Patent US3596779A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3596779A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Bag collating and stacking apparatus
Assignee: Davis Machine Corp
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Filing: 1969-04-14
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Granted: 1971-08-03
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Expires: 1989-04-14
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for collating and stacking bags in vertically superimposed hands, the apparatus including a conveyor for receiving aligned bags from a bag forming machine and moving them in consecutive sequence away from the forming machine. A pair of spiral augers cooperate with the conveyor to periodically remove a preselected number (hand) of aligned bags therefrom and convey these bags into a turntable assembly. The turntable assembly periodically turns to alternate positions to face the bottoms of the bags first in one direction, and then in an alternate direction. A mechanism then forces the bags from the turntable assembly onto a tilting box assembly. This assembly tilts through an angle to move the bags from a vertical status to a horizontal status. Pushing mechanism then pushes the bags from the tilting box assembly into a rotating unit assembly which, upon actuation, delivers the bags to a transfer unit which conveys each successive hand of bags into a bag lifter assembly. The bag lifter assembly periodically lifts a stack of vertically superimposed hands of bags upwardly to permit a new hand to be delivered beneath the stack by the transfer unit, and then the lifter assembly lowers the lifted stack onto the new hand. Finally, after the stack of bags within the bag lifter assembly has come to contain a desired number of hands, a banding press loader assembly is automatically actuated to load the stack of bags from the lifter assembly into a banding press.
Inventors
- 👤 William B Osteen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 14:19
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65H; B65H29/00; B65H29/38; B65H29/40; B65H29/001; B65H29/42; B65H33/00; B65H2404/00; B65H2404/60; B65H2404/65; B65H2404/653; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S414/00; Y10S414/10; Y10S414/115; Y10S414/118
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 48
Claim 1
Independent Claim
167 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine comprising: conveyor means for receiving bags in sequence from another machine and moving said bags; a spiral auger assembly including a pair of spiral auger blades cooperating with said conveyor means to pick off a predetermined number of bags from said conveyor means and move them as a hand away from said conveyor means; means for orienting said hands of bags in a horizontal, flat position in which the bags in each hand are vertically superimposed, and in which said hands are horizontally spaced from each other; a transfer unit assembly for consecutively moving said hands of bags from said orienting means to a location spaced therefrom; a bag lifter assembly positioned for consecutively receiving said hands of bags from said transfer unit assembly, and stacking said hands in a stack; means for periodically horizontally displacing said stack of hands of bags; and means for driving said spiral auger assembly, conveyor means, orienting means, transfer unit, and bag lifter assembly in synchronism.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
167 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine comprising: conveyor means for receiving bags in sequence from another machine and moving said bags; a spiral auger assembly including a pair of spiral auger blades cooperating with said conveyor means to pick off a predetermined number of bags from said conveyor means and move them as a hand away from said conveyor means; means for orienting said hands of bags in a horizontal, flat position in which the bags in each hand are vertically superimposed, and in which said hands are horizontally spaced from each other; a transfer unit assembly for consecutively moving said hands of bags from said orienting means to a location spaced therefrom; a bag lifter assembly positioned for consecutively receiving said hands of bags from said transfer unit assembly, and stacking said hands in a stack; means for periodically horizontally displacing said stack of hands of bags; and means for driving said spiral auger assembly, conveyor means, orienting means, transfer unit, and bag lifter assembly in synchronism.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
161 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine as defined claim 1 wherein said means for orienting said hands of bags comprises: a turntable for receiving from said auger assembly an aligned hand of vertically extending bags in which the bottom edges of the bags face downwardly; means for alternately rotating the turntable in one direction through 90* of rotation, then, after a period of dwell, rotating the turntable in an opposite direction through 90* of rotation whereby hands of bags in said turntable are turned to face the side edges of the vertically extending bags downwardly, and to alternately face the bottom edges of the bags in consecutive hands in opposite directions; means for ejecting the hands of bags from the turntable while the side edges of the bags are faced downwardly; tilting table means for receiving hands of bags ejected from said turntable; and means for pivoting said table means to a position in which the bags in said hands extend horizontally.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said conveyor means includes a shaft; a helical fin around said shaft having its convolutions spaced to receive bags between said convolutions; and means for driving said shaft in rotation.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
71 words
