Vertical filling and packing machine

Abstract

A vertical filling and packing machine comprises film feed roller ( 6 ) for feeding tubular film ( 20 ) in a vertical downward direction, a folding device for folding opposing sides of tubular film ( 20 ) carried by film feed roller ( 6 ) inwardly of tubular film ( 20 ), a pair of squeeze rollers ( 7 ) for forming an empty portion in the tubular film by rotating while sandwiching the tubular film filled with contents and feeding the tubular film downwardly, and sealing device ( 8 ) for heat sealing the tubular film. The folding device includes folding guide ( 2 ) which has clearances formed at portions corresponding to the opposing sides of tubular film ( 20 ) and supports the outside of tubular film ( 20 ), and a pair of folding plates ( 5 ) capable of advancing/retracting into/from folding guide ( 2 ) through the clearances formed in folding guide ( 2 ).

1 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A vertical filling and packing machine, comprising:
 a feed device for feeding a tubular film filled with contents vertically downward;   a pair of squeeze rollers for forming an empty portion in the tubular film by rotating the tubular film while sandwiching the tubular film filled with contents and feeding the tubular film downwardly; and   a sealing device which is provided with sealing bars opposite to each other with the tubular film interposed therebetween and which performs heat sealing onto the tubular film interposed between the sealing bars,   wherein each of the pair of squeeze rollers is provided on one end of a squeeze roller arm the other end of which is supported in a rotatable manner, and includes an open/close driving unit for rotating each squeeze roller arm independently of each other about the other end of the squeeze roller arm, between a closed position for bringing the pair of squeeze rollers mutually into contact with each other and an opened position for spacing the pair of squeeze rollers from each other.   
     
     
         10 . The vertical filling and packing machine of  claim 9 , wherein the open/close driving unit includes a first arm having one end connected to one of the squeeze roller arms, a second arm having one end connected to the other of the squeeze roller arms, a rotatable shaft to which other ends of the first arm and the second arm are connected, and a driving part for driving the rotatable shaft, and
 the other ends of the first arm and the second arm are connected to the rotatable shaft in the state where the other ends of the arms are eccentric from the rotation center of the rotatable shaft, and   when the rotatable shaft is located at a first rotating position, one of the squeeze roller arms is pushed toward the position of getting farther from the rotatable shaft through the first arm and the other of the squeeze roller arms is pulled toward the position of getting closer to the rotatable shaft through the second arm, thereby placing the first and second squeeze roller arms at an opened position for spacing the pair of squeeze rollers apart from each other, and   when the rotatable shaft is located at a second rotating position, one of the squeeze roller arms is pulled toward the position of getting closer to the rotatable shaft through the first arm and the other of the squeeze roller arms is pushed toward the position of getting farther from the rotatable shaft through the second arm, thereby placing the first and second squeeze roller arms at a closed position for bringing the pair of squeeze rollers into contact with each other.   
     
     
         11 . The vertical filling and packing machine of  claim 9 , wherein a holding portion formed by the pair of squeeze rollers is located on a center line of the pass route for the tubular film when the pair of squeeze rollers are positioned at the closed position. 
     
     
         12 . The vertical filling and packing machine of  claim 9 , further comprising a folding device for folding opposing sides of the tubular film fed by the feed device inwardly of the tubular film;
 the folding device includes   a folding guide which has clearances formed at portions corresponding to sides of the tubular film that are opposite to each other and which supports an outside of the tubular film, and   a pair of folding plates capable of advancing/retracting into/from the folding guide through the clearances formed in the folding guide.   
     
     
         13 . The vertical filling and packing machine of  claim 12 , wherein the folding guide is composed of two semi-cylindrical guide members and is oppositely disposed to each other so that the folding guide forms into an approximately cylindrical shape with the clearances therebetween. 
     
     
         14 . The vertical filling and packing machine of  claim 12 , wherein each of the pair of folding plates has an oblique side which gets closer to the center line of the pass route for the tubular film toward downstream in the feed direction of the tubular film. 
     
     
         15 . The vertical filling and packing machine of  claim 12 , comprising an advance/retract driving unit for moving the pair of folding plates to a position in which the folding plates are closer together and in which the folding plates advance into an inside of the folding guide, and to a position in which the folding plates are in which they retract spaced from each other and retracted toward an outside of the folding guide. 
     
     
         16 . The vertical filling and packing machine of  claim 9 , wherein the sealing bar has a lateral sealing portion extending in a lateral direction of the tubular film, and wherein the sealing bar has a pair of oblique sealing portions formed above and below the lateral sealing portion, respectively.