| Title: |
ADJUSTABLE POUCH FORMING, FILLING AND SEALING APPARATUS AND METHODS |
| Document Number: |
20070180794 |
| Publication Date: |
August 9, 2007 |
| Appl. No: |
11/668205 |
| Application Filed: |
January 29, 2007 |
| Abstract: |
An adjustable pouch machine comprises a vertical sealer module forms transverse seals between two plies of a pouch web to partially define a plurality of pouches. Rollers selectively tension and relax the web on the vertically oriented wheel, allowing them to drop away from heated lands on emergency and cycle stops. A filler wheel has a plurality of adjustable gripper units mounted directly thereon for transporting independent separate pouches cut from the pouch web. An adjustable knife is selectively provided with changeable knife hub sets to handle a variety of pouch sizes where a filler wheel alternately first fills and seals pouches in a train. Gear linkage accommodates variation in distance between hubs of different sets. Various embodiments, apparatus and methods are described. |
| Inventors: |
Paunesku, Sima (Cincinnati, Ohio, OH, US); Rack, Daniel J. (Cincinnati, Ohio, OH, US); Wintring, Jeffrey D. (Florence KY, KY, US); Roth, Richard A. (Cincinnati, OH, US) |
| Claim: |
1. An adjustable pouch machine comprising: a vertical sealer for forming transverse seals between two plies of a pouch web to partially define a plurality of pouches in said web, and including a vertically oriented sealer wheel rotatable on a substantially horizontal axis; and a filler wheel having a plurality of adjustable gripper units mounted thereon for transporting independent separate pouches cut from said pouch web about a circular path, defined in part by said filler wheel, for filling. |
| Claim: |
2. A machine as in claim 1 wherein the vertical sealer includes pouch web entry and exit rollers at least one movable toward and away from the other to respectively tension said pouch web when against heated lands on said vertically oriented sealer wheel and to selectively relax tension of said pouch web with respect to said lands. |
| Claim: |
3. A machine as in claim 2 wherein said vertically oriented sealer wheel includes a plurality of heated lands on said wheel, said lands being adjustable radially on said vertically oriented sealer wheel. |
| Claim: |
4. A machine as in claim 2 wherein at least one of said entry or exit rollers are movable to relax tension of said pouch web sufficiently to move away from said lands. |
| Claim: |
5. A machine as in claim 2 wherein said entry or exit rollers are movable between positions sufficiently distant from each other to relax tension in said pouch web when said vertically oriented sealer wheel is stationary. |
| Claim: |
6. A machine as in claim 1 further including a tilted spout wheel disposed over said filler wheel and including pouch top seal apparatus oriented between said tilted spout wheel and said filler wheel. |
| Claim: |
7. A machine as in claim 6 including a plurality of removable spouts mounted on said tilted spout wheel. |
| Claim: |
8. A machine as in claim 1 further including a discharge wheel mounted proximate said filler wheel and having a plurality of pivoted arms for transferring vertically oriented pouches from gripper units on said filler wheel to horizontal orientation for discharge. |
| Claim: |
9. A machine as in claim 1 wherein said gripper units include leading and trailing jaws at least one movable with respect to the other to accommodate a wide range of pouch widths. |
| Claim: |
10. A machine as in claim 9 wherein a trailing jaw is connected to a parallel link to maintain said trailing jaw parallel to a leading jaw. |
| Claim: |
11. A machine as in claim 1 wherein said gripper units include pouch engaging leading and trailing jaws, said trailing jaw being shiftably mounted on said filler wheel to accommodate pouches of various widths. |
| Claim: |
12. A machine as in claim 1 wherein said gripper units include a pouch engaging trailing jaw mounted on an arm pivotally mounted on an axis perpendicular to said filler wheel. |
| Claim: |
13. A machine as in claim 1 further including a knife disposed proximate said filler wheel for cutting separate pouches from said pouch web for transfer to said filler wheel. |
| Claim: |
14. An adjustable pouch sealing and filling machine comprising: a vertical sealer for forming transverse seals between two plies of a pouch web and including a vertical sealer wheel; a filler wheel comprising one of a plurality of filler wheels for selectively operably coupling to said sealing and filling machine, said plurality of filler wheels having vacuum lands mountable thereon at effectively different radial positions than vacuum lands on others of said plurality of filler wheels to accommodate pouches in a wide range of widths dependent on the filler wheel operably coupled to said sealing and filling machine. |
| Claim: |
15. A machine as in claim 14 wherein each of said plurality of filler wheels include vacuum lands providing different effective land diameters on one filler wheel varying from the effective land diameters of other filler wheels in said plurality. |
