AU2003200524B2 - Guide Troughs for Weighing Buckets and Chutes - Google Patents

Description

Guide Troughs for Weighing Buckets and Chutes Technical Field The present invention relates to packaging machines and particularly to the product delivery services extending between a weigher and a former of a packaging apparatus.

Background of the Invention Packaging apparatus includes a weigher that delivers discreet batches of product to a chute extending to a former. The former receives stripped bag material and forms the bag material into a tubular configuration. The product is delivered to the interior of the tubular bag material, with the tube bag material being subsequently longitudinally and io transversely sealed and cut to form discreet packages.

The surfaces over which the product passes between the weigher and former include the internal surfaces of the weigher buckets, a weigher chute and further chute extending between the lower end of the weigher chute and the former.

In the operation of the above discussed weighing and packaging apparatus, product "dumped" from the weighing buckets falls past the weigher chute and then pass the next chute. Both these chutes converge downwardly so that should the product have any angular velocity when it exits the bucket or subsequently gains angular velocity (about the longitudinal axis of the chutes), that angular velocity will increase due to the converging sides of those chutes. Any product that has an angular velocity will have an increased travel time in respect of reaching the former. This angular velocity may also result in product damage due to impact with either the chutes and/or adjacent product.

Object of the Invention It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantages.

Summary of the Invention There is disclosed herein a weigher bucket for a weigher of a packaging machine that delivers product to a chute having a vertical axis, said bucket including a pair of spaced side walls between which a bottom wall extends, and over which the product passes, said bottom wall having at least one trough to control the trajectory of the product leaving the bucket to minimise angular velocity of the product about the vertical axis of the chute.

There is further disclosed herein a chute, having a substantially vertical axis, for a packaging apparatus, the chute being adapted to receive batches of product from weighing buckets, and wherein said chute has a side wall that surrounds said axis and that [R:ALIB'IT0O3192specidoc:hxa 2 converges downwardly from an upper opening to a lower opening, and an internal surface over which the product passes, with said internal surface providing a plurality of radially and axially downwardly extending troughs which engage the product to inhibit angular movement thereof about said axis.

s There is also disclosed herein, in combination: a weigher for a packaging machine, the weigher having buckets that deliver product batches, each bucket including a pair of spaced side walls between which a bottom extends, and over which the product passes, said bottom wall having at least one trough to control the trajectory of the product leaving the bucket to minimise angular a0 velocity of the product about the vertical axis of the chute; and a chute having a substantially vertical axis and that receive the batches of product from the weighing buckets, and wherein said chute has a side wall converging downwardly from an upper opening to a lower opening, and an internal surface over which the product passes.

Preferably, said internal surface has a plurality of radially and axially downwardly extending troughs that engage the batches of product.

Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is schematic part section side elevation of a weigher and associated chutes of a packaging machine; Figure 2 is a schematic top plan view of a series of modifications to buckets employed in the weigher of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a series of schematic side elevations of a weighing bucket and portion of an associated chute; Figure 4 is a schematic end elevation of a series of profiles that may be employed in the chutes and buckets of Figures 2 and 3.

Figure 5 is a schematic top plan view of a chute of Figure 1; and Figure 6 is a schematic section of the side elevation of the chute of Figure Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments In the accompanying drawings, there is schematically depicted a weigher The weigher 10 has a plurality of weighing buckets 11 that weigh batches of product and deliver the batches to an upper chute 12. The upper chute 12 in turn delivers the weighed batches of product to a lower chute 13 that would be located above a former of a packaging machine. The product is delivered to the interior of tubular bag material, with I RALIBTT]03 !92specidoe:kx 00 3 ,I the tubular bag material being longitudinally and transversely sealed, and transversely cut tto form discreet bags of the product. The chute 12 is frusto-conical in configuration and Shas an upper edge 14 and a lower edge 15. The chute 13 is of a parabolic configuration and has an upper edge 16 and a lower edge 17.

Each of the buckets 11 includes a fixed portion 18 with which there is associated with a movable bucket door 19. The bucket doors 19 are pivotally mounted and are t moved by actuators 20 between an open position and a closed position relative to the Sfixed portion 18. When a required weight of product is contained within the bucket 11, Cc the bucket door 19 is opened to release the batch of product for delivery to a packaging 0o machine located below the former. Typically, the doors 19 would be opened in sequence so as to be in phase with the operation of the packaging machine.

Each bucket 11 includes a pair of spaced upwardly extending side walls 21 between which there extends a bottom wall 22. The bottom wall 22 has one or more downwardly extending troughs 23 which engage the product so as to inhibit angular movement thereof about the vertical axis X. That is, the troughs 23 engage the product to control the trajectory of the product to eliminate or at least minimise any angular velocity of the product about the vertical axis X.

Each of the troughs 23 tapers from a maximum width adjacent the lower edge of the fixed portion 18, to a minimum width adjacent the upper linear edge 30 of the fixed portion 18. In this embodiment, each of the troughs 23 increases in depth from the rear edge 24.

The troughs 23 may be of an arcuate configuration, configuration or a "W" configuration or other configurations as shown in figure 4. Still further, individual troughs 23 may be spaced by means of ridges The chute 12 has an internal surface 26 provided with a plurality of downwardly extending troughs 27, which in this embodiment are aligned with the troughs 23. The troughs 27 do not have an angular direction of extension, that is they do not extend angularly about the axis X and therefore prevent or at least inhibit the batches of product having any angular velocity above the axis X. Accordingly, the troughs 27 are radially and axially extending. The troughs 27 therefore control the trajectory of the batches of product passing the chute 13. Again, the troughs 27 may be arcuate, in transverse cross-section or include a plurality of ridges.

1153824-1:KEH 00 4 The chute 13 has a plurality of downwardly extending troughs 28 which are aligned with the troughs 27. Again, the troughs 28 do not have an angular direction of Sextension about the axis X and therefore direct the product towards the lower opening 29 so as to eliminate or at least inhibit the product having any angular velocity about the axis X. Accordingly, the troughs 27 are radially and axially extending. Preferably, the troughs 23 are aligned with the troughs 27 that are in turn aligned with the troughs 28.

SIt is also preferable for the troughs 27 to be aligned with the troughs 28 on the Sopposite side of the axis X so that should product travel across the interior of the chute Cc 13, the product will engage a trough 28 on the opposite side to thereby again inhibit to angular movement of the product.

1153824-1:KEH

Claims (6)

1. 2. The weigher bucket of claim 1, wherein each trough tapers from a Cc maximum width adjacent a lower edge of the bottom wall, to a minimum width adjacent 0o an upper edge of the bottom wall.
2. 3. The weigher bucket of claim 1 or 2, wherein each trough has a depth, which depth increases downwardly.
3. 4. In combination: a weigher for a packaging machine, the weigher having buckets each according to claim 1, with the buckets delivering product batches; and a chute having said substantially vertical axis and that receive the batches of product from the weigher buckets, and wherein said chute has a side wall converging downwardly from an upper opening to a lower opening, and an internal surface over which the product passes.
4. 5. The combination of claim 4 wherein; said internal surface has a plurality of radially and axially downwardly extending troughs that engage the batches of product, with the chute troughs each being aligned with the trough or troughs of a respective bucket.
5. 6. A weigher bucket, substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings. Dated 7 March, 2008 TNA Australia Pty Limited Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON FERGUSON
6. 1153824-1:KEH