Apparatus for elongating a bulk bag and a bulk bag unloading station incorporating the same

• US 5,184,759 A
• Filed: 05/03/1991
• Issued: 02/09/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Flexicon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Flexicon Corporation
• Inventors: Gill, David R., Walsh, Michael W., Duca, Larry J., Badway, Robert M., Simonof, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bomberg, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US07/695,700
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 222/74, 222/95, 222/105, 222/181, 222/461, 222/462, 222/185, 222/526, 222/537, 222/529
• US Class Current: 222/181.3
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 69/0083 using frames whereby the container is only suspended
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/26 Hoppers, i.e. containers having funnel-shaped discharge sections B65D88/34 - B65D88/78 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/205 for flexible containers, i.e. the flexible container being permanently connected to the frame B65D77/061, B65D88/1612, B65D90/046 take precedence; unpacking of Flexible Intermediate Bulk Container [FIBC] B65B69/0075; crane hooks for frames for FIBC B66C1/226

Abstract

An improved bulk bag unloading station is disclosed. In its simplest form, the improvement is comprised of a movable dispensing spout which is attached to and depends from an outlet of the bulk bag. As material is dispensed through the spout, the moveable spout will cause the bulk bag to elongate. Through movement of the spout, the bag is continually elongated to continually urge the flow of material from the bulk bag and to promote full discharge of the material from the bag. In the preferred embodiment, a lift and hold apparatus is provided to position the spout during initial attachment to the outlet of the bag.

Claims

1. An improved bag dispensing station of the type having a vertically oriented supporting frame that includes spaced apart bag supporting, discharging and dispensing sections, the bag supporting section including means for suspending a bulk bag with an outlet portion of said bag depending downwardly toward the discharging section, said discharging section including a spout for attachment to the outlet of said bag, said dispensing section including a hopper for receiving material dispensed from the bag, the improvement being:

said spout being a movable, rigid dispensing spout which is movably positioned in the discharge section and depends from the outlet portion of the bag;

the entire dispensing spout movable toward the hopper to causes bag elongation during material discharge.

9. The improvement of claim 1 further comprised of:

an actuation means which is secured to the frame and is movable between first and second positions; and

movement translation means which is secured to the spout, responsive to the movement of the actuation means and translates the movement of the actuation means into vertical displacement of the movable dispensing spout.

10. The improvement of claim 9 wherein the movement translation means is a continuous length of cable having opposite ends which are connected to the dispensing spout on opposite sides thereof.

11. The improvement of claim 10 wherein the actuation means is a gas operated cylinder.

12. The improvement of claim 11 wherein the gas operated cylinder is mounted on the frame at a position which is centrally disposed between the connections of the cable ends to the dispensing spout.

13. The improvement of claim 9 wherein the actuating means is a gas operated cylinder.

14. The improvement of claim 1 further comprised of means to lift and hold the dispensing spout.

15. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the movable, rigid dispensing spout has a weight of at least twenty-five (25) pounds.

16. The improvement of claim 15 further comprised of means to lift and hold the dispensing spout.

17. The improvement of claim 1 further comprised of:

actuation means which is secured to the frame and is movable between first and second positions; and

movement translation means which is comprised of two lengths of cable each length having a central portion which is connected to the actuation means, a first end which is attached to the frame and a second end is attached to the movable dispensing spout;

whereby,

the movement translation means responds to movement of the actuation means and translates movement of the actuation means into vertical displacement of the moveable dispensable spout.

18. The improvement of claim 17 wherein the actuation means is a gas operated cylinder.

19. The improvement of claim 18 wherein the gas operated cylinder is an air cylinder.

2. A bulk bag dispensing station comprising:

a vertical frame having a bulk bag support area and a discharge area, the bag support area supports a bulk bag with an outlet portion depending downwardly toward the discharge area, the discharge area includes a moveable dispensing spout which is attached to the outlet portion;

an actuation means which is secured to the frame and is movable between a first position and a second position; and

movement translation means which is connected to the dispensing spout, responsive to the movement of the actuation means and translates the movement of the actuation means into vertical displacement of the moveable dispensing spout.

3. An apparatus for elongating a bulk bag suspended in a supporting frame, said bag having bag support means and an outlet means, said apparatus comprised of:

a movable dispensing spout;

at least one pivot arm extending between the supporting frame and the dispensing spout;

at least one actuation means extending between the supporting frame and the pivot arm for moving the pivot arm, said actuation means having first and second ends, with one of the ends being movable between a first position and a second position;

whereby,

movement of the one end of the actuation means between the first and second positions causes corresponding movement of the pivot arm and vertical movement of the outlet means.

4. An apparatus for elongating a bulk bag suspended in a supporting frame with a bulk bag outlet means affixed to a movable dispensing spout, said apparatus comprised of:

said movable dispensing spout;

at least one pivot arm extending between the frame and the dispensing spout;

at least one fluid actuated cylinder having a first end and a second end, said second end including a piston movable between a first position and a second position, said cylinder being affixed at the first end to the frame and the movable piston being affixed to the pivot arm;

whereby,

movement of the piston between the first and second positions causes displacement of the pivot arm and vertical movement of the movable dispensing spout.

5. An improved bag dispensing station of the type having a vertically oriented supporting frame that includes spaced apart bag supporting, discharging and dispensing sections, the bag supporting section including means for suspending a bulk bag with an outlet portion of said bag depending downwardly toward the discharging section, said discharging section including a dispensing means for attachment to the outlet of said bag, said dispensing section including a hopper for receiving material dispensed from the bag, the improvement being the dispensing means comprising:

an elongated, rigid dispensing spout, having a length at least equal to the distance between the bag outlet and the dispensing section, the rigid dispensing spout secured to and depending from the outlet portion of said bag;

the entire dispensing spout movable toward the hopper and causes the bulk bag to elongate as the dispensing spout descends during material discharge.

6. An apparatus for elongating a bulk bag suspended in a supporting frame by a bag supporting means, said bag having an outlet means which is opposite the bag supporting means, said apparatus comprised of:

a movable spout having an end for attachment to the outlet means;

at least one pivot arm extending between the supporting frame and the movable spout;

at least one actuation means extending between the supporting frame and the pivot arm, said actuations means being movable between a first position and a second position;

whereby,

movement of the actuation means between the first and second positions results in vertical movement of the movable spout.

7. An apparatus for elongating a bulk bag suspended in a supporting frame by a bag support means with an opposing bag outlet means affixed to a dispensing spout, said apparatus comprised of:

at least one pivot arm extending between the frame and the dispensing spout;

at least one fluid actuated cylinder having a first end and a second end, said second end including a piston movable between a first position and a second position, said cylinder being affixed at the first end to the frame and the movable piston being affixed to the pivot arm;

whereby,

movement of the piston between the first and second positions permits movement of the pivot arm, downward displacement of the dispensing spout and elongation of the bulk bag.

8. A bulk bag dispensing station comprising;

a vertically oriented supporting frame having a bag supporting area, a discharge area and a dispensing area, the bag supporting area including means for suspending a bulk bag in the frame with an outlet portion of said bag depending downwardly toward the discharge area;

a movable dispensing spout having means for attachment to the outlet of the suspended bag;

movement translation means extending between the supporting frame and the spout;

at least one fluid cylinder having a first end and a second end, said second end including a movable member which is movable between a first position and a second position, said cylinder being affixed at the first end to the frame and the movable member being affixed to the movement translation means;

whereby,

vertical movement of the spout is determined by displacement of the movable member between the first and second positions.