Untitled record

Aug. 18, 1959

c. B. HARKER 2,899,786

BAG OPENING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINE

Filed Sept. 6, 1957

Sheets-Sheet 1

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Aug. 18, 1959

C. B. HARKER

2,899,786

BAG OPENING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINE

Filed Sept. 6, 1957

Sheets-Sheet 2

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Aug. 18, 1959 c. b. harker 2,899,786

BAG OPENING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Sept. 6, 1957 8 Sheets-Sheet 3

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,,-71

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Aug. 18, 1959

C. B. HARKER

2,899,786

BAG OPENING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINE

Filed Sept. 6, 1957

Sheets-Sheet 4

<img file="US2899786A_D0006.tif" />

Aug. 18, 1959

C. B. HARKER

2,899,786

BAG OPENING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINE

Filed Sept. 6, 1957

Sheets-Sheet 5

<img file="US2899786A_D0007.tif" />

Aug. 18, 1959 c. b. harker 2,899,786

BAG OPENING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Sept. 6, 1957 8 Sheets-Sheet 6

<img file="US2899786A_D0008.tif" />

Aug. 18, 1959 c. b. harker 2,899,786

BAG OPENING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINE

Filed Sept. 6, 1957

Sheets-Sheet 7

<img file="US2899786A_D0009.tif" />

Aug. 18, 1959

C. B. HARKER

2,899,786

BAG OPENING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINE

Filed Sept. 6, 1957

Sheets-Sheet 8

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United States Patent Office

2,899,786

Patented Aug. 18, 1959

2,899,786

BAG OPENING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINE

Charles B. Harker, Rockford, III., assignor to Bartelt Engineering Company, Rockford, Π1., a corporation of Illinois

Application September 6, 1957, Serial No. 682,476

Claims. (CI. 53—187)

This invention relates to a machine for forming, opening, filling and closing a succession of bags as the latter are advanced step by step along a predetermined path and presented successively to a plurality of stations. More particularly, the invention has reference to that portion of such a machine for separating the wall panels of a flexible plastic bag to form a mouth through which loose material such as pipe tobacco is inserted.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a new and improved mechanism for opening the bag to be filled whereby the entire mouth of the bag is held open to permit a large quantity of material to be dropped in a mass into the bag.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the foregoing character having an improved mechanism for opening and filling bags of the above described type.

A more detailed object of the invention is to open the bag mouth by using a pair of flexible plates which are bowed outwardly to separate the bag panels and hold the bag mouth open and to form a spout through which material is guided into the bag.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved machine of the above character which is capable of handling large flexible bags formed of thin unsupported plastic film material such as polyethylene film, and which supports and holds the bag in the open position for filling.

Still another object of the invention is to support the bag adjacent its open mouth as it is being filled.

A further detailed object of the invention is to open the bag mouth and support the bag adjacent its open mouth by gripping the bag panels adjacent their upper ends between flexible clamp strips and the flexible plates as the latter are bowed to form a spout.

The invention also resides in the novel construction and arrangement of the mechanisms for opening the bag and supporting the bag while holding its mouth open for filling with the loose material.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of a mechanism, embodying the novel features of the present invention, for opening and filling a polyethylene bag.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the opening mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the filling and opening mechanisms shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially in the plane of line 4—4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing one manner in which a bag is made and filled.

Fig. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing another manner in which a bag is formed and filled.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of another form of a mechanism embodying the novel features of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a plan view, with parts broken away, of the opening mechanism shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken substantially in the plane of line 9—9 in Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary section view taken substantially in the plane of line 10—10 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary section view taken substan10 tially in the plane of line 11—11 of Fig. 10, and showing the bag in position for being opened.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary view similar to that of Fig. 11 but showing the bag in an open position for being filled.

As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the invention is embodied in a machine for packaging a loose granular or powdered material, such as tobacco or com starth, in a bag 31 (see Fig. 5). The bag 31 is expandable to assume a generally square or rectangu20 lar shape when opened and filled but is formed in a flat condition by folding a single sheet to form front and back panels 32 and 33 disposed face to face and joined together along their side margins by seals 34 and along their bottom edges by a fold 35. The side seals 34 ex25 tend from a point below the upper edge of the front panel 32, which may be slightly shorter than the back panel 33, to the bottom fold 35. When the bag is opened and filled as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, with the powdered material occupying the lower portion of the bag, the top ³⁰ of the bag is closed by a seal which may be made, for example, by folding over the upper portion of the panels 32 and 33. In the present instance, the panels are folded twice to provide a comparatively airtight package.

