GB2094747A - Apparatus for carding packets - Google Patents

Abstract

Filled packets (18) are assembled in successive lateral rows with their leading ends (45) presented to respective pairs of grippers (72) on successive carriers (58) extending between the radial slides (57) of a packet feed wheel (49). Stepping of the wheel (49) causes the successive packet rows to be offered by their ends (45) into respective rows of M-shaped slits (114) in a card (112) carried around a card feed drum (110) whereupon fingers press onto folded-over packet ends (45) of the row to press the middle of the corresponding tongues (115) (and the packet end portions thereon) behind respective lips (116) defined by the M-shaped slits (114), to ensure that the packets (18) are securely retained. The card drum (110) is stepped in synchronism with the wheel (49) until the card (112) is full, when the drum performs a sufficient rotation to feed the filled card to a discharge station (D) and bring into place the next card (112). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for carding packets This invention concerns apparatus for carding packets.

It has been known for some considerable time to card packets of commodities, for convenience of storage, distribution and display for sale. For example, the presentation of philatelist's stamps in packets stapled to display cards has been practised for very many years. In relatively recent times, there has been a progressive trend towards more and more use of display cards for packeted products, such as small metal and plastics articles, and small quantities of foodstuffs, for instance nuts, biscuits and other snack foods.

The stapling of foodstuffs packets to cards is not particularly favoured. There is always a risk that a metal staple may get into a packet, and stapling necessitates the provision of appropriate machinery which involves supervision and maintenance.

Moreover, in certain instances, the products are sealed in an inert gas to minimise risk of deterioration, such as nitrogen, and stapling can result in escape of this gas and corresponding reduction in the storage life of the product. For this reason it has already been proposed to provide cards which are slit to define thereon rows and columns of tongues each of which serves to hold a respective packet, by an end portion thereof, in place on the card, each tongue being of width narrower than the corresponding width of the end portion of the packet so that the said end portion of the packet retains the tongue at one side of the plane of the card, and the slit being shaped to define a lip which can be engaged with the said end portion of the packet, in position on the tongue, to ensure the packet is firmly held in place.For convenience, such a card will hereinafter be referred to as "a slit card of the kind described".

The use of the slit cards of the kind described has the advantages that packets can be attached thereto without the need for any further fastening means such as staples and the risk of escape of gaseous contents from the packets is avoided. It has the disadvantage, however, that until now it has always been necessary for the packets to be applied to the cards by hand, no apparatus yet being available for performing this operation mechanically.

An object of this invention is to rectify this shortcoming and to provide apparatus whereby packets may be carded on slit cards of the kind described automatically.

With this object in view, the present invention provides apparatus for carding packets, on slit cards of the kind described, comprising supply means for supplying packets in successive rows, a stepwisedriven packet feed wheel having rows of grippers for taking the successive rows of packets by their leading end portions, a stepwise-driven card feed drum for progressing successive slit cards adjacent the packet feed wheel for each row of slits thereof to receive a corresponding row of packets, by the leading end portion of each packet entering into a respective one of said slits, each packet thereafter being orientated so that the said leading end portion thereof is folded over relative to the rest of the packet, and including displacement means for displacing the lip of each slit to overlie the respective tongue and the packet end portion folded over said tongue, to retain the respective packet in the card.

The supply means conveniently comprises a conveyor which serves to forward the packets one at a time to successive trays carried by an endless carrier member adapted to be progressed, stepwise, laterally relative to the conveyor, to bring successive groups or rows of the packets to take-up positions at which they can be taken by corresponding grippers of the packet feed wheel. Each packet is conveniently supplied to its respective tray when the latter is at a supply location whereat a guide plate converges with the tray receiving its packet and ensures that the leading end portion of the packet projects from between the tray and the guide plate.

