Method and apparatus for compressing and wrapping bags

Claim 2

A banding press apparatus comprising: upper and lower vertically spaced platens mounted on said framework; means mounted on said framework for moving one of the platens relative to the other to compress a stack of bags positioned therebetween; a wrapping chamber defined by said framework and horizontally spaced from said platens at a vertical level between the vertical levels of the platens; means mounted on said framework for positioning flexible wrapping paper in a substantially vertical plane between said wrapping chamber and said upper and lower platens; means mounted on said framework for horizontally displacing said compressed stack of bags through the plane of said flexible wrapping paper to fold said paper around three sides thereof with end portions of the paper extended from the top and the bottom sides of the compressed stack; flap folding means on said framework for folding the extending end portions of the paper around a fourth side of the compressed stack of bags in overlapped relation to each other, said flap folding means comprising: an upper flap folding assembly for folding downwardly the end portion of the paper extending from the top side of the compressed stack, said upper flap folding assembly comprising: a piston and cylinder; and vertically extending flap folding rods extendible into said wrapping chamber from the top thereof and at one side thereof; a lower flap folding assembly for folding upwardly the end portion of the paper extending from the bottom side of the compressed stack, said lower flap folding assembly comprising: a piston and cylinder; and vertically extending flap folding rods extendible into said wrapping chamber from the bottom thereof and at one side thereof in substantially vertical alignment with said firstmentioned flap folding rods; an adhesive applicator assembly mounted on said framework and cooperating with said flap folding means to place adhesive between the overlapped areas of said end portions; means for synchronizing the piston and cylinders of said upper and lower flap folding assemblies with said adhesive applicator assembly to initially extend said first-mentioned flap folding rods into said wrapping chamber, then placing adhesive on the outer surface of the end portion of the paper folded by said upper flap folding assembly, then extending the secondmentioned flap folding rods into said wrapping chamber to fold upwardly the end portion of the paper extending from the bottom side of the compressed stack; and means for applying pressure to said end portions at the overlapped areas to bond the end portions to each other through said adhesive.

Claim 3

A banding press apparatus comprising: a framework; upper and lower vertically spaced platens mounted on said framework; piston and cylinder means drivingly connected to said lower platen for elevating the lower platen; means for raising and lowering said upper platen; a wrapping chamber defined by said framework and horizontally spaced from said platens at a vertical level between the vertical levels of the platens; paper feeding means mounted on said framework; at least one pair of horizontally spaced, rigid, vertically extending sheets defining a channel for receiving paper from said paper feeding means and guiding it in a substantially vertical plane between said wrapping chamber and said upper and lower platens; means mounted on said framework for horizontally displacing said compressed stack of bags through the plane of said flexible wrapping paper to fold said paper around three sides thereof with end portions of the paper extending from the top and the bottom sides of the compressed stack; means for folding the uppermost of said end portions of the paper comprising: a piston and cylinder; and vertically extending flap folding rods extendible into said wrapping chamber from the top thereof and at one side thereof; means for folding the lowermost of said end portions of the paper comprising: a piston and cylinder; and vertically extending flap folding rods extendible into said wrapping chamber from the bottom thereof and at one side thereof in substantially vertical alignment with said first-mentioned flap folding rods; means for automatically actuating the means for folding the lowermost of said end portions at a time after the uppermost end portion has been folded; an adhesive applicator assembly mounted on said framework and cooperating with said flap folding means to place adhesive between the overlapped areas of said end portions; and means for applying pressure to said end portions at the overlapped areas to bond the end portions to each other through said adhesive.

Claim 4

A banding press apparatus comprising: a framework; upper and lower vertically spaced platens mounted on said framework; piston and cylinder means drivingly connected to said lower platen for elevating the lower platen; means for raising and lowering said upper platen; a wrapping chamber defined by said framework and horizontally spaced from said platens at a vertical level between the vertical levels of the platens; paper feeding means mounted on said framework; at least one pair of horizontally spaced, rigid, vertically extending sheets defining a channel for receiving paper from said paper feeding means and guiding it in a substantially vertical plane between said wrapping chamber and said upper and lower platens; means mounted on said framework for horizontally displacing said compressed stack of bags through the plane of said flexible wrapping paper to fold said paper around three sides thereof with end portions of the paper extending from the top and the bottom sides of the compressed stack; means for folding the uppermost of said end portions of the paper comprising: a piston and cylinder; and vertically extending flap folding rods extendible into said wrapping chamber from the top thereof and at one side thereof; means for folding the lowermost of said end portions of the paper comprising: a piston and cylinder; and vertically extending flap folding rods extendible into said wrapping chamber from the bottom thereof and at one side thereof in substantially vertical alignment with said first-mentioned flap folding rods; means for automatically actuating the means for folding the lowermost of said end portions at a time after the uppermost end portion has been folded; an adhesive applicator assembly mounted on said framework and cooperating with said flap folding means to place adhesive between the overlapped areas of said end portions; and means for applying pressure to said end portions at the overlapped areas to bond the end portions to each other through said adhesive.

