Abstract: An apparatus for supplying spout attachment bags including a first transfer device for transferring a spout attachment bag in a horizontal orientation, a positioning device for receiving and horizontally positioning the spout attachment bag transferred from the first transfer device, a second transfer device for transferring upward the spout attachment bag positioned by the positioning device and changing the spout attachment bag from the horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation so that the spout attachment opening faces upward and is horizontal, and a detection device. The position of the spout attachment opening on the positioning device is detected by the detection device and is compared to a preset reference position, so that any amount of deviation between the two positions is corrected, thus keeping the height positions of the spout attachment openings of the spout attachment bags changed to a vertical orientation steady.

Abstract: To exhaust a holding rail that has been emptied by a simple mechanism after pushing a plurality of spout-equipped bags from the holding rail to a transfer rail. An elongated-shape holding rail 14 aligning and holding many spout-equipped bags W in a straight line is moved to transfer positions c1 to c4 by a rail supply part 80. The conveyed holding rail 14 is held by a retention mechanism 3 in a state of being opposite to a transfer rail 60. A pushing member 52 reciprocates in a longitudinal direction of the holding rail 14 by having a bag conveying face 52b3, which contacts on the spout-equipped bag hung from the holding rail 14 and pushes the spout-equipped bag toward the transfer rail 60, and a rail pushing face 52b2, which contacts on the holding rail 14 and exhausts opposite the transfer rail 60.

Abstract: A supply apparatus for spout-equipped bags conveys in parallel spout-equipped bags to a multiplex packing machine by changing intervals. An elongated-shape holding rail 14 aligning and holding many spout-equipped bags W in a straight line supplies the spout-equipped bags W to taking-out or removal positions c1a, c1b sequentially in a state where they are disposed at an interval P1 in a front-back direction a1 by an intermittently conveying part 1. An interval change conveying part 2 receives a plurality of holding rails 14 supplied to the taking-out or removal positions c1a, c1b and moves them to a pushing mechanism 4 by changing the interval P1 among the holding rails 14 to an interval P2. The interval change conveying part 2 includes a plurality of conveying members 20, 21 and an interval change mechanism part 23. The interval change mechanism part 23 changes an interval between the conveying members 20, 21 from the interval P1 to the interval P2 while the conveying members 20, 21 are moving.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for packaging a bag (1) in which a gas channel (5) where the laminated films constituting the front and back faces of the bag are not fused is formed inside a sealed part (2) of the side edge, with the lower end of the gas channel opening (through a communicating portion (5b)) into the bag, and a gas inlet (5a) that allows the gas channel to communicate with the outside of the bag being formed at the upper end of the gas channel. After the bag has been filled with its filling material, a pressurized inert gas is blown from the gas inlet into the gas channel and then through the gas channel into the bag, thus replacing the air inside the bag with the inert gas. After this gas replacement, the gas inlet is sealed, and the bag mouth is also sealed.

Abstract: A rotary-type bag transfer device including a plurality of pairs of left and right grippers (2) provided around an intermittently rotating table (1). A first support shaft (8) and a second support shaft (9) are provided on the base portion of each of the arms (5) of the grippers. A first link (14) linked at its one end to the table and pivotable horizontally is linked at another end thereof to the center of a second link (15), the second link is linked at one end thereof to the first support shaft, and a sliding member (21) installed at the other end of the second link is provided to slide in a slot (22) formed in the table. The slot is parallel to a reference plane (N). A restricting link (24) linked at one end to the table is linked at another end to the second support shaft.

Abstract: A rotary bag transfer device used in a bag filling and packaging apparatus and provided with a plurality of pairs of grippers installed around an intermittently rotating table. The bag transfer device includes an arm support mechanism (21), which supports the base portion of an arm (15) of each one of the pair of grippers (13), and a drive force transmission mechanism (22), which actuates the arm support mechanism. A link (51) that is part of the drive force transmission mechanism is linked at its one end to an adjusting ring (49), a link (46) is linked at its one end to the arm support mechanism, and these links are linked together at their other ends. When the adjusting ring rotates, a center plane (M) between the grippers is displaced (for amount Da) to offset from a reference plane (N) that passes through the center (O) of the table.

