US2950588A - Automatic packaging machines - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 30, 1960 A. P. GAUSMAN AUTOMATIC PACKAGING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 24, 1958 INVENTOR. flgud 6 .5 BY

1950 A. P. GAUSMAN I 2,950,588

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AUTOMATIC PACKAGING MACHINES Filed Dec. 24, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

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INVENTOR.

AUTOMATIQ PACKAGING MACHINES Alfred P. Gausman, Sheboygau, Wis, assignor to Hayssen Manufacturing Company, Sheboygan, Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Dec. 24, 1958, Ser. No. 782,749

Claims. (Cl. 53-51) 1 into a succession of formed packages. The machines form what may be termed a package or tube from a strip of suitable flexible packaging material, preferably a thermoplastic web material, and the bottom of each bag or package, while still attached to the strip, is closed to prevent escape of the product fed thereinto for packaging. The bag or package, which is formed with a longitudinal seal while in the machine, is subsequently sealed at its top portion and detached from the strip of package-forming material and is delivered from the machine containing the article or a predetermined amount of the packaged product, the completed package being fully sealed.

Machines of the general type above described have been on the market for some time, but the various types of such machines have certain limitations. In many of the known machines of this type the transverse sealing jaws operate to intermittently pull the web and thus ad- Vance it, which restricts the speed of operation of the machine.

With the above in mind, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a continuous motion automatic packaging machine wherein the web material from a supply roll is pushed through the web folding mechanism to form a tube by a continuously operating feed roller, which results in a high degree of speed in the operation of the machine and in the automatic production of a succession of filled and sealed packages.

A further object of the invention is to provide a high-speed automatic packaging machine wherein the length of the packages to be formed can be controlled or determined by a photoelectric cell mechanism and the speed of operation of the machine is determined by the speed of rotation of the film feed roller.

A further object of the invention is to provide a highspeed automatic packaging machine of the character described wherein correct registry will be maintained for packages having printed matter or delineations borne by the web material therefor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a high-speed automatic packaging machine which can be used with any of the conventional feed devices, such as volumetric feeds, net weight scale feeds, auger feeds, liquid feeds and unit counting devices.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic packaging machine of the character described which is of relatively small and compact size.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a high-speed automatic packaging machine, transverse sealing dies with knife means incorporated therein which nite States Patent ice seal the top portion of a lowermost bag and the bottom portion of the bag being formed thereabove followed by a severance of the sealed lowermost bag from the tubular column, all in one cycle of operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a high-speed automatic packaging machine which is adaptable to products of various types, which rapidly produces a succession of properly filled, constructed and sealed flexible bags or packages containing a desired amount of the commodity to be packaged, and which is well adapted for the purposes described.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved automatic packaging machine, and its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the improved automatic highspeed packaging machine;

Fig. 2 is a rear view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view with parts broken away and in section;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed view showing the end sealing dies in their operative position with the cutoff knife carried thereby, the sealing dies being crank-operated;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the crankoperated end sealing dies;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 4 showing the retracted position of the cut-off knife;

Fig. 7 is a semi-schematic view showing the end sealers in sealing position with the cut-off knife operating through the contact portion of the sealing cycle;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional view showing the principal form of the longitudinal tub seam-forming mechanism;

Pig. 9 is a similar fragmentary transverse detail sectional view showing an alternative mechanism for forming the longitudinal seams in the tubes or packages;

Fig. 10 is a schematic view of the driving mechanism for the improved automatic packaging machine wherein the length of the package is determined by the operation of a photo electric cell mechanism; and