A bag-collating and -stacking apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said bag lifter assembly comprises: a bag lifter carriage subassembly including bag lifter flap means for lifting bag hands from beneath after sliding downwardly past the sides of said bag hands; means for vertically reciprocating said bag lifter assembly; and means for supporting a hand of bags in the path of the vertically reciprocating movement of saId bag lifter assembly.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
75 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said transfer unit assembly comprises: a set of leading transfer hooks; a set of trailing transfer hooks drivingly connected to said leading transfer hooks; a continuous driven chain of oval configuration in a substantially vertical plane; means driving said chain; a connecting rod connected between a point on said chain and said transfer hooks for driving said transfer hooks in translational and pivotal movement.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
107 words
A bag-collating and -stacking apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said spiral auger assembly includes a pair of horizontally spaced, helically turned blades, said blades each terminating in a point at one end and in a flat, vertically extending heel plate at the opposite end; means for turning the helically turned blades in opposite directions of rotation; a cylinder extending along the axis of rotation of each of said blades; a piston rod reciprocably mounted in each of said cylinders and extending therefrom toward the respective heel plate of the adjacent blade; and pusher plates secured to the ends of said piston rods outside said cylinders.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
95 words
A bag-collating and -stacking apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for displacing said stack of hands comprises: a vertically extending pusher plate; means supporting said pusher plate for horizontal reciprocating movement; cylinder and piston means for horizontally reciprocating said pusher plate; a slide plate slidably mounted on said pusher plate for vertical reciprocation; and piston and cylinder means mounted on said pusher plate and connected to said slide plate for periodically vertically reciprocating said slide plate into the path of bags moving from said transfer unit assembly into said bag lifter assembly.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
45 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine as defined in claim 1 and further characterized to include means for automatically actuating said means for periodically displacing said stack after a predetermined number of hands of bags have been stacked in said stack by said bag lifter assembly.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
57 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said spiral auger assembly includes a pair of aligned, horizontally spaced, helically turned blades; and wherein said driving means includes means for driving said blades in rotation at a speed which is a preselected exact multiple of the speed at which said conveyor means is driven.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
65 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine as defined in claim 2 wherein said conveyor means includes an elongated shaft; and a helical fin surrounding said shaft over a major portion of its length and having a portion of the convolutions thereof spaced axially along said shaft from each other by a greater distance than the remaining convolutions of said fin are spaced axially from each other.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
81 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine as defined in claim 2 wherein said bag lifter assembly comprises: a plurality of bag-lifting flaps; means pivotally supporting said flaps along the perimeter of a rectangular space for pivotation of said flaps from a horizontally extending position to an upwardly extending position; and means for moving said supporting means upwardly and downwardly in timed response to the movement of hands of bags by said transfer unit assembly to said location spaced from said orienting means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine as defined in claim 3 wherein said transfer unit assembly comprises a plurality of transfer hooks; and means for moving said transfer hooks in translational movement.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
52 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine as defined in claim 4 wherein said spiral auger assembly comprises: a pair of horizontally spaced, helically turned blades; means for turning the helically turned blades in opposite directions of rotation; and reciprocating bag ejection means extending alOng the axis of rotation of each of said blades.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
70 words
A bag-collating and -stacking apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said means for displacing said stack of hands comprises: a pusher plate positioned for horizontally pushing said stack of hands of bags; means for pneumatically moving said pusher plate; and slide plate means reciprocably mounted on said pusher plate for extension from one edge of said pusher plate in a direction substantially normal to the path of movement thereof.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
42 words
A bag-collating and -stacking apparatus as defined in claim 7 and further characterized to include means for automatically actuating said periodic displacing means after a predetermined number of hands of bags has been stacked in said stack by said bag lifter assembly.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
81 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine as defined in claim 9 wherein said spiral auger assembly further comprises: a pair of drums having said helically turned blades mounted thereon; a cylinder extending through the hollow interior of each of said drums; a piston rod reciprocably mounted in each of said cylinders and extending therefrom toward said means for orienting said hands of bags in a horizontal, flat position; and pusher plates secured to the ends of said piston rods outside said cylinders.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
