Pneumatic bagger ring

Apparatus for use in placing an item in a pliant tubular bag having an open end and a closed end, the apparatus comprising:

• a stationary horizontal base;
• support means connected to the base member, the support means including a hollow upright leg having a lower end and an upper end;
• a hollow ring member attached to the upper end of the hollow upright leg and maintained substantially horizontal by the support means in spaced relation above the base, the ring member having an outer circumference smaller than the circumference of the tubular bag, an internal opening large enough to pass the item, a smooth upper surface, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced ports extending between the hollow interior and said upper surface of the ring member;
• a conduit including said hollow upright leg, the conduit having an inlet end connected to a source of fluid under pressure and communicating with the hollow interior of the ring member;
• and
• a normally closed valve device disposed in said conduit, said valve device having an actuator that is selectively actuatable for opening the valve for delivering fluid to the hollow ring member and thence outwardly through the circumferentially spaced ports to facilitate pushing the item enclosed in the bag downward through the internal opening of the ring after the bag has been everted over the ring.

Apparatus for use in inserting an item in a tubular pliant film bag having an open end and a closed end, the apparatus comprising:

• a flat oblong base plate having front and rear edges, two side edges longer than the front and rear edges, and a top surface;
• a flat support plate having a rear edge parallel to and spaced from the rear edge of the base plate, a top surface and an under surface;
• means for connecting the flat support plate to the base plate for pivotal movement about a hinge axis parallel to the rear edge of the base plate;
• three support legs, each leg having a lower end attached to the upper surface of the flat support plate and an upper end, one of the legs having a hollow interior communicating with the internal passage of the ring member;
• a ring member attached to the upper ends of the three support legs in spaced relation to the upper surface of the support plate and having a smooth upper surface, an internal passage, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced ports extending between the internal passage and the smooth upper surface, the ring member having an outer circumference smaller than the peripheral length of the open end of the bag and an inner opening large enough to pass said item;
• a valve device having a housing with an inlet port adapted to be connected to a source of fluid under pressure, an outlet port, an actuator having a contact surface movable toward the housing against a biasing force from a first valve-shut position to a second valve-open position;
• means for mounting the valve selectively at one of a plurality of positions on the upper surface of the base plate, said positions being at predetermined different distances from the rear edge of the base plate, such that the actuator is contacted by the under surface of the support plate at a location spaced from the hinge axis, the actuator being movable toward said second valve-open position in response to rotation of the support plate about the hinge axis toward the upper surface of the base plate;
• and
• a flexible hose connecting the outlet port of the valve housing to the hollow interior of said one leg, such that fluid from the source will be delivered via said valve, when in the valve-open position, through the circumferentially spaced ports to facilitate pushing the item enclosed in the bag downward through the internal opening of the ring after the bag has been everted over the ring.

A method for placing an item into a pliant bag, the method comprising, in sequence:

• (a) contacting an exterior surface portion of a pliant open-top bag against a vertically supported substantially horizontal hollow ring, the ring having an upper surface with a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings communicating with the hollow interior thereof and the outer circumference of the ring being less than the peripheral length of the open top of the bag;
• (b) moving the open top of the bag toward and over the ring such that the edge of the open top passes by and exposes the interior surface of the contacted portion of the bag;
• (c) pulling the open top of the bag downward around the ring so that the bag is turned inside out over the ring;
• (d) placing an item within the ring in contact with the exposed inner surface of the bottom of the bag;
• (e) moving the item downward through the ring in contact with the inner surface of the bottom of the bag to draw the top of the bag up, over, and through the ring, thereby turning the bag right side out with the item inside;
• and
• (f) supplying a flow of air from the hollow interior of the ring through said spaced openings during step (e) to decrease friction and adhesion between the exterior surface of the bag and the upper surface of the ring.