Bag applicator assembly for a stationary packer assembly for filling valve bags, stationary packer assembly comprising this bag applicator assembly and method for operating this bag applicator assembly

A bag applicator assembly for a stationary packer assembly (2) comprising a plurality of filling nozzles (12), arranged linearly, for filling valve bags (3), wherein each of the valve bags (3) comprises a valve (4) selectively movable between a closed and an open configuration;

• the bag applicator comprising:
• a bag feeding device (21) comprising a supporting plane (5) configured for receiving the valve bag (3) having the valve (4) in the closed configuration;
• a valve opening device (6) configured for cyclically moving between a first configuration of picking the valve bag (3) from the supporting plane (5) and a second configuration of opening the valve (4) and keeping the valve (4) in the open configuration, wherein the valve opening device (6) comprises:
• a supporting frame (7) pivotably connected to the supporting plane (5), wherein:
• in a lower position, the supporting frame (7) is parallel to the supporting plane (5);
• and
• in a raised position, the supporting frame (7) is tilted with respect to the supporting plane (5);
• and
• a bag applicator device (13) comprising a tilting arm (14) configured to pivot to switch between a travelling position and a releasing position, the bag applicator device (13) configured to:
• pick up the valve bag (3) from the valve opening device (6), wherein the valve bag (3) is picked up from the valve opening device (6) when the supporting frame (7) is in the raised position, wherein the supporting frame (7) is tilted with respect to the supporting plane (5);
• move the valve bag (3), linearly, towards a selected one of the filling nozzles (12) in a travelling configuration while avoiding valve bag (3) interference with the filling nozzles (12) wherein, in the travelling configuration, the tilting arm (14) is in the travelling position, thereby avoiding the valve bag (3) interference during liner movement past the filling nozzles (12);
• and
• release the valve bag (3) at the selected filling nozzle (12), by pivoting the tilting arm (14) to the releasing position;
• wherein in the second configuration of the valve opening device (6), the bag applicator device (13) is configured to pick up the valve bag (3) in the travelling configuration without requiring the tilting arm (14) to change from the travelling position by virtue of the supporting frame (7) handing over the valve bag (3) in the raised position.