42 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine as defined in claim 16 and further characterized to include means for automatically actuating said periodic displacing means after a predetermined number of hands of bags has been stacked in said stack by said bag lifter assembly.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
86 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine as defined in claim 15 wherein said means for orienting said hands of bags comprises: a turntable for receiving from said auger assembly an aligned hand of vertically extending bags in which the bottom edges of the bags extend downwardly; a Geneva drive assembly connected to said turntable for alternately rotating the turntable through 90* in opposite directions; and tilting table means for receiving a hand of bags from said turntable following each 90* rotation thereof by the Geneva drive assembly.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
36 words
A bag-collating and -stacking assembly as defined in claim 18 and further characterized to include means for contacting the tops and side edges of bags on said conveyor means for maintaining the alignment of said bags.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
261 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine comprising: means for receiving consecutively formed bags from a bag-forming machine and arranging said bags in horizontally spaced hands in which a preselected number of bags are aligned alike in vertical piles in each hand, said means for receiving consecutively formed bags comprising: a screw conveyor having a helical fin thereon formed to sandwich single bags between adjacent convolutions of the fin; means for retaining bags in alignment on the screw conveyor with the bottom edges aligned, the side edges aligned and the tops aligned; a spiral auger assembly for periodically screwing off predetermined numbers of bags from the screw conveyor; means for accepting from said auger assembly successive groups of bags each containing a predetermined number of aligned bags and each constituting a hand of bags; and means for alternately turning said accepting means first in one direction through 90* of rotation, and then in the opposite direction through 90* of rotation in timed sequence with the receipt of consecutive hands of bags therein from said spiral auger assembly to thereby lay alternate hands of bags on their sides with the bottom edges of the bags in said alternate hands facing in opposite directions; transfer unit means for conveying said horizontally spaced hands to a common point in succession; and a bag lifter assembly for stacking said hands in a vertical stack on arrival at said common point, said bag lifter assembly including means for placing each hand to arrive at said point below any Bags which have preceded it in arriving at said point.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
261 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine comprising: means for receiving consecutively formed bags from a bag-forming machine and arranging said bags in horizontally spaced hands in which a preselected number of bags are aligned alike in vertical piles in each hand, said means for receiving consecutively formed bags comprising: a screw conveyor having a helical fin thereon formed to sandwich single bags between adjacent convolutions of the fin; means for retaining bags in alignment on the screw conveyor with the bottom edges aligned, the side edges aligned and the tops aligned; a spiral auger assembly for periodically screwing off predetermined numbers of bags from the screw conveyor; means for accepting from said auger assembly successive groups of bags each containing a predetermined number of aligned bags and each constituting a hand of bags; and means for alternately turning said accepting means first in one direction through 90* of rotation, and then in the opposite direction through 90* of rotation in timed sequence with the receipt of consecutive hands of bags therein from said spiral auger assembly to thereby lay alternate hands of bags on their sides with the bottom edges of the bags in said alternate hands facing in opposite directions; transfer unit means for conveying said horizontally spaced hands to a common point in succession; and a bag lifter assembly for stacking said hands in a vertical stack on arrival at said common point, said bag lifter assembly including means for placing each hand to arrive at said point below any Bags which have preceded it in arriving at said point.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
45 words
A bag-collating and -stacking apparatus as defined in claim 20 wherein said means for alternately turning said accepting means comprises: a Geneva drive connected to said accepting means; and chain drive means drivingly interconnecting said Geneva drive with said screw conveyor and spiral auger assembly.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
169 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine comprising: means for receiving consecutively formed bags from a bag-forming machine and arranging said bags in horizontally spaced hands in which a preselected number of bags are aligned alike in vertical piles in each hand, said receiving means comprising: means for aligning a predetermined number of bags in a hand in which the aligned bottom edges of the bag face downwardly; means for taking the aligned bags from said aligning means and turning them sideways with the bottom edges of the bags extending vertically; and means for laying sideways turned bags down flat on their sides with their bottom edges extending horizontally; and transfer unit means for conveying said horizontally spaced hands to a common point in succession; and a bag lifter assembly for stacking said hands in a vertical stack upon arrival at said common point, said bag lifter assembly including means for placing each hand to arrive at said point below any bags which have preceded it in arriving at said point.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
