CA2300570A1 - Sleeving apparatus and method - Google Patents

Abstract

A sleeving apparatus is used to place sleeves about looped belts. A belt manipulation apparatus receives a resilient belt to be sleeved in an undeformed condition. As the belt advances through the belt manipulation apparatus, it is squeezed to form a protruding bight, in the form of a tongue, that is of a size to slide into a rectangular opening or passage defined by the four walls of a sleeve. A
sleeve holder located adjacent to the belt manipulation apparatus maintains a sleeve in position to receive the belt to be sleeved. The belt manipulation apparatus urges or feeds the tongue forward into, and through the passage defined by the sleeve.
As the tongue extends beyond the exit of the sleeve, it seeks to resume its undeformed shape and consequently, it forms a bulge or loop of increasingly large dimensions.
When the belt is released from the belt manipulation apparatus and permitted to assume its position of lowest energy storage, a loop will have been formed at both ends of the belt and the mid-portion or waist of the belt will be constrained by the margins of the sleeve.

Description

SLEEVING APPARATUS AND METHOD
Field of Invention This invention relates to the field of apparatus for placement of sleeves about looped materials, and methods of operation of such apparatus.
Background of the Invention A number of products are made available for sale or stored in the form of a bundle that is squeezed in the middle and then held in that position by a sleeve or medial retainer, such that the squeezed object, or bundle, extends in a bulging manner from either end of the sleeve or retainer. As packaged in this manner, the protruding ends of the loop are flexed in a concave curve, while the material forming the squeezed-in waist is flexed convexly. Examples of this type of good are fan belts, band saw blades, coils of wire or rope, aircraft cable, co-axial communications cable, shoe laces, skipping ropes, steel package fastening strips, and similar objects.
In some instances, the material to be packaged in this way is time sensitive.
That is, if it is left in its package too long some materials develop a permanent set.
This may tend to be true of belts or cables that are at least partially resilient. Such a permanent set may not be desirable. For example, in a V-belt, timing belt, or drive cable, a permanent set, such as a convex set in the waist, may constitute a weakness that leads to reduced service life. In some cases the materials to be packaged in this way must be transported over long distances before reaching their markets, with consequent time delay. For that reason it is preferable to bundle the materials near the point of sale, rather than near the point of original manufacture, such that their effective shelf life may be extended. In this sense, the date of packaging may establish a benchmark for a "best before" date for the material.
At present, drive belts, whether V-belts or timing belts, are often shipped from the point of manufacture to the point of distribution in a full loop, relatively relaxed form or in a folded multiple ring form. In either case, the entire belt has a concave arc, of approximately the same circumference. At the point of distribution the belts are packaged in rectangular cardboard sleeves, and shipped to local retail outlets.
20704028.1 A resilient, or partially resilient, looped material, such as a drive belt, will tend to seek a generally circular shape if left to itself. That is, it will tend to seek the position of lowest stored spring energy, within the external physical constraints imposed on it. The sleeve is a type of physical constraint. The circular loop can be squeezed in the middle to form a dog-bone shape having a bulge at one end, a bulge at the other end, and a narrow waist in the middle between the two bulges. The cardboard sleeve is located at the waist, and will be held in place by the inherent resiliency of the loop. In general the sleeve is placed so that the two bulges are roughly equal in size and shape.
The sleeve also typically carries printed information pertaining to the size of the belt (width, length, permissible load, and date of packaging, production batch, and so on). Long belts, such as those being greater than 80" in circumference, may tend to have a loop formed in them to double or triple their thickness.
It is possible to hold the belt in a squeezed condition, and then to wrap a cardboard strip about the belt. The cardboard strip can then be fastened in place.
Such a process may require that the sleeves be fastened at the point of packaging, and may be relatively slow if an adhesive system, that is to say, a glue, is used.
More commonly, the sleeves are provided in a pre-fabricated, pre-scored, flat form. The sleeves can then be opened along the pre-scored crease lines to yield a rectangular sleeve. The belts are squeezed by hand, and fed through the sleeves. This is a labour intensive process, and may be both slow and expensive. In a typical manual sleeving operation, one person can sleeve approximately 200 belts per hour, or roughly one every 15 to 20 seconds. Further, the work is highly repetitive, and may not provide a high level of intellectual stimulation to those employed in the activity. The use of an automated process may permit higher through-put rates, and greater duration during the day than a manual operation, and may also free individuals to be employed in tasks requiring greater intellectual versatility. For these reasons it would be advantageous to employ a more highly automated process.
In automating the sleeving process, it would be advantageous to have a sleeving apparatus able to hold an open sleeve in an orientation for receiving the belt material. It would also be advantageous for the apparatus to manipulate the belt into a position to produce a relatively narrow bight, or tongue, that can be fed through the 20704028.1 sleeve. Once the belt is in a mid-range position in the sleeve, it and the sleeve can be released and moved on to the next stage in the process.
Summary of the Invention In an aspect of the invention, there is a belt sleeving machine. The belt sleeving machine has a belt manipulation apparatus. It has a sleeve holder, mounted adjacent thereto, and is co-operable with the belt manipulation apparatus. The sleeve holder is operable to maintain a sleeve in a position to receive a belt to be sleeved from the belt manipulation apparatus. The belt manipulation apparatus is operable to form a protruding tongue in the belt to be sleeved and to feed the protruding tongue into the sleeve.
In an additional feature of that aspect of the invention, the belt manipulation apparatus includes a pair of convergent walls. The walls have an intake at which to receive belts to be sleeved in an undeformed condition, and an exit whence to discharge belts to be sleeved. The exit is narrower than the intake. The belt manipulation apparatus is operable to urge belts to be sleeved from the intake to the exit, whereby the belts are compelled to form an elongate shape including the tongue.
In another feature, at least one of the convergent walls is a movable wall.
The movable wall is operable to urge the belt toward the exit. In still another feature, the movable wall includes a band formed in a continuous loop. In a further feature, the band is a drive belt carried upon wheels. The belt is driveable by one of the wheels to advance the belt to be sleeved toward the exit. In still another feature, the band is a timing belt and at least one of the wheels is a toothed drive wheel.
In yet another feature, the belt manipulation apparatus includes a pair of spaced apart walls defining a passage therebetween. The passage has a width.
At least one of the walls is adjustable to vary the width of the passage.
In another additional feature, the wall is adjustable to a first, wider, belt receiving position such that the belt may be received in the passage in an undeformed condition, and to a second, narrower, belt squeezing position to permit the belt received within the passage to be squeezed between the walls and thereby to form an elongate tongue in the belt.
20704028.1 In still another feature, the adjustable wall includes a sliding carriage operable to slide within guiding slots. In a further feature, at least one of the walls is a movable wall. The movable wall is operable to urge the belt toward the sleeve holder.
In still another feature, there is a retractable member located to obstruct the passage. The S passage obstructing member is operable to retain the belt within the passage when the adjustable wall is in the first, wider, belt receiving position, and to release the belt when the adjustable wall is in the second, narrower, belt squeezing position.
In another additional feature, the belt manipulation apparatus comprises at least two movable walls operable to urge the belt to be sleeved toward the sleeve.
In another additional feature, the belt manipulation apparatus has opposed first and second movable walls in the nature of drive belts. The first and second movable walls are spaced apart from each other and are driven in opposite directions relative to each other such that when the belt passes between the movable walls, the first and second movable walls co-operate to urge the belt toward the sleeve.
In still another additional feature, the first and second movable walls are arranged to form a funnel-shaped passage therebetween. The passage has a broad inlet and a narrow outlet such that when the belt to be sleeved moves through the passage, the protruding tongue is formed therein. In still yet another additional feature of that aspect of the invention, the convergent walls define a throat at the exit.
The throat has a width. At least one of the walls is adjustable to vary the width of the throat. In another additional feature, the adjustable wall includes a sliding carriage operable to slide within guiding slots. In still another additional feature, at least one of the convergent walls has an arcuate portion.
