Grocery bagging and transfer apparatus

Abstract

A grocery bagging and transfer apparatus comprises a bag load station and a transfer device. The bag load station includes a primary bag dispenser, and is provided either separate from the transfer device or is provided at a leading end of the transfer device. When provided separate, means are provided for advancing grocery-filled bag on to the leading end of the transfer device. The transfer device provides a drive and transfer system that advances loaded bags from its leading end to a loading end from which bagged groceries are typically placed in a cart.

1 . A grocery bagging and transfer apparatus for use adjacent to an in-feed counter having a grocery item in-feed surface, said apparatus comprising: 
 a primary bag dispenser retaining a plurality of primary bags; and    a bag load station for bagging grocery items, said bag load station being positioned adjacent said in-feed counter and providing a bag support surface that accepts one of said plurality of primary bags, opened to receive grocery items, at a position dropped downwardly from the grocery item in-feed surface of the in-feed counter.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of said primary bags has a height defined between a closed bottom and an open top thereof when opened to receive grocery items, and said bag support surface of said bag load station is dropped downwardly from the grocery item in-feed surface at a distance at least equal to half of said height of said primary bags.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said bag support surface of said bag load station is dropped downwardly from the grocery item in-feed surface at a distance at least equal to said height of said primary bags.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a bagged grocery transfer device having a leading end and a loading end and serving to transfer bagged groceries from said leading end to said loading end.    
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said bag load station is located at said leading end of said bagged grocery transfer device.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein said primary bag dispenser is a t-shirt style bag dispenser that extends over said bag load station to retain at least one t-shirt style bag open on said bag load station for receiving grocery items.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the apparatus is employed to load a grocery cart having a height defined by the open top of the grocery cart basket, and said bagged grocery transfer device is inclined from said leading end to said loading end, said loading end being at a height that is at least as high as the height of the open top of the grocery cart basket.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein said bagged grocery transfer device includes a conveyor belt having a conveying surface, said conveyor belt being selectively operable to advance bagged groceries from said leading end to said loading end.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein, when a t-shirt style bag is filled with grocery items at said bag load station, selectively operating said conveyor belt to advance bagged groceries from said leading end to said loading end pulls such a filled t-shirt style bag off of said t-shirt bag dispenser.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein selectively operating said conveyor belt includes advancing said conveyor belt in job length increments defined by the length of said bag load station, such that advancing said conveyor belt at said job length increment clears said bag load station of bagged groceries.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said bag load station includes an elevator positioned downwardly from and between said in-feed counter and said leading end of said transfer device, said elevator providing said bag support surface at a position dropped downwardly from the grocery item in-feed surface of the in-feed counter, said elevator being selectively operable to raise said bag support surface to align with said leading end of said transfer device.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said bag load station further comprises a slide cleat movable to urge bagged groceries off of said bag support surface an onto said leading end of said transfer device when said bag support surface is aligned with said leading end.  
   
   
       13 . A grocery bagging and transfer apparatus for bagging grocery items and advancing them to a grocery cart for loading into said cart, the apparatus comprising: 
 a bag load station retaining an open bag for receiving grocery items to provide a filled bag; and    automated means for advancing such a filled bag out of said bag load station to clear the same for a new, unfilled open bag.    
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said bag load station is provided at a leading end of a conveyor belt, and said automated means for advancing includes an incremental advance actuator that is operated to advance filled bags at said leading end of said conveyor belt an incremental distance toward a loading end of said conveyor belt.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said bag load station is provided at a leading end of a conveyor belt, said automated means for advancing includes a continuous advance actuator that is operated to advance filled bags at said leading end of said conveyor belt toward a loading end of said conveyor belt, a sensor is provided at said loading end and senses the presence of filled bags at said loading end, said sensor stopping the advancement of filled bags when the presence of a filled bag is sensed.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising an in-feed counter having a grocery item in-feed surface, wherein said bag load station provides a bag support surface that accepts said open bag, at a position dropped downwardly from the grocery item in-feed surface of the in-feed counter.  
   
   
       17 . A grocery bagging and transfer apparatus comprising: 
 a t-shirt style bag dispenser retaining a plurality of t-shirt style bags on opposed support bars, and    a bagged grocery transfer device providing a bag load station for bagging grocery items, said bag loading station being positioned adjacent said t-shirt style bag dispenser such that said support bars of said t-shirt style bag dispenser extend over a bag support surface of said bag load station to retain at least one of said plurality of t-shirt style bags open on said support surface, said bagged grocery transfer device being selectively operable to advance bagged grocery items at said bag load station toward a loading station, wherein advancing said conveyor belt clears said bag load station of bagged groceries, pulling any filled t-shirt style bags off of said support bars.    
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , further comprising an in-feed counter having a grocery item in-feed surface, wherein said bag support surface is dropped downwardly from said grocery item in-feed surface of the in-feed counter.