Claim 5

In a bag press apparatus of the type which includes means for compressing a plurality of superimposed bags and a wrapping chamber adjacent said compressing means for receiving said compressed bags and retaining the bags during wrapping, the improvement which comprises: means for folding wrapping paper around three sides of the stack of compressed bags with the two end portions of the wrapping paper forming flaps extending substantially parallel to each other from opposite, substantially parallel sides of the stack of bags; flap folding means for folding the extending end portions of the wrapping paper around a fourth side of the compressed Stack of bags into overlapped relation to each other, said flap folding means comprising: a first flap folding assembly for folding one of said end portions through a substantially right angle fold into juxtaposition to the fourth side of the compressed stack of bags, said first flap folding assembly comprising: first flap folding rod means extendible into said wrapping chamber from one side thereof along the fourth side of the compressed stack of bags; and means for reciprocating said first flap folding rod means into and out of said wrapping chamber in a path for contacting one of said end portions; a second flap folding assembly for folding the second of said end portions through a substantially right angle fold into juxtaposition to the fourth side of the compressed stack of bags, said second flap folding assembly comprising: second flap folding rod means extendible into said wrapping chamber along the fourth side of the compressed stack of bags and from the opposite side of said wrapping chamber from the side from which said first flap folding rod means is extended into said chamber; and means for reciprocating said second flap folding rod means into and out of said wrapping chamber in a path for contacting the second of said end portions; an adhesive applicator assembly mounted on said wrapping chamber and cooperating with said flap folding means to place adhesive between the overlapped areas of said end portions as said end portions are folded around the fourth side of the compressed stack of bags; means for synchronizing the means for reciprocating the first flap folding rod means, the means for reciprocating the second flap folding rod means, and the adhesive applicator assembly to initially extend said first flap folding rod means into said wrapping chamber, to then place adhesive on the outer surface of said one end portion of the wrapping paper folded by said first flap folding rod means, and then to finally extend said second flap folding rod means into said wrapping chamber to fold said second end portion into juxtaposition to the fourth side of said stack of compressed bags and overlapping said one end portion at the location where adhesive is placed; and means for applying pressure to said end portions at the overlapped areas to bond the end portions to each other through said adhesive.

Claim 6

In a bag press apparatus of the type which includes means for compressing a plurality of superimposed bags and a wrapping chamber adjacent said compressing means for receiving said compressed bags and retaining the bags during wrapping, the improvement which comprises: means for folding wrapping paper around three sides of the stack of compressed bags with the two end portions of the wrapping paper forming flaps extending substantially parallel to each other from opposite, substantially parallel sides of the stack of bags; flap folding means for folding the extending end portions of the wrapping paper around a fourth side of the compressed Stack of bags into overlapped relation to each other, said flap folding means comprising: a first flap folding assembly for folding one of said end portions through a substantially right angle fold into juxtaposition to the fourth side of the compressed stack of bags, said first flap folding assembly comprising: first flap folding rod means extendible into said wrapping chamber from one side thereof along the fourth side of the compressed stack of bags; and means for reciprocating said first flap folding rod means into and out of said wrapping chamber in a path for contacting one of said end portions; a second flap folding assembly for folding the second of said end portions through a substantially right angle fold into juxtaposition to the fourth side of the compressed stack of bags, said second flap folding assembly comprising: second flap folding rod means extendible into said wrapping chamber along the fourth side of the compressed stack of bags and from the opposite side of said wrapping chamber from the side from which said first flap folding rod means is extended into said chamber; and means for reciprocating said second flap folding rod means into and out of said wrapping chamber in a path for contacting the second of said end portions; an adhesive applicator assembly mounted on said wrapping chamber and cooperating with said flap folding means to place adhesive between the overlapped areas of said end portions as said end portions are folded around the fourth side of the compressed stack of bags; means for synchronizing the means for reciprocating the first flap folding rod means, the means for reciprocating the second flap folding rod means, and the adhesive applicator assembly to initially extend said first flap folding rod means into said wrapping chamber, to then place adhesive on the outer surface of said one end portion of the wrapping paper folded by said first flap folding rod means, and then to finally extend said second flap folding rod means into said wrapping chamber to fold said second end portion into juxtaposition to the fourth side of said stack of compressed bags and overlapping said one end portion at the location where adhesive is placed; and means for applying pressure to said end portions at the overlapped areas to bond the end portions to each other through said adhesive.

Claim 7

The improvement defined in claim 3 wherein each of said flap folding rod means comprises a plurality of elongated flap folding rods, and wherein each of said means for reciprocating one of the flap folding rod means comprises a cylinder and piston assembly including a piston rod drivingly connected to the flap folding rods of the respective associated flap folding rod means.

Claim 8

A banding press as defined in claim 2 wherein said pressure applying means comprises: a roller; and means for driving said roller across the overlapped end portions of said paper.

Claim 9

A banding press as defined in claim 5 wherein said means for positioning flexible wrapping paper comprises: a pair of paper feeding draw rolls; an upper paper guide assembly for receiving paper from said draw rolls; and a lower paper guide assembly for receiving paper form said upper paper guide assembly.

Claim 10

A banding press as defined in claim 6 wherein said means for horizontally displacing said compressed stack of bags comprises: a cylinder mounted on said framework; and piston means extendible from said cylinder in a horizontal direction between said platens.

Claim 11

A banding press as defined in claim 7 wherein said adhesive applicator assembly comprises: a paste head including a nozzle for spraying paste; means for moving said paste head in a horizontal direction and along said fourth side of said compressed stack; and means for supplying paste to said paste head.