CA1141281A - Method and an arrangement for the manufacture of packages for suction tubes - Google Patents
Method and an arrangement for the manufacture of packages for suction tubesInfo
- Publication number
- CA1141281A CA1141281A CA000352853A CA352853A CA1141281A CA 1141281 A CA1141281 A CA 1141281A CA 000352853 A CA000352853 A CA 000352853A CA 352853 A CA352853 A CA 352853A CA 1141281 A CA1141281 A CA 1141281A
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- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- webs
- suction tubes
- suction
- suction tube
- strip
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
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Abstract
ABSTRACT
Suction tube packages consisting of suction tubes wrapped in protective envelopes, which with the help of adhesive tapes are joined to a coherent "rope-ladderlike"
band, are used to facilitate the mechanical handling and the application of the wrapped suction tubes to packing containers. The suction tube bands are difficult to manu-facture with high accuracy, since the suction tubes sur-rounded by the protective envelopes, owing to their un-defined, varying contours, are difficult to orientate in correct position on the adhesive tapes.
In accordance with the invention it is proposed to manufacture the protective envelopes as well as the tapes joining them at the same time and of the same material. The suction tubes are placed with equal intervals transversely between two thermoplastic webs, whereupon these are sealed to each other around the suction tubes. At the same time the webs are punched or cut so that individual suction tube enve-lopes are obtained which are mutually connected by means of straps extending between the envelopes. In this manner all handling of separate wrapped suction tubes is avoided, so that the suction tube band can be manufactured with appre-ciably greater precision. The invention relates to the method of manufacture as well as to a machine for its realization and the finished suction tube band.
Suction tube packages consisting of suction tubes wrapped in protective envelopes, which with the help of adhesive tapes are joined to a coherent "rope-ladderlike"
band, are used to facilitate the mechanical handling and the application of the wrapped suction tubes to packing containers. The suction tube bands are difficult to manu-facture with high accuracy, since the suction tubes sur-rounded by the protective envelopes, owing to their un-defined, varying contours, are difficult to orientate in correct position on the adhesive tapes.
In accordance with the invention it is proposed to manufacture the protective envelopes as well as the tapes joining them at the same time and of the same material. The suction tubes are placed with equal intervals transversely between two thermoplastic webs, whereupon these are sealed to each other around the suction tubes. At the same time the webs are punched or cut so that individual suction tube enve-lopes are obtained which are mutually connected by means of straps extending between the envelopes. In this manner all handling of separate wrapped suction tubes is avoided, so that the suction tube band can be manufactured with appre-ciably greater precision. The invention relates to the method of manufacture as well as to a machine for its realization and the finished suction tube band.
Description
The present invent~ion relates to a method for the manu-facture of bandlike coherent packages for suction tubes, the suction tubes being packed individually in protective enve-lopes arranged transversely in relation to the longitudinal direction of the band. The invention relates, moreover, to an apparatus for the manufacture of the bandlike coherent packages and packages manufactured in accordance with the method.
Bandlike coherent suction tubes wrapped in individual protective envelopes are used inter alia in those cases where one or more suction tubes are to be applied to the out-side of non-returnable packages for fruit juice, milk, etc.
The bandlike cohexent packed suction tubes make it possible with good safety to apply a wrapped suction tube in the cor-rect position to the outside of each individual packing con-tainer. Previously this has not been possible, since loose suction tubes wrapped in separate envelopes, owing to their low weight and their flexible, undefined outer contours, could not easily be brought by mechanical means into their correct position on the packing container.
Bandlike coherent suction tubes wrapped in protective envelopes, for the suction tube applicator up to now compris-ed suction tubes which were wrapped in protective envelopesof thin paper material and were joined in a rope-ladderlike manner with the help of adhesive tapes, which were attached in pairs and mutually parallel in the vicinity of the two outer ends of the suction tube envelopes. This type of suc-tion tube band can be manufactured at a high rate, but heretoo the handling of the suction tubes wrapped in the protec-tive `"'~,~y,~
envelopes causes certain difficult.ies, especially when it comes to the placing of the wrapped suction tubes in correct mutual position on the adhesive tapes.
The present invention eliminates the need for mechanical handling of individual suction tubes wrapped in the protective envelopes, since such handling, owing to the undefined and indeterminate contours of the protective envelopes, presents great difficulties.
The present invention thus overcomes the abovementioned disadvantages and to provide a method for the manufacture of coherent bands with suction tubes wrapped in individual protective envelopes, which method ensures great accuracy and is suitable for rapid mechanical manufacture.
