Bagging machine with integrated printer

Abstract

A method for printing indicia on bags interconnected in a continuous web. A bagging machine has a printer and a plurality of tensioning rollers, at least one of which is driven by a roller motor. The web is moved from an initial bagging machine station through a print station and to a load station in which goods are placed in the bags. A perforation sensor featuring a spring biased hemispherical tip indicates to a bagging machine controller that a perforation is present. First roller motor control signals are received from a printer controller comprising a frequency modulated first motor speed signal and a first motor enable signal. The first roller motor control signals are transmitted to the roller motor to cause it to drive the roller to move bags through the print station. Second roller motor control signals are received from the bagging machine controller comprising a frequency modulated second motor speed signal and a second motor enable signal and these signals are transmitted to the roller motor to cause the motor to drive the roller to move bags to the final station. This cycle is repeated such that at any given time either first roller motor speed signal or the second roller motor speed signal, but not both simultaneously, are being transmitted to the roller motor. This is accomplished by providing a control signal to a multiplexer that provides a selected speed signal to the roller motor based on the control signal. The speed signals are generated by selecting resistor components that are coupled to a voltage controlled oscillator to provide a frequency modulated motor speed signal. A perforation sensor featuring a spring biased hemispherical tip indicates to the bagging machine controller that a perforation is present.

we claim  
     
         1 ) A method for printing indicia on bags interconnected in a continuous web and being processed by a bagging machine having a printer and a plurality of tensioning rollers that move the web from an initial bagging machine station through a print station and to a final station, wherein at least one of the rollers is driven by a roller motor, the method comprising the steps of: 
 a) receiving first roller motor control signals from a printer controller;    b) transmitting the first roller motor control signals to the roller motor to cause the motor to drive the roller to move bags through the print station;    c) receiving second roller motor control signals from a bagging machine controller;    d) transmitting the second roller motor control signals to the roller motor to cause the motor to drive the roller to move bags to the final station; and    e) repeating steps a-d such that at any given time either first roller motor control signals or second roller control signals, but not both simultaneously, are being transmitted to the roller motor.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the final station is a load station wherein bags are filled with goods.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the bagging machine controller transmits third motor control signals to the roller motor after the bags reach the final station to cause the roller to move bags in a reverse direction away from the final station a predetermined distance to reposition a given bag for printing.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first roller motor control signals comprise a motor enable signal.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first roller motor control signals comprise a motor speed signal.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the second roller motor control signals comprise a motor enable signal.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the second roller motor control signals comprise a motor speed signal.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first roller motor control signals comprise a motor speed signal and the second roller motor control signals comprise a motor speed signal and wherein the first motor speed signal corresponds to a slower roller speed than the second motor speed signal.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first and second roller motor control signals comprise frequency modulated signals wherein the frequency of the signal corresponds to a desired motor speed.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first roller motor control signal comprises a signal that corresponds to a rate of acceleration for the motor.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the second roller motor control signal comprises a signal that corresponds to a rate of acceleration for the motor.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein step e is performed by forming a logical OR combination of motor enable signals from the printer controller and the bagging machine controller.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein step e is performed by providing a control signal to a multiplexer that provides a selected speed signal to the roller motor based on the control signal.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein one of the roller motor control signals comprises a motor speed signal and the motor speed signal is provided by selecting resistor components that are coupled to a voltage controlled oscillator to provide a frequency modulated motor speed signal.  
     
     
         15 . A method for printing indicia on bags interconnected in a continuous web and being processed by a bagging machine having a printer and a plurality of tensioning rollers that move the web from an initial bagging machine station through a print station and to a load station in which goods are placed in the bags, wherein at least one of the rollers is driven by a roller motor, the method comprising the steps of: 
 a) receiving first roller motor control signals from a printer controller comprising a frequency modulated first motor speed signal and a first motor enable signal;    b) transmitting the first roller motor control signals to the roller motor to cause the motor to drive the roller to move bags through the print station;    c) receiving second roller motor control signals from a bagging machine controller comprising a frequency modulated second motor speed signal and a second motor enable signal;    d) transmitting the second roller motor control signals to the roller motor to cause the motor to drive the roller to move bags to the final station; and    e) repeating steps a-d such that at any given time either first roller motor speed signal or the second roller motor speed signal, but not both simultaneously, are being transmitted to the roller motor by providing a control signal to a multiplexer that provides a selected speed signal to the roller motor based on the control signal and wherein the speed signals are generated by selecting resistor components that are coupled to a voltage controlled oscillator to provide a frequency modulated motor speed signal.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the first motor speed signal corresponds to a slower roller speed than the second motor speed signal.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein at least one of the roller motor control signals comprises a signal that corresponds to a rate of acceleration for the motor.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein step e is performed by forming a logical OR combination of motor enable signals from the printer controller and the bagging machine controller.  
     
     
         19 . An apparatus for printing indicia on bags perforatedly interconnected in a continuous web comprising: 
 a) a bagging machine comprising an initial station for mounting a stock quantity of empty bags, a plurality of tensioning rollers for moving the web of bags from the initial station, through a print station, to a final station;    b) a motor connected to at least one of the tensioning rollers for driving the roller to move the web of bags;    c) a printer controller for providing first motor control signals for controlling the motor;    d) a bagging machine controller for providing second motor control signals for controlling the motor;    e) a sequencer for receiving the first and second motor control signals and passing one, but not both, of the signals to the motor according to a control algorithm.    
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19  wherein the sequencer comprises a multiplexer that provides either the first or second motor control signal to the roller motor from either the printer controller or the bagging machine controller according to the control algorithm.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 19  wherein the sequencer comprises means for forming a logical OR combination of the first and second motor control signals.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 19  comprising means for selecting resistor components that are coupled to a voltage controlled oscillator to provide a frequency modulated motor speed signal.  
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 19  comprising a perforation detector for sensing perforations between bags in the web and transmitting a perforation signal that indicates a perforation is present to the bagging machine controller.  
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 23  wherein the bagging machine controller receives the perforation signal and uses the signal to monitor the position of the web of bags.  
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 23  wherein the perforation detector comprises: 
 a generally hemispherical sensing tip;  
 a biasing spring engaging the sensing tip and urging it toward a conducting plate;  
 a voltage source in electrical communication with the sensing tip for energizing the sensing tip to cause a potential difference between the sensing tip and the conducting plate; and  
 wherein the web of bags is fed between the sensing tip and the conducting plate and wherein perforations between the bags permit an arc to pass between the sensing tip and conducting plate to register a perforation signature and wherein in the absence of perforations, arcing is prevented.  
 
     
     
         26 . An perforation sensing apparatus for sensing perforations between bags in an interconnected web and providing a signal indicative that a perforation is present comprising: 
 a generally hemispherical sensing tip;    a biasing spring engaging the sensing tip and urging it toward a conducting plate;    a voltage source in electrical communication with the sensing tip for energizing the sensing tip to cause a potential difference between the sensing tip and the conducting plate; and    wherein the web of bags is fed between the sensing tip and the conducting plate and wherein perforations between the bags permit an arc to pass between the sensing tip and conducting plate to register a perforation signature and wherein in the absence of perforations, arcing is prevented.