Automatic Rotary Produce Bagger

Abstract

An embodiment includes a pivot, a first station comprising: (a)(i) first clamps to secure a first bag, and (a)(ii) first panels to move a front side of the first bag away from a back side of the first bag; a second station comprising: (b)(i) second clamps to secure a second bag, and (b)(ii) second panels to move a front side of the second bag away from a back side of the second bag; at least one processor to: (c)(i) rotate the first and second stations around the pivot to simultaneously locate the first station at a first rotation stage and the second station at a second rotation stage, (c)(ii) clamp the first clamps to the first bag at the first station; moving the second panels away from each other to open the second bag at the second station; and (c)(iii) fill the third bag at the third station.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a turret,   a first station, coupled to the turret, comprising: (a)(i) first clamps configured to secure a first bag, (a)(ii) first panels configured to insert within the first bag and move a front side of the first bag away from a back side of the first bag, (a)(iii) first pneumatic cylinders configured to move the first clamps towards each other to open the first bag and to move the first panels away from each other to open the first bag;   a second station, coupled to the turret, comprising: (b)(i) second clamps configured to secure a second bag, (b)(ii) second panels configured to insert within the second bag and move a front side of the second bag away from a back side of the second bag, (b)(iii) second pneumatic cylinders configured to move the second clamps towards each other to open the second bag and to move the second panels away from each other to open the second bag;   a third station, coupled to the turret, comprising: (c)(i) third clamps configured to secure a third bag, (c)(ii) third panels configured to insert within the third bag and move a front side of the third bag away from a back side of the third bag, (c)(iii) third pneumatic cylinders configured to move the third clamps towards each other to open the third bag and to move the third panels away from each other to open the third bag;   at least one memory;   at least one processor, coupled to the memory, to perform operations comprising:
 rotating each of the first, second, and third stations around the turret to simultaneously locate the first station at a first rotation stage, the second station at a second rotation stage, and the third station at a third rotation stage; 
 clamping the first clamps to the first bag at the first station; 
 moving the second clamps towards each other to open the second bag at the second station; 
 moving the second panels away from each other to open the second bag at the second station; and 
 filling the third bag with produce at the third station. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein moving the second panels away from each other to open the second bag at the second station comprises simultaneously moving one of the second panels at a first speed and another of the second panels at the first speed. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  comprising rollers, wherein the operations comprise rotating the rollers to advance the third bag away from the third station once the third bag is filled with product. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  wherein the operations comprise rotating the first station from the first rotation stage to the second rotation stage while simultaneously rotating the second station from the second rotation stage to the third rotation stage. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the operations comprise rotating the first station a first distance between the first and second rotation stages at a first speed and then rotating the first station a second distance between the first and second rotation stages at a second speed that is faster than the first speed. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the operations comprise rotating the rollers to advance the third bag away from the third station an additional first distance at an additional first speed and then an additional second distance at an additional second speed that is slower than the additional first speed. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the operations comprise rotating the first station at the first speed while simultaneously rotating the rollers at the additional first speed 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the operations comprise rotating the first station at the second speed while simultaneously rotating the rollers at the additional second speed. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6  the operations comprising changing the additional first speed from a first value to a second value that is unequal to the first value. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 5  the operations comprising changing the first speed from a first value to a second value that is unequal to the first value. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 5  wherein:
 the first clamps are configurable to secure both the first bag having a first volume and a fourth bag having a fourth volume that is unequal to the first volume; and 
 changing the first speed from a first value to a second value that is unequal to the first value in response to reconfiguring the first clamps to secure the fourth bag instead of the first bag. 
 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 4  the operations comprising rotating the rollers at the first speed in response to rotating the first station at the first speed. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 3  wherein the operations comprise rotating the rollers to advance the third bag away from the third station a first distance at a first speed and then a second distance at a second speed that is slower than the first speed. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the operations comprise:
 discontinuing rotating the rollers in response to rotating the rollers at the second speed; 
 rotating the rollers at the first speed in response to discontinuing rotating the rollers; and 
 rotating the rollers at the first speed in response to rotating the rollers at the first speed. 
 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system includes an automatic bagger. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the system includes a rack to include the first, second, and third bags before the first, second, and third bags are coupled to any of the first, second, and third clamps. 
     
     
         17 . A system comprising:
 a pivot,   a first station, coupled to the pivot, comprising: (a)(i) first clamps configured to secure a first bag, and (a)(ii) first panels configured to insert within the first bag and move a front side of the first bag away from a back side of the first bag,   a second station, coupled to the pivot, comprising: (b)(i) second clamps configured to secure a second bag, and (b)(ii) second panels configured to insert within the second bag and move a front side of the second bag away from a back side of the second bag;   at least one processor, coupled to at least one memory, to perform operations comprising: (c)(i) rotating each of the first and second stations around the pivot to simultaneously locate the first station at a first rotation stage and the second station at a second rotation stage, (c)(ii) clamping the first clamps to the first bag at the first station; moving the second panels away from each other to open the second bag at the second station; and filling the third bag with a product at the third station.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  wherein the operations comprise rotating the first station from the first rotation stage to the second rotation stage while simultaneously rotating the second station from the second rotation stage to the third rotation stage. 
     
     
         19 . A method comprising:
 providing a system comprising a pivot, (a) a first station, coupled to the pivot, comprising: (a)(i) first clamps configured to secure a first bag, and (a)(ii) first panels configured to insert within the first bag and move a front side of the first bag away from a back side of the first bag, (b) a second station, coupled to the pivot, comprising: (b)(i) second clamps configured to secure a second bag, and (b)(ii) second panels configured to insert within the second bag and move a front side of the second bag away from a back side of the second bag, and (c) a third station, coupled to the pivot, comprising: (c)(i) third clamps configured to secure a third bag, (c)(ii) third panels configured to insert within the third bag and move a front side of the third bag away from a back side of the third bag;   rotating each of the first, second, and third stations around the pivot to simultaneously locate the first station at a first rotation stage, the second station at a second rotation stage, and the third station at a third rotation stage;   clamping the first clamps to the first bag at the first station;   moving the second clamps towards each other to open the second bag at the second station and moving the second panels away from each other to open the second bag at the second station; and   filling the third bag with produce at the third station.