US2083618A - Packaging apparatus - Google Patents

Description

June l5, 1937. l.. L. sALFlsBx-:RG

PACKAGING APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 15, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet l Hlmmm `lune 15, 1937. L. SALFISBERG PACKAGING APPARATUS 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Oct. l5

I VENTOR. L 5 alii 5h E1' Lern ATTORNEY.

June 15, 1937. L. sALFlsBERG 2,083,613

' PACKAGING APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 15, 1935 .'5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Ii- A I NVENTOR.

LEIUH L.- alfishr ATTORNEY.

Patented June 15, 1937 PATENT OFFICE e v PACKAGING APPARATUS Leroy L. Salislierg,` South Orange, N. J., aslignor to Ivers-Lee Company, Newark ration of Delaware Application 14 Claims.

This invention pertains in general to packaging equipment and specifically relates to a form ci automatic packaging machine..A

lOne of the objects of the invention isto provide a constructionof packaging machine for eiecting a continuous and rapid process in the production of packages.

Another object ofv the invention consists in producing a machine organization.- for effecting the m rapid and continuous conveyance of commodity articles of unusual character, form and size, from a feeding source to packaging rollers.

Another object of the invention comprises pro, viding a machine organization for the fabrication of packages having individual commodity containing enclosures for packaged commodities.

A further object of the invention comprises providinga construction of a packaging machine employing a plurality of sources of packaging material utilized in a continuous packaging operation for producing packages of a novel character.

These and other objects reside in a construction of packaging machine and a method of manufacture as will be readily apparent from the following description in conjunction with the appended drawings in which like reference numerals designate corresponding parts and in which:

Fig. 1 is a. plan view of one embodiment of a packaging machine in accordance with the invcntion;

Fig. 1A is a plan view of an alternative form of the construction shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 2 is a vertical and longitudinal sectional view taken centrally of the representation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. l, showing an arrangement of power driven` units o f a link chain drive utilized in the invention.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the composite heating, crimping and sealing equipment employed in the invention.

Fig. 5 is a view of a typical package which may be fabricated in accordance with the invention.

This invention contemplates the use of a plurality of feeder rolls of packaging material which are positioned for feeding toward centrally positioned sealing and crimping equipment associated with afeeding mechanism in the form of a link chain drive which permits a continuous and rapid manufacturing process inthe fabrication of packages of the type indicated. The link chain ydrive feeding mechanism of this invention facilitates the feeding to the packaging rollersoi commodity articles, composed of rubber or like materials N. J., a corpo- October 15, 1935,` Serial N0. V45,033

Renewed May "I, 1937 which are unusually ilexlble and difllcult to handle by ordinary means, as well as articles which may come in various indefinite and indeterminate shapes.

This feeding mechanism cooperates with the sealing and crimping roller equipment to properly position commodity articles between opposed layers of packaging material at spaced intervals while the sealing equipment crimps the packagingmaterials together at areas other than those occupied by the package, at the same time heating these areas in an oxidation process to form. by rapid production methods, a novel form of package.

Referring to the drawings in detail and particularly to Fig. 1, thereis provided a general mounting structure I, upon which there is secured a table plate 2. 0n the top of this plate 2 and movable along its surface, there is provided a link chain mechanism for conveying the commodity articles to the packaging equipment. This link chain mechanism consists of two parallel units similar to each other in construction. These units include endless'link chain systems I1 and Ila, moving in the same direction around the radii of sprockets 3, l, 3a, and 4a. To the alternate links of each chain there are 'attached conveyingelements i8 and Isa, provided with circular recesses which act to enclose commodity articles I9. In moving along the top plate 2, the inner recesses of the conveying elements come into mutual engagement and form circular enclosures into which the commodity articles may be placed by operators stationed on opposite sides of the table. As the link chain mechanisms move toward the packaging equipment, there are always a multiplicity of the conveyor elements of the oppositely facing link mechanisms in engagement to form article receiving and conveying units.

A package 'forming cellulose strip 59 is fed through a slot opening 2a in the plate 2, and extends lengthwise along the top of the plate 2, between the opposed sides of the link chain mechanism. When a commodity article is deposited in a circular enclosure formed by the engagement of conveying elements I8 and I8a to form article retaining and propelling units, the commodity article is iny constant contact with the packaging strip 59 as it moves toward the package forming equipment.

