Abstract: A method and an apparatus for filling a vessel having an internal volume with particulate matter are disclosed. The method generally comprises the steps of providing a vessel having a length, width, and an internal volume, providing a supply of particulate matter, filling at least a portion of the internal volume of the vessel with the particulate matter, and repeating the aforementioned steps until the internal volume of the vessel has been filled with the desired amount of particulate matter. While the vessel is being filled with the particulate matter, the vessel also is subjected to a vibratory motion or at least one tamping motion, or the static electricity produced upon filling the vessel with the particulate matter is discharged. The apparatus generally comprises a carrier assembly, a container, and at least one of an actuating assembly, a vibrator assembly, and a static discharge assembly.

Abstract: A vacuum packer for filling valve bags employs a load cell-based scale mechanism located within the vacuum chamber. An interior packer front plate is supported from the back, inner wall of the chamber on four flexure spring check straps. The front plate is supported from a single load cell mounted on the back, interior wall of the vacuum chamber. Side bag retention plates, end retention plates and the lower bag support saddle are mounted to the packer front plate. A flexible connection is furnished between the back of the filling spout and the interior back wall of the vacuum chamber. All other required piping is made directly to the back wall of the chamber, thus removing them from the scale mechanism entirely.

Abstract: A disposable, combined strainer and pour spout integrates into one apparatus the combination of means for pouring and straining utilizing a simple device that may be readily attached to or integrated with a disposable bucket or tub for holding paints or other liquids. A pour spout member of the invention is preferably made of a simple die cut paper shape and a strainer member of the present invention is preferably a die cut triangular mesh to which a paper band is affixed at one edge. The strainer mesh is secured to the pour spout by stitching, or gluing along two sides. The band side of the strainer mesh is left free to move away from the spout as the device is rolled into a partial cylindrical or conical section when attached to the bucket. The combined assembly may be attached to a disposable bucket utilizing a pre-applied tape band, stitching, or may be built integrally into the bucket.

Abstract: A mixing system for use with paint cans and the like, the mixing system comprising a blade having, in a preferred embodiment, a prying end and a handle which can serve the additional purpose of a mallet. The remaining portion of the blade is adapted for insertion into the pocket of a disposable sleeve, preferably but not necessarily made of paper coated internally with polyethylene or other coating. Such sleeve may also be made of plastic or metal foil. The paper sleeve provides a jacket portion adapted to encircle the blade and a flat portion which may be used for a variety of purposes including calibrating the level of the paint in the can, as well as providing specially shaped edges for wiping the interior lip as well as the bottom of the paint can free of paint and for spreading materials such as putty and the like. The blade is provided with a hook designed to receive a correspondingly shaped notch or hole in the sleeve for affixing the two.

Abstract: A bag packing center accepts either open mouth bags or valve bags, particulate material to be contained in such bags and pallets upon which filled bags are to be stacked in planned layer configurations and automatically produces full pallets of filled bags stacked in such layer configurations. The packing center utilizes a novel unitary frame structure suitable for transport on a flatbed truck or rail car without any substantial disassembly to permit portability and virtually immediate operation at the user's facility without the usual specialized design, engineering and structural interface problems of the prior art. Bag placing, filling, flattening, turning, layer forming and palletizing are all accomplished automatically in a unitary, two-level integrated structure uniquely designed to occupy a minimum amount of floor space.

Abstract: A pouring apparatus for use on a liquid-carrying container such as a paint can for preventing inadvertent spillage onto the can, the apparatus having a wedge-shaped annulus for insertion into the open mouth of the can and for frictional engagement with the inner rim of the can without being supported on the top or side wall of the can. A spout member provides a pouring surface which may be either integral to or separate from but supported by the annulus. Where the pouring surface is separate, it may be made of a disposable material such as paper. Such disposable material pouring surface or spout member is preferably secured between the wedge-shaped annulus and the inner rim of the can. This is facilitated by shaping the secured portion of the spout member to conform to the wedge shape of the annulus.

