Method of and device for filling bags, having a movable filling sleeve

Abstract

A method of filling bags with bulk material and of closing the filled bags, wherein, for filling purposes, the bags are suspended from a filling sleeve 16 connected to a filling cone 15 and filled with a measured quantity of bulk material. For closing purposes, the bags, after having been filled, are folded-in at the bag flap in a bag flap folding device 20 and, after having been closed, are gripped by a takeover device 26 for the purpose of being transported further. The filling sleeve during or after the operation of filling a suspended bag and the bag flap folding device during or after the operation of folding an attached bag are synchronously moved in a bag transporting direction at a fixed distance from a respective starting position P 1 , P 2 by the amount of the distance x1 between the filling sleeve and the bag flap folding device 20 into a respective hand-over position P 2 , P 3 . The takeover device 26 , during the synchronous movement of the filling sleeve 16 and the bag folding device 20 , is moved from a starting position P 3 into a releasing position P 4 for the purpose of transporting further a folded-in bag.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A method of filling bags with bulk material and of closing the filled bags, wherein, for filling purposes, the bags are suspended from a filling sleeve connected to a filling cone and filled with a measured quantity of bulk material and wherein, for closing purposes, the bags, after having been filled, are folded-in at the bag flap in a bag flap folding device and, after having been closed, are gripped by a takeover device for the purpose of being transported further, wherein said filling sleeve during or after the operation of filling a suspended bag and the bag flap folding device during or after the operation of folding-in an attached bag are synchronously moved in a bag transporting direction at a fixed distance from a respective starting position by the amount of the distance x1 between the filling sleeve and the bag flap folding device into a respective hand-over position (P 2 , P 3 ) wherein the respective bags are released by said filling sleeve and said bag flap folding device respectively, whereupon said filling sleeve and said bag flap folding device are returned synchronously at a fixed distance against the bag transporting direction into their respective starting positions (P 1 , P 2 ).  
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein during said synchronous movement of said filling sleeve and of said bag flap folding device, said take-over device, for the purpose of further transport of a folded-in bag from a starting position (P 3 ), which is at the same distance x1=x2 from the starting position (P 2 ) of said bag flap folding device as is the latter in its starting position (P 2 ) from the starting position (P 1 ) of said filling sleeve, is moved in the bag transporting direction in the same phase into a releasing position (P 4 ) wherein said take-over device releases the bag and is thereafter returned synchronously with said filling sleeve and said bag flap folding device into its starting position (P 3 ).  
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 2  wherein a bag is sealed in said take-over device.  
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein a bag is handed over by said takeover device into a subsequent sealing device.  
     
