METHOD AND MACHINE FOR QUALITY CONTROL INSPECTION OF PINCH BOTTOM AND FLAT BOTTOM BAGS

Abstract

A method and machine for visual inspection of bags for quality control, in particular providing a way to inspect pinch bottom bags and flat bottom bags continuously exiting a production line, without the need to stop or delay the production or movement of the bags.

Claims

1. A method for visually inspecting individual pinch bottom and flat bottom bags wherein a stack or multiple stacks of bags is received from a bag machine, comprising: receiving a stack or multiple stacks of bags from a bag machine; moving said stack or multiple stacks of a predetermined number of said bags on to a receiving table; moving said stack or multiple stacks of said bags to a separate machine for forming packs or bundles of said bags; moving a sample of said stack or multiple stacks of said bags in a horizontal and perpendicular direction from direction of advance onto an adjacent platform to said receiving table; visually inspecting said sample of a stack or multiple stacks of bags; returning inspected bags that pass quality requirements to a staging area so said bags are moved to said machine for forming packs or bundles of bags.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said bags are oriented horizontally in said stack.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said bags are oriented vertically in said stack.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said stack or multiple stacks of bags is moved from said receiving table to a machine for forming packs or bundles of bags through the use of a robotic arm.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said stack or stacks of bags is moved onto an adjacent platform for inspection by a separating device which moves a dual stack of bags.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said separating device comprises one or more protrusions.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said separating device does not interfere with receipt of additional stack or multiple stacks of bags moving in horizontal oriented direction of advance by being retractable.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein said movement of said stack or multiple stacks of bags to said adjacent table does not hinder or delay said advancement of subsequent stacks of bags.

9. The method of claim 1 where said stack or multiple stacks of bags on said adjacent platform to said receiving table are removed for visual inspection.

10. The method of claim 1 where visually inspected bags are moved to a machine for forming packs or bundles of bags without interfering with horizontal oriented direction of advance of another stack or stack of bags.

11. The method of claim 9 where inspected bags are placed in a drawer in a plane perpendicular to oriented direction of advance of said stack or stack of bags onto said receiving table from said bag machine.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said drawer comprises multiple holding areas.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said holding areas are adjustable to hold different size bags.

14. The method of claim 11 where movement of said stack or multiple stacks of bags from said drawer is through use of a robotic arm.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said visual inspection is done manually by a machine operator.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said moving of said stack or multiple stacks to a recovery table is done by use of a conveyor belt.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising wrapping together said stack of bags to form packs or bundles.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising removing said sample of said stack or multiple stacks of said bags if said bags are defective.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said stack of bags is inspected by a device such as a sensor.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein said method is used with other stacked items such as paper.

21. A machine for offline visual inspection of bags without disturbing bundling of bags from a bag machine comprising: a receiving table on which a stack or stacks of bags are transferred from a bag machine; an extension to said receiving table onto which said stack or stacks of bags for visual inspection are moved; a separator that moves said stack or stacks of bags from said receiving table onto said table extension; a drawer for which said visually examined bags are placed for movement onto a machine for forming packs or bundles of bags; a mechanical device for moving said bags onto a machine for forming packs or bundles of bags.

22. The machine of claim 21 wherein said mechanical device comprises a robotic arm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] FIG. 1 is a side view of the area and machinery in a standby state for inspection of bags.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a side view of the area and machinery for inspection of bags with stacks of bags received from the bag machine conveyor.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a side view of the area and machinery for inspection of bags with stacks of bags moved to receiving table by a representative set of protrusions in the receiving table for moving bags in a horizontal manner (separating device)

[0022] FIG. 4 is a side view of the area and machinery for inspection of bags with stacks of bags moved to receiving table with the separating device returned to the standby location.

[0023] FIG. 5 is a side view of the area and machinery for inspection of bags with stacks of bags received from the bag machine conveyor.

[0024] FIG. 6 is a side view of the area and machinery for inspection of bags with stacks of bags moved to receiving table by a representative set of protrusions in the receiving table for moving bags in a horizontal manner (separating device)

[0025] FIG. 7 is a top view of the open drawer in a horizontal position without bags in the staging located above the receiving area.

[0026] FIG. 8 is a top view of the open drawer in a horizontal position with inspected bags in the staging area located above the receiving table.

[0027] FIG. 9 is side view of robotic arm with stacks of bags coming from a drawer.

[0028] FIG. 10 is a side view of the of the area and machinery for bundling/packing bags.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] FIG. 1 shows quality control inspection area 10 with stacks of bags 30 (not shown) in vertical orientation received from conveyor 14 of a bag machine; separating device 16 in its starting position; robotic arm 12 for moving stacks of bags 30; receiving table 18; and drawer 20 for holding stacks of bags 30 to be moved to bundler (not shown).

[0030] FIG. 2 shows quality control inspection area 10 with stacks of bags 30 in horizontal orientation received from the conveyor 14 of the bag machine; separating device 16 in its starting position; robotic arm 12 for moving stacks of bags 30; receiving table 18; and drawer 20 for holding stacks of bags 30 to be moved to bundler (not shown).

[0031] FIG. 3 shows quality control inspection area 10 with stacks of bags 30 in horizontal orientation on receiving table 18; separating device 16 on its way back to its starting position after being advanced to push stacks of bags 30 onto receiving table 18; robotic arm 12 for moving stacks of bags 30, receiving table 18; and drawer 20 for holding stacks of bags 30 to be moved to bundler (not pictured).

[0032] FIG. 4 shows quality control inspection area 10 with stacks of bags 30 in horizontal orientation on receiving table 18; separating device 16 in starting position after being advanced to push stacks of bags 30 onto receiving table 18; robotic arm 12 for moving stacks of bags 30, receiving table 18; and drawer 20 for holding stacks of bags 30 to be moved to bundler (not pictured).

[0033] FIG. 5 shows quality control inspection area 10 with stacks of bags 30 in vertical orientation on receiving table 18; separating device 16 on its way back to its starting position after being advanced to push stacks of bags 30 onto receiving table 18; robotic arm 12 for moving stacks of bags 30, receiving table 18; and drawer 20 for holding stacks of bags 30 to be moved to bundler (not pictured).

[0034] FIG. 6 shows quality control inspection area 10 with stacks of bags 30 in vertical orientation on receiving table 18; separating device 16 in starting position after being advanced to push stacks of bags 30 onto receiving table 18; robotic arm 12 for moving stacks of bags 30, receiving table 18; and drawer 20 for holding stacks of bags 30 to be moved to bundler (not pictured).

[0035] FIG. 7 shows drawer 20 for holding bags to be moved to the bundler in the open position. Stacks of bags are placed in one or both of the holding areas 200 and 210 within the drawer. Holding areas 200 and 210 can be adjusted for length and width to accommodate different size bags (not shown).

[0036] FIG. 8 shows drawer 20 for holding bags 30 to be moved to the bundler in the open position. Stacks of bags 30 are placed in one or both of the holding areas 200 and 210 within the drawer. Once holding area is full, drawer 20 is closed and robotic arm 12 (not pictured) picks up stacks of bags 30 from each holding area 200 and 210 and moves bags 30 to bundler (not shown). Holding areas 200 and 210 can be adjusted for length and width to accommodate different size bags (not shown).

[0037] FIG. 9 shows a detailed view of robotic arm 12 used for moving stacks of bags 30 from drawer 20.

[0038] FIG. 10 shows packing/bundling area 40 with stacks of bags 30 received from the robotic arm (not pictured) in a holding area 41. A stack of bags 42 is comprised of a predetermined number of bags 30 that is advanced from the holding area 41 wherein it is wrapped by a material 43, such as paper or polyethylene to form bundles of bags 44. Bundles of bags 44 are advanced by a conveyor belt 45 to be packaged.