Abstract: A product bag unloading apparatus in which two product bags (3, 4) arranged in a single row in the bag width direction are conveyed on a carry-out conveyor (5) in a single-row arrangement, with their length direction oriented in the conveyor's conveying direction. The apparatus includes a first chuck (11) for gripping one product bag (3), a second chuck (12) for gripping the other product bag (4), a pivot arm (17) pivoting through 90 degrees about a fulcrum shaft (16) with the first chuck (11) rotatably provided at a free end thereof, and a chuck translation mechanism (parallel linkage mechanism) (14) maintaining the first chuck (11) in a constant orientation at all times when the first chuck (11) is moved between a bag receiving position and a bag release position by the pivot motion of the pivot arm (17).

Abstract: Provided are a bag mouth opening method and apparatus capable of surely and stably opening into a desired shape the mouth of a spout bag having a spout attached to an upper edge-side portion thereof. A spout tilting relative to a bag is corrected into a non-tilting position and pinched with spout pinching members opened and closed by a first air cylinder of a spout holding device. The first air cylinder is held in an initial position in the width direction of the bag by a second air cylinder through a quadric link comprising a connecting rod mounting plate, a connecting rod, a connecting plate, and a second support arm. The interior of the second air cylinder is opened to the atmospheric pressure in synchronism with the start of movement away from each other of a pair of suction cups of a bag mouth opening device and movement toward each other of a pair of gripping members gripping the laterally opposite side edges of the bag.

Abstract: A standalone packaging manipulation apparatus performing predetermined packaging manipulation operations on bags being transported along an arcuate transportation path of a rotary-type bag transportation apparatus, the standalone packaging manipulation apparatus including a main arm that pivots and also extends and retracts in a horizontal plane, a sub-arm provided at a distal end portion of the main arm so as to ascend and descend and to rotate in the horizontal plane, and filling nozzle provided on the sub-arm with a predetermined spacing therebetween and simultaneously filling a plurality of bags with liquid. The operation of these elements is performed by mutually independent servomotors.

Abstract: A duplex-type product bag unloading apparatus including two downwardly opening and closing chucks and a chuck-moving mechanism for reciprocating the chucks between positions for receiving and discharging product bags. The relative positions of the two chucks are changed as they are moved from the receiving position to the discharging position by the chuck-moving mechanism, so that in the receiving position, the chucks are arranged in a single row in the bag width direction of the grasped product bags, and in the discharging position, the chucks are in a single row in the thickness direction of the grasped product bags. The chuck-moving mechanism is comprised of a pivot arm and a chuck-supporting frame rotatably mounted to the pivot arm, and the two chucks are rotatably mounted on both sides of the chuck-supporting frame. The chuck-supporting frame and the chucks rotate in synchronism with the pivotal motion of the pivot arm.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for manufacturing spout-equipped bags in which the lateral sides of a bag are gripped by a pair of grippers, the bag is conveyed along a conveying path, and a spout is attached to the bag mouth during the conveyance. Unloading suction members adheres by suction to a bag in a horizontal orientation and takes out the bag; and then bag suction members adheres to the bag and changes the bag into a vertical orientation, the bag is then rotated through a predetermined angle, making the bag mouth horizontal. A transfer chuck grips the bag and conveys it towards grippers, and the bag is displaced a predetermined distance horizontally and supplied to the grippers. The horizontal displacement distance of the transfer chuck is set in advance such that gripping margins on the bag for the grippers are made substantially equal on the left and right of the bag.

Abstract: A method for sealing-in a gas in a bag that has therein a gas filling compartment, including the steps of: placing a blow-out port of a nozzle, which is connected to a pressurized gas supply source, against a cut-in or a hole of the bag and holding the back surface side of the bag with a backing member; blowing a gas from the nozzle into the gas filling compartment of the bag through the cut-in or the hole; gripping and thus closing the gas flow path in sealed portions surrounding the periphery of the cut-in or the hole by a blocking gripper while the gas blow-in continues, thus cutting off the flow of the gas between the cut-in or the hole and the inside of the gas filling compartment; and then sealing the cut-in or the hole, thus allowing the gas to be sealed in the gas filling compartment.