The packet feed wheel preferably comprises end members having radial slideways and mounted at opposite ends of a feed wheel shaft, each said slide-way accommodating a respective radiallyshiftable slide, the radial outer ends of corresponding said sliders supporting respective gripper carriers which extend substantially parallel to the axis of the feed wheel shaft and which carry the grippers.

The stepwise drive of the packet feed wheel is conveniently achieved by means of a stepping disc mounted on the feed wheel shaft adjacent one of the end members and carrying a pawl cooperating with a ratchet wheel secured to said one of the end members. With such an arrangement, therefore, oscillatory rotation of the stepping disc serves to cause stepwise rotation of the packet feed wheel upon each step of which the packet feed wheel receives a row of packets by its grippers at the take-up position and inserts a preceeding row of packets, by their leading end portions, into respective slits in a card on the card feed drum.

Each slide preferably has a respective cam follower projecting through the respective end member and engaging into a cam track in a respective cam disc facing the end member. These two cam discs may be coupled together by being mounted on a common shaft of the packet feed wheel which shaft extends through a tubular axle of the feed wheel.

The cam followers and tracks are effective to drift the slides to their correct positions for the grippers to take up the packets and insert them into their slits in the cards.

Each gripper carrier may comprise a respective tube journalled by its ends in the respective slides and having, on one end, a radial arm and follower engageable with a fixed cam plate mounted on a frame of the apparatus. Then, each such carrier may include a respective gripper actuating rod which extends through the tube and has tapering actuating portions in register with each gripper, each said actuating portion cooperating with respective actuating members which shift radially inwards and outwards for actuating the grippers upon axial displacement of the actuating rod.

The latter may have a protruding end which cooperates with a respective face cam provided on a stationary part of the frame of the apparatus.

The card feed drum conveniently comprises a drum stepping mechanism which serves, after a predetermined number of steps to cause the drum to perform a partial revolution for carrying away a filled card and bringing a fresh card into position for its first row of slits to receive packets from the packet feed wheel. This drum stepping mechanism may comprise a drum stepping disc mounted on a shaft of the drum adjacent an end disc thereof and carrying a pawl which cooperates with a ratchet on said end disc, so that oscillation of the stepping disc causes stepping ofthe drum, a card-change pawl carried by the end disc being engageable with a continuousiy-driven sprocket each time the drum stepping disc has moved forward a predetermined number of steps corresponding to the number of rows of slits in each card.

The card feed drum is preferably constructed to provide sections, around the drum, each said section comprising a card attachment portion, followed by a plurality of packet insertion bars each extending parallel to the axes of the drum, the number of said insertion bars corresponding to the number of rows of slits in each card. Each of these insertion bars conveniently incorporates, for each slit, a respective plunger or pusher which serves the function of displacing the respective lip. A counter-bar is preferably provided for cooperation with the plungers or pushers, this counter bar being carried by eccentric cams swingable about the drum shaft to a position providing a resistance for supporting the card adjacent the lip, for the latter to be shifted to its overlying position.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1A is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating the packet feed end of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the invention; Figure 1B is a view similar to Figure 1A, but illustrating the card feed end of the apparatus, Figures 1A and 1 B together showing substantially the entire apparatus; Figure 2 is a front view, enlarged compared with Figures 1A and 1 B, illustrating a slit card, as concerned in the present invention, with one row of packets in place thereon; Figure 3 an enlarged fragmentary view, taken approximately as indicated at 3-3 in Figure 1A;; Figure 4 is a view, enlarged in comparison with Figure 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow 4 in Figure 3, with parts in section, parts cut away and parts omitted, to details of the packet feed mechanism of the apparatus to be appreciated; Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional side elevation, comparable with Figure 1A, but showing the details of one of the spiders and of the grippers of the packet feed wheel of the apparatus; Figure 6 is an enlarged detached section taken as indicated by the line 6 - 6 of Figure 5; Figure 7 is an enlarged longitudinal section through one of the gripper carriers of the packet feed wheel illustrated principally in Figures 5 and 6; Figure 8 is an enlarged diagrammatic crosssection corresponding approximately to the line 8 - 8 of Figure 7;; Figure 9 is a detached part-sectional plan view illustrating details of a retaining mechanism which serves to locate the packet feed wheel of Figures 5 and 6 in its successive indexed positions; Figure 10 is an enlarged sectional detail illustrating how grippers of the packet feed wheel of Figures 5 and 6 serve to transfer packets to respective locations on a card carried by a card feed drum of the apparatus of Figures 1A and IB; Figure 11 is a perspective view corresponding to Figure 10; Figure 12 is a detached elevation illustrating certain details of the drive of the card feed drum of Figure 10, as at one side of the latter; Figure 13 is a view similar to Figure 12 but illustrating further details of the drive of the card feed drum; Figure 14 is a part sectional elevation, illustrating details of the card feed drum and its drive;; Figure 15 is an enlarged end view, taken as indicated by arrow 15 in Figure 1 B, illustrating a stacking arrangement forming part of a mechanism for feeding cards in the apparatus; Figure 16 is a part-sectional detail corresponding to Figure 15; and Figure 17 is an enlarged part-sectional side view illustrating means operative in the transfer of cards from the stacking arrangement of Figures 15 and 16 to the card feed drum of the apparatus.