| Claim: |
16. An adjustable pouch filler wheel for a pouch machine including an annulus, a set of vacuum lands on said filler wheel for engaging seals between pouches in a pouch web entrained on said annulus, and the radial position of said vacuum lands on said filler wheel being adjustable to accommodate a wide range of pouch widths. |
| Claim: |
17. A filler wheel as in claim 16 including a vacuum turret having a plurality of vacuum ports operably connected to provide vacuum to said lands throughout the radial extension of said lands. |
| Claim: |
18. An adjustable pouch filler including a filler wheel and a plurality of vacuum lands movable on said tiller wheel to varied radial positions on said wheel. |
| Claim: |
19. A filler wheel as in claim 18 including a vacuum turret having a plurality of vacuum ports operably connected to provide vacuum to said lands throughout the radial position of said vacuum lands on said wheel. |
| Claim: |
20. A knife for cutting filled and sealed pouches from a web train of filled and sealed pouches, and including at least two knife hub sets each knife hub set including a major and a minor knife hub, respectively mountable on respective major and minor hub drive axes, and a four gear drive train having four gears, including a movable gear accommodating changes in the distance between said hub drive axes when one hub set is changed for another. |
| Claim: |
21. A knife as in claim 20 wherein at least one of the four gears of the four gear drive train is selectively removable from engagement with a gear driving one of said hubs to accommodate change in the distance between said hub drive axes and is re-engagable to provide an effective drive train upon changing of said hub set. |
| Claim: |
22. A knife as in claim 20 including radially adjustable package guides on one of said hubs, said package guides mounted on respective reciprocable arms having a beveled gear mounted on each of said arms, and a ring gear mounted for rotational adjustment, said ring gear meshing with said beveled gears for turning said beveled gears to adjust the radial extension of the package guides by reciprocating the arms responsive to rotation of said ring gear and said beveled gears. |
| Claim: |
23. A vertical sealer for forming transverse seals in a multiple ply web, said vertical sealer comprising: a vertical sealer wheel; a plurality of sealer lands on said wheel; and web handling apparatus for selectively tensioning and relaxing tension of said multiple ply web with respect to said sealer lands. |
| Claim: |
24. A vertical sealer as in claim 23 wherein said vertical sealer wheel is oriented for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis. |
| Claim: |
25. A vertical sealer as in claim 24 wherein said web handling apparatus comprises web-engaging rollers mounted for respective movement in oblique respective directions with respect to said vertical sealer wheel. |
| Claim: |
26. A vertical sealer as in claim 25 wherein said rollers in one position produce tension in said multiple ply web, urging said multiple ply web against said sealer lands, and in another position relaxing said tension sufficiently to space said multiple ply web from said sealer lands. |
| Claim: |
27. A vertical sealer as in claim 26 wherein said rollers are respectively mounted on an extensible and retractable support. |
| Claim: |
28. A vertical sealer as in claim 23 wherein said handling apparatus comprises multiple ply web entry and multiple ply web exit rollers mounted for movement between positions in directions extending obliquely to said vertical sealer wheel. |
| Claim: |
29. Apparatus for handling filled and sealed pouches and comprising a discharge apparatus having two opposed belts defining a pouch engaging path between said belts. |
| Claim: |
29. Apparatus as in claim 28 wherein said discharge apparatus is combined with a pouch filler defining a pouch pitch line along which pouches are moved, said pouch engaging path being aligned with said pouch pitch line in a transfer area between said filler and said discharge apparatus. |
| Claim: |
30. Apparatus as in claim 29 wherein said pouch engaging path is curved. |
| Claim: |
31. Apparatus as in claim 30 wherein said pitch line has a curved orientation and said pouch engaging path has an entry portion tangent to said pitch line. |
| Claim: |
32. Apparatus as in claim 29 wherein said pouch filler includes pouch grippers oriented and operable to engage pouches at positions below top portions thereof, and wherein said pouch engaging path is oriented to engage top portions of said pouches above said positions below said top portions. |
| Claim: |
