BAGGING MACHINE FOR FLOWABLE MATERIALS

Abstract

A bagging device adapted for filling a bag includes a hopper trolley and a hopper. The hopper trolley is configured to move in a lateral direction along the ground. The hopper is coupled to the hopper trolley for movement therewith.

Claims

1. A method comprising providing a first bag including a bottom wall, and a variable-length expansible sleeve having a first end coupled to the bottom wall of the first bag to block accumulated material from flowing out of an interior region of the variable-length expansible sleeve through the first end and a second end formed to include an inlet port that opens to the interior region; providing a bag filler including a hopper trolley configured to move in a lateral direction along the ground, and a hopper coupled to the hopper trolley for movement therewith, the hopper formed to include a bin that defines a material-storage region and a dispense nozzle coupled to the bin that defines an outlet opening in fluid communication with the material-storage region; coupling the second end of the variable-length expansible sleeve to the dispense nozzle while the first bag is in a contracted configuration associated with an empty mode of the first bag in which the interior region of the variable-length expansible sleeve of the first bag is free of material; adding a flowable material to the material-storage region of the bin to begin filling the variable-length expansible sleeve of the first bag so that the bottom of the first bag is held in a stationary position on the ground; and moving the bag filler in the lateral direction relative to and away the bottom wall of the first bag to cause the bag filler to dispense more of the material from the material-storage region of the bin under gravity through the dispensing outlet and the inlet port into the interior region of the variable-length expansible sleeve of the first bag to continue to fill the variable-length expansible sleeve of the first bag so that a length of the variable-length expansible sleeve continuously increases as the bag filler is moved in the lateral direction relative to and away from the bottom wall of the first bag until the variable-length expansible sleeve is in an expanded configuration associated with a filled mode of the first bag in which the variable-length expansible sleeve has attained a desired volume or length.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding more of the flowable material to the material-storage region of the bin after moving the bag filler in the lateral direction and moving the bag filler in the lateral direction after adding more of the flowable material to the material-storage region of the bin.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing the second end of the first bag from the dispense nozzle after the first bag has is in the expanded configuration associated with the filled mode; coupling the second end of a second bag to the dispense nozzle of the hopper; and repeating the steps of adding the material to the material-storage region of the bin and moving the bag filler in the lateral direction relative to and away the bottom wall of the second bag to cause the bag filler to dispense more of the flowable material from the material-storage region of the bin under gravity through the inlet port into the interior region of the second bag.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein adding flowable material to the material-storage region of the bin is continuous.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the bin of the hopper comprises: a pair of side walls located in spaced apart relation to each other, a rear wall that extends between and interconnects the side walls, and a flow-surface wall that extends between and interconnects the side walls, wherein the pair of side walls, the rear wall, and the flow-surface wall define the material-storage region of the bin and the flow-surface wall is spaced apart from the rear wall to define a throat opening of the material-storage region.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the flow-surface wall extends at an angle relative to the ground so that the flowable material in the material-storage region moves through the throat opening and out the outlet opening of the dispense nozzle as the bag filler is moved in the lateral direction.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the angle of the flow-surface wall is about 40 degrees.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the flow-surface wall is shaped to include an upper end, a lower end spaced apart from the upper end that defines a portion of the outlet opening, and a flow-surface wall that extends between and interconnects the upper end and the lower end, and wherein the throat opening is defined between the flow surface of the flow-surface wall and the rear wall.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the rear wall extends at an angle relative to the ground.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the angle of the rear wall is about 68 degrees.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a conveyor coupled to the hopper trolley for movement therewith and configured to transport the flowable material to the material-storage region of the bin.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the conveyor extends between and interconnects a base of the hopper trolley and a flow-surface wall of the bin included in the hopper.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the hopper trolley includes a wheeled base that extends laterally between a first end having a first wheel assembly coupled thereto and a second end having a second wheel assembly coupled thereto and a support structure arranged to extend between and interconnect the hopper to the wheeled base.

