Method and apparatus for picking up and reshaping a fluid filled bag

摘要

An apparatus and method for loading fluid-filled bags into a box. The apparatus provides a loading arm having pairs of gripping fingers arranged on lateral sides of a bag to be loaded. The gripping fingers compress the bag into a more cubicle shape than a flat relaxed condition. The loading arms are mounted onto a horizontally rotating mechanism which moves the loading arms around a circular pathway in index fashion to four stations including a bag gripping station above a bag transporting conveyor for grabbing and lifting the bag, and a bag loading station aligned above a loaded box conveyor for depositing the bag into a box and disengaging the gripping fingers from the bag. The apparatus and method provide an advantageous loading of a fluid filled bag into a closely conforming box where the bag is adequately supported at the corners. If the bag is provided with a nozzle, the nozzle can be interfit in a relaxed state in a corner of the box.