Article packaging system

Claim 2

Apparatus for continually sequentially opening and filling flattened flexible packaging bags from a stacked and wicket held supply of bags, each bag having a lower ply provided with wicket holes and an upper ply clear of the wicket holes in the lower ply, comprising, in combination, a. an apparatus frame having an aft end and a fore end, b. a substantially horizontal top plate on said frame adapted to support the stacked supply of bags and a product filled top bag on the stacked supply of bags, c. a wicket having a horizontal center portion arranged and disposed to exert bearing pressure downward on the lower plies of the stacked supply of bags through contact with the upper surface of the lower ply of the top bag on the stacked supply of bags at a locus clear of the wicket holes in the bags, an upwardly extending shoulder at each end of said horizontal center portion, and a leg element extending substantially vertically downward from each shoulder through and subtending beyond the wicket holes in each bag lower ply in the stacked supply of bags, d. wicket socket means adjacent the top plate towards the aft end of the apparatus frame disposed to receive and hold substantially vertically portions of the wicket leg elements subtending the stacked supply of bags, e. a housing pivotally supported on horizontal trunnion means at the aft end of the apparatus frame extending towards the fore end of the frame and adapted to move pivotally vertically on the trunnion means with respect to the frame, f. air supply means mounted in the housing having an air stream discharge directed towards the fore end of the apparatus frame, g. duct means communicating with the air stream discharge adapted to direct an air stream from the air supply means into a bag on top of the stacked supply to inflate said bag, said duct means bearing on at least a portion of the wicket to maintain substantially constant downward vertical pressure thereon, and h. a substantially flat platen on top of the housing means adapted to support an unpackaged product.

Claim 3

Apparatus for continually sequentially opening and filling flattened flexible packaging bags from a stacked and wicket held supply of bags, each bag having a lower ply provided with wicket holes and an upper ply clear of the wicket holes in the lower ply, comprising, in combination, a. an apparatus frame having an aft end and a fore end, b. a substantially horizontal top plate on said frame adapted to support the stacked supply of bags and a product filled top bag on the stacked supply of bags, c. a wicket having a horizontal center portion arranged and disposed to exert bearing pressure downward on the lower plies of the stacked supply of bags through contact with the upper surface of the lower ply of the top bag on the stacked supply of bags at a locus clear of the wicket holes in the bags, an upwardly extending shoulder at each end of said horizontal center portion, and a leg element, extending substantially vertically through and subtending beyond the wicket holes in each bag lower ply in the stacked supply of bags, d. wicket socket means adjacent the top plate towards the aft end of the apparatus frame disposed to receive and hold substantially vertically portions of the wicket leg elements subtending the stacked supply of bags, e. a housing pivotally supported on horizontal trunnion means at the aft end of the apparatus frame extending towards the fore end of the frame and adapted to move pivotally vertically on the trunnion means with respect to the frame, f. air blower means mounted in the housing having an air stream discharge directed towards the fore end of the apparatus frame, g. duct means communicating with the air stream discharge adapted to direct an air stream from the blower means into a bag on top of the stacked supply to inflate said bag, said duct means bearing on at least a portion of the wicket to maintain substantially constant downward vertical pressure thereon, h. a substantially flat platen on top of the housing means adapted to support an unpackaged product, i. product guide means mounted on the top platen of the housing means adapted to enter part way into an open bag on top of the stacked supply of bags upon impingement of a product thereon and thereby guide said product impinging thereon from the platen into the open bag, and j. conveyor means disposed between the top plate and the fore end of the apparatus arranged and disposed to accept a product filled bag from the top of the stacked supply of bags and to convey said product filled bag from the apparatus.

