GB1562563A - Device for packing articles - Google Patents

Description

(54) DEVICE FOR PACKING ARTICLES (71) We, IVAN ALEXANDROVICH KOLOSOV, of Ulitsa Astrakhanskaya, 118, kv.54., Saratov, USSR, JURY EGOROVICH IVANYATOV, of Ulitsa M. Zatonskaya, 21., Saratov, USSR, ANATOLY KUZMICH KHOROSHILOV, Prospekt Entuziastov, 26a, kv.36., Saratov, USSR, all Russian citizens, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a device for packing articles, for example for packing battery electrodes into a separating material in the manufacture of electric storage batteries, or for wrapping various articles into packing materials.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a device for packing articles into sheet material supplied as two webs from respective reels, comprising gripping means for gripping the two webs of packing material with an article sandwiched between the webs, the gripping means being mounted for reciprocation for moving the webs and article gripped thereby along a linear path, means for feeding sheet material to the article and spaced from the gripping means in the direction of reciporcation thereof and including means for mounting the two reels of sheet material for rotation about respective parallel axes, a carriage kinematically linked to the gripping means for the carriage to reciprocate in line with the gripping means as the latter reciprocates, a guide member mounted on the carriage between the supply paths of the webs and having a recess for receiving an article to be packed from an article feeding means, the recess being limited in the direction away from the gripping means by a fixed stop for moving the article out of the recess and into the gripping means between the webs of material as the carriage is moved in the direction away from the gripping means, and means for sealing together the two webs behind the article in the direction of web feed while the article and webs are held by the gripping means.

A packing device of the above form is especially useful for packing thin electrodes having a high specific power capacity and into extra-thin low-strength sheet material, e.g. as used in the manufacture of nickelcadmium storage batteries as employed in aviation and battery-powered cars, etc.

The device can ensure mechanised assembly and packing of the electrodes reducing the amount of labour required and raising output. In addition the quality of the electrode separation can be improved if the guide member also serves to guide the material, and accurate location of the electrode is ensured while packing it in the material and transferring it with the material from the guide member to the gripping means.

This improves the quality of packing, ruling out the possibility of wrinkling and distortion of the separating material and electrode.

The device is intended for use in automatic battery assembly lines though it can also serve as an individual automatic machine for packing electrodes of all types of batteries provided with similar separating material.

Simplicity and reliability of the device give ground for anticipating its wide employment in other branches of industry for packing flat articles.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a general view of the device for packing flat articles; Figure 2 - same plan view; Figure 3 shows schematically the interaction between the carriage and the grip.

The device for packing flat articles will now be described by considering an embodiment of the device for packing battery electrodes in separating materials.

Such a device according to the invention comprises a bed 1 (Figure 1) accommodating a drive 2 with camshafts. These cam shafts carry a cam 3 actuating the gripping mechanism and a cam 4 intended to reciprocate said mechanism in the course of the packing operation.

The upper plate of the bed 1 carries guides 5 installed on which with a provision for horizontal reciprocation is the housing 6 of the gripping mechanism with a grip 7.

Secured near and in line with the guides 5, on the upper plate of the bed 1 are guides 8 which mount the carriage 9 of the material feeding mechanism, said carriage being capable of horizontal reciprocation. Installed on the parallel axles of the carriage 9 are reels 10 (Figures 1 and 2) with the packing material, said reels being spaced apart from each other. Mounted parallel with the reels 10 on the carriage 9 are rollers 11 and a guide 12 for the material. The guide 12 has a slot A (Figures 1, 3) which is open at the side of the grip 7 and limited at the opposite side by a fixed stop 13 secured directly on the bed 1. The dimensions of the slot A correspond to those of the article to be packed, in this case the electrode 14, and of the fixed stop 13, thus permitting the guide 12 to move freely together with the carriage 9.

The body of the carriage 9 is connected with the housmg 6 of the gripping mechanism 7 by a rod 15 (Figures 1, 3) whose free end carries adjustable stops 16 which interact with the faces of the body of the carriage 9.

