Settling Systems for Bag-in-Box Machines

In U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,983,682 and 4,571,926, there are shown apparatus for delivering a predetermined weight of particulate material into a bag and thereafter depositing the bag in a carton. In the aforesaid applications, the bag is formed on the outside of a filling tube and the product is delivered into the filling tube, whereupon the bag is moved downwardly from the filling tube and, as it descends, the particulate material gravitates from the filling tube into the bag. The lower end of the bag is sealed and severed prior to descent from the filling tube to form the lower end of the bag and when the upper end of the filled bag leaves the filling tube, the upper end is sealed and severed to form the top of a filled bag. The means for moving the bag forming material downwardly is operated intermittently to move a predetermined length of bag forming material relative to the sealing and severing means so that the successive bag lengths are of equal length. Due to the fact that the volume of product per unit weight can vary, it can happen that the weighed product when delivered into the bag sealed at its lower end between the sealing and severing means will exceed the length of the bag and, as a consequence, when the filled bag is lowered to present a succeeding bag length for filling, the volume of product in the lowered bag will exceed the predetermined length of bag such that it stands above the sealing and severing means. Consequently, when the latter are engaged, product will be jammed between the sealing and severing means sufficiently so that the bag will be destroyed and the machine stopped. It is the purpose of this invention to alleviate the foregoing possibility of jamming by reducing the volume of the product deposited in the bag above the sealing and severing means sufficiently so that when it is moved downwardly between the sealing and severing jaws, the level of the product in the bag will be less than the predetermined length of bag and, hence, below the sealing and severing jaws.

As herein illustrated, the apparatus of the instant invention is designed to fill bags of predetermined length with particulate material and deposit them in cartons of predetermined cross section and height and comprises a measuring tube for receiving a predetermined weight of product provided with a gate for holding the product therein, a filling tube for receiving the product from the measuring tube, means for forming sheet material into a tube on the filling tube, means for moving said predetermined length of formed tube downwardly on the filling tube for gravitationally receiving the product from the filling tube and means for intermittently forming a seal of predetermined length transversely of the forming tube and severing the tube within the sealed length to form the top and bottom of successive bags of predetermined length. The severed bags are dropped through a shape-retaining device into a carton supported therebelow. The apparatus is operated cyclically to form predetermined bag lengths, fill the bag lengths with product, seal and separate the bags from successive bags and deposit them in cartons.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided first sensing means for detecting the level of the product in the measuring tube prior to release therefrom into the forming tube and if it exceeds a predetermined height, effecting actuation of a vibrator for vibrating the product released from the measuring tube into the filling tube. If the product, when fully deposited in the forming tube, is of such predetermined height as to be contained wholly within the predetermined bag length formed at each cycle of operation, the cycle will repeat without interruption. The vibrator will continue to operate so long as the first sensing means detects an abnormal height in the measuring tube. Second sensing means is positioned adjacent the filling tube at a level to measure the height of the product delivered into the filling tube and in the event that the product, when fully deposited in the filling tube, still exceeds the predetermined allowable height for the bag length, the second sensing means will operate to interrupt operation of the cycle of operation. The vibrator means will continue to operate so long as the second sensing means detects product in the filling tube exceeding in height the predetermined bag length. When the volume of product in the filling tube subsides to the allowable height, the second sensing means will reinstate the cycle of operation and cycling will continue uninterrupted until the second sensor again indicates an excessive height of product in the filling tube. The cross section of the measuring tube and filling tube corresponds substantially in cross section to the cross section of the carton within which the filled bag is to be deposited and are of rectangular cross section. The filling tube is defined by three sides and an open fourth side. The vibrator is disposed at the open fourth side in a position to have contact with the bag exposed at the open fourth side of the filling tube. Product is delivered into the measuring tube from a hopper positioned above the upper end of the measuring tube.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with respect to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic front elevation of the filling machine according to this invention; and

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the filling machine shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the right-hand side; and

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1 to 2, the filling apparatus comprises a hopper 10, a measuring tube 12, a filling tube 14, feeding means 16--16 for moving bag-forming material formed about the filling tube downwardly thereon, sealing and severing means 18--18 for forming the bottoms and tops of successive bags and releasing them, and shape-retaining means 20 for confining the released bags and guiding them into open-end cartons 22 resting on a support 24 which may, for example, be a conveyor for moving containers successively into position for receiving a released bag and then moving it away to provide for moving a succeeding carton into position.

