Apparatus for supplying spout attachment bags

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9926143-B2
Application number	US-201615274695-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2016
Priority date	Sep 25, 2015
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus for supplying spout attachment bags including a first transfer device for transferring a spout attachment bag in a horizontal orientation, a positioning device for receiving and horizontally positioning the spout attachment bag transferred from the first transfer device, a second transfer device for transferring upward the spout attachment bag positioned by the positioning device and changing the spout attachment bag from the horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation so that the spout attachment opening faces upward and is horizontal, and a detection device. The position of the spout attachment opening on the positioning device is detected by the detection device and is compared to a preset reference position, so that any amount of deviation between the two positions is corrected, thus keeping the height positions of the spout attachment openings of the spout attachment bags changed to a vertical orientation steady.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for supplying spout attachment bags for supplying a spout attachment apparatus with spout attachment bags each having a spout attachment opening in one corner thereof, said apparatus comprising:
a positioning device for positioning a spout attachment bag at a specific position in a horizontal orientation in which a spout attachment opening of the spout attachment bag faces forward,
a first transfer device for transferring the spout attachment bag, which is in a horizontal orientation and in which a spout attachment opening thereof is facing forward, to said positioning device, and
a second transfer device for transferring upward the spout attachment bag positioned by said positioning device and, in a course of said transfer, changing the spout attachment bag from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation in which the spout attachment opening faces upward and is horizontal,
wherein
said positioning device is comprised of:
a conveyor on which a supplied spout attachment bag is placed and which sends said bag forward, and
a side edge stopper and a top edge stopper which are contacted by one side edge and a top edge flanking the spout attachment opening of the spout attachment bag,
one vertical plane being set as a positioning reference plane, and
said side edge stopper and said top edge stopper being disposed so that a perpendicular line passing through a center of the spout attachment opening of the spout attachment bag is located in said reference plane when the spout attachment bag has come into contact with said stoppers,

said second transfer device is comprised of:
an arm fixed to a rotary shaft which is provided horizontally,
a driving source for rotating said rotary shaft and reciprocally swings said arm, and
a suction member which is provided at a distal end of said arm and is moved within a plane parallel to said reference plane when said arm is swung, and
when said arm is swung downward, said suction member picks up the spout attachment bag, and
when said arm is swung upward, the spout attachment bag picked up by said suction member is raised and changed from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation; and

said apparatus for supplying spout attachment bags is further comprised of:
a detection device for sensing a position of the spout attachment opening of said bag positioned by said positioning device, and
a control device for comparing a position of the spout attachment opening sensed by said detection device to a preset reference position, and for controlling operation of said driving source based on an amount of deviation between said two positions, said control device controlling the operation of said driving source to correct a position of a swing end of said arm that is swung upward, thus keeping steady a height position of the spout attachment opening of the spout attachment bag that is in a vertical orientation.

2. The apparatus for supplying spout attachment bags according to claim 1 , wherein
said suction member of said second transfer device is provided so that a suction face thereof faces outward in normal direction of a movement path of said suction member, and
said positioning device is provided so as to be moved up and down, so that said positioning device is moved up when said arm of said second transfer device comes to a lower swing end thereof and said suction face of said suction member faces down, and then said positioning device is moved down; and when said positioning device is moved up, the positioned spout attachment bag is picked up by said suction member.

3. The apparatus for supplying spout attachment bags according to claim 1 ,
wherein said first transfer device is comprised of:
a support shaft which is disposed vertically, is moved up and down and rotated, and is moved reciprocally along a transfer direction of the spout attachment bag, and
a suction member which is provided at a lower end of said support shaft with a suction face thereof facing down, and

wherein a rotational axis of said support shaft is provided so as to be in said reference plane even during a reciprocal motion thereof, and said support shaft suction-holds, using said suction member, the spout attachment bag positioned in a horizontal orientation, lifts said bag upward, and then transfers the bag keeping the bag in a horizontal orientation, and then rotates the bag during the transfer, thus positioning a perpendicular line passing through the center of the spout attachment opening of the spout attachment bag in the reference plane.

4. The apparatus for supplying spout attachment bags according to claim 2 ,
wherein said first transfer device is comprised of:
a support shaft which is disposed vertically, is moved up and down and rotated, and is moved reciprocally along a transfer direction of the spout attachment bag, and
a suction member which is provided at a lower end of said support shaft with a suction face thereof facing down, and

wherein a rotational axis of said support shaft is provided so as to be in said reference plane even during a reciprocal motion thereof, and said support shaft suction-holds, using said suction member, the spout attachment bag positioned in a horizontal orientation, lifts said bag upward, and then transfers the bag keeping the bag in a horizontal orientation, and then rotates the bag during the transfer, thus positioning a perpendicular line passing through the center of the spout attachment opening of the spout attachment bag in the reference plane.

Assignees

• Toyo Jidoki Kk

Inventors

• Yoshikane Tohru

Classifications

• B65G15/00

  Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration (having load-conveying surfaces formed by interconnected longitudinal links B65G17/06) · CPC title

• B31B70/04 Primary

  Feeding sheets or blanks · CPC title

• B65G47/915

  provided with drive systems with rotary movements only · CPC title

• B31B70/844

  Applying rigid valves, spouts, or filling tubes · CPC title

• B65G2203/0233

  Position of the article · CPC title