Product bagging machine

Claim 2

A product bagging machine comprising: a slide member having a slide surface; said slide member having an outlet portion divided into two sections which are outwardly rotatable to a wide position; means associated with the sections for normally drawing them together to a narrow position; means at the outlet end of the slide surface for supporting a stack of bags; means for supplying a stream of air at the outlet end of the slide member to open the top bag of the stack; and means, coacting with the movement of a product advancing along the slide member, for expanding from within the open top bag to hold its mouth portion fully open.

Claim 3

The machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein: the support means is positioned substantially parallel to the slide member along part of the length of the stack of bags, whereby the unsupported portions of the bags may overhang said support means.

Claim 4

The machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein: the expanding means are slidably mounted on the slide member so as to be movable toward or away from the slide surface.

Claim 5

A machine for bagging a loaf of bread in a plastic film bag having sides of unequal length comprising: a substantially vertical slide member having inlet and outlet ends and a flat slide surface; first means, disposed at the rear of and generally parallel to the slide member at its outlet end, for supporting a stack of bags along part of its length; second means, positioned at the rear of the slide member and near to its outlet end, for supplying a stream of air thereto; means for affixing the longer sides of the stack of bags to the first means to provide the free, shorter side of the top bag in the path of the air stream, whereby said free side will be displaced by the air over the outlet end to the slide member to permit inflating of the top bag into a substantially vertical position for receiving the product; a pair of swing members, one of said wing members being hingedly mounted at each side of the slide member, said wing members normally being disposed in a plane extending at an acute angle toward the slide surface so that the wing member ends closest to the slide surface are near to the outlet end thereof, whereby, when the product is advanced along the slide member, said product will rotate the wing members upwardly within the open top bag to contact its shorter side and expand its mouth portion to the fully open position for loading.

Claim 6

A machine for bagging a loaf of bread in a plastic film bag having sides of unequal length comprising: a substantially vertical slide member having inlet and outlet ends and a flat slide surface; first means, disposed at the rear of and generally parallel to the slide member at its outlet end, for supporting a stack of bags along part of its length; second means, positioned at the rear of the slide member and near to its outlet end, for supplying a stream of air thereto; means for affixing the longer sides of the stack of bags to the first means to provide the free, shorter side of the top bag in the path of the air stream, whereby said free side will be displaced by the air over the outlet end to the slide member to permit inflating of the top bag into a substantially vertical position for receiving the product; a pair of swing members, one of said wing members being hingedly mounted at each side of the slide member, said wing members normally being disposed in a plane extending at an acute angle toward the slide surface so that the wing member ends closest to the slide surface are near to the outlet end thereof, whereby, when the product is advanced along the slide member, said product will rotate the wing members upwardly within the open top bag to contact its shorter side and expand its mouth portion to the fully open position for loading.

Claim 7

A machine for bagging a loaf of bread in a plastic film bag having sides of unequal length, comprising: a substAntially vertical slide member having inlet and outlet ends, a flat slide surface, and upstanding side walls diminishing in height at the outlet end thereof whereby the upper edges of the diminishing section are disposed in a plane extending at an acute angle toward the slide surface, said slide member having an opening extending therethrough adjacent its outlet end; a fan, associated with the slide member, for supplying a stream of air; a conduit, connected at its inlet to the fan and having its outlet at the rear surface of the slide member near its outlet end, said conduit connecting with the opening, whereby moving air may be supplied to these two zones; platform means, having a flat support surface, said platform means being movable between a bagging position, wherein the support surface is disposed at the rear of and generally parallel to the slide surface at its outlet end, and a loading position, wherein the support surface is disposed at an angle from the slide member, said platform means being of sufficient length to support a stack of bags along part of its length and being adapted to locate the mouth of the top bag of said stack immediately downstream of the conduit outlet; means for affixing the longer sides of the stack of bags to the platform means to provide the free, shorter side of the top bag adjacent to and downstream of the conduit, whereby said free side may be displaced by the air stream, from the opening, over the outlet end of the slide member, and the air from the opening and conduit outlet will inflate the top bag into a substantially vertical position for receiving the product; and a pair of wing members, each of said wing members being hingedly connected to a slide member side wall, said wing members normally being disposed in a plane extending at an acute angle toward the slide surface so that the wing member ends closest to the slide surface are near to the outlet end thereof whereby, when the product is advanced along the slide member, said product will rotate the wing members upwardly into the open top bag to contact its shorter side and pull its mouth portion to the fully open position for loading.

Claim 8

A machine for bagging a loaf of bread in a plastic film bag having sides of unequal length, comprising: a substAntially vertical slide member having inlet and outlet ends, a flat slide surface, and upstanding side walls diminishing in height at the outlet end thereof whereby the upper edges of the diminishing section are disposed in a plane extending at an acute angle toward the slide surface, said slide member having an opening extending therethrough adjacent its outlet end; a fan, associated with the slide member, for supplying a stream of air; a conduit, connected at its inlet to the fan and having its outlet at the rear surface of the slide member near its outlet end, said conduit connecting with the opening, whereby moving air may be supplied to these two zones; platform means, having a flat support surface, said platform means being movable between a bagging position, wherein the support surface is disposed at the rear of and generally parallel to the slide surface at its outlet end, and a loading position, wherein the support surface is disposed at an angle from the slide member, said platform means being of sufficient length to support a stack of bags along part of its length and being adapted to locate the mouth of the top bag of said stack immediately downstream of the conduit outlet; means for affixing the longer sides of the stack of bags to the platform means to provide the free, shorter side of the top bag adjacent to and downstream of the conduit, whereby said free side may be displaced by the air stream, from the opening, over the outlet end of the slide member, and the air from the opening and conduit outlet will inflate the top bag into a substantially vertical position for receiving the product; and a pair of wing members, each of said wing members being hingedly connected to a slide member side wall, said wing members normally being disposed in a plane extending at an acute angle toward the slide surface so that the wing member ends closest to the slide surface are near to the outlet end thereof whereby, when the product is advanced along the slide member, said product will rotate the wing members upwardly into the open top bag to contact its shorter side and pull its mouth portion to the fully open position for loading.

Claim 9

The machine as set forth in claim 4 wherein: the outlet end of the slide member comprises two sections, each swingably connected to the main portion of the slide member, so that they may move between a narrow position, wherein the width of the outlet is less than the width of the slide surface, and a relatively wide position; and spring means normally urging the sections to the narrow position.

Claim 10

The machine as set forth in claim 6 wherein: the slide member comprises side wall means extending along the longitudinal edges of the slide surface; and each wing member is slidably attached to one side wall means whereby the wing member may be adjusted toward or away from the slide surface.