Filling sleeve

#The invention relates to a filling sleeve to be attached to a charging cone for bulk material, having an arbitrary entrance cross-section and a square or rectangular exit cross-section, for filling containers with a square or rectangular cross-section, in particular for filling clamped-on bags with side folds.

#Filling sleeves of this type are used to adapt the cross-section of the filling device to the cross-section of the container, i.e. the exit cross-section of the filling device largely has to correspond to the entrance cross-section of the container which has to be filled and which, normally, is formed by a bag attached by external clamping devices to the filling sleeve. As a rule, the filling sleeves can easily be separated from the charging cone in order to be able to attach the filling sleeves which match different bag shapes and bag sizes. The entrance cross-section can be arbitrary, i.e. it can be either circular or square for example.

#When filling the attached bags with material after the lock aperture in the charging cone above has been opened, the filling material preferably flows centrally into the bag which, initially, still comprises its square or rectangular shape predetermined by the exit cross-section of the filling cone. However, because the bag is filled centrally, it has a tendency to bulge out or acquire a round shape because the conically accumulating material initially applies a load to the bag wall centers. In particular, this applies to granular filling materials with bad flow properties. Such a round bag—after having been released by the clamping devices—is difficult to close because the edges of the bag flap are no longer positioned parallel relative to one another, as was the case while the bag was being attached to the filing sleeve. Apart from the problems involved in closing the bag, bags with a round shape are disadvantageous in that they can no longer be stacked densely and securely on pallets.

#FIG. 1a shows a first side view of an inventive filling sleeve with a cruciform built-in structure.

#FIG. 1b shows a second side view of the filling sleeve of FIG. 1a.

#FIG. 1c shows a plan view of the filling sleeve of FIG. 1a.

#FIG. 1 shows a filling sleeve 11 which comprises a vertical sleeve axis A, with the following details being identifiable. An upper flange 12 comprises a basic rectangular shape and is provided with two fixing holes 13, 14 for attaching the flange and bolting the flange to the counter flange of a charging cone from which a measured quantity of filling material flows through the filling sleeve 11 into a container positioned underneath or attached, especially a bag with side folds. The flange 12 with a square entrance aperture 15 is followed by an upper portion 16 of the filling sleeve which, from said square entrance aperture 15, converges towards a narrowest intermediate cross-section 17 which is also square in shape. This is followed by a lower portion 18 of the filling sleeve which widens from said intermediate cross-section 17 into a rectangular exit cross-section 19. In the upper portion 18 there is provided a built-in structure with a cruciform basal area which, while being built up on the exit cross-section, consists of a large first wedge element 21 bisecting the longer axis of the exit cross-section, and of a second wedge element 22 which is less high and which bisects the shorter axis of the exit cross-section. The two wedge elements intersect each other and are inserted symmetrically with an upwardly directed wedge point with a wedge angle of approximately 30°. The plan view of FIG. 1c of the built-in structure shows that the two wedge elements penetrate one another. In the view of FIG. 1d from below of the exit aperture it can be seen that the second wedge element 22 in the form of a one-piece plate metal angle, is inserted into the first wedge element 21 which is provided with cut-outs and which also consists of a one-piece plate metal angle. The ratio of the basal areas of the wedge elements and thus, with predetermined identical wedge angles, also the ratio of the heights is thus that in the four corners of the rectangular exit cross-section, there remain free four square exit apertures 23, 24, 25, 26. The stream of filling material is thus divided into four individual streams which flow into the outermost corners of the attached bag and from there are able to flow towards the center, so that first the basic rectangular shape of the attached bag is stabilized, with the tendency of the bag to form a round shape as a result of the in-flowing filing material being suppressed.

#FIG. 2 shows a filling sleeve 11 which comprises a vertical sleeve axis A, with the following details being identifiable. An upper flange 12 comprises a basic rectangular shape and is provided with two fixing holes 13, 14 for attaching the flange and bolting the flange to the counter flange of a charging cone from which a measured quantity of filling material flows through the filling sleeve 11 into a container positioned underneath or attached, especially a bag with side folds. The flange 12 with a square entrance aperture 15 is followed by an upper portion 16 of the filling sleeve which, from said square entrance aperture 15 converges, approximately unchanged, towards a narrowest intermediate cross-section 17 which is also square in shape. This is adjoined by a lower portion 18 of the filling sleeve, which lower portion 18 widens from said intermediate cross-section 17 to form a rectangular exit cross-section 19. In the lower portion 18, there is provided a built-in structure with a square basal area which is arranged corner-wise relative to the exit cross-section and which, while being built up on the exit cross-section, consists of a straight pyramid member 27 with an upwardly directed point. The point angle of the pyramid as measured between two edges amounts to approximately 60°. The central position of the pyramid point can be seen in the plan view of the built-in structure. In the view, from below, of the exit aperture it can be seen that the pyramid has been inserted in the form of a plate metal structure which is open at its bottom end. The distance between the pyramid edges and the filling sleeve walls is bridged by connecting plates 29, 30, 31, 32 which can extend from the exit aperture 19 to the level of the transition cross-section 17. In the four corners of the rectangular exit cross-section 17 there remain, in this embodiment, four triangular exit regions 33, 34, 3536 whose points are cut off by a small amount by connecting plates. The stream of filling material is thus divided into four individual streams which flow into the outermost corners of the attached bag and from there, are able to flow back into the center of the bag, so that, initially, the rectangular basic shape of the attached bag is stabilized, with the tendency of the bag to form a round shape as a result of the in-flowing filling material being suppressed.