Apparatus for transferring bags

Claim 2

Apparatus for transferring a deformable bag having an open end and a closed end by releasably clamping the margin of the open end; said apparatus comprising: a mounting arm movable between a clamping station and an unclamping station; first and second finger assemblies, each of said finger assemblies including a first member and a second member, said first member being adjustably mounted with respect to the mounting arm, said second member being adjustably mounted with respect to the first member; a first actuating means for adjustably positioning each of said first members with respect to said mounting arm and for conformally positioning each of said first members to the outside surface of the margin of the open end of the deformable bag thereby centering the margin of the deformable bag for clamping at the clamping station; a second actuating means for adjustably positioning each of said second members with respect to said first member and for conformally positioning each of said second members to the inside surface of the margin of the open end of the deformable bag thereby clamping the margin of the deformable bag at the clamping station and unclamping the margin of the deformable bag at the unclamping station; means for moving said mounting arm whereby the clamped deformable bag is transferred between the clamping station and the unclamping station while the deformable bag is being clamped by the finger assemblies; and jam sensing means mounted on the finger assemblies for signaling a lateral thrust therebetween caused by a jam of articles blocking each other across the opening of said deformable bag.

Claim 3

Apparatus foR clamping a deformable bag having a closed end and an open end while filling said deformable bag from a bag filling apparatus at a clamping station, for transferring said deformable bag between the clamping station and an unclamping station, for constricting the open end of the deformable bag during transfer for a subsequent application of a closure to the open end of the deformable bag, and for releasing the deformable bag for removal from the apparatus at the unclamping station; said apparatus comprising: a pivotal mounting arm arcuately movable between the clamping station and the unclamping station; means for moving said pivotal mounting arm in an arcuate path between the clamping station and the unclamping station; first and second finger assemblies mounted upon the distal end of said mounting arm for clamping the deformable bag at the clamping station, for unclamping the deformable bag at the unclamping station, and for transferring the deformable bag therebetween, each of said finger assemblies including a first member and a second member; means for pivotally mounting said first member with respect to the associated mounting arm so that said first member pivots about an axis extending generally in a plane parallel to that of said arcuate path, means for pivotally mounting said second member with respect to the associated mounting arm so that said second member pivots about an axis extending generally in a plane parallel to that of said arcuate path; a first actuating means for adjustably positioning each of said first members with respect to the outside surface of said deformable bag and in clamping relationship with said second members and for pivoting the first and second finger assemblies in a plane transverse to the plane of said arcuate path to bring the free ends thereof into closely spaced relationship thereby constricting the open end of the deformable bag after clamping for the subsequent application of a closure; and a second actuating means for pivoting each of said second members inwardly with respect to the said first members in a plane transverse to the plane of said arcuate path in order to permit said second members to move over the leading edge of said bag and said first members to move outside of the side edges of said bag at said clamping station.

Claim 4

Apparatus foR clamping a deformable bag having a closed end and an open end while filling said deformable bag from a bag filling apparatus at a clamping station, for transferring said deformable bag between the clamping station and an unclamping station, for constricting the open end of the deformable bag during transfer for a subsequent application of a closure to the open end of the deformable bag, and for releasing the deformable bag for removal from the apparatus at the unclamping station; said apparatus comprising: a pivotal mounting arm arcuately movable between the clamping station and the unclamping station; means for moving said pivotal mounting arm in an arcuate path between the clamping station and the unclamping station; first and second finger assemblies mounted upon the distal end of said mounting arm for clamping the deformable bag at the clamping station, for unclamping the deformable bag at the unclamping station, and for transferring the deformable bag therebetween, each of said finger assemblies including a first member and a second member; means for pivotally mounting said first member with respect to the associated mounting arm so that said first member pivots about an axis extending generally in a plane parallel to that of said arcuate path, means for pivotally mounting said second member with respect to the associated mounting arm so that said second member pivots about an axis extending generally in a plane parallel to that of said arcuate path; a first actuating means for adjustably positioning each of said first members with respect to the outside surface of said deformable bag and in clamping relationship with said second members and for pivoting the first and second finger assemblies in a plane transverse to the plane of said arcuate path to bring the free ends thereof into closely spaced relationship thereby constricting the open end of the deformable bag after clamping for the subsequent application of a closure; and a second actuating means for pivoting each of said second members inwardly with respect to the said first members in a plane transverse to the plane of said arcuate path in order to permit said second members to move over the leading edge of said bag and said first members to move outside of the side edges of said bag at said clamping station.