Fig. 11 is a schematic showing and Wiring diagram of the electric clutch brake drive mechanism for end sealing as controlled by a photo electric cell mechanism.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, it will appear that the same illustrate one embodiment of an automatic high-speed packaging machine equipped with the present improvements. At the upper portion of the base of the machine there is a funnel 15 (see Figs. 2 and 3) which communicates with and feeds into a forming tube 16 on which bags or packages are being formed. The particular type of feeding device for the commodity to be packaged has not been illustrated, but it should be understood that the head of the machine may be equipped with a net weight scale feed, an anger feed, a volumetric feed, a liquid feed, or other devices for measuring and delivering a predetermined quantity of a product to be packaged, and the present machine is adapted to handle any commodity whether it be powdery, flaky, liquid or globular. As is conventional, the material to be packaged is supplied from a source into the particular type of feeding device with which the machine is equipped, and from the latter a predetermined amount of the commodity reaches the forming tube 16 via a funnel 23 or other conventional means, as a tube in the case of liquids. As will appear hereinafter, the bags or packages are in the process of being formed below the head'of the machine and when is adapted for use with any suitable type of' available flexible packaging'material having thermoplastic properties and which is susceptible of heat sealing as, for instance, cellophane; glassein, pouch papers, and laminated materials. a V

The frame of the improved automatic high-speed packaging machine, designated generally by the numeral 17, supports at its upper'end a pair of upwardly angularly directed arms 18.- At the upper ends of said arms'18 bearings are provided which rotatably engage opposite end portions of a shaft 19 which carries a roll 20 of the flexible thermoplastic film or web material being used for packaging, and the material from the roll is extended downwardly in the form of the web 20 The web material 20' is engaged by several guide rollers 21 and 22 and extends over a conventional folding bar from whence the web of sheet material engages and is wrapped around the forming tube 16 on which it is folded and arranged in tubular formation, as is common in automatic packaging machines which form tubes from flexible web material.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and '3 of the drawings, it will appear thatv power for the operation of the entire machine is derived from an electric motor 24 whose driven shaft 25 carries fast thereon a sprocket 26 engaged by an endlms chain 27. Journale d horizontally in the lower portion of the machine frame 17 is an end seal die shaft 28 which is split at its outer end and carries an electric clutch brake 29. A split or stub shaft portion 30 which also extends to the clutch brake '29 has fast thereon spaced-apart sprockets 31 and 32.

The sprocket 32 is drivingly engaged by, the endless chain 27 and the companion sprocket 31 on the stub shaft 30 is engaged by an endless chain 33. The chain 33 drives a sprocket 34 fast on the outer end portion of a seam seal wheel drive shaft 35. The numeral 36 (see Fig. l) designates a paper feed roll shaft which carries a sprocket 37 driven by a chain 38 which also engages a sprocket 39 which is a r the shaft 36 is constantly driven from the electric motor' 24 and saidlshaft 36carries aIweb feed roller 44 which is preferably formed of rubber or a similar resilient material. .When the machine is in operation the constantly driven web feed roller 44 contacts an extent of the web material 20' and pushes it downwardly along the forming tube 16 toward the sealing jaws.

The complementary end seal die mechanism is shown in detail in the perspective view of Fig. 5 and is also shown in Fig. 4. The numerals 45 indicate the complementary die bodies of said assemblage and said die bodies have adjacent die faces 46. The die faces 46 are yieldingly movably carried by the die bodies by spring loaded studs'47. One of the die faces carries'a knife48 which is accommodated by recesses 49 in both of the die faces sothat the knife maybe projected transversely across the film material for severing endwise adjacent witheach crank portion 52' being journaled in suitable bearings with the free end of each crank portion 5 2' Pa steer ble in a s a 5159 e l bar 5 An outer end portion of one of the cranks 52 is fast on and derives its motion from the shaft 28. Fast on the shaft 28 to be driven thereby is a gear 53 which is in mesh with a companion gear 54 and gear 54 meshes with gear 55, which in turn meshes with gear 56. Gear 56 is fast on a shaft 57 which is secured to and drives a companion crank 52 (see Fig. 5). The result of the drive described is that through the various cranks 52, deriving motion from the control shaft 28, the entire assemblage of Fig. 5 is driven through an up and down orbital path and at the same time the die bodies and die faces move toward and away from each other in horizontal paths, being guided by the slots 51 in the slide bars 56. The movement imparted to the dies is such that during the orbital travel of the'as'semblage of Fig. 5 the die faces will come together at the elevated position shown in broken lines in Fig.7, at which time they will engage therebetween the film materialforrning the bottom of one bag and the top of a bag therebelow, and then the contacting dies will move vertically-downwardly from the dotted'line position of Fig. 7 through the full line position of said Fig. 7 and therebelow; During this periodthe spring-loaded die faces are effective to project theknife 48 through the .film material engaged by the die faces to sever it, thereby separating ,a lower'bag from the bag immediately thereabove. The die faces 46, as is conventional, are electrically heated and are controlled by conventional thermostats. Electricity is conducted to the heaters (not shown) in the die faces by a cable 58 connected with a suitable source of electricity.