In still yet another additional feature, at least one of the wall members comprises two adjoining straight wall portions arranged so as to form a knee in the wall member. In another additional feature, the machine includes a support structure upon which the belt to be sleeved can be placed and manipulated. In still another additional feature, the support structure includes a planar surface inclined to permit gravity to urge the belt to be sleeved to engage the belt manipulation apparatus. In another feature, the planar surface of the support structure has a moving portion for advancing the object belt toward the belt manipulation apparatus. In still another feature, the moving portion comprises a conveyor belt. In still yet another feature, the moving portion includes a series of spindles.
20704028.1 In still yet another additional feature, the belt manipulation apparatus includes a sensor located to permit determination of the location of the belt to be sleeved relative to the exit. In another additional feature, the sensor is an optical sensor S positioned adjacent to the exit, and the sensor controls release of the sleeve and a belt seated therein from the machine. In yet another additional feature, the apparatus includes a mandrel operable to form a fold in the belt to be sleeved when the belt to be sleeved is urged toward the exit. In yet still another additional feature, the mandrel is positioned between the convergent walls, and the belt manipulation apparatus is operable to fold the belt to be sleeved to form a first lobe between the mandrel and one of the walls, and a second lobe between the mandrel and the other of the convergent walls.
In another additional feature, the machine includes a sleeve magazine capable of holding a supply of sleeves. The sleeve magazine is operable to dispense sleeves to the sleeve holder. In an additional feature, the magazine has a first end, a second end, and walls extending therebetween to define a storage chamber therewithin. The magazine has a passage defined therein by which sleeves can be dispensed. A
release mechanism is mounted to control release of sleeves through the passage. In another additional feature, the sleeve holder includes a pneumatic head. The pneumatic head is operable to retain a sleeve dispensed from the sleeve magazine in a controlled position relative to the belt manipulation apparatus. In still another additional feature, the sleeve holder is stationary and the sleeve magazine is located proximate to the belt manipulation apparatus.
In still another additional feature, the sleeve holder is movable between a first position and a second position. The first sleeve holder position is located beneath the sleeve magazine to allow the sleeve holder to receive a sleeve therefrom. The second sleeve holder position is located proximate to the belt manipulation apparatus so as to permit the sleeve being held in the sleeve holder to receive the belt from the belt manipulation apparatus.
In yet another additional feature, the sleeve holder includes a shuttle movable between a first position adjacent to the sleeve magazine and a second position adjacent to an exit of the belt manipulation apparatus. In the first position, the shuttle is capable of receiving a sleeve dispensed from the magazine, and in the second 20704028.1 position, the shuttle is operable to retain the sleeve adjacent the exit whereby the sleeve is able to receive the tongue formed in the belt to be sleeved.
In still another additional feature, the machine comprises a pair of sleeve magazines and a pair of shuttles. Each of the magazines is served by one of the shuttles. The shuttles are alternately operable to position a sleeve adjacent the exit of the belt manipulation apparatus. In yet still another additional feature, the belt sleeving machine has a sleeve identification apparatus. The shuttle is operable to transport the sleeve to a position adjacent to the sleeve identification apparatus. The identification apparatus is operable to apply identification indicia to the sleeve.
In another aspect of the invention, there is a method of operating a belt sleeving apparatus to insert a resilient belt into sleeving. The method comprises the steps of operating a first means to hold the sleeving in a position for receiving a resilient belt. The method also comprises the steps of operating a second means to squeeze the resilient belt to form a tongue of a size to fit in the sleeving and introducing the tongue into the sleeving.
In another additional feature of that aspect of the invention, the method includes the step of applying identification indicia to the sleeving. In yet another additional feature, the method includes the steps of providing a magazine of sleeves and a transport mechanism for moving the sleeves to a position for receiving a belt to be sleeved, and the step of printing the identification indicia on the sleeves at a location between the magazine and the position for receiving the belt to be sleeved.
In still another additional feature, the method includes the steps of providing a magazine of sleeves, operating a pneumatic head to draw a sleeve from the magazine, and the step of operating the pneumatic head to release the sleeve once a belt to be sleeved has been positioned therein.
In a further additional feature, the step of operating the pneumatic head to draw a sleeve from the magazine includes the step of using suction to draw the sleeve from the magazine, and the step of releasing includes the step of releasing the suction.
In still another additional feature, the step of releasing includes the step of operating the pneumatic head at a positive gauge pressure to expel the sleeving therefrom. In 3 5 yet still another additional feature, the method includes the steps of providing a pair of sleeve magazines and transport mechanism for carrying sleeves from the magazines to 20704028.1 a position for receiving belts to be sleeved, and the step of drawing sleeves alternately from the pair of sleeve magazines.
In yet another additional feature, the method includes the step of employing a sensor to judge when to eject a finished belt and sleeve package from the belt sleeving machine. In yet still another additional feature, the method includes the steps of folding the belt to be sleeved double before introducing the belt to be sleeved into the sleeving. In still another additional feature, the step of folding includes the steps of providing a mandrel between a pair of movable walls, and of urging a medial portion of the belt to be sleeved against the mandrel such that a pair of lobes form in the belt to be sleeved to either side of the mandrel, urging the lobes toward the sleeve while maintaining the mandrel against a medial portion of the belt to be sleeved, whereby the lobes lead the medial portion in advancing toward the sleeve, and urging the belt to be sleeved into position in the sleeve.
In a further additional feature, the step of folding includes the step of advancing the mandrel into a medial portion of the belt to be sleeved. The advance of the mandrel is in a direction toward the sleeve whereby the lobes are formed rearwardly of the medial portion. The medial portion leads the lobes in advancing toward the sleeve.
In yet another additional feature, the method includes the step of sensing the position of the belt to be sleeved, and the step of releasing the belt to be sleeved from engagement with the mandrel. The method also includes the step of controlling the release of the belt from the mandrel with the sensor.
In another aspect of the invention, there is a belt sleeving apparatus for inserting a resilient belt into sleeving. The apparatus comprises a first means for holding sleeving in a position to receive a resilient belt. The apparatus also comprises a second means, for forming a tongue in the resilient belt, the tongue being of a size to enter the sleeving and a third means for introducing the tongue into the sleeving. The first, second and third means are mounted to co-operate with each other.
In another aspect of the invention, there is a belt sleeving apparatus for inserting a resilient belt into a sleeving. The apparatus comprises a first means for holding the sleeving in a position to receive a resilient belt, and a second means, for 20704028.1 _ g _ forming a tongue in the resilient belt, the tongue being of a size to enter the sleeving.
The second means is operable to introduce the tongue into the sleeving. The first and second means are mounted to co-operate with each other. In another feature of that aspect of the invention, the belt sleeving apparatus further comprises means for urging S sleeving into an open orientation to introduce the tongue to be received therewithin.
Brief Description of the Drawings These aspects and other features of the invention can be understood with the aid of the following illustrations of a number of exemplary, and non-limiting, embodiments of the principles of the invention in which:
Figure 1 is a general arrangement perspective view of belt sleeving machine according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a cut-away perspective view, taken from below, of the belt sleeving machine of Figure 1, illustrating the arrangement of motor driven timing belts of the belt manipulation apparatus;
Figure 3a is a partial cross-sectional view of the belt sleeving machine of Figure 1, showing a sleeve transporting apparatus in a mid-travel position between a sleeve magazine and a labelling device;
Figure 3b is a partial cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of belt sleeving machine to that of Figure 3a, showing a bar code printer mounted on an arm extending within the lower end of a sleeve magazine;
Figure 3c is a partial cross-sectional view of the sleeve transporting apparatus of Figure 1, in an end of travel position;
Figure 3d is a partial cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of sleeve transporting apparatus to that of Figure 3c, showing a sleeve transporting apparatus having moveable pins;
Figure 3e is a partial cross-sectional view of the belt sleeving machine of Figure 1, showing a guide plate mounted to the belt manipulation apparatus;
Figures 4a to 4e are projected views of the belt sleeving machine of Figure 1, illustrating a single loop object belt being sleeved according to the present invention;