Although the enclosures formed by opposing conveying elements i8 and IllaL are circular in the present instance, they may be of any desired form'or shape. Ihe commodity articles represented inthe 'drawings are rubber teething rings, but various other corresponding commodities may be similarly packaged. The system of the invention is particularly well adapiedfor receiving and s unveiling articles which are flexible and otherwise diillcult lto handle, as well as artlcles'which .may come in -various indefinite shapes. In some. instances. it'may be desirable to employ a form of automatic feeding in place of hand feeding by op-` llil erators positioned on opposite sides of the machine. In such an arrangement as shown in Pig. 2, a chute Il may be provided centrally disposed along the plate 2. The articles such as the teething rings disposed within the chute l are perl mitted to fall within the recesses formed by the elements Il and Ila as they pass underneath.

y Since the elements Il and I la otherwise. present a substantially fiat surface; the commodities are retained within the chute` while the elements pass -therebeneath. except when one ofthe circular openingsl formed by coincidence of two of the' finger elements comes into alignment with the chute, whereupon one ofjthe articles isper- 5 mitted to drop therein.

2l and 22a are provided extending' over the link mechanism to shield the moving parts of the link chains from the' operators. The plates cover all of the mechanism except the conveying elements as they come into engagement with-each other from the oppositely disposed link mechanisms.

In Pig. l thereare provided four sprockets 2, I, 2a, and 4a disposed at the four corners of the top plate 2. The' teeth of the sprockets engage the links of the link chain mechanismsv I 'land Ila so as to rotate the two units -of the mechanism in timed relationship, in the same direction, causing the conveying elements on thelinks to come into mutual engagement and their inner recesses to form circular enclosures to propel the commodity .articles toward thepackaging andcrimping equipment.

The-sprockets 2, I, la, and laare mounted 4on spindles l, l, Ia, and sa. spindles i and 'lare is iournaled in bearings "I4 and 'II (Fig.v 3),- and spindle la isy iournaledin similar bearings, not shown. The spindles I and 6 are 'provided with 60 gears 'I and I, these gears being actuated by` worms s and Il which are in turn mounted on the driving shaft I2 (Fig. 2 and Fig. 3). A similar arrangement of driving gears la and a obtains for spindles 5a and Oa, with similar worm gears 9a 55 and Ila mounted on' drivingshaft. I2a. 'I'here are 'also mounted on drive shafts I2 and I2a,v

driven gears ll-and Ilq.(Figs. 2 and 3) whichengage with drivinglgears mounted on a motor driven transverse shaft Il (Figs. 2 and 3). This e0 motor-driven shaft lifacts' through the gears- I5 and I la to causethe shafts I2 and I2a to rotate,

which in turn actuatenthe. sprocket spindles through the worm sears., thusvcausing the two lines of chain mechanism to move along the 65 plate 2.a'

` As shown in- Figs. 1.and2, the shaft 29-is an extension of shaft I2, and is journaled in bearingv Il. 'Ihis shaft has mounted upon it a worm 24 (Figs. 1 and 2), which engages gear 25 mounted journaled in bearings, not shown. These shafts,

75 22 and 22a with the gears 26 and 26a cause the ro- As may be seen inliigs. 1 and 3, cover platesy tation of packaging and crimping rollers 2l and 2|a earried'thereby (Pig. 2). j

Referring again to Fig. 2. there is provided,'on the general mounting structure l. two reel spindies Il and N. Onlitioned on opposite sides thereof. ,Mounted upon these reel spindles are reels Il and il. respectively'. 'Ihese reels are provided with central cores upon which rolls of packaging material l1 and l2 are respectively stowed for' rotatable feeding purposes. The packaging material so provided is preferably of transparent strip or ribbon formation and is of a composition such as transparent regenerated cellulose with a heat treatment coating thereon, although other suitable material may be employed. Extending from the rolls I'I and lIl are leader strips l! and II, respectively. Ihese leader strips feed into the-heating and sealing equipment described later in detail.