The grip 7 has the form of two jaws installed on parallel axles 17 in the housing 6 (Figure 1) and is connected with the cam 3 by links 18, a wedge transmission 19 and a rod with a slot 20, said elements fixing the electrode 14 to be packed in the grip 7.

The housing 6 of the gripping mechanism is reciprocated over the guides 5 by a toothed segment 21 which interacts with the cam 4 of the drive 2.

The upper plate of the bed 1 also mounts other auxilliary mechanism whose purpose is to ensure automatic functioning of the device.

Installed near the carriage 9 (Figure 2) is a feeding mechanism for loading the electrodes 14 into the slot A of the guide 12, said mechanism comprising a holder 22 with electrodes 14 and a manipulator 23 installed above the holder and intended to transfer the electrodes 14 one by one from the holder 22 onto a step conveyor 24 which loads each electrode into the slot A for packing.

Located on the other side of the bed, at the point of unloading the packed electrodes, is a stacker 25 installed above a replaceable holder 26 which is filled automatically with the packed electrodes 14. The welding line between the grip 7 and the carriage 8 (Figures 3, 2) in the extreme left position, is provided with a longitudinal seam welding unit consisting of two pairs of clamping bars 27 facing each other for clamping the bands of material before welding, and a welding blade 28 which is reciprocated vertically by a drive (not shown in the drawings) between the clamping bars 27 in the course of welding. The welding blade 28 (Figure 2) may be made, for example, in the form of a wire 30 stretched under tension between the rollers 29 and heated by electric current passing therethrough.

Installed near the grip 7 (Figure 2) is also a unit 31 for welding the transverse seam, said unit comprising similaraly designed clamping bars 32 and welding blade 33.

If it becomes necessary to wrap the articles completely from four sides, a similar unit for welding the transverse seam can be installed on the opposite side of the grip 7.

The device functions as follows. The ends of the separating bands 34 (Figure 3) from both reels 10 are fitted between the rollers 11 (Figure 3) then passed around the guides 12 and clamped between the clamping bars 27. Then the edges of the bands 34 are welded by lowering the heated welding blade 28 between the bars 27, and the electrode 14 is pushed into the slot A in the guides 12.

The holder 22 (Figure 2) with the electrodes 14 is placed on the loading mechanism and the empty holder 26 is placed into the stacker 25.

Now the device is ready for operation in automatic mode.

The device is started by turning on the drive 2 (Figure 1) The cam 3 acting via the wedge 19 and links 18 spreads apart the jaws of the grip 7; the cam 4 acting via the toothed segment 21 moves the housing 6 of the grip 7 to the right over the guides 5.

The link 15 (Figure 3) passes freely through the body of the carriage 9 without moving the latter until the left-hand stop 16 reaches the end of the body; from this moment on the housing 6 of the grip 7 starts moving jointly with the carriage 9.

Meanwhile the open jaws of the grip 7 are located side by side with the guide 12 and move over the electrode 14 which is shifted by the stop 13 out of the slot A.

Thus, the electrode 14 with its covering material leaves the slot A of the guide 12 and immediately enters the gap between the jaws of the grip 7. When the electrode 14 occupies the extreme right position, it is located 5 - 8mm deep in the slot A whilst the remaining part of the electrode together with the separating material is located in the gap between the jaws of the grip 7. The cam 3 (Figure 1) closes the jaws of the grip 7 whereas the cam 4 of the drive 2 starts to move the housing 6 of the grip 7 to the left over the guides 5. The carriage 9 stays immovable until the right-hand stop 16 (Figure 3) comes in contact with its body.