According to the present invention there is provided a method for the manufacture of bandlike coherent packages of suction tubes, in which the sucti.on tubes are placed transversely between two webs which are sealed to one another around each suction tube to form closed protective envelopes, parts of the webs located between the suction tubes being removed so that the protective envelopes only hang together along limited parts of their peripheral edges, the webs being thermoplastic films, which in the regions between the suction tubes are heat-sealed to each other and to a strip disposed on the side of one of the films remote from the suction tubes, so that transverse sealing regions between the suction tubes are created, whereupon parts of the sealing regions are cut off and removed from the webs together with the strip.
Thus in accordance with the present invention the pro-tective envelopes as well as the parts joining the pro-tective envelopes are manufactured at the same time and of J 35 the same material. In particular, the suction tubes are placed transversely between two material webs which are sealed to one another around each suction tube to form closed pro-tective envelopes, parts of the material webs located be-tween the suction tubes being removed so that the protective envelopes only hang together along limited parts of their peripheral edges.
In a particular embodiment of the present invention parts of the two webs which are to be removed are separated by thermal punching along peripheral edges of the protective envelope, the webs being sealed at the same time to each other along the said edges. Suitably the strip is made of paper and the webs of polyethylene.
The present invention also provides an apparatus for the manufacture of bandlike coherent packages for suction tubes, which apparatus is simple and uncomplicated and makes possible rapid and accurate manufacture.
According to the present invention therefore there is also provided an apparatus for the manufacture of bandlike coherent packages for suction tubes which comprises elements for the feeding and guiding of two thermoplastic film webs and a strip, units for the placing of suction tubes between the two webs such that the strip is on one side of one of the webs remote frc~ the suction tubes heat sealing and punching elements for the heat sealing of the webs to each other around the suction tubes and for the separation of parts of the web situated between the suction tubes and means for removing said strip to which the separated parts are attached.
Thus in accordance with one aspect of the present inven-tion the apparatus comprises elements for the advancing and guiding of two material webs, units for the placing of the suction tubes between the two webs, sealing and punching elements for the sealing of the material webs to each other r' around the suction tubes and for the separation of parts of - 3 ~
~.~
the material webs situated between the suction tubes.
In a preferred embodiment of the apparatus in accordance with the invention, the sealing and punching elements com-prise a thermal punch and a cooperating holding-up tool, which are arranged so that simultaneouslv with the punching they join the two material webs along the peripheral edges of the protective envelopes formed.
10Finallv, the present invention provides a suction tube band which is suitable for manufacture in accordance with the invention and which is adapted for safe utilization in the suction tube applicator mentioned in the introduction.
15In accordance with the invention the suction tube band comprises bandlike coherent packages with suction tubes which are individually packed in protective envelopes arranged transversely in relation to the longitudinal direction of the band, in which the protective envelopes are connected to each other along parts of their peripheral edges so as to form a coherent band of suction tube packages arranged at intervals.
In a preferred embodiment of the suction tube band in accordance with the invention, the protection envelopes com-prise straps situated along their peripheral edges, which are arranged at some distance from one another and manufactured in one piece with the protective envelopes.
30In another preferred embodiment the protective envelopes are made of thermoplastic material.
A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described in more detail with special reference to the en-closed schematic drawing which only illustrates the parts necessary for the understanding of the invention.
- 3a~' Figure 1 shows from the side and partially in section an arrange~ent for the .realization of the method in accord-ance with the invention.
- 3b -4 ~a~2~
Figure 2 shows the successive manufacture of a suction tube band in accordance with the invention.
The arranqement in accordance with the invention consists of a ~m~ of machine elements supported on a '5 machine stand (not shown) for the conversion of separate material strips and suction tubes to a suction tube band comprising bandlike coherent packages for suction tubes.
The machine comprises two magazine rolls 1, 2 fGr material webs 3 and 4 respectively of thermoplastic material, and a further magazine roll 5 for a material strip 6 of f~brous material. The machine also comprises a great number of guide rollers 7 (only a few of which are shown) for the guiding of the different material webs and material strips past the different processing stations in the machine, as well as a driving arrangement in the form of a driving device 8 actuated by a motor (not shown), which in a sprocketlike manner engages with the finished suction tube band and drives the same in the direction from right to left ~n figure 1.
The machine comprises three different processing stations which the material webs 3, 4 and the material strip 6 pass. At the inlet end of the machine, that is to say, on the righthand side of the machine in figure 1, there is a feeding device 9 adapted to supply and feed suction tubes 10 between the parallel running material webs 3, 4. The feed-ing unit 9 comprises a magazine for suction tubes and a reciprocating element for putting the suction tubes 10 in correct position between the two material webs.
