Bagging and packaging machine capable of filling a proper quantity of inert gas into bags

Abstract

A bagging and packaging machine for forming a bag from a strip of bag material and introducing an article into the bag includes a gas supply unit for supplying an inert gas into the bag to substitute for air contained in the bag and a gas supply control means for controlling supply of the inert gas by the gas supply means into the bag. The bagging and packaging machine is designed to allow the inert gas to be supplied under high pressure at a flow rate sufficient to increase the gas replacement rate in the bag when the machine is started, to be supplied under low pressure at a flow rate lower than the high pressure flow rate during a bagging and packaging operation subsequent to the start of the machine. Should the machine is temporarily brought to a halt, the length of time T passing from the timing at which the machine is temporarily brought to a halt is counted by a timer without the supply of the inert gas being interrupted, so that the supply of the inert gas can be interrupted at a timing the counted length of time exceeds a low pressure gas supply time T . In this way, without the bag being bitten during bagging and/or the bagging and packaging speed being lowered, not only can the inert gas be sufficiently filled in the bag to achieve a high gas replacement rate, but the amount of the inert gas supplied can also be suppressed.