System for forming, filling and closing bags

Claim 1

In a system including a bag forming apparatus for forming a succession of bags, bag filling and closing means, and a conveying apparatus for conveying each bag, after it is formed, along a conveying path from the bag forming apparatus to the filling and closing means, the conveying apparatus being composed of a plurality of supporting members each serving to support and convey a respective bag from the forming apparatus, the improvement wherein: said bag forming apparatus is disposed laterally to one side of the conveying path defined by said conveying apparatus; said bag forming apparatus comprises a bag transporting member mounted to undergo forward and return movement perpendicular to the conveying direction for inserting each bag, after it has been formed, into a respective supporting member, whereby the conveying apparatus can convey bags which were previously formed while further bags are being formed by said bag forming apparatus; each of said supporting members has a U-shaped cross section in the horizontal plane; said bag transporting member has a horizontal arm defining a bag supporting surface and a vertical arm which give said bag transporting member an L-shaped cross section in a vertical plane transverse to the conveying path; said conveying apparatus comprises means defining a stationary supporting surface extending along the conveying path beneath said supporting members for supporting the bottoms of bags being conveyed by said conveying apparatus, the stationary surface having a gap adjacent said bag transporting member into which gap said horizontal arm moves, during forward movement of said bag transporting member, to come into alignment with said stationary supporting surface; and said conveying apparatus further comprises means defining a movable bag supporting surface movable between a rest position in which said movable supporting surface is disposed in the gap and at the same level as the stationary supporting surface and a retracted position in which said movable supporting surface is spaced from the gap, said movable supporting surface being moved to its retracted position in response to forward movement of said bag transporting member and returning to its rest position during return movement of said bag transporting apparatus.