Claim 4

Apparatus for continually sequentially opening and filling flattened flexible packaging bags from a stacked and wicket held supply of bags, each bag having a lower ply provided with wicket holes and an upper ply clear of the wicket holes in the lower ply, comprising, in combination, a. an apparatus frame having an aft end and a fore end, b. a substantially horizontal top plate on said frame adapted to support the stacked supply of bags and a product filled top bag on the stacked supply of bags, c. a wicket having a horizontal center portion arranged and disposed to exert bearing pressure downward on the lower plies of the stacked supply of bags through contact with the upper surface of the lower ply of the top bag on the stacked supply of bags at a locus clear of the wicket holes in the bags, an upwardly extending shoulder at each end of said horizontal center portion, and a leg element, extending substantially vertically through and subtending beyond the wicket holes in each bag lower ply in the stacked supply of bags, d. wicket socket means adjacent the top plate towards the aft end of the apparatus frame disposed to receive and hold substantially vertically portions of the wicket leg elements subtending the stacked supply of bags, e. a housing pivotally supported on horizontal trunnion means at the aft end of the apparatus frame extending towards the fore end of the frame and adapted to move pivotally vertically on the trunnion means with respect to the frame, f. air blower means mounted in the housing having an air stream discharge directed towards the fore end of the apparatus frame, g. duct means communicating with the air stream discharge adapted to direct an air stream from the blower means into a bag on top of the stacked supply to inflate said bag, said duct means bearing on at least a portion of the wicket to maintain substantially constant downward vertical pressure thereon, h. a substantially flat platen on top of the housing means adapted to support an unpackaged product, i. product guide means mounted on the top platen of the housing means adapted to enter part way into an open bag on top of the stacked supply of bags upon impingement of a product thereon and thereby guide said product impinging thereon from the platen into the open bag, and j. conveyor means disposed between the top plate and the fore end of the apparatus arranged and disposed to accept a product filled bag from the top of the stacked supply of bags and to convey said product filled bag from the apparatus.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the wicket is provided with cutting edges disposed towards the aft end of the apparatus and located on the wicket leg elements above said horizontal center portion of the wicket.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the wicket socket means are canted from the vertical to dispose the top of the wicket towards the aft end of the apparatus and the wicket leg elements portions subtending the stacked and wicket held supply of bags towards the fore end of the apparatus whereby the stacked supply of bags is imbricated.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the pivotally supported housing mounting the air supply means and the duct means is provided with force pressure means operably connected to said housing adapted to counterbalance the cantilevered dead weight of said housing on its trunnion means and to maintain substantially constant bearing pressure by the duct means on said portion of the wicket.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 1 in combination with lifting cam means arranged between the apparatus frame and the rotatably supported housing and operable to raise and secure the housing on its trunnion means clear of its operating position to permit loading the apparatus with a supply of stacked bags.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the wicket is provided with cutting edges disposed towards the aft end of the apparatus and located on the wicket leg elements above said horizontal center portion of the wicket.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the wicket socket means are canted from the vertical to dispose the top of the wicket towards the aft end of the apparatus and the wicket leg elements portions subtending the stacked and wicket held supply of bags towards the fore end of the apparatus whereby the stacked supply of bags is imbricated.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the pivotally supported housing mounting the air blower means and the duct means is provided with force pressure means operably connected between said housing and tHe apparatus frame, adapted to counterbalance the cantilevered dead weight of said housing on its trunnion means and to maintain substantially constant bearing pressure by the duct means on said portion of the wicket.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 2 in combination with lifting cam means arranged between the apparatus frame and the rotatably supported housing and operable to raise and secure the housing on its trunnion means clear of its operating position to permit loading the apparatus with a supply of stacked bags.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the product guide means mounted on the top platen of the housing means is provided with first pivot means to permit pivotal movement of the product guide means towards the fore end of the apparatus into an inflated open bag on top of the stacked supply of bags and, simultaneously, to permit outward expansion of the product guide means in a pivotal substantially horizontal movement while a product being impinged thereon moves through the product guide means into the inflated open bag.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 11 provided with second pivot means to permit pivotal vertical expansion of the product guide means while a product being impinged thereon moves through the product guide means and into the inflated bag.

Claim 15

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the conveyor means comprises a multiplicity of rotatable rollers mounted transversely in the apparatus frame.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 13 in which said rollers are selectably removeable from the frame.