     
         5 . A method of filling bags with bulk material and of closing the filled bags, wherein, for filling purposes, the bags are suspended from a filling sleeve connected to a filling cone and filled with a measured quantity of bulk material and wherein, for closing purposes, the bags, after having been filled, are folded in at the bag flap in a bag flap folding device and, after having been closed, are gripped by a takeover device for the purpose of being transported further, wherein a first filling sleeve during or after the operation of filling a suspended bag and a first bag flap folding device during or after the operation of folding-in an attached bag are synchronously moved in a first bag transporting direction R 1  at a fixed distance from a respective starting position (P 1 ′, P 2 ′) by the amount of the distance x1 between said first filling sleeve and said first bag flap folding device into a respective hand-over position (P 2 ′, P 3 ′) wherein the respective bags are released by said filling sleeve and said bag flap folding device ( 20 ′) respectively, whereupon said first filling sleeve and said first bag flap folding device ( 20 ′) are returned synchronously at the fixed distance against the first bag transporting direction R 1  into their respective starting positions (P 1 ′, P 2 ′), while, at the same time, after the release of the respective bags, a second filling sleeve and a second bag flap folding device are moved synchronously at a fixed distance from one another by the amount of the distance x1 of said second filling sleeve from said second bag flap folding device into a respective starting position (P 1 ″, P 2 ″) where a bag slipped on to said filling sleeve ( 16 ″) is filled and where, respectively, a bag positioned in said bag flap folding device is folded-in, whereupon said second filling sleeve and said second bag flap folding device are returned synchronously in the second bag transporting direction R 2  into their hand-over positions (P 2 ″, P 3 ″).  
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 5 , wherein during the synchronous movement of said first filling sleeve with said first bag flap folding device, a first take-over device for continuing the transport of a folded-in bag from a take-over position (P 3 ′) which is at the same distance x2=x1 from the starting position (P 2 ′) of said bag flap folding device as is the latter in its starting position (P 2 ′) from the starting position (P 1 ′) of said first filling sleeve ( 16 ′), is moved in the first bag transporting direction R 1  in the same cycle into a releasing position (P 4  ′) where it releases the bag and subsequently, synchronously with said first filling sleeve and said first bag flap folding device, is returned into its starting position (P 3 ′), while simultaneously, during the synchronous movement of said second filling sleeve with said second bag flap folding device, a second take-over device for taking over a bag from a releasing position (P 4 ″) is moved against the second bag transporting direction R 2  in the same cycle into a take-over position (P 3 ″) which is at the same distance x2=x1 from the starting position (P 1 ″) of said second bag flap folding device as is the latter in its starting position (P 2 ″) from the starting position (P 1 ″) of said second filling sleeve and, after having taken over a bag, is returned synchronously with said second filling sleeve and said second bag flap folding device into its releasing position (P 4 ″).  
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 6 , wherein bags are sealed in said first takeover device ( 26 ′) and in said second take-over device ( 26 ″).  
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 6 , wherein bags are transferred from said first take-over device and said second take-over device into subsequent first and second sealing devices.  
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein in a releasing position (P 2 ), the bags are deposited by said filling sleeves.  
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 5 , wherein in a releasing position P 2 ′, P 2 ″, the bags are deposited by said filling sleeves.  
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein every possible position of said filling sleeves, said filling cones are in an open connection with an associated locally stationary dispensing device.  
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 5 , wherein every possible position of said filling sleeves, said filling cones are in an open connection with an associated locally stationary dispensing device.  
     
     
         13 . A device for filling bags with bulk material and for closing the filled bags, wherein there are provided a filling sleeve for attaching a bag, which filling sleeve is connected to a filling cone, a bag flap folding device for folding-in the bag flap of a bag and a take-over device for further transport of a bag after the folding-in operation, wherein said filling sleeve and said bag flap folding device are movable synchronously relative to one another at a fixed distance by the amount of the distance x1 between said filling sleeve and said bag flap folding device between two respective starting positions (P 1 , P 2 ) and two respective hand-over positions (P 2 , P 3 ).  
     
     
         14 . A device according to  claim 13 , wherein said take-over device is movable between a starting position (P 3 ), which is at the same distance x1=x2 from the starting position (P 2 ) of said bag flap folding device as is the latter in its starting position (P 2 ) from the starting position (P 1 ) of said filling sleeve, and a releasing position (P 4 ) in the same phase in the bag transporting direction and against the bag transporting direction as are said filling sleeve and said bag flap folding device.  
     
     
         15 . A device according to  claim 14 , wherein said take-over device comprises a sealing unit, especially a welding unit.  
     
     
         16 . A device according to  claim 14 , wherein a sealing unit follows said take-over device in the bag transporting direction.  
     
     
         17 . A device for filling bags with bulk material and for closing the filled bags, wherein there are provided a first filling sleeve for attaching a bag, which said first filling sleeve is connected to a filling cone, a first bag flap folding device for folding-in the bag flap of a bag, and a take-over device for further transport of a bag after the folding operation, wherein said first filling sleeve and said first bag flap folding device are movable synchronously relative to one another at a fixed distance by the amount of the distance x 1  between said first filling sleeve and said first bag flap folding device between two respective starting positions (P 1 ′, P 2 ′) and two respective hand-over positions (P 2 ′, P 3 ′) and wherein there are provided a second filling sleeve connected to a filling cone provided for attaching a bag, a second bag flap folding device for folding-in the bag flap of a bag and a second take-over device for further transport of a bag after having been folded, wherein said second filling sleeve and said second bag flap folding device are movable synchronously relative to one another at a fixed distance by the amount of the distance x1 between said second filling sleeve and said second bag flap folding device and synchronously with the former in the same respective direction between two respective hand-over positions (P 2 ″, P 3 ″) and two respective starting positions (P 1 ″, P 2 ″).  
     
