Auxiliary article feeder in horizontal bag-making and filling machine

Abstract

To provide an article auxiliary feeder in a horizontal bag-making and filling machine for regulating the displacement of an article according to the properties and size of the article and other packaging conditions.SOLUTION: The support member 20 is liftably supported by a holding body 24 arranged in the traveling direction on the endless chain 22. A first guide groove 26 and a second guide groove 27 for guiding the holding body 24, a first traveling rail 30 for guiding a first guide roller 28 of the support member 20 when the holding body 24 is guided by the first guide groove 26, and a second traveling rail 31 for guiding a second guide roller 29 of the support member 20 when the holding body 24 is guided by the second guide groove 27 are provided. The support member 20 for guiding the first guide roller 28 by the first traveling rail 30 travels in a reference position to a carrying passage of the cylindrical film, and the support member 20 for guiding the second guide roller 29 by the second traveling rail 31 travels in an advancing position capable of supporting the front and rear of the article by advancing to the carrying passage from the reference position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an auxiliary article feeder device for supporting and transporting articles fed into a tubular packaging material from above in a horizontal form-fill-seal machine. [Background technology]

[0002] In packaging machines such as horizontal form-fill-seal machines, an auxiliary article feed device is provided between a bag-making means that forms a strip-shaped film (packaging material) into a tubular shape and a transverse sealing means that applies transverse seals across the conveyance direction at the front and rear positions of each article fed into the tubular film at predetermined intervals. The auxiliary article feed device presses down on the articles fed into the tubular film from above to prevent the articles from being out of position when conveyed, or from shifting out of position, or from being out of position or assembled in a group. One such auxiliary article feed device, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, is known, for example, to have a support member with a plurality of silicone rubber comb teeth arranged in the width direction and arranged at predetermined intervals in the running direction of the endless belt so that the comb teeth protrude outside the endless belt. The support member supports the articles in the tubular film from above and feeds them toward the transverse sealing position in the transverse sealing means. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5342494 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The auxiliary article feed device of Patent Document 1 employs support members made of silicone rubber, which elastically deform to reduce the load on the film and articles, and also easily deform to conform to the shape of the articles, making it possible to accommodate a wide variety of different shapes. However, because all of the support members have the same protrusion dimension relative to the endless belt, depending on the nature and size of the articles fed into the film at predetermined intervals, the presence of accumulated articles, and other packaging conditions, the articles may not be supported by the support members and may shift position during film transport, or the posture of the stacked articles may become distorted or the load may collapse, resulting in displacement even in the horizontal sealing area of ​​the horizontal sealing means.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an auxiliary article feeder for a horizontal bag-making and filling machine that regulates displacement of articles in accordance with the properties and sizes of the articles and other packaging conditions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the intended purpose, the first means is: An auxiliary article feeder for a horizontal form-fill-seal machine that applies horizontal sealing between articles (13) supplied at predetermined intervals to a tubular packaging material (11a), comprising: a plurality of support members (20) disposed on an endless cord (22) to support the tubular packaging material (11a) at positions in front of and behind each of the articles (13) fed into the tubular packaging material (11a) corresponding to the position where the transverse seal is to be applied to the tubular packaging material (11a) and to move forward together with the tubular packaging material (11a); a servo motor (21) for driving the endless cable (22); a holder (24) arranged in line with the running direction of the endless cord (22), and supporting the support member (20) in a carrier-side running path of the endless cord (22) so as to be movable to an advanced position facing the tubular packaging material (11a) and to be movable between the advanced position and a reference position retracted from the advanced position; a guide piece (25) provided on the holder (24) for circulating and guiding the holder (24) along the circulating orbit of the endless cable (22), and a first guide (26) and a second guide (27) for guiding the guide piece (25); a first guide roller (28) disposed on the support member (20) so that the guide piece (25) travels on a first running rail (30) when guided by the first guide (25), and a second guide roller (29) disposed on the support member (20) so that the guide piece (25) travels on a second running rail (31) when guided by the second guide (27); and a distribution means (32) for switching the guide piece (25) to be guided by the first guide (26) or the second guide (27) based on a position of the support member (20) detected by a detection means (55) on the circulating track in a return-side running path of the endless cable (22), the first traveling rail (30) guides the first guide roller (28) so as to maintain the support member (20) at the reference position in the carrier-side traveling path, and the second traveling rail (31) guides the second guide roller (29) so as to maintain the support member (20) at the advanced position in the carrier-side traveling path; While the endless cord (22) is traveling, the guide piece (25) is switched to the first guide (26) or the second guide (27) by the sorting means (32), and the support member (20) is positioned at an advance position corresponding to the gap between the articles supplied to the tubular packaging material (11a), so that the support member (20) can travel at the same speed as the feed speed of the tubular packaging material (11a). According to this configuration, the support members are switched to the advanced position or the reference position, which is further from the conveying path than the advanced position, during travel, so that the support members can appropriately support the articles via the tubular packaging material in accordance with the packaging conditions for the articles supplied into the tubular packaging material, thereby assisting conveyance. The support members can appropriately support the articles via the tubular packaging material at the front and rear positions of the articles, thereby assisting conveyance of the tubular packaging material.

