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US 6,202,389 B1Granted
Bagging machine
AssigneeAg-Bag International Limited
InventorsLarry R. Inman, Michael H. Koskela, Richard G. Lovell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bagging machine for bagging material in an elongate bag. An anchor connected to a cable extends from the machine and resides in the material being placed in the bag. The anchor may be extended different distances from the machine to provide a varying restricting force to restrict the movement of the machine away from the bag being filled. Powered reels are provided to reel in cable or play out cable to vary the distance between the anchor and machine.
Claims10
A bagging machine comprising:
- a movable chassis movable along an underlying stationary support;
- a tunnel mounted on the chassis, said tunnel having an inlet end and an outlet end;
- a material mover mounted at the inlet end for receiving and moving material under pressure through the inlet end and into and through the tunnel;
- a material storage bag mounted to the tunnel at the outlet end and incrementally deployable from the tunnel and onto the stationary support, said storage bag having a closed end that closes the outlet end of the tunnel whereby movement of the material through the tunnel deposits the material into a deployed portion of the bag supported on the stationary support;
- said storage bag gathered on the tunnel and deployed incrementally off the tunnel when a previously deployed portion of the bag is sufficiently filled with the material;
- a mechanism for producing compaction of the material in the bag, said mechanism including an anchor tethered to the machine by a tether and embedded in the material in the bag whereby as the pressure generated by the moving material urges movement of the movable chassis relative to the bag, said movement is resisted by the anchor embedded in the material, the resistance producing compaction of the material;
- and
- a deployment control provided for the machine including a deployment socket mounted in the tunnel through which the tether is extended, and a mechanism for positioning the anchor between positions of retraction where the anchor is located in abutting relation to the socket and extension where the anchor is spaced from the socket and located in the bag.
5 more elements
A method of filling a bag with loose material which comprises:
- providing a movable bag filling machine that directs loose material into and through a tunnel and into a bag secured in a gathered condition at an exit end of the tunnel;
- providing an anchor that is tethered to the machine with the tether extended through a socket in the tunnel for placement of the anchor in the bag, and further providing a tether control for alternative positioning of the anchor location as between a retracted position in abutting relation to the socket and a deployed position spaced from the socket and in the bag;
- braking the machine and forcing material into the bag to thereby fill an end portion of the bag;
- deploying the anchor for embedding the anchor in the material in the bag;
- thereafter forcing material into the bag until exceeding the resistance of the anchor to being dragged through the material thereby forcing movement of the machine and deployment of incremental portions of the gathered bag.
2 more elements
A bagging machine comprising:
- a movable chassis movable along an underlying stationary support;
- a tunnel mounted on the chassis, said tunnel having an inlet end and an outlet end;
- a material mover mounted at the inlet end for receiving and moving material under pressure through the inlet end and into and through the tunnel;
- a material storage bag mounted to the tunnel at the outlet end and incrementally deployable from the tunnel and onto the stationary support, said storage bag having a closed end that closes the outlet end of the tunnel whereby movement of the material through the tunnel deposits the material into a deployed portion of the bag supported on the stationary support;
- said storage bag gathered on the tunnel and deployed incrementally off the tunnel when a previously deployed portion of the bag is sufficiently filled with the material;
- a mechanism for producing compaction of the material in the bag, said mechanism including an anchor tethered to the machine and embedded in the material in the bag whereby as the pressure generated by the moving material urges movement of the movable chassis relative to the bag, said movement is resisted by the anchor embedded in the material, the resistance producing compaction of the material;
- and
- said mechanism further including a powered reel rotatably secured to the machine for reeling in and reeling out the tether.
5 more elements
A method of filling a bag with loose material which comprises:
- providing a movable bag filling machine that directs loose material into and through a tunnel and into a bag secured in a gathered condition at an exit end of the tunnel;
- providing an anchor that is tethered to the machine and extended into the bag;
- braking the machine and forcing material into the bag to thereby fill an end portion of the bag while embedding the anchor in the material in the bag;
- thereafter forcing material into the bag until exceeding the resistance of the anchor to being dragged through the material thereby forcing movement of the machine and deployment of incremental portions of the gathered bag;
- and
- adjusting the anchor resistance by reeling in and reeling out the tether.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.