US2705585A - Machine for automatically packaging potato chips - Google Patents

Description

April 5, 1955 E. v. WISE, SR 2,705,585

MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY PACKAGING POTATO CHIPS Filed Sept. 26, 1949 10 She ets-Sheet 1 Earl V. Wise, 5x @405 &,

WWW M Fig.

April 5, 1955 E. v. WISE, SR 2,705,585

MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY PACKAGING POTATO CHIPS Filed Sept. 26, 1949 1O Sheets-Sheet 2 April 5, 1955 E. v. WISE, SR 2,705,585

MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY PACKAGING POTATO CHIPS Filed Sept. 26, 1949 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig.3.

Inz'eutor Earl K Wise, 5/:

By my a Atlorneys April 5, 1955 E. v. WISE, SR 2,705,535

MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY PACKAGING POTATO CHIPS Fi1ed Sept. 26, 1949 10 Sheets-Sheet 4 55 [meutor Earl V. Wise, Sr.

B) 24AM WW 8m 2,705,585 MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY PACKAGING POTATO CHIPS Filed Sept. 26, 1943 E. V. WISE, SR

April 5, 1955 lO Snets-Sheet 5 Fig. 7.

Inventor ar/ V. Wise, 5!:

I44 I50 I48 I46 Mao/52: WWW

April 5, 1955 E. v. WISE, SR 2,705,535

MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY PACKAGING POTATO CHIPS Filed Sept. 26,.1949 l0 Sheets-Sheet 6 0, d Fig. /0.

I "ll Z Q 172 I94 /7/ 9 I77 /02 o I o /9/ o I93 I82 10/ I75 ms /75 I73 [70 m5 m7 T v7 Q .:J Fig. 9. I74 102 I76 i Q 74 5 1 l T I ,35 I02 9 I I "2i i m/ I ma wwillll 9a a I n l'ento r Attorneys M "Hm April 5, 1955 E. v. WISE, SR 2,705,535

. MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY PACKAGING POTATO CHIPS Filed Septv 26.71949 10 Sheets-Sheet 7 l 2:2 g 250 Fig. /3

- 2417 2 33 234 228 22a |i 7 223 I l 206 204 244 m 227 I 11 1 203 III I 200 22/ 7 II I l' 1 ,4 In ventar Earl M Wise Sr.

April 5, 1955, v, w s 5 2,705,585

MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY PACKAGING POTATO CHIPS Filed Sept. 26, 1949 l0 Sheets-Sheet 8 r 1, 1.4g?) i By M aux/32 Attomqvs April 5, 1955 E. v. WISE, SR 2,705,585

MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY PACKAGING POTATO CHIPS Filed Sept. 26, 1949 10 Sheets-Sheet 9 f n7 r 300 I70 8 I 235I I83 2/3 23 260 1 252 l {1 90 v w --25:

4 M as f X 275 27/ 275 246 2/4 h I26 Fig. /7.

as V

Earl V. Wise, 5r.

Inventor B2 awn 5 0000 5m April 5, 1955 v WISE, 5 2,705,585

MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY PACKAGING POTATO CHIPS Filed Sept. 26, 1949 10 Sheets-Sheet l0 22/ 275 ,275 204 203 Fig. i

Illllll I a2 F/g./.9

I L I l h I ,4 170 J il 30/ i 25/ 302 l 292 V 252 290 L I 5 J 253 253 T 29 1 Fig. 2/.

Fig. 22

I urn/tor Earl V. Wise, 5/:

United States Patent MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY PACKAGING PQTATO QHHS Earl V. Wise, S22, Bel-wick, Pa., assigncr to Wise Potato Chip Co., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 26, 1949, Serial No. 117,871 19 Claims. (Cl. 226-51) My invention relates to improvements in machines for automatically packaging uniformly weighed quantities of potato chips in bags.

The primary object of my invention, broadly stated, is to attain, at comparatively high speed, quantity production of packaged potato chips automatically weighed, shaken down to assure packages of uniform size, and heat-sealed to render the packages air tight.

Another object is to provide, in a potato chip packaging machine, a series of mechanisms including mechanism for shaking filled bags of potato chips to pack the same, mechanism for spreading and creasing the filled packed bags preparatory to sealing, and mechanism for finally sealing the bags while spread, all operative automatically in unison to speed up production of the machine, together with a conveyor for feeding bags to said mechanisms filled and placed on the conveyor by an operator at an automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism, and mechanism for timing operation of the conveyor and series of mechanisms relative to dispensing operations so that bags may be filled and placed on the conveyor and the series of mechanisms operate as fast as the potato chips are weighed and dispensed.

Another object is to provide in such a machine an endless horizontal conveyor embodying means forming upright pockets thereon for holding the bags upright as the same are fed to the series of mechanisms, the pockets automatically opening after the bags have been scaled, and discharging the sealed bags downwardly through the convcyor and then automatically closing to again hold bags.

Still another object is to provide for automatic opening and closing of the pockets one after the other by travel of the conveyor solely, whereby to obviate the necessity for special pocket opening and closing devices, thereby simplifying the conveyor.

Still another object is to provide in the machine bagshaking mechanism for picking up and rapidly shaking the filled bags in the pockets, repeatedly, to pack the bags without tearing or otherwise damaging the bags or spilling the contents.

Still another object is to provide bag-spreading and creasing mechanism for creasing the bags below the mouths thereof preliminary to scaling, and which operates to crease the bags while the mouth ends of the bags are held flattened, whereby to form the crease without wrinkling or crushing the bags.

Another object is to provide bag-spreading and sealing mechanism whereby the bags are held flattened from the crease to the mouth while being heat-sealed, whereby the attainment of an air-tight seal is made possible and injury to the bags prevented in sealing the same.

.Still another object is to provide timing mechanism for the conveyor and the series of mechanisms which is operated under control ofthe automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism and adapted for varying the timing of the conveyor and the series of mechanisms relative to variations in time consumed in the dispensing operations and resulting from the dispensing of different quantities of potato chips.

Other and subordinate objects, within the purview of my invention, together with the precise nature of my improvements, will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claims are read with reference to the rawings accompanying and forming part of this specifi cation.

In said drawings:

Figure l is a view in front elevation, partly broken the bag-spreading spreading fingers lowered and spreading a bag parts of my v,frarne. '2 for a purpose presently seen.

all surmount the named, the bag-shaking,

2,705,585 Patented Apr. 5, 1955 ice away, of my improved machine ment thereof;

Figure 2 is a view in plan, partly broken away;

Figure 3 is a view in end elevation viewed from the right-hand end of the machine and drawn to a larger scale;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in rear elevation of the automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism, drawn to a larger scale and with the parts shown in starting position for an intermittent operation of the mechanism;

Figure 5 is a similar view illustrating the manner in which the timing mechanism is set and the position of the parts when the timing mechanism is set;

Figure 6 is a view in vertical transverse section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view partly in horizontal section and partly in plan, taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 4;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view in side elevation illustrating the manner in which the buckets ride onto the yoke of the weighing mechanism;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary View in vertical transverse section takenon theline 9-9 of Figure 1 and drawn to a larger scale, and illustrating the bag-shaking mechanism with the parts in normal starting position;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary view in plan of the same;

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 9 illustrating the manner in which the bag-shaking mechanism grips and shakes a bag;

Figure 12 is a view in vertical transverse section taken on the line 12-12 of Figure l and drawn to a larger scale and illustrating the bag-spreading and creasing mechanism;

Figure 13 is a fragmentary view in plan, partly broken away, of the same;

Figure 14 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 14-14 of Figure 13 and drawn to a larger scale with the parts shown in normal position in full lines and in bagcreasing position in dotted lines;

Figure 15 is a fragmentary view in front elevation of the bag-spreading and creasing mechanism drawn to the same scale as Figure 14 with the bag-spreading devices shown in normal position in full lines and in bag-spreading position in dotted lines;

Figure 16 is a view in vertical transverse section taken on the line 16-16 of Figure 1 and drawn to a larger scale;

Figure 17 is a view in front elevation of the mechanism shown in Figure 16;

Figure 18 is a fragmentary view in vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 18-18 of Figure 13;

Figure 19 is a fragmentary view in front elevation of and sealing mechanism, with the bagin the preferred embodi- Figure 20 is a view in end elevation of the same;

Figure 21 is a view similar to Figure 20 illustrating the operation-of folding a bag in between the sealing jaw;

Figure 22 is another similar view illustrating the manner in which the movable sealing jaw is lowered into clamping relation to the fixed sealing jaw; and" Figure 23 is a diagrammatic view of the circuits.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the operating improved machine are supported by an oblong rectangular frame 1 having corner legs 2 suitably cross-connected in pairs, said frame including front and rear side channel beams 3, 4 and end channel beams 5, 6 at what constitutes the left and right ends of said A bottom platform 7 is supported by the legs Automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism 8, bag-shaking mechanism 9, bag-spreading and creasing mechanism 10, and bag-spreading and sealing mechanism frame 1 from left to right, in the order bag-spreading and creasing, and bag-spreading and sealing mechanisms 9, 10, 11 forming a series in line at the front of the frame 1 spaced apart equidistantly in the series.