Preferably the bags 31 are made on an automatic ma35 chine such as the one disclosed in U.S. Patent No.

2,649,674. The bags 31 are constructed from a flexible sheet material, such as metal foil coated on one side with a heat sealable thermoplastic material, such as polyethylene film, or even of such thremoplastic material above.

The coated sides of the panels 32 and 33 are disposed on the inside of the bag in face to face relation so that the seals 34 may be formed by the application of heat and pressure to the outside of the bag at areas corresponding to the areas of these seals. The heat applied is suffi45 cient to soften the thermoplastic material and the opposed areas of softened thermoplastic are fused by the pressure.

In general, the bags are formed on the machine by unwinding a sheet 45 (Figs. 5 and 6) of foil coated 50 on its upper side with the thermoplastic material from a suitable supply roll (not shown) and by folding the sheet longitudinally into two strips 47 and 48 corresponding to the front and back panels 32 and 33. The fold is made to one side of the center of the sheet 45 so that 5° the strip 47 is wider than the strip 48 to conform to the sizes of the bag panels.

After being folded, the sheet 45 is advanced step by step along a linear path through a succession of stations at which the various bag making, filling and closing ⁶⁰ operations are performed. At the first station 49 (Fig. 5), the two strips are heat sealed together transversely to form a series of bags connected at their side edges and open at the top. The cross seal 50 thus formed is _6g twice as wide as the side seals 34 so that it forms the trailing edge seal of one bag and the leading edge seal of the next bag. After the strips are sealed, the bags are separated at a cut-off station 51 and the severed bags then are opened at a station 52 and are filled with the ₇₀ material to be packaged at a station 53. Next, the material within the bag may be compacted or otherwise shaped, after which the bag top is closed, The supply roll of bag material and the various mechanisms for forming, filling and closing the bags 31 all are mounted on an elongated horizontal frame 58 (Fig. 1).

The 'leading bag is delivered by suitable feed rollers 61 to the cut-off station 51 where it is engaged by a con- 5 veybr mounted gripper 62 and severed from the strips. For this purpose, an empty gripper is opened and dwelling ^!at the station 51. Either the feed rollers push the leading edge of a bag between the jaws of a gripper or the gripper seizes the bag and pulls it to ’advance the 10 strips arid iriove the bag to the’cut-off station. While the strips and the grippers are dwelling at this station, a knife 63 swings in to cut the strips at the side seal and thus sever the bag from the strips.

After each bag is cut off, it‘is delivered by the cori- 15 veybr to the opening station 52, in advance of the filling station 53. At the station 52, the bag is partially opened before being fully opened by the'bag'opening mechanism 65 at the next station. This partial -opening Of the bag may be effected by a means such as that disclosed in ²θ U.S. Paterit No. 2,745,583. In general, such a means comprises ah elongated horizontal splitter bar '68 which is stationarily supported on foe frame 58 and which is straddled by the upper ends of the panels '32 and 33 above the seals 34 dwelling at the statical 52. The bar '68 is hollow and is formed with a plurality of orifices opening downwardly into the interior of the bag. While the bag is dwelling, a valve (not shown) which is in a line leading to the interior of the bar, is opened arid connects the bar with a suitable source of air under pressure. As a result, air is discharged into the bag and this air separates the bag panels 32 and 33. After the bag is partially opened at the station 52, it is advanced to the station 53 where, dfiring dwelling of the bag, the tipper ends of the panels 32 arid 33 are spread apart and a charge of material is deposited in the bag.

According to the present invention, the mechanism 65 for opening the bag mbuth is constructed in a novel riianher so as. to insure proper and positive separation of the bag panels to permit a large quantity of material to be introduced rapidly into the bag 31. To these ends, the mechanism includes a pair of flexible· plates 70, 71 which are straddled by the upper ends of the panels 32 arid 33 automatically^ras the bag enters'the filling station 53, which when straddled are separated and bowed to spread the panels and which extend across substantially the full width of the bag so as to separate the panels from one edge of the bag to the other. The plates 70 and 71 may be mounted so as to be lowered into the bag so that the bag panels are spread all the way to their lower ends.

