GB2049605A

GB2049605A - Band guiding mechanism in a banding machine

Info

Publication number: GB2049605A
Application number: GB8001796A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Strapack Shimojima Co Ltd
Current assignee: Strapack Shimojima Co Ltd
Priority date: 1979-06-01
Filing date: 1980-01-18
Publication date: 1980-12-31
Also published as: FR2457805A1; DE3010292C2; CA1123723A; FR2457805B1; JPS5846003Y2; DE3010292A1; JPS55173404U; GB2049605B

Abstract

A band guiding mechanism (20) in a banding machine includes openable and closable opposed band guides (23), a drive roller (32) and driven rollers (25) which cooperate to feed and guide a band (B) from a location whereat the free end of the band is inserted manually into the machine to a unit (C) which bonds the band, for example. The arrangement of the band insertion location and band guiding mechanism is such that an article of any size can be bound by the band. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Band guiding mechanism This invention relates to a packaging machine, and more particularly to improvements in a so-called semiautomatic packaging machine of the type which is not equipped with a band guiding arch.

An example of a semiautomatic packaging machine typical of the art is shown in Fig. 1. In accordance with the construction and operation of the machine as shown, an appropriate length of a band 3 wound upon a reel 2 mounted on the mach ine frame 1 is delivered by a suitable band delivery mechanism from a band delivery portion 6 provided in the channel 5 of a front plate 4. The delivered length of band is then manually wound around an article for packaging placed on a worktable 7, and the end of the band is subsequently inserted into the machine from a band insertion member 8, as illustrated in Fig. 18, which is disposed adjacent the delivery portion of the channel 5. Thereafter, the mechanism housed in the frame 1 tightens, fuses and severs the tape 3 to provide the packaged article.This arrangement is not limited to so-called transverse-type semiautomatic packaging machines as depicted in Fig. 1 but is also applied to longitudinal-type semiautomatic packaging machines in which the front plate 4 is horizontally disposed.

In conventional packaging machines of the type described, an article when placed on the worktable often obstructs access to the band insertion member 8 if the article is large in size, and it therefore becomes impossible to insert the end of the band.

This necessitates the troublesome operation of adjusting the height of the worktable 7 in order to expose the band insertion member 8. Nevertheless, it is still impossible in some cases to package a large article since the extent to which the worktable can be adjusted in height is limited. In addition to these disadvantages, the conventional packaging machine has still another defect in that it is necessary toreoperate the band delivery mechanism in cases where the delivered length of band is insufficient and thus too short to be wound around the article.

This is because the band is delivered only by constant amounts through the use of a timer.

It is a general object of the present invention to avoid the disadvantages of the conventional packaging machines such as described above.

A specific object of the present invention is to provide a band guiding mechanism in a packaging machine capable of efficiently packaging articles regardless of their size.

According to the present invention, the foregoing and other objects are attained by a band guiding mechanism which includes band guiding flaps adapted to be opened and closed, the latter including a drive roller and driven rollers which come into sliding contact to guide a band from an insertion member to a control unit equipped with means for suitably manipulating the band so as to package an article.

The exact nature of the present invention, as well as other objects and advantages thereof, will be readily apparent from consideration of the following specification relating to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. lA is a perspective view of a semiautomatic packaging machine according to the prior art; Fig. 1 B is a perspective view of an insertion member included in the packaging machine of Fig.

1A; Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a packaging machine equipped with a band guiding mechanism embodying the present invention; Fig. 3 is a schematic, longitudinal sectional view illustrating a packaging machine equipped with the band guiding mechanism ofthe present invention; Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged views illustrating the band guiding mechanism of the present invention; Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A of Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line B-B of Fig. 6.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3 for a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a packaging machine frame designated generally at 10 houses a control unit C which includes various well-known mechanisms required for packaging, such as a band bonding mechanism or the like. The front plate 11 of machine frame 10 includes a channel 12 at approximately the center thereof, and a band insertion member 13 is attached to the top of the frame at the upper end of the channel 12. A band guiding flap mechanism 20 extending from the band insertion member 13 to the control unit C housing the required packaging mechanisms, is openably and closably provided on the channel 12, the band guiding flap mechanism 20 being mounted such that its lower end confronts the upper end of a sliding table 14, as shown in Fig. 3.

According to the arrangement of the band guiding flap mechanism 20, as shown in more detail in Figs.

4 through 7, brackets 24, 24 are fixedly secured at the sides of respective flap-shaped opening-closing pieces 23, 23 whose sides on the band insertion end are bent. The brackets 24, 24 axially support respective driven rollers 25, 25 in a freely rotatable manner and allow the driven rollers 25, 25 to face inwardly of the opening-closing pieces 23, 23 through notches 26, 26 formed therein. The end of a bandway 27 is bent and the bandway attached to the frame 10 by fixedly securing the bent portion thereof to the frame via a hinge or the like.A drive roller 32 is provided on a shaft 31 having a pulley 30 connected to a drive mechanism via a belt 29, and is faced inwardly of the opening-closing pieces 23, 23 through a notch 28 in the bandway 27 so as to come into sliding contact with the driven rollers 25, 25. Further, the band guiding flap mechanism 20 is arranged to be freely opened and closed by means of hinges 33,33 provided on the opening-closing pieces 23, 23 which are connected to respective legs 34,34 projecting from below the bandway 27, the opening-closing pieces 23, 23 being biased closed by a coil spring 35.