It will therefore be understood that when the electric motor 24 is in operation, through the driving mechanisms previously described, the film feed rollers 44 are constantly driven at a constant speed to push the film material 20 downwardly along the forming tube 16 and toward the end seal die mechanism.

' The apparatus of the present invention is preferably equipped with a photoelectric cell mechanism 59 whose bearnis-interrupted by a spot 60 (see Fig. 11) or other marking on the web of film material 20 passing therethrough. The actuation of theelectric eye mechanism 59 by the spot. 60 on the film material20' energizes a relay 61 which actuates the electric clutch 29, thereby causing, through the mechanism previously described, the cycling of the end seal'die assemblage of Fig. 5 through one complete orbital path of travel to cause end sealingof the adjacent packages and severance of the lowermost packa'gefrom the package thereabove, through reciprocation of the knife .48.. The bag length is determined by the operation of the photoelectric cell and the corresponding markings on the film material being used for the packaging. The vertical speed of movement of the die faces 46 'while they are in contact as shown in Fig. 7 is identical film'materia1 supported on the forming tube 16 be given va longitudinals'eal as is common inthe art. The principallarrang'ement forlongitudinal sealing is shown in Fig. '8, wherein the margins ofthe. film material directed about the forming tube 16 overlap and are engaged by the ,driven'wheel 43 'whichisheated so as to form a heat seal longitudinally of the material. In Fig. '9 an alternative arrangement for forming the longitudinal seam is illustrated, wherein the margins of the material about the forming tube 16 are bfought' outwardly in abutment in the forrnlof afin, and the fin is run between a pair 0 companion driven heated rollers 43'. g From the preceding desci-iption' it will be apparent tha the improved automaticpackaging machine is powered b h e es r s m t 4 nd. o h t P si ve d i to the feed roller shaft 36, the feed rollers 44 are continuously driven at a constant rate of speed to push the film material extended from the roll down along the forming tube 16 to be formed into successive bags, which are filled with a predetermined amount of the commodity being packaged.

Conventional automatic packaging machines depend upon the end sealing jaws to intermittently clamp and engage the tube of flexible packaging material and to advance it a desired length, and the advance movement imparted to the end sealing jaws when they are in engagement with the tube determines the length of the package. In addition to the limitation in speed of operation, when it is desired to run packages of different lengths, it is necessary in said conventional machines, to readjust the mechanism in the machine in order to obtain the re-established new length of stroke of the gripping sealing jaws.

As opposed to the aforesaid arrangement in conventional'automatic packaging machines, the apparatus of the present invention, in which the web of film material is being constantly advanced, the package length is determined solely by the timing of the cycling operation of the end seal die assemblage for forming the end seals and severing adjacent packages, and this time of cycling is conveniently controlled by the photoelectric cell mechanism in conjunction with properly spaced markings on the web of film material passing through the beam of the photoelectric cell. Consequently, in the apparatus of the present invention, if it is desired to run a succession of bags or packages of difierent lengths, it is only necessary tochange the roll of film material on the shaft 19 which, having differently spaced markings thereon, will, through the photoelectric cell mechanism, cause a difierent timing in the operation of the end seal jaw assemblage to provide diiferent package lengths, without any necessity for readjusting any portion of the packaging machine mechamsm.

By virtue of the continuous operation of the feed rollers 44 which advance the film material by pushing it, the speed of the machine is far in excess of the speed of the conventional automatic packaging machines which advance the film material only intermittently by pulls exerted by the end seal dies.

