Bagging machine

Claim 2

A bagging machine comprising a hopper, a bag shelf, a mechanism for feeding bags from the hopper onto the shelf, means for holding and opening a bag by air pressure while the bag is horizontally disposed on said shelf, a stationary open top tray positioned in alignment with said shelf, transfer means movable from a first position adjacent said tray to a second position where it grips and moves an open bag from said shelf into telescoped relationship with respect to said tray beginning at one end of said tray and then releases the bag, a movable ram adjacent the other end of said tray, means for moving said ram between side walls of the tray for pushing a bag and the articles on the bottom wall of the tray off the tray after a bag is telescoped over the tray, and means for upending the fully loaded bag.

Claim 3

A machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said hopper is a bottom feed hopper disposed to one side of said bag shelf, said mechanism including a reciprocal pusher for pushing a bag sideways onto the bag shelf with the mouth of the bag being directed towards said one end of said tray.

Claim 4

A machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for holding the bag includes a movable clamp bar for engaging a bottom layer of the bag while the bag is being opened.

Claim 5

A machine in accordance with claim 1 including a movable flexible curtain on said tray adjacent said one end of said tray, and means for moving the curtain to render said one end of the tray open before said ram pushes articles and a bag off the tray.

Claim 6

A machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said transfer means includes a scoop reciprocable with respect to the tray, said scoop having means thereon for engaging and holding a bag while moving the bag toward the tray.

Claim 7

A machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for upending the bag includes a pivotably mounted member movable from a generally horizontal position overlying the bag shelf to a generally vertical position.

Claim 8

A machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for holding and opening the bag includes a member mounted for movement to a position to restrict opening of the bag adjacent the mouth of the bag whereby the closed end will balloon due to air introduced into the bag.

Claim 9

A machine in accordance with claim 5 wherein the bag holding means on the scoop includes at least one cylinder on the scoop and reciprocably supporting a pad for movement toward and away from a side wall of the scoop.

Claim 10

An automatic bagging machine and checkout counter comprising a counter top having a conveyor for conveying articles to be bagged to a position wherein they may be reached by an operator, an open top stationary tray adjacent the conveyor, a movable ram forming a rear wall for said tray at an end thereof adjacent the conveyor, a power cylinder for said ram, said cylinder being disposed beneath said conveyor, a bag shelf aligned with said tray, means aligned with said shelf for receiving a fully loaded bag and upending the bag, a mechanism for feeding bags to said shelf one at a time, means associated with said shelf for ballooning open a bag on the shelf, a scoop reciprocably mounted from a position adjacent said tray to a position wherein it at least partially enters an open bag, means on said scoop for contacting and moving an open bag to a position wherein the bag is telescoped over said tray, means For clamping one layer of a bag at the mouth of the bag while the bag is being opened, means for releasing the clamping means before the scoop moves the bag to effect said telescoping relationship, and means including said cylinder for causing the ram to push articles off the tray while simultaneously moving the bag away from the tray and towards said shelf.

Claim 11

An automatic bagging machine and checkout counter comprising a counter top having a conveyor for conveying articles to be bagged to a position wherein they may be reached by an operator, an open top stationary tray adjacent the conveyor, a movable ram forming a rear wall for said tray at an end thereof adjacent the conveyor, a power cylinder for said ram, said cylinder being disposed beneath said conveyor, a bag shelf aligned with said tray, means aligned with said shelf for receiving a fully loaded bag and upending the bag, a mechanism for feeding bags to said shelf one at a time, means associated with said shelf for ballooning open a bag on the shelf, a scoop reciprocably mounted from a position adjacent said tray to a position wherein it at least partially enters an open bag, means on said scoop for contacting and moving an open bag to a position wherein the bag is telescoped over said tray, means For clamping one layer of a bag at the mouth of the bag while the bag is being opened, means for releasing the clamping means before the scoop moves the bag to effect said telescoping relationship, and means including said cylinder for causing the ram to push articles off the tray while simultaneously moving the bag away from the tray and towards said shelf.

Claim 12

A bagging machine in accordance with claim 9 including a movable curtain at one end of said tray, and said ram means having a position adjacent the opposite end of the tray.

Claim 13

A machine in accordance with claim 9 wherein said means for opening the bag includes a reciprocal nozzle, means for moving the nozzle to a position for introducing pressurized air into the bag to open the bag, and means for temporarily constricting opening of the mouth end of the bag.

Claim 14

A machine in accordance with claim 11 wherein said bag constricting means includes a closer bar movable downwardly toward said bag shelf, said bar having a resilient pad on its lower surface which is adapted to contact a bag.