Claim 5

Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 further including a bag sensing means for determining the presence of a deformable bag between the first and second members of one of said finger assemblies.

Claim 6

Apparatus for transferring a deformable bag as set forth in claim 2 wherein said second members of said finger assemblies are provided with guide portions extending outwardly from the clamped bag and serving to guide articles into the bag at said clamping station.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said first actuating means acts to rapidly pivot said finger assemblies into apex relationship during a relatively short portion of their movement from the clamping station to the unclamping station so that articles which are filled in a bag held by said finger assemblies will be caused to settle into a compact mass.

Claim 8

Apparatus for transferring a deformable bag along an arcuate path between a bag filling station and a bag tying station by releasably clamping the margin of the open end of the bag; said apparatus comprising: a mounting arm movable along an arcuate path through an upright position between the bag filling station at one end of the arcuate path and the bag tying station at the other end of the arcuate path; finger means mounted upon the upper end of the mounting arm for releasably clamping the margin of the open end of said deformable bag; means for pivoting said finger means to permit them to move over the side edges of a bag at said bag filling station, said pivoting means being arranged to thereafter cause said finger means to move into clamping engagement with said side edges of the bag; means for moving the mounTing arm along the arcuate path; and axle means disposed below said mounting arm for pivotally supporting said mounting arm whereby said deformable bag is arcuately moved by said moving means between the bag filling station and the bag tying station through the upright position.

Claim 9

Apparatus for transferring a deformable bag along an arcuate path between a bag filling station and a bag tying station by releasably clamping the margin of the open end of the bag; said apparatus comprising: a mounting arm movable along an arcuate path through an upright position between the bag filling station at one end of the arcuate path and the bag tying station at the other end of the arcuate path; finger means mounted upon the upper end of the mounting arm for releasably clamping the margin of the open end of said deformable bag; means for pivoting said finger means to permit them to move over the side edges of a bag at said bag filling station, said pivoting means being arranged to thereafter cause said finger means to move into clamping engagement with said side edges of the bag; means for moving the mounTing arm along the arcuate path; and axle means disposed below said mounting arm for pivotally supporting said mounting arm whereby said deformable bag is arcuately moved by said moving means between the bag filling station and the bag tying station through the upright position.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said finger means comprises two finger assemblies each including a pair of opposed fingers arranged to grip a side edge of said bag, and means for rapidly bringing said finger assemblies together during the movement of said mounting arm along said arcuate path in order to cause the articles in said bag to nest into a compact mass.

Claim 13

An apparatus according to claim 8 including means mounting said transfer arm for pivotal movement with said finger assemblies being movable in an arcuate path from said bag filling station to said bag tying station.

Claim 14

An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said transfer arm is mounted for movement about a pivot axis that is located between said bag filling station and said bag tying station and below the path of the bags which are transferred therebetween.

Claim 15

An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said means for pivoting said finger members comprises a first pair of extensible members connected between said transfer arm and one of said finger members of each of said finger assemblies and a second pair of extensible members connected between said first and second finger members of each of said finger assemblies.

Claim 16

In a system for bagging fruit or the like which includes means for holding a supply of deformable bags with one of such bags being opened at the uppermost end thereof, means for delivering predetermined quantities of fruit or the like into said bag through said open end thereof, and a bag tying means spaced from said bag holding means for applying ties about said open ends of the bags, said improvement comprising a transfer arm, means for moving said transfer arm in a path from said bag holding means to said bag tying means, a pair of finger assemblies mounted on saiD transfer arm for movement in said path, each of said finger assemblies including a first and a second finger member arranged in opposed relationship with said second finger members being arranged laterally inwardly of said first finger members with respect to said path of movement of said transfer arm, means for pivotally mounting the finger members of each finger assembly, said finger members being mounted for pivotal movement about axes extending generally parallel to the plane of said path of the transfer arm, means for pivoting said second finger members inwardly and upwardly and said first finger members outwardly so that said second fingers will pass over the upper edge of said opened bag on said bag holding means and said first finger members will pass outside of said side edges of said bag as said transfer arm is moved to said bag holding means, said means for pivoting said finger members being arranged to thereafter pivot said second finger members downwardly to bring said finger members into clamping engagement with the side edges of the bag while said bag is on said bag holding means and to thereafter pivot said finger assemblies inwardly toward each other to constrict the upper open end of the bag before the bag is moved into said bag tying means, said finger pivoting means being arranged to unclamp said side edges of the bag after said bag has been moved into said bag tying means.

