A system for filling a container with relatively long thin tubes that are delivered on a tube conveyor. The system has a generally tubular-shaped insert with an at least partially open top and an open bottom, the insert sized and shaped to fit into the container and defining a width that is slightly larger than the length of the tubes and an insert holder that is adapted to engage the insert to hold the insert in place. There is a lift system that moves the container between an engaged position in which the container is located over the insert and a disengaged position in which the container is free from the insert, and movable clamps adapted to be moved between an engaged position in which they hold the container in position relative to the insert and a disengaged position in which the container can be moved relative to the insert. A pivot system pivots the insert holder about a pivot axis that is generally parallel to the longitudinal axes of the tubes. A flexible drape is adapted to be located at least in part in the insert and overlies tubes as they fill into the insert from the conveyor, to help keep the tubes aligned across the width of the insert.

The abstract of the application is being replaced with a new abstract which meets the requirements of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. No new matter is being added and all changes are fully supported by the application and the application from which it claims priority. A clean copy of the abstract is included with this filing.

A sand bag shovel having an elongated rod connected to a connecting member and the connecting member attached to a scoop. The scoop has a pair of sidewalls and a front wall with tapered panels that form a peak. A funnel is used with the scoop that has a flange that extends outwardly from a top opening.

A sand bag shovel having an elongated rod connected to a connecting member and the connecting member attached to a scoop. The scoop has a pair of sidewalls and a front wall with tapered panels that form a peak. A funnel is used with the scoop that has a flange that extends outwardly from a top opening.

Packaging equipment having higher packaging efficiency is provided. The Packaging equipment includes a frame, and a material filling apparatus, a bag loading apparatus, and a bag receiving apparatus that are arranged on the frame. The bag receiving apparatus includes a support assembly and multiple bag holders. The support assembly is rotatably arranged on the frame, and the multiple bag holders are symmetrically arranged on the support assembly with respect to a rotation axis of the support assembly. The bag loading apparatus conveys a packaging bag to each bag holder at a bag loading station, and the bag receiving apparatus drives the packaging bag to rotate from the bag loading station to the material filling station. The material filling apparatus fills material into the packaging bag, and a material filling direction of the material filling apparatus is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the support assembly.

A container receives and holds product. The container includes a multilayered composite film combination forming a bag defining a product fill opening. The multilayered composite film combination includes first and second polymer film inner and outer layers each having vacuum holding properties, and a third polymer film disposed between the first and second polymer films. The third polymer film has oxygen barrier properties. Product is packed into the container by coupling a fill spout of the container with a fill tube of a product filling apparatus, and oxygen is drawn from an inner cavity of the container. Product is flowed through the fill spout of the container, and nitrogen is added into the inner cavity through the fill spout of the container. The fill spout of the container is sealed while a negative pressure is drawn within the inner cavity thereby immobilizing the product within the container.

A transfer adapter for connecting a bag or a tubular liner (510) to a container (60) for filling or emptying said bag or a tubular liner. The transfer adapter has an adapter unit (20) for connecting to an aperture of a container, the adapter unit having an inner wall delimiting a transfer opening, and a retaining (101, 102). The retaining unit includes a retaining fixture (11) for receiving a circumferential strip of a bag or of a tubular liner (510), and a retaining element (12) being configured to hold said circumferential strip in the retaining fixture (11). The retaining unit (101, 102) is dimensioned to be removably positioned inside transfer opening such that the transfer opening together with the open bag or together with the open tubular liner (510) form a transfer passage. A transfer system also includes the adapter as well as a method of transferring material between a container and a bag or a tubular liner through the transfer adapter.

A transfer adapter for connecting a bag or a tubular liner (510) to a container (60) for filling or emptying said bag or a tubular liner. The transfer adapter has an adapter unit (20) for connecting to an aperture of a container, the adapter unit having an inner wall delimiting a transfer opening, and a retaining (101, 102). The retaining unit includes a retaining fixture (11) for receiving a circumferential strip of a bag or of a tubular liner (510), and a retaining element (12) being configured to hold said circumferential strip in the retaining fixture (11). The retaining unit (101, 102) is dimensioned to be removably positioned inside transfer opening such that the transfer opening together with the open bag or together with the open tubular liner (510) form a transfer passage. A transfer system also includes the adapter as well as a method of transferring material between a container and a bag or a tubular liner through the transfer adapter.

A method for filling bags with bulk products includes providing a quantity of product for filling a bag, dispensing the quantity of product through a connection duct towards a filling station provided with designed to fill a bag with the product, and filling the bag with the quantity of product in the filling station. The quantity of product is intercepted and retained inside the connection duct, before arrival and filling at the filling station and is deaerated. The deaeration of the product is achieved at two separate steps. A filling apparatus and a bagging machine are configured to implement the filling method.

A method for filling bags with bulk products includes providing a quantity of product for filling a bag, dispensing the quantity of product through a connection duct towards a filling station provided with designed to fill a bag with the product, and filling the bag with the quantity of product in the filling station. The quantity of product is intercepted and retained inside the connection duct, before arrival and filling at the filling station and is deaerated. The deaeration of the product is achieved at two separate steps. A filling apparatus and a bagging machine are configured to implement the filling method.