Fluent material handling – with receiver or receiver coacting mea – With conveying means to supply successive receivers – With relatively movable receiver grip or centering means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-22
2001-08-07
Douglas, Steven O. (Department: 3751)
Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea
With conveying means to supply successive receivers
With relatively movable receiver grip or centering means
C141S114000, C141S391000, C141S316000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06269849
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an improved semi-automated apparatus for the filling of bags or other containers with sand or other materials amenable to packaging and a method for the operation of the apparatus.
2. Background of the Invention
From its first manufacture and availability the shovel remains the prime tool for use in filling containers of many sizes with such materials as sand for protection from flooding, as well as for other loose and granular materials normally loose packaged in bags, sacks and boxes. Except for its almost universal availability, economy and portability, the shovel is also the least efficient method of bagging sand in times of emergency when large quantities of sandbags are required in a short period of time.
With modern mechanization many machines for this purpose have been patented and manufactured, all designed to do basically only one thing, fill a bag. Few of the inventors of those machines have exhibited any concern whatsoever for operator convenience, safety, comfort or fatigue. Few innovations have been presented in those areas and too many are overly complicated, difficult to operate and maintain and expensive to manufacture. Presented herein is an easy to manufacture, simple in operation, fast, safe and uncomplicated apparatus wherein the operators are seated in a spacious work area and are able to concentrate on the prime function of filling a container while others remove them from the operators' area, therefore allowing each operator to more rapidly present another bag to the apparatus, thus increasing production in a generally critical situation.
DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
REFERENCES CITED
U.S. Pat. Nos.
5,215,127
June 1, 1993
Bergeron
5,417,261
May 23, 1995
Kanzler-Eiler (gravity)
5,437,318
August 1, 1995
Kanzler-Eiler (motorized)
5,752,367
May 19, 1998
VerMehren
5,806,576
September 15, 1998
Sutherlin
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,367 to VerMehren issued May 19, 1998, a reciprocating drawer feeding two filling stations is described which requires the use of complicated gravity operated trap doors, a constantly reversing motor, gears and racks and dependent upon limit or proximity switches which require timers or other delay mechanisms with attendant complicated electrical circuitry to control the movement. The overall configuration of that machine restricts upper receiving and storage hopper size, thereby reducing the capability of continuous operation. As with virtually all bag filling machines on the market this one also requires that the operators be standing. An additional disadvantage is that each operator must work around a support post of the apparatus which presents another impediment to comfort, ease and speed. The VerMehren patent's alternate embodiment of a generally circular feed requires eight trap doors, unnecessarily complicating a mechanism that must operate in a gritty and highly abrasive application and increasing both the expense and potential for breakdown.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,127 to Bergeron issued Jun. 1, 1993, a multiple loading chute circular configuration, requires that the operators be standing with the added disadvantage of a required synchronization of the efforts of multiple operators. It would also appear that the machine must have an operator at each of the 12 stations at all times of operation to capture the falling material being distributed automatically to each chute in turn from a hopper at the top of the apparatus. With the rotary feed head each operator whose bag has just been filled must wait until material has fallen down every other operator's chute before material falls down again to that operator.
The final exit chutes of both of these machines require that both of the operators' hands be used to hold the bags onto the discharge chutes while filling them and there is apparently no provision for wear, which will be considerable in such a gritty environment. The Bergeron machine's upper feed hopper is exceptionally small and very high relative to the other available machines, thereby requiring the use of a conveyor system rather than the more commonly available front end loader.
The Kanzler-Eiler U.S. Pat. No. 5,417,261 issued May 23,1995 and the Kanzler-Eiler U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,318 issued Aug. 1, 1995 appear to differ mainly in the addition of a motorized auger in the hopper to better distribute the filling material to the multiple exit chutes on the bottom of the machine. While the apparatus can accommodate up to four operators, in pratice these operators must back away from their operating position, turn around and hand off their filled bag. The operators must stand on only one foot while frequently using the other foot to depress a spring return pedal to control the amount of sand falling into their container, apparently the only method of controlling filling volume or weight. There is no automatic filled container removal.
Because of the configuration of the apparatus each operator must work shoulder to shoulder with others, heads frequently jammed against the hopper to be able to reach under it to the discharge chute to attach a bag, which must be held onto the exit chute with both hands while filling.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,576 to Sutherlin issued Sep. 15, 1998, bags are held onto a plurality of discharge chutes with air cylinder clamps and removable collars but the bags must each be attached to a removable collar prior to being inserted into multiple holes and the hydraulic holding apparatus activated. All of the mounted bags are then filled essentially at once. Then all of the bags must be removed individually before loading another set of bag and collar assemblies. It appears that rapid production would difficult because of the complications of operation and construction of such a machine would be unduly complicated and expensive.
None of the above machines appear to have any provision for automatic filled bag removal. Each operator must remove his/her own filled bag from the filling station and hand it off to someone or place it somewhere. All apparently lack any mechanism for controlling the volume and therefore the weight of the filling material and all appear to require standing operators with faces mashed against the machine. None have any apparent provision for wear and most present a crowded work area with a high fatigue potential. At least one other machine is designed to be mounted on a dump truck thus tying up a valuable resource for the duration of the bag filling operation. Some machines require squatting to operate the bag filling mechanism, a very uncomfortable position. Several machines require that the operator use one hand to operate a chute opening handle thus increasing the risk that the bag will slip off the chute while filling and spill some or all of its contents.
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES
The apparatus described herein relates to a device for the filling of bags, generally sandbags, and other containers which overcomes many of the faults of the aforementioned patents and others. The upper hopper's configuration virtually doubles the storage area of a single chute hopper, friction pans drastically reduce wear on hard to service areas, replaceable wear bars simplify maintenance, the rolling drawer assembly design facilitates the deposit of a uniform amount and therefore weight of filling material into the containers. Additionally, the motion of that unit with unrestricted flow-through compartments automatically receives and drops filling material relatively gradually instead of all at once and therefore minimizes any clogging of the final exit chute. Bags are held on with only one of an operator's hands instead of requiring two so that the operator may both hold a bag onto the chute with one hand while reaching for a replacement bag with the other thereby increasing the speed of filling many bags in an emergency situation. Once a bag has been filled, simply turning it loose starts a gravity operated action of the rotating bag support/ejector plate which immediately clears the operator&apos
LandOfFree
Filling machine for sandbags and other containers does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Filling machine for sandbags and other containers, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Filling machine for sandbags and other containers will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2536545