14. A bagging device adapted for filling a bag, the bagging device comprising a hopper trolley configured to move in a lateral direction along the ground, a hopper coupled to the hopper trolley for movement therewith, the hopper including a bin including a pair of side walls located in spaced apart relation to each other, a rear wall that extends between and interconnects the side walls, and a flow-surface wall that extends between and interconnects the side walls, the pair of side walls, the rear wall, and the flow-surface wall define a material-storage region configured to receive a flowable material, and the flow-surface wall spaced apart from the rear wall to define a throat opening of the material-storage region, and a dispense nozzle that extends between and interconnects the rear wall and the flow-surface wall and extends laterally from the rear wall away from the flow-surface wall to define an outlet opening between the dispense nozzle and the flow-surface wall, wherein the hopper is configured to dispense the flowable material from the material-storage region of the bin under gravity through the outlet opening of the dispense nozzle into an interior region of a bag coupled to the dispense nozzle of the hopper that is in a contracted configuration associated with an empty mode to continuously fill the bag as the bagging device is moved in the lateral direction relative to and away from a stationary end of the bag until the bag is in an expanded configuration associated with a filled mode.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the flow-surface wall extends at an angle relative to the ground.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the angle of the flow-surface wall is about 40 degrees.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the rear wall extends at an angle relative to the ground.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the angle of the rear wall is about 68 degrees.

19. The device of claim 14, wherein the flow-surface wall is shaped to include an upper end, a lower end spaced apart from the upper end that defines a portion of the outlet opening, and a flow surface that extends between and interconnects the upper end and the lower end, and wherein the throat opening is defined between the flow surface of the flow-surface wall and the rear wall.

20. The device of claim 14, further comprising a conveyor coupled to the hopper trolley for movement therewith and configured to transport the flowable material to the material-storage region of the bin.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the conveyor includes a conveyor belt that extends between and interconnects a base of the hopper trolley and the flow-surface wall of the bin included in the hopper and a motor coupled to the conveyor belt to drive movement of the conveyor belt.

22. The device of claim 14, wherein the hopper trolley includes a wheeled base that extends laterally between a first end having a first wheel assembly coupled thereto and a second end having a second wheel assembly coupled thereto and a support structure arranged to extend between and interconnect the hopper to the wheeled base.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:

[0027] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bagging device used to fill bags with a flowable material showing the bagging device includes a hopper trolley configured to move in a lateral direction as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and a hopper coupled to the hopper trolley for movement therewith to dispense the flowable material from a material-storage region of the hopper under gravity through an outlet opening into an interior region of a bag coupled to the dispense nozzle of the hopper that is in a contracted configuration associated with an empty mode;

[0028] FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the material-storage region of the flowable material has been added to the material-storage region of the hopper to begin filling a variable-length expansible sleeve of the bag so that a bottom of the bag is held in a stationary position on the ground;

[0029] FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the bagging device has been moved in the lateral direction relative to and away from the stationary end of the bag to cause the hopper to continuously fill the variable-length expansible sleeve of the bag until the bag is in an expanded configuration associated with a filled mode;

[0030] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bagging device of FIG. 1 showing the hopper includes a bin having a pair of side walls, a guide wall, and a flow-surface wall that cooperate to define the material-storage region and a dispense nozzle coupled to the bin that defines the outlet opening in fluid communication with the material-storage region;

[0031] FIG. 5A is side view of the bagging device of FIG. 2 showing the bag in the contracted configuration associated with the empty mode;

[0032] FIG. 5B is a cross-section view of the bagging device of FIG. 2 showing the flow-surface wall is spaced apart laterally from the guide wall to define a throat opening of the material-storage region, and further showing an open end of the bag is coupled to the dispense nozzle so that the interior region of the variable-length expansible sleeve is in fluid communication with the outlet opening to receive the flowable material dispensed through the throat opening from the material-storage region as the bagging device is moved in the lateral direction relative to and away from the bottom end of the bag;

[0033] FIG. 6A is a side view of the bagging device of FIG. 3 showing the bagging device has been moved in the lateral direction to cause the bag to be in the expanded configuration associated with the filled mode;

[0034] FIG. 6B is a cross-section view of the bagging device of FIG. 3 showing the flowable material has continuously filled the bag as the bagging device was moved in the lateral direction relative to and away from the bottom end of the bag;

[0035] FIG. 7 is perspective view of the bagging device of FIG. 1 showing the hopper trolley includes a wheeled base that extends laterally between a first end and a second end and a support structure arranged to extend between and interconnect the hopper to the wheeled base; and

[0036] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the bagging device of FIG. 1 showing the bagging device further includes a conveyor coupled to the hopper trolley for movement therewith and configured to transport the flowable material to the material-storage region of the bin.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] An illustrative bagging device 10 is adapted for filling a bag 12 with a flowable material 14 as shown in FIGS. 1-3. The bagging device 10 includes a hopper trolley 20 configured to move in a lateral direction, as suggested by arrow L in FIGS. 2, 5A, and 5B, along the ground and a hopper 22 coupled to the hopper trolley 20 for movement therewith. The hopper 22 moves in the lateral direction to dispense the flowable material 14 from a material-storage region 24 of the hopper 22 under gravity through an outlet opening 26 into an interior region 16 of a bag 12 coupled to the hopper 22.