169 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine comprising: means for receiving consecutively formed bags from a bag-forming machine and arranging said bags in horizontally spaced hands in which a preselected number of bags are aligned alike in vertical piles in each hand, said receiving means comprising: means for aligning a predetermined number of bags in a hand in which the aligned bottom edges of the bag face downwardly; means for taking the aligned bags from said aligning means and turning them sideways with the bottom edges of the bags extending vertically; and means for laying sideways turned bags down flat on their sides with their bottom edges extending horizontally; and transfer unit means for conveying said horizontally spaced hands to a common point in succession; and a bag lifter assembly for stacking said hands in a vertical stack upon arrival at said common point, said bag lifter assembly including means for placing each hand to arrive at said point below any bags which have preceded it in arriving at said point.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
49 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine as defined in claim 22 and further characterized as including a bag indexing assembly for receiving said sideways turned bags laying flat on their sides, and turning them through an angle of 180* to rest on their opposite sides and at a lower level.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
142 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine comprising: means for aligning and grouping a predetermined number of bags in hands in which the bags are flat and have their bottom edges, side edges and tops aligned, said aligning means comprising: a screw conveyor for supporting the bottom edges of bags in horizontal alignment; and means for maintaining the horizontal alignment of said bottom edges while removing a predetermined number of bags from said screw conveyor; means for successively receiving said hands and turning them alternately in opposite directions; means for collecting said oppositely directed hands in a vertical stack with the bags in each stacked hand having their bottom edges aligned with the top edges of the bags in adjacent hands in the stack; and means for automatically horizontally displacing the vertical stacked hands when the number of hands collected reaches a predetermined number.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
142 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine comprising: means for aligning and grouping a predetermined number of bags in hands in which the bags are flat and have their bottom edges, side edges and tops aligned, said aligning means comprising: a screw conveyor for supporting the bottom edges of bags in horizontal alignment; and means for maintaining the horizontal alignment of said bottom edges while removing a predetermined number of bags from said screw conveyor; means for successively receiving said hands and turning them alternately in opposite directions; means for collecting said oppositely directed hands in a vertical stack with the bags in each stacked hand having their bottom edges aligned with the top edges of the bags in adjacent hands in the stack; and means for automatically horizontally displacing the vertical stacked hands when the number of hands collected reaches a predetermined number.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
162 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine comprising: means for aligning and grouping a predetermined number of bags in hands in which the bags are flat and have their bottom edges, side edges and tops aligned: means for successively receiving said hands and turning them alternately in opposite directions, said receiving and turning means comprising: an apertured turntable means having an opening therethrough sized to closely receive a hand of bags in which the bags are aligned; and means for periodically reorienting said apertured turntable means to turn said opening in the direction it is desired to turn a hand of bags which has been received therein; and means for collecting said oppositely directed hands in a vertical stack with the bags in each stacked hand having their bottom edges aligned with the top edges of the bags in adjacent hands in the stack; and means for automatically horizontally displacing the vertically stacked hands when the number of hands collected reaches a predetermined number.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
162 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine comprising: means for aligning and grouping a predetermined number of bags in hands in which the bags are flat and have their bottom edges, side edges and tops aligned: means for successively receiving said hands and turning them alternately in opposite directions, said receiving and turning means comprising: an apertured turntable means having an opening therethrough sized to closely receive a hand of bags in which the bags are aligned; and means for periodically reorienting said apertured turntable means to turn said opening in the direction it is desired to turn a hand of bags which has been received therein; and means for collecting said oppositely directed hands in a vertical stack with the bags in each stacked hand having their bottom edges aligned with the top edges of the bags in adjacent hands in the stack; and means for automatically horizontally displacing the vertically stacked hands when the number of hands collected reaches a predetermined number.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
177 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine comprising: means for aligning and grouping a predetermined number of bags in hands in which the bags are flat and have their bottom edges, side edges and tops aligned; means for successively receiving said hands and turnIng them alternately in opposite directions; means for consecutively accepting in a horizontal position from said receiving means, hands of bags which have been turned alternately in opposite directions by receiving means; means drivingly connected to said hand accepting means to periodically move said hand accepting means to a position in which a hand of bags which has been accepted thereby is turned over through 180*; means for collecting said oppositely directed hands after the hands have been turned over through 180* and stacking said oppositely directed hands in a vertical stack with the bags in each stacked hand having bottom edges aligned with the top edges of the bags in adjacent hands in the stack; and means for automatically horizontally displacing the vertically stacked hands when the number of hands collected reaches a predetermined number.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