Herein, the plates 70 and 71 are constructed in such a way that, when they are separated, they form a spout substantially the same size as the bag so that the material 30 may be dropped into the-bag in one large charge without danger of ’ the material falling on the outside of;the bag. This is achieved by forming the plates 70 and 71 from a resilient flexible material such as thin sheet spring steel. The plates normally are fiat and are disposed face to face as shown in Fig. 2. By pressing against the side edges of the plates so as to move one edge of each plate toward the other edge, the plates bow outwardly and form an oval spout as illustrated in Fig. 3 to guide the material into the bag.

The lower ends of the plates 70 and 71 are alined with the splitter bar 68 and are substantially level with the bottom edge of the latter so that the plates, in effect, forrii a continuation of the bar. Thus, as the bag comes to rest at the station 53, the upper end portions of the bag panels straddle the plates the same as they straddled the splitter bar. The plates are slightly narrower than the internal width of the bag, that is, the distance between the inner edges of the side seals -34. This permits the plates to be lowered into the bag before they are ⁴ .

bowed to open the bag as illustrated in Fig. 3. The lower ends of the plates may be tapered as indicated at 72 in

Fig. 1 to facilitate entry of the plates between the side seals.

To support the plates 70 and 71 for bowing, the latter are carried between the free ends of horizontal arms 73 and 74 which project in over the bag at the filling station 53. Riveted to the ends of the arms are upright brackets 75 and horizontal bars 76 project laterally toward each other from the opposing sides of the brackets adjacent the upper ends thereof. Notches 77 are out in the side edges of the plates 70 and 71 and receive the bars 76 thereby to support the plates on the arms 73 and 74.

The plates 70 and 71 are disposed oh opposite sides of vertical pins 78 which are secured to and are centrally located relative to the bars 76. Beyond the pins, the plates are bent toward each other ‘to ’project^:their edges into two'closely spaced ‘vriffical-grboves 79‘f0rriied‘ih'each of the brackets 75. Thus, tiie grooves 79 and the pins 78 hold the plates bowed slightly. When the arms 73 and 74 are moved ’relatively ’together, the plates bow further until fully open as shown. in Fig. 3. The extent of the bowing is liniited by pin’s ^:8'0 rixteiidiiig Vertically through the bars 76 and'disposed bn the outsides of the plates 70 and 71.

Relative movement’of foe arms 73 arid 74 is obtained by niouriting the arm 73 to’ sWing ^!back arid, forth about a vertical axis a (Fig. 2) defined ‘by 'ah /upright pin 81 pressed into the inner end of the arm 73 and journaled in a bearing 82. The lower end of foe pin is rigidly .connected to one end Of a horizontal lever 83 so that the pin also defines the fulcrum of the lever. The lever 83 and hence the arm 73 are turned about the axis a by a suitable cam mechanisih (riot shown). The cam mechanism causes a horizontal lever 86 (Fig. 2‘) fulcrumed.on the frame 58 to swing tip and down. The lever 86 is coririected to foe ‘leVer /83 ‘by a vertical bar 87 whose lower end is pirihed tp foe‘lever 86. The upper erid of the’bar 87’is cprinecfedfoy’a swivel jttirit 88 to one end of a horizontal 'link 89 ’whose oilier end is connected by a swivel’joint'90’to the lever 83. Dbwhward swinging of foe ieyer ’86 ’results in 'foe tipping of the bar 87 arid thus the link §9. This swings the 45 lever 83 about the axis a moving the arrii 73 toward the arm 74 arid’bowing foe’plates 70/arid 71.

