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US 8,474,227 B2Granted
Bag accumulating device, bag neck gathering machine, and method
OwnerJere F. Irwininventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bag accumulating device is provided with a first drive mechanism and a second drive mechanism. The first drive mechanism is configured to advance an open-mouth portion of a bag at a first speed. The second drive mechanism is provided adjacent and downstream of the first drive mechanism. The second drive mechanism is configured to advance the open-mouth portion of the bag at a second speed that is less than the first speed so as to accumulate and foreshorten the open-mouth portion of the bag. A method is also provided.
Claims27
A bag neck accumulating device for flexible plastic bags, comprising:
- a conveyor belt configured to move a sequential array of plastic bags each containing one or more articles supported for movement in a substantially horizontal plane along an article travel path that presents an open-mouth portion of each bag in a substantially horizontal plane;
- a lower drive unit;
- an upper drive unit supported in floating relation atop the lower drive unit;
- a first drive mechanism provided by the upper drive unit and the lower drive unit and configured along a laterally constrained course spaced from the conveyor belt along a bag neck travel path, provided laterally of the article travel path and configured to advance the substantially horizontal open-mouth portion of a bag at a first speed;
- and
- a second drive mechanism provided by the upper drive unit and the lower drive unit and configured along the laterally constrained course provided along the bag neck travel path adjacent and downstream of the first drive mechanism and configured to advance the open-mouth portion of the bag at a second speed less than the first speed so as to accumulate and foreshorten the open-mouth portion of the bag;
- wherein the upper drive unit is pivotally affixed to the lower drive unit via a hinge such that during an operating state of the device while accumulating bag necks a top portion of the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism can be separated from a bottom portion of the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism by pivoting the upper drive unit upwardly away from the lower drive unit about the hinge while the open-mouth portion of each bag passes therethrough.
4 more elements
A bag neck gathering machine, comprising:
- a lower drive unit;
- an upper drive unit pivotally supported in floating relation atop the lower drive unit for engagement together via gravitational attraction of the upper drive unit towards the lower drive unit and separation apart via an articulating drive connection that maintains coupling of the drive connection as the upper drive unit is pivoted relative to the lower drive unit during passage of open-mouth portions of bags between the lower drive unit and the upper drive unit;
- a first drive mechanism provided between the lower drive unit and the upper drive unit and configured to move an open neck of a plastic bag along a travel path at a first speed;
- and
- a second drive mechanism provided between the lower drive unit and the upper drive unit and configured to move the open neck of the plastic bag along the travel path at a second speed below that of the first speed so as to bunch up the neck of the plastic bag between the pair of bands for delivery into a bag closing machine.
2 more elements
A bag neck gathering machine, comprising:
- a conveyor for moving a series of bags each with at least one article along a first travel path;
- a first feed mechanism for moving an open neck portion of a bag at a first rate along a second travel path spaced laterally of the first travel path;
- a second feed mechanism proximate and downstream of the first feed mechanism for moving the open neck portion of the bag at a second rate less than the first rate to gather together at least in part the open neck portion of the bag;
- and
- a floating drive mechanism having a lower drive unit and an upper drive unit supported in generally vertical floating relation atop the lower drive unit, the floating drive mechanism provided by the first feed mechanism and the second feed mechanism for engaging through gravitational attraction and disengaging against gravitational attraction bag contact portions of the first means feed mechanism and the second feed mechanism while open-mouth portions of bags pass between the portions of the first feed mechanism and the second feed mechanism.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.