The elimination, in the improved automatic packaging machine, of mechanism such as end seal dies which operates through an extended vertical path of travel for advancing the tube of film material, permits the present machine to be very compact and of considerably less height than standard machines.

The improved automatic packaging machine is rapid and highly eificient in operation, is very flexible in use, is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and is well adapted for the'purposes set forth.

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. In an automatic packaging machine, a former about which a continuous web of thermoplastic sheet material drawn from a roll is formed into a continuous tube, driven means mounted adjacent the inner end portion of the former for continuously pushing the web of thermoplastic material along said former, transverse heat sealing dies having a transverse cut-ofi knife incorporated therein, means for closing the heat sealing dies to form transverse heat seals in the advancing tube and to sever an advanced section of the tube from the tube portion thereadjacent, the dies, when closed upon the tube, advancing with the tube at the same rate of speed, means for opening said heat sealing dies while the tube is advancing on the former, and means controlled by the advance movement of the web of sheet material for automatically intermittently closing and opening the dies relative to the continuously advancing tube to determine the package lengths.

2. In an automatic packaging machine, a former about which a continuous web of thermoplastic sheet material drawn from a roll is formed into a continuous tube, driven means for continuously pushing the web of thermoplastic material along said former, transverse heat sealing dies having a transverse cut-0E knife incorporated therein, means for closing the heat sealing dies and advancing the same with the tube to form transverse heat seals in the advancing tube and to sever an advanced section of the tube from the tube portion thereadjacent, means for opening said heat sealing dies while the tube is advancing on the former, and photoelectric cell means actuated by the advance movement of the web of sheet material thereadjacent for automatically intermittently controlling the closing and opening of the dies relative to the continuously advancing tube.

3. In an automatic packaging machine, a former about which a continuous web of thermoplastic sheet material drawn from a roll is formed into a tube, power means for continuously pushing the web of thermoplastic material along said former, transverse heat sealing dies, electric clutch controlled means for closing the heat sealing dies to form transverse heat seals in the tube to define therein a succession of packages, electric clutch controlled means for opening said heat sealing dies while the tube is advancing on the former, said dies, when closed, advancing with the tube at its rate of speed, and means for causing the operation of said electric clutch controlled die opening and closing means at intervals equal to predetermined lengths of sections of the web of sheet material including an electric eye responsive to markings on the web material.

4. In an automatic packaging machine, a former about which a continuous web of thermoplastic sheet material drawn from a roll is formed into a tube, power means for continuously pushing the web of thermoplastic material along said former, transverse heat sealing dies, electric clutch controlled means for closing the heat sealing dies to form transverse heat seals in the tube to define therein a succession of packages, electric clutch controlled means for opening said heat sealing dies while the tube is advancing on the former, said heat sealing dies including means for severing the tube intermediate the heat sealed zone across the entire tube to leave a sealed end on the package preceding the heat sealing dies and on the package trailing the heat sealing dies, said dies advancing with the tube when closed, and means for causing the operation of .said electric clutch controlled die opening and closing means at intervals equal to predetermined lengths of sections of the web of sheet material including an electric eye responsive to markings on the web material.

5. In an automatic packaging machine, a vertical former about which a continuous web of thermoplastic sheet material drawn from a roll is formed into a continuous tube, driven means mounted adjacent the upper end of the former for continuously pushing the web of thermoplastic material downwardly along said former, transverse heat sealing dies having a transverse cut-ofl knife incorporated therein, means for closing the heat sealing dies to form transverse heat seals in the advancing tube and to sever an advanced section of the tube from the tube portion thereadjacent, said dies advancing with the tube when closed, means for opening said heat sealing dies while the tube is advancing on the former, means for intermittently moving said dies through an orbital path in a vertical plane while they are going through their opening and closing cycle, and means for automatically controlling the intermittent cycling of the dies relative to the continuously advancing tube.