Abstract: A bag-making and packaging machine including first through third transportation devices provided between a positioning conveyor that positions bags fed out from a horizontal-type bag-making machine and a supply conveyor that supplies the bags to a conveyor magazine-type bag-supply apparatus of a packaging machine, wherein the first transportation device suctions and raises the bags from the positioning conveyor and changes them into a vertical attitude with the bag mouth portions facing downward, the second transportation device takes the bags held by the first transportation devices by gripping them with the gripping members, horizontally transports them to a prescribed position while rotating them, and then the third transportation device suctions and takes up the bags from the second transportation device, changes them to a horizontal attitude with the bag mouth portions facing in the bag feed direction and then places them on the supply conveyor.

Abstract: A product bag unloading apparatus in which two product bags (3, 4) arranged in a single row in the bag width direction are conveyed on a carry-out conveyor (5) in a single-row arrangement, with their length direction oriented in the conveyor's conveying direction. The apparatus includes a first chuck (11) for gripping one product bag (3), a second chuck (12) for gripping the other product bag (4), a pivot arm (17) pivoting through 90 degrees about a fulcrum shaft (16) with the first chuck (11) rotatably provided at a free end thereof, and a chuck translation mechanism (parallel linkage mechanism) (14) maintaining the first chuck (11) in a constant orientation at all times when the first chuck (11) is moved between a bag receiving position and a bag release position by the pivot motion of the pivot arm (17).

Abstract: A method for sealing-in a gas in a bag that has therein a gas filling compartment, including the steps of: placing a blow-out port of a nozzle, which is connected to a pressurized gas supply source, against a cut-in or a hole of the bag and holding the back surface side of the bag with a backing member; blowing a gas from the nozzle into the gas filling compartment of the bag through the cut-in or the hole; gripping and thus closing the gas flow path in sealed portions surrounding the periphery of the cut-in or the hole by a blocking gripper while the gas blow-in continues, thus cutting off the flow of the gas between the cut-in or the hole and the inside of the gas filling compartment; and then sealing the cut-in or the hole, thus allowing the gas to be sealed in the gas filling compartment.

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 rotary-type bag filling and packaging apparatus including a cylindrical hopper installed in a filling position along travel path of bags and gas injection nozzles rotating intermittently with the bags in such manner that interference between the hopper and the gas injection nozzles is avoided and the bags are filled with a material to be packaged while gas injection into the bags is in progress. So as to avoid the interference, the hopper can be comprised of axially separable two pieces so that the two pieces are separated and positioned out of the travel path of the bags and gas injection nozzles and then are moved to the filing position and joined together to form a truncated cone shape so that the bags are filled with the material to be packaged via the truncated cone-shape hopper.

Abstract: A gripper used in, for instance, a bag filling apparatus including a pair of gripper arms provided with chuck holders. Each chuck holder includes first and second tubular portions, first and second tubular members slidably inserted therein, and first and second air cylinders installed within the tubular portions. An inside fixed chuck element is affixed to the tip end of the first tubular member, and an inside movable chuck element is attached to the tip end of the piston rod of the first air cylinder; in addition, an outside fixed chuck element is affixed to the tip end of second tubular member, and an outside movable chuck element is attached to the tip end of the piston rod of the second air cylinder; and the movable chuck elements are opened and closed with respect to the fixed chuck elements by the advance and retreat motions of the respective piston rods.

Abstract: A bag opening method and apparatus for use in bag filling and packaging in which a bag B is gripped at its laterally opposite side edges with a pair of gripping members and moved along a predetermined path. A pair of suction cups 23 disposed facing each other at respective mutually spaced standby positions are moved to respective closest positions at which a vacuum is applied to the suction cups to cause them to adhere to the outer surfaces of the opposite side walls of the bag. The suction cups are retracted away from each other to respective intermediate positions between the closest and standby positions. The suction cups having reached the intermediate positions are stopped there for a predetermined period of time. Thereafter, the suction cups are retracted from the intermediate positions to the standby positions, respectively.