33. Apparatus for filling and sealing pouches and including a spout wheel and a filler wheel for supporting pouches to be filled through spouts carried on said spout wheel, the improvement comprising the combination of: a first servo drive for driving said filler wheel; a second servo drive for driving said spout wheel; said first and second servo drives respectively driving said respective filler and spout wheels independently of each other; and at least one of said first and second servo drives being controllable to adjust a phase of rotation between said filler wheel and said spout wheel. |
| Claim: |
34. Apparatus as in claim 33 wherein said filler wheel is mounted on a hub driven by said first servo drive. |
| Claim: |
35. Apparatus as in claim 34 wherein said spout wheel is mounted on a drive shaft driven by said second servo drive, said drive shaft extending through said hub to said spout wheel. |
| Claim: |
36. Apparatus as in claim 34 including a ring gear operably connected to said hub and a drive pinion engageable with said ring gear and driven by said first servo drive. |
| Claim: |
37. Apparatus for filling and sealing pouches and including a top pouch mouth sealer comprising sealing platens disposed on each side of a pouch pitch line through which pouches are transported, said sealing platens being movable away from said pitch line to prevent heat propagation into said pouches. |
| Claim: |
38. Apparatus as in claim 37 wherein said sealing platens are movable upwardly and laterally away from said pitch line. |
| Claim: |
39. Apparatus as in claim 38 wherein said sealing platens are movably mounted in a direction away from said pitch line upon cycle stop, emergency stop or other stop of said apparatus. |
| Claim: |
40. A pouch filler comprising: a filler wheel, a plurality of pouch gripper units for receiving and holding a pouch for filling, said gripper units including leading and trailing jaws mounted directly on said wheel for rotation by said filler wheel. |
| Claim: |
40. A pouch filler as in claim 40 where in at least one of said jaws is pivoted to said filler wheel. |
| Claim: |
41. A pouch filler as in claim 41 wherein said at least one jaw is pivoted to said filler wheel about a vertical pivot axis. |
| Claim: |
42. A pouch filler as in claim 42 wherein said at least one jaw has a pouch clamping member for clamping a portion of a pouch, said clamping member pivotably mounted to said filler wheel about a vertical pivot axis. |
| Claim: |
43. A pouch filler comprising: a filler wheel; a plurality of gripper units mounted on said wheel said gripper units including leading and trailing jaws, one movable about a horizontal axis selectively toward and away from the other, each of said jaws having a pivoted clamping member rotatable about a first vertical axis for selectively clamping and releasing a portion of a pouch. |
| Claim: |
44. A pouch filler as in claim 44 wherein said filler wheel rotates about a second vertical axis and wherein said first and second vertical axes are parallel to each other and one perpendicular to said horizontal axis. |
| Claim: |
45. A pouch filler comprising: a filler wheel, a plurality of gripper units mounted on said wheel, said gripper units including leading and trailing jaws, one movable about a first vertical axis selectively toward and away from the other, each of said jaws having a pivoted clamping member rotatable about a second vertical axis for selectively clamping and releasing a portion of a pouch. |
| Claim: |
47. A pouch filler as in claim 46 wherein said filler wheel is rotatable about a third vertical axis and wherein said first vertical axis, said second vertical axis and said third vertical axis are parallel to each other. |
| Claim: |
48. In a pouch forming and filling apparatus, a plurality of modules including, a vertical sealer pouch forming module for providing transverse seals in a folded web, a knife module for cutting individual pouches from said web; a filler wheel module having a filler wheel for receiving individual pouches in respective gripper units directly mounted on said filler wheel; and said modules being selectively and operably combined for forming, filling and sealing pouches. |
| Claim: |
49. A method of forming pouches from a web of pouch material including the steps of: engaging two plies of pouch material in said web against seating lands mounted on a vertical sealer wheel rotating on a substantially horizontal axis to seal said plies together; and selectively relaxing tension on said plies sufficiently to cause said plies to disengage from contact with said sealing lands. |
| Claim: |
50. A method as in claim 49 including the preliminary step of folding a pouch web and engaging said folded web on said sealing lands for forming transverse seals across said folded web in adjacent plies thereof. |
| Claim: |
51. A method as in claim 50 including the step of tensioning a folded pouch web, to engage said sealing lands, between folded pouch web entry and folded pouch web exit rollers oriented adjacent said vertical sealer wheel at a distance apart less than the diameter of said wheel. |
| Claim: |
52. A method as in claim 51 including moving said rollers apart and relaxing tension in said folded pouch web to disengage said web from said sealing lands. |