[0007] The second means is characterized in that the first guide (26) and the second guide (27) are arranged in parallel, and the first traveling rail (30) and the second traveling rail (31) are arranged in parallel. According to this configuration, the position of the support member can be switched with a simple configuration in which the guides and traveling rails are arranged in parallel, so that the device configuration can be simplified.

[0008] The third means comprises a pair of guide rails (51) spaced apart from each other, on which the first guide (26) and the second guide (27) are formed in parallel, and the sorting means (32) are provided on each of the guide rails (51); The guide pieces (25) of the holder (24) that are continuous in the front-rear direction are alternately switched by the distribution means (32) to either the first guide (26) or the second guide (27) of the two guide rails (51, 51). According to this configuration, two sets of guide rails and sorting means for switching the position of the support members are provided, so that the support members in the appropriate positions can be switched to the advanced position or the reference position in response to increased packaging speeds.

[0009] The fourth means is characterized in that an auxiliary feed unit (41) including the endless cord (22), the first guide (26), the second guide (27), the first running rail (30), and the second running rail (31) is provided with a height adjustment means (34) for raising and lowering the auxiliary feed unit (41) relative to the conveying path (23) of the tubular packaging material (11a) by an adjustment motor (40). According to this configuration, by moving the auxiliary feed unit using the height adjusting means, the support height of the tubular packaging material by the support member can be adjusted appropriately in accordance with the article being packaged.

[0010] The fifth means is characterized in that the carrier side running path can be switched between an operation in which all the support members (20) run at the reference position and an operation in which the support members (20) corresponding to the front and rear positions of the article (13) run at the advanced position. According to this configuration, the support form of the tubular packaging material by the support member can be switched according to the properties and size of the article by switching the operation setting, thereby enabling the packaged item to be packaged appropriately.

[0011] The sixth means is characterized in that it detects the length of the article (13) supplied to the tubular packaging material (11a) and switches the sorting means (32) so that the support member (20) capable of supporting the tubular packaging material (11a) is positioned in front of or behind the article (13) according to the detected length of the article. According to this configuration, the article can be properly supported via the tubular packaging material according to the size of the article to be packaged, and the tubular packaging material and the article can be assisted forward to a position just before the horizontal sealing position.

[0012] The seventh means is characterized in that the plurality of support members (20) are advanced to an advanced position to support the tubular packaging material (11a) between the articles supplied to the tubular packaging material (11a). According to this configuration, it is possible to appropriately restrict positional deviation of the article in accordance with the mass of the article, the shape of the surroundings of the article, the stacking state, and the like.

[0013] The eighth means is characterized in that the support member (20) is made of an elastic body and is provided so as to be detachable and replaceable with respect to the holding body (24). According to this configuration, the support members can be replaced with ones made of different materials or with different shapes depending on the suitability for packaging the article, or individual support members can be replaced when worn out.

[0014] The ninth means is a support shaft (44) that is arranged in the conveying direction and is installed on a pair of endless ropes (22, 22), The holder (24) slidably supported on each support shaft (44); a slide bar (45b) provided on the support member (20) that supports the support member (20) on the holder (24) so ​​that the support member (20) can move between the reference position and the advanced position; The first guide roller (28) and the second guide roller (29) are disposed on the slide bar (45b), When the guide piece (25) is guided to the first guide (26) or the second guide (27), the first guide roller (28) or the second guide roller (29) switches the running path to the corresponding first running rail (30) or second running rail (31) and runs. According to this configuration, the circumferential path of the support member can be switched stably by sliding the holder. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, the tubular packaging material can be supported in front of and behind the item at appropriate positions according to the properties and size of the item to assist in transport, effectively preventing the item from shifting position, changes in the posture of the assembled items, and disruption of the assembled state. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a horizontal bag making and filling machine. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical sectional front view showing the auxiliary article feed device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional plan view showing an auxiliary article feeder; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an auxiliary article feeder; [Figure 5] 10 is a schematic view showing the first traveling rail from the rear side of the auxiliary article feed device. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a schematic view showing the second traveling rail from the front side of the auxiliary article feed device. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the auxiliary article feeder, showing a state in which the guide pin is guided by the first guide groove. FIG. [Figure 8] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the auxiliary article feeder, showing a state in which the guide pin is guided by the second guide groove. FIG. [Figure 9]10 is an explanatory view showing the switching state of the guide pin by the sorting means, in which the pull-in piece that guides the guide pin of the switching lever to the first guide groove or the second guide groove is hatched for easy identification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Next, a preferred embodiment of an auxiliary article feeder for a horizontal bag making and filling machine according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Example]