6. In an automatic packaging machine, a vertical former about which a continuous web of thermoplastic sheet material is formed into a tube, power means mounted adjacent the upper end of the former for continuously pushing the web of thermoplastic material along said former, means mounted below said web pushing means for continuously providing a longitudinal heat sealed closure seam in the sheet material while it is advancing along said former, transverse heat sealing dies, electric clutch controlled means for closing the heat seal- 7 ing dies to form transverse heat seals in the tube to define therein a succession of packages. electric clutch'controlled means for opening said heat sealing dies while the tube is advancing on the former, said heat sealing dies including means for severing the tube intermediate the heat sealed zone across the entire tube to leave a sealed end onthe package preceding the heat sealing dies and on the package trailing the heat sealing dies, said 'dies, when closed, advancing with the tube at its speed, means for filling each package before it is transversely sealed at'its upper end and severed from the tube, and means for causing'the operation of said electric clutch controlled die opening and closing means at intervals equal to prede- -termin'ed lengths of sections of the web of sheet material including an electric eye responsive to markingsion the web material. 7; In an automatic packaging machine having-a vertical 7 former about which packaging sheet material is formedto provide a'succession of packages, means mounted adjacent the upper end of the former for continuously pushing the web of sheet material along said former, means for continuously providing a longitudinal closure seam in the sheet material forming the succession of packages, a. crank operated assembly including heat sealing dies and a knife, said assembly being intermittently movable in an orbital path with the heat sealing dies and knife reciproeating transversely to the line' of movement of thersheet material and toward and away from the latter, movement of the heat sealing dies and knife toward the sheet m-aterialcausing the sealing dies to successively engage longi-'- tudinally separated portions of the sheet material while it is advancing to form top and bottom seals in each package and sever the tube intermediate each heat sealed zone across the entire tube' to leave a sealed end on the package'preceding the heat sealing dies and on the package trailing the heat sealing dies, said dies, when closed, ad-

vancing with the tube at the latters speed of movement, means for filling each package with a predetermined amount of the product to be packaged prior to the formation of the top seal therein, and means controlled by the advance'movement of the sheet material for automatically intermittently causing the die and knife carrying assembly to 'move through its orbital path. a Y

8. 'In an automatic packaging machine having a former about which a web of packaging thermoplastic sheet ma-' terial is formed in a tube to provide a succession of packages, means mounted adjacent the inner end of the former for continuously pushing the web of sheet material along "said'former, means tor continuously providinga longitudinal closure scam in the sheet material forming the,

succession of packages, and transverse'heat sealing and severing means intermittently movable in an orbital path 7 to form spaced-apart top and bottom seals in each'package and immediately sever the tube intermediate each heat sealed zone while the tube is advancing.

9. In an automatic packaging machine having a vertical former about which packaging sheet material is formed to provide a succession of packages, means mounted :adjacent the upper end of the former for continuously pushing the, web of sheet material alongisaid former, means for continuously providing a longitudinal closure scam in the sheet material forming the succession of packages, a clutch controlled crank operated assembly including heat'sealing dies and a yieldingly mounted knife, said assembly being intermittently movable in an orbital path in a vertical plane with the heat sealing dies and knife additionally reciprocating transversely to the'line of, movement of the sheet material and toward and away from the latter, movement of the heat sealing dies and knife toward the sheet material causing the sealing dies to engage longitudinally separated portions of thesheet material while it is advancing to form top and bottom seals in each package and sever the tube intermediate each heat sealed zone, said dies, while closed on the sheet material, advancing with it, means for filling each package with "a predetermined amount of the product to be packaged prior to the formation of the top seal therein, and means controlled by the advance movement of a predeterminedlength of the sheet material for energizing said clutch controlled crank operated assembly.

10. In a packaging machine, a tube former for producing from web packaging material a tube from which sections may be transversely sealed and severed to provide a succession of packages; means for continuously advancing the web packaging material along the tube former, there being longitudinally spaced markingsQalong said web at intervals equal to the predetermined lengths of the packages to be produced by the machine; an assembly for repeatedly engaging and disengaging the tube on the former andmoving with the tube while inengagement therewith, said assembly having sealing jaws and an end cut-off knife, whereby the tube is transversely sealed and severed as said assembly engages the tube; in combination with mechanism whose operation is initiated by said markings on the web for causing said assembly to engage and disengage the tube while the latter is being continuously advanced along the former.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS was-t

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