Before foe ’ cant mechariisrh ’bows the /plates 70 and 71, the latter are lowered ’info foe ’bag which 'is dwelling at foe filling · station ’53. to fois ‘ entl, foe ariris 73 and 50 74 also tire/mounted ’to swing up arid down/’abbut a horitoritdl· axis’Z&gt; (Fig. 2). This axis’iiitefSects tile axis a and is defined by a ‘horizbrital ’pin 91 ‘pressed into both the bearing 82 and foe arrii 74. Ihterrii'ediate its ends, the pin 91 is ijbufrialed in’'a .’bearing /92 which is fixed 55 to the tipper end of a vertic'dl ^0st ’93 ‘upstanding from the frame 58. With this •irrangeirieht, foe plates 70 and 71, the’hfms 73 ’arid 74 -’and'foe tever 83 turn‘bodily together hboritfoe'axis b. ^!Ih afiy arigtilar position, the arrii 73still m’ay 'b'e'tutried ’abbut’the axis a, fols being 60 permitted by the swivel connections 88 and 90., The up arid down movemcrit of the arnis is obtairieti also by a suitable cam mechanism (not shown).

To summarize 'the operation of foe opening, mechanism'65, a ’partially opened 'bag 3'1 is’advanced to , and 65 comes to rest at the station 53. As the bag arrives at this station, the tipper edge ’portions of ’the panels 32 and 33 are transferred’from foe splitter bar 68 to the plates 70 and 71 so that they /now straddle the plates. When the bag is dwelling,‘the plates are dis70 posed wholly between the-inner edges of-the side’seals 34. The cam mechanism then causes’the/arms 73 and 74 to swing down lowering the plates into the bag. Next, the arm 73 is swung toward the arm 74 bowing the plates and opening foe mouth of the bag. _; With the 75 bag open and still dwelling, a fillirig'mechanism discharges

2,899,788 through a spout 95 material which drops between the bowed plates and into the bag. Finally, the arm 73 is swung back to straighten the plates and the two arms are lifted raising the plates out of the filled bag. The filling mechanism may be of any of the many types well known in the art and suitable for dispensing the particular material being packaged and is operated in the proper timed relation to the other mechanisms.

A modified form of the invention is shown in Figs. 6 through 12. In the description of this modification, reference characters similar to those used above will be employed with the distinguishing suffix “a.”

A heat sealable thermoplastic film or sheet 45« is drawn from a supply roll and the strip is doubled and sealed as described above to form a succession of pockets or bags 31«. Individual bags are severed from the continuous strip at the seals and the bag mouths are expanded to receive a supply of material. Each bag 31« is supported during the opening and filling operations on a rotary turret mechanism indicated generally as 100. The turret is indexed through a plurality of stations including a bag receiving and opening station 101, a filling station 102, a tamping and compacting station 103, and a discharge station 104, all of which stations are disposed circumferentially about the turret axis of rotation c. At the discharge station 104 the bag is released and continues to the closing and sealing mechanism.

As each bag 31« approaches the turret from the bag forming mechanism and feed rollers 61«, grippers 106 (Fig. 6) seize the bag and pull it on to the turret 100. At the receiving station 101 the bag is partially opened by a splitter bar 107 (Fig. 7) which bar also serves to guide the mouth of the bag on to the opening and supporting mechanism 108.

The mechanism 108 for opening the bag mouth and for supporting the bag on the turret 100 is constructed in a novel manner to insure the proper separation of the bag panels to permit a large quantity of material to be introduced into the bag. To this end, the mechanism 108 includes a pair of flexible plates 110 and 111 which are straddled by the upper ends of the bags panels 32« and 33« as the bag enters the receiving station 101 and which are separated by flexing or bowing to separate the bag panels.

The action of the plates in opening the bag mouth is substantially as described above and, accordingly, the plates 110 and 111 are made of thin flexible sheet metal members which are normally flat and are disposed face to face as shown in Fig. 8. By pressing against the side edges of the plates so as to move one edge of each plate toward the other edge as described above, the plates are bowed outwardly and form an oval spout to guide the material into the bag.

The plates 110 and 111 are supported for bowing between the free ends of horizontal arms 115 and 116, which are carried on the turret 100 and which project in over the bag at the receiving station 101. Secured to the ends of the arms are upright blocks 117 and 118 respectively. Notches 119 are cut out in the side edges of the plates 110 and 111 and receive bars 120 secured to the blocks 117 and 118 for supporting the plates on the arms 115 and 116. The vertical edges of the plate project into a vertical groove 121 in the face of the blocks, the lateral surfaces of the groove serving to limit the extent of the bowing of the plates.

