Intermittent Transport-Type Rotary Bag Filling and Packaging Apparatus

Abstract

A rotary-type bag filling and packaging apparatus including a cylindrical hopper installed in a filling position along travel path of bags and gas injection nozzles rotating intermittently with the bags in such manner that interference between the hopper and the gas injection nozzles is avoided and the bags are filled with a material to be packaged while gas injection into the bags is in progress. So as to avoid the interference, the hopper can be comprised of axially separable two pieces so that the two pieces are separated and positioned out of the travel path of the bags and gas injection nozzles and then are moved to the filing position and joined together to form a truncated cone shape so that the bags are filled with the material to be packaged via the truncated cone-shape hopper.

1 . A rotary bag filling and packaging apparatus, comprising:
 a plurality of grippers for holding bags and installed at regular intervals along an annular travel path so as to travel intermittently along the annular travel path within a horizontal plane,   a plurality of gas injection nozzles that are respectively installed in association with each one of the grippers, travel along with the grippers intermittently and are raised and lowered at a predetermined timing during the intermittent travel, and   at least one packaging and processing member including a hopper disposed along the travel path;   wherein:
 each of the bags is suspended while being gripped at two side edges thereof by each of the plurality of grippers, 
 the bags being gripped are transported intermittently, 
 each of the plurality of gas injection nozzles is inserted into each of the bags and injects gas therein during the transportation of the bags, and 
 the bags are filled with material to be packaged via the hopper while gas injection is in progress; and 
   wherein:
 each of the plurality of gas injection nozzles has a dispensing opening at a lower end thereof and has a substantially vertical insertion portion that is inserted into the bag when lowered and an extended portion that is bent away from an upper end of the insertion portion and extends in a transverse direction; 
 a cutout portion of a predetermined depth is formed in a side wall of the hopper upwardly from a lower end thereof; and 
 the hopper is raised and lowered at a predetermined timing such that
 when the hopper is raised, the hopper is retracted from the travel path of the intermittently traveling gas injection nozzles, and 
 when the hopper is lowered, the extended portion of the gas injection nozzle enters the cutout portion of the hopper, and the insertion portion is located inside of the hopper when viewed from above. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The rotary bag filling and packaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a flange-shaped cover member corresponding to the cutout portion of the hopper is provided on the extension portion of the gas injection nozzle; and   when the hopper is lowered, the cover member substantially seals the cutout portion and forms part of the side wall of the hopper.   
     
     
         3 . A rotary bag filling and packaging apparatus, comprising:
 a plurality of grippers for holding bags and installed at regular intervals along an annular travel path so as to travel intermittently along the annular travel path within a horizontal plane,   a plurality of gas injection nozzles that are respectively installed in association with each one of the grippers, travel along with the grippers intermittently and are raised and lowered at a predetermined timing during the intermittent travel, and   at least one packaging and processing member including a hopper disposed along the travel path;   wherein:
 each of the bags is suspended while being gripped at two side edges thereof by each of the plurality of grippers, 
 the bags being gripped are transported intermittently, 
 each of the plurality of gas injection nozzles is inserted into each of the bags and injects gas therein during the transportation of the bags, and 
 the bags are filled with material to be packaged via the hopper while gas injection is in progress; and 
   wherein
 the hopper is comprised of two vertically split hopper portions that are separated and joined at a predetermined timing, 
 the hopper is raised and lowered at a predetermined timing, 
 when the two hopper portions are separated, the hopper is retracted from the travel path of the intermittently traveling gas injection nozzles, and 
 when the two hopper portions are joined, the hopper takes a cylindrical shape and encloses therein the gas injection nozzle. 
   
     
     
         4 . A rotary bag filling and packaging apparatus, comprising:
 a plurality of grippers for holding bags and installed at regular intervals along an annular travel path so as to travel intermittently along the annular travel path within a horizontal plane,   a plurality of gas injection nozzles that are respectively installed in association with each one of the grippers, travel along with the grippers intermittently and are raised and lowered at a predetermined timing during the intermittent travel, and   at least one packaging and processing member including a hopper disposed along the travel path;   wherein:
 each of the bags is suspended while being gripped at two side edges thereof by each of the plurality of grippers, 
 the bags being gripped are transported intermittently, 
 each of the plurality of gas injection nozzles is inserted into each of the bags and injects gas therein during the transportation of the bags, and 
 the bags are filled with material to be packaged via the hopper while gas injection is in progress; and 
   wherein
 the hopper is comprised of two vertically split hopper portions that are separated and joined at a predetermined timing, 
 the hopper is raised and lowered at a predetermined timing and travels between an advanced position and a retracted position within a substantially horizontal plane such that
 when the two hopper portions are separated, the hopper travels while avoiding the gas injection nozzle and, in the retracted position, is retracted from the travel path of the intermittently traveling gas injection nozzles, and 
 when the two hopper portions are joined in the advanced position, the hopper takes a cylindrical shape and encloses therein the gas injection nozzle. 
 