The measuring tube and filling tube are of corresponding cross section and at the junction of the lower end of the measuring tube 12 and the upper end of the filling tube 14, there is a retractable closure gate 26. At the upper end of the measuring tube, there is a first sensing means 28 which detects the height of the product in the measuring tube.

Adjacent one side of the filling tube 14, there is a side sealing element 27 for forming a side seam as the bag-forming material is drawn onto the the filling tube 14 by the feeding means 16--16.

The filling tube 14, as shown in cross section in FIG. 3, has a closed side 30, closed ends 32--32 and an open side 34. Adjacent the open side 34, there is a vibrator plate 36 disposed parallel to the open side, operable by suitable means 38 to repeatedly strike the unsupported side of the bag-forming material at the open side 34 at appropriate times as will be disclosed hereinafter.

There is also mounted adjacent the open side 34 a sensor 40, FIG. 2, which detects the upper level of the product within the filling tube 14.

Under normal operating conditions, the apparatus is operated cyclically to deliver a predetermined weight of product from the measuring tube 12 into the filling tube 14 upon which the bag-forming material has been formed and sealed at its lower end, between the severing and sealing means 18--18, whereupon the severing and sealing means are retracted and the feeding means 16--16 is actuated to move the a predetermined length of the formed bag downwardly between the retracted sealing and severing means into the shape-retaining means 20. As the formed bag is moved downwardly, the product within the filling tube gravitates from the filling tube into the bag. When a predetermined length of bag has been moved downwardly, the feeding means is aborted and the sealing and severing means is reengaged to form the top seal for the filled bag and the bottom seal for the succeeding bag. The cyclical operation of the apparatus will continue so long as the volume of product delivered into the measuring tube does not exceed in height the predetermined length of bag as determined by the feeding means 16--16. In the event, however, that the height of the product in the measuring tube 12 exceeds the predetermined length of bag forming material formed on the filling tube 14, the sensing device 28 will initiate operation of the vibrator 36 so as to effect vibration of the product as it is delivered into the filling tube 14. If, on the one hand, when the product enters the filling tube 14 and settles to the lower end of the bag formed on the filling tube and sealed at its lower end by the sealing and severing means, the height of product within the filling tube is commensurate with the predetermined length of the bag, the cyclical operation of the apparatus will continue without interruption. If, on the other hand, the height of the product in the filling tube 14 exceeds said predetermined height, the said sensing device 40 will interrupt the cycle of operation by stopping the feeding means 16--16 so that the sealing and severing means 18 remains engaged with the lower end of the bag while continuing operation of the vibrator means 36 until the product in the filling tube settles to a level such that its upper end clears the said sensing means 40, whereupon the cycle of operation will be re-initiated.

As thus described, the filling apparatus under normal operatiing conditions will fill successive predetermined lengths of bag with product without interruption. However, in the event that, for some reason, the volume of the product for a predetermined weight is excessive, the apparatus will detect the excessive height, effect vibration of the product to reduce its volume and, if necessary, interrupt the cycle of operation to reduce the volume to a height commensurate with the length of the bag within which it is to be deposited and when it is reduced to an acceptable height, re-initiate the next cycle of operation. Interruption of the cycles will be continued until the volume deposited in the measuring tube 12 corresponds in height to the predetermined length of bag delivered by the feeding means.

The cycling of the feeding means 16--16, the sealing and severing means 18--18 and closure 26 are controlled by suitable cam-operated switches. Operation of the vibrator 36 is controlled by the sensing means 28 and interruption of the cycle of operation is controlled by the sensing means 40.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and includes all modifications or improvements which fall within the scope of the appended claims.