A conveyor 12 is provided for carrying bags filled at said mechanism 8 to and past the series of mechanisms 9, 10, 11.

Automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism The automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism 8 controls operation of the other mechanisms, and the conveyor, but, since it forms, per se, no part of this invention except as it enters into combination with the other mechanisms, and the conveyor, said mechanism 3 will merely be described generally as sufficient for the present purposes.

Referring now especially to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7,

and 8, this mechanism 8 is supported by'a base plate 13 having elevating legs 14 on the frame 1. A pair of semicylindrical buckets 15, 16 are pivotally'mounted in a rectangular bucket carriage 17 for rocking from loading into dumping positions on side studs 18 on said buckets 15, 16 adapted to seat in deep side notches 19 in the said carriage 17.

' The bucket carriage 17 is mounted for reciprocation between horizontal tracks 20 at opposite sides thereof, and by means of corner rollers 21 on said carriage 17 running in longitudinal grooves'22 in said tracks 20. The tracks 20 are supported by endbrackets 23'rising from the corners of a pair of front and rear plates 24, 25 upstanding from the base plate '13. A' hopper frame 26 surrounding the buckets 15, 16 is supported on the carriage 17 by uprights 27 on said carriage, to guide potato chips into said buckets 15, 16 when filling the same. The bucket carriage 17 is reciprocated into opposite limits of movement, one 'of which is shown in Figure 4, and is normally in one or the other limit of'movement thereof. In one limit of movement of the bucket carriage 17, the bucket 15 is carried into a loadingand weighing position, and the other bucket 16 into a dumping position; and in the other limit of movement of said carriage 17, the bucket 16 is carried into loading and weighing position and the other bucket 15 into dumping position.

A forked discharge chute 28 has its ends 29, 30 suitably fixed to the brackets 23 between corresponding ends of the tracks 20 for dumping of the buckets 15, 16 into said ends of said chute 28 in the opposite limits of movement of the bucket carriage 1 7. The discharge chute 28 is provided at the front of the frame 1 with a discharge spout 31 upon which bags 32, such as shown in broken lines in Figures 12, 14, 15 and 19 to 22, may be sleeved upwardly by an operator for filling from said spout.

In the opposite limits of movement of the bucket carriage 17, the buckets15, 16 are rocked to dump the same, for instance as shown by dotted lines in Figure 4, by means, of cranks 33 on the studs '18 working in L- shaped slots 34 in plates 35 rising from the rear plate 25.

A pivoted deflector plate 36 in the hopper frame 26, between upright brackets 37 on the tracks 20, is oscillated upon reciprocation of the bucket carriage 1'7by cranks 38 on the pivots 39 of saidplate 36 working in slots 40 in said brackets 37. -The deflector plate 36 prevents the potato chips, when either bucket 15, 16 is being loaded, from entering theother bucket and is oscillated, in a manner which will be clear, to prevent interference there- I of with said buckets 15, 16 while the latter are dumpmg.

Vibrating feed mechanism 41 carried by a frame 42 upstanding from'theframel, and which is driven in a manner, not "shown, provides for loading'the buckets 15, 16 with potato chips," notshown, 'in' theloading and weighing position of said buckets. i

In the loading and v'veighirig"position of the buckets 15, 16, the studs 18 thereon ride up, as shown by dotted lines'in Figure 8-, inclines 43 on ends 44 of an inverted U-shap'ed' yoke 45 straddling said buckets, saidstuds 18 ropping into notches, as at 46, in said ends, and as said studs 18 seat in the n'otches'46, the buckets, when loaded, descend and depress. said yoke 45. 'The yoke 45 surmounts a plunger 47, as shown in Figure 6, in a hydraulic cylinder 48 for weighing the buckets 15, 16 and their contents, in a conventional and Well-known manner not necessary to explain.

A mercury switch 49 comprising a U-shaped contact 500a the yoke 45, and a mercury well member 51 on the cylinder'43 is closed at the end of each weighing operation, by depression of the yoke 45 which causes the contact 56 to enter the mercury in the Well member 51. The switch 49 controls a drive for the. bucket carriage 1'7 presently. described.

A hood 52 covers the bucket carriage 17 and the buckets 15, 16 with a top filler opening 53 into which the vibratory feed mechanism 41 discharges.

The, driye. for thegbucket carriage 17- (see. Figures 2, 4,

5, 6, 7, 23) comprises a constantly running electric motor 55 011 the a P t a in'of redu ion gears 56, 57, 53, 59 to the driving member 60 of a conventional, single-revolution, self-engaging clutch 61, the driven member 62 of which revolves a crank 63 fast on a shaft 64 on which said member 62 is fixed. The gears 57, 58, 59 and shaft 64 are suitably supported by upright plates 65, 66 on the base plate 13. The crank 63 intermittently drives a Geneva wheel 67, counter-clockwise as viewed in Figures 4 and 5, and which is fast on a shaft 68 journaled in the plates 25 and 66. The shaft 68, by means of a gear 69 thereon, drives a smaller gear 70 journaled in the plate 25 and revolving a crank 71 about its axis. A link 72 connects the crank 71 to the lower endof a vertically rocking, carriage operating lever 73 pivoted, as at 74, on the plate 25 with a slotted upper end 75 connected by a pin 76 to one corner of the bucket carriage 17.

The above described drive for the bucket carriage 17 operates as follows: As the yoke 45 descends, the mercury switch 49 closes. The mercury switch 49, when closed, closes one of a plurality of interconnected electric circuits, presently further described, and which include, in common, a power input line 77 with a manually operable control switch 78 therein, and a return line 79, said switch 49 being connected on one side 80 in said line 77. The other side 81 of said switch 49 is connected by a line 82 to return line 79 with a solenoid 83 in the line 82 for raising the conventional, normally lowered, clutch disengaging lever 84 for the clutch 61 to permit said clutch to close. As will be understood, when the described circuit is closed, the current flows over line 77 through switch 49, over line 82, and through the solenoid 83 to return line 79. As the clutch 61 engages, the crank 63 drives the Geneva wheel 67 a quarter revolution, gears 69, 70 drive the crank 71 a half revolution, and the carriage operating lever 73 is rocked in one direction, indicated by the arrow in Figure 4, to move the bucket carriage 17 from the limit of movement thereof shown in Figure 4 into its other limit of movement as shown in dotted lines in Figure 5. As the bucket carriage 17 is so moved, the bucket 15 is moved from loading and weighing position into, dumping position, while the bucket 16 is moved from dumping position into loading and weighing position. After the bucket 15' moves from loading and weighing position into dumping position, the yoke 45, as the bucket 16 reaches loading and weighing position, rises to open the mercury switch 49 and the de scribed circuit controlled thereby, and clutch disengaging lever 84 descends and disengages the one revolution clutch 61 to stop the drive. When the bucket 16 is loaded and weighed, the yoke 45 is again depressed to close the mercury switch 49, and, as will be clear, Geneva wheel 67 is driven through another quarter revolution, the carriage operating lever 73 rocked in the opposite direction, and the bucket carriage 17 moved back into its other limit of movement with the empty bucket 15 in loading and weighing position so that when said bucket 15 is again loaded and weighed the carriage drive will again be started, as described. As willbe clear, the "Geneva wheel 67 and the crank 63 provide for intermittent operation ofthe weighing and dispensing mechanism 8 so that dispensing operation through the spout 31 of the dumped,

weighed loads or quantities are timed far enough apart to enable an operator to fillbags at the spout: 31 between dispensing operations.

