Bag dispensing, transporting and positioning apparatus

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR SINGLY DISPENSING AND TRANSPORTING PAPER BAGS FROM A GROUP AND POSITIONING SAME ONTO A SPOUT OF A FILLING MACHINE, WHEREIN EACH BAG IS FABRICATED OF MULTIPLE PLIES OF PAPER SEALED AT ONE END AND ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE TOP, WITH THE OTHER END OF THE TOP UNSEALED TO FORM A VALVE OPENING, WHICH COMPRISES: (A) A BAG HOLDING MEANS, INCLUDING (I) AN OPEN TOP MAGAZINE INCLUDING A FRAME CONTAINING SIDE MEMBERS, A FRONT MEMBER, A REAR MEMBER, AND MEANS FOR URGING SAID BAGS INTO POSITION TOWARDS SAID FRONT MEMBER; (II) SAID SIDE MEMBERS BEING SPACED APART THE LENGTH OF A BAG SO AS TO ACCOMMODATE A GROUP OF BAGS WHEREIN EACH BAG IS POSITIONED WITH ITS MAJOR AXIS DISPOSED HORIZONTALLY AND ITS MINOR AXIS DISPOSED VERTICALLY WITH THE TOP OF SAID BAG FOLDED OVER SO AS TO FACE THE REAR MEMBER; A FIRST GRIPPING MEANS, INCLUDING MEANS FOR GRIPPING THE BAG IN THE MAGAZINE NEAR THE VALVE END OF THE BODY PORTION THEREOF IN ITS INITIAL POSITION, WHEREIN ITS MAJOR AXIS IS DISPOSED HORIZONTALLY, AND FOR HOLDING SAME UNTIL AFTER IT IS IN A BAG TRANSFER POSITION OUTSIDE OF THE MAGAZINE IN WHICH PORTION ITS MAJOR AXIS IS DISPOSED VERTICALLY; (C) A SECOND GRIPPING MEANS FOR GRIPPING THE TOP OF SAID BAG IN THE BAG TRANSFER POSITION AND FOR HOLDING SAME UNTIL AFTER IT IS IN POSITION ON THE FILLING SPOUT(D) A FIRST TRANSPORT MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST GRIPPING MEANS FOR MOVEMENT FROM AN INITIAL HORIZONTAL POSITION TO A BAG TRANSFER POSITION AND BACK TO SAID HORIZONTAL POSITION; (E) A SECOND TRANSPORT MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND GRIPPING MEANS FOR MOVEMENT FROM AN INITIAL POSITION IN PROXIMITY TO SAID FILLING SPOUT TO A BAG TRANSFER POSITION AND BACK TO SAID INITIAL POSITION; (F) SYNCHRONIZING MEANS WHEREIN THE LOCATION OF SAID FIRST TRANSPORT MEANS IS SYNCHRONIZED WITH THE LOCATION OF SAID SECOND TRANSPORT MEANS SO THAT WHEN SAID FIRST TRANSPORT MEANS IS DISPOSED IN ITS INITIAL HORIZONTAL POSITION IN PROXIMITY TO SAID MAGAZINE, SAID SECOND TRANSPORT MEANS IS DISPOSED IN ITS INITIAL POSITION IN PROXIMITY TO THE FILLING SPOUT, AND WHEN SAID FIRST TRANSPORT MEANS IS IN ITS BAG TRANSFER POSITION, IT IS DISPOSED DIRECTLY BELOW SAID SECOND TRANSPORT MEANS IN ITS BAG TRANSFER POSITION; (G) MEANS FOR POSITIONING THE VALVE OPENING OF SAID BAG ONTO A FILLING SPOUT; AND (H) POWER MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID TRANSPORT MEANS.

Claim 2

A DEVICE FOR SINGLY DISPENSING AND TRANSPORTING PAPER BAGS FROM A GROUP AND POSITIONING SAME ONTO A SPOUT OF A FILLING MACHINE, WHEREIN EACH BAG IS FABRICATED OF MULTIPLE PLIES OF PAPER SEALED AT ONE END AND ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE TOP, WITH THE OTHER END OF THE TOP UNSEALED TO FORM A VALVE OPENING, WHICH COMPRISES: (A) A BAG HOLDING MEANS, INCLUDING (I) AN OPEN TOP MAGAZINE INCLUDING A FRAME CONTAINING SIDE MEMBERS, A FRONT MEMBER, A REAR MEMBER, AND MEANS FOR URGING SAID BAGS INTO POSITION TOWARDS SAID FRONT MEMBER; (II) SAID SIDE MEMBERS BEING SPACED APART THE LENGTH OF A BAG SO AS TO ACCOMMODATE A GROUP OF BAGS WHEREIN EACH BAG IS POSITIONED WITH ITS MAJOR AXIS DISPOSED HORIZONTALLY AND ITS MINOR AXIS DISPOSED VERTICALLY WITH THE TOP OF SAID BAG FOLDED OVER SO AS TO FACE THE REAR MEMBER; A FIRST GRIPPING MEANS, INCLUDING MEANS FOR GRIPPING THE BAG IN THE MAGAZINE NEAR THE VALVE END OF THE BODY PORTION THEREOF IN ITS INITIAL POSITION, WHEREIN ITS MAJOR AXIS IS DISPOSED HORIZONTALLY, AND FOR HOLDING SAME UNTIL AFTER IT IS IN A BAG TRANSFER POSITION OUTSIDE OF THE MAGAZINE IN WHICH PORTION ITS MAJOR AXIS IS DISPOSED VERTICALLY; (C) A SECOND GRIPPING MEANS FOR GRIPPING THE TOP OF SAID BAG IN THE BAG TRANSFER POSITION AND FOR HOLDING SAME UNTIL AFTER IT IS IN POSITION ON THE FILLING SPOUT(D) A FIRST TRANSPORT MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST GRIPPING MEANS FOR MOVEMENT FROM AN INITIAL HORIZONTAL POSITION TO A BAG TRANSFER POSITION AND BACK TO SAID HORIZONTAL POSITION; (E) A SECOND TRANSPORT MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND GRIPPING MEANS FOR MOVEMENT FROM AN INITIAL POSITION IN PROXIMITY TO SAID FILLING SPOUT TO A BAG TRANSFER POSITION AND BACK TO SAID INITIAL POSITION; (F) SYNCHRONIZING MEANS WHEREIN THE LOCATION OF SAID FIRST TRANSPORT MEANS IS SYNCHRONIZED WITH THE LOCATION OF SAID SECOND TRANSPORT MEANS SO THAT WHEN SAID FIRST TRANSPORT MEANS IS DISPOSED IN ITS INITIAL HORIZONTAL POSITION IN PROXIMITY TO SAID MAGAZINE, SAID SECOND TRANSPORT MEANS IS DISPOSED IN ITS INITIAL POSITION IN PROXIMITY TO THE FILLING SPOUT, AND WHEN SAID FIRST TRANSPORT MEANS IS IN ITS BAG TRANSFER POSITION, IT IS DISPOSED DIRECTLY BELOW SAID SECOND TRANSPORT MEANS IN ITS BAG TRANSFER POSITION; (G) MEANS FOR POSITIONING THE VALVE OPENING OF SAID BAG ONTO A FILLING SPOUT; AND (H) POWER MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID TRANSPORT MEANS.