[0038] Unlike other bagging equipment, the bagging device 10 includes no moving parts or components to dispense the material 14. Rather, the whole device is moved in the lateral direction to cause the flowable material 14 to be dispensed under gravity into the bag 12.

[0039] The flowable material 14 may be grain, salt, sand, gravel, or any other flowable material. These types of material may be abrasive and can cause wear or damage to the moving parts of other bagging equipment over time. However, the bagging device 10 eliminates the need for any automation or moving parts to dispense the material 14 and reduces the wear and tear on the device 10 compared to other bagging machines.

[0040] Turning again to the bag 12, the bag 12 includes a bottom 30 and a variable-length expansible sleeve 32 as shown in FIGS. 1-3. The variable-length expansible sleeve 32 is configured to expand from a contracted configuration associated with an empty mode as shown in FIG. 1 to an expanded configuration associated with a filled mode as shown in FIG. 3 as the bag 12 is filled with the flowable material 14.

[0041] The variable-length expansible sleeve 32 includes a first end 34 coupled to the bottom 30 of the bag 12 and a second end 36 configured to be coupled to the hopper 22 of the bagging device 10 as shown in FIGS. 1-3, 6, and 7. The first end 34 of the variable-length expansible sleeve 32 is coupled to the bottom 30 to block accumulated material from flowing out of the interior region 16 of the variable-length expansible sleeve 32 through the first end 34. The second end 36 is formed to include an inlet port that opens to the interior region 16.

[0042] The second end 36 of the variable-length expansible sleeve 32 is coupled to the hopper 22 in the contracted configuration associated with the empty mode in which the interior region 16 of the variable-length expansible sleeve 32 is free of material 14. The flowable material 14 is then added to the material-storage region 24 of the hopper 22 to begin filling the variable-length expansible sleeve 32 of the bag 12 so that the bottom 30 of the bag 12 is held in a stationary position on the ground.

[0043] After material 14 is added, the bagging device 10, also referred to as the bag filler 10, is moved in the lateral direction relative to and away the bottom 30 of the bag 12. This causes the hopper 22 of the bag filler 10 to dispense more of the material 14 from the material-storage region 24 of the hopper 22 under gravity through the dispensing outlet opening 26 and the inlet port into the interior region 16 of the variable-length expansible sleeve 32 of the bag 12 to continue to fill the variable-length expansible sleeve 32.

[0044] In this way, a length of the variable-length expansible sleeve 32 continuously increases as the bag filler 10 is moved in the lateral direction relative to and away from the bottom 30 of the bag 12 until the variable-length expansible sleeve 32 is in the expanded configuration associated with the filled mode in which the variable-length expansible sleeve 32 has attained a desired volume or length. The bag filler 10 allows a user to quickly and easily fill the variable-length expansible sleeve 32 of the bag 12 to the desired volume or length.

[0045] Turning again to the bagging device 10, the hopper trolley 20 includes a wheeled base 40 and a support structure 42 as shown in FIGS. 1-4. The wheeled base 40 extends laterally between a first end 44 and a second end 46. A first wheel assembly 44W on the first end 44 of the base 40 and a second wheel assembly 46W on the second end 46 of the base 40 as shown in FIGS. 2-6A. Each wheel assembly 44W, 46W includes a pair of wheels and an axle that are coupled to the corresponding end 44, 46 of the base 40 as shown in FIGS. 2-4. The support structure 42 is arranged to extend between and interconnect the hopper 22 to the wheeled base 40.

[0046] In some embodiments, the hopper trolley 20 does not include wheels. Rather, the hopper trolley 20 may slide along the ground in the lateral direction. The trolley 20 may have a sled base, a track system, or another mechanism to decrease friction so that the bagging device may move in the lateral direction.

[0047] The hopper 22 includes a bin 50 and a dispense nozzle 52 as shown in FIGS. 1-4. The bin 50 is shaped to define the material-storage region 24. The dispense nozzle 52 is coupled to the bin 50 and defines the outlet opening 26.

[0048] The bin 50 includes a pair of side walls 54, 56, a guide wall 58, and a flow-surface wall 60 as shown in FIGS. 1-4. The pair of side walls 54, 56 are located in spaced apart relation to each other. The guide wall 58 and the flow-surface wall 60 each extend between and interconnects the side walls 54, 56. The pair of side walls 54, 56, the guide wall 58, and the flow-surface wall 60 define the material-storage region 24.