Upon portions of the mounting structure I there is provided a pressure member Il in the form of a bar pivotally mounted so as to engage in peripheral contact with the roll Il, to maintain the proper tension on the leader. strip and avoid uncoiling of the roll of packaging' material. 'I'his member Il is provided with a longitudinal slot, not shown. within which a hand adjustable weight member Il may be adjustably positioned. Thisweight member when adjusted back and forth in its slot regulates the pressure applied to the roll B1, to maintain the proper tension for clitlerent types of material. l-A similar arrangement is provided for roll Il.

The leader strips I! and Il extend centrally of the mounting structure in directions toward each otherV and pass over idler rolls l2 and I3, leader strip It passing up. through a slot 2a and along the top of plate 2 and then in conjunction with 'strip UI passing to the package forming and sealing equipment, the strips acting to enclose andhold the vcommodity articles Il before passing'into'the packaging equipment. -It is a feature of the invention that the strip 6| engages n iwithfthev articles I9 while'they are held by the journaled in`bearings 1I, 'lland l2, 13, respecv tively, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. Spindle Iaf mutual'enga'gement of members i8, the strip 6I ,f acting. ttf-hold the articles I9. in their proper Yspaced relationship after thel members I I have left the' linear path of movement of the strip 59 .and have begun to rotate about the sprockets 4 functions in their action and will now be considered more in detail.

Each -ofthe rollers 2| and 2id is provided with one annular row of peripheral recesses 2l, and in the. present representation, lthere are four relcesses in the row whereby each roller is provided with four recesses in all. It will be understood, of course, that the number'of recesses and rows of may be varied to` meet various pack- .seins requirements.

Referring to Fig. 2, the rollers 2| and 2Ia areprovided witha plurality of stripper fingers 2B and 28a which are secured to aboss lll' on the general mounting-structure I. These stripper fingers are pomtioned in annular slots in the rollers 2lA and 2Ia so asto occupy positions behind the recesses 2l at the point of intersection of the rollers 2| and 2|a. The Purpose of these stripper ngers 22 and 28a is to guide the leader strips 59 and 6| into and out of the rollers 2| and 2Ia and particularly to avoid any tendency of the packaging material to wrap around the rollers. In the area surrounding the recesses 2l on the rollers 2| and 2|a'there is provided crossfaces ofthe rollers 2| and.2|a are complementary to each other and mesh with one another to produce an interdigitation of the opposed layers vof 5 packaging material fed to the rollers. However, the crimping area surrounding the recesses 21 is interrupted at spaced intervals and also provided with complementary cutting elements 4 3, (Fig. 1) which will bebetter understood in connection with the description of the product formed by the machine, as will, be hereinafter pointed out.

The rollers 2| and 2|a are secured upon the shafts 22 and 22a which are rotatably mounted through bearings in the boss 4l. -Referring to Flg. 4, it will be seen that the shaft 22 is hollow for a portion of its length eoextensive with the roller 2|. In this hollow portion a heater cartridge 41 is provided which includes a resistance element for heating the roller 2| to a temperature suilicient to cause oxldization and a physiochemical change in the regenerated cellulose packaging material'when in contact therewith. At the outer extremity of the shaft 22 an insulating element 4l is provided with collector rings 25 which connect with opposite terminals of the heater cartridge 41. Thecollector rings on the element 48 are engaged by contact brushes re'- spectively carried by a terminal mounting 43 secured to the boss 4l by mounting element 5|. The terminal mounting 49 is provided with suitable leads so that electrical energy may be supplied in the proper amount to the heater element internal of the miler 2|. The roller 2|a is provided with a similar heating arrangement. The complementary rotation of the rollers 2l and 2Ia is effected through the gears 28 and 23a, respectively, as shown in dotted line in Fig. 2. These two-gears 2 6 and 23a engage each other so as to cause the rotation of the rollers 2| and 2Ia in timed relationship with respect to other moving parts of the packaging machine and with respect to each other in a manner'such that the recesses 21 coincide with each other as the rollers 2| and 2Ia are rotated in opposite directions. The crimping surfaces of the rollers 2| and 2|a then mesh with each other in a complementary fashion to cause a forced interdigitation of the layers of packaging material fed therebetween.

After passing through the crimping rollers 2| and 2|a, the packaged commodity units, separated from the rollers by the .stripping fingers 28 and 28a, follow through a prolongation ofv the stripping lingers into the cutting knife aperture 6I), Fig. 2, where the packaged commodity is cut into units of predetermined lengths.

