Universal bagger

Claim 2

Apparatus for inserting a succession of articles into bags, which comprises: a flighted infeed conveyor for transporting a succession of articles to predetermined position, means for supplying a succession of inflated bags at a position in spaced relationship with the predetermined position, a scoop mechanism for engaging the inside of the inflated bag and guiding articles therein, a pusher bar assembly operable to engage an article at the predetermined position, push it through the scoop mechanism into the inflated bag, remove the bagged article from the bag supply and to be withdrawn from the interior of the bag, said infeed conveyor comprising two side by side conveyor belts, means forming flights for the infeed conveyor belts, and means for permitting the adjustment of the size of the pockets formed by the flights.

Claim 3

Apparatus for packaging articles according to claim 1, wherein said scoop mechanism comprises: a pair of scoops pivotally mounted between the bag supply and the predetermined position, mechanical means for closing the scoops to insert them into said inflated bag and opening them to engage and hold the inflated bag, and means for varying the spacing between the scoops to adjust the mechanism for different sized articles and bags.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the assembly includes: a frame having tracks therein, spaced, driven endless chains, at least one pusher bar subassembly mounted between said endless chains and including means for engaging said tracks, and said chains and said tracks being shaped so as to insert the pusher bar into said inflated bag and withdraw it therefrom.

Claim 5

Apparatus for packaging articles, which comprises: a flighted infeed conveyor for transporting articles to a predetermined position, means for providing an inflated bag at a position spaced from the predetermined position, means for engaging an article at said predetermined position and inserting it into said inflated bag, and means extending exterior of the infeed conveyor for changing the size of the pockets formed by the flights thereof, and wherein said flighted infeed conveyor includes a pair of endless conveyor belts mounted in a side by side relationship, each conveyor belt being mounted over a driven sprocket means and an idler sprocket means and each of said drive sprocket means including a gear ring, a drive shaft for rotatably mounting said driven sprocket means, said drive shaft including a collar thereon engaging the side of one of said driven sprocket means, a bevel gear mounted on said shaft and operable to engage the gear rings of each of the driven sprocket means, means slidably mounted on the shaft operable to engage the side of the sprocket means opposite the sprocket means being engaged by the collar, said slidable means, when engaged with the sprocket means, being operable to cause the sprocket means to be driven by the shaft through a frictional drive path between said collar and said slidable means, and means for sliding said slidable means out of engagement with the side of said sprocket means to permit the sprocket means to be rotated with respect to the shaft.

Claim 6

Apparatus for packaging articles, which comprises: a flighted infeed conveyor for transporting articles to a predetermined position, means for providing an inflated bag at a position spaced from the predetermined position, means for engaging an article at said predetermined position and inserting it into said inflated bag, and means extending exterior of the infeed conveyor for changing the size of the pockets formed by the flights thereof, and wherein said flighted infeed conveyor includes a pair of endless conveyor belts mounted in a side by side relationship, each conveyor belt being mounted over a driven sprocket means and an idler sprocket means and each of said drive sprocket means including a gear ring, a drive shaft for rotatably mounting said driven sprocket means, said drive shaft including a collar thereon engaging the side of one of said driven sprocket means, a bevel gear mounted on said shaft and operable to engage the gear rings of each of the driven sprocket means, means slidably mounted on the shaft operable to engage the side of the sprocket means opposite the sprocket means being engaged by the collar, said slidable means, when engaged with the sprocket means, being operable to cause the sprocket means to be driven by the shaft through a frictional drive path between said collar and said slidable means, and means for sliding said slidable means out of engagement with the side of said sprocket means to permit the sprocket means to be rotated with respect to the shaft.