[0018] As shown in Figure 1, the horizontal form-fill-seal machine (packaging machine) comprises a bag making means 12 that forms a tubular film (tubular packaging material) 11a by folding both longitudinal edge portions of a strip of film (packaging material) 11 pulled out from a raw roll 10 in a folded state; a supply conveyor 14 that supplies items 13 toward the tubular film 11a at predetermined intervals; a vertical sealing means 15 that applies a vertical seal to the folded portion of the tubular film 11a folded in the folded state in the film conveyance direction; a film conveying means 16 that clamps the folded portion of the tubular film 11a and conveys the tubular film 11a toward the vertical sealing means 15; and a horizontal sealing means 17 that clamps the tubular film 11a at the front and rear of the articles 13 supplied at predetermined intervals into the tubular film 11a and applies a horizontal seal and cut in the direction intersecting the film conveyance direction (width direction). In addition, the packaging machine is provided with a transport conveyor 18 and an output conveyor 19 on which the articles 13 supplied into the tubular film 11a are placed, at the front and rear of the film transport direction in the horizontal sealing means 17, and which support the tubular film 11a from below and transport it downstream.The articles 13 are transversely sealed and cut by the horizontal sealing means 17, and are then separated from the continuous tubular film 11a as pillow-packaged products, which are then transported to the next process by the output conveyor 19.

[0019] 1, between bag making means 12 and transverse sealing means 17, an auxiliary article feed device is disposed above transport conveyor 18. Support members 20 push tubular film 11a from above at positions in front of and behind articles 13 fed into tubular film 11a, and support members 20 run forward together with tubular film 11a at the same speed (the same speed) as the feed speed of tubular film 11a. This assists in transporting tubular film 11a toward transverse sealing means 17. Support members 20 are disposed alongside endless chains (endless cords) 22, which are wrapped around and guided above transport path 23 for tubular film 11a, in the running direction of the chains, and are driven by servo motors 21 to run in the film transport direction at a speed synchronized with the transport speed of tubular film 11a. Support member 20 is supported by holder 24 so as to be movable back and forth between an advanced position where it can support and transport tubular film 11a from above in accordance with the front-to-rear positions of article 13, and a reference position retracted from the advanced position, and holders 24 are arranged side by side in the running direction of endless chain 22. In addition, the auxiliary article feed device has first guide groove (first guide) 26 and second guide groove (second guide) 27 provided in guide rails 51, 51, which run along the winding circumferential path (circumferential orbit, hereinafter simply referred to as the circumferential path) of endless chain 22, and guide pin (guide piece) 25 of holder 24 is guided by one of these guide grooves 26, 27, so that support member 20 runs around the circumferential path of endless chain 22. The endless chain 22 also includes a first guide roller 28 and a second guide roller 29 provided on the support member 20 to guide the support member 20 along the circular path of the endless chain 22, a first running rail 30 to guide the first guide roller 28, and a second running rail 31 to guide the second guide roller 29, and a distribution means 32 that switches the guide pin 25 provided on the holder 24 to be guided into either the first guide groove 26 or the second guide groove 27 on the return side running path.The first running rail 30 guides the first guide roller 28 so that the support member 20 runs on the carrier side running path at a reference position retracted from the advanced position, and the second running rail 31 is configured to guide the second guide roller 29 so that the support member 20 runs on the carrier side running path at a position where it has lowered and moved to the advanced position.

[0020] 2 and 3, height adjustment means 34 capable of adjusting the vertical position of auxiliary feed unit 41, and servo motor 21 which runs on endless chain 22 are provided on side frame 35 of the auxiliary article feed device. Base frame 33 of height adjustment means 34 is provided with slide means consisting of slide rails 36 and slider 37, and adjustment motor 40 consisting of a servo motor which rotates screw shaft 38 is rotated forward and backward to adjust the height position of auxiliary feed unit 41 by the slide means.