Figure 4a shows an undeformed object belt being engaged by the moving walls of the belt manipulation apparatus of the belt sleeving machine of Figure 1, 20704028.1 Figure 4b shows the object belt being drawn forward by the belt manipulation apparatus of belt sleeving machine of Figure 4a and being compelled to assume an elongate shape, Figure 4c shows the object belt being squeezed by the belt manipulation apparatus of belt sleeving machine of Figure 4b and a tongue being formed in the object belt, Figure 4d shows the tongue of the object belt of Figure 4c being inserted into the object sleeve, and Figure 4e shows a sleeved single loop object belt according to the present invention;
Figure 5 is a projected view of an alternate embodiment to the belt sleeving machine of Figure 4a, showing a belt manipulation apparatus having straight wall portions forming knees in the moving walls;
Figure 6 is a projected view of an alternate embodiment to the belt sleeving machine of Figure 4a, showing a belt manipulation apparatus having an arcuate shoe;
Figure 7 is a projected view of an alternate embodiment to the belt sleeving machine of Figure 4a, showing a belt manipulation apparatus having a flat backing plate and a pair of moving walls with no knees formed therewithin;
Figure 8 is a projected view of an alternate embodiment to the belt sleeving machine of Figure 4a, showing a belt manipulation apparatus having only one moving wall;
Figure 9 is a projected view of an alternate embodiment to the belt sleeving machine of Figure 4a, showing a belt manipulation apparatus having many idlers;
Figures l0a and lOb are projected views of an alternate embodiment to the belt sleeving machine of Figure 4a, showing a belt manipulation apparatus having non-converging walls;
Figure l0a shows the walls of the belt manipulation apparatus in a belt receiving position, and Figure lOb shows the walls of the belt manipulation apparatus of Figure l0a in a narrower, belt squeezing position;
Figure 11 is a general arrangement perspective view of an alternate embodiment of belt sleeving machine to that of Figure 1, showing a belt sleeving machine having a table with a moving portion in the nature of a moving web;
Figure 12 is a general arrangement perspective view of an alternate embodiment of belt sleeving machine to that of Figure 1, showing a belt sleeving machine with spindles;
20704028.1 Figures 13a to 13e are projected views of an alternate embodiment of belt sleeving machine to that of Figure 4a, illustrating a double loop object belt being sleeved, loops first, according to one aspect of the present invention;
Figure 13a shows an undeformed object belt being engaged by the moving walls of the belt manipulation apparatus, Figure 13b shows the object belt being drawn forward by the moving walls of the belt manipulation apparatus of Figure 13a and being jammed by a pin, Figure 13c shows a pair of loops being formed on either side of the pin as portions of the object belt are forced past it by the moving walls of the belt manipulation apparatus of Figure 13a, Figure 13d shows the double loop object belt being advanced, loops first, toward an object sleeve, and Figure 13e shows a sleeved double loop object belt according to one aspect of the present invention;
1 S Figure 14 is a partial, enlarged cross-sectional view of the belt sleeving machine of Figure 13a, showing the pin extending from the table;
Figure 15a to 15f are projected views of an alternate embodiment of belt sleeving machine to that of Figure 4a, illustrating a double loop object belt being sleeved, middle portion first, according to the present invention;
Figure 15a shows an undeformed object belt being engaged by moving walls of a belt sleeving machine, Figure 15b shows a pin being brought forward to engage the object belt of Figure 15a, Figure 15c shows the pin being advanced further to cause a pair of loops to form in the object belt of Figure 15a, on either side of the pin, Figure 15d shows the object belt of Figure 15a being drawn forward, middle portion first, toward object sleeve by the belt manipulation apparatus, Figure 15e shows the tongue of the double loop object belt of Figure 15a being inserted into the object sleeve, and Figure 15f shows a sleeved double loop object belt;
Figure 16 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of belt sleeving machine to that of Figure 1, showing a belt sleeving machine having a slot and spindles located on either side thereof;
Figure 17 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of belt sleeving 3 S machine to that of Figure 1, showing a belt sleeving machine having a stationary sleeve holder; and 20704028.1 Figure 18 is a general arrangement perspective view of an alternate embodiment of belt sleeving machine to that of Figure 1, showing a belt sleeving machine having a pair of sleeve magazines, shuttles and abutment members.
S Detailed Description of the Invention The description which follows, and the embodiments described therein, are provided by way of illustration of an example of a particular embodiment, or examples of particular embodiments, of the principles of the present invention. These examples are provided for the purposes of explanation, and not of limitation, of those principles and of the invention. In the description which follows, like parts are marked throughout the specification and the drawings with the same respective reference numerals. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and in some instances proportions may have been exaggerated in order more clearly to depict certain features of the invention.
By way of general overview, a belt sleeving machine is indicated in Figures 1 and 4a to 4e generally as 20. It has a belt manipulation apparatus, indicated generally as 22, and a sleeve holder, generally indicated as 24. Sleeve holder 24 is mounted adjacent to belt manipulation apparatus 22, the two being co-operable, as described more fully below. Sleeve holder 24 is operable to hold an object sleeve, typically a rectangular cardboard sleeve, 26, in an open position such that sleeve 26 is in a position to receive an object belt (that is, a belt to be sleeved), typically a resilient V-belt, or timing belt, 28 as it exits from the outlet of belt manipulation apparatus 22.
Belt manipulation apparatus 22 is operable to compel belt 28 to assume an elongate shape and to form a protruding bight, in the shape of a tongue 30. Tongue 30 is of a size to slide into the rectangular opening 32 defined by the four walls of sleeve 26.
Apparatus 22 is further operable to urge, or feed, tongue 30 forward, into, and through passage 34 defined by sleeve 26. When released, belt 28 seeks to minimize its stored spring energy, and tends to form concave bulges 36 and 38 in either end of sleeve 26, with a convexly flexed waist 37 in the middle. Once seated in this way, belt 28 and sleeve 26 are ejected to a finished product holding unit, such as a bin 39 in which the finished product can be accumulated, Sleeve 26 is referred to as an object sleeve, and belt 28 is referred to as an object belt because they are not, themselves part of belt sleeving machine 20.
Rather 20704028.1 this terminology is chosen to distinguish them as typical of the objects upon which belt sleeving machine 20 works to produce the product, namely a belt positioned within a sleeve. Belts may be delivered to apparatus 22 by any of several means, whether by an overhead conveyor that deposits object belts on apparatus 22, or by an S operator who places belts in position by hand. It is preferred that an automated system be used.
In greater detail, Figure 1 shows a table 40 that is mounted on a framework 41 made up of a set of welded stretchers and legs, a pair of structural support members in the nature of pillars, or struts, 42 being mounted to framework 41, and adjusted to support table 40 at an angle of inclination indicated as a.
Belt manipulation apparatus 22 has a pair of opposed movable walls 44 and 46, in the nature of bands formed in a continuous loop in the form of left and right hand, timing belts 48, 50 engaged by pinions, or driven gears 52, 54 and idlers 56, 58 and mounted symmetrically on table 40 about a centerline axis 45. The lines of center of the gear-and-idler pairs, and hence the working belt surfaces, are skewed relative to each other to form convergent walls of a truncated funnel generally aligned with the slope of table 40. The truncated funnel has a relatively broad inlet at the upper region of table 40, being an entrance, inlet or intake 60, and converges, at the lower region of table 40, toward a relatively narrow outlet, discharge, or exit 62 at the truncation, such that exit 62 is narrower than intake 60, as in a funnel or other convergent wall device.
The left-hand gear, idler and belt assembly, namely that including movable wall 44, is driven in the direction indicated by arrow 'A', and the right-hand gear, idler and belt assembly, namely that including movable wall 46, is driven in the opposite direction, as indicated by arrow 'B', such that the combined, co-operative effect of movable walls, 44 and 46, is to urge objects such as belt 28 coming in contact with them to move downwardly along the incline of table 40 from intake toward exit 62 and to be forced through the throat, or window defined at exit 62.
A pair of toothed take-up wheels 64 and 66, are mounted at intermediate locations between gears 52, 54 and idlers 56, 58 and are adjustable in a direction transverse, namely perpendicular, to the respective lines of centers of gears 52, 54 and idlers 56, 58. As wheels 64 and 66 are extended (that is, moved away from the line of centers of respective pairs of gears 52, 54 and idlers 56, 58), they tend to increase the tension in the respective timing belts 48 and 50. Wheels 64 and 66 also serve to guide 20704028.1 belts 48 and 50, respectively, by breaking the relatively long span between driver and idler.
In the preferred embodiment of Figure 1, belts 48 and 50 are roughly 2 inches wide. This width is chosen to be greater than the probable belt width of any object S belt, such as belt 28, that is commonly, or likely to be encountered in general purpose use for automotive belts. Other drive belts, whether V-belts or timing belts, intended for more specialised uses may required a wall of greater height, that is, a greater cross-web thickness.
Belts 48 and 50 may have a tendency to twist, or may have little resistance to twisting at mid-span when loaded eccentrically (as by a belt of lesser thickness).
