Abstract: The present invention provides a packaging system that includes a beak-shaped hopper, a pair of opening and closing bars, and a sensor for sensing a limitless opening and closing movement of the opening and closing bars. The beak-shaped hopper and the pair of opening and closing bars are operable to move in unison back and forth along a main travel path. The main travel path leads to a rotary vacuum packaging device having a pressure resistant chamber. The beak-shaped hopper is dimensioned to convey packaging bags into the pressure resistant chamber. The opening and closing bars are dimensioned to detect a bag on the hopper by opening towards both sides immediately after a bag has been conveyed into the pressure resistant chamber. A pushing bar is dimensioned to convey an item to be packaged into the bag when the bag is detected on the hopper by the opening and closing bars. The opening and closing bars contact a sensor for detecting movement of the opening and closing bars when a bag is not on the hopper.

Abstract: A packaging system is provided which supplies an item to be packaged and a bag covering the item to a pressure resistant chamber, for a heat sealing mechanism which arrives at a certain time interval, in accordance with the circulation timing of each sealing mechanism. The packaging system includes means for causing a beak-shaped hopper and a pair of opening and closing bars, to move back and forth in unison along a main travel path leading to a rotary vacuum packaging device, means for extending and supporting the opening section of an uppermost packaging bag, and conveying same into a pressure resistant chamber of the vacuum packaging device, means for causing a waiting station to move following the conveyance movement of the beak-shaped hopper into a pressure resistant chamber, and means for opening the opening and closing bars towards either side immediately after the bag has been conveyed into the pressure resistant chamber.

Abstract: An article to be packaged and a packaging bag for covering the article are supplied to heat sealing mechanisms which arrive at uniform time intervals, in synchronism with cycle timing of the respective heat sealing mechanisms. A vertically openable beak-shaped hopper and a sliding plate perform reciprocal movement at a uniform time interval along guides on both sides, and arrive at circulating sealing platforms. The hopper is inserted into an opening of the packaging bag hanging down from above, and conveys the packaging bag to the sealing platform whilst extending the same. In response to a relevant signal, a forward-and-reverse motor coupled to a ball screw causes the article to advance following the hopper by an insertion rod moving along the guides.

Abstract: An article to be packaged and a packaging bag for covering the article are supplied to heat sealing mechanisms which arrive at uniform time intervals, in synchronism with cycle timing of the respective-heat sealing mechanisms. A vertically openable beak-shaped hopper and a sliding plate perform reciprocal movement at a uniform time interval along guides on both sides, and arrive at circulating sealing platforms. The hopper is inserted into an opening of the packaging bag hanging down from above, and conveys the packaging bag to the sealing platform whilst extending the same. In response to a relevant signal, a forward-and-reverse motor coupled to a ball screw causes the article to advance following the hopper by an insertion rod moving along the guides.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling operation of a bag-forming and -filling packing apparatus for supplying unsealed packaged articles (45) to a rotary vacuum packaging machine at regular intervals, in which the rotary vacuum packing machine is subjected to significant variations in loads. A main controller (115) for receiving pulse signals calculates modulation of the pitch of pulses from a main motor (86) of the rotary vacuum packaging machine, and control elements (94, 95, 96, 97) each attached to a corresponding one of all servo motors (20, 30, 40, 76) of the bag-forming and -filling packaging machine individually and simultaneously control the rotation value of each servo motor. This configuration can avoid step-wise control of each servo motor and reduce impacts on a rotary section and a failure rate while maintaining a slow control operation.

Abstract: The track for a pressure chamber overlaps the track for a clamper in movement while clamping a bag filled with an article, at a position beneath the latter track and with a level difference. The bag supported by the clamper is held, at its upper edge positioned right below the clamper, between the upper side of a chamber body of the pressure chamber and the upper side of a cover and in a sealed condition. The air in the bag is expelled through a notched line formed in an upper portion of the bag as the pressure within the pressure chamber is reduced, and then the bag is sealed at a position below the notched line.

Abstract: A plurality of clamps arranged in equally spaced relation on an endless track are intermittently advanced at a pitch equal to the distance of each two adjacent clamps. A switch reactive only to the passage of a sufficiently heavy or filled bag which has been filled with an article is disposed downstream of a filling station, one of the stop positions for clamps. When the passage of a bag is not responded by switch, that is, when an empty or unfilled bag has passed near the switch, the particular clamp by which the empty bag is held is caused to pass through the final stop position and, in turn, through the first stop position before it can again reach the filling station, with the empty bag being held by the clamp all the while.

Abstract: A quantity of livestock meat for food is charged into a package bag made of a heat-shrinkable plastic film of substantially tubular shape of constant overall length sufficient for packaging variable quantities of the meat, the bag having a bottom end closed by transverse heat sealing and an open top end and being thus charged in a manner to leave an unfilled part between the seal and the meat, a surplus bag part being left outside of the seal, and this surplus part just outside of the seal is transversely and partially cut for subsequent serverence of the surplus bag part from the package bag, which is then immersed in hot water for a few seconds to cause shrinkage of the bag tightly around the meat. The vacuum packaging operation is advantageously accomplished in vacuum chambers formed by a continuity of vacuum boxes mating with corresponding platform plates in a vacuum packaging apparatus.