Bag packaging method and assembly for a bag filling station
AssigneeOPTIMA Machinery Corporation
InventorsRon Parsons, Gerald Townsend
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A packaging method and assembly includes a bag loading assembly operable to load single sized bags into a loading station at a plurality of distances and a cutter assembly operable to cut the single sized bag to a desired size. A bag manipulating assembly operable to open the bag to allow a package to be inserted into the bag and to seal the bag after the package has been inserted into the bag. The packaging method and assembly also preferably includes a tail remover that removes the cut tail of the bag from the packaging assembly.
Claims24
A device for filling and sealing bags, the device comprising:
- a frame;
- a loading station within the frame;
- and
- a bag loading assembly coupled to the frame and adjacent the loading station, the bag loading assembly including
- a bag holder for holding a stack of bags;
- and
- a conveyor assembly adjacent the bag holder and movable between a first position, where the conveyor assembly engages a bag from the stack of bags, and one of a plurality of second positions, where the conveyor assembly loads an open end of the bag into the loading station at one of a plurality of distances.
A device for filling and sealing bags, the device comprising:
- a frame;
- a loading station within the frame;
- a package loading assembly coupled to the frame and adjacent the loading station;
- a bag loading assembly coupled to the frame and adjacent the loading station, the bag loading assembly including
- a bag holder for holding a stack of bags;
- a conveyor assembly adjacent the bag holder and movable between a first position, where the conveyor assembly engages a bag from the stack of bags, and one of a plurality of second positions, where the conveyor assembly loads an open end of the bag into the loading station at one of a plurality of distances;
- and
- a bag manipulating assembly coupled to the frame to facilitate gripping the bag and opening the bag, the bag manipulating assembly including
- a plurality of gripper plates for gripping the bag and opening the bag, the gripper plates extending longitudinally into the bag.
A method of packaging an item in a bag using an automated packaging device, the method comprising:
- providing a loading assembly feeding a selective amount of an open end of a bag into a loading station;
- cutting a tail of the bag from the bag;
- removing the tail from the automated packaging device;
- and
- providing a bag manipulating assembly having a plurality of gripper plates for gripping the bag and opening the bag, the gripper plates extending longitudinally into the bag.
- loading the item into the bag;
A device for opening and sealing a bag, the device comprising:
- a frame;
- a loading station within the frame;
- a bag loading assembly coupled to the frame and adjacent the loading station, the bag loading assembly including
- a bag holder for holding a stack of bags;
- and
- a conveyor assembly adjacent the bag holder and movable between a first position, where the conveyor assembly engages a bag from the stack of bags, and one of a plurality of second positions, where the conveyor assembly loads an open end of the bag into the loading station at one of a plurality of distances;
- an upper jaw movable in a substantially vertical plane;
- a lower jaw movable in the same substantially vertical plane as the upper jaw and supported on the frame by at least one support member;
- an upper gripper plate pivotally mounted to the upper jaw, the upper gripper plate being operable to extend longitudinally into the bag and open the bag;
- and
- a lower gripper plate pivotally mounted to the lower jaw, the lower gripper plate being operable to extend longitudinally into the bag and open the bag.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.