Wheels 64 and 66 break the long unsupported span, and may tend to maintain belts 48, 50 with their web more closely perpendicular to the plane of table 40 in use.
Further still, wheels 64 and 66 form respective 'knees' in belts 48, 50 such that the converging belts have a first, upper, relatively shallow angle ~r stage of convergence indicated generally as 68, and a second, lower, steeper angle 8 stage of convergence 69 closer to the throat, outlet, or discharge 62. That is, 8 is smaller than fir.
In terms of a rectangular co-ordinate system, motion downward along the slope of table 40 (i.e, parallel to the plane of table 40) can be defined as being in the forward or positive 'X' axis direction, and motion perpendicular thereto as a lateral motion in the 'Y' axis direction. Left hand movable wall 44 is mounted on a movable support structure in the nature of a sliding carriage 70. Carriage 70 is moveable to cause it to translate in the 'Y' direction. This motion is guided within the confines of a set of slides 72, either for readjustment, or, in an alternative form of operation, to facilitate expulsion of belts once inserted into corresponding sleeves.
The set of slides 72 includes four straight, parallel, guiding slots 73 through which fittings of sliding carriage 70 protrude, such that a fitting 71 on the underside of table 40 can clamp carriage 70 in place, as in the preferred embodiment, or, in an alternative embodiment, a movable adjustment system can be used, as in a reciprocating hydraulic ram or mechanical linkage operable to drive carriage 70 back and forth intermittently.
When viewed from below, as shown in Figure 2, each of gears 52, 54 is mounted on a drive shaft 74 which has a pinion 76 to which drive is transmitted by a timing belt 78 from a motor 80. In the preferred embodiment both motors are driven 20704028.1 at the same speed, but in opposite directions to achieve counter rotation of the respective movable walls.
Figure 1 also shows a sleeve magazine, such as might also be termed an accumulator, or temporary storage unit, or hopper 82, capable of holding a supply of sleeves. As seen also in Figure 3a, sleeve magazine 82 has the form of a generally rectangular sheet metal chute having a first opening 84 defined at its upper, or distal end, through which a stock 86 of flat, pre-formed, pre-scored cardboard sleeves can be introduced to the storage chamber defined within the four rectangular sides of sleeve magazine 82 and a second opening 85 defined at its lower, or proximal end to table 40, through which sleeves can be dispensed. The lower, or proximal end of sleeve magazine 82 has a tapered, narrower cross section. The width, W 1, of the distal end of sleeve magazine 82 corresponds to the combined width and depth of a sleeve, such as sleeve 26, lying in a collapsed state. The width, W2, of the proximal end of sleeve magazine 82 corresponds to the width of a sleeve in its open orientation in which the sides are folded along the scorings to yield a rectangular internal passage into which a belt can be received as described below. As sleeves are forced along the tapered chute from the distal end to the proximal end of sleeve magazine 82, they are forced to fold along the scorings, and thus to open progressively into a parallelogram, and then a rectangle.
A release mechanism, in the nature of a spring loaded detent 90 is used to retain, and control, the release of the sleeves, such as sleeve 26, in sleeve magazine 82 until drawn out by a pneumatic head 92 of a sleeve transport apparatus in the nature of a shuttle 94. Pneumatic head 92 includes a suction cup 96, that is movable upwardly (that is, perpendicular to the plane of table 40) under the action of a pneumatic piston 98. Suction cup 96 can reciprocate from an extended position in which it can, when a vacuum (i.e., negative gauge pressure) is drawn in pneumatic head 92, engage, and pull down, the next sleeve held above detent 90. Suction cup 96 is then moveable to a retracted position roughly flush with, or preferably marginally shy of, the plane of table 40. It is preferable that pneumatic head 92 reciprocate to a position that is shy of the plane of table 40 a distance corresponding to the thickness of the cardstock from which sleeve 26 is made, such that an object belt 28 being urged toward sleeve 26 will slide in smoothly, rather than tending to meet a lip on the upward edge of the lower side of sleeve 26. Although reference is made to a suction cup 92, it is representative of one or more suction cups, a greater number being employed as may be suited to the size and shape of the sleeve being used.
20704028.1 Shuttle 94 is mounted on a mechanical way, in the nature of a set of slides and carries each sleeve between a first home position located beneath sleeve magazine 82 and a second, end travel, position located at the outlet of apparatus 22.
During shuttling, each sleeve is carried in a collapsed condition past a sleeve identification apparatus, in the nature of a labelling device 104 that has a bar code printer 106, which applies identification indicia such as date, batch and size information.
Bar coded printer 106 has a chamfered leading edge, or in-feed 108, such that the sleeves are urged to sit flat under the printer head of printer 106 during printing.
In alternative embodiments, bar code printer 106 could be replaced by a label applicator. In a further alternative embodiment, shown in Figure 3b, bar code printer 106 can be mounted onto a moveable arm 107 extending within the lower, or proximal end of sleeve magazine 82, such that the printing operation occurs within sleeve magazine 82. In this embodiment, identification indicia can be printed on the underside of sleeve 26 by movable printer heads 109 of bar code printer 106 having an upside-down orientation. Heads 109 are movable to an extended position for printing on the sleeves, as shown, and to a retracted position clear of the passageway of the sleeve magazine, thus permitting discharge of the next sleeve once printed. By having the printing operation take place within sleeve magazine 82, belt sleeving machine 20 can be provided with a stationary sleeve holder 105 located at the discharge location of the belt manipulation apparatus; no sleeve transport apparatus need be provided.
When each successive sleeve, 26, reaches its end travel position, as shown in Figure 3c, it is held tightly against an abutment wall, 110 and is maintained in place by the vacuum prevailing in pneumatic head 92. When held thusly, one side of sleeve 26 is positively located on pneumatic head 92, and another side of sleeve 26 is forced squarely against abutment wall 110. Since sleeve 26 is a parallelogram, the respective sides are forced into their open, rectangular shape and sleeve 26 is ready to receive tongue 30 of belt 28.
A release governor, in the nature of an optical sensor 112, is mounted on arm 113 attached to abutment wall 110. Arm 113 extends in a direction away from throat 119, namely downstream thereof relative to the direction of belt feed.
In an alternative embodiment, as shown in Figure 3d, it is possible to provide shuttle 94 with pneumatically activated pins or fingers 115 which are operable to extend upwardly from the top surface of shuttle 94. Fingers 115 are operable to engage one side of sleeve 26 and to urge sleeve 26 to assume an open orientation. In 20704028.1 this embodiment, fingers 115 are employed in place of abutment wall 110. In such a case optical sensor 112 could be mounted directly on shuttle 94.
In operation, an object, such as belt 28, is placed well up on table 40 in an undeformed condition. As shown in Figure 4a belt 28 is urged downward along the slope of table 40 with the aid of gravity, and is engaged by counter rotating belts 48, 50, and is then drawn forward between the converging walls, being squeezed all the while into a longer, narrower shape than when undeformed, as shown progressively in Figures 4b, 4c, 4d, and 4e. At the same time, the co-operative movement of the opposed, converging belts, urges object belt 28 in the downward direction along table 40 toward awaiting sleeve 26.
When belt 28 is squeezed into an elongate shape between converging walls 44 and 46, as shown in the progression of Figures 4b, 4c, and 4d, tongue 30 is formed, the tongue having a width that is, preferably, comfortably less than the internal clearance width of sleeve 26. As tongue 30 advances, it is introduced into, and through, the rectangular passage defined by the walls of sleeve 26, until the tip of the tongue, indicated as 116, extends beyond the far end 118 of sleeve 26. As shown in Figures 3e and 4a, guide plate 120, located above throat 119, tends to discourage tongue 30 from catching on the edge of sleeve 26 as belt 28 advances toward sleeve.
Guide plate 120 is mounted to support structure 124 and can take the form of a spring mounted member or a flexible curved arm 122, or the like, which operates to maintain tongue 30 in close contact with the top surface of table 40 as tongue 30.
Guide plate 120 has only been shown in Figure 3e and 4a, and has been omitted from the other figures for clarity.
Further, as tongue 30 becomes larger, a greater portion of belt 28 extends beyond the narrowest point of throat 119 defined between the surfaces of belts 48, 50 as they run over gears 52, 54. Since belt 28 is resilient, and wishes to resume its undeformed shape, it will seek the position of lowest energy storage, and thus tongue will tend to form a bulge, or bight, of increasingly larger dimensions. At some stage the width of bulge 36 on the lower, or exit side of sleeve (that is, far end 118) 30 begins to exceed the width of sleeve 26. When leading tip 116 of belt 28 reaches optical sensor 112, the vacuum of pneumatic head 92 is released, and reversed, (i.e., neutral or positive gauge pressure is applied) to cause sleeve 26 to be ejected. Further advance of sleeve 26, under the urging of movable walls 44, 46 will tend to eject both belt 28 and sleeves 26 together. When so released, belt 28 will, as noted be permitted 20704028.1 to seek its position of lowest energy storage, such that a bulge will form at both ends, those bulges being indicated as 36, 38 respectively, belt 28 being constrained at its convexly flexed waist 37 by the margins of sleeve 26.
