A magnetic pouch clamp assembly includes a first clamping arm having a first clamping surface, and a second clamping arm having a second clamping surface opposed to the first clamping surface, wherein the first clamping arm and the second clamping arm are slidably connected together for relative movement between an open position and a closed position, the first and second clamping surfaces being spaced apart in the open position and the first and second clamping surfaces being engaged in the closed position. A magnet assembly includes first and second magnets configured and oriented such that a closing attractive force therebetween holds the first and second clamping arms in the closed position. A mechanical latching assembly configured to releasably hold the first and second clamping arms in the open position.
A cartoner infeed bucket includes a bottom wall, a first end wall extending upward from the bottom wall and a second end wall extending upward from the bottom wall and spaced apart from the first end wall to define an item carrying space, the second end wall running substantially parallel to the first end wall. The second end wall is mounted for adjustable movement along the bottom wall so as to vary a spacing between the first end wall and the second end wall and/or the first end wall is mounted for pivotable movement relative to the bottom wall.
B65B 35/40 - Arranging and feeding articles in groups by reciprocating or oscillatory pushers
B65B 59/00 - Arrangements to enable machines to handle articles of different sizes, to produce packages of different sizes, to vary the contents of packages or to give access for cleaning or maintenance purposes
B65B 5/10 - Filling containers or receptacles progressively or in stages by introducing successive articles, or layers of articles
A magnetic pouch clamp assembly includes a first and second clamping arms and a magnet assembly. The first clamping arms have respective, opposed first and second clamping surfaces. The second clamp arm is slidably connected to the first clamping arm such that the first and second clamping arms are movable between open and closed positions, with the first and second clamping surfaces being engaged in the closed position. The magnet assembly includes a first magnet having a first polarity carried by the first clamping arm and a second magnet having a second polarity carried by the second clamping arm, the first and second polarities being oriented such that a closing attractive force therebetween holds the first and second clamping surfaces in the closed position. A third magnet can be used to hold the clamping surfaces in the open position or to enhance closing forces.
B65G 47/92 - Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials incorporating electrostatic or magnetic grippers
B65B 43/54 - Means for supporting containers or receptacles during the filling operation
B65B 67/12 - Sack holders, i.e. stands or frames with means for supporting sacks in the open condition to facilitate filling with articles or materials
4.
Pouch feeding assembly for fill and seal pouching machine
A pouch feeding assembly includes a conveyor lane having a load end and a transfer end, wherein the conveyor lane includes a conveyor operable to move pouches in a conveyance direction from the load end to the transfer end, wherein the transfer end of the conveyor lane includes a downwardly facing pouch transfer window over which pouches at the transfer end are positioned. A transfer subassembly including a first transfer mechanism and a second transfer mechanism, the first transfer mechanism configured to engage a lower face of a pouch, pull at least part of the pouch down through the pouch transfer window and transfer the pouch to an infeed point of the second transfer mechanism.
B65G 43/10 - Sequence control of conveyors operating in combination
B65G 47/56 - Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors, i.e. discharging or feeding devices to or from inclined or vertical conveyor sections
B65B 43/52 - Feeding or positioning bags, boxes, or cartons in the distended, opened, or set-up stateFeeding preformed rigid containers, e.g. tins, capsules, glass tubes, glasses, to the packaging positionLocating containers or receptacles at the filling positionSupporting containers or receptacles during the filling operation using roller-ways or endless conveyors
5.
Magnetically operated sealing bar assembly for packaging machines
A sealing bar assembly for a packaging machine includes a mounting frame, first and second sealing bar carriages carried by the mounting frame, at least one of the first and second sealing bars being movable with respect to the mounting frame, first and second sealing bars mounted, respectively, to the first and second sealing bar carriages and movable therewith, the first and second bars including, respectively, first and second opposed sealing surfaces, at least a first electromagnet assembly arranged adjacent to the first sealing bar, and a controller configured to selectively energize the first electromagnet assembly to move the first and second opposed sealing surfaces into and out of engagement across a web of packaging material passing therebetween.
B65B 51/26 - Devices specially adapted for producing transverse or longitudinal seams in webs or tubes
B65B 9/08 - Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, in a longitudinally-folded web, or in a web folded into a tube about the articles or quantities of material placed upon it in a web folded and sealed transversely to form pockets which are subsequently filled and then closed by sealing
B29C 65/00 - Joining of preformed partsApparatus therefor
B29C 65/18 - Joining of preformed partsApparatus therefor by heating, with or without pressure using heated tool
A gate assembly for a bulk feeder includes a gate housing and a plurality of paddles. The gate housing defines a product feed path therein extending between intake and dispensing ends. The plurality of paddles are mounted to the gate housing and pivotable between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position, the product feed path is blocked by the plurality of paddles, and unblocked in the open position. In the closed position, the plurality of paddles collectively forms a polyhedron, open facing the intake end and tapering to a closed apex toward the dispensing end.
F16K 1/20 - Lift valves, i.e. cut-off apparatus with closure members having at least a component of their opening and closing motion perpendicular to the closing faces with pivoted closure members with pivoted discs or flaps with axis of rotation arranged externally of valve member
B65D 90/64 - Gates or closures having multipart closure members, the parts being brought into closing position one by one according to need
A racetrack collator includes a collator frame, first and second collator drive assemblies and first and second collator carriages. The collator frame defines a racetrack travel path, and the first and second drive assemblies are each mounted thereto. Each drive assembly includes a respective endless drive element extending around the racetrack travel path. Each collator carriage is releasably connected to a respective endless drive element and includes a flexible substrate to which a plurality of dividers are connected.
