Apparatus for closing filled bags

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR CLOSING OPEN-MOUTHED FILLED BAGS, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A CONVEYOR ADAPTED TO CONVEY FILLED BAGS IN UPRIGHT POSITION ONE AFTER ANOTHER THROUGH A SEWING STATION, A SEWING MACHINE MOUNTED IN FIXED POSITION AT SAID STATION FOR HORIZONTAL OPERATION OF ITS NEEDLE TO STITCH THE TOPS OF THE BAGS, SAID SEWING MACHINE HAVING MEANS FOR FEEDING THE TOPS OF THE BAGS THERETHROUGH, A SEWING THREAD CUTTER FOR CUTTING THE CHAIN OF THREAD TRAILING A SEWN BAG AFTER THE TRAILING END OF THE BAG TOP EXITS FROM THE SEWING MACHINE, SAID CUTTER BEING OFFSET FROM THE LINE OF STITCHING, AND MEANS FOR MOVING THE CHAIN INTO POSITION FOR BEING CUT BY THE CUTTER; MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE TOP OF EACH BAG AS IT EXITS FROM THE SEWING MACHINE AND FOR HOLDING TAUT THE CHAIN OF THREAD BETWEEN THE SEWING MACHINE AND THE TRAILING END OF THE BAG TOP TO MAINTAIN SAID CHAIN IN POSITION FOR ENGAGEMENT BY SAID MEANS FOR MOVING THE CHAIN INTO POSITION FOR BEING CUT BY THE CUTTER, SAID BAG TOP SUPPORTING MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF ROLLS MOUNTED ON THE EXIT SIDE OF THE SEWING MACHINE IN POSITION FOR GRIPPING THE TOPS OF BAGS EXITING FROM THE SEWING MACHINE IN THE STITCHED ZONE OF THE BAGS, SAID ROLLS BEING ROTATABLE ON GENERALLY VERTICAL AXES AND BEING RELATIVELY MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM ONE ANOTHER, MEANS BIASING SAID ROLLS TOWARD ONE ANOTHER FOR GRIPPING BAG TOPS, AND MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY DRIVING SAID ROLLS AT A SPEED GREATER THAN THE SPEED AT WHICH THE BAG TOPS ARE FED THROUGH THE SEWING MACHINE BY SAID BAG TOP FEEDING MEANS.