Alternatively, it is possible to slide a tongue of greater width into a sleeve where resistance is not excessive, and the sides of the lobe are tapered at a fine angle relative to the sleeve walls such that the sleeve itself car provide a squeezing effect.
It is nonetheless, preferred that the tongue be narrower than the sleeve at the exit of apparatus 22.
Although the belt manipulation apparatus of the preferred embodiment, illustrated in Figures 1 to 4e, has knees in belts 48 and 50 formed by take up wheels 64 and 66, in an alternative embodiment, those knees may be integrally formed in a backing plate in front of which belts 48 and 50 are drawn.
As shown in Figure 5, a belt manipulation apparatus 130 has a pair of convergent movable walls, indicated generally as 132 and 134. Each movable wall 132, 134 has a belt 136, 138 mounted thereon and driven by a driving gear 140, located at one end of a loop, and a return idler 144, 146 at the other. Each gear 140, 142 and idler 144, 146 pair is mounted to a support structure 148, 150 in the nature of a rigid spreader bar 152 that is itself mounted to table 40 in the desired position. The position of support structure 148, 150 is also adjustable according to the belt size chosen, and the angle of convergence of the opposed walls. The tension in belt 136, 138 can be adjusted by moving idler 144, 146 longitudinally with respect to the line of centers of gear 140, 142 and idler 144, 146. This adjustment is provided by moving a threaded rod fitting 156.
The load bearing side of the loop of belt 136, 138 (that is, the inwardly facing side 158, as opposed to the return side 160) runs across the face of a dog-legged shoe 162 in the nature of backing plate 164 mounted to support structure 148, 150.
Straight wall members 166 extending outwardly from support structure 148, 150 attach backing plate 164 to support structure 148, 150. Straight wall members have variable lengths and are arranged such that 'knees' are formed integrally in backing plate 164. Backing plate 164 has a first, or upper portion 167 and a second, or lower portion 168 that meet at a smoothly radiused corner 169, defining the 'knee'.
Backing plate 164 serves to discourage belt 136, 138 from twisting or deflecting excessively in operation when a squeezing force is applied to the product 20704028.1 - 1g -belt, that is, object belt 28. It is desirable that backing plate 164 be smooth, so that belt 136 or 138 can slip along its face relatively easily. To that end, backing plate 164 can be smooth, or polished metal, whether steel, stainless steel, or aluminum, or can be made of nylon (T.M.) or other relatively slippery plastic, or can be made of a metal or wooden substrate having have a nylon, silicon, or other low friction (high slip) coating. When working belts 136, 138, that is, the moveable walls, do not engage an object belt to be sleeved, there is a minimal clearance between belts 136, 138 and backing plate 164 so that they run free of plate 164.
In a further alternative embodiment as shown in Figure 6, there is a belt manipulation apparatus, indicated generally as 170, having a pair of opposed moving walls 172, 174, each moving wall having a driving gear 176, and a return idler 180, such as may be adjusted to adjust tension in the movable wall, indicated as a timing belt 182. However, in place of backing plate 164 there is a shoe 184 having an outwardly arcuate surface 186 to which moving wall 172, 174 (as the case may be) conforms. Arcuate surface 186 forms a knee in shoe 184 in the nature of a smooth large radius transition between an upper, shallower stage of convergence 188 at the inlet, or entrance and a lower, steeper stage of convergence 189 at the outlet, or throat.
Although, embodiments of the belt manipulation apparatus, illustrated in Figures 1 to 6, have knees formed in the moving walls, in an alternate embodiment it is possible to have a belt manipulation apparatus wherein the moving walls have no knees, as shown in Figure 7. In this alternative embodiment a belt manipulation apparatus, indicated generally as 190, has a pair of moving walls 192, 193.
Each moving wall 192, 193 has a belt 194, 195 mounted to be driven by a driving gear 196 and 197 at one end, with a return idler 198, 199 at the other. As belt 194, 195 moves, it runs in a simple oval motion across flat backing plate 200 mounted, to support structure 202,204.
It is possible to combine different pairs of movable walls as described, whether one having a knee, as in the preferred embodiment, with one having an arcuate backing plate as shown in Figure 6, or one having a flat backing plate as shown in Figure 7, or some other combination thereof. In a further alternative embodiment, it is also possible for one of the walls to be a stationary wall 210, as shown in Figure 8. In such a situation the other wall, being a movable wall 212, such as described above, works to urge object belt 28 from inlet 214 to outlet 215 toward a 20704028.1 sleeve 26 in sleeve holding apparatus 22, resulting in a rolling contact being established between object belt 28 and stationary wall 210.
In another alternative embodiment of the invention, as shown in Figure 9, a belt manipulation apparatus 216 has many idlers 218, such that rather than having a first and second stage, as in the upper and lower stages 68 and 69 of the preferred embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 4e.
Although in the preferred embodiment of Figures 1 to 4e, movable walls 44, 46 are converging walls, it is possible to have movable walls which are non-converging, that is, arranged in a parallel orientation to each other, as shown in Figure l0a and lOb. In this embodiment, a belt manipulation apparatus 340 has movable walls 342, 344 spaced apart from each other. A variable geometry passage 343 is defined between movable walls 342, 344. Each movable wall 342, 344 is mounted to a sliding carriage 346. Sliding carriages 346 are operable to transport walls 342, 344 to a first, wider, belt receiving position 348 as shown in Figure l0a such that object 1 S belt 345 can be received within passage 343 in an undeformed condition.
Sliding carriages 346 can then be moved to place walls 342, 344 in a second, narrower, belt squeezing position 350 shown in Figure lOb. In this second position, object belt 345 received within passage 343 is squeezed between movable walls 342, 344 and a tongue 352 is formed in object belt 345. The motion of carriage 346 is confined by a set of guides 354.
In operation, when an undeformed object belt 345 is introduced into belt manipulation apparatus 340, movable walls 342, 344 are in the first, wider, belt receiving, position 348. That is, movable walls 342, 344 are sufficiently spaced apart to admit or receive object belt 345 without deforming it. A retractable belt retaining member, in the nature of a mandrel or pin 356, extends proud of the top surface of table 358 and is located in the midst of passage 343 between carriages 346.
Pin 356 acts to hold object belt 345 in place and to prevent it from advancing any further downstream, as shown in Figure 10a. Movable walls 342, 344 are then forced toward each other to the second, narrower, belt squeezing position, causing tongue 352 to form, as shown in Figure lOb. Once tongue 352 is formed, pin 356 is retracted into table 358 and movable walls 342, 344 co-operate to urge object belt 345 downward into awaiting object sleeve 360. Once object belt 345 is engaged in belt manipulation apparatus 340, motion of belt 345 is controlled by the motion of moving walls 342, 344 as driven in their loops around respective pinions and idlers as described above.
20704028.1 In a further alternative embodiment, it is possible to have a belt sleeving machine as described above and shown in Figures l0a and lOb, which does not comprise a belt retaining member. In such an embodiment, an optical sensor can be used to trigger convergence of the carriages 346 and motion of walls 342, 344.
In the preferred embodiment of Figures 1 to 4e, movable walls 44, 46 move at the same belt speed, that is, the belts move synchronously in opposite directions, and gears 52, 54 counter rotate at the same speed to achieve this result. It is possible to run movable walls 44, 46 at different speeds, to hold one steady while moving the other, and to move one or both belts at time varying speeds, slowing, accelerating, or stopping intermittently, or periodically, according to, for example, the position of the object belt.
In a further alternative embodiment shown in Figure 11, table 40 is replaced by a table 220 having a moving portion 222 lying in the midst of a surrounding immobile support area. Moving portion 222 has a moving web, or conveyor belt mounted to advance object belts toward a pair of moving walls 226 and 228. Use of a conveyor belt, such as conveyor belt 224, permits table 220 to be oriented horizontally, rather than being angled upward as table 40. That is, in use gravity urges object belts downward along the inclined surface of table 40, encouraging them to engage belts 42 and 44. Conveyor belt 224, by contrast, can be driven to feed belts not only horizontally, but can also be modestly inclined to carry the object belts upward at modest inclinations.
In a further alternative, shown in Figure 12, conveyor belt 224 can be replaced by a series of spindles 230, 232, 234 that are mounted to spin freely, and are spaced sufficiently close together that object belts carried thereon are supported in their passage between inlet 236 and discharge 238. That is, the free-wheeling spindles are not spaced so far apart that object belts sag through the gaps.
The preferred embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4e can be used to insert single loop belts of modest length into sleeving, the single loop being formed into the shape of a dog-bone. It can also be used to form a double sleeve or triple layer folded or looped-over belt into a dog-bone shape, for installation in a sleeve in the same manner as the single loop object belts described above. Further still, apparatus 20 can be used to form a double-lobed or folded loop, as shown in Figures 13a to 13e.
In the embodiment of Figures 13a to 13e, a retractable pin or mandrel is indicated as 240.
Pin 240 is preferably located to protrude upwardly from the plane of table 242 at a 20704028. I