Claim 17

In a system for bagging fruit or the like which includes means for holding a supply of deformable bags with one of such bags being opened at the uppermost end thereof, means for delivering predetermined quantities of fruit or the like into said bag through said open end thereof, and a bag tying means spaced from said bag holding means for applying ties about said open ends of the bags, said improvement comprising a transfer arm, means for moving said transfer arm in a path from said bag holding means to said bag tying means, a pair of finger assemblies mounted on saiD transfer arm for movement in said path, each of said finger assemblies including a first and a second finger member arranged in opposed relationship with said second finger members being arranged laterally inwardly of said first finger members with respect to said path of movement of said transfer arm, means for pivotally mounting the finger members of each finger assembly, said finger members being mounted for pivotal movement about axes extending generally parallel to the plane of said path of the transfer arm, means for pivoting said second finger members inwardly and upwardly and said first finger members outwardly so that said second fingers will pass over the upper edge of said opened bag on said bag holding means and said first finger members will pass outside of said side edges of said bag as said transfer arm is moved to said bag holding means, said means for pivoting said finger members being arranged to thereafter pivot said second finger members downwardly to bring said finger members into clamping engagement with the side edges of the bag while said bag is on said bag holding means and to thereafter pivot said finger assemblies inwardly toward each other to constrict the upper open end of the bag before the bag is moved into said bag tying means, said finger pivoting means being arranged to unclamp said side edges of the bag after said bag has been moved into said bag tying means.

Claim 18

In a system according to claim 12 wherein said transfer device includes means mounting said transfer arm for pivotal movement with said finger assemblies being movable in an arcuate path from said bag holding means to said bag tying means.

Claim 19

In a system according to claim 13 wherein said transfer arm is mounted for movement about a pivot axis that is located between said bag holding means and said bag tying means and below the path of the bags which are transferred therebetween.

Claim 20

In a system according to claim 12 wherein said second finger members of each of said finger assemblies include curved guide portions extending in a direction opposite to that of the clamping portion of said finger members and serving to guide said fruit or the like into the opened bag on said bag holding means as it is discharged by said fruit delivering means.

Claim 21

In a system according to claim 12 wherein said transfer device includes bag sensing means mounted on one of the finger members of each of said finger assemblies for determining the presence of a bag between the finger members of the finger assemblies, and control means operatively associated with said bag sensing means for preventing said fruit delivering means from operating in the absence of a clamped bag edge on each of said finger assemblies.

Claim 22

In a system according to claim 12 wherein said transfer device includes a jam sensing means for sensing a lateral thrust between said finger assemblies caused by a jam of fruit or the like blocking the opening into the opened bag on said bag holding means, and control means operatively associated with said jam sensing means for preventing the operation of said means for moving the transfer arm until after said jam of fruit or the like is removed.

Claim 25

An apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said means for pivoting said fingers is arranged to pivot said finger assemblies inwardly toward each other as said transfer arm is moved to said bag tying means in order to constrict the upper open end of the bag held by said finger assemblies.

Claim 26

An apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said transfer device includes means mounting said transfer arm for pivotal movement with said finger assemblies being movable in an arcuate path from said bag holding means to said bag tying means.

Claim 27

An apparatus according to claim 20 wherein said transfer arm is mounted for movement about a pivot axis that is located between said bag holding means and said bag tying means and below the path of the bags which are transferred therebetween.

Claim 28

An apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said second finger members of each of said finger assemblies include curved guide portions extending in a direction opposite to that of the clamping portion of said finger members and serving to guide said fruit or the like into the opened bag on said bag holding means as it is discharged by said fruit delivering means.

Claim 29

An apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said transfer device includes bag sensing means mounted on one of the finger members of each of said finger assemblies for determining the presence of a bag between the finger members of the finger assemblies, and control means operatively associated with said bag sensing means for preventing said fruit delivering means from operating in the absence of a clamped bag edge on each of said finger assemblies.

Claim 30

An apparatus according to claim 22 wherein said transfer device includes a jam sensing means for sensing a lateral thrust between said finger assemblies caused by a jam of fruit or the like blocking the opening into the opened bag on said bag holding means, and control means operatively associated with said jam sensing means for preventing the operation of said means for moving the transfer arm until after said jam of fruit or the like is removed.