Abstract: A bag placer apparatus having a number of improvements which, in combination, significantly increase the rate of placing valve bags upon a plurality of filling spouts to fill the bags with a flowable material. The apparatus comprises a pair of magazine apparatus for stacking the bags, a transfer apparatus for removing one bag at a time from the stack, a presenter apparatus for aligning the bag with the valve portion thereof in a precise location, and a picker-spouter apparatus which picks up the aligned bag, opens the valve and places it upon any one of one, two or three filling spouts. Each magazine supports a plurality of vertical stacks of horizontally positioned bags. The transfer apparatus alternatively de-stacks one bag at a time from each magazine and transfers it laterally to the presenter apparatus. The presenter apparatus includes means including a novel tilt arm for automatically transfering and registering each bag in precise position and alignment relative to the picker-spouter apparatus.

Abstract: A valve bag filling apparatus that combines an auger-type feed and an air pressure-type feed in a unitary filling system for filling valve bags with flowable particulate material at higher speed and with greater accuracy. A concentric tube configuration is used to deliver such material at high speed into the bag during a major portion of the filling cycle with both feed systems acting simultaneously. A novel cutoff tube closes an annular air feed passage during the final portion of the filling cycle when the auger feed portion of the system completes the bag filling operation at a highly accurate and readily controlled low feed rate. Air purge jets clear the air passage of remaining material during the final portion of the filling cycle. A unique fluidizing section of the apparatus aerates the product and feeds it into both the auger and air passage during high speed filling.

Abstract: An improved feed screw impeller apparatus primarily for use in an impeller bag packing system that is especially suited for filling bags with finely divided and aerated powders. The apparatus comprises an elongated cylindrical shaft having impeller blades extending radially therefrom at about the midpoint thereof and a plurality of feed screw flights of generally helical configuration, at least two such flights connected to said shaft on each side of the impeller blades in substantial coaxial alignment with the shaft. In one alternative embodiment of the invention there are four impeller blades and four helical feed screw flights, two on each side of the impeller blades and each terminating along an edge extending in substantial alignment with a different impeller blade. Another version of the novel impeller is employed in a packing machine also having a novel pre-conditioning hopper.

Abstract: A novel seal, weighing tube and filling tube for a weighing feed system spout advantageously used for simultaneously filling and weighing bags with particulate material. The seal is an annularly shaped non-resilient member installed between the exit ends of the tubes to prevent accumulation of particulate material which would otherwise adversely affect the accuracy of the weight measurement. The seal is made of a non-influencing material such as dacron, silk, cotton or the like to preclude weight measurement inaccuracy. The weighing and filling tubes are provided with unique seal retainer rings which provide for retention of the seal by means of an effective gathering such as a drawstring on the filling tube and an O-ring on the weighing tube. An optional tool is disclosed for facilitating seal installation.

Abstract: A bag placer apparatus for placing a valve bag upon a filler spout through which the bag is to be filled with a flowable material. The apparatus comprises three principal components, namely, a magazine for stacking the bags, a registration and indexing apparatus for removing one bag at a time from the stack and aligning the bag with the valve portion thereof in a precise location, and a picker-spouter apparatus which picks up the aligned bag, opens the valve and places it upon a filler spout. The picker-spouter apparatus includes an advantageous combination of clamp mechanism, suction cups, a push rod, and a second clamp mechanism which employs a pair of leaf-springs which selectively grasp and align the vertical edge of each bag below the valve thereof to further ensure proper bag alignment and valve opening.

Abstract: A bag placer apparatus for placing a valve bag upon a filler spout through which the bag is to be filled with a flowable material. The apparatus comprises three principal components, namely, a magazine for stacking the bags, a registration and indexing apparatus for removing one bag at a time from the stack and aligning the bag with the valve portion thereof in a precise location, and a picker-spouter apparatus which picks up the aligned bag, opens the valve and places it upon a filler spout. The magazine has means for supporting a plurality of vertical stacks of bags with each stack comprising a plurality of bags in horizontal position. The magazine also includes means for sensing when the last bag of a stack has been withdrawn for positioning another stack in appropriate location for being received by the registration and indexing apparatus.