[0049] The flow-surface wall 60 is spaced apart from the guide wall 58 to define a throat opening 62 of the material-storage region 24 as shown in FIGS. 5B and 6B. The dispense nozzle 52 extends between and interconnects the guide wall 58 and the flow-surface wall 60. The dispense nozzle 52 extends laterally from the guide wall 58 away from the flow-surface wall 60 to define the outlet opening 26 between the dispense nozzle 52 and the flow-surface wall 60 as shown in FIGS. 5B and 6B.

[0050] Both the guide wall 58 and the flow-surface wall 60 extend at an angle 58A, 60A as shown in FIGS. 5B and 6B. The guide wall 58 and the flow-surface wall 60 extend at angles 58A, 60A relative to the ground. In the illustrative embodiment, the angles 58A, 60A are shown in relation to a plane that is parallel to the ground as shown in FIGS. 5B and 6B.

[0051] The flow-surface wall 60 extends at a flow surface angle 60A relative to the ground so that the flowable material 14 in the material-storage region 24 moves through the throat opening 62 and out the outlet opening 26 of the dispense nozzle 52 as the bag filler 10 is moved in the lateral direction. The flow surface angle 60A is about 40 degrees in the illustrative embodiment.

[0052] In some embodiments, the flow surface angle 60A is between about 35 degrees and about 45 degrees. In some embodiments, the flow surface angle 60A is about 35 degrees. In some embodiments, the flow surface angle 60A is about 45 degrees.

[0053] The guide wall 58 extends at a guide angle 58A relative to the ground. The guide angle 58A is about 68 degrees in the illustrative embodiment. In some embodiments, the guide angle 58A is between about 60 degrees and about 70 degrees. In some embodiments, the guide angle 58A is about 60 degrees. In some embodiments, the guide angle 58A is about 70 degrees.

[0054] The guide wall 58 is shaped to include an upper end 64, a lower end 66 spaced apart from the upper end 64, and a guide surface 68 as shown in FIGS. 4-6. The lower end 66 defines a portion of the throat opening 62. The guide surface 68 extends between and interconnects the upper end 64 and the lower end 66. The dispense nozzle 52 extends laterally away from the lower end 66 of the guide wall 58 to a terminal end 70 that defines a portion of the outlet opening 26.

[0055] The flow-surface wall 60 is shaped to include an upper end 72, a lower end 74 spaced apart from the upper end 72, and a flow surface 76 as shown in FIGS. 4-6. The lower end 74 defines a portion of the outlet opening 26. In the illustrative embodiment, the lower end 74 of the flow-surface wall 60 cooperates with the terminal end 70 of the dispense nozzle 52 to define the outlet opening 26. The flow surface 76 extends between and interconnects the upper end 72 and the lower end 74. The throat opening 62 is defined between the flow surface 76 of the flow-surface wall 60 and the lower end 66 of the guide wall 58 as shown in FIGS. 5B and 6B.

[0056] In the illustrative embodiment, the upper and lower ends 72, 74 of the flow-surface wall 60 are perpendicular to the plane. In other words, the upper and lower ends 72, 74 of the flow-surface wall 60 are angle relative to the flow surface 76. The second end 36 of the variable-length expansible sleeve 32 extends around the terminal end 70 of the dispense nozzle 52 and the lower end 74 of the flow-surface wall 60 as shown in FIGS. 5B and 6B.

[0057] The support structure 42 of the wheeled base 40 is configured to engage the flow-surface wall 60 to support the hopper 22. The support structure 42 includes support rails 82 and stiffener rails 84, 86 as shown in FIGS. 5B, 6B, and 7.

[0058] A method of using the bag filler 10 to fill a plurality of bag 12 may include several steps. To begin filling the bags 12, the second end 36 of a first bag 12 is coupled to the dispense nozzle 52 while the first bag 12 is in the contracted configuration as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5A. Once the bag 12 is coupled to the dispense nozzle 52, the flowable material 14 is added to the material-storage region 24 of the bin 50 to begin filling the variable-length expansible sleeve 32 of the first bag 12 as suggested in FIG. 1.

[0059] By adding material to the material-storage region 24, the flowable material 14 flows down the flow surface 76 of the flow-surface wall 60 of the bin 50 through the throat opening 62 and the inlet port into the interior region 16 of the variable-length expansible sleeve 32. The material 14 collects at the bottom 30 of the first bag 12 so that the bottom 30 of the bag 12 is held in the stationary position on the ground by the weight of the material 14 as shown in FIG. 5A.