steeper angle than perpendicular. That is, the angle Q between the longitudinal (i.e., axial) centerline of pin 240 and the axis of symmetry 244 of table 242 lying in the plane of table 242, on the upward side of table 242 from pin 240, is an acute angle, as shown in Figure 14, and the distance by which pin 240 extends from, or stands proud S of, table 242 is greater than the thickness of an object belt 248 upon which it can act.
In this way, an object belt 248 encountering pin 240 will tend to jam in the acute angle as movable walls, 250, 252 try to urge object belt 248 toward sleeving 254. As this occurs, the mid-portion 256 of the object belt between the two movable walls 250, 252 will tend to be caught up, and the portions of the belt to either side thereof will tend to be forced past it. The belt will fold and a pair of lobes, 260, 262 will be formed rearwardly of mid-portion 256 of the object belt, one to either side of pin 240.
That is, first lobe 260 will be formed between pin 240 and movable wall 250, and a second lobe 262 will be formed between pin 240 and movable wall 252.
Each of lobes 260 and 262 is akin to tongue 30 described earlier, and will be urged by the action of movable walls 250 and 252 to advance into, and through, the passage defined in sleeving 254. Once lobes 260 and 262 have been formed, pin can be, and is, retracted to a position flush with, or slightly shy of, the plane of table 242 to permit the object belt 248, generally, to be advanced into its fully installed position in sleeving 254 and to be released. An optical sensor 270 may be used to activate pin 240 to move to its retracted position for a sufficient period of time to permit the passage of object belt 248. Pin 240 is pneumatically driven between extended and retracted positions. Another optical sensor 272 is used to cause pneumatic head 274 of the sleeve holding apparatus 276 to release its vacuum, as described above, when object belt 248 reaches is installed position in sleeving 254.
Notably, the position of sensors 270 and 272 can be adjusted according to the size of the object belts and sleeves to be packaged together.
In another alternate embodiment, illustrated in Figures 15a to 15f, a table is provided with a slot 282 lying along the axis of symmetry 283 between two opposed movable walls 284 and 286. A movable nin or mandrel 2RR PxrP"r~~
upwardly through slot 282, and stands sufficiently proud of the plane of table 280 to exceed the thickness of an object belt 295 placed on table 280. A drive means (not shown) such as a pneumatic cylinder, a chain drive, or a moving arm, is provided such that pin 288 is longitudinally translatable within the confines of slot 282 between an initial or fully longitudinally retracted, disengaged position, shown at 290, to a full travel position relative to slot 282 as shown at 292. In use an object belt is placed on 20704028.1 table 280 in a position ready for engagement with movable walls 284 and 286.
Pin 282 is brought forward (that is, moved in the direction away from position 292 toward position 294) to engage object belt 295, and once engaged, is brought further forward to cause lobes 300 and 302 to form on either side of pin 282. Once tongue 304 begins to extend beyond the throat 306 defined at the narrow discharge between movable walls 284, 286 the resiliency of object belt 295, and its concomitant tendency to seek the position of lowest stored energy, will tend to cause lobes 300 and 302 to bulge toward each other, and to sit within sleeve 310 as shown in Figures 15e and 15f. Pin 288 can be made retractable to a position flush with, or shy of, the plane of table 280, as by a pneumatic, hydraulic, electric, or other mechanical device, such that when a stable double loop is formed, pin 288 can be retracted to permit object belt 295 to be moved into position in sleeve 310.
In a further alternate embodiment, shown in Figure 16, it is possible to combine the features of moving portion 222 of table 220, illustrated in Figure 12, with the above-described embodiment of Figures 15a to 15e. A table 370 is provided with a slot 372 and a pair of moving portions 374, 376 located on either side thereof.
Slot 372 lies along the axis of symmetry 378 between two opposed movable walls and 382. A movable pin or mandrel 384 extends upwardly through slot 372, and is longitudinally translatable within confines of slot 372. Each of moving portions 374, 376 comprises a series of spindles 386, 388, 390 that are mounted to spin freely.
It is possible to construct a belt sleeving machine as shown in Figure 17 in which no shuttle is required, the sleeve holder 392 being stationary, and the sleeve magazine 394 being located at the discharge location of belt manipulation apparatus 396, or one of its alternatives. In such a case, release of the vacuum, and replacement with positive pressure in the pneumatic head (similar to pneumatic head 92) will release the sleeve and belt from stationary sleeve holder 392, to permit it to fall into an adjacent storage or accumulation device, such as a bin 39, noted above.
Alternatively, a greater rate of production may be facilitated by providing a pair of sleeve magazines 312, 314 and shuttles 316, 318 one member of each pair lying to either side of the discharge position of the belt manipulation apparatus 320, as shown in Figure 18. That is, as one sleeve 322 is being held upon one shuttle 316 in a position for loading, another sleeve 326 can be carried by another shuttle 318, undergoing a printing operation at print head 330. The corresponding print head for shuttle 316 is indicated as 331. Once loading of sleeve 332 is complete, and it is 20704028.1 ejected to bin 334, or other collection device, shuttle 316 can return to sleeve magazine 312 to pick up another fresh sleeve, while shuttle 318 carries another sleeve, freshly printed, to the discharge position to be loaded, both shuttles being driven pneumatically along slides 334 between their various positions. Movable abutment members 336 and 338 are provided to either side of the discharge position, each being moved into place alternately depending on the shuttle being used -member 336 being used with shuttle 316, and member 338 being used with shuttle 318. Different sizes of sleeve magazines can be used to accommodate different sizes of sleeve such as may be appropriate for the size of belt or band to be packaged.
Preferably, operation of belt sleeving machine 20 is controlled by a logic controller, shown schematically as a box 278. Prior to activation, input parameters which set the desired operating conditions of belt sleeving machine 20, are entered into logic controller 278. These input parameters include the size of the object belt 28 (i.e. short, medium or long), the number of suctions cups 96 to be used (this number being dependent on the size of object sleeve 26), the nature of the sleeving operation (i.e. single loop or double loop) and the sleeving cycle time, among others.
When the belt sleeving machine 20 is activated logic controller 278 verifies that no obstruction lies at the first, home position located beneath sleeve magazine 82 which would interfere with the advance of shuttle 94 to that position. At this time, logic controller 278 also verifies that suction cups 96 are in their retracted position to ensure that shuttle 94 can clear the sides of sleeve magazine 82 as it travels to its home position.
Once logic controller 278 determines that these conditions are met, shuttle 94 is advanced to its home position. At the home position, suction cup 96 is raised to an extended position where it can engage an object sleeve 28 held above detent 90. A
vacuum is then drawn in pneumatic head 92 and suction cup 96 is lowered to its retracted position, thus drawing object sleeve 28 through the narrower cross-section of lower, or proximal end of sleeve magazine 82 and forcing it to adopt its open orientation.
Logic controller 278 verifies that the second, end travel position located at the outlet of apparatus 22 is unobstructed. Once this is confirmed shuttle 94 is advanced to that position and remains in that position awaiting receipt of an object belt 28. If a double loop sleeving operation has been specified in the input parameters, optical sensor 270 is activated to sense object belt 248 and to cause pin or mandrel 240 to extend from a retracted position to engage object belt 248. Pin 240 will remain in its extended position and engage object belt 248 for a time delay period to allow lobes 20704028.1 260 and 262 to be formed. Once this time period has elapsed logic controller 278 will retract pin 240 and allow double looped object belt 248 to be inserted into sleeving 254. When a portion of object belt 248 interrupts optical sensor 272 indicating that object belt 248 is fully sleeved, logic controller 278 releases the vacuum in pneumatic S head 92. The vacuum is then reversed to release the sleeved belt from shuttle 94.
Further downward urging of the object belt 248 by the belt manipulation apparatus 22 in combination with reversal of the vacuum causes the sleeved object belt to be ejected. The belt sleeving cycle described above is then repeated and the next object belt is sleeved.
A preferred embodiment has been described in detail and a number of alternatives have been considered. As changes in or additions to the above described embodiments may be made without departing from the nature, spirit or scope of the invention, the invention is not to be limited by or to those details, but only by the appended claims.
20704028.1

