Vertical tubular bag machine for packing horizontally aligned groups of items

Abstract

In order to introduce stacks of horizontally aligned flat, preferably disk-shaped, groups of items ( 23 ) formed by one or more items ( 18 ) into tubular bags ( 16 ) by means of a vertical tubular bag machine ( 1 ), it is proposed that a vertical filling pipe ( 6 ) is adapted with respect to its cross section to the horizontal dimensions of the group of items ( 23 ), the width ( 19 ) and the depth ( 20 ) of the filling pipe ( 6 ) being made to match the width ( 21 ) and the depth ( 22 ) of a group of items ( 23 ) and the group of items ( 23 ) being placed above the filling pipe ( 6 ) in such a way that a first equal spacing ( 26 ) in the direction of the width ( 19 ) and similarly a second equal spacing ( 27 ) in the direction of the depth ( 20 ) of the filling pipe ( 6 ) is provided on opposite sides of the group of items ( 23 ), in each case between an outer edge ( 24 ) of the group of items ( 23 ) and the inner surface ( 25 ) of the filling pipe ( 6 ), that these spacings ( 26, 27 ) do not all have the value zero, that the filling pipe ( 6 ) has a cross section that is symmetrical to axes of symmetry ( 28, 29 ) of the group of items ( 23 ), and that two pipe segments ( 30, 31 ) of the filling pipe ( 6 ) that are opposite and parallel to each other, extend in the transporting direction ( 10 ) and on which film takeoffs ( 8 ) of the tubular bag machine ( 1 ) act are provided.

1 . A vertical tubular bag machine ( 1 ) with a web of film ( 3 ) unwound from a supply roll ( 2 ), a shaping shoulder ( 4 ) for shaping the web of film ( 3 ) into a film tube ( 5 ), a vertically aligned filling pipe ( 6 ), which receives the film tube ( 5 ) and through which it is possible to fill the film tube ( 5 ), a filling station ( 7 ), above the filling pipe ( 6 ), two film takeoffs ( 8 ), acting from opposite sides of the filling pipe against the film tube ( 5 ), and consequently against the filling pipe ( 6 ), for further transportation of the web of film ( 3 ) and the film tube ( 5 ), a longitudinal sealing device ( 9 ) for welding the film tube ( 5 ) by means of a longitudinal seam ( 11 ), aligned in the transporting direction ( 10 ), a transverse sealing device ( 12 ) with two welding jaws ( 13 ), which can be moved toward each other and weld the film tube ( 5 ) transversely, for producing top seams ( 14 ) and bottom seams ( 15 ) of tubular bags ( 16 ) and also a cutting device ( 17 ) for severing the tubular bags ( 16 ) from the film tube ( 5 ), wherein the filling station ( 7 ) is intended for delivering in each case a horizontally aligned flat, preferably disk-shaped group of items ( 23 ) formed by one or more items ( 18 ), wherein the filling pipe ( 6 ) is adapted with respect to its cross section to the horizontal dimensions of the group of items ( 23 ), the width ( 19 ) and the depth ( 20 ) of the filling pipe ( 6 ) being made to match the width ( 21 ) and the depth ( 22 ) of a group of items ( 23 ) and the group of items ( 23 ) being placed above the filling pipe ( 6 ) in such a way that a first equal spacing ( 26 ) in the direction of the width ( 19 ) and similarly a second equal spacing ( 27 ) in the direction of the depth ( 20 ) of the filling pipe ( 6 ) is provided on opposite sides of the group of items ( 23 ), in each case between the outer edge ( 24 ) of the group of items ( 23 ) and the inner surface ( 25 ) of the filling pipe ( 6 ), wherein these spacings ( 26 ,  27 ) do not all have the value zero, wherein the filling pipe ( 6 ) has a cross section that is symmetrical to axes of symmetry ( 28 ,  29 ) of the group of items ( 23 ), and wherein two pipe segments ( 30 ,  31 ) of the filling pipe ( 6 ) that are opposite and parallel to each other, extend in the transporting direction ( 10 ) and on which the film takeoffs ( 8 ) act are provided.  
     
     
         2 . The tubular bag machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the spacings ( 26 ,  27 ) have a value between zero and 10 mm.  
     
     
         3 . The tubular bag machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein walls ( 32 ) of the filling pipe ( 6 ) that lie opposite one another and are not intended for the film takeoffs ( 8 ) to act on have an outwardly facing arc ( 33 ), an outwardly directed bend ( 34 ) or at least two outwardly directed bends ( 35 ).  
     
     
         4 . The tubular bag machine as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the pipe segments ( 30 ,  31 ) extend entirely over opposite walls ( 36 ).