BAG FOLDING AND STACKING APPARATUS

BAG FOLDING AND STACKING APPARATUS The present invention features a high-speed folding and stacking system for the manufacture of plastic bags. The system is made up of a series of rotating, interdigitating drums. The drums mechanically pick-off and fold twice the plastic bags prior to stacking. The series of drums consists of a first "tucking" drum; a second "tucking and gripping" drum; and a third, "gripping" drum having specialty grippers. The first drum of the folding apparatus obtains from a feed drum plastic bags that have already been sized. Transfer from the feed drum is via the vacuum and air pressure feed mechanisms commonly employed in these arts. As one bag comes upon the tucking drum, another bag leaves the drum. The first drum tucks the exiting bag into a mechanical gripper located on the second drum ("the tucking and gripping drum"), as it synchronously rotates into position to meet the first drum. The second drum puts a first fold into the plastic bags carried on its periphery. As one bag enters the second drum, it is gripped about its center and rotatively swept over the periphery of the drum, which causes it to be folded once. The gripper of the third gripping drum puts a second quarter-fold into the "singly folded" bag leaving the second drum. The gripper of the third drum is especially designed to pivot as it releases the doubly folded bag, thus preventing formation of a kink that results from the gripping of the bag and the subsequent releasing of the gripped bag to the first feed belt of a stacking apparatus.