GB1381799A - Machine for production of satchet-like packings - Google Patents

Abstract

1381799 Packaging tea bags P G KLAR 21 April 1972 [26 April 1971] 18670/72 Headings B8C and B8F In a packaging machine, a tea bag B is folded in half, encircled by a suspension thread F stitched to a label E, the free ends of the bag are folded over part of the label E, and the thread F stitched to the folded ends at K, the bag being carried by a continuously driven conveyer, and devices for folding the bag and stitching the thread to the bag being movable with the bag to enable continuous operation of the machine. A lable E, severed from a strip 67 by a cutter 70, is transported by a gripper 71 to a stitching device H which stitches the thread F thereto, the gripper 71 being carried by an endless chain 65, and the stitching device H moving with the gripper 71 during the stitching operation. The chain 65 then carries the gripper 71 and the lable E to transfer the label to one of a number of baseplates 5 carried by the endless conveyer for the bag. This conveyer may comprise a chain 1 or a rotary table (15, Fig. 2). The label is placed in a holder 15 secured to an arm 7 pivoted on the baseplate 5, and the thread F is drawn into a slot 87 in a second pivotal arm 6 on the baseplate, and retained therein by a bolt 88. The thread is then severed by a cutter 89. The arms 6, 7 are then pivoted to lie flat against the base-plate 5 and a string 4 of bags fed on to the base-plate. The bags are held on the base-plate by a member 19 carried by a shaft secured to two levers 17 carried by a pivotal shaft 16. The levers 17 are pivoted to lower the member 19 by a cam 22. At the same time a blade 30, carried by the shaft 18 co-operates with a blade 31 on the base-plate to sever the bag-string 4 so that one bag is separated from the string 4, the separated bag being that on the base-plate 5 preceding that whose cutter 31 severs the chain. The arms 6, 7 are then pivoted upwardly by means of cams 12, 13 to fold the bag in half, a "W" formation 14 on the base-plate 5 forming a notch in the bag to facilitate this folding. The pivoting of the arms also causes the thread F to be placed along both sides of the bag. The top corners of the bag are then folded through 180 degrees by means of a pair of pivotable "L"-shaped levers 99, 100 carried by a further chain 110 driven at the same speed as the main chain 1. With these levers 99, 100 pivoted apart, they are carried past the bag so as to fold the corners through 90 degrees about a shoulder 97 on the arm 7, the levers 99, 100 then being pivoted to complete the folding. The levers 99, 100 overtake the bag as they round a sprocket 111 about which the further chain 110 is trained. The head 125 of a stitching device H1 then overtakes the bag and is lowered to fold the bag top over part of the label E. The device H1 is pivoted to an arm 115 pivoted by a cam 119 and is in turn pivoted by a cam 123. The arms 6, 7 are pivoted apart and the finished bag is gripped by a gripper (143, Fig. 15), and placed in a receiver 144 carried on a rotatable shaft. After a number of bags have been collected in the receiver 144, the shaft is rotated through 90 degrees and the bags pushed into a further receiver 197 by a pusher 199. The bags are pushed from the receiver 197 and into a box 214 by a further pusher 207 having side arms 212 which guide the bags. The first receiver 144 movable has a back wall (194, Figs. 23, 24), which moves back as bags are inserted and prevents them from falling over. In a first modification, the bag-string 4 is severed by cutters (35s, 36, Fig. 5, 5a), mounted independently of the baseplate 5 but pivotable to follow the plate 5 during the severing operation Alternatively, a blade (57, Fig. 6), is fixed to the plate, as is blade 31, but a second blade (55) is mounted independently of the plate 5 but for movement therewith during the cutting operation. The endless chain 65 can be dispensed with in a modification (Figs. 8a-8d), of the device for stitching the label E to the thread and placing these in the arms 6, 7. In the tea bag produced by the machine described above, that end of the label to which the thread is stitched is that remote from the folded over top of the bag. To obtain a greater length of thread with each bag, this end is placed adjacent the folded over top, and this is effected by a conveyer (151, Fig. 17), which travels in a plane at right angles to the main chain 1 and places the label in the arms 6, 7 with that end at which the thread is stitched remote from the baseplate 5. In other modifications, the thread is wrapped around the label prior to insertion into the arms 6, 7, this being effected either by the grippers carrying the label being rotatably mounted and secured to a pinion (157, Figs. 18, 19), which engages a stationary rack, or by each gripper being carried at the angle of an L-shaped lever (183, 184, Figs. 21, 22), the free ends of which carry rollers engaged in sinuous tracks arranged to rotate the lever about its angle.