Fig. 4 illustrates the band guiding flap mechanism 20 in the mounted state. Specifically, the band guiding flap mechanism 20 is attached to a supporting member 16, extending from a machine rack 15, by means of a nut and a screw 43 fixedly secured to the bottom of bandway 27 of the band guiding flap mechanism. The open, lower end of the band guiding flap mechanism 20 is arranged to face the sliding table 14.

The packaging machine further includes a worktable 18, pedestal 19 and supporting plate 36 for theshaft 31.

The actions and effects of the packaging machine constructed as described above will now be described.

Referring now to Fig. 3, a band B, a fixed amount of which has been delivered by a timer, is wrapped around an article Wand the end of the band is inserted into the insertion member 13, whereupon the band B is embraced between the drive roller 31 and driven rollers 25, 25 which are rotating in sliding contact with the drive roller 31. The band therefore advances into the band guiding flap mechanism 20 and soon reaches a band strip guide, not shown, at the back of the sliding table 14 of the control unit C.

At this time a well-known limit switch or the like is actuated to immediately operate a band tightening mechanism. At the same time as the band-tightening operation, the flaps 23,23 of the band guiding flap mechanism 20 are pushed open so that the band B flies out from therebetween. Thus, the band B is completely wound around the article Wand tightened and subsequently severed and fused to complete the packaging operation. After the band has reached the control unit C, the steps up until the tightening of the band are instantaneously performed through electronic control even in cases where the drive roller 32 is arranged to constantly rotate. As a result, the band will not jam in the band guiding flap mechanism even if the band is delivered to an excessive degree. The band tightening operation also will not be affected.

In the above arrangement, the driven rollers 25, 25 are provided at the end of a single band guiding flap mechanism and the drive roller 32 is mounted in sliding contact with the driven rollers so as to form a single continuous band guiding path from the band insertion member to the lower surface of the sliding table 14. However, in an example of another possible arrangement, the band guiding flap mechanism 20 may be cut off below the driven rollers 25, 25, a band auxiliary feed mechanism adopted wherein the driven rollers 25, 25 and drive roller 32 are mounted within the frame or outside the frame so as to freely contact and separate from each other, with another band guiding flap mechanism being provided in such a manner that its opening portion faces the band exit side of the band auxiliary feed mechanism.

In other words, it is possible to adopt a structure wherein a band auxiliary feed mechanism and band guiding flap portions are separately arranged in a continuous manner. Such an arrangement allows the length of the other band guiding flap portion to be suitably modified even in the case of packaging machines having different lengths from the band insertion portion to the control unit C. It is therefore possible to work the present invention is a simple manner.

It is also possible to adopt an arrangement in which the rotation of the drive roller 32 is controlled by a limit switch (not shown) provided at the band insertion member 13, so that the band delivery mechanism of the control unit C is re-actuated by the insertion of the band, and then shut off when the end of the band reaches the control unit C. If this construction is adopted, it is possible to eliminate the operation of depressing a switch provided on the frame for the purpose of re-actuating the band delivery mechanism even if the already fed band is not sufficient for wrapping around a large article.

In accordance with the band guiding mechanism of the present invention as described above, the insertion of the band end can be greatly simplified, and articles of any size can be packaged without adjusting the height of the worktable. It is also possible to guide the band toward the control unit C after inserting it from any position. In other words, the band can be inserted from underneath the frame, from the horizontal direction, or from a position in which the band guiding flap portion is disposed close to the frame or remote therefrom. In addition, if the band guiding flap mechanism 20 is detachably mounted on the machine rack or the like, maintenance and inspection of the control unit C and the setting of the band become very simple operations.

These advantages permit a simple and rapid packaging operation not heretofore possible in the conventional semiautomatic packaging machines.

Claims

1. In a packaging machine of the type including a frame body, a band delivery mechanism, a band insertion member, a worktable on which an article to be packaged is placed, and means for tightening, fusing and severing the band which has been wrapped around an article placed on the worktable, a band guiding mechanism which comprises: a control unit housed in the frame body, said control unit including mechanisms required for packaging; a band guiding flap portion adapted for opening and closing movement for guiding a band from the edge of the frame body to said control unit; a drive roller provided on that end of said band guiding flap portion which is adjacent the edge of the frame body; and a driven roller adapted for sliding contact with said drive roller; said drive roller and driven roller being mounted so as to come into sliding contact with or separate from each other so as to cooperate in guiding the band to said control unit.

2. A band guiding mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising: a band auxiliary feed mechanism which includes a drive roller, a driven roller adapted for sliding contact with said drive roller, and a band exit, said drive roller and driven roller being mounted inside or outside the frame body so as to freely come into contact with or separate from each other to feed that band to said band exit; and a second band guiding flap portion disposed adjacent to said band auxiliary feed mechanism so as to face said band exit thereof.

3. A band guiding mechanism according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a limit switch provided at the band insertion member, said limit switch operating the band delivery mechanism and/or a mechanism for driving said drive roller.

4. A band guiding mechanism substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in any one of the Figures of the accompanying drawings.