Method and apparatus for printing on empty bags

Claim 1

In combination: a. a bagging machine having a horizontally extending row of bag supports for supporting a succession of flexible, empty bags having open upper ends suspended vertically from their upper ends for movement of said bags in one direction in a path extending longitudinally of said row from a bag-attaching station to a bag-filling station, with the portions of said bags below said supports hanging freely; b. a pair of printing means comprising a pressure pad at one side of said path and a printing head in spaced, substantially opposed relation to said pressure pad at the opposite side of said path, said printing head including indicia at the side facing said pressure pad printable on a side of a bag facing said head upon engagement of said side therewith and application of printing pressure there against; c. support moving means connected with said supports for continuously moving them and bags suspended therefrom along said path from said bag-attaching station to and past said bagfilling station; d. means supporting said pair of printing means for movement in said one direction together with said bags along a predetermined prolonged length of said path between said bagattaching station and said bag-filling station from a first point along said path to a second point, and means for so moving said printing means; e. means for moving one of said printing means toward the other into grippinG relation with each bag of said succession at said printing pressure upon movement of the lower freely hanging portion of each bag between said pair at said first point along said path, and for holding said pair of printing means in said gripping relation at said printing pressure during movement to said second point; f. said means for moving said printing means into said gripping relation including means for moving one of said pair away from the other at said second point to release said gripping relation and printing pressure, and to return said printing means to said first point for repeating the printing operation on the next bag in said succession.

Claim 6

The method of printing indicia on the flexible, empty bags of a horizontally extending succession thereof, arranged in spaced relation in a horizontal row, and which bags have open upper ends and are to be moved from a bag-attaching station to a bag-filling station with said indicia to be applied between said stations, said method comprising the steps of: a. suspending the bags of said succession from their upper open ends at said bag-attaching stations leaving the portion of each bag below its upper end hanging freely for swinging relative to its upper end; b. continuously moving the bags so suspended in one direction longitudinally of said row from said bag-attaching station to and past said bag-filling station at a uniform rate of speed for marking and filling said bags during their continuous movement in said path; c. gripping said freely hanging portion of each bag at a first point along said path between a pair of spaced opposed gripping surfaces by moving one surface of said pair toward the other into gripping relation with said portion at a printing pressure, one of which surfaces includes indicia printable onto one side of said portion under said printing pressure; d. moving said surface together with the portion gripped therebetween at said printing pressure at said uniform rate of speed along a predetermined length of said path to a second point along said path and printing said indicia onto said one side of said freely hanging portion of said bag during said movement along said predetermined length of said path; e. releasing said gripping surfaces from said lower portion at said second point, by moving one of them away from the other and from said portion and returning said surfaces to said first point for movement into gripping relation with the next bag of said succession, and repeating the foregoing steps with each continuously moving bag of said succession.

Claim 7

The method of printing indicia on the flexible, empty bags of a horizontally extending succession thereof, arranged in spaced relation in a horizontal row, and which bags have open upper ends and are to be moved from a bag-attaching station to a bag-filling station with said indicia to be applied between said stations, said method comprising the steps of: a. suspending the bags of said succession from their upper open ends at said bag-attaching stations leaving the portion of each bag below its upper end hanging freely for swinging relative to its upper end; b. continuously moving the bags so suspended in one direction longitudinally of said row from said bag-attaching station to and past said bag-filling station at a uniform rate of speed for marking and filling said bags during their continuous movement in said path; c. gripping said freely hanging portion of each bag at a first point along said path between a pair of spaced opposed gripping surfaces by moving one surface of said pair toward the other into gripping relation with said portion at a printing pressure, one of which surfaces includes indicia printable onto one side of said portion under said printing pressure; d. moving said surface together with the portion gripped therebetween at said printing pressure at said uniform rate of speed along a predetermined length of said path to a second point along said path and printing said indicia onto said one side of said freely hanging portion of said bag during said movement along said predetermined length of said path; e. releasing said gripping surfaces from said lower portion at said second point, by moving one of them away from the other and from said portion and returning said surfaces to said first point for movement into gripping relation with the next bag of said succession, and repeating the foregoing steps with each continuously moving bag of said succession.