METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STACKING PLASTIC-FILM BAGS

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for the stacking, in packets, of bags produced from plastic film, the device (1) having at least one traction means, preferably a toothed belt (2), and at least one carrier (4), on which the bags can be laid flat on each other and which can be fastened to the traction means for driving, and the at least one carrier (4) having at least one means, in particular one driver element (3), for driving the laid bags, the driver element (3) being arranged on the carrier (4) in such a way that the position of the driver element can be changed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for making stacks of plastic-film bags, the apparatus comprising: a traction element; a support on which the bags can be laid flat on one another and fastened to the traction element for conveying formed stacks; a pusher, for advancing the stacked bags; and means for adjusting a position of the pusher on the support.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus has two of the supports behind one another, wherein one pusher is on each of the supports.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support is substantially planar support face for the bags.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pusher is of L-shape.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein two of the supports immediately adjacent one another and each having a respective one of the pushers form a planar surface for receiving a plurality of bags stacked above one another.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the pushers has a holding formation.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support has a T-shaped groove and the means includes a fastener engaged in the groove and with the pusher (3).

8. A method forming stacks of plastic-film bags for operating an apparatus according to claim 1.

9. An apparatus for forming and conveying stacks of plastic-film bags, the apparatus comprising: an endless conveyor element having a stretch movable in a transport direction; a row of supports each having a planar support face secured to and displaceable with the element, each support being formed with a T-groove extending in the directed and open upwardly on the stretch; respective L-shaped pushers each having a foot sitting on the face of a respective one of the supports and shiftable in the direction on the support and an upright leg projecting upward from the respective face in the stretch; and a fastener engaged through each of the feet and into the groove for fixing the respective pusher to the support, the fasteners being loosenable for movement of the respective pusher in the direction on the support and tightenable to prevent such movement relative to the support.

Description

[0015] An embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention for making stacks of plastic-film bags is shown in FIGS. 1 to 5.

[0016] FIGS. 1 to 3 show an apparatus 1 in different views for stacking, in packets, bags (not shown) made of plastic film, where the apparatus 1 has at least one traction element, preferably a toothed belt 2. The apparatus 1 has at least one pusher 3, preferably a plurality of pushers 3 behind one another and directly or indirectly fastened to the traction element.

[0017] FIG. 4 is a partial view of the apparatus 1 showing how the traction element (toothed belt 2) drives at least one support 4, as illustrated here a row of supports of narrow construction. Each support 4 carries a respective pusher 3. In this embodiment, each support 4 its own pusher 3. It is also conceivable that more than one pusher 3, for example two pushers 3, are on each support 4. It is important that each pusher 3 is designed to be longitudinally adjustable relative to the respective support 4. The flexible positioning of each pusher 3 on its support 4 (or else the spacing of two support elements 3 on their common support 4) makes it possible to set the bearing format for the plastic bags to be stacked. This means that the spacing of two pushers 3 from one another corresponds to an external dimension (such as, for example, the length or width) of the plastic bags to be stacked. The supports 2 are, as shown, of flat construction and have a rectangular design, and the upwardly directed surface carries the bags to be stacked, so that, after their manufacture, the bags are gradually laid onto the support face. This means that a first bag is laid directly flat onto the support face of the support 2, and the following bags are deposited onto the previously deposited bag until a stack of a predetermined number of bags is formed which can be removed. This preferably occurs only when the traction element has moved that support or else those supports that form the support face out of the collecting position into a removal position. The short side of the flat support (for example with an overall dimension of 30 mm, preferably at most of 20 millimeters, more preferably of less than 11 millimeters) is, for example, in a ratio of 1:3 to its long side.

[0018] FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate that the support 4 has at least one T-groove which interacts with a fastening screw and with the pusher 3. The T-groove, which extends in the direction of the longer longitudinal axis of the rectangular support face of the support 4, interacts with the fastener. Here, the head of the screw engages in the T-groove in such a way that the screw is longitudinally displaceable in the T-groove for the purpose of format setting but cannot be rotated about its own axis. The threaded shank of the screw projects up past the support face of the support 4 and extends through an opening (bore) in a foot of the pusher 3, where the foot bears flat on the support face of the support 4. A nut is screwed onto the free end of the threaded shank of the screw and tightened in order to fix the pusher 3 in its desired position on the support 4 for the purpose of format setting or loosened in order to displace the pusher relative to the support for the purpose of format changing.

[0019] The traction element, in particular the toothed belt 2, entrains the supports 4 in a suitable manner, that is to say that the supports 4 are displaced by the traction element. This occurs by a schematically illustrated drive 5.

[0020] On the basis of the preceding FIGS. 1 to 4, the following will be added with reference to FIG. 5.

[0021] FIG. 5 shows that two supports 4 arranged behind one another each have a pusher 3. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 5 of each pusher 3 on its support 4, the maximum spacing between pushers 3 is set. The spacing can be changed, in particular reduced, by changing the position of at least one pusher 3 on its support 4, but also by changing the position of both pushers 3 on their respective supports 4. With regard to FIG. 5, the spacing between the two pushers 3 can thus be reduced in that they are released in their retention with respect to the respective supports 4, moved toward one another and fixed again. Depending on the required format of the plastic bags to be stacked, it can also be conceivable that two or more than two pushers 3 can be mounted and fixed on a support 4 at a spacing which can be varied.

[0022] Should greater spacings between two pushers 3 be required, it can also be envisioned that the two supports 4 on each of which a pusher 3 is arranged have arranged between them a further support 4 without a pusher 3.

[0023] The pusher 3 is of L-shape. The one leg, which forms a foot by which the pusher 3 lies directly on the support face of the support 4, is preferably shorter than the upwardly projecting leg. Identical or reverse length ratios are also conceivable. Also shown in FIG. 5 at 6 is a holding formation, such as, for example, a rubber lip, a brush, a combination thereof or the like, that holds the stacked bags in position on the support 4 by friction. The projecting free end of a pusher 3 can be beveled (as in the case of the left-hand pusher 3 in FIG. 5) or not (as in the case of the right-hand pusher 3 in FIG. 5).

TABLE-US-00001 List of reference signs 1 Apparatus 2 Toothed belt 3 Pusher 4 Support 5 Drive 6 Holding formation