Vacuumizing and clipping system

Claim 2

A vacuumizing apparatus comprising a nozzle body, a passage through said body, a vacuumizing inlet opening into said passage from outside said nozzle body, a vacuum source inlet communicating with said passage, a control member in said passage, an inlet closing portion on said control member mating with said vacuumizing inlet to close said vacuumizing inlet, a positioning member connected to said control member and connected outside of said nozzle body and operable to maintain said control member in a position relative to said nozzle body, a nozzle body engaging means engageable with the outside of said nozzle body, said positioning member and said nozzle body engaging means movable relative to one another to position said control member and said nozzle body relative to one another in at least two positions to open and close said vacuumizing inlet.

Claim 3

The vacuumizing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said nozzle body is a substantially tubular member, said passage is an axial passage passing through said tubular member, said vacuumizing inlet is an opening in a reduced snout portion at one end of said tubular member and at one end of said axial passage, said control member is a rod, an enlarged end on said rod positioned in said tube adjacent its end opposite said vacuumizing inlet and mating with the inside dimension of said passageway, a slot in the sidewall of said nozzle body adjacent to and opening to said enlarged end of said control member, a lug formed on said enlarged end and projects into said slot and smaller than said slot so that the free movement of said lug between the top and bottom of said slot will determine the fully opened and fully closed position of said nozzle due to the full movement of the control member relative to the nozzle body and said vacuum source inlet opening into said passage between said enlarged end of said nozzle control member and said vacuumizing inlet.

Claim 4

A vacuumizing apparatus comprising a nozzle having a clamping surface, a first moving slot means having a constant path of travel, means for moving said first slot means into clamping engagement with said nozzle, a second movable slot means mounted for movement relative to and with said first slot means, means for moving said second slot means into clamping engagement with said nozzle, a nozzle mounting means, said nozzle mounting means controlling the movement of said second movable slot means relative to said first slot means, said first slot means carrying said nozzle in its path of travel, and means to apply a vacuum to said nozzle while said clamped nozzle is in motion.

Claim 5

A vacuumizing apparatus comprising a nozzle having a clamping surface, a first moving slot means having a constant path of travel, means for moving said first slot means into clamping engagement with said nozzle, a second movable slot means mounted for movement relative to and with said first slot means, means for moving said second slot means into clamping engagement with said nozzle, a nozzle mounting means, said nozzle mounting means controlling the movement of said second movable slot means relative to said first slot means, said first slot means carrying said nozzle in its path of travel, and means to apply a vacuum to said nozzle while said clamped nozzle is in motion.

Claim 6

The vacuumizing apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said apparatus includes a continuously rotating carriage; said nozzle mounting means includes a plurality of brackets mounted on said carriage and a plurality of arms mounted one on each of said brackets; a plurality of said nozzles, each of said nozzles mounted on a respective one of said arms, a plate member extending from said carriage below said arms and carried by and rotated with said carriage; a plurality of said first moving slot means, each of said first slot means being a cutout in the outer margIn of said plate member, said cutouts spaced at intervals along the outer margin of said plate member for receipt of said nozzles; a plurality of said second slot means, said second slot means mounted below said plate and including a clamping head having a slot therein, said means for moving said second slot means including a first arm pivotally connected at one end to said plate member and at its other end to said clamping head opposite said slot, another arm having one end rigidly connected to the bottom of said bracket and the other end pivotally connected to a forward edge of said clamping head whereby the movement of said vacuum nozzle into the slot in said plate member moves the arm pivotally connected to the forward edge of said clamping head toward said nozzle causing said clamping head to rotate on said arm and move toward said slot in said plate member engaging the slot in said clamping head on said outer clamping surface of said nozzle, clamping said nozzle in position in said two slots.

Claim 7

The vacuumizing apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said carriage has a tubular portion extending axially below said plate member; a collar mounted on and around said tubular portion and having rotational movement independent of said tubular portion; opposed arms extending from said collar in a plain generally parallel to the plain of said plate member; a clipper mounted at the outer end of one of said arms and positioned in the line of rotational travel of a bag depending from said nozzles; a counterweight mounted at the outer end of said other arm; a switch controlling said clipper blocking the rotational movement of said counter weight in one direction; a spring biasing said counterweight in the opposite direction which opposite direction is opposed to the direction of rotation of said carriage whereby said bag will push said clipper in the direction of movement of said carriage causing the counterweight to move against the bias of said spring engaging said switch and activating said clipper; means carried by said clipper for severing the bag whereby the bag will fall from engagement with the clipper releasing the clipper for counter rotation by said spring action on said counterweight.

Claim 8

The vacuumizing apparatus of claim 2 wherein said positioning member includes a hook that extends above the enlarged end of said control member, a hook engaging member, said hook engaging member engaging said hook and being reciprocal between a raised and a lowered position, the nozzle body engaging means is a clamp having an inside dimension greater than the outside dimension of said nozzle body where it engages about said nozzle body, said inside dimension greatness allowing for the gripping of a bag between said nozzle body and said clamp during operation for maintaining a vacuum closure about said bag during vacuumization thereof and said clamp engaging said nozzle body through the medium of the bag, a hand grip formed on the outer surface of said nozzle body for pulling said nozzle body downwardly relative to said control member to cause the separation of said inlet closing portion thereof from mating with the vacuumizing inlet to open said nozzle, said control member being held in position by said positioning member and said clamp having engaging movement relative to and about said nozzle body to maintain said nozzle body in position relative to said control member, the reciprocal movement of said hook engaging member to its raised position raising said control member and said nozzle housing with the vacuumizing inlet maintained open by the grip of said clamp resisting the upward movement of said nozzle housing, the subsequent release movement of said clamp relative to and from about said nozzle body allows the vacuum to raise the nozzle body to return said inlet closing portion of said control member to mating position with said vacuumizing inlet closing said vacuumizing inlet, and said enlarged end of said rod having an O-ring seat thereabout and an O-ring on said O-ring seAt sealing vacuumtight the mating region of said enlarged end of said control member and said nozzle housing.