General Mills, Inc.

John E Korte

Rodney K Gwiazdon

Richard S Deadmond

Frank C Starr

Robert D Devlin

Robb W Roloff

Wayne A Smith

A device for opening bags (12) held in fixtures (32) movable in an operation direction is disclosed including first and second suction cups (104, 106). The first suction cups (104) are mounted to an elongated bar (108) slideably mounted on posts (112) in turn upstanding from pivot arms (110). The elongated bar (108) can be slid on the posts (112) to an upper, transport position allowing passage of the fixtures (32) and bags (12) held therein. The second suction cups (106) are mounted to the lower ends of rods (114) mounted to a slide shaft (116), with sliding of the slide shaft (116) moving the rods (114) and suction cups (106) from a transport position intermediate the lanes of the fixtures (32) as they move in the operation direction and an attachment position in front of the bags (12). The slide shaft (116) and the rods (114) are tilted along an arc to open the unsealed ends (22) of the bags (12). During opening, the bottoms (16) of the bags (12) deform around first and second, stationary pins (280) which then sandwich the top gussets of the sides (18) of the bags (12) against the tops (14) of the bags (12). After release of the suction cups (104, 106), the tops (14) of the bags (12) deform around the stationary pins (280) when the fixtures (32) move in the operation direction.

Apparatus for opening microwave popcorn bags

The front bag (12) of a supply of bags (12) stored in a magazine (250) is removed by an unloading device (252) including four linkages (254, 256, 258, 260) which are pivoted to attach suction cups (264) thereto. The unloading device (252) inserts the bag (12) between nip rollers (52, 54) including spaced wheels (56, 58) which drive the bag (12) downward until the closed end (20) rests upon an adjustable stop (72). A tucking plate (90) moves from a retracted position to an extended position generally perpendicular to the bag (12) to drive the bag (12) into a slot (46) of a fixture (32), with the bag (12) having a U-shaped configuration around the tucking plate (90). The bag (12) is prevented from moving from the slot (46) with the tucking plate (90) as the tucking plate (90) moves from the extended position to the retracted position by a compression roller (208) pivotable by a cam (214) movable with the tucking plate (90) to sandwich the side edges of the bag (12).

Apparatus for folding and loading microwave popcorn bags into a fixture

An apparatus (10) is disclosed including a first pushing plate (172) removably secured to a second pushing plate (174) and movable to eject bags (12) from fixtures (32) into pockets (186). The second pushing plate (174) ejects any defective bags (12) remaining when the first pushing plate (172) is not secured or movable with the second pushing plate (174) in the prior intermittent position. The pockets (186) are rotatable to an inverted position where the bags (12) are removed by lugs (230) upstanding from movable lands (228). The lands (228) are pivotable to be in a non-interfering position with the rotation of the pockets (186). A finger (294) is pivotally mounted to a vertically reciprocated carriage (288) to place the bags (12) on conveyors (200) from the lands (228). In the preferred form, a bending bar (184) is positioned to prevent the bags (12) from flying out of the fixtures (32) as they move in the operation direction from a horizontal portion to a vertical portion and to fold back the portions of the bags (12) extending out of the fixtures (32) before they are ejected from the fixtures (32) by the first pushing plate (172).

Apparatus for folding and ejecting microwave popcorn bags from a fixture

An apparatus (10) is disclosed including fixtures (32) mounted to carrier bars (30) removably secured to roller chains (24) extending in parallelogram-shaped closed loops. In a first, vertical portion of the closed loops, bags (12) are loaded into the fixtures (32) in a folded condition by a loading device (50). Guides (274) prevent the bags (12) from moving from the fixtures (32) when the fixtures (32) move from the first, vertical portion to a second, horizontal portion. The bags (12) are opened by suction cups (104, 106) and filled with product and then collapsed and sealed in the horizontal portion. Guides (184) prevent the bags (12) from moving from the fixtures (32) when the fixtures (32) move from the second, horizontal portion to a third, vertical portion and bend the portions of the bags (12) extending out of the fixtures (32) at a nonlinear angle to the fixtures (32). The bags (12) are ejected from the fixtures (32) in the third, vertical portion by reciprocal pushing plates (172, 174). The bags (12) are ejected into pockets (186). Lugs (230) extending from lands (228) push the bags (12) from the pockets (186) in an inverted position as the lands (228) move from an inner position to an outer position. The free ends of fingers (294) abut with the bags (12) as the lands (228) move from the outer position to the inner position to position the bags (12) on a conveyor (200) and under slide bars (240).

Apparatus for folding, filling, and sealing microwave popcorn bags

An apparatus (10) is disclosed including an abutment (282) in the form of an elongated rod positioned in front of the sealing intermittent position which rearwardly deflects the portions of bags (12) extending out of fixtures (32) moving in an operation direction. The bags (12) then slap forwardly against a stop (284) as the fixtures (32) reach the sealing intermittent position, with the stop (284) being in the form of a plate carried by the sealing jaw (146) of the sealing position. Arms (136) are pivoted between a transport position spaced from the fixtures (32) and a compression position to engage a rod (138) with the bags (12) above an expansion prevention bar (49) of the fixtures 32 to deflect the product located in the bags (12) into a more planar condition.

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Cedar Rapids, IA, United States of America

John E Korte