According to another of its aspects, the invention contemplates the provision of a novel means which cooperates with the flexible plates 110 and 111 to grip the upper edge portions of the bag panels 32« and 33« automatically as an incident to the opening of the bag mouth. With such novel means, the mechanism is particularly well adapted to erect and fill bags which are formed of a thin sheet of thermoplastic material such as polyethylene. When such a material is used to form a large size bag, difficulties are encountered in supporting the bag for filling, these difficulties being due to the inherent tendency of the bag to collapse under its own weight.

This novel means comprises two flexible bands or 5 strips 112 and 113 which are disposed face to face in spaced relation and on opposite sides of the flexible plates.

The flexible bands 112 and 113 are also formed of thin flexible spring steel material and are mounted on 10 the turret parallel to and spaced from the flexible plates 110 and 111.

The spacing between each flexible strip 112 and 113 and the adjacent flexible plates 110 and 111 (Fig. 8) is sufficient to allow the upper end portions of the bag 15 panels to project between the strips and the plates when straddling the flexible plates. This spacing must be wide enough to prevent interference with the bag panels yet narrow enough to allow the plates and the strips to grip the bag panels. In this manner the bag 31« is supported 20 at the upper end of its panels 32« and 33« as the plates 110 and 111 are bowed inside of the bag mouth by the clamping action of the flexible plates 110 and 111 against the flexible bands or strips 112 and 113 respectively spaced from the plates outside of the bag panels. 25 Accordingly, the upper ends of the bag panels 32« and 33« are frictionally gripped between the bowed plates and the flexible bands and the bag mouth is held open for receiving material, as shown in Fig. 12. Supported in this position the bags are then indexed with the turret 30 to the filling, compacting and discharge stations. At the discharge station the plates are collapsed allowing the bag to drop from between the plates and the bands.

The mounting of the strips is such as to allow them sufficient freedom of movement to conform to the curved 35 shape of the bowed plates for clamping the bag as shown in Fig. 8. To this end the bands are coiled at one end around one of a pair of spaced pins 122 fixed to the turret. The other end of each band is doubled back to form a hook 123 within which is the second mounting 40 pin. The hooked portion 123 of the band thus gives lateral support to the band while affording sufficient play to allow the band to be bowed in conformity with the bowed flexible plates 110 and 111.

In the modification shown in the drawings, four sets 45 of flexible plates are provided on one turret 100 although it should be understood that any suitable number could be mounted on the turret and the index cycle adjusted accordingly. To this end, the turret 100 includes a suitable mounting plate 124 rigidly supporting one of the 50 arms 115. Relative movement of the arms 115 and 116 to bow the plates 110, 111 is obtained by mounting the other arm 116 to swing back and forth relative to the fixed arm 115. This is accomplished by a parallel linkage mechanism, which includes a pair of parallel links 55 125 and 126 pivotally mounted on the turret plate 124 and swingably joined to the arm 116. A cam follower 127 on one of the parallel links is engaged by a cam 128 to move that link back and forth to oscillate the arm 116 and bow the plates 110 and 111.

For rotating the opening mechanism the turret plate 124 is carried on a hollow shaft 129 (Fig. 7) which is formed as a sleeve surrounding a continuously rotating shaft 130. The two shafts are coupled at their upper ends by an electric clutch and brake mechanism 131. By ₆₅ alternately clutching and braking the turret shaft the turret is intermittently rotated to index the bags which it carries to the various successive stations. The hollow turret shaft 129 is journaled in a bracket 132 mounted on the frame 58 of the machine.

The plates 110 and 111 are bowed to open and support a bag by rotation of the cam 128 relative to the turret.

To this end, the cam is journaled on the hollow shaft 129 and is rotated thereon by a suitable oscillating arm 133 driven by a cam mechanism (not shown). The cam 128 is provided with an enlarged diameter portion 134 against

2.899.786 which the link follower 127 rides to flex the plates and with a reduced diameter portion 135, which allows the follower 127 to move sideways to relax the bow in the plates.