Abstract: A method and device for sealing gas in a gas compartment-equipped bag, in which pressurized gas discharge outlets (47, 52) are provided in the distal ends of a horn (31) and an anvil (32) of an ultrasonic sealing device, and such horn and anvil used for ultrasonic sealing are also used as gas-discharging nozzles. The distal ends of the horn and the anvil are placed against a cutout (19) of a gas compartment (16) of a bag, a gas is discharged into the gas compartment from the discharge outlets, the films surrounding the cutout are being clamped by the horn and the anvil while gas discharging is in progress, and then the gas compartment is ultrasonically sealed by the horn and the anvil to trap the gas inside.

Abstract: A method and device for supplying spout attachment bags, in which one vertical plane is set as a reference plane N, and the center line (C) of a corner-spout attachment bag (2) positioned at the distal end of a conveyor magazine (7) is located in the reference plane N. A suction cup (28) picks up the bag and is rotated by a specific angle (?) centered on a vertical rotational axis (O) when being transferred. When the suction cup picks up the positioned bag, the rotational axis is set to a position where a corner opening vertical line (M) that passes through the center of a corner opening (3) of the bag intersects the reference plane N. The bag held by the suction cup is sent to a positioning conveyor and positioned by stoppers (52, 53) with the corner opening vertical line being in the reference plane.

Abstract: A bag supply method and device transfers bags one at a time, starting with the bag at the very top, from a conveyor magazine (6) to a positioning device (8), conveys One bag (11) in one direction on a belt conveyor (96) of the positioning device, so that the bag is positioned when it hits a stopper (99), then a suction cup (128) holds the bag, the suction cup is next raised to lift the bag from the conveyance path of the belt conveyor, and after this, if a second sensor (103) detects that an extra bag(s) that was beneath the lifted bag remains on the conveyance path, the stopper is lowered and retracted from the conveyance path, so that the extra bag is conveyed and discharged.

Abstract: A rotary-type bag transfer device including a plurality of pairs of left and right grippers (2) provided around an intermittently rotating table (1). A first support shaft (8) and a second support shaft (9) are provided on the base portion of each of the arms (5) of the grippers. A first link (14) linked at its one end to the table and pivotable horizontally is linked at another end thereof to the center of a second link (15), the second link is linked at one end thereof to the first support shaft, and a sliding member (21) installed at the other end of the second link is provided to slide in a slot (22) formed in the table. The slot is parallel to a reference plane (N). A restricting link (24) linked at one end to the table is linked at another end to the second support shaft.

Abstract: A rotary bag transfer device used in a bag filling and packaging apparatus and provided with a plurality of pairs of grippers installed around an intermittently rotating table. The bag transfer device includes an arm support mechanism (21), which supports the base portion of an arm (15) of each one of the pair of grippers (13), and a drive force transmission mechanism (22), which actuates the arm support mechanism. A link (51) that is part of the drive force transmission mechanism is linked at its one end to an adjusting ring (49), a link (46) is linked at its one end to the arm support mechanism, and these links are linked together at their other ends. When the adjusting ring rotates, a center plane (M) between the grippers is displaced (for amount Da) to offset from a reference plane (N) that passes through the center (O) of the table.

Abstract: A rotary-type bag filling and packaging machine including a synchronized table (19) provided above a rotary table (16), which has a plurality of gripper pairs (3), and gas injection nozzles (28), which are provided on the synchronized table (19) so as to correspond to the gripper pairs (3). The synchronized table (19) rotates co-axially with the rotary table (16) in an intermittent manner by a first servo motor (21), which is independent from the drive source of the rotary table (16). A second servo motor (25) which raises and lowers the gas injection nozzle (28) is provided on the synchronized table (19) in conjunction with each gas injection nozzle (28).

Abstract: A conveyer magazine-type empty bag supplying apparatus including an empty bag separator for separating the topmost empty bag from a set of empty bags and feeding it forward, a positioning stopper for the front end of the fed-out empty bag coming into touch therewith, ratchet wheels coming into contact with the empty bag fed by the empty bag separator and feeding the bag forward, causing the bag to come into touch with the positioning stopper, and an empty bag suction members for adhering to and picking up the bag positioned by the positioning stopper. The ratchet wheels are provided on pivoting arms so as to be oscillatingly moved between its delivery position and its retracted position. The delivery position is between the positioning stopper and the empty bag suction members and the retracted position is on the front side which is beyond the stop surface of the positioning stopper.

