Continuous tier

Claim 2

The bag closer according to claim 1 and said conveyor having means effecting release of said bag adjacent the gathering pocket, said pusher means operating independently of said conveyor and carrying the gathered bag neck away from said pocket, means applying a length of twistable strand to the gathered bag neck with the ends of the strand extended rearwardly therefrom as the pusher means carries the gathered bag neck away from the gathering pocket, a twisting hook at one side of the path of travel of the gathered bag neck as carried by said pusher means, and said hook continuously revolving on an axis extending transversely of and toward said path of travel, and a flipper adjacent the twisting hook and engaging the rearwardly extended ends of the strand and swinging said ends transversely of the direction of travel to the side of the path of travel for engagement and twisting by said hook while the bag neck continues to move substantially linearly.

Claim 3

The bag tier according to claim 2 wherein said flipper includes a cam portion aligned with said path of travel and engageable with the gathered bag neck to be moved thereby for operating said flipper to swing the strand ends to said hook.

Claim 4

The bag tier according to claim 2 and pusher means engaging and continuously moving the gathered neck along said flipper and twisting hook.

Claim 5

The bag tier according to claim 2 and including a pin adjacent the flipper and at said one side of the path of travel, said pin partially obstructing the swinging of the ends of the strand whereby to position the strand ends against each other in juxtaposition as the twisting hook first engages the strand ends.

Claim 6

The bag tier according to claim 2 and also including a pin lying close to the orbit of the twisting hook to engage and retard the strand ends and to allow the twisting hook to pass between said pin and the gathered bag neck to assure that the hook produces continued twisting of the strand.

Claim 7

The bag closer according to claim 1 and said conveyor includes means effecting release of the bag immediately after gathering is completed, and said pusher means moving in the direction of and along said conveyor and at a speed faster than the conveyor, the pusher means overtaking the bag at said gathering means and assisting in gathering the trailing edge portion of the flattened bag, said pusher means moving the gathered bAg neck past said gathering means and to said operable means.

Claim 8

A bag closer for filled bags moving along a line for processing, comprising gathering means for the neck of the bags and including a pair of elongate guides to receive the neck of the bag therebetween, said guides cooperatively defining an elongate gathering pocket having an open end receiving the flattened bag during gathering and a closed end obstructing movement of the flattened bag and effecting gathering thereof, the guides defining the opposite sides of the pocket and obliquely converging to an apex at the closed end of the pocket, one of the guides being movable away from the other at the apex to permit movement of the gathered bag neck out of the pocket and past the guides, pushing means engaging the bag neck adjacent the guides and pushing the trailing end of the bag neck into the gathering pocket for completion of the gathering of the bag neck, said pusher means carrying the gathered bag neck through the apex end of the pocket and away from said guides with a length of twistable strand applied to the gathered neck and with the ends of the strand extended rearwardly therefrom relative to the direction of travel, a twisting hook at one side of the path of travel of the gathered bag neck and continuously revolving on an axis extending transversely of and toward the side of the path, and a flipper adjacent the twisting hook and having a cam portion aligned with the path of travel of the gathered bag neck to be operated thereby, said flipper engaging the rearwardly extending ends of the strand and swinging under influence of the cam portion to swing the ends of the strand transversely of the direction of travel for engagement and twisting by said hook while the bag neck continues to move substantially linearly under the influence of said pusher means.

Claim 9

The bag closer according to claim 9 and including V-belts gripping and conveying the bag neck to the gathering pocket, said V-belts separating adjacent said pocket to release the bag neck for further travel under the influence of said pusher means.