . secured to the lower chute part 21 in an asymmetric manner, as the material is loaded into the bag 17 the bag will assume an accurate vertical position as the lower chute part 21 will pivot relative to the upper chute part . The two part construction of the filling chute thus enables accurate weight filling of the bags 18.

Further, the invention provides a release means for releasing the bags 18 from the filling chutes at the dispatch station Z. The release means comprises an upwardly sloping cam member 30 fixed to the central pillar 11 in the region of the dispatch station Z. A cam follower 31 comprising a roller 32 fixed to a support arm 33, is fixed to the inner handle 24 on the filling chute. During the rotation of each filling chute into the dispatch station position, the roller 32 engages the sloping cam member 30 which thus forces the roller 32 and thus the handles 24,24' upwards to release the bag 18 from between the upward turned lip 26 and the holding rod . It will be appreciated that since the ends of the handles 24,24' are connected together by means of a hook 34 and stud 35 movement of the handle 24 upwards also <* causes movement of the handle 24' upwards.

The release means thus provides a simple and automatic construction for the release of filled bags 18 from the filling chutes 12. After release of a bag from the filling chutes the free filling chute rotates to the bag securing station A and the handles are already in a position to enable the operator to readily secure another bag onto the filling chute.

At the dispatch station Z there is further provided a dispatch frane 40 onto which the bags 18 fall when released from the filling chute. The dispatch frame 40 is resiliently biassed into an upright position by means of a spring (not shown) and is arranged to tilt forward about an axle 41 through approximately 45° when a full bag is dropped onto the frame 40. A chain 42 connected to the frame 40 and also to the central pillar 11 limits the degree of tilting of the frame 40. As the frane 40 tilts, the bag 18 falls away from the frame and onto a conveyor 43 which carries the filled bag to a location for storage or transportation. Once the bag 18 is removed from the frame 40, the frame is automatically returned to the upright position by means of the spring to receive the next bag.

A bag closing flap 50 is also provided which is mounted on a frame 51 and hangs generally vertically in front of the dispatch frane 40. As shown in Figure 5 as the bag 18 falls off the dispatch frame the upper open end of the bag strikes the closing flap 50 which acts to temporarily hold the bag closed until it comes to rest on the conveyor 43, thus preventing any substantial spillage from the bag.

Claims (6)

1. A bagging machine of the type described characterised in that the filling chutes each comprise an upper chute part and a lower chute part, the lower chute $ part being pivotally mounted to the upper chute part and directly below the upper chute part, the lower chute part having means for securing a bag, such that in use the lower chute part can pivot about a generally horizontal axis to enable a bag secured to the lower chute to hang vertically and enable precise weight filling of the bag.

2. A bagging machine as claimed in Claim 1 comprising releasing means for automatically releasing a bag from the filling chute at a dispatch station.

3. A bagging machine as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the releasing means comprises a sloping cam member mounted on a central pillar in the region of the dispatch station, and a cam follower carried by the securing means and arranged to engage the sloping cam surface to pivot the securing means and release a bag from the filling chute.

4. A bagging machine as claimed in any preceding Claim wherein there is provided a pivotal dispatch frame at the dispatch station, onto which a bag released from the filling chutes falls, the frame acting to cause the bag to fall radially away from the bagging machine.

5. A bagging machine as claimed in Claim 4 wherein there is provided a bag closing flap mounted generally vertically in front of the dispatch frame.

6. Ά bagging machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.