Method and Apparatus for Facilitating Filling a Container

Abstract

Apparatus for delivering a plurality of containers to a plurality of filling machines for filling of the containers with a substance. The apparatus includes a feeding assembly including a first staging area aligned with a first filling machine of the plurality of filling machines for facilitating delivery of containers of the plurality of containers from the first staging area to the first filling machine, a second staging area aligned with a second filling machine of the plurality of filling machines for facilitating delivery of containers of the plurality of containers from the second staging area to the second filling machine, and a receiving area adjacent a supply of the plurality of containers. The feeding assembly is configured to move containers of the plurality of containers from the receiving area to the first staging area and to move containers of the plurality of containers from the receiving area to the second staging area. Each of the first and second staging areas is configured to receive containers of the plurality of containers from the receiving area.

1 . An apparatus for filling a plurality of containers, the apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of staging areas comprising a first staging area and a second staging area;   a plurality of filling machines configured to fill the plurality of containers with a substance, wherein the plurality of filling machines comprises a first filling machine aligned with the first staging area and second filling machine aligned with the second staging area;   a feeding assembly for moving the plurality of containers to the plurality of staging areas, wherein
 the feeding assembly is configured to move first containers of the plurality of containers to the first staging area, and 
 the feeding assembly is configured to move second containers of the plurality of containers to the second staging area; and 
   at least one transfer assembly for transferring the plurality of containers from the plurality of staging areas to the plurality of filling machines, wherein
 the at least one transfer assembly is configured to attach to the first and second containers in the first and second staging areas, respectively, and 
 the at least one transfer assembly is movable with respect to the plurality of staging areas and the plurality of filling machines to deliver the first and second containers to the first and second filling machines, respectively. 
   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising a guide configured to guide the first and second containers to the first and second staging areas, respectively. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the guide comprises a plurality of movable members that are operable to guide the first and second containers to the first and second staging areas, respectively. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a magazine for containing the plurality of containers; and   a container placement assembly configured to remove the plurality of containers from the magazine and place the plurality of containers on the feeding assembly.   
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the feeding assembly comprises a conveyor. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the feeding assembly is configured move the first and second containers to the first and second staging areas, respectively, while the first and second containers are orientated in a substantially flat, vertical configuration, with respective edges of the first and second containers supported by the feeding assembly. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the first and second containers each include an opening having an open position and a closed position, and wherein the at least one transfer assembly is configured to hold the openings of the first and second containers in the open position during delivery of the first and second containers to the first and second filling machines, respectively. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the first and second containers are bags. 
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one transfer assembly comprises:
 a first transfer assembly for transferring the first containers from the first staging area to the first filling machine; and   a second transfer assembly for transferring the second containers from the second staging area to the second filling machine.   
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one transfer assembly comprises a body movable along a rail extending between the feeding assembly and the plurality of filling machines. 
   
   
       11 . An apparatus for filling a plurality of containers, the apparatus comprising:
 at least one staging area;   at least one filling machine configured to fill the plurality of containers with a substance;   a feeding assembly configured to move at least one container of the plurality of containers to the at least one staging area while the at least one container is orientated in a substantially flat, vertical configuration, with an edge of the at least one container supported by the feeding assembly; and   at least one transfer assembly that is movable with respect to the at least one staging area and the at least one filling machine, wherein
 the at least one transfer assembly is configured to attach to the at least one container in the at least one staging area, 
 the at least one transfer assembly is configured to position an opening of the at least one container in an open position, and 
 the at least one transfer assembly is configured to deliver the at least one container to the at least one filling machine while holding the opening of the at least one container in the open position. 
   
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one transfer assembly comprises a biasing mechanism configured to hold the opening of the at least one container in the open position, wherein the biasing mechanism comprises at least two arm members biased towards each other by a biasing member and configured to squeeze opposite edges of an end of the at least one container. 
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the biasing member comprises a spring. 
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , comprising a guide assembly configured to guide the at least one container to the at least one staging area, wherein the at least one transfer assembly is configured to contact the guide assembly while attaching to the at least one container, such that the at least two arm members are forced apart against a biasing force of the biasing member and thereby spread across the end of the at least one container. 
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one transfer assembly is configured to rotate or move away from the at least one staging area after contacting the guide assembly such that the at least two arm members move towards each other under the biasing force and thereby squeeze the opposite edges of the end of the at least one container. 
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one transfer assembly comprises a gripping mechanism configured to attach to the at least one container. 
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the gripping mechanism comprises at least one suction mechanism. 
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one container is a bag. 
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , comprising:
 a magazine for containing the plurality of containers; and   a container placement assembly configured to remove the at least one container from the magazine and place the at least one container on the feeding assembly.   
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one transfer assembly is movable along a rail extending between the feeding assembly and the at least one filling machine. 
   
