GB1305394A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1305394 Banding machines DE LA RUE INSTRUMENTS Ltd 8 Oct 1970 [17 Oct 1969] 51194/69 Heading B8C In a banding machine, a paper band 11 is fed to a position below a platform 3 supporting a stack 4 of banknotes, grippers 29 push the stack off the platform 3 and grip it against a resiliently mounted pad 23, the band 11 being held between the stack 4 and the pad 23, and the band is folded around the stack 4 and secured. The pad 23 is carried by a housing 12 arranged to be driven anticlockwise about an axis X, and pivotally supporting a bell crank 30 which is connected to the grippers 29 and carries a roller 32 engaging a fixed cam C. A block 14 is pivoted to the housing 12 and carries a roller 15 engaging a further fixed cam A, the block 14 supporting a bracket 16 on which is secured a suction cup 18 for removing a band 11 from an oscillatable magazine 9. A lever 20 is pivoted to the housing 12, carries a roller 21 engaging another cam B, and is formed with a bandfolding lever 21. The suction cup 18 is connected to a port 39 in a rotatable sleeve 38 which has a further port 40 communicating with ports 26 formed in the pad 23. A stationary part 35 within the sleeve 38 has a port 36 and is connected to a vacuum pump 34 by a pipe 37 in which is situated a pressure switch 41. In operation, the banknotes are stacked on the platform 3 by a counting machine 6 including a tined wheel 7 from which the notes are stripped by stops 8. The housing 12 is driven to connect the vacuum pump 34 to the suction cup 18 and the bracket 16 is moved ahead of the pad 23 to place a band 11 below the platform. Due to the drop in pressure in the pipe 37 the switch 41 actuates a solenoid (not shown) to retract a segment 33 of the cam C, this resulting in the grippers 29 being maintained in an outward position to push the stack 4 off the platform 3 and on to the pad 23, the ports 26 in the pad 23 being connected to the pump 34. The grippers 29 then. descend to grip the stack against the pad 23, and the bracket 16 pivots to contact the front of the stack 4 and fold the leading end of the band 11 over the front of the stack 4, the cup 18 being disconnected from the pump 34. The lever 22 then pivots to fold the other end of the band 11 over the trailing edge of the stack 4. Further rotation of the housing 12 causes the leading end of the band 11 to contact a pin 43 and be folded thereby on to the other end of the band, the lever 22 being retracted. The ends of the band are coated with contact adhesive and are secured together by passing a brush 43. The completed pack is then fed between opposed discharge belts 45, 46. If the suction cup 18 fails to pick up a band 11, the switch 41 is not actuated and the segment 33 not retracted. The grippers 29 are therefore retracted and pass below the platform 3 without removing a stack 4 therefrom. In a first modification (Figs. 7-9), the counting machine 6 deposits the notes on a pivoted plate (50) and a pivoted clamping arm (53) compresses the stack against the plate (50) which is then lowered for removal of the stack by the grippers 29. In a second modification (Figs. 10-12), the band is removed from a fixed magazine by a suction cup (55) carried on a pivoted arm (54), the band being removed from the cup (55) by the suction cup 18. In a third modification (Fig. 13) in which the ends of the band are secured by heat-sealing, a pressure plate (69) carries a heating resistance element (76) and an air pipe (74) for blowing air on to the band to completely fold same. Also, the suction cup 18 may be secured to the leading edge of the pad 23.