ARTICLE PACKAGING MACHINE

PURPOSE:To speed up the packaging of a flexible article by a method wherein an article being transferred is put in a packaging bag by allowing the article to pass between a pair of arms from a pair of pinching plates. CONSTITUTION:In an area A, a flexible article 4 is fed and transferred between a pair of pinching plates 73, 74. At the same time, a packaging bag 3 is transferred between vacuum belts of a packaging bag opening device 9. Then, turning arms 60, 61 are turned, and at the same time, the opening of the packaging bag 3 is opened by the vacuum belts. Then, respective leading ends of the turning arms 60, 61 are inserted in the opened opening of the packaging bag 3, and the packaging bag in a state that the opening is opened is held and transferred by the turning arms 60, 61. In an area C, a turning lever 79 of a feeding unit 7 operates, and the flexible article 4 is compressed by the pair of pinching plates 73, 74. Also, a filling pusher 90 of a filling unit 8 is operated. Then, in an area D, the flexible article 4 under a compressed condition is pressed by the pusher 90, and the flexible article 4 is put in the packaging bag 3 under the compressed condition.