US 6,773,385 B2Granted

Packaging liner insertion apparatuses and methods for flexible container liners

AssigneeR. A. Pearson Company

InventorsMichael Johnson, Richard McQuary, Gordon Langlot, Larry Horton

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

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Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for inserting flexible bags and other liners into open packaging containers. One or more engagement heads engage and position the flexible liners in preparation for their insertion into open containers using an insertion assembly. One or more of the engagement heads are preferably made with vacuum heads that are movable to open the liner for the insertion assembly. A cuffing assembly can be included for cuffing the open end of the liners over the top edges of the open containers. Clamping assemblies can be included on the cuffing assembly to facilitate holding the liners during insertion and cuffing. The use of an engagement assembly, insertion assembly, and cuffing assembly which are independently driven helps to provide greater speed and operational flexibility.

Claims16

Dependent claims

An apparatus for inserting and cuffing a flexible liner onto a packaging container, comprising:

at least one dispenser for supplying a flexible liner to be inserted into a container;
at least one movable engagement head for engaging a liner supplied by said at least one dispenser and moving the liner in preparation for insertion into a container positioned in a container receiving area of said apparatus;
at least one insertion assembly mounted for movement to insert the liner positioned by said at least one movable engagement head;
at least one cuffing assembly mounted for movement to cuff the liner over the packaging container;
at least one cuffing clamp mounted upon said at least one cuffing assembly for controllably clamping the liner during at least a portion of the inserting and cuffing operation performed on the liner;
wherein said at least one liner engagement head is movable into engagement with a liner held by the at least one dispenser while the at least one insertion assembly is in an extended position inserting another liner into a container positioned in the container receiving area.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/347,174Filed 17 Jan 2003 · continuation in part
Priority: 17 Dec 2001
Published: US 2003/0114286 A128 Aug 2003
Granted: 10 Aug 2004
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

B31B 50/81
Auxiliary operations: forming or attaching accessories, e.g. opening devices, closures or tear strings
B31B 50/00
Making rigid or semi-rigid containers
B31B 2105/00
Rigid or semi-rigid containers made by assembling separate sheets, blanks or webs
B31B 2120/406
By applying a liner to already made boxes, e.g. opening or distending of the liner or the box: the lining material being a plunger, a web, a sheet…

Family

Application10/024,707Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 17 Dec 2001
US 2003/0162642 A1Pre-grant publication · published 28 Aug 2003
US 2003/0114286 A1Published application
US 6,767,316 B2Related patent
US 6,773,385 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.