The conveyor Coming now to my improvements, and referring particularly to Figures 1, 2, 3, 9, 1'0, 1'1, 12, the conveyor 12 comprisesa sprocket: chain circumscribing theframe 1, horizontally, with vertical, flanged rollers 91 thereon running between a pair of longitudinal guides 92, 93 at the front of the frame 1 one of which is bolted, as at 94, and the other welded, as at 95, to afront rail structure 96 suitably fixed on top of the front side beam 3 of the frame 1. The chain 90 is trained around horizontal sprocket wheels at the cornersof the frame 1 including a conveyor driving sprocket wheel 97 at the front and 100 of. right angled: cross-seetipn and, channel form are 190 ride against the horizontal rail 104 surrounding the frame 1 and suitably fixed thereto, said rollers 103 and rail 104 stabilizing the plates against tilting rearwardly.

A trough 105 is mounted on the corner legs 2 at the front of the frame 1 by brackets 106 and bolts 107 to extend parallel with the path of travelof saidplates 100 and support bags 32 placed between the pairs of pocketforming plates 100, in upright position.

A conventional counter 108 on the right-hand end of the trough 105 totals the number of packaged bags passing through the machine, and ina manner presently clear.

Conveyor drive tends longitudinally beneath the-frame 1, in the longitudinal center thereof, in suitable bearings 121 on said frame, said shaft being designed for continuous operation by an electric motor 122 on the platform 7 operating a speed-reducing mechanism 123 connected to said shaft by a sprocket and chain drive 124. A suitable switch 125 on the platform 7, interposed'in suitable cable connections to the motor 122 and the before-mentioned motor 55, controls both motors.

. Aligned with the main drive shaft 120 is a conveyor driving shaft 126 (see Figures 1, 2, 3, 16, 17) ournaled in suitable bearings 127 on the frame 1 and having fast on one end thereof, at the right-hand end of the frame 1, a bevel gear 128. The bevel gear 128 drives a bevel gear 129 fast'on one end of a jack shaft 130 extending along the right-hand beam 6 of the frame 1 1n bearings 131 on said beam. A bevel gear 132 fast on the other end of the jack shaft 130 drives a bevel gear 133 fast on the lower end of a vertical shaft 134 having the before-mentioned conveyor driving sprocketwheel 97- fast on its upper end. I

A conventional, single-revolution, self-engaging clutcn 135, like the clutch 61, is provided on the contiguous ends of the main drive shaft 120 and the conveyor driving shaft 126 for connecting said shafts when a normally lowered clutch disengaging lever 136 is raised by a soleno1d 137.

As best shown in Figure 1, when the pairs of pocketforming plates 100 round the conveyor driving sprocket wheel 97, the plates of the pairs swing apart to open the pockets formed thereby and release bags 32 as' said bags move off the right-hand end of the trough 105. Th s releasing operation by the pairs of pocket-forming plates 190 occurs at each step of movement of the conveyor 12, and permits the bags 32 to drop downwardly through the conveyor. 1

Timing mechanism for conveyor drive Referring now particularly to Figures 4, 5, 6, 7 and 23, mounted on the plate 66 of the automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism 8 is a timing mechanism 139 for the described conveyor drive, and the conveyor 12, and which, primarily, times operation of the bag-shaking mechanism 9, the bag-spreading and creasing mechanism 10, and the bag-spreading and sealing mechanism 11. This "timing mechanism 139 includes a .normally open push-button type switch 141 supported by bracket and having a resilient switch closing arm 142 thereon movable upwardly to close said switch 141 and provided with an end roller 143 normally lowered by reaction of said m .1

' A horizontal piston ma 144 beneath said switch 141-ts n ing reciprocated, by means presently described,,with a piston 145 on one end thereof working in a dashpot 146 provided in its rear end with an air inlet and pressure bleed duct 147 controlled by a closing screw 148.

A helical expansion spring 149 in said dashpot 146, between the piston 145 and the front end of the dashpot, operates the piston rod 144 toward the pressure bleed end of said dashpot. A bracket arm 150 on the before-mentioned plate 66 supports the dashpot 146. The roller 143 of the switch closing arm 142 normally rides on the piston rod 144.

A trip bar 151 for the switch-closing arm 142 is pivoted at one end, as at 152, for vertical swinging on the outer end of the piston rod 144 and is normally supported in horizontal position at its other end in a vertically slotted bracket 153 on said plate 66. A counterweight 154 on said other end of the trip bar 151 facilitates holding said trip bar in horizontal position. The spring 149 normally retains the piston rod 144 andthe trip bar 151 in a retracted position in which a trip dog 155 fast on the pivoted end of the trip bar 151 underlies and is projected upwardly at one side of the roller 143.

A driving gear 156 for the trip bar 151 is suitably journaled in the plate 66 with a crank pin 157 thereon seating upwardly in one end of an elongated bottom notch 158 in said bar 151. A similar gear 159 on the before-menrioned shaft 64 and meshing with the driving gear 156, provides for operation of the described drive for the trip bar 151 by the described drive of the automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism 8.

The switch 141 of the timing mechanism 139 is connected in a circuit of the previously mentioned interconnected circuits in parallel with the solenoid 83 and the solenoid 137, and by means of a branch line 160 from the input line 77, with a jumper line 161 from said branch line 166 to one side 162 of the switch 141, the other side 163 of the switch 141 being the terminal of the return line 79 and the before-mentioned solenoid 137 being interposed in said line 79, all as shown in Figure 23.

The described timing mechanism 139 operates as follows: The driving gear 156 for the trip bar 151 makes one revolution clockwise from normal position, as shown in; Figures 4 and 5, for each revolution .of the crank 63, and, therefore, during movement of the carriage operatlever 73 in each direction. During the first half of the cycle of movement of said gear 156, the crank pin 157, operating in the notch 158, swings the trip bar 151 upwardly, as shown by dotted lines in Figures 5, and then permits said bar to move downwardly, under the influence of gravity, into horizontal position, while at the same time the crank pin 157 advances said bar 151, and the piston rod 144, into the full-line position shown in Figure 5. This advance of the trip bar 151 and the piston rod 144, and the trip 155, compresses the spring 149,

while upward swinging of said bar 151 swings the trip dog 155 so that the same passes under the roller 143 into position to be swung upwardly in front of said roller when the trip bar 151 swings downwardly into horizontal position and is fully advanced, as shown in full lines in Figure 5. Now, as the drive gear 156 starts its second half cycle of movement, the crank pin 157 revolves out of the notch 158 and releases the trip bar 151 for slow retraction by the piston rod 144 and piston 145 under the influence of the compressed spring 149, this slow, retarded retraction of the trip bar 151 being caused by air compressed in the rear end of the dashpot 146 and escaping slowly out of the inlet and pressure bleed port 147. As will be seen, the trip bar 151 and trip dog 155 are set in advanced position and timed for retraction by adjustment of said screw 148.

During retraction of the trip bar 151, in the manner above described, the trip dog 155 wipes under the roller 143 and raises the same and the switch-closing arm 142 to close the switch 141.. This closes circuit to the solenoid 137 over lines 77, 160, 161, 79, to cause lifting of the clutch-disengaging lever 136 for a single revolution of clutch 135 during which the conveyor 12 is driven through a step of movement. As the trip bar 151, piston rod 144 and piston 155 become fully retracted, the driv ing gear 156 completes its revolution and the crank pin 15! again enters the notch 158.