Meanwhile the electrode 14 moves to the left jointly with the grip 7, pulling the bands 34 from under the rollers 11 until it leaves completely the slot A of the guide 12 and moves from it a distance of 5 - 6 mm required for the passage of the bars 27. Subsequently, the carriage 9 moves jointly with the grip 7 to the extreme left position and the electrode 14 moves to the position B (Figure 3). At this moment the clamping bars 27 close, clamp the bands of the separating material, a new electrode is pushed into the slot of the guide 12 and the welding blade 28 cuts the material between the clamping bars 27 welding the edges of the bands at both sides of the blade 28.

Then the bars 27 open, the cam 3 opens the jaws of the grip 7, the housing 6 starts moving to the right, repeating the packing cycle of the next electrode whilst the already welded electrode stays in place, in position B (Figure 3). While picking up the next electrode the jaws of the grip 7 clamp two electrodes simultaneously and push the preceding electrode to the position C for welding the transverse seam. The welding operation is performed by the blade 33 in a similar manner between the bars 32 (Figure 2) which clamp the material near the seams.

During the next stroke of the grip 7 this electrode is moved to the position D (Figure 3) and is placed into the holder 26 by the stacker 25 (Figure 2).

Thus, the output of the automatic device depends on the cycle of the reciprocating motion of the grip 7 and on the time spent for welding the longitudinal seam by the blade 28. The welding of the transverse seam, loading and unloading of electrodes proceed concurrently with the main cycle.

Beginning from position B the electrode moves over the supporting bars 35 (Figure 3). The desired tightness of packing is obtained by adjusting the position of stops 16 on the link 15. The welding units may have various designs, but all of them must provide the formation of two seams on both sides of the blade in the course of cutting.

The drive may also be of any suitable kind, e.g. pneumatic, hydraulic, etc.

The device for packing flat articles according to the present invention makes it possible to automate the operations of assembling the electrodes with the separating material, for example in nickel-cadmium storage batteries with a high power capacity, consisting of thin, low-strength electrodes because the guide for the electrode is made in the form of slot A with a fixed stop 13 and is connected with the grip 7 by adjustable kinematic linkage thereby ensuring accurate fixing of the electrode 14 throughout the cycle of covering it with material and its transfer jointly with said material by the grip 7, the degree of material tensioning being adjustable. This design of the material feeding and packing mechanism rules out the possibility of electrode distortion, wrinkling of the separating material and allows the packing operation to be performed at high operating speeds of the working elements which raises output of the device and ensures high quality of electrode packing.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A device for packing articles into sheet material supplied as two webs from respective reels, comprising gripping means for gripping the two webs of packing material with an article sandwiched between the webs, the gripping means being mounted for reciprocation for moving the webs and article gripped thereby along a linear path, means for feeding sheet material to the article and spaced from the gripping means in the direction of reciprocation thereof and including means for mounting the two reels of sheet material for rotation about respective parallel axes, a carriage kinematically linked to the gripping means for the carriage to reciprocate in line with the gripping means as the latter reciprocates, a guide member mounted on the carriage between the supply paths of the webs and having a recess for receiving an article to be packed from an article feeding means, the recess being limited in the direction away from the gripping means by a fixed stop for moving the article out of the recess and into the gripping means between the webs of material as the carriage is moved in the direction away from the gripping means, and means for sealing together the two webs behind the article in the direction of web feed while the article and webs are held by the gripping means.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the means for feeding webs of sheet material is mounted for movement with the carriage.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the carriage is kinematically linked to the gripping means in such a manner that the carriage is reciprocated through a shorter distance than the gripping means.

4. A device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the sealing means is arranged to sever the webs transversely of their length and to seal the webs together on both sides of the cut.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the sealing means comprises two pairs of clamping members for clamping the webs together and a heatable element movable between the pairs of clamping members

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (7)

1. **WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

   3 (Figure 1) closes the jaws of the grip 7 whereas the cam 4 of the drive 2 starts to move the housing 6 of the grip 7 to the left over the guides 5. The carriage 9 stays immovable until the right-hand stop 16 (Figure 3) comes in contact with its body.