At the same level as the feeding device 9 for suction tubes a sealing element 11 is provided whi`ch comprises a sealing jaw 12 and a counter-jaw 13 situated on the opposite side of the material webs 3, 4. The two jaws are displaceable by means of pneumatic elements (not shown) in the direction towards one another so as to lie against the suction tube band. The jaws can be pressed with a given, controllable force against each other and the material webs situated between them. The sealing jaw 12 can be heated by means of electric resistance elements to the desired temperature.
5 ~4~
After the sealing element 11 a further sealing and punching element 14 is provided which also consists of two parts arranged on either side of the suction tube band, namely a thermal punch 15 and a holding-up tool 16, which are displaceable so as to rest against one another and the suction tube band 17 situated between them. The working surface of the thermal punch 15 facing the suction tube band 17 is profiled and comprises recessed as well as raised linear zones or heated knives 19, which are heatable and form the actual working surface of the ther-mal punch 15. The heated knives 19 are four in number and comprises two substantially U-shaped knives situated at the two ends of the elongated punch 15 and two linear knives situated substantially centrally between them and comprising short end parts set at an angle. The knives on repeated punching jointly form a pattern which corresponds to the outer contour of the protective envelopes which form the finished suction tube band 17, that is to say, a wavy boundary line along the two longitudinal sides of the suc-tion tube band and substantially rectangular openings situ-ated between the suction tubes. It should be pointed out that the knives lack cutting edges proper and that the ope-ration which is carried out is a thermal punching in the thermoplastic material webs 3, 4. The material strip 6 is thus not broken up, as will be explained in more detail in the following. The holding-up tool 16 has a substantially plane working surface 20, wherein a recess 21 is provided which is adapted to take up the suction tube 10 when the holding-up tool 16 and the thermal punch 15 are pressed against the suction tube band 17 from either side.
After the sealing and punching unit 14 the arrange-ment in accordance with the invention is provided with a further guide roller 7 and the driving element 8 mentioned earlier for the driving of the suction tube band. It is understood that the arrangement in accordance with the invention comprises a number of further details which are necessary for the achievement of a complete, working machine, e.g. driving elements, power supply elements and pneumaticsdevices. However, these are conventional, of a type known to the expert, and do not have to be described in this connection.
It should also be evident that`it is possible to double or multiply at will any of the elements, if a machine with a higher working capacity is desirable. For example, the feeding device 9 may supply, by means of a multi-fingered, forklike device, a number of suction tubes (e. g. 4) at one time between the webs, the likewise multiple sealing device ll, by means of several pairs of jaws, seal-ing the webs to each other between the suction tubes, whilst these are still retained in position by means of the fork-like device.
In figure 2 is shown a suction tube band 17, or, more particularly, the successive conversion of the sepa-rate material webs 3, 4 and the suction tubes 10 shown in figure l to a finished suction tube band. The finished suction tube band 17 is shown on the left in figure 2 and comprises a ~mbe~ ~f suction tubes 10 which are indivi-dually wrapped in protective envelopes 22, which at limited parts of their peripheral edges 23 are joined to one another with the help of integrated bands or straps 24. The strapY
24 are arranged at some distance from one another and are manufactured in one piece with the protective envelopes, that is to say formed from the material webs 3, 4. Each suc-tion tube 10 is thus enclosed in a protective envelope 22 which consists of parts of the two material webs 3, 4 adapted to the form of the suction tube which are sealed to each other, whereupon the unused parts of the material webs are cut off and removed.
The manufacture of the suction tube band in accor-dance with the invention will now be described in detail with special reference to figure 2, where the course of manufacture is illustrated from right to left. Farthest to the right is shown how the suction tube 10 is placed between the material webs 3, 4 running parallel. On the side of the material web 3 remote from the material web 4 also runs the material strip 6, whose width corresponds 7 114~
to the width of the material webs 3, 4. When the material webs 3, 4 and the material strip 6 have been provided, with the help of the feeding device 9, with suction tubes 10 arranged transversely at uniform intervals, they approach the sealing element 11, the two working jaws of which press the materialwebsagainst each other with simultaneous supply of heat, so that the two material webs 3, 4 are heat-sealed to each other in transverse sealing regions 25 which are situated just halfway between the applied suction tubes 10.
Thus the suction tubes are fixed in correct position between the material webs. At the same time as the two material webs 3, 4 are sealed to each other, the material strip 6 is also joined to the upper material web 3 owing to the plastic mate-rial, softened through the heat supplied, partly penetrating into and bonding to the surface of the material strip.