As will be seen, closing of the switch 141 and stepby-step movement of the conveyor 12 are timed by the described timing mechanism 139, under control of the automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism 8, so that the conveyor 12 rests, during dispensing 0perations, for time intervals suflicient for bags to be filled at the spout 31 and placed between pairs of pocket-forming plates 100 positioned in front of the spout 31. To accomplish this, the trip bar 151 is set when the bucket carriage 17 is midway between limits of movement thereof when moving in one direction indicated by the arrow, as shown in full lines in Figure 5, and the trip dog 155 closes the switch 141 when the bucket carriage 17 reaches the same position when moving in the opposite direction. .As will be understood, in these midway positions, the buckets 15, 16 are midway between dumping position and loading and weighing position.

Bag-shaking mechanism Referring now particularly to Figures 1, 2, 9, 10, ll, a cam shaft 176 extends along the front of the frame 1 above the same, between the automatic weighing and dis pensing mechanism 8 and the right-hand end of the frame 1, and is journaled horizontally in upstanding bearings 171 on frame cross members 172.

A shaker cross-arm 173 is journaled intermediate its ends on the cam shaft 170 for vertical rocking movement thereon. A pair of arcuate gripper fingers 174 are provided on the front end of said arm 173 for raising and lowering over the conveyor 12 by rocking of said arm 173 in opposite directions, said gripper fingers 174 being pivoted, as at 175, on said arm 173 in opposite edge-toedge relation for opening and closing movement. When the gripper fingers 174 are lowered and closed, said fingers grip therebctween one side of a bag 32 carried to the bag-shaking mechanism 9 by the conveyor 12. A coil spring 176 connects the gripper fingers 174 for closing the same. When the gripper fingers 174 are fully raised, said fingers are elevated above the path of travel of the bags 32 on the conveyor 12.

The shaker cross-arm 173 is operated to rock the same by means of a cam toothed, single-revolution wheel 1'77, and a coil spring 173. The coil spring 178 is fixed at one end, forwardly of the axis of movement of said arm 173, to said arm, as at 179, with its other end fixed, as at 180, to a post 181 on the frame 1, said spring 178 acting to rock the front end of said arm 173 downwardly to lower the gripper fingers 174. The post 181 limits downward rocking of the front end of the shaker crossarrn 173 as a safety provision. The cam toothed wheel 177 is fast on a shaft 182 journaled in the rear of and parallel with the camshaft 179 and in bearings 183 upstanding from one frame cross-member 172 and another such member 184. A sprocket and chain drive 1% between the cam shaft 170 and said shaft 182 provides for rotating said wheel 177 one revolution for each revolution of the cam shaft 170.

The cam toothed wheel 177 is formed with a peripheral high sector 186, the remainder'of the wheel being toothed, at 187. A follower roller 18% on the rear end of the shaker cross-arm 173 engages said sector 186 and teeth 137 during each revolution of said wheel 177'. As the cam toothed wheel177 rotates into full cycle normal position, in the direction indicated by the arrow. in Figures 9 and ll, the sector 136 engages said roller 1%, rocks the front end of said arm 173, in opposition to the spring 178, upwardly, to fully raise the gripper fingers 174 and hold the same fully raised in normal position with a dwell for a purpose presently seen. As the sector 186 of the cam toothed wheel 177 engages the follower roller 18%, at the end of the cycle of revolution of said wheel 177, the gripper fingers 174 are opened to release a gripped bag '32 by the following means: A crank 189 on the pivoted end of one gripper finger 174 is suitably connected by a pivoted link 190 to the pivoted end of the other gripper finger 174 and whereby said fingers are simultaneously opened and closed. I

A lever 191 is pivoted intermediate its ends, as at 192, on the shaker cross-arm 173 for rocking in one direction to open the gripper fingers 174. A pivoted link 1% operatively connects one end per finger 174. V

A cam 194 on the cam shaft 170 engages a follower roller 195 on the other end of said lever 191 and rocks said lever for a purpose presently seen.

When the follower roller 18?; rides off the sector 186 into the space between the sector 186 and the succeed' ing tooth 187, the spring 178 lowers the front end of the shaker cross-arm 173 and the gripper fingers 174, and

of the lever 191 to one grip-' the gripper fingers open tostraddle the edge of the bag 32. Simultaneously, the follower 195 rides off the cam 194 and the gripper fingers 174 close under the action of the spring 176 to grip the bag 32, as shown in Figure 11. Then, as the follower roller 195 rides over the teeth 187, the shaker cross-arm 173 and the closed gripper fingers 174 are vibrated rapidly, vertically, to shake the bag and its contents to pack the latter until'the bag is released in a manner which will now be clear. As will be obvious, shaking of the bag 32 and its contents occurs while the same is in one of the pockets formed by the pairs of pocket-forming plates 190.

The cam shaft 170, and hence the bag-shaking mechanism 9, are driven while the conveyor 12 is at rest, so that filled bags 32 may be picked up and be shaken in the pockets formed by successive pairs of pocket-forming plates 100. For this purpose (see Figures 1, 2, 12, 13,

16, 18), the main diive shaft 129 is adapted to be opera-.

tively connected to the cam shaft 179 by a sprocket and chain drive 200' including a free running sprocket wheel 291 on'said cam shaft 170 having suitably fixed thereto, as shown in Figure 13, the driving member 203 of a single-revolution, self-engaging clutch 204, the driven member 205 thereof being fixed by a bolt 2% to said cam shaft 170.

A normally lowered clutch-disengaging lever 297 for the clutch 204 is pivoted, as at 208, on a post 209, on the frame 1 for swinging upwardly into clutch-engaging position. A rock shaft 210 beneath and parallel with the cam shaft 170 isjournaled in bearings 211 on the frame 1 and provided with a crank arm 212 operatively connected to the clutch disengaging lever 207 by a pivoted link 213, whereby, upon rocking of the rock shaft 210 clockwise, as indicated by the arrows in Figures l2, l6, 18, the clutch disengaging lever 2%? will be swung upwardly into clutch-engaging position to permit the clutch 204 to engage, and the sprocket and chain drive 209 to drive the cam shaft 170 one revolution, counter-clockwise, as indicated by-the arrows in Figures l2, l4, l6 and 18 to 21. I

The rock shaft 210 is rocked from normal position, in the direction indicated, by a tappet arm 214 fast thereon (see Figure 16) operated in the proper direction by a rappet cam 215 on the driven member 216 of the clutch between the main drive shaft 12% and the conveyor driving shaft 126. The'tappet cam 215 operates said arm 214 from normal position and releases-the same at the end of each revolution of said shaft 126, which is to say, at the end of each step of movement of the conveyor 12. As soon as the clutch 204 executes a single revolution, it is disengaged by the clutch-disengaging lever 207, which, in the meantime, has descended under the influence of gravity and the weight of the crank arm 212 and link 213 and whereby the rock shaft 210 and tappet arm 214 are returned to normal position.

As' will be seen, the operation of the shaker mechanism 9 is controlled primarily by the automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism 8 and timed relative to operation of the conveyor 12 by the conveyor drive.

l4 and 15; upstanding from the front of the frame 1 bet-ween the bag-shaking mechanism 9 and the righthand beam 6"of said frame is asuperstructure 220 including a horizontal top plate 221 from the front edge of which a pair of laterally spaced hanger bars 222 depend over the conveyor 12 at the front of the frame 1.

Depending from each hanger bar 222 is a pair of levers designated 223, 224 and which are pivoted together, scissors fashion, and to the lower ends of said hanger bars 222 by studs 225 so that the pair of levers 223, 224 are adapted to. open and close, at their lower ends, transversely of the line of travel of the bags 32 at the front of the frame. 1. 'A horizontal,'channeled creaser blade 226 is suitably fixed to the lower ends of the levers 224, and a similarly disposed creaser blade 227 to the lower ends of the levers 223.

When the pairs of levers 223, 224- are open, thev in dotted lines in Figure 14, the creaser blade 227 enters.

the channeled creaser bla de 226 and said blades cooperate aromas to crimp therebetween a bag 32 and form a crease 32a at a suitable distance from the mouth of the bag, as shown, for instance, in Figure 14, whereby the top of the bag 32 is adapted to be folded over at said crease 32a for sealing in a manner presently clear.