   
     
     
         5 . The rotary bag filling and packaging apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the two hopper portions are connected by a binge and are separated and joined when opened and closed along an axis of the hinge. 
     
     
         6 . The rotary bag filling and packaging apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the two hopper portions are connected by a hinge and are separated and joined when opened and closed along an axis of the hinge. 
     
     
         7 . A rotary bag filling and packaging apparatus, comprising:
 a plurality of grippers for holding bags and installed at regular intervals along an annular travel path so as to travel intermittently along the annular travel path within a horizontal plane,   a plurality of gas injection nozzles that are respectively installed in association with each one of the grippers, travel along with the grippers intermittently and are raised and lowered at a predetermined timing during the intermittent travel, and   at least one packaging and processing member including a hopper disposed along the travel path;   wherein:
 each of the bags is suspended while being gripped at two side edges thereof by each of the plurality of grippers, 
 the bags being gripped are transported intermittently, 
 each of the plurality of gas injection nozzles is inserted into each of the bags and injects gas therein during the transportation of the bags, and 
 the bags are filled with material to be packaged via the hopper while gas injection is in progress; and 
   wherein:
 the hopper is comprised of two vertically split first and second hopper portions that are separated and joined at a predetermined timing, has 
 a first hopper portion is secured to each of the plurality of gas injection nozzles, and 
 a second hopper portion is raised and lowered at a predetermined timing and travels between an advanced position and a retracted position within a substantially horizontal plane such that
 in the retracted position, the second hopper portion is retracted from the travel path of the intermittently traveling gas injection nozzles, and 
 in the advanced position, the second hopper portion forms the hopper together with the first hopper portion so that the hopper encloses therein the gas injection nozzle. 
 
   
     
     
         8 . A rotary bag filling and packaging apparatus, comprising:
 a plurality of grippers for holding bags and installed at regular intervals along an annular travel path so as to travel intermittently along the annular travel path within a horizontal plane,   a plurality of gas injection nozzles that are respectively installed in association with each one of the grippers, travel along with the grippers intermittently and are raised and lowered at a predetermined timing during the intermittent travel, and   at least one packaging and processing member including a hopper disposed along the travel path;   wherein:
 each of the bags is suspended while being gripped at two side edges thereof by each of the plurality of grippers, 
 the bags being gripped are transported intermittently, 
 each of the plurality of gas injection nozzles is inserted into each of the bags and injects gas therein during the transportation of the bags, and 
 the bags are filled with material to be packaged via the hopper while gas injection is in progress; and 
   wherein:
 the hopper is comprised of two sub-hoppers disposed with a predetermined gap therebetween, and 
 the hopper travels between a filling position and a retracted position at a predetermined timing such that
 in the retracted position, the hopper is retracted from the travel path of the intermittently traveling gas injection nozzles, and 
 in the filling position, the gas injection nozzle is positioned in the gap. 
 
   
     
     
         9 . A rotary bag filling and packaging apparatus, comprising:
 a plurality of grippers for holding bags and installed at regular intervals along an annular travel path so as to travel intermittently along the annular travel path within a horizontal plane,   a plurality of gas injection nozzles that are respectively installed in association with each one of the grippers, travel along with the grippers intermittently and are raised and lowered at a predetermined timing during the intermittent travel, and   at least one packaging and processing member including a hopper disposed along the travel path;   wherein:
 each of the bags is suspended while being gripped at two side edges thereof by each of the plurality of grippers, 
 the bags being gripped are transported intermittently, 
 each of the plurality of gas injection nozzles is inserted into each of the bags and injects gas therein during the transportation of the bags, and 
 the bags are filled with material to be packaged via the hopper while gas injection is in progress; and 
   wherein
 the hopper is formed with a concave groove of a predetermined depth extending vertically across a side wall thereof, and 
 the hopper travels between a filling position and a retracted position at a predetermined timing such that
 in the retracted position, the hopper is retracted from the travel path of the intermittently traveling gas injection nozzles, and 
 in the filling position, the gas injection nozzle is positioned inside the concave groove. 
 
   
     
     
         10 . The rotary bag filling and packaging apparatus according to any one of  claims 1  to  9 , wherein
 the hopper is of a tracking type and reciprocates along a part of a range of a transport path of the bags, and 
 the hopper, during a forward travel motion thereof, travels in synchronism with a transport of the bags. 
 
     
     
         11 . The rotary bag filling and packaging apparatus according to any one of  claims 1  to  9 , wherein the hopper is of a stationary type and provided in a fixed position along a transport path of the bags.