177 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine comprising: means for aligning and grouping a predetermined number of bags in hands in which the bags are flat and have their bottom edges, side edges and tops aligned; means for successively receiving said hands and turnIng them alternately in opposite directions; means for consecutively accepting in a horizontal position from said receiving means, hands of bags which have been turned alternately in opposite directions by receiving means; means drivingly connected to said hand accepting means to periodically move said hand accepting means to a position in which a hand of bags which has been accepted thereby is turned over through 180*; means for collecting said oppositely directed hands after the hands have been turned over through 180* and stacking said oppositely directed hands in a vertical stack with the bags in each stacked hand having bottom edges aligned with the top edges of the bags in adjacent hands in the stack; and means for automatically horizontally displacing the vertically stacked hands when the number of hands collected reaches a predetermined number.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
67 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine as defined in claim 26 wherein said receiving and turning means comprises: apertured plate means having an opening therethrough sized to receive a hand of bags in which the bags are aligned; and means for periodically reorienting said apertured plate means to turn said opening in the direction it is desired to turn a hand of bags which has been received therein.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
222 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine comprising: means for aligning and grouping a predetermined number of bags in hands in which the bags are flat and have their bottom edges, side edges and tops aligned; means for successively receiving said hands and turning them alternately in opposite directions; means for collecting said oppositely directed hands in a vertical stack with the bags in each stacked hand having their bottom edges aligned with the top edges of the bags in adjacent hands in the stack; means for automatically horizontally displacing the vertically stacked hands when the number of hands collected reaches a predetermined number, said means for automatically horizontally displacing the vertically stacked hands comprising: bag guide plate means bearing against the stack of bags on three sides thereof; a pusher plate bearing against the stack of bags on a fourth side and having said bag guide plate means mounted on one side thereof for concurrent reciprocation therewith means for pushing the pusher plate and the bag guide plate means mounted thereon toward said stack of bags and in a horizontal direction; and guide means on a side of said bag guide plate means for guiding said bag guide plate means out of contact with said stacked bags after said pusher plate has commenced to push said stack of bags in a horizontal direction.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
222 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine comprising: means for aligning and grouping a predetermined number of bags in hands in which the bags are flat and have their bottom edges, side edges and tops aligned; means for successively receiving said hands and turning them alternately in opposite directions; means for collecting said oppositely directed hands in a vertical stack with the bags in each stacked hand having their bottom edges aligned with the top edges of the bags in adjacent hands in the stack; means for automatically horizontally displacing the vertically stacked hands when the number of hands collected reaches a predetermined number, said means for automatically horizontally displacing the vertically stacked hands comprising: bag guide plate means bearing against the stack of bags on three sides thereof; a pusher plate bearing against the stack of bags on a fourth side and having said bag guide plate means mounted on one side thereof for concurrent reciprocation therewith means for pushing the pusher plate and the bag guide plate means mounted thereon toward said stack of bags and in a horizontal direction; and guide means on a side of said bag guide plate means for guiding said bag guide plate means out of contact with said stacked bags after said pusher plate has commenced to push said stack of bags in a horizontal direction.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
192 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine as defined in claim 28 wherein said bag guide plate means comprises: a first pair of vertically aligned bag guide arms on one side of the stack of bags; a first pivot pin supporting the bag guide arms in said first pair for pivotation about a vertical axis; a first vertically extending bag guide plate secured between said bag guide arms and adapted to contact the stack of bags on one side thereof; a flange projecting from said bag guide plate and adapted to contact the stack of bags on a second side thereof; a second pair of vertically aligned bag guide arms horizontally spaced from said first pair of vertically aligned bag guide arms; a second pivot pin supporting the bag guide arms in said second pair for pivotation about a vertical axis; a second vertically extending guide plate secured between the bag guide arms in said second pair and adapted to contact the stack of bags on a third side thereof; and a flange projecting from said second vertically extending guide plate and adapted to contact the stack of bags on said second side thereof.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