| Claim: |
53. A method as in claim 49 including selectively moving said sealing lands in a radial direction to produce transverse seals in said plies at selected spacing apart from one another. |
| Claim: |
54. A method of filling pouches comprising the steps of: feeding separate pouches toward a generally horizontal filler wheel, engaging leading and trailing edges of said pouches with respective leading and trailing jaws carried on said horizontal filler wheel; and selectively pivoting said trailing jaw on an axis generally perpendicular to said horizontal filler wheel to accommodate pouches of varied widths. |
| Claim: |
55. A method as in claim 54 including transporting filled pouches through a top sealer and selectively moving said top sealer away from said pouches when said filler wheel stops. |
| Claim: |
56. A method as in claim 55 including engaging upper edges of sealed pouches above a position where said pouches are engaged by said jaws for releasing pouches from said jaws and moving pouches away from said filler wheel. |
| Claim: |
57. A method as in claim 56 including sequentially releasing a leading jaw then a and moving jaw from a pouch as its upper edge is engaged. |
| Claim: |
58. A method as in claim 54 including discharging pouches from said horizontal filler wheel and orienting discharging pouches horizontally. |
| Claim: |
59. A method of filling transversely sealed pouches in a train of pouches including the steps of: engaging and supporting transverse seals in said train on vacuum lands carried on a first wheel, and selectively substituting for said first wheel a second wheel having vacuum lands at a different radial position on said second wheel than the radial position of vacuum lands on said first wheel. |
| Claim: |
60. A method of filling transversely sealed pouches in a train of pouches including the steps of: engaging and supporting transversely spaced seals between pouches on radially adjustable vacuum lands; and selectively radially adjusting said radially adjustable vacuum lands for other pouch trains where said transversely spaced seals are spaced at another distance apart than the distance between transversely spaced seals of one pouch train. |
| Claim: |
61. A method of cutting transversely sealed pouches from respective pouch trains along transversely spaced seals partially defining said pouches and wherein the distance of spacing between said transversely spaced seals in respective pouch trains varies, the method including the steps of: driving major and minor knife hubs respectively disposed on major and minor axes at least one selectively movable with respect to the other, to cut along transversely spaced seals of pouches of one train between said hubs; driving one of said hubs through a gear linkage, having a plurality of gears with another of said hubs; changing said hubs to accommodate cutting pouches from pouch trains having different transversely spaced seal spacing; and during said changing, disengaging at least one of said gears from said gear linkage and re-engaging said one gear in said gear linkage after changing said hubs to accommodate a variation of distance between said major and minor axes. |
| Claim: |
62. A method as in claim 61 further including the steps of engaging transversely spaced seals in a pouch train on package guides mounted on radially extendible package guide supports driven by pinion gears and selectively rotating a drive ring engaging said pinion gears to radially extend and retract said package guides for handling respective pouch trains having transversely spaced seals at different spacing. |
| Claim: |
63. A method of handling filled, sealed and separate pouches carried between leading and trailing jaws, including the steps of: introducing a top portion of the leading edge of a pouch between two opposed belts; releasing a leading jaw from a leading edge of the pouch; transporting said pouch between said belts; and thereafter releasing a trailing jaw from a trailing edge of said pouch. |
| Claim: |
64. A method of filling pouches including: supporting pouches for filling on a filler wheel; filling pouches carried by said filler wheel through spouts disposed on a spout wheel above the tiller wheel; driving said filler wheel by a first servo drive; driving said spout wheel by a second servo drive; and independently adjusting a rotational position of one of said filler wheel or said spout wheel with respect to a rotational position of the other of said filler wheel or said spout wheel by operating at least one of said first or second servo drives independently of the other to thereby adjust the rotational phase of said filler wheel and spout wheel with respect to each other and thereby accommodate filling pouches of varied width carried by said filler wheel. |
| Current U.S. Class: |
053455/000 |
| Current International Class: |
65 |
| Accession Number: |
edspap.20070180794 |
| Database: |
USPTO Patent Applications |