[0021] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a drive shaft 42 is rotatably supported between the left and right side frames 35a, 35a of the side frame 35 at a position downstream in the film transport direction, and the drive shaft 42 is connected to a servo motor 21 disposed on the back side of the side frame 35. A driven shaft 43 is rotatably supported between the left and right side frames 35a, 35a at a position upstream in the film transport direction. A pair of drive sprockets 42a, 42a and a pair of driven sprockets 43a, 43a are disposed axially spaced apart on the drive shaft 42 and driven shaft 43, respectively, and the endless chain 22 is wound around the corresponding drive sprocket 42a and driven sprocket 43a, respectively. Rotating the drive shaft 42 with the servo motor 21 causes two endless chains 22, 22 spaced apart in the width direction to travel.

[0022] 4, 7, and 8, support shafts 44 are installed between the endless chains 22, 22 in the running direction, and the holders 24 are supported slidably along the support shafts 44. Furthermore, each holder 24 supports a conveyance body 45 equipped with the support member 20 so as to be movable perpendicular to the sliding direction of the holders 24. The conveyance body 45 includes a base 45a extending in the width direction perpendicular to the running direction of the endless chains 22, 22, and a slide bar 45b movably supported by the holders 24 at approximately the center of the base 45a in the width direction, and the comb-like support member 20 made of silicone rubber is provided on the base 45a on the side away from the holders 24 and protrudes outward. Conveyor 45 is configured such that, as endless chains 22, 22 travel in a circular motion, support member 20 traveling on the carrier-side travel path supports the upper part of tubular film 11a to which articles 13 have been supplied, thereby assisting the conveyance of tubular film 11a. Furthermore, a regulating pin 45c is disposed at a predetermined distance from slide bar 45b on base 45a of conveyor 45, and slide bar 45b and regulating pin 45c allow support member 20 to move while maintaining a sliding position relative to holder 24. Conveyor 45 is supported by holder 24 in a detachable and replaceable manner. Furthermore, support member 20 is detachably and replaceably disposed on base 45a by fastening means such as a setscrew.

[0023] 7 and 8, the first guide roller 28 and the second guide roller 29 are supported on both the left and right sides of the extending end of the slide bar 45b extending from the base 45a of the conveying body 45 so as to be freely rotatable. Also, the guide pin 25 guided by the first guide groove 26 or the second guide groove 27 is provided on the holding body 24 at a position spaced apart from the slide bar 45b in the width direction, protruding toward the inside of the circumferential path of the endless chain 22 (circumferential path of the holding body 24). Note that the guide pins 25 are provided in reverse positions at one end and the other end extending in a direction intersecting the running direction of the holding body 24 on the holding bodies 24 that are adjacent to each other in the running direction of the endless chain 22 (see FIG. 9).

[0024] 5, 7, and 8, the side frame 35 has the first traveling rail 30 and the second traveling rail 31 disposed inside the circumferential path of the endless chain 22 so as to circle the movement path of the conveyor 45, and serves as a traveling path for guiding the first guide roller 28 and the second guide roller 29 disposed on both sides of the slide bar 45b supported by the holder 24. The first traveling rail 30 is composed of straight sections 30a, 30a extending linearly as the carrier-side traveling path and the return-side traveling path on the upper side opposite the carrier-side traveling path, and turning sections 30b, 30b connecting the upstream and downstream ends of the straight sections 30a, 30a. The first traveling rail 30 has a reference traveling groove 46 that opens on the surface facing the second traveling rail 31 and guides the first guide roller 28 of the conveying body 45 (support member 20) and is formed so as to be continuous across the straight sections 30a, 30a and the turning sections 30b, 30b. The reference traveling groove 46 is configured to guide the first guide roller 28 so as to maintain the support member 20 of the conveying body 45 in the reference position and not change its protruding position relative to the holder 24.

[0025] 6, 7, and 8, the second traveling rail 31 is composed of a first straight section 47 that extends linearly along the return-side traveling path, a second straight section 48 that extends linearly along the carrier-side traveling path, and an upstream turning section 49 and a downstream turning section 50 that connect the upstream and downstream ends of the straight sections 47, 48. The second traveling rail 31 is formed with traveling grooves 47a, 48a, 49a, and 50a that open on the surface facing the first traveling rail 30 and guide the second guide rollers 29 of the conveyor 45 (support member 20) so as to be continuous across the straight sections 47, 48 and the turning sections 49, 50. The running grooves 47a, 48a, 49a, 50a are composed of a first running groove 47a provided in the first straight section 47, a second running groove 48a provided in the second straight section 48, an upstream running groove 49a provided in the upstream turning section 49, and a downstream running groove 50a provided in the downstream turning section 50. The first running groove 47a is formed at the same height as the reference running groove 46 provided in the upper straight section 30a of the first running rail 30, and the second running groove 48a is provided outside the reference running groove 46 provided in the lower straight section 30a of the first running rail 30 and at a position lower than the reference running groove 46 (a position closer to the conveying surface of the transport conveyor 18). Therefore, the support member 20 traveling on the carrier-side running path is configured to travel at a lower position than when the first guide roller 28 is guided by the first running rail 30. In addition, the outlet portion of the upstream running groove 49a in the upstream turning portion 49 is formed to slope downward toward the entrance of the second running groove 48a, and the inlet portion of the downstream running groove 50a in the downstream turning portion 50 is formed to slope upward from the exit of the second running groove 48a.

