# US 10,370,128 B2 · Apparatus for compacting product and high speed bagmaking

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- Number: US 10,370,128 B2
- Document ID: US10370128B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/019,278
- Filed: 2016-02-09
- Published: 2016-06-02
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2009-10-23
- Assignees: Frito-Lay North America, Inc.
- Applicants: Frito-Lay North America, Inc.
- Inventors: Patrick J. Bierschenk; Jerry Mike Reaves
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10370128B2

## CPC

- B65B 1/22: by vibration
- B65B 1/00: Packaging fluent solid material, e.g. powders, granular or loose fibrous material, loose masses of small articles, in individual containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, or jars
- B65B 1/32: by weighing (check-weighing of filled containers or receptacles B65B1/46)
- B65B 9/20: the webs being formed into tubes in situ around the filling nozzles
- B65B 37/18: by weighing {(devices or methods for controlling the quantity of material or liquid fed or filled into a container by weighing B65B1/32, B65B3/28)}
- B65B 63/02: for compressing or compacting articles or materials prior to wrapping or insertion in containers or receptacles
- B65B 65/006: {Multiple parallel packaging lines}
- B65B 2210/02: Plurality of alternative input or output lines or plurality of alternative packaging units on the same packaging line for improving machine flexibility
- B65B: MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING (bundling and pressing devices for cigars A24C1/44; devices for tensioning and securing binders adapted to be supported by the article or articles to be bound B25B25/00; applying closure members to bottles, jars or similar containers B67B1/00-B67B6/00; concurrent cleaning, filling and closing of bottles B67C7/00; emptying bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels or similar containers B67C9/00)

## Abstract

A method for compacting and packaging a plurality of slugs of product and apparatus for accomplishing the same. The invention describes collecting weighed product in an intermediate settling device to form compact slugs of product. The device can comprise a single settling chamber for each slug of product or can comprise multiple settling chambers which are axially rotatable. The slugs can be compacted by jostling and/or vibrating the settling device. Thereafter, the slugs of product are discharged to a multiple bagmaking packaging apparatus.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for compacting and packaging a plurality of product slugs with an apparatus comprising a bagmaker having a number of product delivery cylinders, said method comprising:
a) weighing a plurality of product slugs simultaneously in a single weigher, wherein the weigher is divided into a number of sections equal to the number of product delivery cylinders with each section weighing and discharging one of the plurality of product slugs;
b) receiving said plurality of product slugs to a settling device comprising a settling chamber and a gate;
c) compacting said plurality of product slugs in said settling device to form compact slugs of product;
d) discharging said compact slugs of product to said product delivery cylinder; and
e) depositing said slugs of product from said product delivery cylinder to packages,
wherein said settling device is located downstream from said weigher and upstream from said product delivery cylinder, and wherein said receiving step and said discharging step occur simultaneously, wherein said compacting step comprises vibrating said settling device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein said receiving step comprises receiving product into the settling chamber.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein said receiving step and said discharging step occur simultaneously.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein said receiving step comprises receiving product into the settling chamber, and wherein said depositing step comprises depositing at least two slugs from the settling chamber into a package.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the compacting step comprises vibrating the settling chamber with a vibrator.