     
         18 . A device according to  claim 17 , wherein said first take-over device is movable between a starting position (P 3 ′), which is at the same distance x2=x1 from the starting position (P 2 ′) of said first bag flap folding device as is the latter in its starting position (P 2 ′) from the starting position (P 1 ′) of said first filling sleeve, and a releasing position (P 4  ′) in the same phase in the first bag transporting direction R 1  and against the first bag transporting direction R 1  as are said first filling sleeve and said first bag flap folding device and wherein that a second take-over device is moveable between a starting position (P 3 ″), which is at the same distance x2=x1 from the starting position (P 2 ″) of a second bag flap folding device ( 20 ″) as is the latter in its starting position (P 2 ″) from the starting position (P 1 ″) of a second filling sleeve, and a releasing position (P 4 ″) in the same phase in the second bag transporting direction R 2  with the take-over devices being moveable in and against the second bag transporting direction R 2  as are said second filling sleeve and said second bag flap folding device, with said take-over devices being movable in corresponding directions.  
     
     
         19 . A device according to  claim 18 , wherein said take-over devices each comprise a sealing unit, especially a welding unit.  
     
     
         20 . A device according to  claim 18 , wherein said take-over devices are each followed by a sealing unit in the bag transporting direction R 1 , R 2 .  
     
     
         21 . A bag flap folding device for open bags filled with a filling material, having a substantially rectangular cross-secion with two opposed first bag walls and two further opposed second bag walls, characterized by two folding flaps which, in a starting position, can be made to contact said first bag walls in a planar way and which can be pivoted around horizontal axes into a folding position in which they place the contacting first bag walls in a planar way substantially horizontally on the surface of the filing material, and with said bag flap projecting upwardly in a flat condition beyond the abutting end faces of said folding flaps.  
     
     
         22 . A device according to  claim 21 , wherein said folding flaps each carry suction pads which, if viewed in the starting position, are effective on the respective inner sides of said folding flaps.  
     
     
         23 . A device according to  claim 22 , wherein said folding flaps, together with said first side walls contacting one another in a planar way, can be stopped in an intermediate position in which they are inclined relative to one another in a roof-like way.  
     
     
         24 . A device according to  claim 23 , wherein a side fold forming device with two side fold forming blades which, in a starting position, are positioned at a distance outside the said tensioned second side walls and, in a side fold forming position, are positioned between said folding flaps in the intermediate position of same.  
     
     
         25 . A device according to  claim 24 , wherein said side fold forming device can be moved up and down.  
     
     
         26 . A device according to  claim 24  wherein a fixing device which can be displaced horizontally relative to said bag flap folding device and which comprises clamping means which are able to fix the bag flap projecting from said folding flaps of said closed folding device by means of clamps.  
     
     
         27 . A device according to  claim 26 , wherein that a take-over device can be moved horizontally relative to said fixing device ( 25 ) and, in respect of height, is arranged underneath said fixing device ( 25 ) in such a way that it is able to clamp in the closed bag flap released by said folding device underneath said fixing device by means of clamping strips.  
     
     
         28 . A device according to  claim 27 , wherein a ventilation probe which can be moved into the fixed bag is connected to said fixing device.  
     
     
         29 . A device according to  claim 28 , wherein said fixing device comprises said clamping strips with suction means acting on the inside.  
     
     
         30 . A device according to  claim 29 , wherein said clamping strips of said takeover device comprise sealing means in the form of a welding device.