[0026] 3, 7, and 8, a pair of left and right guide rails 51, 51 are arranged in parallel and spaced apart in the width direction on the side frame 35 inside the circumferential path (circumferential track) of the holder 24 so as to revolve along the circumferential path of the holder 24. The guide rails 51, 51 are arranged in a position where they can guide a guide pin 25 provided on one end of one of the holders 24 adjacent to each other in the running direction of the endless chain 22, and where they can guide a guide pin 25 provided on the other end of the other holder 24. Each guide rail 51 is formed with a first guide groove 26 and a second guide groove 27 that are open toward the outside of the circumferential path and can guide the guide pin 25, and are spaced apart in the width direction and parallel to each other, and the guide pin 25 is guided by either of the guide grooves 26, 27 as the holder 24 revolves. When guide pin 25 is guided by first guide groove 26 on the left side and holder 24 moves to the left, first guide roller 28 moves to a position guided by first running rail 30, and support member 20 runs in the carrier-side running path positioned at the reference position. Furthermore, when guide pin 25 is guided by second guide groove 27 on the right side and holder 24 moves to the right, second guide roller 29 moves to a position guided by second running rail 31, and support member 20 runs in the carrier-side running path positioned at an advanced position where it can support the front and rear positions of articles 13 supplied into tubular film 11a via tubular film 11a. Auxiliary feed unit 41 includes guide rails 51, 51 in which guide grooves 26, 27 are formed, and running rails 30, 31.

[0027] 3, a straight common path 52 consisting only of the first guide groove 26 is provided in the middle of the return-side running path of the guide rail 51, and the first guide groove 26 and the second guide groove 27 join at a junction 52a on the upstream side of the straight common path 52, and the second guide groove 27 branches off from the first guide groove 26 at a branching point 52b on the downstream side of the straight common path 52. The branching point (switching position) 52b is provided with the sorting means 32, which includes an operating means 53 made of a rotary cylinder and a switching lever 54 whose position is changed by the operating means 53 (see FIG. 7). The operating means 53 is configured to rotate the switching lever 54 to change the direction of the pull-in piece 54a, thereby switching between a first position (see FIGS. 9(a) and (d)) in which the guide pin 25 is guided into the first guide groove 26, and a second position (see FIGS. 9(b) and (c)) in which the guide pin 25 is guided into the second guide groove 27. The respective sorting means 32, 32 disposed at the branching portions 52b, 52b of the left and right guide rails 51, 51 are configured to switch and operate the front and rear holders 24, 24 in the traveling direction in pairs, alternately.

[0028] The timing of switching support member 20 to the reference position and the advanced position by sorting means 32 is the position where horizontal sealing is performed between articles supplied at predetermined intervals from supply conveyor 14 to tubular film 11a, and is set corresponding to the gaps between each article. In this embodiment, detection means 55 (see Figures 3 and 4) that detects slide bar 45b of conveyor 45 is provided in the area where guide pin 25 of holder 24 runs along straight common path 52, and detection means 55 is configured to detect the position of support member 20, so that the detected timing at which support member 20 reaches branch section 52b can be obtained. With regard to the switching timing of the sorting means 32, for example, if one packaging length is set as one cycle, a predetermined angle value converted to 360 degrees is set as the switching timing, and a switching instruction signal is output to maintain the switching state from one side to the other within the angle range input as a numerical value as the set value, and based on the position of the support member 20 detected by the detection means 55 and the rotation pulse of the servo motor 21, the operating means 53 of the sorting means 32 is operated while the support member 20 is traveling, and the operation is controlled to displace the switching lever 54 to the first position or the second position, and the support member 20 corresponding to the front or rear position of the item 13 is moved to the advanced position (see Figure 1).