After the sealing the suction tube band 17 is advanced further to the next processing station where the material webs are processed with the help of sealing and punching elements 14. The thermal punch 15 now comes to rest against the suction tube band (actually the material strip 6) and the raised knives 19 of the punch, after heating, will seal the two material webs 3, 4 to each other along a seal-ing line extending around the suction tube which corresponds to the peripheral edge 23 of each protective envelope 22. At the same time as the sealing, certain parts of the material webs 3, 4 will be cut off along the sealing lines, namely on the one hand a rectangular area 26 situated between the suc-tion tubes and on the other hand material areas 27 situated at the two end regians of the suction tubes. In this way not only will individual protective envelopes 22 be formed, but also the straps 24 connecting the protective envelopes. sy the thermal punching the said material areas 26, 27 will be separated from the material webs 3, 4, so that they can be removed from the finished suction tube band 17. The material strip 6 (of fibrous material) is not affected by the thermal punching, and the parts punched out can now be removed with the help of the material strip 6 which, as mentioned previously is attached in the sealing region 25 to the material webs 3,4.
This means that the material strip 6, when it is removed from the finished suction tube band 17, will carry with it the punched-out waste material portions 26, 27 which appreciably facilitates the automatic manufacture and S taking care of the waste material. The material strip 6 is also connected within limited parts of the sealing region 25 to the straps 24 of the suction tube band 17, but since the material strip 6 manufactured of paper is retained only with a relatively weak adhesion force on the thermoplastic web, it can be detached from the straps 24 without damaging the same. If required, the material strip may be prepared with a somewhat adhesion-reducing medium, so as to prevent too strong attachment in the region of the straps 24.
15- After the waste material and the material strip 6 have been removed, the suction tube band is ready for feed-ing into a suction tube applicator of the type which has been described in the patent applicatlon mentioned earlier, ,-wherein the applicator separates the suction tubes wrapped in the individual protective envelopes 22 by cutting trans-versely through tAe sealed region of the straps 24. Since the sealing region 25 extending over the strap~ 24 is of a relatively great width, the tightness of the individual protective envelopes 22 is retained, even if the cutting off of the straps 24 does not occur exactly halfway between two suction tubes, which of course is a precondition for the protective envelopes retaining their protective function.
The two material webs 3, 4 which together form the finished suction tube band, consist of heat-sealable mate-rial, e.g. polyethylene. The material strip 6 whose task is thus to facilitate a rapid and effective taking care of and a simplified further handling of the waste material, which arises in the manufacture of the suction tube band, is made appropriately of a cheap fibrous material, e.g.
think paper material. Such a fibrous material also makes it possible to achieve by means of heat the temporary seal between the material strip 6 and the material web 3 which is required, at the same time as the material strip prevents :
~41Z~l `
the thermoplastic layer from sticking to the heated sealing and punching elements. It is of course also possible to utilize a material strip of a different material, e.g. a material which is coated with a heat-activable binder.
The method in accordance with the invention naturally can also be simplified in that the material strip 6 is left out, and the punched out parts of the material webs 3, 4 forming the suction tube band are taken charge of in a different manner, e.g. with the help of vacuum ducts, mechanical gripping elements or the like. This, however, means the loss of a great advan-tage of the invention, namely the possibility of providing a safe and accurate manufacture, even at a high speed, since individual handling of the-punched out parts would be possible only at a relatively low rate of production.
Furthermore, there is a great risk of the plastic material attaching itself to the punching tools, so that the latter have to be coated with tetrafluoroethylene.
The different processing tools of the machine are sta~ionary in the described embodiment of the machine, that is to say, they are not movable in the longitudinal direc-tion of the suction tube band. This implies a simple con- ~
struction of the machine, but makes it necessary to advance the suction tube band intermittently. If a higher rate of manufacture is desirable, it is of course possible to pro-vide the suction tube band with a continuous feed, which means that the processing tools during their active period have to be moved in a working stroke together with the suc-tion tube band and at the speed of the latter. After each completed sealing, punching etc the processing tools are then moved in a rapid return stroke back to the starting position, whereupon a new working stroke is started imme-diately. This construction implies an appreciably higher rate of manufacture than the preferred embodiment described and may be preferred therefore in cases where the higher speed justifies the more complicated design of the machine and the higher cost. The construction may be realized in - ~14~
10 ;~ ~' practice in that the processing tools employed are fitted onto a slide arranged parallel with the suction tube band and are connected to a suitable reciprocating driving ele-ment. As such constructions are known to those versed in the art, a more detailed description will not be required in this connection.