156 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine comprising: a screw conveyor including a helical fin thereon having a major portion of its convolutions spaced to receive between each pair of adjacent convolutions, a single bag; means for retaining bags in alignment on said screw conveyor during movement therealong by the rotation of said helical fin; a pair of horizontally spaced spiral auger blades on opposite sides of said screw conveyor and each having a larger pitch than said helical fin and oriented to periodically remove a group of bags from said screw conveyor and move them further in the direction of movement imparted thereto by said screw conveyor; means rotating the spiral auger blades and the screw conveyor in synchronism to achieve the inclusion of a predetermined number of bags in the groups periodically removed from the screw conveyor by said spiral auger blades; and means for stacking said groups of bags in vertical relation to each other.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
156 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine comprising: a screw conveyor including a helical fin thereon having a major portion of its convolutions spaced to receive between each pair of adjacent convolutions, a single bag; means for retaining bags in alignment on said screw conveyor during movement therealong by the rotation of said helical fin; a pair of horizontally spaced spiral auger blades on opposite sides of said screw conveyor and each having a larger pitch than said helical fin and oriented to periodically remove a group of bags from said screw conveyor and move them further in the direction of movement imparted thereto by said screw conveyor; means rotating the spiral auger blades and the screw conveyor in synchronism to achieve the inclusion of a predetermined number of bags in the groups periodically removed from the screw conveyor by said spiral auger blades; and means for stacking said groups of bags in vertical relation to each other.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
168 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine as defined in claim 30 and further characterized to include: a rotatably mounted member having a cross-shaped opening therethrough with said opening configured as a pair of crossed rectangles, each of which is of slightly larger area than a flattened bag, said rotatably mounted member being positioned adjacent said spiral auger blades to receive groups of bags intermittently fed thereto by said spiral auger blades so that each received group is positioned within one of said rectangular portions of said opening; means for periodically rotating said rotatably mounted member about an axis through the center of said opening, first in one direction of rotation through 90* of arc at a time after a group of bags is received therein, and then in the opposite direction of rotation through 90* of arc at a time after the next succeeding group of bags is received therein; and means for ejecting each group of bags from said rotatably mounted member after each rotation thereof through 90*.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
147 words
A bag-collating and -stacking apparatus as defined in claim 30 and further characterized to include means for transferring bags in groups from said spiral auger blades to said stacking means, said transferring means including a transfer unit assembly comprising: a pair of horizontally spaced sprockets; means for commonly driving at least one of said sprockets and said spiral auger blades in synchronism; an endless chain extended around said sprockets; a framework; carrier means slidably mounted on said frame for reciprocation in a substantially horizontal plane; a connecting rod drivingly connected between said chain and said carrier means for reciprocating said carrier means as said chain is driven on said sprockets; and at least one pair of transfer hooks pivotally mounted on said carrier means and engaging said connecting rod for following the movement thereof relative to said carrier means during the movement of said sprockets and chain.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
69 words
A bag-collating and -stacking apparatus as defined in claim 30 wherein said means for stacking said groups of bags in vertical relation to each other comprises: means continuously undergoing an up and down reciprocating movement; and flap means pivotally mounted on said up and down reciprocating means for pivoting about a horizontally extending axis from a horizontally extending lifting position to an upwardly folded, bag bypassing down moving position.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
69 words
A bag-collating and -stacking apparatus as defined in claim 31 wherein said means for stacking said groups of bags in vertical relation to each other comprises: means continuously undergoing an up and down reciprocating movement; and flap means pivotally mounted on said up and down reciprocating means for pivoting about a horizontally extending axis from a horizontally extending lifting position to an upwardly folded, bag bypassing down moving position.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
69 words
A bag-collating and -stacking apparatus as defined in claim 32 wherein said means for stacking said groups of bags in vertical relation to each other comprises: mEans continuously undergoing an up and down reciprocating movement; and flap means pivotally mounted on said up and down reciprocating means for pivoting about a horizontally extending axis from a horizontally extending lifting position to an upwardly folded, bag bypassing down moving position.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
147 words