[0029] Next, the operation of the auxiliary article feeder in the horizontal form-fill-seal machine according to the embodiment will be described. When the front and rear of the articles 13 supplied to the tubular film 11a need to be supported by the support members 20 via the tubular film 11a for transport, the gaps between the articles supplied from the supply conveyor 14 to the tubular film 11a at predetermined intervals can be determined by the timing of the articles supplied to the tubular film 11a in one packaging cycle. The timing of the horizontal sealing is set so that the horizontal sealing means 17 applies horizontal sealing to the gaps between the articles, and a switching command signal is output in accordance with the gaps between the articles. While the switching command signal is being output, the actuating means 53 of the sorting means 32 displaces the switching lever 54 from the first position to the second position, maintaining the second position. When the slide bar 45b is detected by the detection means 55, the switching instruction signal is output, and the guide pin 25 of the holder 24, which is guided in the first guide groove 26 of the straight common path 52 of the guide rail 51, is switched to the second guide groove 27 by the switching lever 54 in the second position, as shown in Figure 9(b), so that the holder 24 slides to the right relative to the support shaft 44, and the conveying body 45 supported by the holder 24 also moves to the right, and the second guide roller 29 is switched so as to be guided by the first running groove 47a of the second running rail 31 (see Figure 8). As the endless chain 22 continues to run, the second guide roller 29 moves from the first running groove 47a to the upstream running groove 49a, and then from the exit of the upstream running groove 49a to the second running groove 48a, and the conveying body 45 descends relative to the holding body 24, and the support member 20 is positioned at an advanced position where it has advanced into the conveying path 23 of the tubular film 11a.

[0030] When the output of the switching instruction signal is stopped, the operating means 53 of the allocating means 32 displaces the switching lever 54 from the second position to the first position, and the first position is maintained. The guide pin 25 of the holder 24, whose guide pin 25 is guided in the first guide groove 26 of the straight common path 52 of the guide rail 51, continues to be guided in the first guide groove 26 without being switched to the second guide groove 27 by the switching lever 54, as shown in Figures 9(c) and (d). In other words, the holder 24 is maintained in a position slid to the left with respect to the support shaft 44, and the conveyance body 45 supported by the holder 24 maintains a state in which the first guide roller 28 is guided in the reference running groove 46 of the first running rail 30 (see Figure 7). As the endless chain 22 continues to run, the first guide roller 28 of the conveying body 45 is guided by the reference running groove 46 of the first running rail 30, and the protruding position of the support member 20 relative to the holding body 24 does not change, and the support member 20 runs while being positioned at the reference position on the carrier side running path.

[0031] 1, 5, and 6, articles 13 supplied into tubular film 11a are conveyed while being supported at the front and rear of articles 13 via tubular film 11a by support members 20 positioned at the advanced position based on the switching instruction signal. In this embodiment, a switching instruction signal is output to position the required number of support members 20 (two each) at the front and rear positions of articles 13 in the advanced position. When second guide roller 29 moves from the exit of second traveling groove 48a of second traveling rail 31 to downstream traveling groove 50a, corresponding conveyor 45 moves relative to holder 24 and travels while positioned at the reference position. When the guide pin 25 of the holder 24 moves into the first guide groove 26 of the straight common path 52 at the confluence 52a, the holder 24 slides to the left relative to the support shaft 44, and the conveying body 45 supported by the holder 24 moves to a position where the first guide roller 28 is guided by the first running rail 30.

[0032] In the auxiliary article feed device of the embodiment, the support member 20 is configured to be positioned in the advanced position and run on the carrier-side running path while the support member 20 is running, so that the support member 20 can properly support the article 13 via the tubular film 11a at the front and rear positions of the article 13, thereby assisting the conveyance of the tubular film 11a. Furthermore, the support member 20 positioned in the reference position can support and auxiliary feed the tubular film 11a covering the top of the article 13 without excessively pressing down on it (see FIG. 1). Therefore, the article 13 in the tubular film 11a is conveyed without being excessively pressed down by the support member 20, and is supported and conveyed with its front and rear sides supported by the support members 20 positioned in the advanced position. Therefore, the article 13 does not shift position during conveyance, and the stacked state of the stacked articles 13 does not become disorganized or collapse, and conveyance can be assisted well. Furthermore, by extending multiple support members 20 to the advanced position between the articles supplied to the tubular film 11a to support the tubular film 11a, it is possible to appropriately prevent misalignment of the articles 13, taking into account factors such as the weight of the articles 13, the surrounding shape of the articles 13, and the stacking state. Furthermore, because the support members 20 switch between the advanced position and the reference position based on a switching instruction signal, they can accurately support and auxiliary transport the front-to-back positions of the articles supplied consecutively to the tubular film 11a, aligned with the intended transverse seal positions. Furthermore, when packaging low-height articles 13 that do not require front-to-back support, the operation can be switched to a standard operating mode in which all support members 20 run at the reference position. For example, by configuring the system to be switchable between a standard operating mode in which all support members 20 run at the reference position and an auxiliary feed operating mode in which support members 20 corresponding to the front-to-back positions of the articles 13 in the tubular film 11a run at the advanced position, the support configuration of the articles 13 can be easily changed simply by switching the operating mode.

