Spee-dee Packaging Machinery, Inc.

David J Hill

James P Navin

Bi-leaved valve apparatus for controlling bulk material flow from a bulk material metering apparatus. A bi-leaved valve apparatus comprises a cylindrical flow tube defining an axial material passageway, an outlet and a flow tube actuation surface. A valve support is mounted about the flow tube adjacent the flow tube outlet such that the valve support and flow tube are relatively rotatable. A pair of leaves are attached to the valve support and are sized to seal the flow tube outlet. The leaves are movable between open and closed orientations and have a valve actuation surface adjacent the flow tube actuation surface. An actuator causes relative rotational movement of the flow tube and valve support such that rotation to a first relative position causes the flow tube and valve actuation surfaces to open the leaves and rotation to a further relative position causes the leaves to close. The valve apparatus may be used with bulk material metering machines such as vertical form/fill/seal packaging machines.

Bi-leaved valve apparatus

A metering and packaging device includes several cups fixed to rotate about a shaft. These cups are positioned under hopper outlets during a portion of their rotation to receive bulk material, and over passages through a bottom plate during another portion of their rotation to dump bulk material into weigh buckets. The outlets, cups and passages through the bottom plat are angularly displaced from one another such that the cups drop measured portions of bulk material in an alternating fashion into the weigh buckets, and the weigh buckets drop the portions into a packaging machine in an alternating fashion into a packaging machine which separately packages each successive and alternately dropped portion.

Apparatus for metering and packaging bulk particulate material

A quick-connect coupling facilitates the connection of an auger of a dispensing mechanism to the drive shaft of the dispensing mechanism so as to firmly lock the auger from radial, axial, or rotational movement with respect to the drive shaft while inhibiting contamination and facilitating cleaning. The coupling includes a male portion provided on the auger shaft and including one or more pins, a female portion formed in the adapter shaft and including one or more axial and peripheral slots, and a key which firmly locks the pin in the peripheral slot. The key includes a retainer which is affixed to a sleeve or other device serving as a guide and support for the retainer. Upon downward movement of the sleeve along the drive shaft, the retainer acts as a cam to lock the pins in position. If the dispensing mechanism employs an adapter shaft as the drive shaft, an improved quick-connect coupling may also be provided to attach the adapter shaft to the drive mechanism output shaft.

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Racine, WI, United States of America

David J Hill