Apparatus for automatically packing articles in a bale bag

摘要

An apparatus for automatically packing discrete articles into a kraft paper bale bag includes a magazine for holding a plurality of closed flat-folded bale bags in stacked relationships, a bale picker carrying vacuum-operated suction cups for attaching to a front sidewall of a bag positioned within an exit opening of the magazine upon the picker being moved adjacent to the opening and for opening the mouth of the bag upon the picker being moved in the opposite direction, duckbills adapted to be inserted into the mouth of the bag and cooperable with clamps for clamping the sidewalls of the bag therebetween, a reciprocating pusher for executing a series of short forward strokes to assemble into a group a predetermined number of articles that are successively positioned in front of the pusher, a counter for counting the forward strokes of the pusher to count the number of articles assembled and for causing the pusher to execute a long forward stroke upon a predetermined number of articles being assembled so as to insert the group of assembled articles into the bale bag. The bale bag is partially unfolded prior to the articles being inserted therein and provides support to the articles to prevent them from tipping over during insertion. After inserting the articles into the bag, the clamps release the bags and the pusher continues its forward stroke to position the bag of articles onto a drop table that discharges the bag from the apparatus upon the pusher being retracted from the bag.