The suction tube band 17 produced possesses great accuracy and is therefore well suited for use in automatic machines for application of suction tubes to packing con-tainers. It is a further advantage of the suction tube band that it is manufactured in its entirety of plastic material, which on the one hand eliminates the need for loose (and expensive) adhesive tapes and on the other hand ensures that the suction tube band has a good resistance to mechanical stresses in dry as well as in wet condition, which is advantageous since the packages provided with applied suction tubes are stored in moist surroundings, e. g. in a cold room or refrigerator. The suction tube band also has good flexibility which makes it possible to store it in rolled up form.
Bandlike coherent suction tubes wrapped in individual protective envelopes are used inter alia in those cases where one or more suction tubes are to be applied to the out-side of non-returnable packages for fruit juice, milk, etc.
The bandlike cohexent packed suction tubes make it possible with good safety to apply a wrapped suction tube in the cor-rect position to the outside of each individual packing con-tainer. Previously this has not been possible, since loose suction tubes wrapped in separate envelopes, owing to their low weight and their flexible, undefined outer contours, could not easily be brought by mechanical means into their correct position on the packing container.
Bandlike coherent suction tubes wrapped in protective envelopes, for the suction tube applicator up to now compris-ed suction tubes which were wrapped in protective envelopesof thin paper material and were joined in a rope-ladderlike manner with the help of adhesive tapes, which were attached in pairs and mutually parallel in the vicinity of the two outer ends of the suction tube envelopes. This type of suc-tion tube band can be manufactured at a high rate, but heretoo the handling of the suction tubes wrapped in the protec-tive `"'~,~y,~
envelopes causes certain difficult.ies, especially when it comes to the placing of the wrapped suction tubes in correct mutual position on the adhesive tapes.
The present invention eliminates the need for mechanical handling of individual suction tubes wrapped in the protective envelopes, since such handling, owing to the undefined and indeterminate contours of the protective envelopes, presents great difficulties.
The present invention thus overcomes the abovementioned disadvantages and to provide a method for the manufacture of coherent bands with suction tubes wrapped in individual protective envelopes, which method ensures great accuracy and is suitable for rapid mechanical manufacture.
According to the present invention there is provided a method for the manufacture of bandlike coherent packages of suction tubes, in which the sucti.on tubes are placed transversely between two webs which are sealed to one another around each suction tube to form closed protective envelopes, parts of the webs located between the suction tubes being removed so that the protective envelopes only hang together along limited parts of their peripheral edges, the webs being thermoplastic films, which in the regions between the suction tubes are heat-sealed to each other and to a strip disposed on the side of one of the films remote from the suction tubes, so that transverse sealing regions between the suction tubes are created, whereupon parts of the sealing regions are cut off and removed from the webs together with the strip.
Thus in accordance with the present invention the pro-tective envelopes as well as the parts joining the pro-tective envelopes are manufactured at the same time and of J 35 the same material. In particular, the suction tubes are placed transversely between two material webs which are sealed to one another around each suction tube to form closed pro-tective envelopes, parts of the material webs located be-tween the suction tubes being removed so that the protective envelopes only hang together along limited parts of their peripheral edges.
In a particular embodiment of the present invention parts of the two webs which are to be removed are separated by thermal punching along peripheral edges of the protective envelope, the webs being sealed at the same time to each other along the said edges. Suitably the strip is made of paper and the webs of polyethylene.
The present invention also provides an apparatus for the manufacture of bandlike coherent packages for suction tubes, which apparatus is simple and uncomplicated and makes possible rapid and accurate manufacture.
According to the present invention therefore there is also provided an apparatus for the manufacture of bandlike coherent packages for suction tubes which comprises elements for the feeding and guiding of two thermoplastic film webs and a strip, units for the placing of suction tubes between the two webs such that the strip is on one side of one of the webs remote frc~ the suction tubes heat sealing and punching elements for the heat sealing of the webs to each other around the suction tubes and for the separation of parts of the web situated between the suction tubes and means for removing said strip to which the separated parts are attached.
Thus in accordance with one aspect of the present inven-tion the apparatus comprises elements for the advancing and guiding of two material webs, units for the placing of the suction tubes between the two webs, sealing and punching elements for the sealing of the material webs to each other r' around the suction tubes and for the separation of parts of - 3 ~
~.~
the material webs situated between the suction tubes.
In a preferred embodiment of the apparatus in accordance with the invention, the sealing and punching elements com-prise a thermal punch and a cooperating holding-up tool, which are arranged so that simultaneouslv with the punching they join the two material webs along the peripheral edges of the protective envelopes formed.
10Finallv, the present invention provides a suction tube band which is suitable for manufacture in accordance with the invention and which is adapted for safe utilization in the suction tube applicator mentioned in the introduction.
