Packaging machine for forming and filling bags of different lengths and widths

Claim 2

In a packaging machine having a frame, mechanism on said frame for supporting and advancing face-to-face strips of flexible material along a predetermined path, an elongated heated sealing bar disposed on one side of said path and extending crosswise of said strips, a fluid-actuated operator, said operator comprising a cylinder having a reciprocating plunger extending substantially perpendicular to said sealing bar and operable in response to the flow of pressure fluid into and out of the cylinder to move the bar toward and away from the strips in timed relation with the advance of the strips whereby the bar momentarily engages the strips and forms longitudinally spaced seals extending crosswise of the strips, the improvement in said machine comprising, means connecting the free end of said plunger to said bar for selective adjustment of the plunger in a direction longitudinally of the bar, and means connecting said cylinder to said frame for selective adjustment of the cylinder relative to the frame in a corresponding direction whereby said plunger may be adjustably positioned in alinement with the lengthwise center of each seal regardless of the length of the seal.

Claim 3

A packaging machine for handling bags which may vary in length within a predetermined range of lengths, said machine comprising a frame, a conveyor mounted on said frame for advancement along a predetermined path, a series of upright carrier bars fastened to and spaced along said conveyor, at least one bag holding clamp on each of said carrier bars and movable between open and closed positions, a clamp operating mechanism positioned alongside said conveyor and having an operator movable in opposite directions into and out of engagement with said clamps to open and close the latter, a sleeve rotatably mounted on said frame with said operator being fastened to and carried by one side of said sleeve, an actuator operable at spaced intervals to rotate said sleeve in one direction and thereby swing said operator in one direction relative to said clamps, and a resiliently flexible torsion bar telescoped into said sleeve with its one end anchored to the sleeve and with its other end anchored to said frame, said torsion bar being wound in response to rotation of said sleeve in said one direction and then unwinding when said actuator is idle thereby to rotate said sleeve in the opposite direction.

Claim 4

A packaging machine for handling bags which may vary in length within a predetermined range of lengths, said machine comprising a frame, a conveyor mounted on said frame for advancement along a predetermined path, a series of upright carrier bars fastened to and spaced along said conveyor, at least one bag holding clamp on each of said carrier bars and movable between open and closed positions, a clamp operating mechanism positioned alongside said conveyor and having an operator movable in opposite directions into and out of engagement with said clamps to open and close the latter, a sleeve rotatably mounted on said frame with said operator being fastened to and carried by one side of said sleeve, an actuator operable at spaced intervals to rotate said sleeve in one direction and thereby swing said operator in one direction relative to said clamps, and a resiliently flexible torsion bar telescoped into said sleeve with its one end anchored to the sleeve and with its other end anchored to said frame, said torsion bar being wound in response to rotation of said sleeve in said one direction and then unwinding when said actuator is idle thereby to rotate said sleeve in the opposite direction.

Claim 5

A packaging machine as defined in claim 2 in which the other end of said torsion bar is rotatable relative to said frame, and means fast on the other end of said torsion bar and adapted to be anchored in various angular positions on said frame to enable preloading of the torsion bar with a selected amount of torsional stress.

Claim 6

A packaging machine as defined in claim 2 in which two clamps are fastened to each of said carrier bars in vertically spaced relation to hold the upper and lower end portions of a bag, at least one of said clamps being adjustable toward and away from the other clamp to accommodate bags of different length within said range, said operator comprising an upright member sufficiently long to engage each clamp of the pair when the clamps are adjusted to accommodate the longest bag within said range.