[0033] In the auxiliary article feed device of the embodiment, the necessary number of support members 20 corresponding to the front-to-rear positions of the articles 13 supplied into the tubular film 11a are automatically switched between the advanced position and the reference position in accordance with packaging conditions such as the height and length of the articles 13, eliminating the need for an operator to perform the switching work. This not only eliminates the need for time-consuming switching work, but also allows even operators unfamiliar with the operation to easily switch settings by operating a screen, etc. Furthermore, it prevents the articles 13 supplied into the tubular film 11a from shifting forward or backward and reaching the intended horizontal sealing position, which could result in the articles 13 being caught between the sealing bodies 17a and 17b during horizontal sealing.

[0034] By using support member 20 made of silicone rubber, support member 20 can be elastically deformed to reduce the load on tubular film 11a and article 13, and can accommodate a wide variety of different shapes. Furthermore, because support member 20 (transport body 45) is supported by holder 24 in a detachable and replaceable manner, worn support member 20 can be replaced to maintain an appropriate supporting state.

[0035] In the auxiliary article feed device of the embodiment, switching between the advanced position and the reference position of the support members 20 is achieved by a simple configuration in which the guide pins 25 of the holders 24 that support the running support members 20 are switched, thereby simplifying the configuration of the entire device. Also, since two sets of guide rails 51, each having guide grooves 26, 27 formed therein, and sorting means 32 are provided, and the two sorting means 32, 32 are configured to be switched and operated alternately (see FIG. 9), the guide pins 25 of the holders 24 located at the front and rear in the running direction can be switched to the first guide groove 26 or the second guide groove 27 as appropriate, even during high-speed operation, so that the required number of support members 20 can be positioned at the advanced position or the reference position. In other words, while one holder 24 passes through the branching section 52b, there is enough time to switch the switching lever 54 of one of the distribution means 32 from the first position to the second position, or from the second position to the first position, so it is possible to accommodate a short arrangement pitch for the support members 20 (holders 24), and it is possible to select a narrow support interval between the front and rear of the item 13.

[0036] In the auxiliary article feed device of the embodiment, the auxiliary feed unit 41 is automatically raised and lowered by the height adjustment means 34, so that the height position of the support member 20 when traveling on the carrier-side traveling path can be adjusted, and therefore the advance position of the support member 20 can be automatically set to match the height of the article 13. In other words, for each type of article 13, data on article size information such as the article height and article length for one package can be set, and multiple support members 20 lined up in the conveying direction can be automatically moved to appropriate advance positions according to the cutting pitch for one package obtained from the set article size data.

[0037] (Example of change) The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the examples, and can be modified as follows, for example: Furthermore, the configurations described in the examples are not limited to the following modifications, and various embodiments can be adopted within the scope of the gist of the present invention. (1) The mechanism for switching the position of the support member 20 is not limited to a mechanism for sliding the holder 24, and various other mechanisms may be employed. (2) Two sets of guide rails 51 and sorting means 32 are provided on the left and right to accommodate high speeds, but one set may be used depending on the packaging processing speed. (3) A configuration can be adopted in which a detection means detects random lengths of articles 13 before they are fed into tubular film 11a, and the operation of sorting means 32 is controlled to move support members 20 corresponding to the front and rear positions of articles 13 according to the length of the detected articles fed into tubular film 11a to the advance position. This configuration is advantageous because it can support articles 13 without misalignment and auxiliary feed them to a position just before the horizontal sealing position according to the size of the articles to be packaged. (4) The support members 20 that move to the advanced position in accordance with the front-to-back position of the article 13 may be configured to advance only one support member 20 depending on the size, shape, material, and other requirements of the support member 20, instead of being configured to be multiple members as in the embodiment. Also, when the cutting pitch for one package is short, all support members 20 corresponding to the front and back of the article 13 may be moved to the advanced position to support the tubular film 11a. (5) In the embodiment, the article 13 is configured to be supported from above by the support member 20, but it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which an auxiliary article feeding device is placed on the side of the conveying path 23 of the tubular film 11a, and the article 13 supplied into the tubular film 11a is supported from the side by the support member 20 to assist in conveying. (6) The height of the auxiliary feed unit 41 is preferably adjusted automatically by a motor drive in accordance with the product height set by the product type setting, but the height may also be adjusted manually by an operator. (7) The support member 20 is not limited to being made of silicone rubber and having a comb-like shape as in the embodiment, but may be configured, for example, by arranging multiple elastic bars such as rubber in a direction intersecting the conveying direction, or may be configured, if necessary, from metal bars, engineering plastics, hard rubber, or other hard materials. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 11a cylindrical film (cylindrical packaging material), 13 article, 21 servo motor 22 Endless chain (endless cable), 23 Conveyance path, 24 Holder 25 guide pin (guide piece), 26 first guide groove (first guide) 27 second guide groove (second guide), 28 first guide roller, 29 second guide roller 30 first traveling rail, 31 second traveling rail, 32 distribution means, 34 height adjustment means 40 Adjustment motor, 41 Auxiliary feed unit, 44 Support shaft, 45b Slide bar 51 guide rail, 55 detection means