15In accordance with the invention the suction tube band comprises bandlike coherent packages with suction tubes which are individually packed in protective envelopes arranged transversely in relation to the longitudinal direction of the band, in which the protective envelopes are connected to each other along parts of their peripheral edges so as to form a coherent band of suction tube packages arranged at intervals.
In a preferred embodiment of the suction tube band in accordance with the invention, the protection envelopes com-prise straps situated along their peripheral edges, which are arranged at some distance from one another and manufactured in one piece with the protective envelopes.
30In another preferred embodiment the protective envelopes are made of thermoplastic material.
A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described in more detail with special reference to the en-closed schematic drawing which only illustrates the parts necessary for the understanding of the invention.
- 3a~' Figure 1 shows from the side and partially in section an arrange~ent for the .realization of the method in accord-ance with the invention.
- 3b -4 ~a~2~
Figure 2 shows the successive manufacture of a suction tube band in accordance with the invention.
The arranqement in accordance with the invention consists of a ~m~ of machine elements supported on a '5 machine stand (not shown) for the conversion of separate material strips and suction tubes to a suction tube band comprising bandlike coherent packages for suction tubes.
The machine comprises two magazine rolls 1, 2 fGr material webs 3 and 4 respectively of thermoplastic material, and a further magazine roll 5 for a material strip 6 of f~brous material. The machine also comprises a great number of guide rollers 7 (only a few of which are shown) for the guiding of the different material webs and material strips past the different processing stations in the machine, as well as a driving arrangement in the form of a driving device 8 actuated by a motor (not shown), which in a sprocketlike manner engages with the finished suction tube band and drives the same in the direction from right to left ~n figure 1.
The machine comprises three different processing stations which the material webs 3, 4 and the material strip 6 pass. At the inlet end of the machine, that is to say, on the righthand side of the machine in figure 1, there is a feeding device 9 adapted to supply and feed suction tubes 10 between the parallel running material webs 3, 4. The feed-ing unit 9 comprises a magazine for suction tubes and a reciprocating element for putting the suction tubes 10 in correct position between the two material webs.
At the same level as the feeding device 9 for suction tubes a sealing element 11 is provided whi`ch comprises a sealing jaw 12 and a counter-jaw 13 situated on the opposite side of the material webs 3, 4. The two jaws are displaceable by means of pneumatic elements (not shown) in the direction towards one another so as to lie against the suction tube band. The jaws can be pressed with a given, controllable force against each other and the material webs situated between them. The sealing jaw 12 can be heated by means of electric resistance elements to the desired temperature.
5 ~4~
After the sealing element 11 a further sealing and punching element 14 is provided which also consists of two parts arranged on either side of the suction tube band, namely a thermal punch 15 and a holding-up tool 16, which are displaceable so as to rest against one another and the suction tube band 17 situated between them. The working surface of the thermal punch 15 facing the suction tube band 17 is profiled and comprises recessed as well as raised linear zones or heated knives 19, which are heatable and form the actual working surface of the ther-mal punch 15. The heated knives 19 are four in number and comprises two substantially U-shaped knives situated at the two ends of the elongated punch 15 and two linear knives situated substantially centrally between them and comprising short end parts set at an angle. The knives on repeated punching jointly form a pattern which corresponds to the outer contour of the protective envelopes which form the finished suction tube band 17, that is to say, a wavy boundary line along the two longitudinal sides of the suc-tion tube band and substantially rectangular openings situ-ated between the suction tubes. It should be pointed out that the knives lack cutting edges proper and that the ope-ration which is carried out is a thermal punching in the thermoplastic material webs 3, 4. The material strip 6 is thus not broken up, as will be explained in more detail in the following. The holding-up tool 16 has a substantially plane working surface 20, wherein a recess 21 is provided which is adapted to take up the suction tube 10 when the holding-up tool 16 and the thermal punch 15 are pressed against the suction tube band 17 from either side.
After the sealing and punching unit 14 the arrange-ment in accordance with the invention is provided with a further guide roller 7 and the driving element 8 mentioned earlier for the driving of the suction tube band. It is understood that the arrangement in accordance with the invention comprises a number of further details which are necessary for the achievement of a complete, working machine, e.g. driving elements, power supply elements and pneumaticsdevices. However, these are conventional, of a type known to the expert, and do not have to be described in this connection.
It should also be evident that`it is possible to double or multiply at will any of the elements, if a machine with a higher working capacity is desirable. For example, the feeding device 9 may supply, by means of a multi-fingered, forklike device, a number of suction tubes (e. g. 4) at one time between the webs, the likewise multiple sealing device ll, by means of several pairs of jaws, seal-ing the webs to each other between the suction tubes, whilst these are still retained in position by means of the fork-like device.