   
       21 . A method for filling a plurality of containers with a substance, the method comprising:
 moving at least one first container of the plurality of containers to a first staging area via a feeding assembly;   moving at least one second container of the plurality of containers to a second staging area via the feeding assembly;   transferring the at least one first container from the first staging area to a first filling machine using at least one transfer assembly, wherein transferring the at least one first container from the first staging area to the first filling machine comprises
 attaching the least one transfer assembly to the at least one first container, and 
 moving the at least one transfer assembly with respect to the first staging area and the first filling machine to deliver the at least one first container to the first filling machine; and 
   transferring the at least one second container from the second staging area to a second filling machine using the at least one transfer assembly, wherein transferring the at least one second container from the second staging area to the second filling machine comprises
 attaching the at least one transfer assembly to the at least one second container, and 
 moving the at least one transfer assembly with respect to the second staging area and the second filling machine to deliver the at least one second container to the second filling machine. 
   
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , comprising maintaining the first and second containers in a substantially flat, vertical configuration, with respective edges of the first and second containers supported by the feeding assembly, while moving the first and second containers to the first and second staging areas, respectively. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the at least one first container and the at least one second container are bags. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the at least one first container and the at least one second container each include an opening having an open position and a closed position, and wherein the at least one transfer assembly is configured to hold the openings of the at least one first container and the at least one second container in the open position during delivery of the at least one first container and the at least one second container to the first and second filling machines, respectively. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one transfer assembly comprises:
 a first transfer assembly for transferring the at least one first container from the first staging area to the first filling machine; and   a second transfer assembly for transferring the at least one second container from the second staging area to the second filling machine.   
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one transfer assembly comprises a body movable along a rail extending between the feeding assembly and the first and second filling machines. 
   
   
       27 . A method for filling a plurality of containers with a substance, the method comprising:
 moving at least one container of the plurality of containers to at least one staging area via a feeding assembly while the at least one container is orientated in a substantially flat, vertical configuration, with an edge of the at least one container supported by the feeding assembly; and   transferring the at least one container from the at least one staging area to at least one filling machine using at least one transfer assembly, wherein transferring the at least one container from the at least one staging area to the at least one filling machine comprises
 attaching the least one transfer assembly to the at least one container in the at least one staging area, 
 positioning an opening of the at least one container in an open position, and 
 delivering the at least one container to the at least one filling machine while holding the opening of the at least one container in the open position. 
   
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein holding the opening of the at least one container in the open position comprises using a biasing mechanism of the at least one transfer assembly to squeeze opposite edges of an end of the at least one container. 
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the biasing mechanism comprises at least two arm members biased towards each other by a biasing member. 
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29 , comprising using a guide assembly to guide the at least one container to the at least one staging area, and wherein the method comprises contacting the guide assembly with the transfer assembly while attaching the transfer assembly to the at least one container in the at least one staging area, such that the at least two arm members are forced apart against a biasing force of the biasing member and thereby spread across the end of the at least one container. 
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30 , comprising rotating or moving the at least one transfer assembly away from the at least one staging area after contacting the guide assembly with the at least one transfer assembly, such that the at least two arm members move towards each other under the biasing force and thereby squeeze the opposite edges of the end of the at least one container. 
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein attaching the at least one transfer assembly to the at least one container in the at least one staging area comprises contacting the at least one container with a gripping mechanism of the at least one container. 
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the gripping mechanism comprises at least one suction mechanism. 
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the at least one container is a bag. 
   
   
       35 . A transfer assembly for delivering a container to a filling machine configured to fill the container with a substance, wherein the container includes an opening having an open position and a closed position, said transfer assembly comprising:
 a first body, wherein at least a portion of said first body is movable for delivering the container from a source of the container to the filling machine when the container is attached to said first body;   a gripping mechanism for attaching said first body to the container, said gripping mechanism comprising a second body mounted on said first body and at least one suction device mounted on the second body and configured to attach the container using a pressure differential; and   a biasing mechanism mounted on said second body, the biasing mechanism including two members hingedly mounted on the second body and being biased at least partially towards each other by a spring, wherein said biasing mechanism is configured to hold the opening in the open position when the container is attached to said body.   
   
   
       36 . The transfer assembly of  claim 35 , wherein the first body is movable along a rail extending between the source of the container and the filling machine.