   Meanwhile the electrode 14 moves to the left jointly with the grip 7, pulling the bands 34 from under the rollers 11 until it leaves completely the slot A of the guide 12 and moves from it a distance of 5 - 6 mm required for the passage of the bars 27. Subsequently, the carriage 9 moves jointly with the grip 7 to the extreme left position and the electrode 14 moves to the position B (Figure 3). At this moment the clamping bars 27 close, clamp the bands of the separating material, a new electrode is pushed into the slot of the guide 12 and the welding blade 28 cuts the material between the clamping bars 27 welding the edges of the bands at both sides of the blade 28.

   Then the bars 27 open, the cam 3 opens the jaws of the grip 7, the housing 6 starts moving to the right, repeating the packing cycle of the next electrode whilst the already welded electrode stays in place, in position B (Figure 3). While picking up the next electrode the jaws of the grip 7 clamp two electrodes simultaneously and push the preceding electrode to the position C for welding the transverse seam. The welding operation is performed by the blade 33 in a similar manner between the bars 32 (Figure 2) which clamp the material near the seams.

   During the next stroke of the grip 7 this electrode is moved to the position D (Figure 3) and is placed into the holder 26 by the stacker 25 (Figure 2).

   Thus, the output of the automatic device depends on the cycle of the reciprocating motion of the grip 7 and on the time spent for welding the longitudinal seam by the blade 28. The welding of the transverse seam, loading and unloading of electrodes proceed concurrently with the main cycle.

   Beginning from position B the electrode moves over the supporting bars 35 (Figure 3). The desired tightness of packing is obtained by adjusting the position of stops 16 on the link 15. The welding units may have various designs, but all of them must provide the formation of two seams on both sides of the blade in the course of cutting.

   The drive may also be of any suitable kind, e.g. pneumatic, hydraulic, etc.

   The device for packing flat articles according to the present invention makes it possible to automate the operations of assembling the electrodes with the separating material, for example in nickel-cadmium storage batteries with a high power capacity, consisting of thin, low-strength electrodes because the guide for the electrode is made in the form of slot A with a fixed stop 13 and is connected with the grip 7 by adjustable kinematic linkage thereby ensuring accurate fixing of the electrode 14 throughout the cycle of covering it with material and its transfer jointly with said material by the grip 7, the degree of material tensioning being adjustable. This design of the material feeding and packing mechanism rules out the possibility of electrode distortion, wrinkling of the separating material and allows the packing operation to be performed at high operating speeds of the working elements which raises output of the device and ensures high quality of electrode packing.

   WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A device for packing articles into sheet material supplied as two webs from respective reels, comprising gripping means for gripping the two webs of packing material with an article sandwiched between the webs, the gripping means being mounted for reciprocation for moving the webs and article gripped thereby along a linear path, means for feeding sheet material to the article and spaced from the gripping means in the direction of reciprocation thereof and including means for mounting the two reels of sheet material for rotation about respective parallel axes, a carriage kinematically linked to the gripping means for the carriage to reciprocate in line with the gripping means as the latter reciprocates, a guide member mounted on the carriage between the supply paths of the webs and having a recess for receiving an article to be packed from an article feeding means, the recess being limited in the direction away from the gripping means by a fixed stop for moving the article out of the recess and into the gripping means between the webs of material as the carriage is moved in the direction away from the gripping means, and means for sealing together the two webs behind the article in the direction of web feed while the article and webs are held by the gripping means.
2. 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the means for feeding webs of sheet material is mounted for movement with the carriage.
3. 3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the carriage is kinematically linked to the gripping means in such a manner that the carriage is reciprocated through a shorter distance than the gripping means.
4. 4. A device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the sealing means is arranged to sever the webs transversely of their length and to seal the webs together on both sides of the cut.
5. 5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the sealing means comprises two pairs of clamping members for clamping the webs together and a heatable element movable between the pairs of clamping members

   for severing and welding together the clamped webs.
6. 6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the heatable element is an electrically heatable wire under tension.
7. 7. A device for packing articles, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.