' Pairs of links 228, as best shown in Figure 12, pivoted together, as at 229, and to the upper ends of the pairs of levers 223, 224, as at 230, connect said ends for opening and closing movement of said levers in unison. Helical springs 231 with ends fixed to the plate 221, as at 232, and to the pivots 229 connecting said links 228, act to lift said links 228 and normally close the pairs of levers 223, 224 to swing the creaser blades 226, 227 into cooperative creasing relation.

The pairs of levers 223, 224 are normally held open by means of a earn 233 fast on the cam shaft 170 for intermittent single-revolution operation thereby and which, when in full cycle, normal position, as shown in Figures 12 and 14, bears against a follower roller 234 on an upright lever 235 pivoted on the base 1, as at 236, and hold said lever 235 in a normal position as shown in full lines in said figures. A pivoted link 237 on the lever 235 is connected by one of the pivots 230 to the upper end of one lever 223 of the pairs 223, 224 and, in the normal position of said lever 235, holds the pairs of levers 223, 224 open in opposition to the springs 23!.

The cam 233 has a low sector 238, and as said cam is rotated by the cam shaft 170, in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figures 12 and 14, the follower roller 234 rides onto said sector, and the pairs of levers 223, 224 close, as shown in broken lines in Figures 12 and 14, to swing the creaser blades 226, 227 into cooperative creasing relation. It is to be noted that the cam 223 is arranged to hold the pairs of levers 223, 224 open after said cam starts out of full-cycle position and after the conveyor 12 has stopped to position a bag 32 between said creaser blades 226, 227. This is for the purpose of permitting the bag 32 to be first spread at its upper portion by bag-spreading devices with which the creaser blades 226, 227 cooperate in a mailer presently apparent.

The bag-spreading devices (see Figures 1, l2, l3, l4, 15) comprise a pair of fiat, vertical bag-spreading fingers 240 intermediate the pairs of hanger bars 222 and coplanar with the conveyor 12 at the front of the frame The spreading fingers 240 are pivoted intermediate the ends thereof, as at 241, on a carriage 242 for relative swinging edgewise to move lower ends thereof apart, from engaging position, said fingers being vertically movable by said carriage 242 to lower the ends of the fingers into the upper portion of a bag 32 and retract said ends out of said bag.

For moving said fingers 249 vertically, the carriage 242 is vertically slidable on a pair of guide posts 243 depending from an angle bar 244 on the plate 221. A rock shaft 245 beneath the plate 221, journaled in hanger bearings 246 on said plate, has fast thereon a forwardly extending, vertically rocking arm 247 extending between a pair of lugs 248 on said carriage 242, and under a pin 249 in said lugs, whereby rocking of said arm 247 by the rock shaft 245, in opposite directions, raises and releases the carriage 242 and the spreading fingers 240.

A cam 250 on the cam shaft 170 is engaged by a follower roller 251 on an upstanding lever 252, pivoted, as at 253, on the frame 1, said lever being operatively connected to the rock shaft 245 by a pivoted link 254 extending from said lever 252 to a crank arm 255 fast on said rock shaft 245.

The cam 250 is intermittently rotated, a single revolution, from normal, full-cycle position, best shown in full lines in Figures 2, 12 and 14, by the cam shaft 170, in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figures 12 and 14, and normally holds the lever 252 in a position to. exert pull on the link 254 and crank arm 255 so that the rock shaft 245 and arm 247 are normally held in a position such that the carriage 242 and spreading fingers 240 are held in a raised normal position, as shown in Figures 12, 14, 15, withthe lower ends of said fingers above the bag 32 positioned by the" conveyor 12 for operation thereon by the bag spreading and creasing mechanism 10. I Y

A rectractile spring 256 connects the upper ends of the spreading fingers 240, above the pivots 241, and urges the lower ends of said fingers apart. A pair'of rollers 257 on said fingers 240 ride upwardly converging '19 cam edges 258 of a pair of finger cam'rning'bars 259 depending from the angle bar 244.

In the raised normal position of the carriage 242 and spreading fingers 240, the cam edges 258 hold the rollers 257 close together and the spreading fingers 240 engaged. Also, in the same position of the carriage 242 and said fingers 240, the rollers 257 coact with the cam edges 258, under the urge of the spring 256, to earn the carriage 242 downwardly and lower said fingers 240 to insert the lower ends thereof in the upper portion of a bag 32, and as said fingers 240 are thus lowered, the spring 256 swings their lower ends apart in the bag to spread the upper portion thereof, above the creaser blades 226, 227 in the cooperative creasing position of the latter, and as best shown in Figures l2, l4 and 15 in dotted lines.

The cam 250 has a low portion 260 (see Figure 12) which, when the conveyor 12 stops, with a bag 32 positioned for operation thereon by the bag-spreading and creasing mechanism 10, engages the follower roller 251, permits the lever 252 to swing forwardly, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 12, and the spring 256, rollers 257 and cam edges 258, to lower the carriage 242 and the spreading fingers 24!) to spread the upper portion of the bag 32 before the creaser blades 226, 227 are operated. Cr'easing of the bag 32 pulls the spread upper portion therof off the spreading fingers 249, and the cam 250 then operates against the follower roller 251 ,to cause raising of the carriage 242 and spreading fingers 240 back into normal position. During return of the carriage 242 and spreading fingers 240 to normal position, said spreading fingers are cammed by the cam edges 258 and the rollers 241 so as to swing the lower ends thereof together into engagement, in opposition to the spring 256, and thereby stretch operation.

Bag-spreading and sealing mechanism Referring now especially to Figures 1, 3, 16, 17 and 19 to 22; the bag-spreading and sealing mechanism 11 is located at the right end of the frame 1 and includes bagspreading devices which are a duplicate of those described with reference to the bag-spreading and creasing mechanism 10, and including a pair of bagspreading fingers 270 pivoted on a carriage 271 (see Figures 1 and 19) vertically slidable on posts 272, the fingers 276 being provided with rollers 273 riding cam edges 274 of vertical finger camming bars 275, under the urge of a spring 276, and a vertically rocking arm 277 on the rock shaft 245 operating said carriage when the shaft 245 is rocked by the cam 259 on the cam shaft 170, all as previously described with reference to the bag-spreading and creasing mechanism 10. As will be understood, the bagspreading fingers 270 operate simultaneously with the bag-spreading fingers 249 of the bag-spreading and creasing mechanism 10. In the rear of the bag-spreading fingers 27f), and slightly below said fingers, in the limit of lowered movementthereof, is an elongated, fixed lower sealing jaw 290, of a pair of sealing jaws, extending longitudinally, horizontally parallel with and over the conveyor 12 at the front of the frame 1., at a suitable height, such that bags 32 spread by the spreading fingers 271) may be folded at the line of the crease 32a. rearwardly over said jaw 299. The fixed jaw 290 is supported by a vertical flange 291 rising from the front beam 3 of the frame 1.

Cooperating with the lower fixed jaw 290 is an upper, elongated, and parallel movable jaw 292, spring-suspended, as at 293, for yielding movement vertically on a vertically rocking jaw carrier 294, pivoted, as at 295, on a pair of arms 296 upstanding from the fixed jaw 290. A guide pin 297' in the jaw carrier 294 suitably guides the movable jaw 292 in movement thereof relative to said carrier.

An operating arm 293 on the jaw carrier 294 extends rearwardly therefrom with a follower roller 299 thereon riding a cam 300, on the cam shaft 170, for rocking said carrier to lower the movable jaw 292 into clamping rela-( tion to the fixed jaw 299. A coil spring 301 connected, as shown, to said arm 298 and to said fixed jaw 290, maintains the follower roller 299 on the earn 300. The cam 300 is provided with a low normal full-cycle position of the cam shaft and said cam 30!), the follower roller 299 rests and whereby the coil spring 301'holds the operating arm 298 in a normal said spring for effective sector 302 on which, in the 11 position so that the jaw carrier 294 is swung to space the movable jaw 294 above the fixed jaw 290.

