US3886713A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Bag closing method and apparatus
Assignee: Oxford Industries Inc
•
Filing: 1973-10-16
•
Granted: 1975-06-03
•
Expires: 1993-10-16
Abstract
Abstract A system of closing thermoplastic bags about garments or the like is disclosed wherein the bags are closed at a predetermined distance behind the garment in the bag. Bagged garments move along a horizontal belt conveyor system, and a tiltable belt conveyor is biased toward engagement with the horizontal belt conveyor and urges the air out of the bag and functions as a sensing means to sense the presence of a bagged garment moving along the horizontal conveyor toward a bag closing station and to actuate the bag closing mechanism. A second sensing means is located beyond the closing station and determines when the garment within the bag has cleared the closing station and functions to prevent the closing apparatus from engaging the garment.
Inventors
- 👤 William O Mitchell
- 👤 Charles S Hamm
- 👤 Joseph David Williams
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 23:16
CPC Classifications
B; B29; B29C; B29C65/00; B29C65/74; B29C65/749; B29C65/02; B29C65/18; B29C65/22; B29C65/221; B29C65/222; B29C66/00; B29C66/01; B29C66/05; B29C66/10; B29C66/11; B29C66/112; B29C66/1122; B29C66/40; B29C66/41; B29C66/43; B29C66/431; B29C66/4312; B29C66/43121; B29C66/70; B29C66/73; B29C66/739; B29C66/7392; B29C66/73921; B29C66/80; B29C66/81; B29C66/816; B29C66/8161; B29C66/82; B29C66/822; B29C66/8221; B29C66/824; B29C66/8242; B29C66/83; B29C66/832; B29C66/8324; B29C66/84; B29C66/849; B65; B65B; B65B51/00; B65B51/10; B65B51/14; B65B51/146; B65B57/00; B29C66/834; B29C66/8341; B29C66/83421; B29C66/83423
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
186 words
Apparatus for closing bags about garments or the like comprising: first belt conveyor means including an upper flight for moving a series of garments in open bags along a linear path with the opening of each bag trailing the garment, a tiltable belt conveyor means positioned over said first belt conveyor means and including a lower flight driven in a direction extending generally along the linear path and tiltable toward and away from said first belt conveyor means, second belt conveyor means including an upper flight adjacent and positioned at approximately the same level as the upper flight of said first belt conveyor means for continuing to move the series of garments in bags received from said first belt conveyor means along the linear path, bag closing means positioned generally between said first belt conveyor means and said second belt conveyor means and including closing member movable generally in downward and upward directions into and out of contact with the bags moving along the linear path, and means responsive to the downward tilting movement of said tiltable belt conveyor means for initiating the bag closing operation.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
186 words
Apparatus for closing bags about garments or the like comprising: first belt conveyor means including an upper flight for moving a series of garments in open bags along a linear path with the opening of each bag trailing the garment, a tiltable belt conveyor means positioned over said first belt conveyor means and including a lower flight driven in a direction extending generally along the linear path and tiltable toward and away from said first belt conveyor means, second belt conveyor means including an upper flight adjacent and positioned at approximately the same level as the upper flight of said first belt conveyor means for continuing to move the series of garments in bags received from said first belt conveyor means along the linear path, bag closing means positioned generally between said first belt conveyor means and said second belt conveyor means and including closing member movable generally in downward and upward directions into and out of contact with the bags moving along the linear path, and means responsive to the downward tilting movement of said tiltable belt conveyor means for initiating the bag closing operation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
249 words
Apparatus for closing bags about garments or the like comprising: first belt conveyor means including an upper flight for moving a series of garments in open bags along a linear path with the opening of each bag trailing the garment, a tiltable belt conveyor means positioned over said first belt conveyor means and including a lower flight driven in a direction extending generally along the linear path and tiltable toward and away from said first belt conveyor means, second belt conveyor means including an upper flight adjacent and positioned at approximately the same level as the upper flight of said first belt conveyor means for continuing to move the series of garments in bags received from said first belt conveyor means along the linear path, bag closing means positioned generally between said first belt conveyor means and said second belt conveyor means and including a closing member movable generally in downward and upward directions into and out of contact with the bags moving along the linear path in response to the downward tilting movement of said tiltable belt conveyor means, locating means movable downwardly generally between said first and second belt conveyor means in response to the downward tilting movement of said tiltable belt conveyor means and movable upwardly generally from between said first and second belt conveyor means in response to the upward movement of said closing element, and retaining means for holding said locating means in its down position between said first and second belt conveyor means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
249 words
Apparatus for closing bags about garments or the like comprising: first belt conveyor means including an upper flight for moving a series of garments in open bags along a linear path with the opening of each bag trailing the garment, a tiltable belt conveyor means positioned over said first belt conveyor means and including a lower flight driven in a direction extending generally along the linear path and tiltable toward and away from said first belt conveyor means, second belt conveyor means including an upper flight adjacent and positioned at approximately the same level as the upper flight of said first belt conveyor means for continuing to move the series of garments in bags received from said first belt conveyor means along the linear path, bag closing means positioned generally between said first belt conveyor means and said second belt conveyor means and including a closing member movable generally in downward and upward directions into and out of contact with the bags moving along the linear path in response to the downward tilting movement of said tiltable belt conveyor means, locating means movable downwardly generally between said first and second belt conveyor means in response to the downward tilting movement of said tiltable belt conveyor means and movable upwardly generally from between said first and second belt conveyor means in response to the upward movement of said closing element, and retaining means for holding said locating means in its down position between said first and second belt conveyor means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 1 and wherein said bag closing member comprises a heated wire member movable into and out of engagement with the bags.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 1 and further including air directing means responseive to the movement of said bag closing member in a downward direction to move air downwardly between said first and second belt conveyor means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus of claim 1 and wherein said bag closing member includes a tucking member movable between said first and second belt conveyor means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