[0060] After the bag 12 is coupled to the dispense nozzle 52, the method includes moving the bag filler 10 in the lateral direction relative to and away the bottom 30 of the bag 12 as shown in FIGS. 2, 6A, and 6B. This causes the hopper 22 to dispense more of the material 14 from the material-storage region 24 of the bin 50 under gravity through the dispensing outlet opening 26 and the inlet port into the interior region 16 of the variable-length expansible sleeve 32 of the bag 12 to continue to fill the variable-length expansible sleeve 32.

[0061] The bag filler 10 continues to fill the variable-length expansible sleeve 32 so that the length of the variable-length expansible sleeve 32 continuously increases as the bag filler 10 is moved in the lateral direction as shown in FIGS. 2, 6A, 6B. The bag filler 10 is moved in the lateral direction until the variable-length expansible sleeve 32 is in the expanded configuration in which the variable-length expansible sleeve 32 has attained the desired volume or length.

[0062] As the bag filler 10 is moved lateral and material 14 is dispensed into the bag 12, the method may further include adding more of the flowable material 14 to the material-storage region 24 of the bin 50. This replenishes the supply of flowable material 14 in the material-storage region 24.

[0063] In some embodiments, the step of adding flowable material 14 to the material-storage region 24 of the bin 50 is continuous. The bag filler 210 may include a conveyor 228 to continuously add material 14 to the material-storage region 224 as the bag 12 is filled as shown in FIG. 8.

[0064] The second end 36 is then detached from the dispense nozzle 52 and a new bag 12 is attached to the dispense nozzle 52. The second end 36 of a new second bag 12 is coupled to the dispense nozzle 52 of the hopper 22.

[0065] The steps of adding the material 14 to the material-storage region 24 of the bin 50 and moving the bag filler 10 in the lateral direction relative to and away the bottom 30 of the second bag 12 to cause the bag filler 10 to dispense more of the flowable material 14 from the material-storage region 24 of the bin 50 under gravity through the inlet port into the interior region 16 of the second bag 12.

[0066] Another embodiment of a bagging device 210 in accordance with the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 8. The bagging device 210 is substantially similar to the bagging device 10 shown in FIGS. 1-7 and described herein. Accordingly, similar reference numbers in the 200 series indicate features that are common between the bagging device 10 and the bagging device 210. The description of the bagging device 10 is incorporated by reference to apply to the bagging device 210, except in instances when it conflicts with the specific description and the drawings of the bagging device 210.

[0067] The bagging device 210 includes a hopper trolley 220, a hopper 222, and a conveyor 228 as shown in FIG. 8. The hopper 222 is coupled to the hopper trolley 220 for movement therewith to dispense the flowable material 14 from a material-storage region 224 of the hopper 222 under gravity through an outlet opening 226. The conveyor 228 is coupled to the hopper trolley 220 for movement therewith and configured to transport the flowable material 14 to the material-storage region 224 of the bin 250.

[0068] The conveyor 228 extends between and interconnects a base 240 of the hopper trolley 220 and a flow-surface wall 260 of the bin 250 included in the hopper 222. The conveyor 228 includes a conveyor belt 290 and a motor 292. The conveyor belt 290 extends between and interconnects the base 240 of the hopper trolley 220 and the flow-surface wall 260 of the bin 250 included in the hopper 222. The motor 292 is coupled to the conveyor belt 290 to drive movement of the conveyor belt 290 to add the flowable material 14 to the material-storage region 224.

[0069] The hopper trolley 220 includes the wheeled base 240 and a support structure 242 as shown in FIG. 8. The support structure 242 is arranged to extend between and interconnect the hopper 222 to the wheeled base 240.

[0070] The hopper 222 includes the bin 250 and a dispense nozzle 252 as shown in FIG. 8. The bin 250 is shaped to define the material-storage region 224. The dispense nozzle 252 is coupled to the bin 250 and defines the outlet opening 226.

[0071] The bin 250 includes a pair of side walls 254, 256, a guide wall 258, and a flow-surface wall 260 as shown in FIG. 8. The pair of side walls 254, 256 are located in spaced apart relation to each other. The guide wall 258 and the flow-surface wall 260 each extend between and interconnects the side walls 254, 256. The pair of side walls 254, 256, the guide wall 258, and the flow-surface wall 260 define the material-storage region 224.

[0072] As used herein, the term about refers to the cited value being within the errors arising from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements, and if those errors cannot be determined, then about may refer to, for example, within 5%. 4%. 3%. 2%, or 1% of the cited value.