In the operation of 'opehirig a bag mouth for filling, _ the bag 31α is pulled from 'the strip 45α by the grippers 106 onto the plates 110 and 111. To guide the bag onto the plates, the splitter bar 107 is swung towards the plates and is formed with a notched end 136 which straddles the side edges of the plates and thereby pros vides a guiding surface over which the bag can travel. The splitter bar 107 is sxvingably mounted on the bracket 132 and is swung towards the flex plates by a suitable cam mechanism and cam rod 137 (Fig. 7). to the position shown in Fig. 8. When a bag 31α has been pulled onto the plates, which are collapsed or unbowed at this point, the splitter bar is swung away from the plates and the knife 63α swings towards the bag and severs it from the strip. Simultaneously with the operation of the knife 63α to cut the bag 31a free of the strip, the cam 128 is rotated 90° to swing parallel the links 125 and 126 and the arm ΪΪ6 to bow the plate's liO arid 111. This opens the bag mouth arid holds the ends of the bag panels against the flexible bands 112 arid 113 as shown in Fig. 9. The turret clutch 131 is then engaged to index the bag to the filling station 102. During the indexing movement of the bag, the parallel 'link cam follower 127 rides around the surface of the enlarged diameter portion 134 of the cam 128 and thereby holds the plates 110 and 111 bowed to grip the bag against the bands 112 and 113.

With the bag how dwelling at the filling station 102, material is discharged froin the filling mechanism into the bag. Simultaneously, another bag is being loaded on to the turret at the receiving station 101. The 'filled bag is then indexed again, by energizing the turret clutch 131, to the compacting station 103, where the sides of the bag are flattened by a pair of spaced clamping and forming plates 138. These plates are suspended for swinging movement from arms 139 swingably mounted between plates 140 secured to the turret shaft 129. On the end of the arms 139 opposite from the forming plates 138 are carried cam followers 141 erigageable by fixed cams 142.

The earns 142 are designed to swing the arms in timed (relation to the rotation of the turret so that fhe plates 138 swing in arid out towards the filled bag arid compact and form the material therein. The plates arms '139 are biased to swing the plates outwardly by suitable springs 144 and the cam and follower act against the 'force of the springs to compact the material in the bag.

From the compacting station 103, the turret is indexed to the discharge station 104. The bag remains supported at the station 104 until the cam 128 rotates to bow the flexible plates presently at the receiving station 101. As the cam 128 rotates, the follower 127 on the parallel link 126 drops onto and rides on the small diameter portion 135 of the cam 128. This allows the plates at the discharge station to relax whereupon the filled and compacted bag drops to a suitable discharge chute or conveyor. The turret mounted plates, which at this instant are bowed and supporting a bag, remain bowed inasmuch as their respective cam followers 127 ride on the large diameter portion of the cam 128.

Various sizes of bags can be accommodated by'changing the flexible plates to a larger or smaller size. To this end, means are provided for making a suitable adjustment in the distance between the arms 115 and 116. One such means entails adjustably mounting one link 125 on the turret and providing a slot Ϊ46 in arm 116 for adjustably securing that arm to the other parallel link 126.

To summarize the operation of the modified form of opening and filling mechanism, a formed and partially opened bag 31α is advanced to the receiving station Ϊ0Ϊ where, guided by a splitter bar 107, the upper ends of the side panels 32α and 33a of the bag straddle a pair of flexible plates 110 and 111 on a transfer turret 100. A cam -128 is rotated to move the ends of the flexible plates towards each other and bow the plates outwardly thereby opening the month of the bag and clamping the Upper ends of the bag panels between the plates and a pair of spaced flexible bands 112 and -113. The clamped bag is indexed by rotation of the'turret 100 to the filling station 102 where material is discharged into the bag. The filled bag is again indexed to the compacting and forming station 1’03 where a pair Of forming plates 138 square Or otherwise shape the sides of the bag. The bag is again indexed to the discharge station 104 and, as the cam Ϊ-28, is rotated to clamp a new bag at the receiving station, the filled and formed bag is released as the bow in the plates 110 and 111 supporting ft against the bands 112 and 113 is relaxed. The filled and formed bag then drops from the turret.

It will be understood that although the use of flexible bands or strrips has been described only iri connection with ₂0 the modified form of the invention, that similar bands can be employed to advantage in connection with the first described form of the invention for holding the upper edges of the side panels of the bag being processed.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my cook pending application Serial No. 465,885, filed November ²⁵ 1, 19’54.