A pair of bag-folding arms 310 on opposite'sides of the finger carnming bars 275 depend from pivots 311 one pair of upstanding brackets 312 on the fixed jaw 290, and

are connected at lower'ends thereof by a bag folded blade 313, the arrangement being such that said arms 310 are swingable in front of the jaws 290, 292 toward and from the same for swinging the folder blade 313 into and out of the space between said jaws respectively. A coil spring 314 has its ends fixed to one of said arms 310 and to one of said brackets 312, and acts to swing said arms 310 and the folder blade 313 toward the jaws 290, 292. For swinging said arms 310 and the blade 313 away from said jaws 291), 292, said arms 310 are provided with rearwardly extending lever arms 315 engaged by apair of cams 316. The cams 316 are fast on a horizontal shaft 317 parallel with the axis of the pivots 311 and journaled at its ends behind the posts 272 in the brackets 312. A sprocket and chain drive 318 operatively connects the cam shaft 170 to said shaft 317. The cams 316, in the normal full-cycle position of the cam shaft 170, coact with the lever arms 315 to hold the bag folding arms 310 and the folder blade 313 in the forwardly swung normal position in which said blade 313 is spaced from the jaws 292, 294 sufficiently to permit the top portion of a bag 32 to travel between said blade 313 and the jaws 290, 292, as shown in Figures 3, 20, 22 in dotted lines.

The cam shaft 170, through the sprocket and chain drive 318, drives the shaft 317 and the cams 316 at a one-to-one ratio of speed and in the same direction as said shaft 17%. The cams 316 have a low sector 319, respectively, which, when said cams have revolved substantially a quarter revolution, from normal position, are engaged by the lever arms 315 to permit the spring 314 to swing the folding arms 319 toward the jaws 290, 292 so that the folder blade 313 enters between said jaws. The cams 316 then operate to lower said lever arms 315, clockwise as shown in Figures 20 to 22, to swing the folding arms 310 back to normal position and maintain the same and the folding blade 313 in normal position throughout the remainder of the cycle of revolution of said cams 316.

Referring now particularly to Figure 23, a heating coil 331i is suitably provided in the movable jaw 292 and which is connected by lines 331, 332 in the circuit-of a building, not shown, in which the machine is installed, the line 331 having a suitable switch 333 interposed therein and adapted to be closed by a solenoid 334. The

solenoid 334 is interposed in a circuit of the previously mentioned interconnected circuits, in parallel by an extension line 335 from the branch line 160 and a branch line 336 to the discharge line 29, the circuit being closed to the branch line 335 by the switch 78.

The bag-spreading and sealing mechanism 11 operates follows: When the cam 250 operates, to permit the spreading fingers 240 of the bag-spreading and creasing mechanism to be lowered, the bag-spreading fingers 270 are lowered in the same manner to spread the upper portion of a bag 32 above the crease 32a, as shown in Figures 19 and 20 in full lines. During this operation, the cam 250 has revolved to permit the follower roller 251 to ride on the low sector 260 thereof, as shown in Figure 21. As soon as the bag 32 is thus spread by the spreading fingers arms 315 of the folding arms 310, and the spring314 swings said arms 311 to move the folder blade 313 in between the jaws 290, 292 to fold the bag 32 upon itself in between said jaws at the crease 32a, as shown in Figure 21. The cams 316 then revol e the low sectors 319 away from said lever arms 315 and said cams swing said levers to swing the folder blade 313 away from the jaws 291 292 back to normal position. During'the described folding of the bag 32, the cam 300 revolves the low sector 302 thereof against the follower roller 299 until the folder blade 313 is swung out from between the jaws 290, 292, at which point said cam 300 operates the follower roller 299 and arm 298 to rock the jaw carrier 294 for lowering the movable jaw 292, as shown in Figure 22, until said jaw 292 clamps the folded portion 32b of the bag 32 together as shown in Figure 22, to seal said portion. At this point, after momentary pressure by the movable and heated jaw 292, the cam 309has revolved so that the follower 299 will again ride the low sector 302 of said 270, and as shown in Figure 19, the cams 316 revolve the low sectors 319 thereof opposite the lever earn and the spring 301 will rock the jaw carrier 294 back to normal position and raise said jaw 292. As the movable jaw 292 is clamped against the folded portion 3212, the cam 250 revolves the low sector 260 relative to the follower roller 251 so that the spreader fingers 270 begin to rise, as shown in Figure 22, toward normal position, like the spreader fingers 249, and are fully raised before the movable jaw 292 begins to rise. This renders the load on' the cam shaft 170 substantially uniform.

At this point it may be explained that the bags 32 used in this machine are of thermoplastic, plastic, such as cellophane, to react above the crease 3211, after creasing, into upright position, so that the spreading fingers 270 may enter the bags and so that after sealing, as described, under the action of heat, the folded portion 32b thereof will adhere together, under cooling, and hermetically seal the bag. Also, bags of such material will remain fiattened above the crease 32a sufiiciently so that the same can be fed by the conveyor 12 to the spreading and sealing mechanism 11 with the flattened portions close to and parallel with the jaWs290, 292.

Summary of operations la brief summary of a cycle of operation of the machine Wlll, when considered in conjunction with the foregoing, be sufiicient for a proper understanding of the invention.

With the switch closed, the motor 55 of the carriage drive for the automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism 8, and the motor 122 for the main drive shaft 120 of the machine are energized. The motor l, '2 and 16. When a quantity of potato chips is Weighed in either of the buckets 15, 16, the mercury switch 49 closes, in the manner described. This closes a circuit over lines 77, 82, 79 through solenoid 83 (see Figure 23), whereupon clutch-disengaging lever 84 is raised, clutch 61 engages for a single revolution, the Geneva wheel 67 is operated to drive the bucket carriage 20 toward dumping position and the timing mechanism 139 is operated by the driving gear 156, all as previously described.

As either bucket 15, 16 is moved from weighing position (see Figures 4, 5), the timing mechanism 139 is operated to advance the trip bar 151 and trip dog to set said mechanism, when the buckets 15, 16 are substantially midway between weighing and dumping position, and for retarded retraction of said trip bar 151 and trip dog 155 to momentarily close the switch 141 in a manner which will now be clear. This retraction of the trip bar 151 and the trip dog 155 is timed to effect closing of said switch 141 after either bucket 15, 16 has dumped and the contents have been dispensed through the spout 31.

During the foregoing operations, the clutch-disengaging lever 136 remains lowered, as shown in Figure 16,

the clutch 135 disengaged, the conveyor drive idle, and

theconveyor 12 at rest, so that an operator standingin front of the automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism may fill a bag 32 at the spout 31 with each dispensed quantity and place the filled bag in a pocket formed by a pair of the pocket-forming plates 19!) located in front of said spout.

When'the switch 141 is thus momentarily closed, a

circuit is closed (see Figure 23) over lines 77, 160, 161,

and 79 through solenoid 137 which raises clutch disengaging lever 136. Clutch 135 then engages to operate a single revolution and correspondingly drive the conveyor drive shaft 126, one revolution, to impart a step of movement to the conveyor 12. As the conveyor 12 completes the step of movement, the tappet cam 215 on the driven member 216 of the clutch 135 depresses the tappet arm 214 and rocks the rock shaft 210 clockwise as viewed, for instance, in Figures 14 and 16. This raises crank arm 212 and link 213, and clutch disengaging lever 207, so that the clutch 204 engages for a single revolution, whereby the cam shaft is driven a single revolu-. tion, counter-clockwise, as viewed in Figures 8, ll, l2, l6, and 20 to 21 and by the sprocket and chain drive 201, after the step of operation of the conveyor 12.

The cam shaft 170, duringits operation through a single revolution, simultaneously operates the bag-shaking mechanism 9, the bag-spreading and creasing mechanism mam 13 -10, and the bag-spreading and sealing mechanism 11, all In the manner previously set forth in the description of these mechanisms, and which it is not deemed necessary to repeat. As will be understood, said mechanisms 9, 10, 11 operate on filled bags 32 as such bags are brought by the conveyor 12 under the same.

At the end of the step of movement of the conveyor 12, after a line of bags 32 has been fed to the mechanisms 9, 10, 11 and has passed the same, the leading pair of pocket-forming plates 100 with a sealed bag therebetween rounds the conveyor driving sprocket wheel 97 and the plates of the pair separate by swinging apart, as shown in Figure 2, opposite said wheel to open the pocket as the bag rides ofi the trough 105 so that the bag is dropped through the conveyor for collection as desired.