Claim 7

In a packaging machine having a dispenser for depositing a charge of product into a series of bags advanced successively beneath the dispenser, the combination of, a frame having sprockets journaled thereon, a bag conveyor comprising an endless chain trained around said sprockets and having at least one straight run adapted to travel in a horizontal path below the dispenser, a combined enclosure and guide support for said chain and comprising an inverted U-shaped member fastEned to said frame and extending along a substantial length of said straight run, said U-shaped member being formed with a top and with spaced apart depending sides protectively enclosing the top and the sides, respectively, of the chain from the product and defining a downwardly opening channel sized and shaped to receive and guide the chain as the latter travels along said path, the lower ends of the sides of said U-shaped member being formed with inturned flanges projecting inwardly toward the sides of the chain and defining a track preventing sagging of the chain, a series of carrier bars spaced along and projecting upwardly from said chain and fastened to the underside thereof, a series of rollers attached to the top of said chain with one roller above each carrier bar and riding in said channel along the sides of said U-shaped member to prevent twisting and sidewise movement of said chain, and at least one gripper attached to each of said carrier bars and adapted to support a bag for advancement with said chain.

Claim 8

In a packaging machine having a dispenser for depositing a charge of product into a series of bags advanced successively beneath the dispenser, the combination of, a frame having sprockets journaled thereon, a bag conveyor comprising an endless chain trained around said sprockets and having at least one straight run adapted to travel in a horizontal path below the dispenser, a combined enclosure and guide support for said chain and comprising an inverted U-shaped member fastEned to said frame and extending along a substantial length of said straight run, said U-shaped member being formed with a top and with spaced apart depending sides protectively enclosing the top and the sides, respectively, of the chain from the product and defining a downwardly opening channel sized and shaped to receive and guide the chain as the latter travels along said path, the lower ends of the sides of said U-shaped member being formed with inturned flanges projecting inwardly toward the sides of the chain and defining a track preventing sagging of the chain, a series of carrier bars spaced along and projecting upwardly from said chain and fastened to the underside thereof, a series of rollers attached to the top of said chain with one roller above each carrier bar and riding in said channel along the sides of said U-shaped member to prevent twisting and sidewise movement of said chain, and at least one gripper attached to each of said carrier bars and adapted to support a bag for advancement with said chain.

Claim 9

A machine as defined in claim 5 in which each of said carrier bars comprises a horizontal arm fastened at one end to the underside of the chain and projecting outwardly from the latter, and an upright body fastened to and projecting from the other end of said horizontal arm and supporting a gripper above the level of the chain.

Claim 10

A clamping unit comprising an upright carrier bar; a pair of cartridges detachably fastened to said bar in vertically spaced relation with at least one of said cartridges being mounted for selective vertical adjustment toward and away from the other cartridge; said cartridges being identical in construction and each comprising a block, a U-shaped member of resilient material having a bight portion and having elongated arms straddling said block with one of the arms extending alongside one face of the block, the free end portion of the second arm extending alongside and cooperating with the other face of the block to form a clamp, a fulcrum located between said second arm and the other face of said block and supported by the latter; and separate actuating levers for each of said cartridges; each lever being swingable about the fulcrum of its respective cartridge and having one end portion projecting in one direction from said fulcrum toward the free end of said second arm and engageable with the second arm to move the latter away from said block in response to rocking of the lever about the fulcrum, and each lever having an opposite end portion projecting in the opposite direction from its respective fulcrum and extending beyond the bight portion of its respective cartridge.

Claim 11

A clamping unit comprising an upright carrier bar; a pair of cartridges detachably fastened to said bar in vertically spaced relation with at least one of said cartridges being mounted for selective vertical adjustment toward and away from the other cartridge; said cartridges being identical in construction and each comprising a block, a U-shaped member of resilient material having a bight portion and having elongated arms straddling said block with one of the arms extending alongside one face of the block, the free end portion of the second arm extending alongside and cooperating with the other face of the block to form a clamp, a fulcrum located between said second arm and the other face of said block and supported by the latter; and separate actuating levers for each of said cartridges; each lever being swingable about the fulcrum of its respective cartridge and having one end portion projecting in one direction from said fulcrum toward the free end of said second arm and engageable with the second arm to move the latter away from said block in response to rocking of the lever about the fulcrum, and each lever having an opposite end portion projecting in the opposite direction from its respective fulcrum and extending beyond the bight portion of its respective cartridge.