In figure 2 is shown a suction tube band 17, or, more particularly, the successive conversion of the sepa-rate material webs 3, 4 and the suction tubes 10 shown in figure l to a finished suction tube band. The finished suction tube band 17 is shown on the left in figure 2 and comprises a ~mbe~ ~f suction tubes 10 which are indivi-dually wrapped in protective envelopes 22, which at limited parts of their peripheral edges 23 are joined to one another with the help of integrated bands or straps 24. The strapY
24 are arranged at some distance from one another and are manufactured in one piece with the protective envelopes, that is to say formed from the material webs 3, 4. Each suc-tion tube 10 is thus enclosed in a protective envelope 22 which consists of parts of the two material webs 3, 4 adapted to the form of the suction tube which are sealed to each other, whereupon the unused parts of the material webs are cut off and removed.
The manufacture of the suction tube band in accor-dance with the invention will now be described in detail with special reference to figure 2, where the course of manufacture is illustrated from right to left. Farthest to the right is shown how the suction tube 10 is placed between the material webs 3, 4 running parallel. On the side of the material web 3 remote from the material web 4 also runs the material strip 6, whose width corresponds 7 114~
to the width of the material webs 3, 4. When the material webs 3, 4 and the material strip 6 have been provided, with the help of the feeding device 9, with suction tubes 10 arranged transversely at uniform intervals, they approach the sealing element 11, the two working jaws of which press the materialwebsagainst each other with simultaneous supply of heat, so that the two material webs 3, 4 are heat-sealed to each other in transverse sealing regions 25 which are situated just halfway between the applied suction tubes 10.
Thus the suction tubes are fixed in correct position between the material webs. At the same time as the two material webs 3, 4 are sealed to each other, the material strip 6 is also joined to the upper material web 3 owing to the plastic mate-rial, softened through the heat supplied, partly penetrating into and bonding to the surface of the material strip.
After the sealing the suction tube band 17 is advanced further to the next processing station where the material webs are processed with the help of sealing and punching elements 14. The thermal punch 15 now comes to rest against the suction tube band (actually the material strip 6) and the raised knives 19 of the punch, after heating, will seal the two material webs 3, 4 to each other along a seal-ing line extending around the suction tube which corresponds to the peripheral edge 23 of each protective envelope 22. At the same time as the sealing, certain parts of the material webs 3, 4 will be cut off along the sealing lines, namely on the one hand a rectangular area 26 situated between the suc-tion tubes and on the other hand material areas 27 situated at the two end regians of the suction tubes. In this way not only will individual protective envelopes 22 be formed, but also the straps 24 connecting the protective envelopes. sy the thermal punching the said material areas 26, 27 will be separated from the material webs 3, 4, so that they can be removed from the finished suction tube band 17. The material strip 6 (of fibrous material) is not affected by the thermal punching, and the parts punched out can now be removed with the help of the material strip 6 which, as mentioned previously is attached in the sealing region 25 to the material webs 3,4.
This means that the material strip 6, when it is removed from the finished suction tube band 17, will carry with it the punched-out waste material portions 26, 27 which appreciably facilitates the automatic manufacture and S taking care of the waste material. The material strip 6 is also connected within limited parts of the sealing region 25 to the straps 24 of the suction tube band 17, but since the material strip 6 manufactured of paper is retained only with a relatively weak adhesion force on the thermoplastic web, it can be detached from the straps 24 without damaging the same. If required, the material strip may be prepared with a somewhat adhesion-reducing medium, so as to prevent too strong attachment in the region of the straps 24.
15- After the waste material and the material strip 6 have been removed, the suction tube band is ready for feed-ing into a suction tube applicator of the type which has been described in the patent applicatlon mentioned earlier, ,-wherein the applicator separates the suction tubes wrapped in the individual protective envelopes 22 by cutting trans-versely through tAe sealed region of the straps 24. Since the sealing region 25 extending over the strap~ 24 is of a relatively great width, the tightness of the individual protective envelopes 22 is retained, even if the cutting off of the straps 24 does not occur exactly halfway between two suction tubes, which of course is a precondition for the protective envelopes retaining their protective function.
The two material webs 3, 4 which together form the finished suction tube band, consist of heat-sealable mate-rial, e.g. polyethylene. The material strip 6 whose task is thus to facilitate a rapid and effective taking care of and a simplified further handling of the waste material, which arises in the manufacture of the suction tube band, is made appropriately of a cheap fibrous material, e.g.
think paper material. Such a fibrous material also makes it possible to achieve by means of heat the temporary seal between the material strip 6 and the material web 3 which is required, at the same time as the material strip prevents :
~41Z~l `
the thermoplastic layer from sticking to the heated sealing and punching elements. It is of course also possible to utilize a material strip of a different material, e.g. a material which is coated with a heat-activable binder.