The manual closing of the switch 78 closes circuit over lines 77, 160, 335, 336 and 77 through. the solenoid 334 so that the heating coil 330 for the movable jaw 292 may be preheated before starting the machine."

The foregoing will, it is believed, sufiice to impart a clear understanding of my invention, without further explanation.-

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a machine for packaging potato chips in bags, intermittently operative automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism at which bags held by an operator may be filled with weighed quantities of potato chips and performing Weighing and dispensing operations alternately, a series of bag-shaking, bag-spreading and creasing, and bag spreading and sealing mechanisms, respectively, equidistantly spaced apart in line for operation on a line of filled bags, a conveyor for carrying a line of filled bags placed thereon by the operator at said weighing and dispensing mechanism to said series of mechanisms below the series, means on the conveyor for holding the filled bags upright and spaced apart according to the spacing of said series of mechanisms, a conveyor drive for operating the conveyor step-by-step in degree corresponding to the spacing between the series of mechanisms to position the bags below said series of mechanisms, timing mechanism for the conveyor drive operative under control of said weighing and dispensing mechanism to cause said drive to operate the conveyor one step between alternate weighing and dispensing operations and to rest during dispensing operations while the bags are being filled and placed on said conveyor, and drive mechanism for said series of mechanisms operative by the conveyor drive and timed to operate said series while the conveyor is at rest.

2. In a machine for packaging potato chips in bags, intermittently operative automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism at which bags held by an operator may be filled with weighed quantities of potato chips and performing weighing and dispensing operations alternately, a series of bag-shaking, bag-spreading and creasing, and bag spreading and sealing mechanisms, respectively, equidistantly spaced apart in line for operation on a line of filled bags, a conveyor for carrying a line of filled oags placed thereon by the operator at said weighing and dispensing mechanism to said series of mechanisms-below the series, means on the conveyor for holding the filled bags upright and spaced apart according to the spacing of said series of mechanisms, a conveyor drive for operating the conveyor step-by-step in degree corresponding to the spacing between the series of mechanisms to position the bags below said series of mechanisms, timing mechanism for the conveyor drive operative under control of said weighing and dispensing mechanism to cause said drive to operate the conveyor one step between alternate weighing and dispensing operations and to rest during dispensing operations while the bags are being filled and placed on said conveyor, drive mechanism for said series of mechanisms operative by the conveyor drive, and timing mechanism for the last-named drive mechanism operative by the conveyor drive to cause said last named drive to operate said series while the conveyor is at rest.

3. In a machine for packaging potato chips in bags, intermittently operative automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism at which bags held by an operator may be filled with weighed quantities of potato chips and performing weighing and dispensing operations alternately, a series of bag-shaking, bag-spreading and creasing, and

. "14 bag spreading and sealing mechanisms, respectively, equidistantly spaced apart in line for operation on a line of filled bags, a conveyor for carrying a line of filled bags placed thereon by the operator at said weighing and dispensing mechanism to said series of mechanisms below the series, means on the conveyor for holding the filled bags upright and spaced apart according to the spacing of said series of mechanisms, a conveyor drive for operating the conveyor step-by-step in degree corresponding to the spacing between the series of mechanisms to position the bags below said series of mechanisms, timing mechanim for the conveyor drive operative under control of said weighing and dispensing mechanism to cause said drive to operate the conveyor one step between alternate weighing and dispensing operations and, to rest during dispensing operations whilethe bags are being filled and placed on said conveyor, and drive mechanism for said series of mechanisms operative by the conveyor drive to operate said series while the conveyor is at rest, said holding means comprisingpocketforming devices automatically operative after operation of said series of mechanisms to open the pockets and drop the filled bags. 7 v v 4. In a machine for packaging potato chips in bags, an automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism at which bags held by an operator may be filled with weighed quantities of potatochips, and including a reciprocating carriage movable into weighing and dispensing positions, respectively, to weigh and dispense a quantity of the potato chips, an intermittently operating drive for said carriage, means operated by said mechanism in the weighing position of said carriage to render said drive eifective intermittently, a conveyor for carrying filled bags. away from said mechanism, a conveyor drive, timing mechanism for said conveyor drive operative by said carriage drive to cause said conveyor drive'to drive said'conv'eyor while the carriage is moving between said positions and comprising a timing member intermittently set by said carriage drive for retarded operation to render said conveyor drive operative to drive the conveyor one step between weighing and dispensing operations and to rest intermittently in'the dispensing position of said carriage and between dispensing operations whereby bags may be filled and placed on the conveyor while the conveyor is at rest.

5. In a machine for packaging potato chips in bags, intermittently operating automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism at which bags held by an operator may be filled with weighed quantities of potato chips, a conveyor for carrying filled bags of potato chips placed thereon by the operator away from said mechanism, a conveyor drive, timing mechanism for the conveyor drive operative under control of said weighing and dispensing mechanism to cause the conveyor to rest intermittently between dispensing operations whereby the bags may be filled and placed on the conveyor while the same is at rest comprising a member intermittently set by the weighing and dispensing mechanism for retarded operation to render the conveyor drive operative intermittently, and air cushioned means for variably retarding said member for accurate timing. I

6. In a machine for packaging potato chips in bags, intermittently operating automaticweighing and dispensing mechanism at which bags held by an'operator maybe filled with weighed quantities of potato chips, a conveyor for carrying filled bags of potato chips placed thereon by the operator away from said mechanism, a conveyor drive, timing mechanism for the conveyor drive operative under control of said weighing and dispensing mechanism to cause the conveyor to rest intermittently during dispensing operations whereby the bags may be filled and placed on the conveyor while the same is at rest comprising a clutch in the conveyor drive, electromagnetic means for controlling said clutch, an electric circuit for the electromagnetic means, a switch for closing said circuit, and a member intermittently set by said weighing and dispensing mechanism for retarded operation to close said switch;

7. In a machine for packaging potato chips in bags, weighing and dispensing mechanism at which bags may be filled by an operator with weighed quantities of potato chips and including a carriage movable into opposite limitsof movement, a pair of weighing and dumping buckets on said carriage carriedthereby alternately into weighing and dumping positions in the.opposite limitsfof movement of the carriage, a drive for operating the cargrosses riage intermittently,,a conveyor for. carrying filled bags placed thereon by the operator away from said mechanism, a conveyor drive, and timing mechanism for the conveyor drive operative under control of the carriage drive to cause the conveyor to rest during dispensing operations and to move between weighing and dumping positions of said buckets whereby the bags may be filled and placed on the conveyor while the same is at rest after each dispensing operation and moved by the conveyor before each dispensing operation, said timing mechanism comprising a; member tripped by said carriage drive for operation to render the. conveyor drive operative.

8. In a machine for packaging potato chips in bags, weighing and dispensing mechanism at which bags may be filled by an operator with Weighed quantities of potato chips and including a carriage movable into opposite limits of movement, a pair of Weighing and dumping buckets on said carriage carried thereby alternately into weighing and dumpingpositions in the opposite limits of movement of the carriage, a drive for operating the .carriage intermittently, a conveyor for carrying filled bags placed thereon by the operator away from said mechanism, a conveyor drive, and timing mechanism for the conveyor drive operative under control of the carriage drive to cause the conveyor to rest during dispensing operations and tomove between weighing and dumping positions of said buckets whereby the bags may be filled and placed on the conveyor while the same is at rest after each dispensing operation and moved by the conveyor befor each dispensing operation, said timing mechanism including a member intermittently set by the carriage drive for retarded operation to render the conveyor drive operatlve.

9. In a machine for packaging potato chips in bags, weighing and dispensing mechanism at which bags may be filled by an operator with weighed quantities of potato chips and including a carriage movable into opposite limits of movement, a pair of weighing and dumping buckets on said carriage carried thereby alternately into weighing and dumping positions in the opposite limits of movement of the carriage, a drive for operating the carriage intermittently, a conveyor for carrying filled bags placed thereon by the operator away from said mechanism, a conveyor drive, timing mechanism for the conveyor drive operative under control of the carriage drive to cause the conveyor to rest during dispensing operations and to move between weighing and dumping positions of said buckets whereby the bags may be filled and placed on the conveyor while the same is at rest after each dispensing operation and moved by the conveyor before each dispensing operation, said timing mechanism including a member intermittently set by the carriage drive for retarded operation to render the conveyor drive operative, and air cushioned means for variably retarding said member.

