Apparatus for Holding Packaging Bags

Abstract

An apparatus for holding stacks of plastic packaging bags, including a wicket and a securing device for securing the packaging bags to the wicket. The wicket includes a pair of elongated leg members, and a cross-member connecting together the leg members. Each of the leg members has a series of locking portions for selectively locking the securing device to the leg members at pre-determined distances from the cross-member. The securing device includes a pair of securing buttons having a bore sized and shaped to be slidable onto the leg members over the locking portions. The locking portions are pairs of aligned locking tabs shaped to prevent the securing buttons from sliding back off the leg members. A cartridge comprising a plurality of wickets coupled together by break away tabs can be used to automate a bag-stacking operation. The wicket and securing buttons are made to be recycled along with the bags lips left after bags are torn off, reducing waste. The wicket and buttons also provide improved locking of bags, and one wicket is capable of holding varying quantities of bags. A cross-member and securing device having a plurality of apertures allows a pair of elongated leg members to be formed into wickets of various sizes to accommodate different packaging bags.

1 . Apparatus for holding a stack of packaging bags, comprising:
 a) a wicket comprising a pair of elongated leg members and a cross-member connecting the leg members together in a spaced parallel relationship, each of the leg members comprising a shank having a free end shaped to pass through apertures in the packaging bags; and   b) a securing device for securing the packaging bags to the wicket, the securing device having a pair of bores extending therethrough, each of the bores being sized to allow the securing device to be slid onto and along the shank of each of the leg members towards the cross-member;   c) wherein each of the leg members comprises a series of longitudinally spaced locking portions for selectively locking the securing device to the shank at pre-selected distances from the cross-member so as to secure the stack of bags against the cross-member.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the securing device comprises a pair of securing buttons, each of the securing buttons comprising a button body having a bore extending therethrough, the bore being sized to allow the button body to be slid onto and along the shank. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein each of the locking portions comprises a pair of aligned locking tabs extending outwardly from side edges of the shank, each of the locking tabs having a forward portion shaped to distort the bore of the button body to allow the button body to be pushed over the pair of locking tabs, and a rearward portion having a trailing edge shaped to engage the button body and prevent the button body from sliding back over the pair of locking tabs towards the free end of the shank. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the forward portion of each of the locking tabs comprises a wedge shaped portion extending outwardly from one of the side edges of the shank. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the trailing edge of the rearward portion of the locking tabs extends generally perpendicularly to one of the side edges of the shank. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the button body comprises a rigid front body section having a flat front surface for pressing against the packaging bags, and the bore comprises a front bore region extending through the front body section, the front bore region having a diameter sufficient to allow the button body to pass over the pairs of locking tabs of the leg member. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the button body also comprises a rear body section having a resilient tubular wall, and the bore comprises rear bore region extending through the rear body section, the rear bore region having a diameter less than the largest cross sectional dimension of the shank, wherein the tubular wall is sufficiently thin to enable the rear bore region to distort to allow the button body to pass over the pairs of locking tabs. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the shank of each of the leg members has a cross-shaped cross section. 
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the shank of each of the leg members comprises a pair of first ridge members and a pair of second ridge members, the pair of second ridge members being oriented perpendicularly to the pair of first ridge members. 
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the locking portions comprise pairs of aligned locking tabs spaced along and extending outwardly from at least one of the pairs of first ridge members or the second ridge members. 
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the wicket and the securing buttons are made from a material compatible, for the purposes of recycling, with the packaging bags. 
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the wicket and the securing buttons are made from a polyethylene plastic. 
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the securing device comprises a locking plate having a flat front surface and a rear surface, and a pair of spaced securing buttons extending outwardly from the rear surface of the locking plate, the securing buttons being spaced so as to register with the pair of leg members. 
   
   
       14 . (canceled) 
   
   
       15 . (canceled) 
   
   
       16 . (canceled) 
   
   
       17 . (canceled) 
   
   
       18 . (canceled) 
   
   
       19 . (canceled) 
   
   
       20 . (canceled) 
   
   
       21 . Apparatus for holding a stack of packaging bags, comprising:
 a) a wicket having a pair of elongated leg members, each of the leg members comprising a shank having a first end with an end cap extending therefrom, a second end shaped to pass freely through apertures in the packaging bags, and a cross member for connecting the leg members together in a spaced parallel relationship so as to form the wicket; and   b) a securing device for securing the packaging bags to the wicket, the securing device having at least one pair of spaced locking apertures extending therethrough, the locking apertures shaped to enable the securing device to be slid onto and along the shank of each of the pair of leg members towards the first end;   c) wherein each of the leg members comprises a series of longitudinally spaced locking portions for selectively locking the securing device to the shank at pre-selected distances from the end cap so as to secure the stack of packaging bags between the cross-member and the securing device.   
   
   
       22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the cross-member comprises at least one pair of spaced locking apertures extending therethrough, each of the locking apertures shaped to enable the cross-member to be slid onto and along the shank of each of the pair of leg members towards the first end. 
   
   
       23 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein locking portions on each leg members secure the cross-member against the end cap on each leg member to form the wicket. 
   
   
       24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the cross-member has at least two pairs of spaced locking apertures such the wicket can be formed in at least two different configurations for accommodating differently sized packaging bags. 
   
   
       25 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the securing device and the cross member each comprise a locking plate. 
   
   
       26 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein each of the locking portions comprises a pair of aligned locking tabs extending outwardly from the side edges of the shank, each of the locking tabs having a forward portion shaped to distort the apertures in the locking plates to allow the locking plates to be slid over the locking tabs, and a rearward portion having a trailing edge shaped to engage the aperture of the locking plates and prevent the locking plates from sliding back over the pair of locking tabs towards the free end of the shank.