B65B 35/44 - Arranging and feeding articles in groups by endless belts or chains
B65G 37/00 - Combinations of mechanical conveyors of the same kind, or of different kinds, of interest apart from their application in particular machines or use in particular manufacturing processes
B65G 47/26 - Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors arranging the articles, e.g. varying spacing between individual articles
B65B 35/24 - Feeding, e.g. conveying, single articles by endless belts or chains
B65G 17/42 - Attaching load-carriers to traction elements
B65B 59/00 - Arrangements to enable machines to handle articles of different sizes, to produce packages of different sizes, to vary the contents of packages or to give access for cleaning or maintenance purposes
B65G 47/08 - Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from a single group of articles arranged in orderly pattern, e.g. workpieces in magazines spacing or grouping the articles during feeding
B65G 15/42 - Belts or like endless load-carriers made of rubber or plastics having ribs, ridges, or other surface projections
B65G 17/46 - Means for holding or retaining the loads in fixed position on the load-carriers, e.g. magnetic
A machine for filling bags for example with meat, vegetables, pet food, beef sausages or similar products of any desired shape or irregular size, and a corresponding method for filling such bags uses a filling system for feeding the product. Means for compressing the product also form a path for directing the product into the open bag. Introduction means drive the product along the path into the open bag.
B65B 25/00 - Packaging other articles presenting special problems
B65B 39/00 - Nozzles, funnels or guides for introducing articles or materials into containers or wrappers
B65B 1/24 - Reducing volume of filled material by mechanical compression
B65B 39/02 - Expansible or contractible nozzles, funnels, or guides
B65B 63/02 - Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on articles or materials to be packaged for compressing or compacting articles or materials prior to wrapping or insertion in containers or receptacles
An apparatus for placing pouches in retail-ready cartons includes pouch placer having an elevator assembly having paddles for receiving pouches provided by a first conveyor, and lifting the pouches, and a first robot arm for retrieving a pouch from a paddle of the elevator assembly and placing it in a retail-ready carton.
B65B 5/08 - Packaging groups of articles, the articles being individually gripped or guided for transfer to the containers or receptacles
B65B 35/18 - Feeding, e.g. conveying, single articles by grippers by suction-operated grippers
B65B 35/24 - Feeding, e.g. conveying, single articles by endless belts or chains
B65B 61/28 - Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages for discharging completed packages from machines
A bag-puckering system has a pairs of grippers engageable with upper corners of respective bags. The grippers of each pair are shiftable between an inner position in which the respective bag is puckered open and an outer position in which the respective bag is held flat. The pairs of grippers are aligned in a longitudinal row and shiftable in a travel direction through a filling station wherein fluent material can be poured into the bags. A controller upstream of the filling station measures a length in the direction of the bags and generates respective outputs corresponding thereto. A movable cam at the filling station operatively engages the grippers in the filling station for shifting the grippers between their inner and outer positions. A drive connected to the control means and to the cam can shift the grippers in accordance with the size of the respective bags.
B65B 57/02 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages
B65B 59/00 - Arrangements to enable machines to handle articles of different sizes, to produce packages of different sizes, to vary the contents of packages or to give access for cleaning or maintenance purposes
B65B 43/46 - Feeding or positioning bags, boxes, or cartons in the distended, opened, or set-up stateFeeding preformed rigid containers, e.g. tins, capsules, glass tubes, glasses, to the packaging positionLocating containers or receptacles at the filling positionSupporting containers or receptacles during the filling operation using grippers
The invention relates to a modular pouch transfer system, in which a gripper mount bar is rigidly mounted an drive arms, which are driven by driving means and mounted to them such that gripper means moves along a circular path.
With the continued rotational cycle in one direction there is no reversal of direction reducing stress on the drive components and gears, providing smoother and more reliable operation. The motion at the transfer where the pouch is loaded into the bag clamp is near vertical allowing for the height of the pouch in the bag clamp to be easily adjusted for alteration of pouch height in the bag clamps during active machine operation. This reduces the need for other methods to adjust the pouch height by other means. The transfer gripper means opening and closing occurs during the rotational cycle. There is no stopping of the assembly during the clamping cycle to pick up the pouch as it occurs on the fly, but there is a slight pause to allow the bag clamp grippers to close on the presented pouch before the transfer continues its cycle.
B66C 1/00 - Load-engaging elements or devices attached to lifting, lowering, or hauling gear of cranes, or adapted for connection therewith for transmitting forces to articles or groups of articles
(1) Packaging machinery, machines for forming, filling and closing pouches, machines for erecting, filling and closing cartons, dispensing machines and parts and fittings therefor, such as weight responsive machines for controlling dispensing devices, and apparatus for supplying material to be packaged to the packaging machinery.
Packaging Machinery Including Machines for Forming, Filling and Closing Pouches, Machines for Erecting, Filling and Closing Cartons, Dispensing Machines, Weight Responsive Machines for Controlling Dispensing Devices and Apparatus for Supplying Material to Be Packaged to the Packaging Machinery
