Drop-down fill spout for bag filling machine

Claim 3

The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of: e. retracting the gripping means while pivoting the clamshells to an inclined non-filling position thereby allowing the bag to drop a pre-determined distance to the base of the filling machine.

Claim 4

The method as defined in claim 2 further comprising the step of: f. raising the clamshells and the gripping means upwardly to a non-filling position.

Claim 5

A bag filling machine of the type for filling a bag with a plurality of objects and utilizing a filling structure comprising in part filling spouts with gripping means on the upper portion of the bag to retain the upper portion open during filling, comprising: a. a frame, having a base formed thereon; b. means, associated with said frame, for opening the upper portion of the bag after the bag has been positioned underneath the filling spouts and at a pre-determined distance above the base; c. means, associated with said frame, for lowering the filling spouts into the opened bag and for lowering the gripping means on the outside of the opened bag; and d. means, associated with said frame, for positioning the filling spouts outwardly to a filling position within the bag while positioning the gripping means inwardly to a gripping position against the bag and the filling spouts;

Claim 6

A bag filling machine of the type for filling a bag with a plurality of objects and utilizing a filling structure comprising in part filling spouts with gripping means on the upper portion of the bag to retain the upper portion open during filling, comprising: a. a frame, having a base formed thereon; b. means, associated with said frame, for opening the upper portion of the bag after the bag has been positioned underneath the filling spouts and at a pre-determined distance above the base; c. means, associated with said frame, for lowering the filling spouts into the opened bag and for lowering the gripping means on the outside of the opened bag; and d. means, associated with said frame, for positioning the filling spouts outwardly to a filling position within the bag while positioning the gripping means inwardly to a gripping position against the bag and the filling spouts;

Claim 7

The bag filling machine as defined in claim 4 further comprising: e. means, associated with said frame, for releasing the gripped bag by positioning the filling spouts inwardly to a non-filling position and while positioning the gripping means outwardly to a non-gripping position.

Claim 8

The bag filling machine as defined in claim 5 further comprising: f. means, associated with said frame, for raising the filling spouts and the gripping means above and out of proximity to the upper portion of the bag.

Claim 9

The bag filling machine as defined in claim 4 wherein said opening means comprises in part a plurality of suction cups.

Claim 10

The bag filling machine as defined in claim 4 wherein the pre-determined distance ranges from approximately one-half inch to 1 inch.

Claim 11

The bag filling machine as defined in claim 4 wherein the filling spouts are formed as a pair of clamshells, each clamshell having a generally U-shaped configuration with overlapping ends.

Claim 12

In a bag filling device for a packaging machine of the type wherein a plurality of objects are filled into a bag from a storage bin having a lower transitional filling chute section, the improvement comprising: a. an open ended fixed sleeve section being formed on the lower portion of the transition chute; b. a substantially vertical slideable sleeve section surrounding said fixed sleeve; c. a plate member fixedly attached to said slideable sleeve; d. a plurality of moveable and pivotable clamshells carried by said plate member and surrounding the lower portion of said slideable sleeve, said clamshells being moveable from an upward non-filling position to a downward non-filling position and then to an outward filling position; e. a plurality of retractable gripping means, associated with said plate member, said gripping means being moveable from an upward non-gripping position to a downward non-gripping position and then to an inward gripping position; and f. means, associated with the transition chute, the plate member, the slideable sleeve, the pivotable clamshells, and the retractable gripping means, for carrying and positioning the plate member, the clamshells, the slideable sleeve and the gripping means in such a manner that the slideable sleeve can be moved downwardly to a predetermined position, with the clamshells inside the bag and the gripping means outside the bag, after which the pivotable clamshells may be pivoted outwardly to their filling position and the retractable gripping means may be positioned inwardly to their gripping positions to exert a gripping force to retain the bag therebetween, a further downwardly movement of the plate member caused by a lowering of the bag as it is filled serving to increase the gripping force on the bag.

Claim 13

In a bag filling device for a packaging machine of the type wherein a plurality of objects are filled into a bag from a storage bin having a lower transitional filling chute section, the improvement comprising: a. an open ended fixed sleeve section being formed on the lower portion of the transition chute; b. a substantially vertical slideable sleeve section surrounding said fixed sleeve; c. a plate member fixedly attached to said slideable sleeve; d. a plurality of moveable and pivotable clamshells carried by said plate member and surrounding the lower portion of said slideable sleeve, said clamshells being moveable from an upward non-filling position to a downward non-filling position and then to an outward filling position; e. a plurality of retractable gripping means, associated with said plate member, said gripping means being moveable from an upward non-gripping position to a downward non-gripping position and then to an inward gripping position; and f. means, associated with the transition chute, the plate member, the slideable sleeve, the pivotable clamshells, and the retractable gripping means, for carrying and positioning the plate member, the clamshells, the slideable sleeve and the gripping means in such a manner that the slideable sleeve can be moved downwardly to a predetermined position, with the clamshells inside the bag and the gripping means outside the bag, after which the pivotable clamshells may be pivoted outwardly to their filling position and the retractable gripping means may be positioned inwardly to their gripping positions to exert a gripping force to retain the bag therebetween, a further downwardly movement of the plate member caused by a lowering of the bag as it is filled serving to increase the gripping force on the bag.

Claim 14

The improvement as defined in claim 10 wherein said carrying and positioning means comprises in part at least one positioning cylinder fixedly attached at its upper end to the transition chute and fixedly attached at its lower end to the plate member for vertical movement of the frame in proximity and out of proximity to the bag.

Claim 15

The improvement as defined in claim 11 wherein said carrying and positioning means further comprises in part a plurality of elongated rods pivotably mounted to said clamshells at one end thereof and slideably mounted at the other end thereof to the transition chute, said rods being spring biased so that an upward motion of the plate member serves to pivot the clamshells to an upward non-filling position whereas a downward motion of the plate member serves to move the clamshells downwardly first to a downward non-filling position, a further downward motion of the plate member serving to pivot the clamshells to an outward filling position.

Claim 16

The improvement as defined in claim 12 wherein said carrying and positioning means further comprises in part a plurality of inclined rods which are pivotably mounted at their upper ends to the clamshells and are pivotably mounted at their lower ends to the retracting gripping means, said spring biased elongated rods and said gripping means being interrelated in such a manner that a predetermined downward motion of the plate member releases the spring bias allowing the clamshells to assume their filling position whereupon a further downward motion of the spring biased elongated rods causes the retrActable gripping means to move inwardly to exert a gripping force and to clamp the bag between the gripping means and the clamshells, a still further downward motion of the plate member caused by a lowering of the bag as it is filled causing a further gripping force to be exerted between the gripping means and the clamshells.