Claims (50)

1. A belt sleeving machine comprising:
a belt manipulation apparatus, and a sleeve holder, mounted adjacent thereto, and being co-operable therewith;
said sleeve holder being operable to maintain a sleeve in a position to receive a belt to be sleeved from said belt manipulation apparatus;
said belt manipulation apparatus operable:
(a) to form a protruding tongue in the belt to be sleeved; and (b) to feed the protruding tongue into the sleeve.

2. The belt sleeving machine of claim 1 wherein said belt manipulation apparatus includes a pair of convergent walls, said walls having an intake at which to receive belts to be sleeved in an undeformed condition, and an exit whence to discharge belts to be sleeved, said exit being narrower than said intake, said belt manipulation apparatus being operable to urge belts to be sleeved from said intake to said exit, whereby the belts are compelled to form an elongate shape including the tongue.

3. The belt sleeving machine of claim 2 wherein at least one of said convergent walls is a movable wall, said movable wall being operable to urge the belt toward said exit.

4. The belt sleeving machine of claim 3 wherein said movable wall includes a band formed in a continuous loop.

5. The belt sleeving machine of claim 3 wherein said band is a drive belt carried upon wheels, said belt being driveable by one of said wheels to advance the belt to be sleeved toward said exit.

6. The belt sleeving machine of claim 5 wherein said band is a timing belt and at least one of said wheels is a toothed drive wheel.

7. The belt sleeving machine of claim 1 wherein said belt manipulation apparatus includes a pair of spaced apart walls defining a passage therebetween; said passage having a width; and at least one of said walls being adjustable to vary said width of said passage.

8. The belt sleeving machine of claim 7 wherein said wall is adjustable to a first, wider, belt receiving position and to a second, narrower, belt squeezing position to permit a belt received within said passage to be squeezed therebetween, thereby forming an elongate tongue in the belt.

9. The belt sleeving machine of claim 8 wherein said adjustable wall includes a sliding carriage operable to slide within guiding slots.

10. The belt sleeving machine of claim 8 wherein at least one of said walls is a wall movable to urge the belt toward said sleeve holder.

11. The belt sleeving machine of claim 8 further comprising a retractable member located to obstruct said passage; said passage obstructing member being operable to retain the belt within said passage when said adjustable wall is in said first, wider, belt receiving position, and to release the belt when said adjustable wall is in said second, narrower, belt squeezing position.

12. The belt sleeving machine of claim 2 wherein said belt manipulation apparatus comprises at least two movable walls operable to urge the belt to be sleeved toward the sleeve.

13. The belt sleeving machine of claim 2 wherein:
said belt manipulation apparatus has opposed first and second movable walls in the nature of drive belts;
said first and second movable walls are spaced apart from each other and are driven in opposite directions relative to each other such that when said belt passes between said movable walls, said first and second movable walls co-operate to urge said belt toward the sleeve.

