# US 5,708,339 A · Bag neck gathering stop

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- Number: US 5,708,339 A
- Document ID: US5708339A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/583,567
- Filed: 1996-01-05
- Granted: 1998-01-13
- Earliest claimed: 1993-09-30
- Assignees: Burford Corporation
- Inventors: Jimmy R. Frazier; John D. Richardson; Greg P. Coxsey
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5708339A

## CPC

- H02P 8/00: Arrangements for controlling dynamo-electric motors rotating step by step
- B65B 51/08: Applying binding material, e.g. to twisted bag necks
- H02P 5/50: by comparing electrical values representing the speeds
- H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS
- 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 bag neck tying device for tying a ribbon dispensed from a spool about a gathered neck. A pulley and proximity switch are mounted to prevent the completion of a tying cycle if a bag neck is not properly gathered and ready to be tied.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Apparatus for securing a bundle of gathered material comprising:
a frame having a slot defining a path;
a shaft secured to said frame;
a stop lever mounted on said shaft for rotary movement about an axis;
an electric brake mounted between said stop lever and said frame;
an electric circuit having a timer connected to said electric brake; and
a switch in said electric circuit, said switch having an arm positioned to extend across said path, said switch, timer and electric brake being connected to momentarily lock said stop lever in a position extending across said path such that material moving along said slot is gathered adjacent said stop lever.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

Apparatus for securing a bundle of gathered material according to claim 1 with the addition of a source of ribbon;
a holder-shear assembly for cutting the ribbon and gripping the free end of said ribbon;
a pulley engaging said ribbon between said source of ribbon and said holder-shear assembly;
a proximity switch adjacent said pulley; and
a needle engaging said ribbon between said pulley and said holder-shear assembly, said needle being configured for wrapping the ribbon around material gathered adjacent said lever, said proximity switch being mounted in a circuit configured to indicate when the ribbon has been wrapped around gathered material adjacent said lever.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

Apparatus for securing a bundle of gathered material according to claim 1, said shaft extending through said electric brake such that movement of said stop lever is restrained when said electric brake is energized.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

Apparatus for securing a bundle of gathered material according to claim 3, said timer being electrically connected between said electric brake and said switch for de-energizing said electric brake at the expiration of a predetermined period of time after said electric brake has been energized.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

Apparatus for securing a bundle of gathered material according to claim 3, with the addition of a biasing mechanism connected between said shaft and said frame to resiliently urge said bag stop toward a predetermined home position.

### Claim 6

Bag neck tying apparatus comprising:
a frame having a slot defining a path;
a source of ribbon for dispensing a strand of ribbon having a free end and a central portion;
a holder-shear assembly on said frame for cutting the ribbon and holding the free end of said ribbon;
a needle assembly movably secured to said frame for engaging and positioning said central portion of said ribbon adjacent said holder-shear assembly;
a twister assembly movably secured relative to said frame having a hook adjacent said holder-shear assembly;
a bag stop lever mounted on said frame;
biasing means mounted between said frame and said bag stop lever for resiliently urging said bag stop lever toward a home position extending across said path;
an electric brake for locking said bag stop lever in said home position such that a bag neck moves into engagement with said bag stop lever for gathering material;
a timer for energizing said electric brake to momentarily lock said bag stop in said home position and to de-energize said electric brake at the expiration of a predetermined time period;
a plurality of electric motors, said electric motors having drive shafts connected to each of said holder-shear assemblies, needle assembly and twister assembly;
encoders connected to each said electric motor for generating electrical signals related to the position of each said drive shaft;
a closed loop control circuit connected to said motor and to said encoder; and
a controller connected to said closed loop control circuit for controlling each of said electric motors to synchronize movement of each of said assemblies relative to each of the other assemblies.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

Bag neck tying apparatus according to claim 6, with the addition of a proximity switch associated with said source of ribbon and said controller to prevent movement of said holder-shear assembly if said needle assembly has failed to wrap the ribbon around a bag neck.

### Claim 8

Bag neck tying apparatus comprising:
a frame;
a source of ribbon for dispensing a strand of ribbon having a free end and a central portion;
electrically driven holder-shear assembly for cutting the ribbon and holding the free end of said ribbon;
a needle assembly for engaging and positioning said central portion of said ribbon adjacent said holder-shear assembly;
a material gathering assembly for gathering material, said gathering assembly being positioned adjacent said holder-shear assembly;
a twister assembly movably secured relative to said frame having a hook adjacent said holder-shear assembly;
a switch having an arm positioned to be engaged by material moved by said material gathering assembly;
a stop lever mounted on said frame;
an electric brake connected to said switch and to said stop lever for momentarily locking said stop lever in a home position such that material is gathered adjacent said lever when said brake is energized;
a timer connected to said switch and said brake for de-energizing said brake after expiration of a predetermined period of time; and
a proximity switch adjacent said ribbon in an electrical circuit connected to said electrically driven holder-shear assembly to prevent actuation of said holder-shear assembly if said needle assembly fails to pull ribbon from said source of ribbon to wrap ribbon around gathered material adjacent said twister assembly.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

Bag neck tying apparatus according to claim 8, said holder-shear assembly comprising:
a mounting plate;
a gripper arm;
a gripper finger on one end of said gripper arm;
means for rotatably securing said gripper arm to said mounting plate;
a pair of anvils on said mounting plate, each of said anvils being associated with shear surfaces to grip and cut a strand of ribbon positioned between one of said anvils and said gripper finger; and
an electric motor drivingly connected to said gripper arm for moving said gripper finger to cut and grip said ribbon.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

Bag neck tying apparatus according to claim 8, said needle assembly comprising:
a needle;
an idler roller on said needle;
an electric motor having an output shaft; and
a gearbox drivingly connecting said needle to said motor output shaft.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

Bag neck tying apparatus according to claim 8, said source of ribbon comprising:
ribbon on a spool routed around at least one pulley such that said pulley rotates if ribbon is pulled from said spool;
a plurality of index pointers on said pulley;
a proximity switch positioned near said pulley for making an electrical circuit to output pulses when the presence of an indexing pointer is sensed; and
a CPU connected to said proximity switch to monitor the proximity switch output and count pulses produced by said index pointers, said CPU calculating the amount of ribbon dispensed to determine whether or not a bag neck is present as said needle assembly moves toward said holder-shear assembly.