The method in accordance with the invention naturally can also be simplified in that the material strip 6 is left out, and the punched out parts of the material webs 3, 4 forming the suction tube band are taken charge of in a different manner, e.g. with the help of vacuum ducts, mechanical gripping elements or the like. This, however, means the loss of a great advan-tage of the invention, namely the possibility of providing a safe and accurate manufacture, even at a high speed, since individual handling of the-punched out parts would be possible only at a relatively low rate of production.
Furthermore, there is a great risk of the plastic material attaching itself to the punching tools, so that the latter have to be coated with tetrafluoroethylene.
The different processing tools of the machine are sta~ionary in the described embodiment of the machine, that is to say, they are not movable in the longitudinal direc-tion of the suction tube band. This implies a simple con- ~
struction of the machine, but makes it necessary to advance the suction tube band intermittently. If a higher rate of manufacture is desirable, it is of course possible to pro-vide the suction tube band with a continuous feed, which means that the processing tools during their active period have to be moved in a working stroke together with the suc-tion tube band and at the speed of the latter. After each completed sealing, punching etc the processing tools are then moved in a rapid return stroke back to the starting position, whereupon a new working stroke is started imme-diately. This construction implies an appreciably higher rate of manufacture than the preferred embodiment described and may be preferred therefore in cases where the higher speed justifies the more complicated design of the machine and the higher cost. The construction may be realized in - ~14~
10 ;~ ~' practice in that the processing tools employed are fitted onto a slide arranged parallel with the suction tube band and are connected to a suitable reciprocating driving ele-ment. As such constructions are known to those versed in the art, a more detailed description will not be required in this connection.
The suction tube band 17 produced possesses great accuracy and is therefore well suited for use in automatic machines for application of suction tubes to packing con-tainers. It is a further advantage of the suction tube band that it is manufactured in its entirety of plastic material, which on the one hand eliminates the need for loose (and expensive) adhesive tapes and on the other hand ensures that the suction tube band has a good resistance to mechanical stresses in dry as well as in wet condition, which is advantageous since the packages provided with applied suction tubes are stored in moist surroundings, e. g. in a cold room or refrigerator. The suction tube band also has good flexibility which makes it possible to store it in rolled up form.
Claims (6)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A method for the manufacture of bandlike coherent packages of suction tubes, in which the suction tubes are placed transversely between two webs which are sealed to one another around each suction tube to form closed protec-tive envelopes, parts of the webs located between the suction tubes being removed so that the protective envelopes only hang together along limited parts of their peripheral edges, the webs being thermoplastic films, which in the regions between the suction tubes are heat-sealed to each other and to a strip disposed on the side of one of -the films remote from the suction tubes, so that transverse sealing regions between the suction tubes are created, whereupon parts of the sealing regions are cut off and removed from the webs together with the strip.
2. A method in accordance with claim 1, in which parts of the two webs which are to be removed are separated by thermal punching along peripheral edges of the protective envelope, the webs being sealed at the same time to each other along the said edges.
3. A method in accordance with claim 1, in which the strip is a paper strip.
4. A method in accordance with claim 1, 2 or 3, in which the webs are polyethylene webs.
5. An apparatus for the manufacture of bandlike coherent packages for suction tubes which comprises elements for the feeding and guiding of two thermoplastic film webs and a strip, units for the placing of suction tubes between the two webs, such that the strip is on one side of one of the webs remote from the suction tubes heat-sealing and punching elements for the heat-sealing of the webs to each other around the suction tubes and for the separation of parts of the web situated between the suction tubes and means for removing said strip to which the separated parts are attached.
6. An apparatus in accordance with claim 5, in which the sealing and punching elements comprise a thermal punch and a cooperating holding-up tool, which are arranged so that simultaneously with the punching they join the two material webs along the peripheral edges of the protective envelopes formed.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000352853A CA1141281A (en) | 1980-05-28 | 1980-05-28 | Method and an arrangement for the manufacture of packages for suction tubes |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000352853A CA1141281A (en) | 1980-05-28 | 1980-05-28 | Method and an arrangement for the manufacture of packages for suction tubes |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1141281A true CA1141281A (en) | 1983-02-15 |
Family
ID=4117044
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000352853A Expired CA1141281A (en) | 1980-05-28 | 1980-05-28 | Method and an arrangement for the manufacture of packages for suction tubes |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1141281A (en) |
-
1980
- 1980-05-28 CA CA000352853A patent/CA1141281A/en not_active Expired
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| MKEX | Expiry |