Apparatus for the automatic filling of bags at the discharge spout of a filling hopper

Abstract

An apparatus for the automatic filling of bags at a discharge spout of a filling hopper wherein empty bags are stored in a bag magazine in a horizontal position, the apparatus including an attachment unit hub, a frame pivotably mounted on the hub, a suction device mounted on the frame for individually removing each bag from the bag magazine and for swinging the removed bag into an essentially vertical hanging position and including a drum having suction mechanism, a spreading mechanism mounted on the frame for opening a respective bag mouth, and a holding device for holding each bag mouth tightly against the discharge spout, wherein the drum is mounted on the frame for horizontal movement and for rotation about an axis parallel to the surface of the stored bags and for movement parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stored bags upon pivoting of the frame about the attachment unit hub, such that the drum is lowered towards the stored bags so that the suction mechanism seizes the respective topmost bag of the bag magazine near the mouth of the individual bag.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.