The arrangement of this cutting knife is shown in Figs. l and 2." There are provided two stationary cutting members 29 and 29a, rigidly fixed to the boss 40 and upon opposite sides of the course 50 taken by the package structure as it emerges from betweenthe rollers 2| and 2|a. Beneath the two stationary members 29 and 29a and in abutting relationship thereto, there is provided a movable knife member 3|, mounted upon a shaft 43 rotatably positioned in bearing 44. The bearing 44 is secured to a wall of the general mounting structure I. A coil spring 45 is provided on the shaft 43 between the bearing 44 and knife member 3| for urging the latter into a "'0 predetermined position.v At the upper end of shaft 43 a lever 69 is attached. 'I'his lever has a. projecting end 33, provided with a follower element 34. The follower 34 engages in a groove 35 in a type of cylinder cam 36. The cam 36 in 75 Fig. l is mounted upon a shaft 31 extending into suitable bearings 3l and 33a in the walls of the general mounting structure I. This shaft has mounted upon it a gear 42 which is driven by a worm 4|, secured upon the extension shaft 33. The cam 3l and groove 35 therein, together with the driving gears therefor, are so constructed that a reciprocative motionis transmitted through .the lever 33 to the movable knife member 3|. 'Ihis reciprocative motion produces a quick shearing effect between the knife member 3| and the cutting members 23 and 29a. This reciprocative shearing eect severs the finished package structure into composite units. The units may be of any desired` length depending on the adjusted timing of the knife 3|. As the package units are severed by the knife action they may fall into a suitable hopper or conveyor provided for thepurpose.

Fig. 1A represents an alternative embodiment of the structure of Fig. 1 in which several articles may be simultaneously fed to the packaglng equipment. In thisinstance, the packaging lequipment is in the formof a pair of rollers 'cal spacing bar |20 extending from the structure 2 centrally along the strip 53. This bar |20 acts as a separation for the articles IIS and I |9a deposited on the strip 59 upon opposite sides of the bar. 'I'he articles IIS and II9a are thus propelled in two parallel lines to the recesses |21 of the crimping and hting rollers. By this arrangement it is possible to produce plural packages. It will be understood that such an arrangement may be further modified to include various other forms of mechanisms for feeding articles into equipment for forming plural unit packages.

More detailed consideration will now be given to the package structure itself as produced by the packagfng organization. Referring to. Fig. 5,

it will be see'n that the packaged articles I9 are4 disposed in a longitudinal row between two layers of regenerated cellulose. This cellulose material has been interdigitated by the complementary crimping surfaces of the rollers 2| and 2|a in areas surrounding each of the articles I9. t will be noted that the crimped area surrounding each article is in the form of a. square and that the squares for the various articles are interrupted by a separation line A extending transversely of the packaging material. This separation line divides the articles and the accompanying packaging material into individual package` At the edge of the separation lines A;

'commodity containing units.

The perforations 66 of the package structure are effected in the packaging material as they pass between the rollers 2| and 2|a due to a cutting action of these rollers, brought about by 5 perforations II as the package material passes between the rollers. It will be seen therefore that the rollers 2l and Ila simultaneously perform a multitude of operations consisting of the feeding of the packaging material, the positioning of the commodity articles between opposed layers of the material, the interdigitation of the layers under pressure in areas surrounding the commodity articles, and the heating of these areas within a range to produce oxidization and physio-chemical change of suchareas to assume an embrittled charactersusceptible to easy tearing for promoting facile removal of the commodity articles from the packaging material. 'I'he package thus produced utilizes the normal tough and wiry nature of the regenerated cellulose for article containing envelope areas, while the seal or bond areas surrounding the same are of an embrittled nature for gaining easy access to the envelope enclosure areas. 'Ihe machine in its entirety is operable for producing the continuous and rapid fabrication of package units each containing individual commodity articles maintained in sealed and segregated spaced relationship.

Although a preferred form of .packaging apparatus has been disclosed, it will be apparent that various modifications and equivalent structures can be produced without departing from the intended scope of the invention. Therefore, I do not desire to linut myself to the foregoing except as may be pointed out in the appended claims. v

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A packaging apparatus comprising, a pair of mechanically complementary rollers having alternately disposed'crimplng surfaces `and recesses, means for feeding a strip layer of packaging material to said rollers in an lextended path having predetermined cross-sectional formation,

commodity article conveying means for conveying commodity articles adjacent said layer of packaging material in a spacing arrangement such as to cause said commodity articles to coincide with said recesses in said rollers when rotated, and means for feeding another layer of material adjacent said articles on said ilrst mentioned layer of material and between said rollers to produce article package formations.