Abstract: A vertical bag packaging machine has a steam nozzle that is inserted into a bag to inject steam thereinto after an article to be packaged has been filled into the bag, thereby replacing the air in the bag with the steam to effect deaeration. After the steam-replacement deaeration, a seal portion to be ultrasonically sealed is preheated by a preheating device, thereby making the temperature of the seal portion uniform throughout it. The preheating temperature is not lower than a temperature of a highest temperature region of said seal portion before it is preheated and below a melting temperature of a material constituting an inner side of said bag Thereafter, the seal portion is ultrasonically sealed by an ultrasonic sealing device. Thus, reliable and stable ultrasonic sealing can be realized.

Abstract: An empty bag supply method and apparatus first lifting up with a first suction member an empty bag of which bag bottom being in contact with and positioned by a first positioning stopper. The lifted bag is then held by chucks and transported upwards so that the empty bag is vertical with the bag bottom facing upward, and then a second suction member suctions the empty bag near the bag mouth and transports it onto a conveyor with the bag mouth facing forward, so that the bag mouth of the bag is stopped and positioned by a second positioning stopper. The empty bag is then lifted up by a third suction member, held by a chuck and transported upward so that the attitude of the bag is changed to vertical with the bag mouth facing upward, and then the bag is transferred to a gripper of a packaging apparatus.

Abstract: A duplex-type product bag unloading apparatus including two downwardly opening and closing chucks and a chuck-moving mechanism for reciprocating the chucks between positions for receiving and discharging product bags. The relative positions of the two chucks are changed as they are moved from the receiving position to the discharging position by the chuck-moving mechanism, so that in the receiving position, the chucks are arranged in a single row in the bag width direction of the grasped product bags, and in the discharging position, the chucks are in a single row in the thickness direction of the grasped product bags. The chuck-moving mechanism is comprised of a pivot arm and a chuck-supporting frame rotatably mounted to the pivot arm, and the two chucks are rotatably mounted on both sides of the chuck-supporting frame. The chuck-supporting frame and the chucks rotate in synchronism with the pivotal motion of the pivot arm.

Abstract: A bag transport and tilt-correction device for a system for, for instance, manufacturing bags with diagonal spouts, the device including openable and closeable gripping members, an air chuck that opens and closes the gripping members, a reciprocal movement mechanism that reciprocates the gripping members between the bag receiving position and the bag hand-over position, and a reciprocal swing mechanisms that swing the gripping members within the vertical plane along the width direction of the gripped bags. The gripping members are moved together with a reciprocal moving body, which is part of the reciprocal movement mechanisms, and attached to the bottom edge of swing levers, which are part of the reciprocal swing mechanism and operated by a cam during the reciprocal movement process, so as to swing together with it. The tilt of the bag is corrected by the swing motion of the gripping members.

Abstract: A bag supply apparatus for supplying bags onto a conveyer for transporting a bag bundle stacked such that an upper level bag is shifted forward, including a bag lifting device, which is provided with a pair of bag support members disposed facing one another on the left and right sides near the rear edge of a belt conveyor, and a rotation mechanism, which imparts translational motion of rotation in symmetric in a vertical plane with respect to the conveyance direction of the belt conveyor. The bag supporting portions of the bag support members contact the bag bundle from below to lift up the rear edge portion of the bag bundle and then separated from the bag bundle outwardly. While the bag supporting portions thus lifting the bag bundle, a new bag is fed into the space between the conveyance surface of the belt conveyor and the bag bundle.

Abstract: A standalone packaging manipulation apparatus performing predetermined packaging manipulation operations on bags being transported along an arcuate transportation path of a rotary-type bag transportation apparatus, the standalone packaging manipulation apparatus including a main arm that pivots and also extends and retracts in a horizontal plane, a sub-arm provided at a distal end portion of the main arm so as to ascend and descend and to rotate in the horizontal plane, and filling nozzle provided on the sub-arm with a predetermined spacing therebetween and simultaneously filling a plurality of bags with liquid. The operation of these elements is performed by mutually independent servomotors.

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 means that collapses and restores the flexible tube by supplying pressurized gas into the chamber and exhausting the gas from the chamber, and a control means that controls the timing of supply and exhaust of the gas of the gas supply and exhaust means.