Automatic wicketing apparatus
AssigneeHuntsman Packaging Corporation
InventorsGordon F. Pickering, Richard E. Partch, Stewart L. Fluent, Colin R. Hart
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for accumulating a stack of bags having wicket receiving holes comprises a paddle wheel conveyor for placing bags, a motorized stacker wheel adjacent the paddle wheel conveyor to receive the placed bags from the paddle wheel, a plurality of stacker bar units each rotatably mounted to the stacker wheel and a pick up head operatively positioned adjacent said plurality of stacker bar units for receiving the stack of bags from one of the stacker bar units. The pick up head has two tubes that receive and maintain alignment of the bags, a restraining jaw for restraining the stack of bags on the tubes and a pusher plate for pushing the stack of bags off the two tubes.
Claims20
An apparatus for accumulating a stack of bags having wicket receiving holes, comprising:
- a paddle wheel conveyor for placing bags;
- a motorized stacker wheel disposed adjacent the paddle wheel conveyor to receive the placed bags from the paddle wheel;
- a plurality of stacker bar units having a plurality of pins secured to a support beam of each stacker bar unit for receiving the bags, wherein each stacker bar unit is rotatably mounted to the stacker wheel;
- a pick-up head operatively positioned adjacent said plurality of stacker bar units for receiving the stack of bags from one of said stacker bar units, said pickup head comprising:
- two tubes that receive and maintain alignment of the stack of bags,
- a restraining jaw for restraining the stack of bags on the two tubes, and
- a pusher plate for pushing the stack of bags off the two tubes.
An apparatus for accumulating a stack of bags having wicket receiving holes, comprising:
- a paddle wheel conveyor for placing bags;
- a stacker wheel disposed adjacent the paddle wheel conveyor to receive the placed bags from the paddle wheel, said stacker wheel including a front plate and a back plate that are connected so that both plates rotate together in unison;
- wherein the back plate is connected to the front plate by a plurality of rotor control link assemblies, wherein the back plate is connected to a shaft that is connected to a gearbox of a motor for driving and rotating the stacker wheel;
- a plurality of stacker bar units having a plurality of pins secured to a support beam of each stacker bar unit for receiving the bags, wherein each stacker bar unit is rotatably coupled to a rotor control link assembly so that the support beams remain in a horizontal position as the stacker wheel is rotated, wherein each stacker bar unit is rotatably mounted to the stacker wheel;
- a pick-up head operatively positioned adjacent said plurality of stacker bar units for receiving the stack of bags from one of said stacker bar units, said pickup head comprising:
- two tubes that receive and maintain alignment of the stack of bags,
- a restraining jaw for restraining the stack of bags on the two tubes, and
- a pusher plate for pushing the stack of bags off the two tubes;
- an indexing means for moving a stacker bar unit from a stacking station into a stack loading station when a predetermined number of bags is placed upon the pins of said stacker bar unit in said stacking station;
- a pivot arm pivotally mounted to the pick-up head.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.