14. The belt sleeving machine of claim 8 wherein:
said first and second movable walls are arranged to form a funnel-shaped passage therebetween, said passage has a broad inlet and a narrow outlet such that when the belt to be sleeved moves through said passage, said protruding tongue is formed therein.

15. The belt sleeving machine of claim 2 wherein:
said convergent walls define a throat at said exit;
said throat has a width; and at least one of said walls is adjustable to vary the width of said throat.

16. The belt sleeving machine of claim 15 wherein said adjustable wall includes a sliding carriage operable to slide within guiding slots.

17. The belt sleeving machine of claim 2 wherein said at least one of said convergent walls has an arcuate portion.

18. The belt sleeving machine of claim 2 wherein said at least one of said wall members comprises two adjoining straight wall portions arranged so as to form a knee in said wall member.

19. The belt sleeving machine of claim 1 wherein said machine includes a support structure upon which the belt to be sleeved can be placed and manipulated.

20. The belt sleeving machine of claim 19 wherein said support structure includes a planar surface inclined to permit gravity to urge said belt to be sleeved to engage said belt manipulation apparatus.

21. The belt sleeving machine of claim 19 wherein said planar surface of said support structure has a moving portion for advancing object belt toward said belt manipulation apparatus.

22. The belt manipulation machine of claim 21 wherein said moving portion includes a conveyor belt.

23. The belt manipulation machine of claim 21 wherein said moving portion includes a set of spindles.

24. The belt sleeving machine of claim 2 wherein said belt manipulation apparatus includes a sensor located to permit determination of the location of the belt to be sleeved relative to said exit.

25. The belt sleeving machine of claim 24 wherein said sensor is an optical sensor positioned adjacent to said exit, and said sensor controls release of the sleeve and a belt seated therein from said machine.

26. The belt sleeving machine of claim 2 wherein said belt manipulation apparatus includes a mandrel operable to form a fold in the belt to be sleeved when said belt to be sleeved is urged toward said exit.

27. The belt sleeving machine of claim 26 wherein said mandrel is positioned between said convergent walls, and said belt manipulation apparatus is operable to fold said belt to be sleeved to form a first lobe between said mandrel and one of said walls, and a second lobe between said mandrel and the other of said convergent walls.

28. The belt sleeving machine of claim 1 wherein said machine includes a sleeve magazine capable of holding a supply of sleeves, said sleeve magazine being operable to dispense sleeves to said sleeve holder.

29. The belt sleeving machine of claim 28 wherein:
said sleeve magazine has a first end, a second end, and walls extending therebetween to define a storage chamber therewithin;
said sleeve magazine has a passage defined therein by which sleeves can be dispensed; and a release mechanism is mounted to control release of sleeves through said passage.

30. The belt sleeving machine of claim 28 wherein said sleeve holder includes a pneumatic head, and said pneumatic head is operable to retain a sleeve dispensed from said sleeve magazine in a controlled position relative to said belt manipulation apparatus.

31. The belt sleeving machine of claim 28 wherein said sleeve holder is stationary.

32. The belt sleeving machine of claim 28 wherein:
said sleeve holder is movable between a first position and a second position;
said first sleeve holder position is located beneath said sleeve magazine to allow sleeve holder to receive a sleeve therefrom;
said second sleeve holder position is located proximate to said belt manipulation apparatus so as to permit said sleeve being held in said sleeve holder to receive said belt from said belt manipulation apparatus.

33. The belt sleeving machine of claim 28 wherein:
said sleeve holder includes a shuttle movable between a first position adjacent to said sleeve magazine and a second position adjacent to an exit of said belt manipulation apparatus;
in said first position said shuttle is capable of receiving a sleeve dispensed from said sleeve magazine, and in said second position, said shuttle is operable to retain the sleeve adjacent said exit whereby said sleeve is able to receive the tongue formed in the belt to be sleeved.

34. The belt sleeving machine of claim 33 wherein said machine comprises a pair of sleeve magazines, and a pair of shuttles, each of said sleeve magazines being served by one of said shuttles, and said shuttles being alternately operable to position a sleeve adjacent said exit of said belt manipulation apparatus.

35. The belt sleeving machine of claim 33 further comprising a sleeve identification apparatus, said shuttle being operable to transport the sleeve to a position adjacent to the sleeve identification apparatus, and said identification apparatus being operable to apply identification indicia to the sleeve.

36. A method of operating a belt sleeving apparatus to insert a resilient belt into sleeving, said method comprising the steps of:
operating a first means to hold the sleeving in a position for receiving a resilient belt, operating a second means to squeeze the resilient belt to form a tongue of a size to fit in the sleeving; and introducing the tongue into the sleeving.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein said method includes the step of applying identification indicia to said sleeving.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein said method includes the steps of providing a magazine of sleeves and a transport mechanism for moving the sleeves to a position for receiving a belt to be sleeved, and the step of printing said identification indicia on the sleeves at a location between the magazine and the position for receiving the belt to be sleeved.

39. The method of claim 37 wherein said method includes the steps of providing a magazine of sleeves, operating a pneumatic head to draw a sleeve from the magazine;
and the step of operating the pneumatic head to release the sleeve once a belt to be sleeved has been positioned therein.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein said step of operating the pneumatic head to draw a sleeve from the magazine includes the step of using suction to draw the sleeve from the magazine, and the step of releasing includes the step of releasing the suction.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the step of releasing includes the step of operating the pneumatic head at a positive gauge pressure to expel the sleeving therefrom.

42. The method of claim 37 wherein said method includes the steps of providing a pair of sleeve magazines and transport mechanism for carrying sleeves from the magazines to a position for receiving belts to be sleeved, and the step of drawing sleeves alternately from said pair of sleeve magazines.

43. The method of claim 37 wherein said method includes the step of employing a sensor to judge when to eject a finished belt and sleeve package from the belt sleeving machine.

44. The method of claim 37 wherein said method includes the steps of folding the belt to be sleeved double before introducing the belt to be sleeved into the sleeving.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein said step of folding includes the steps of providing a mandrel between a pair of movable walls, and of urging a medial portion of the belt to be sleeved against the mandrel such that a pair of lobes form in said belt to be sleeved to either side of said mandrel; urging said lobes toward the sleeve while maintaining said mandrel against a medial portion of the belt to be sleeved, whereby said lobes lead said medial portion in advancing toward the sleeve; and urging said belt to be sleeved into position in said sleeve.

46. The method of claim 44 wherein said step of folding includes the step of advancing said mandrel into a medial portion of the belt to be sleeved, the advance of the mandrel being in a direction toward the sleeve whereby said lobes are formed rearwardly of said medial portion, and said medial portion leads said lobes in advancing toward the sleeve.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein said method includes the step of sensing the position of the belt to be sleeved, and the step of releasing the belt to be sleeved from engagement with the mandrel; and the step of controlling the release of the belt from the mandrel with the sensor.

48. A belt sleeving apparatus for inserting a resilient belt into sleeving, said apparatus comprising:
a first means for holding sleeving in a position to receive a resilient belt;
a second means, for forming a tongue in the resilient belt, the tongue being of a size to enter the sleeving; and a third means for introducing the tongue into the sleeving;
said first, second and third means being mounted to co-operate with each other.

49. A belt sleeving apparatus for inserting a resilient belt into a sleeving, said apparatus comprising:
a first means for holding the sleeving in a position to receive a resilient belt;
a second means, for forming a tongue in the resilient belt, the tongue being of a size to enter the sleeving;
said second means being operable to introduce the tongue into the sleeving;
said first and second means being mounted to co-operate with each other.

50. The belt sleeving apparatus of claim 49 further comprising means for urging the sleeving into an open position to permit the tongue to be received therewithin.