176 words
Apparatus for closing the open end of bags about garments or the like comprising conveyor means arranged to move a series of open bags with garments therein along a path with the open end of each of the bags following the garments, a bag closing station positioned in the path, first garment sensing means positioned in the path ahead of the bag closing station, second garment sensing means positioned in the path behind the bag closing station, bag closing means positioned at said bag closing station for closing the open end of bags as the bags move along the path across said closing station, and control means for actuating said second garment sensing means in response to the detection of the trailing portion of a garment moving along the path toward the bag closing station by said first garment sensing means and for actuating said bag closing means in response to the detection of the trailing portion of a garment moving along the path away from the bag closing station by said second garment sensing means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
176 words
Apparatus for closing the open end of bags about garments or the like comprising conveyor means arranged to move a series of open bags with garments therein along a path with the open end of each of the bags following the garments, a bag closing station positioned in the path, first garment sensing means positioned in the path ahead of the bag closing station, second garment sensing means positioned in the path behind the bag closing station, bag closing means positioned at said bag closing station for closing the open end of bags as the bags move along the path across said closing station, and control means for actuating said second garment sensing means in response to the detection of the trailing portion of a garment moving along the path toward the bag closing station by said first garment sensing means and for actuating said bag closing means in response to the detection of the trailing portion of a garment moving along the path away from the bag closing station by said second garment sensing means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
166 words
The apparatus of claim 6 and wherein said conveyor means comprises a first belt conveyor including an upper horizontal flight in the path ahead of said bag closing station and a second belt conveyor including an upper horizontal flight in the path behind said bag closing station, and wherein said first garment sensing means comprises a tiltable belt conveyor including a lower flight driven in a direction extending generally along said path and tiltable toward and away from engagement with the upper horizontal flight of said first belt conveyor and biased toward engagement with said first belt conveyor and a switch engageable by said tiltable belt conveyor when tilted toward engagement with the upper horizontal flight of said first belt conveyor, whereby said tiltable belt conveyor tilts away from said first belt conveyor when a garment passes between said first belt conveyor and said tiltable belt conveyor and tilts toward said first belt conveyor and said switch when a garment passes beyond said tiltable belt conveyor.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
154 words
A method of closing the open end of a thermo-plastic bag about a garment or the like comprising moving an open bag with a garment therein along a horizontal path with the open end of the bag trailing the garment, progressively compressing the bag from its closing end toward its open end about the garment as the bag moves along the path to expel air from the bag, moving a heated bar in a downward direction toward engagement with the bag at its open end behind the garment to seal the bag and sever a portion of the bag at its open end, tucking the open end of the bag in a downward direction at a position ahead of the heated bar, and passing a flow of air in a downward direction generally toward the tucked portion of the bag to move the severed portion of the bag downwardly away from the horizontal path.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
154 words
A method of closing the open end of a thermo-plastic bag about a garment or the like comprising moving an open bag with a garment therein along a horizontal path with the open end of the bag trailing the garment, progressively compressing the bag from its closing end toward its open end about the garment as the bag moves along the path to expel air from the bag, moving a heated bar in a downward direction toward engagement with the bag at its open end behind the garment to seal the bag and sever a portion of the bag at its open end, tucking the open end of the bag in a downward direction at a position ahead of the heated bar, and passing a flow of air in a downward direction generally toward the tucked portion of the bag to move the severed portion of the bag downwardly away from the horizontal path.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
95 words
A method of closing the open end of a bag about a garment or the like comprising moving an open bag with a garment therein along a horizontal path with the open end of the bag following the garment, detecting the movement of the garment past a predetermined position along the path, gripping the bag at a first position on the bag behind the garment in response to the detection of the garment, and closing the bag at a second position on the bag behind the garment in response to the gripping of the bag.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
95 words
A method of closing the open end of a bag about a garment or the like comprising moving an open bag with a garment therein along a horizontal path with the open end of the bag following the garment, detecting the movement of the garment past a predetermined position along the path, gripping the bag at a first position on the bag behind the garment in response to the detection of the garment, and closing the bag at a second position on the bag behind the garment in response to the gripping of the bag.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-06-02 | 1978-12-02 | 1979-06-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-06-02 | 1982-12-02 | 1983-06-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-06-02 | 1986-12-02 | 1987-06-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |