BUNDLE-FORMING APPARATUS

• US 3,557,688 A
• Filed: 10/30/1967
• Issued: 01/26/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1967
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hartbauer, Ellsworth A., Shankel Richard
• Original Assignee: Hartbauer, Ellsworth A., Shankel Richard
• Inventors: Hartbauer, Ellsworth A., SHANKEL RICHARD
• Application Number:
  US04/678,955
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• US Class Current: 100/218
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 13/20 Means for compressing or compacting bundles prior to bundling

Abstract

A machine for accumulating groups of collated paper grocery bags into bundles, compressing the bundles, and transferring each compressed bundle into a banding mechanism which wraps a securing band about the bundle. The machine includes an accumulator section which receives successive groups of collated bags constituting the discharge from a collating mechanism and organizes such groups into bundles, it also includes a compression section for squeezing each bundle to reduce the plane-to-plane dimension thereof, and it further includes a transfer section which receives the compressed bundles from the compression section and displaces each compressed bundle along an arcuate path and into a banding mechanism.

Claims

1. In bundle-forming apparatus, a compression section having an infeed end through which successive groups of collated bags or the like are transferred for collection and formation along said section into a compressed bundle, said compression section comprising longitudinally extending rail structure defining a track along which such successive groups are collected, a transfer device adjacent the infeed end of said compression section and being provided with pusher finger structure movable into engagement with each successive group arriving at such infeed end and being displaceable along said track for advancing each successive group therealong, and movement-limiting stop means provided adjacent the terminal end of said compression section forwardly of such infeed end thereof and defining a limiting position for the advancement of such groups along said track, whereby at cyclically repetitive times occurring whenever the aggregate number of groups being collected along said track is sufficient to define a bundle, the bundle-completing group then being advanced by said transfer device together with the groups forwardly thereof will be compressed between said stop means and pusher finger structure, drive mechanism for said transfer device to cyclically and repetitively displace the same along said track, and clamping means for maintaining such bundle in the compressed condition thereof following withdrawal therefrom of said pusher finger structure.

2. The bundle-forming apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising guide structure extending along said track for confining in transverse directions each such group being advanced along said track.

3. The bundle-forming apparatus of claim 1 in which the pusher finger structure of said transfer device is selectively movable between an extended group-engaging position and a retracted position remote from any such group, and further comprising motor means connected with said pusher finger structure and operable to enforce such movements of said pusher finger structure with respect thereto.

4. The bundle-forming apparatus of claim 3 in which said pusher finger structure comprises a pair of transversely spaced pusher fingers each movable in enforced synchronism by said motor means between the aforesaid extended and retracted positions.

5. The bundle-forming apparatus of claim 1 in which said movement-limiting stop means includes a stop selectively movable between an extended position in which it projects above said track for engagement by such group and a retracted position below said track and further includes clamping fingers also selectively movable between a group-engaging extended position above said track and a retracted position therebelow, and in which said apparatus further comprises motor means for selectively displacing said stop and clamping fingers in timed relation between the extended and retracted positions thereof.

6. The bundle-forming apparatus of claim 1 in which said compression section further comprises a trolley mechanism movable along said track and having retaining finger structure selectively displaceable between an extended position in which it projects above said track for engagement by the leading bag in the forwardmost group and a retracted position below saId track, and motor means for selectively displacing said retaining finger structure between the extended and retracted positions thereof.

7. The bundle-forming apparatus of claim 6 in which said track is inclined upwardly toward the terminal end thereof, and in which said trolley mechanism is freely movable along said track and is gravity biased toward the infeed end of said compression section.

8. The bundle-forming apparatus of claim 7 in which said movement-limiting stop means includes clamping fingers selectively movable between a group-engaging extended position above said track and a retracted position therebelow, and motor means for selectively displacing said clamping finger between such positions thereof.

9. In bundle-forming apparatus, a compression section having an infeed end through which successive groups of collated bags or the like are transferred for collection and formation into a compressed bundle and a transfer section operative to displace each such compressed bundle into a banding mechanism or the like, said sections comprising a longitudinally extending rail structure defining a track along which successive groups transferred through such infeed end are collected, a transfer device adjacent the infeed end of such compression section and being provided with pusher finger structure movable into engagement with each successive group arriving at such infeed end and being displaceable along said track for advancing each successive group therealong, drive mechanism for said transfer device to cyclically and repetitively displace the same along said track, longitudinally extending transfer rails extending generally along the aforesaid rail structure and being adapted to remove therefrom a bundle collected therealong and to transfer such removed bundle from the bundle-receiving position of said transfer rails to a bundle-discharge position adjacent such banding mechanism, motor means for selectively moving said transfer rails between such positions thereof, a pair of clamping structures for confining such a bundle therebetween and being respectively disposed adjacent opposite end portions of said transfer section and movable with said transfer rails thereof between such bundle-engaging and bundle-dishcarge positions, and motor means for selectively displacing said clamping structures between an extended bundle-engaging location above said rails and a retracted bundle-releasing location therebelow.

10. The bundle-forming apparatus of claim 9 in which said transfer rails are transversely displaceable relative to each other between an inner bundle-receiving position for engagement with such bundle supported upon said track to remove the bundle therefrom and an outer position free of any such bundle supported upon said track, and in which said apparatus further comprises motor means for selectively displacing said transfer rails between such inner and outer positions thereof.

11. The bundle-forming apparatus of claim 10 in which said transfer rails are pivotally supported adjacent an end portion thereof for angular displacements between such bundle-receiving and bundle-discharge positions thereof, and in which said apparatus further comprises support structure for such transfer rails including a pivotal support therefor defining an axis about which said transfer rails are angularly displaceable.

12. The bundle-forming apparatus of claim 11 in which said compression section further comprises a trolley mechanism movable along said track and having retaining finger structure selectively displaceable between an extended position in which it projects above said track for engagement by the leading bag in the forwardmost group and a retracted position below said track, and motor means for selectively displacing said retaining finger structure between the extended and retracted positions thereof.

13. The bundle-forming apparatus of claim 12 in which said track is inclined upwardly toward the terminal end thereof, and in which said trolley mechanism iS freely movable along said track and is gravity biased toward the infeed end of said compression section.

14. The bundle-forming apparatus of claim 13 in which the pusher finger structure of said transfer device is selectively movable between an extended group-engaging position and a retracted position remote from any such group, and further comprising motor means connected with said pusher finger structure and operable in timed relation with the displacements of said transfer device to enforce movements of said pusher finger structure with respect thereto.

15. In bundle-forming apparatus, an accumulator section having an infeed end and a discharge end and being operative to advance therebetween successive groups of collated bags or the like delivered to such infeed end, a compression section having an infeed end adjacent the discharge end of said accumulator section and through which such successive groups are transferred for collection and formation into a compressed bundle, and a transfer section operative to displace each such compressed bundle into a banding mechanism or the like, said apparatus comprising bag-supporting means interposed between such infeed and discharge ends of said accumulator section and along which such successive bag groups are advanced, conveyor mechanism located along said supporting means for advancing each such group delivered to the infeed end of said accumulator section toward said discharge end thereof, drive means for said conveyor, longitudinally extending rail structure defining a track along which successive groups transferred through the infeed end of said compression section are collected, a transfer device adjacent the discharge end of said accumulator section and infeed end of such compression section and having pusher finger structure movable into engagement with each successive group arriving at said discharge end, said transfer device being displaceable between a group-engaging position adjacent the discharge end of said accumulator section and a group-releasing position adjacent the infeed end of said compression section for transferring each such engaged group therebetween, drive mechanism for said transfer device to cyclically and repetitively displace the same between such group-engaging and group-releasing positions, longitudinally extending transfer rails extending generally along and adjacent the rail structure of said compression section and being adapted to remove therefrom a bundle collected along said rail structure and to transfer such removed bundle from the the bundle-receiving position of said transfer rails to a bundle-discharge position thereof adjacent such banding mechanism, motor means for selectively moving said transfer rails between such positions thereof, a pair of clamping structures for confining such a bundle therebetween and being respectively disposed adjacent opposite end portions of said transfer section and movable with said transfer rails thereof between such bundle-engaging and bundle-discharge positions, and motor means for selectively displacing said clamping structures between an extended bundle-engaging location above said rails and a retracted bundle-releasing location therebelow.

16. The bundle-forming apparatus of claim 15 in which such successive bag groups are delivered to said accumulator section in spaced-apart relation, and in which said conveyor mechanism is equipped with a plurality of spaced-apart fingers carried thereby for movement into a space provided between successive groups and into engagement with the trailing bag of the group forwardly thereof so as to push the same toward such discharge end.

17. The bundle-forming apparatus of claim 16 and further comprising a delay mechanism located adjacent the infeed end of said accumulator section and being equipped with constraining finger structure cyclically displaceable into the path of movement of such successively delivered bag groups in timed relation with the delivery thereof to momentarily restrict movement of eacH such group and thereby provide a relatively large space between successive groups.

18. The bundle-forming apparatus of claim 17 in which the pusher finger structure of said transfer device is selectively movable between an extended group-engaging position and a retracted position remote from any such group, and said apparatus further comprising motor means connected with said pusher finger structure and operable to extend such pusher finger structure when said transfer device is in the group-engaging position thereof and to retract such pusher finger structure following transfer thereby of a bag group into said compression section.

19. The bundle-forming apparatus of claim 18 in which said transfer rails are transversely displaceable relative to each other between an inner bundle-receiving position for engagement with such bundle supported upon said rail structure to remove the bundle therefrom and an outer position free of any such bundle supported upon said rail structure, and in which said apparatus further comprises motor means for selectively displacing said transfer rails between such inner and outer positions thereof.

20. The bundle-forming apparatus of claim 19 in which said transfer rails are pivotally supported adjacent an end portion for angular displacements between such bundle-receiving and bundle-discharge positions thereof, and in which said apparatus further comprises support structure for such transfer rails including a pivotal support therefor defining an axis about which said transfer rails are angularly displaceable.

21. The bundle-forming apparatus of claim 20 and further comprising a trolley mechanism movable along said track and having retaining-finger structure selectively displaceable between an extended position in which it projects above said track for engagement by the leading bag in the forwardmost group and a retracted position below said track, and motor means for selectively displacing said retaining finger structure between the extended and retracted positions thereof.