2. A packaging. apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which said article conveying means includes a plurality of article spacing elements and means for moving said spacing elements iuA synchronism with thef movement of said first mentioned layer of material whereby said articles are moved towards said rollers in engagement with both said spacing elements and said layer ofv 5. A packaging apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which said article feeding means comprises an endless chain mechanism having commodity spacing means mounted thereon.

6. A packaging apparatus in accordance with claim l in which said article conveying means comprises a pair of endless conveyors positioned upon opposite sides of the path of said first mentioned layer of material and adjacent one surface thereof, said conveyors being provided with mutually disposed elements engageable in the area of said path for forming article receiving receptacles in proximity to said layer of material to propel said articles in contact with said layer toward said crimping rollers.

7. A packaging apparatus in accordance with claim 1 including a plate over which said first mentioned layer of material is fed, in strip formation, toward said rollers, said article conveying means comprising a pair of endless link chains disposed for movement in a rectilinear path adjacent the upper surface of said strip and upon opposite edges of said strip, article receiving elements mounted upon links of said chains, the article receiving elements of said two chain mechanisms being mutually engageable in pairs to form commodity spacing receptacles on the surface of said strip of packaging material, and means for moving said strip of material and said mutually engaged article receiving elements in synchronlsm toward said rollers.

8. A packaging apparatus comprising, package forming equipment, means for conveying an exposed surface of packaging material toward said packaging equipment, and means for engaging a plurality of commodity articles in spaced relationship on the surface of said layer of material and at the same time propelling said articles toward said packaging equipment.

, 9. A packaging apparatus comprising, package forming equipment, means for feeding a layer of packaging material to said packaging equipment, conveyor means for propelling commodities along said layer concomitantly with the movement thereof, and means for feeding another layer of material to engage said commodities in said conveyor to transfer said articles in a held position between said two layers of material to said package forming equipment.

10. A general mounting structure, including va nat table-like plate, a pairv of crimping rollers disposed at one end of said plate with their axes substantially parallel to the plane of said plate, said rollers having article recesses therein, means for feeding a layer of packaging material lalong the surface of said plate over a path extending intermediate said rollers, a pair of endless chain lmechanisms disposed adjacent one surface of said layer, commodity spacing elements mounted on said chain mechanisms, the commodity spacing elements of said respective chain mechanisms being mutually engageable at a point near the beginning of said path to form commodity receptacles, said chain mechanisms being operable to move said mutually engageable elements along the path of movement of said layer of packaging -material and concomitantly with the movement thereof, said endless chain mechanisms .operating to disengage said elements at a point near said rollers, means for feeding another and complementary layer of packaging material to said rollers, and means formoving said chain mechanisms and said rollers in timed relationship to produce spaced package formations.

11. A packaging apparatus in accordance with claim 8 in which said last mentioned means comprises a plurality of chain mechanisms having commodity spacing elements mounted thereon, and a stationary spacing device mounted between the elements of said respective chain mechanisms to form plural package formations.

12. Packaging apparatus comprising, packageforming equipment, article propelling mechanism having a plurality of article moving elements, means for moving a layer of packaging material adjacent said mechanism along the path-of movement of said elements with articles supported bysaid layer and acted upon by said elements to propel the same towards said equipment in spaced formation, and means for feeding another layer of material to said package-forming equipment to engage said articles and transfer the same from said propelling mechanism to said packageforming equipment.

13. Packaging apparatus comprising, packageforming equipment, means for feeding plural layers of packaging material to said equipment to form packages, and a conveyor mechanism operable between said layers and having article spacing and propelling elements thereof movable along the surface of one of said layers for spacing and propelling articles supported on the surface of said layer.

14. In a system for feeding packaging material and commodity articles in spaced relation to a package-forming machine, means for feeding packaging material to support a plurality of commodity articles, and a conveyor operable alongside said material to engage said articles independently of said material and propel the same in spaced relationship concomitantLv with the movement of said material.

LEROY L. SALF'ISBERG..

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