Filling machine for sandbags and other containers

• US 6,269,849 B1
• Filed: 03/22/2000
• Issued: 08/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert E. Fields Jr
• Original Assignee: Robert E. Fields Jr
• Inventors: Fields, Robert E Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Douglas, Steven O.
• Application Number:
  US09/532,571
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: 141/391, 141/114, 141/313-316, 141/166, 141/231
• US Class Current: 141/166
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 1/06 by gravity flow

Abstract

A semi-automatic fixed or portable machine for the packaging of sand or other granular materials in various containers is disclosed. The machine is comprised of a frame or support which supports and retains a fixed upper feed hopper to receive and store the material to be packaged, a reciprocating rolling drawer assembly to distribute the material to be packaged alternately to seated operator stations at each end, the drawer assembly consisting of flow-through compartments to allow the packaging materials to pass through and into discharge chutes as the rolling drawer assembly is being automatically positioned properly over each final exit chute. The drawer assembly is fitted with an upper and lower friction pan to reduce wear. A plurality of discharge chutes onto which the operator may attach easily suspended bags is also supported. Each discharge chute is configured in such a manner as to facilitate one-hand filling of bags. Directly under each discharge chute is a rotating support/ejector plate apparatus to automatically remove filled containers. The rolling drawer assembly and the upper and lower friction pans may be constructed with removable and replaceable wear bars to facilitate maintenance and ensure longevity. The machine may be operated by either one or two persons with minimal regard to their size or strength and the speed of reciprocation of the rolling drawer assembly may be controlled to match the manual dexterity of the operators. Speed and ease of operation, economy of construction, reduced operator fatigue and ease of maintenance are emphasized.

Claims

1. An apparatus and system for filling bags or other containers with a pre-determined quantity of sand or other filling material, consisting of:

a frame assembly of rigid material;

a dual chute hopper for receiving and storage of filling material with two lower located and separated left and right hopper chutes optionally with dual hinged flip-flop plates attached to a center chute partition allowing either plate to be positioned to close either hopper chute in said hopper, thereby changing said apparatus from a dual operator to a single operator configuration;

two final exit chutes, one at each of two ends of the apparatus, rectangular at the top where it is affixed to said frame assembly, and transiting to a substantially round cross section exit of sufficient size to discharge filling material into bags or to direct filling material into other containers, said chute having a projecting bag retaining lug bar attached to substantially half of each exit chute with a circumference opposite an operator position, against and above which bottom supported bags may be held by tension of one hand pulling of the bag while filling;

two substantially round rotating support/ejector plates located under and separated from each exit chute, each attached by a centered bearing on a shaft mounted to said frame assembly at an angle of several degrees down toward a front portion of said frame assembly upon which a bag or other container rests while being filled and which, upon release of said bag or other container by an operator, will by force of gravity revolve a bag or other container approximately one quarter turn of said plates to a position against a container stop plate, from which position it may be removed while another bag or container is being filled;

a plurality of field removable wear bars in strategic positions which may be replaced easily with simple tools whenever wear at these points becomes objectionable;

a rolling drawer assembly consisting of a rectangular box constraining three sections, each end section being a four-sided, open top and bottom flow-through compartment sized appropriately for a volume of filling material to be used, said center section being substantially equivalent in length to three end sections and supporting a recessed solid plate bounded at each end by replaceable wear bars, which holds a portion of said filling material and forms a barrier to prevent filling material from discharging from said hopper chutes when said center section is under said chutes and which forms an upper friction pan, a non-wearable surface containing a portion of like filling material against which filling material contained in either of said chute hoppers may slide, said rolling drawer assembly to be suspended by v-groove wheels on inverted angle iron track or by linear bearings, allowing said rolling drawer assembly to move reciprocally from one end of said apparatus to the other so that when said right flow-through compartment is positioned over the right exit chute for dumping the left flow-through compartment simultaneously is positioned under said left hopper chute for filling and, conversely, when said left flow-through compartment is positioned over said left exit chute discharging its load said right flow-through compartment is positioned under said right hopper chute for reloading;

a lower friction pan, a shallow rectangular affixed to rigid frame members under and adjacent to the underside of said rolling drawer assembly and placed longitudinally between and adjacent to said two exit chutes, which contains a quantity of like filling material to also serve as another non-wearable surface which prevents filling material from flowing through filled flow-through compartments until said compartments move from said surface to a position over an exit chute;

adjustable seating attached to the rigid frame assembly and positioned so as to place each operator directly before an exit chute and a rotating support/ejector plate so as to facilitate easy and least effort access to bags or other containers and easy and least effort clearing of an operator'"'"'s work area in anticipation of attaching another bag;

whereby either one or two operators, while seated comfortably at a spacious work station and without regard to their physical strength, may rapidly, easily and continuously fill bags or other containers with specific amounts and weights of granular material and operators or others may replace easily important wear surfaces of a simplified mechanically and electrically operated apparatus.

2. The apparatus and system in claim 1, further comprising:

an electric motor and gear reducer in combination with, a rotating bar, plate and disc affixed to said motor and gear reducer, a reciprocating arm attached thereto and to a substantially vertical lever arm with a bottom rod-end bearing affixed to said frame assembly and another reciprocating arm attached at one end to the top of the lever arm and on the other end to the side of said rolling drawer assembly, said motor and gear reducer fitted with a variable speed control, the whole of which will convert a continuously rotating electric motor drive into a variable speed, reciprocal motion drive of said rolling drawer assembly, moving it from one end of said apparatus to the other at an adjustably timed rate, alternately filling said flow-through compartments of said rolling drawer assembly and subsequently discharging those contents into final exit chutes at opposing ends, both actions beginning and continuing while said rolling drawer assembly is still rolling so that a gradual flow of filling material is presented both to said flow-through compartments and to said exit chutes even while still rolling thereby reducing or eliminating jamming of filling material and with start/stop means and rheostat adjustments disposed within reach of each operator'"'"'s position;

a means of generating electrical current for operation as a mobile unit with provision for use of generally available electrical current when used in a semi-permanent or permanent location.

3. A configuration of construction of the apparatus and system in claim 1 whereby:

said apparatus may be mounted for transport to various sites for mobile operation or permanently mounted to leg extensions and pads and bolted into a permanent floor for fixed operation;

removable box shaped inserts of various sizes may be attached to side walls of said flow-through compartments to temporarily or permanently reduce the volume and therefore weight of filling material transiting said flow-through compartments to containers placed under said exit chutes;

the center section of said movable distribution unit being approximately and at least a distance of three times the longitudinal distance of a single flow-through compartment to prevent filling material from flowing into or through said compartments until said compartments are properly positioned for either filling or discharge;

both lower exit chutes are offset toward the front of the apparatus to better position the bags and other containers on the maximum amount of the rotating support/ejector plate for maximum support.