A bag-collating and -stacking apparatus as defined in claim 34 and further characterized to include means for transferring bags in groups from said spiral auger blades to said stacking means, said transferring means including a transfer unit assembly comprising: a pair of horizontally spaced sprockets; means for commonly driving at least one of said sprockets and said spiral auger blades in synchronism; an endless chain extended around said sprockets; a framework; carrier means slidably mounted on said frame for reciprocation in a substantially horizontal plane; a connecting rod drivingly connected between said chain and said carrier means for reciprocating said carrier means as said chain is driven on said sprockets; and at least one pair of transfer hooks pivotally mounted on said carrier means and engaging said connecting rod for following the movement thereof relative to said carrier means during the movement of said sprockets and chain.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
141 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine comprising: means for receiving consecutively formed bags from a bag-forming machine and arranging said bags in horizontally spaced hands in which a preselected number of bags are aligned alike in vertical piles in each hand, said receiving means comprising: means for aligning a predetermined number of bags in a hand in which the aligned bottom edges of the bags face downwardly; means for taking the aligned bags from said aligning means and turning them sideways with the bottom edges of the bags extending vertically; and means for laying sideways turned bags down flat on their sides with their bottom edges extending horizontally; transfer unit means for conveying said horizontally spaced hands to a common point in succession; and a bag lifter assembly for stacking said hands in a vertical stack upon arrival at said common point.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
141 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine comprising: means for receiving consecutively formed bags from a bag-forming machine and arranging said bags in horizontally spaced hands in which a preselected number of bags are aligned alike in vertical piles in each hand, said receiving means comprising: means for aligning a predetermined number of bags in a hand in which the aligned bottom edges of the bags face downwardly; means for taking the aligned bags from said aligning means and turning them sideways with the bottom edges of the bags extending vertically; and means for laying sideways turned bags down flat on their sides with their bottom edges extending horizontally; transfer unit means for conveying said horizontally spaced hands to a common point in succession; and a bag lifter assembly for stacking said hands in a vertical stack upon arrival at said common point.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
205 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine comprising: means for aligning and grouping a predetermined number of bags in hands in which the bags are flat and have their bottom edges, side edges and top edges aligned, said aligning and grouping means comprising: a screw conveyor for supporting bottom edges of the bags in horizontal alignment; and means for maintaining the horizontal alignment of said bottom edges while removing a predetermined number of bags from the screw conveyor; means for successively receiving said hands and turning them alternately in opposite direction; means for collecting said oppositely directed hands in a vertical stack with the bags in each stacked hand having their bottom edges aligned with the top edges of the bags in adjacent hands in the stack, said collecting means comprising: a hand-supporting plate; bag lifter flaps for periodically lifting all hands on said hand-supporting plate in a vertical direction by movement of the bag lifter flaps through the horizontal plane of said hand-supporting plate; and means for automatically moving a hand of bags onto said hand-supporting plate when said lifting means is engaged in its lifting motion; means for automatically horizontally displacing the vertically stacked hands when the number of hands collected reaches a predetermined number.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
205 words
A bag-collating and -stacking machine comprising: means for aligning and grouping a predetermined number of bags in hands in which the bags are flat and have their bottom edges, side edges and top edges aligned, said aligning and grouping means comprising: a screw conveyor for supporting bottom edges of the bags in horizontal alignment; and means for maintaining the horizontal alignment of said bottom edges while removing a predetermined number of bags from the screw conveyor; means for successively receiving said hands and turning them alternately in opposite direction; means for collecting said oppositely directed hands in a vertical stack with the bags in each stacked hand having their bottom edges aligned with the top edges of the bags in adjacent hands in the stack, said collecting means comprising: a hand-supporting plate; bag lifter flaps for periodically lifting all hands on said hand-supporting plate in a vertical direction by movement of the bag lifter flaps through the horizontal plane of said hand-supporting plate; and means for automatically moving a hand of bags onto said hand-supporting plate when said lifting means is engaged in its lifting motion; means for automatically horizontally displacing the vertically stacked hands when the number of hands collected reaches a predetermined number.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2984838A
Cited
US3115090A
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GB1005370A
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US3231100A
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US3124059A
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US3107793A
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US3363781A
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US3422968A
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-08-02 | 1975-02-01 | 1975-08-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-08-02 | 1979-02-01 | 1979-08-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-08-02 | 1983-02-01 | 1983-08-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |