DEVICE AND METHOD FOR TRANSPORTING READY-CUT AND FILLED HOSE PIECES

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for transporting ready-cut and filled hose pieces within a machine for producing bags filled with brewable material, having at least one transport wheel which includes, distributed over its circumference, a plurality of holders each holding the bag, wherein an insertion station in which one of said hose pieces is inserted into said holder in a radial direction to form a bag with at least one chamber between a head and a bottom of said bag, a label feeding station in which a label is fed to said head, a connecting station, in which a thread is connected to the label and/or the bag, and a removing station, in which the bag is removed from the transport wheel, are provided distributed in the circumferential direction around the transport wheel.

Claims

1. A device for transporting ready-cut and filled hose pieces within a machine for producing a bag filled with brewable material, having at least one transport wheel (100) which comprises, distributed over its circumference, a plurality of holders (104) each holding the bag (6), wherein an insertion station (102) in which one of said hose pieces is inserted into a holder (104) of the plurality of holders in a radial direction to form the bag (6) with at least one chamber between a head (7) and a bottom (9) of said bag (6), a label feeding station (112) in which a label (10) is fed to said head (7), a connecting station (114), in which a thread (8) is connected to the label (10) and/or the bag (6), and a removing station (118), in which the bag (6) is removed from the transport wheel (100), are provided distributed in a circumferential direction around the transport wheel (100), characterized in that each holder (104) of the plurality of holders has associated therewith a thread channel (208) connectable to a source of vacuum and a source of overpressure and adapted to receive the thread (8) connected to the bag (6).

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the thread channel (208) has a thread opening (212) for introducing the thread (8) and an opposite air guide opening (202), which can be brought into operative connection with a vacuum opening (196) or an overpressure opening (199) as a result of a rotation of the transport wheel (100).

3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the air guide opening (202) is recessed on a surface extending radially with respect to an axis of rotation (D) of the transport wheel (100) and in that, in operative connection, the vacuum opening (198) or the overpressure opening (199) is provided opposite the air guide opening (202).

4. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that the vacuum opening is formed as an elongated open channel (198) and that the air guide opening (202) is in operative connection with the channel (198) in the course of the rotation of the transport wheel (100) from the insertion station (102) upstream of the connecting station (114).

5. The device according to one claim 1, characterized in that the thread channel (208) in the connecting station (114) is in operative connection with an overpressure opening (198), and in that the connecting station (114) has a thread guide (222) which is to be arranged opposite a thread opening (212) of the thread channel (208) with interposition of the label (10) and which deflects the thread (8) blown out of the thread channel (208) in a direction of the label (10).

6. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the transport wheel (100) comprises a bore (154) for each holder (104) of the plurality of holders, in which an axle body (150) carrying the holder (104) is mounted so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis (S), in that a guide (184, 192; 174, 194) is provided which imprints on the holder (104) an orientation with respect to the pivot axis (S) during a rotation of the transport wheel (100), so that an air guide opening (204), arranged eccentrically with respect to the pivot axis (S), of the thread channel (208) in the insertion station (102) is in operative connection with a vacuum opening (198) and in the connecting station (114) with an overpressure opening (199).

7. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that the axle body (150) is connected to at least one guide arm (178) extending transversely to the pivot axis (S) of the axle body (150), a free end of which is guided in the guide (184, 192; 174, 194).

8. A device for transporting ready-cut and filled hose pieces within a machine for producing a bag filled with brewable material, having at least one transport wheel (100) which comprises, distributed over its circumference, a plurality of holders (104) each holding the bag (6), wherein an insertion station (102) in which one of said hose pieces is inserted into a holder (104) of the plurality of holders in a radial direction to form the bag (6) with at least one chamber between a head (7) and a bottom (9) of said bag (6), a label feeding station (112) in which a label (10) is fed to said head (7), a connecting station (114), in which a thread (8) is connected to the label (10) and/or the bag (6), and a removing station (118), in which the bag (6) is removed from the transport wheel (100), are provided distributed in a circumferential direction around the transport wheel (100), characterized in that the transport wheel (100) comprises a bore (154) for each holder (104), in which an axle body (150) carrying the holder (104) is mounted so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis (S), in that a guide (184, 192; 174, 194) is provided which imprints on the holder (104) an orientation with respect to the pivot axis (S) during the rotation of the transport wheel (100), so that an air guide opening (204), arranged eccentrically with respect to the pivot axis (S), of a thread channel (208) in the insertion station (102) is in operative connection with a vacuum opening (198) and in the connecting station (114) with an overpressure opening (199).

9. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that each holder (104) of the plurality of holders has associated therewith the thread channel (208) connectable to a source of vacuum and a source of overpressure and adapted to receive the thread (8) connected to the bag (6).

10. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that the thread channel (208) has a thread opening (212) for introducing the thread (8) and an opposite air guide opening (202), which can be brought into operative connection with a vacuum opening (196) or the overpressure opening (199) as a result of the rotation of the transport wheel (100).

11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that the air guide opening (202) is recessed on a surface extending radially with respect to an axis of rotation (D) of the transport wheel (100) and in that, in operative connection, the vacuum opening (198) or the overpressure opening (199) is provided opposite the air guide opening (202).

12. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that the vacuum opening is formed as an elongated open channel (198) and that the air guide opening (202) is in operative connection with the channel (198) in the course of the rotation of the transport wheel (100) from the insertion station (102) upstream of the connecting station (114).

13. The device according to one claim 12, characterized in that the thread channel (208) in the connecting station (114) is in operative connection with the overpressure opening (198), and in that the connecting station (114) has a thread guide (222) which is to be arranged opposite the thread opening (212) of the thread channel (208) with interposition of the label (10) and which deflects the thread (8) blown out of the thread channel (208) in a direction of the label (10).

14. The device according to claim 13, characterized in that the axle body (150) is connected to at least one guide arm (178) extending transversely to the pivot axis (S) of the axle body (150), a free end of which is guided in the guide (184, 192; 174, 194).

15. A holder (104) for holding a bag (6) filled with brewable material in the scope of attaching a label to the bag (6) via a thread (8) to be connected to the label (10) and the bag (6), characterized in that the holder (104) comprises a thread channel (208) connectable to a pressure source and adapted to receive a thread (8) connected to the bag (6).

16. A method for transporting ready-cut and filled hose pieces within a machine for producing bags (6) filled with brewable material with a transport wheel (100), in which a hose piece is inserted in a radial direction into a holder (104) of the transport wheel (100) in an insertion station (102) to form a bag (6) with at least one chamber between a head (7) and a bottom (9) of the bag (6), and the bag (6) is removed from the transport wheel (100) in a removing station (118), wherein between the insertion station (102) and the removing station (118) a label (10) is fed to the transport wheel (100), which is connected to the bag by a thread (8), characterized in that the thread (8) is accommodated in a thread channel (208) prior to connecting for temporary accommodation during rotation of the transport wheel (100) and is blown out of the thread channel (208) for connecting to the label (10).

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that the thread (8) attached to the hose piece is sucked into the thread channel (208) in the insertion station (102) and is blown out of the thread channel (208) to knot the label (10).

18. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that the hose piece is inserted into the transport wheel (100) with the thread (8) attached to the hose piece.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Further details and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of an embodiment in connection with the drawing. Therein:

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a packaging unit which can be produced with the aid of the device according to the invention, consisting of a bag with label and thread and an envelope;

[0028] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the transport wheel according to the embodiment with various stations arranged circumferentially around the transport wheel;

[0029] FIG. 3 shows a side view of the transport wheel according to FIG. 2 without the illustration of the components of the individual stations;

[0030] FIG. 4 shows a perspective side view of an embodiment of a holder of the embodiment according to FIGS. 2 and 3 in a position approaching the open position;

[0031] FIG. 5 shows a front view of the component according to FIG. 4;

[0032] FIG. 6 shows a side view of the component according to FIGS. 4 and 5;

[0033] FIG. 7 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the component according to FIGS. 4 to 6;

[0034] FIG. 8 shows an illustration according to FIG. 4 in the closed position;

[0035] FIG. 9 shows an illustration according to FIG. 5 in the closed position;

[0036] FIG. 10 shows an illustration according to FIG. 6 in the closed position;

[0037] FIG. 11 shows an illustration according to FIG. 8 in the closed position;

[0038] FIG. 12 shows a longitudinal sectional view along line XIII-XIII as shown in FIG. 2;

[0039] FIG. 13 shows a top view of the guide disc of the embodiment;

[0040] FIG. 14 shows a sectional view of holders provided on the circumference of the transport wheel;

[0041] FIG. 15 shows an enlarged detail XIV as shown in FIG. 14;

[0042] FIG. 16 shows details of the connecting station for knotting the label, wherein the air knot block 164 is shown pivoted from its actual position for display reasons, and

[0043] FIG. 17 shows an illustration according to FIG. 16 with a label applied against the counter plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a packaging unit characterized by reference sign 2, consisting of an envelope 4 in which a bag 6 with a thread 8 attached to a head 7 of the bag 6 and a label 10 arranged on the head 7 and thus opposite a bottom 9 of the bag 6 configured as a double-chamber bag are accommodated. The thread 8 is thereby on the one hand knotted to the label 10 and on the other hand passed through a slit 12 of the label 10 and accordingly secured to the label 10. The content of the envelope is produced in this way at the transport wheel described below.

[0045] The envelope 4 comprises an elongated piece of aroma-tight film folded over a fold 14 to form two abutting legs 16, and sealed over two parallel longitudinal welds 18 and a transverse weld 20.

[0046] The completion of the bag 6 accommodated in the envelope 4 together with the label 10 takes place at the transport wheel described below with reference to FIG. 2 et seq., which is characterized in the Figures by reference sign 100. In the views according to FIGS. 2 and 3, the transport wheel 100 rotates counterclockwise. This direction of rotation corresponds to the transport direction T. Circumferentially around the transport wheel 100, various stations are provided in which the bag 6 or the thread 8 or the label 10 is acted upon. At reference sign 102, an insertion station is provided in which the bag 6 is inserted into the transport wheel 100 together with the thread 8 already attached thereto. For this purpose, the transport wheel 100 has a holder 104 detailed in FIGS. 3 to 7, which comprises a receptacle in the form of a holding shaft 106 receiving the bag 6, with which a bag clamp 108 is associated, which fixes the bag 6 in the holder 104.

[0047] As FIG. 2 illustrates, the holding shaft 106 in the insertion station 102 is aligned in a strictly radial manner so that the bag 6 with one end of the thread 8 attached thereto can be inserted into the holding shaft 106 by plugging it radially into the holder 104.

[0048] In FIG. 2, an arcuate insertion segment 110 can be seen, which is moved alternately to insert a piece of tube into the respective holder 104 as part of the formation of the bag 6, forming at least one chamber of the bag. During this process, the rotation of the transport wheel 100 is interrupted in each case. Accordingly, the transport wheel 100 is cyclically driven in rotation in the course of further processing of the bag 6, wherein the transport wheel 100 is stationary during the respective processing steps.

[0049] Adjacent to the insertion station 102 in the transport direction T, there is a label feeding station 112 in which a cut-to-size label 10 provided with a slot and holes for the thread 8 to pass through is fed to the head 7 of the bag 6. In this case, the holder 104 has a radial alignment unchanged with respect to the orientation in the insertion station 102. The same applies to a connecting station 114 following in transport direction T, in which in the embodiment the thread 8 is knotted to the label 10.

[0050] Following the connecting station 114, the holder 104 is pivoted so that this holder 104 is pivoted by 90° in the thread-securing station 116 characterized by reference sign 116 and accordingly extends tangentially relative to an axis of rotation D of the transport wheel 100. In this thread securing station 116, the thread 8 is inserted into the slot 12 of the label 10. In this way, the thread 8 is associated with the label 10 and thereafter with the bag 6 in order to prevent the thread from penetrating the sealing of the edges of the envelope material during the subsequent wrapping of the bag or even from catching on parts of the device during the further handling of the bag 4 together with the label 10 and the thread 8.

[0051] Reference sign 118 characterizes a removing station. In this removing station 118, the bag 6 is rotated by 180° relative to its alignment in the insertion station 102. While the bag 6 is inserted in the insertion station 102 with its bottom 9 forward into the holder 104, the bag 6 is pushed out with its bottom 9 forward when the bag 6 is pushed out radially in the removing station 118.

[0052] Between the removing station 118 and the inserting station 102, downstream in the transport direction of the removing station 118, there is a pivoting station 120 in which the holder 104 is pivoted by 180° so that it is appropriately aligned for receiving a new bag 6 in the insertion station 102.

[0053] As can be seen in FIG. 3, the bag 6 is gripped in the holder 104 in the removing station by a bag handling device 122 and pulled radially out of the holder 104. For this purpose, the bag handling device 122 has leading and trailing arms 124 which clamp the bag in the region of the bottom 9 and pull it radially out of the holder 104 (see FIG. 2). These arms 124 are preceded by leading and trailing arms 126 of a wrapping material handling device 128 shown in FIG. 2, which grip the wrapping material guided tangentially over a wrapping material guide 130 past the transport wheel 100 to form the fold 14 and convey it radially out (cf. FIG. 2).

[0054] In FIG. 3, in addition to the transport wheel 100, a sealing transport wheel 132 of a sealing station is shown, which receives the envelope 4 together with the bag 6, the thread 8 and the label 10, wherein the material of the envelope 4 is already provided with the fold 14 and the transverse edge opposite the fold 14 as well as the two longitudinal edges are welded by a welding device, which is substantially opposite the transport wheel 100 with respect to the axis of rotation D of the sealing transport wheel 132, and accordingly the bag 6 is sealed in an aroma-tight manner together with the label 10 and the thread 8.

[0055] FIGS. 2 and 3 show radially inwardly a stationary inner opener cam 134 which pivots the bag clamp 108 to the open position for insertion of the bag 6 at the insertion station 102. At the removing station 118, an outer opener cam 136 is shown which also does not rotate with the transport wheel 100 and which is attached to a pivotally operable lever and lifts the bag clamp 108 off the bag 6 for removing the bag in the removing station 118.

[0056] FIGS. 4 to 11 show details of the holder 104.

[0057] Each holder 104 has an axle body 150 which is freely rotatably held on the transport wheel 100 by a ball bearing 152 which is inserted in a bore 154 (cf. FIG. 3) of the transport wheel 100 and is mounted there. The holding shaft 106 is located at the free end of the axle body 150. The bag clamp 108 is pivotally mounted in this holding shaft 106. Reference sign 156 characterizes a pivot axis for the pivoting movement of the bag clamp 108. The bag clamp 108 is non-rotatably connected to an actuating sleeve 158, which is held biased relative to the axle body 150 by a clamp spring 160. Non-rotatably connected to the actuating sleeve 158, a holder 162 is provided which carries at its free end an air knot block 164 which partially overhangs the opening of the holding shaft 106 and, in any event, is partially displaced in FIG. 6. In the closed position shown in FIG. 6, a hold-down spring 166 can be seen cooperating with the free end of the bag clamp 108 to hold it biased against the bag 6. In the open position, this hold-down spring 166 is located within a receiving cylinder 168. In the open position, the bag clamp 108 abuts the upper wall of the holding shaft 106 in FIG. 4. Opposite thereto, the opening of the holding shaft 106 is projected by outwardly inclined funnel-shaped guide projections 170.

[0058] An actuating arm 172, which is firmly connected to the actuating sleeve 158, projects radially from the actuating sleeve 158 and is provided with a cam follower 174 at its free end. This cam follower 74 interacts with the guide surfaces of the inner and outer opener cams 134, 136. This causes the bag clamp to pivot into the open position against the force of the clamp spring 160 and the hold-down spring 166. If there is no interaction between the cam follower 174 and the cam contour of the opener cam 134 or 136, the bag clamp 108 pivots into the closed position shown in FIG. 6. One end of the clamp spring 160 is supported on the actuating arm 172 (cf. FIGS. 5, 7).

[0059] At the end of the axle body 150 opposite the holding shaft 106, two guide arms 176, 178 are provided which extend radially with respect to the central longitudinal axis of the axle body 150 and are projected in the axial direction by guide pins 180, 182, which each carry cam followers 184. The guide pin 182 has a greater axial extension than the guide pin 180.

[0060] Each guide pin 180, 182 engages in a respective guide groove which is recessed on a guide disc provided stationarily behind the transport wheel 100 in the top view according to FIGS. 2 and 3. Details of the guide disc and the grooves recessed there are shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 and described in detail below. The guide groove assigned to guide pin 182 is deeper than the guide groove assigned to guide pin 180. The grooves cross each other. They accommodate the cam followers 184 of the two guide pins 180, 182 with little play. Like the cam follower 174, the cam follower 184 also has a freely rotatable ring surface which is guided in the respective guide groove and can be brought into contact with the side walls of the groove with little friction.

[0061] Due to the rotatable mounting of the axle body 150 via the ball bearing 152 with respect to the rotating transport wheel 100 and the two guide pins 180, 182 provided eccentrically with respect to the pivot axis of the holder 104, which is formed by the central longitudinal axis of the axle body 150, the pivoting movement of the holder 104 in the context of the rotational movement of the transport wheel 100 relative to the stationary guide disc can be generated and precisely specified.

[0062] The configuration with two guide pins 180, 182 permits close and precise positive guidance of the pivoting movement of the holder 104. As the top view according to FIGS. 2 and 3 conveys, a total of six stations are provided in the circumferential direction of the transport wheel 100. Accordingly, the individual holders 104 are provided offset from each other by 60° in the circumferential direction. In this case, the holder 104 can be pivoted by 180° on a transport path of 120° or by exactly 90° on a transport path corresponding to 60°.

[0063] In the embodiment, the rotational movement of the transport wheel 100, together with the cyclic movement of the inner opener cam 134, induces the opening and closing of the bag clamp 108 in the region of the insertion station 102. In the removing station 118, the opening and closing of the bag clamp 108 is effected by pivoting the outer opener cam 136 while the transport wheel 100 is stationary. As shown in FIG. 3, the bag clamp 108 is applied to the bag 6. However, the holder 162 is held at a central position. The relative movement between the bag clamp 108 and the holder 162 is caused by the hold-down spring 166. In the label feeding station 112, the bag clamp 108 is applied to the bag 6. Meanwhile, the holder 162 is held at a central position so that the endlessly fed material forming the label 10 can be cut off in the area of the label feeding station 112 without colliding with the holder 162. The inner opener cam 134 is pivoted relative to the transport wheel 100 when it is stationary. However, it is also pivoted against its direction of rotation when the transport wheel 100 is rotating.

[0064] Opening of the bag clamp 108 is effected via a cam 186 and abutment of this cam 186 against a free lever arm 188. The cam 186 is formed by a disc which is mounted pivotally about a pivot axis 189 via a ball bearing. Accordingly, actuation of the bag clamp 108 results from pivoting of the actuating sleeve 158 caused by the opener cams 134, 136.

[0065] The label 10 fed into the label feeding station 112 is applied against the outer surface of the air knot block 164 in a manner to be detailed below.

[0066] FIGS. 12 and 13 show details of a guide disc 190 in which two circumferential recessed guide grooves of different depths are provided, wherein reference sign 192 characterizes the deeper guide groove associated with the cam follower 184, while reference sign 194 characterizes a less deeply recessed guide groove in which the cam follower 174 is received and guided. Obviously, the guide grooves 192, 194 intersect to guide the pivoting movement of the holder about the pivot axis S such that the bag 6 can be inserted with the bottom 9 facing forward in the insertion station 102 and removed with the bottom 9 facing forward after pivoting 180° in the removing station 118. The guide disc 190 is cut out over a circumferential segment and has a retaining bend 195 which supports a suction channel segment 196 which is connected via suction hoses 197 to a vacuum source not shown, for example a suction pump, so that a vacuum acts permanently within a suction channel characterized by 198 to draw off air in the direction of the suction channel 198. The suction channel 198 is ring-segment shaped and has a constant radius relative to the axis of rotation D of the transport wheel 100. The suction channel 198 is divided into two parts and is pressurized by two separate suction hoses 197 so that a constant vacuum can be maintained with high accuracy over the circumferential extent of the suction channel 198. In the transport direction T downstream of the suction channel 198 is a blow opening 199, which is recessed in the suction channel segment 198 and communicates with an overpressure source via a blow hose 200.

[0067] The suction channel 198 is formed between the insertion station 102 up to shortly in front of the connecting station 114. The blow opening 199 is located at the level of the connecting station 114.

[0068] As FIG. 12 illustrates, the transport wheel 100 peripherally covers the suction channel segment 196 and forms an air guide opening 202 that communicates with an inlet opening 204 recessed around the outer periphery of the holder 104 via non-detailed air channels within the transport wheel 100 (see FIGS. 7, 11). As can be seen in particular from FIGS. 4 and 7 and FIGS. 8 and 11, a plurality of inlet openings 204 are provided on the periphery of the axle body 150, which has a central bore 206 that communicates with radial bores 207 that communicate, at the level of the actuating sleeve 158, with a thread channel 208 recessed inside the holder 162 and formed on its last portion up to the air knot block 164 in a hose 205. As illustrated in particular by FIGS. 7 and 11, the actuating sleeve 158 is pivotally mounted relative to the axle body 150 via rolling bearings 209 and sealed with respect to the actuating sleeve 158 for lossless air flow. Similarly, the inlet openings 204 are surrounded by roller bearings shown here in FIG. 12, which serve to pivotally mount the holder 104 relative to the transport wheel 100.

[0069] FIGS. 12 and 13 show the alignment of the holder 104 relative to the pivot axis S in both the insertion station 102 and the connecting station 114, adjusted by the interaction of the respective cam followers 174, 184 with the corresponding guide grooves 192, 194. In this context, the holding shaft 106 extends strictly radially with respect to the axis of rotation D.

[0070] FIGS. 4 and 16 respectively illustrate the configurations provided for guiding the thread during knotting.

[0071] FIG. 16 illustrates the air knot block 164 forming a thread opening 212 formed with a longitudinal slit 210 extending downwardly and communicating with the thread channel 208, and a deflection trough 214. On the opposite side, a counter plate 220 shown in FIGS. 15 to 17 is provided, which has a deflection trough 222 and a suction opening 224 that is connected via a suction hose 226 to a vacuum source for sucking air. The counter plate 220 is further associated with a plunger 228, which is located in the line path between the suction hose 226 and the suction opening 224 and can be fed in the direction of the line path (cf. FIG. 16).

[0072] In the insertion station, the pressure opening 206 is in operative connection with the suction channel 198 as an overpressure opening. Accordingly, a hose piece provided with the thread 8, which receives the tea dose of the filled bag therein, is not only introduced into the holding shaft 106 while forming the bottom 9 and the head 7 in the radial direction of the transport wheel 100. Rather, the thread 8 attached to the head 7 is also drawn into the thread channel 208 by the acting vacuum and through the thread opening 212. This holds the thread 8 in a predetermined position. There is no risk of the thread 8 getting caught on parts of the device during further processing of the bag 6. Due to the sustained suction pressure, the thread 8 is still in the thread channel 208 at the level of the label feeding station 112.

[0073] As FIG. 15 illustrates, the label 10 fed in this way is pivoted in the direction of the air knot block 164 by pivoting the counter plate 220. In the process, the label, which is initially flat, is deflected at its front region. The thread 8 connected to the head 7 is located in the longitudinal slot of the thread opening 212, so that the label 10 is clamped over its entire surface between the air knot block 164 and the counter plate 220.

[0074] As can be readily imagined with reference to FIG. 17, in which the air knot block 164 is pivoted away from the label 10 for display purposes, the thread 8 blown out of the thread channel 208 is blown out through the thread opening 212 and through the first through hole 11a of the label 10. In the counter plate 220, the thread 8 is guided in the deflection trough 222 around the suction opening 224 and beyond the plane of the label 10, where it is transferred to the deflection trough 214 of the air knot block 164 on the side opposite the label 10. The thread 8 is returned inwardly and level with the thread opening 212 within the air knot block 164 and the deflecting trough 214 provided therein, and is passed through the second through hole 11b and from there through the suction opening 242. The free end of the thread 8 is then located within the line path between the suction opening 224 and the suction hose 226. The plunger 228 is then actuated to clamp the thread there. Thereafter, the counter plate 220 is pivoted away from the transport wheel 100. As the counter plate 220 is moved further away from the air knot block 164, the thread 8 is pulled tighter around the label 10, thereby tightening the knot.

[0075] Thereafter, the thread 8 is connected to the label 10 by means of a knot. A cutting knife 230 of a cutting device 232 provided in the connecting station 114 cuts off an end piece of the thread 8 projecting from the label 10 so that it ends substantially flush with the knot. The cut piece of thread is thereby captured via the suction opening 224 and conveyed out through the suction hose 226.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0076] 2 packaging unit [0077] 4 envelope [0078] 6 bag [0079] 7 head [0080] 8 thread [0081] 9 bottom [0082] 10 label [0083] 11a first through hole [0084] 11b second through hole [0085] 12 slit [0086] 14 fold [0087] 16 leg [0088] 18 longitudinal weld [0089] 20 transverse weld [0090] 100 transport wheel [0091] 102 insertion station [0092] 104 holder [0093] 106 holding shaft [0094] 108 bag clamp [0095] 110 insertion segment [0096] 112 label feeding station [0097] 114 connecting station [0098] 116 thread securing station [0099] 118 removing station [0100] 120 pivoting station [0101] 122 bag handling device [0102] 124 arms [0103] 126 arms [0104] 128 wrapping material handling device [0105] 130 wrapping material guide [0106] 132 sealing transport wheel [0107] 134 inner opener cam [0108] 136 outer opener cam [0109] 150 axle body [0110] 152 ball bearing [0111] 154 bore [0112] 156 pivot axis of the bag clamp [0113] 158 actuating sleeve [0114] 160 clamp spring [0115] 162 holder [0116] 164 air knot block [0117] 166 hold-down spring [0118] 168 receiving cylinder [0119] 170 guide projections [0120] 172 actuating arm [0121] 174 cam follower [0122] 176 guide arm [0123] 178 guide arm [0124] 180 guide pin [0125] 182 guide pin [0126] 184 cam follower [0127] 186 cam [0128] 188 free lever arm [0129] 189 pivot axis [0130] 190 guide disc [0131] 192 guide groove to cam follower 184 [0132] 194 guide groove to cam follower 174 [0133] 195 retaining bend [0134] 196 suction channel segment [0135] 197 suction hose [0136] 198 suction channel [0137] 199 blow opening [0138] 200 blow hose [0139] 202 air guide opening [0140] 204 inlet opening [0141] 205 hose [0142] 206 bore [0143] 207 radial bore [0144] 208 thread channel [0145] 209 rolling bearing [0146] 210 longitudinal slit [0147] 212 thread opening [0148] 214 deflection trough [0149] 220 counter plate [0150] 222 deflection trough [0151] 224 suction opening [0152] 226 suction hose [0153] 228 plunger [0154] 230 cutting knife [0155] 232 cutting device [0156] D axis of rotation [0157] T transport direction [0158] S pivot axis