Abstract: A packaging system including two rotary tables (5, 6) provided adjacent each other on a common base (1) and connected to a common drive source to intermittently rotate in mutually opposite directions in the same intermittent indexing mode. For the rotary tables (5, 6), empty bag supplying devices (10, 11), mouth-opening devices (14, 15), packaged material filling devices (16, 17), mouth-sealing devices (22, 23), and product bag unloading devices (8, 9) are respectively provided on the base (1). The product bag unloading devices (8, 9) are disposed adjacent each other in the vicinity of the most proximate stop positions (H, h) of the tables, and the empty bag supplying devices (10,11) are disposed adjacent each other in the vicinity of the following stop positions (A, a).

Abstract: A horn and an anvil are moved toward and away from each other by axially reciprocating a driving rod and thereby reciprocatingly rotating a forked lever in a predetermined angle range. The horn and the anvil are moved toward and pressed against each other with a predetermined force with a bag mouth b held therebetween. A sensor detects the position of a second mounting block secured to the rear end of a sliding shaft of the anvil, thereby detecting the distance between respective pressing surfaces and of the horn and the anvil, i.e. the thickness m of a portion of the bag mouth held between the pressing surfaces and. When the thickness m is not less than a predetermined threshold value M, a vibrator is activated to perform sealing. When the thickness m is less than the threshold value M, no sealing is performed.

Abstract: A gas pressure testing device, which is for checking pressure of gas inside the gas compartment portion of a bag, including: a pressing member (31) disposed on one side of the bag, a receiving member (38) positioned on another side of the bag, and a movable support member (39) having thereon the pressing member and a distance sensor (32). The pressing member being kept urged toward the gas compartment portion by air cylinder (44) is moved toward the bag so that the gas compartment portion is sandwiched by the pressing member and the receiving member. The distance sensor measures the distance (D) at such time to the pressing member and sends a distance signal to a control unit (37). Based on the distance signal, the control unit determines whether or not the gas pressure in the gas compartment portion is within a preset range.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for charging the gas compartment portion of a bag (1) in which incisions (9) are formed in gas introduction section (6a) of the gas compartment portion (6). A pair of gas injection nozzles (23, 24) are disposed so as to be on the opposite sides of the bag and reciprocate between its standby and advanced positions, so that in the advanced position, the discharge outlets (23a, 24a) of the gas injection nozzles are aligned with the gas introduction section on both sides, and compressed gas is injected into the gas introduction section through the incisions. A small gap (L) is provided between the discharge outlets of the gas injection nozzles when they are in the advanced position. As the gas is injected, film sheets of the expanded gas introduction section closely adhere to the discharge outlets, so that the gas injection state becomes stable.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for charging a gas into a gas compartment portion (6) of a bag (1), after a pre-heating step which is performed in stop position (IV) so that the gas compartment portion of the bag is heated by a heated gas-blowing nozzle (27), a preliminary gas injection step for injecting gas into the gas compartment portion is performed by a gas blowing nozzle (28) and a receiving member (29) in stop position (V). Then, a gas filling step is carried out in stop position (VI) by gas injection nozzles (23, 24), and the incision (9) in the gas compartment portion is sealed in stop position (VII). In the following pre-heating step, the front and rear film sheets (7, 8) of the gas compartment portion are softened, and in the preliminary gas injection step, the film sheets are separated and their adhesion is eliminated.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for filling a gas in a gas compartment portion of a bag, a bag-conveying gripper (41) including a pair of gripping elements (45 and 46), and the inner surface (gripping surface) of the gripping element (45) being formed with a shallow groove (47). The bag-conveying gripper (41) grips the sealed portion (12) of the bag, and a neck section (16a) of the gas compartment portion (16) in the sealed portion is held at a groove formed in the gripping elements of the bag-conveying gripper. Compressed gas is ejected into the gas compartment portion through incision (17) formed in the neck section, inflating the gas compartment portion 16. The inflated shape of the neck section held by the bag-conveying gripper is restricted to a flat configuration by the inner surfaces of the bag-conveying gripper.

Abstract: A filling channel opening and closing device, which is used in a liquid product filling apparatus, including an opening and closing control unit that includes a flexible tube and a chamber enclosing the flexible tube in a gastight manner, a gas supply and exhaust device that collapses and restores the flexible tube by supplying pressurized gas into the chamber and exhausting the gas from the chamber, and a control device that controls the timing of supply and exhaust of the gas of the gas supply and exhaust device.