10. In amachine for packaging potato chips in bags, weighing and dispensing mechanism at which bags may be filled by an operator with weighed quantities of potato chips and including a carriage movable into opposite limits of movement, a pair ofweighing and dumping buckets on said carriage carried thereby alternately into weighing and dumping positions in the opposite limits of movement of the carriage, a drive for operating the carriage intermittently, a conveyor for carrying filled bags placed thereon by the operator away from said mechanism, a conveyor drive, and timing mechanism for the conveyor drive operative under control of the carriage drive to cause the conveyor to rest during dispensing operations and to move between weighing and dumping positions of said buckets whereby the bags may be filled and placed on the conveyor while the same is at rest after each dispensing operation and moved by the conveyor before each dispensing operation, said timing mechanism including a clutch in the conveyor drive, electromagnetic means for controlling said clutch, an electric circuit for the electromagnetic means, a switch for closing said circuit, and a member intermittently set by the carriage drive for retarded operation to close said switch,

ll. In a machine for packaging potato chips in bags, automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism at'which bags held by an operator may be filled with weighed quantities of potato chips, a drive for intermittently operating said mechanism, a conveyor for carrying the filled bags placed thereon by the operator away from said mechanism, timing mechanism to cause the conveyor to rest during dispensing operations whereby the bags maybe filled and placed on the conveyor while the same ls at rest comprising electrically controlled means for causing intermittent operation of the conveyor including a circuit,

a normally open switch for said circuit including a resilient arm adapted to be tripped to close said switch, a rod mounted for advance and retraction endwise, a pivoted trip bar carried by said rod and swingable during advance of said rod for positioning to trip said arm when the rod is retracted, means operative by said drive to intermittently advance said rod and swing said bar, and means to retract said bar after advance thereof with a retarded action.

12. In a machine for packaging potato chips in bags, automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism at which bags held by an operator may be filled with weighed quantitles of potato chips, a drive for intermittently operating said mechanism, a conveyor for carrying the filled bags placed thereon by the operator away from said mechanism, timing mechanism to cause the conveyor to rest during dispensing operations whereby the bags may be filled and placed on the conveyor While the same is at rest comprising electrically controlled means for causing intermittent operation of the conveyor including a circuit, a normally open switch for said circuit including a resilient arm adapted to be tripped to close said switch, a rod mounted for advance and retraction endwise, a pivoted trip bar carried by said rod and swingable during advance of said rod for positioning to trip said arm when the rod is retracted, means operative by said drive to intermittently advance said rod and swing said bar, and means to retract said bar after advance thereof with a retarded action, the means operative by said drive including a revolving crank pin intermittently connected to said bar.

13. In a machine for packaging potato chips in bags, an automatic weighing and dispensing .mechanism at which bags held by an operator may be filled with weighed quantities of potato chips, and including a reciprocating carriage movable into weighing and dispensing positions, respectively, to weigh and dispense a quantity of the potato chips, an intermittently operating drive for said carriage, means operated by said mech anism in the weighing position of said carriage to render said drive effective intermittently, a conveyor for carrying filled bags away from said mechanism, a conveyor drive, timing mechanism for said conveyor drive operative by said carriage drive to cause said conveyor drive to drive said conveyor while the carriage is moving between said positions and comprising a timing member intermittently set by said carriage drive for retarded operation to render said conveyor drive operative to drive the conveyor one step between weighing and dispensing operations and to rest intermittently in the dispensing position of said carriage and between dispensing operations whereby bags may be filled and placed on the conveyor while the conveyor is at rest, means for variably retarding said member for accurate timing, a bag spreading the sealing mechanism mounted over said conveyor and beneath which the bags are conveyed successively by the conveyor, and a drive for said bag spreading and sealing mechanism operative by the conveyor drive under control of said member to operate said spreading and sealing mechanism while the conveyor is at rest and each bag is below said bag spreading and scaling mechanism.

14. The combination of claim 13, the last named drive including a clutch disengaged under control of said timing mechanism.

15. The combination of claim 13, Said last named drive including a clutch, and means for disengaging said clutch including an electric circuit closed by said timing mechanism.

16. The combination of claim 13, said spreading and sealing mechanism including a vertically movable carriage with spreader fingers thereonand lowered by said last named drive to dispose the fingers in spreading relation to the bags.

17. In a machine for packaging potato chips in bags, intermittently operating automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism at whiclrbags held by an operator may be filled with weighed quantities of potato chips, a conveyor for carrying filled bags of potato chips placed thereon by the operator away from said mechanism, a conveyor drive, timing mechanism for the conveyor drive operative under control of said weighing and dispensing mechanism to cause the conveyor to rest intermittently between dispensing operations whereby the bags may be filled and placed on the conveyor while the same is at rest, said timing mechanism being intermittently set by the weighing and dispensing mechanism for retarded operation to render the conveyor drive operative intermittently, and air cushioned means for variably retarding said member for accurate timing.

18. In a machine for packaging potato chips in bags, automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism at which bags held by an operator may be filled with weighed quantities of potato chips and including a reciprocating carriage movable into weighing and dispensing positions, respectively, to weigh and dispense a quantity of the potato chips, an intermittently operating drive for said carriage, means operated by said mechanism in the weighing position of said carriage to render said drive effective intermittently, a conveyor for carrying filled bags away from said mechanism, a conveyor drive, timing mechanism for said conveyor drive operative by said carriage drive to cause said conveyor drive to drive said conveyor while the carriage is moving between said positions and comprising a timing member intermittently set by said carriage drive for retarded operation to render the conveyor drive operative to drive the conveyor one step between weighing and dispensing operations and to rest intermittently in the dispensing position of said car riage and between dispensing operations whereby bags may be filled and placed on the conveyor while the conveyor is at rest, said conveyor drive including a drive control clutch, electro-magnetic means controlling said clutch, an electric circuit for said electro-magnetic means, and a switch for closing said circuit operative by said member as an incident to retarded operation of said member.

19. In a machine for packaging potato chips in bags, automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism at which bags held by an operator may be filled with weighed quantities of potato chips, a drive for intermittently operating said mechanism, filled bags placed thereon by the operator away from said mechanism, timing mechanism to cause the cona conveyor for carrying the 49 veyor to rest during dispensing operations whereby the bags may be filled and placed on the conveyor while the same is at rest comprising electrically controlled means for causing intermittent operation of the conveyor including a circuit, a normally open switch for said circuit including a resilient arm adapted to be tripped to close said switch, a rod mounted for advance and retraction endwise, a pivoted trip bar carried by said rod and swingable during advance of said rod for positioning to trip said arm when the rod is retracted, means operative by said drive to advance said rod and swing said bar, and means to retract said bar after advance thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 733,460 Cormack July 14, 1903 1,372,480 Buschman Mar. 22, 1921 1,425,251 Gwinn Aug. 8, 1922 1,686,404 Callahan Oct. 2, 1928 1,729,991 Bond Oct. 1, 1929 1,781,714 Anderson Nov. 18, 1930 1,851,676 Litchfield Mar. 29, 1932 1,886,552 Joplin Nov. 8, 1932 2,049,757 Baker Aug. 4, 1936 2,100,874 Ryan Nov. 30, 1937 2,146,860 Shaw Feb. 14, 1939 2,225,429 Dostal Dec. 17, 1940 2,277,288 Berch Mar. 24, 1942 2,288,300 Ray June 30, 1942 2,353,005 Behrent July 4, 1944 2,356,472 Rothaug Aug. 22, 1944 2,364,519 Coffman Dec. 5, 1944 2,390,302 Henricksen Dec. 4, 1945 2,455,433 Matsen et al. Dec. 7, 1948 2,482,609 Berch Sept. 20, 1949 2,519,102 Bergstern Aug. 15, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 523,260 Great Britain July 10. 1940

Images