Apparatus for detecting and rejecting improperly filled packages

Claim 1

IN A PACKAGING MACHINE, THE COMBINATION OF, A CONVEYOR FOR SUPPORTING A SUCCESSION OF FLEXIBLE BAGS IN EDGETO-EDGE RELATION AND ADVANCING THE BAGS EDGEWISE AND STEP BY STEP ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH SUCCESSIVELY THROUGH CLOSING, DETECTION AND TRANSFER STATIONS, A SEALING DEVICE AT SAID CLOSING STATION COMPRISING OPPOSED RELATIVELY MOVABLE SEALING ELEMENTS DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID PATH, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID ELEMENTS BEING MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID PATH TO CLAMP A PORTION OF EACH BAG BETWEEN SAID ELEMENTS AND THEREBY CLOSE THE BAG, A PAIR OF OPPOSED DETECTING ELEMENTS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID PATH AT SAID DETECTION STATION, SAID DETECTING ELEMENTS BEING SUPPORTED ON SAID SEALING ELEMENTS FOR SIMILAR RELATIVE MOVEMENTS INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF EACH BAG IN THE DETECTION STATION WHEN A FOLLOWING BAG IS IN SAID SEALING STATION, MEANS ACTUATED IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID DETECTING ELEMENTS CLOSER TOGETHER THAN A PRESELECTED MINIMUM DISTANCE TO PRODUCE SIGNALS INDICATING THE PRESENCE OF UNDERFILLED BAGS IN SAID DETECTION STATION, A TRANSFER DEVICE FOR PICKING OFF EACH BAG AT SAID TRANSFER STATION, CARRYING THE BAG AWAY FROM SAID CONVEYOR AND NORMALLY RELEASING THE BAG AT A DISCHARGE POINT SPACED FROM SAID CONVEYOR, AND MEANS OPERABLE IN RESPONSE TO SAID SIGNALS TO EFFECT THE RELEASE OF UNDERFILLED BAGS BY SAID TRANSFER DEVICE BETWEEN SAID TRANSFER STATION AND SAID DISCHARGE POINT WHEREBY SEPARATING THE UNDERFILLED BAGS FROM THE REMAINDER OF THE BAGS AS AN INCIDENT TO THE TRANSFER FROM SAID CONVEYOR.