Claims

1. An auxiliary article feeder in a horizontal form-fill-seal machine that applies horizontal seals between articles supplied at predetermined intervals to a tubular packaging material, a plurality of support members disposed on an endless cord so as to support the tubular packaging material and move forward together with the tubular packaging material at positions in front of and behind each of the articles supplied to the tubular packaging material corresponding to the position where the transverse seal is applied to the tubular packaging material; a servo motor that drives the endless cable; a holder arranged in the running direction of the endless cord, which supports the support member in a carrier-side running path of the endless cord so as to be movable to an advanced position facing the tubular packaging material and between the advanced position and a reference position retracted from the advanced position; a guide piece provided on the holder for circulating and guiding the holder along the circulating path of the endless cable; and a first guide and a second guide for guiding the guide piece. a first guide roller disposed on the support member so that the guide piece travels on a first running rail when guided by a first guide, and a second guide roller disposed on the support member so that the guide piece travels on a second running rail when guided by a second guide; and a distribution means for switching the guide piece to be guided by the first guide or the second guide on the basis of a position detected by a detection means of a support member on the circulating track in a return side running path of the endless cable body, the first traveling rail is configured to guide the first guide roller so as to maintain the support member at the reference position in the carrier-side traveling path, and the second traveling rail is configured to guide the second guide roller so as to maintain the support member at the advanced position in the carrier-side traveling path, While the endless cord is traveling, the guide piece is switched to the first guide or the second guide by the sorting means, and the support member is set to an advanced position corresponding to the gap between the articles supplied to the tubular packaging material, so that the support member can travel at the same speed as the feeding speed of the tubular packaging material.

1. An auxiliary article feeder for a horizontal bag making and filling machine.

2. 2. The auxiliary article feed device for a horizontal bag form-fill-seal machine according to claim 1, wherein the first guide and the second guide are arranged in parallel, and the first running rail and the second running rail are arranged in parallel.

3. a pair of guide rails on which the first guide and the second guide are formed in parallel and spaced apart from each other, and the sorting means are provided on each of the guide rails; 2. An auxiliary article feed device for a horizontal bag making and filling machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that the guide pieces of the holding body, which are continuous from front to back, are alternately switched by the distribution means to either the first guide or the second guide of the two guide rails.

4. 2. An auxiliary article feed device for a horizontal bag form-fill-seal machine according to claim 1, further comprising a height adjustment means for raising and lowering an auxiliary feed unit comprising the endless cord, the first guide, the second guide, and the first running rail and the second running rail with an adjustment motor relative to the conveying path for the tubular packaging material.

5. An auxiliary article feed device for a horizontal bag making and filling machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that it is possible to switch between an operation in which all of the support members run at the reference position on the carrier side running path and an operation in which the support members corresponding to the front and rear positions of the articles run at the advanced position.

6. 2. An auxiliary article feed device for a horizontal bag form-fill-seal machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that the length of the article to be fed into the tubular packaging material is detected, and the sorting means is switched to operate so that the support member capable of supporting the tubular packaging material is positioned at a front or rear position of the article corresponding to the detected length of the article.

7. 2. An auxiliary article feed device for a horizontal bag making and filling machine as described in claim 1, wherein a plurality of the support members are advanced to an advanced position to support the tubular packaging material between articles supplied to the tubular packaging material.

8. 2. An auxiliary article feeder for a horizontal bag making and filling machine according to claim 1, wherein said support member is made of an elastic material and is provided so as to be detachable and replaceable with respect to said holding body.

9. a support shaft arranged in the conveying direction and installed on a pair of endless ropes; The holder is slidably supported on each support shaft; a slide bar provided on the support member that supports the support member on the holder so that the support member can be moved between the reference position and the advanced position, The first guide roller and the second guide roller are disposed on the slide bar, An auxiliary article feed device for a horizontal bag making and filling machine as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that when the guide piece is guided into the first guide or the second guide, the first guide roller or the second guide roller switches its running path to the corresponding first running rail or the second running rail and runs on it.

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