The illustrated preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the invention comprises substantially parallel vertical side plates 10 (Figures 1A, 18 and 6) extending longitudinally of the apparatus and spaced apart from one another. The apparatus essentially comprises a packet supply section A (see Figures 1A, 3 and 4) followed by a packet feed section B (see Figures 1A and 5 to 10) and a card feed section C (see Figures 1A, 1 B, and 10 to 17) after which is a filled card take-off section D (Figures 1A and 18). A main drive section E (Figure 1A) is disposed beneath the packet feed section B.

As shown principally in Figures 3 and 4, the packet supply section A of the apparatus comprises an endless carrier member in the form of an endless chain 11 guided around chain wheels (of which one only is visible at 12) provided one at each side of the apparatus and carrying a succession of trays each indicated generally by the reference numeral 13.Each such tray 13 comprises a carrier piece 14 having an integral lug 15forming a respective link in the chain 11 and set into a bottom plate 16 of the tray 13. Side walls 17, spaced apart by a distance correlated to the widthof packets 18 (see for instance Figures 1A, 3,4 and 5) required to be carded, extend upwards from each side of the bottom plate 16to project upwards beyond a rear wall 19 (Figure 4) of the tray 13, which rear wall 19 supports, between the side walls 17 a reception plate 20 which slopes downwards from the rear wall 19 to the level of the bottom plate 16 and terminates at a centrai stop tongue 21.

The illustrated chain wheel 12 is provided at intervals each of 60 spacing, with indexing pegs 22 therethrough and has a stub axle 23 whereon is swingably mounted a boss 24 from which projects a radial stepping arm 25 which is bifurcated at its outer end to enable it to be coupled, by a pivot pin 26, to a piston rod 27 of a tray-stepping ram 28 (Figure 3) mounted by a bracket 29 on a cross bar 30 extending across the apparatus and supported by uprights 31 carried by the side plates 10.A resilient pawl strip 32 carried by the stepping arm 25 presses against the chainwheel 12 and it will be understood that upon each reciprocative movement of the piston rod 27 the chainwheel 12 will be indexed through an angle of 60 in a clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow 33 in Figure 3 thereby to step the trays 13 in the directions indicated by the arrows 34 and 35 respectively along the top and bottom runs of the chain 11 by the width of one such tray 13.A fixed resilient ratched strip 36 presses on the chainwheel 12 at the side thereof opposite to the pawl strip 32 to preclude the possibility of undesired rotation of the chainwheel 12 in the anticlockwise direction opposed to the arrow 33, by cooperation with the pegs 21, and this pawl strip 32 acts, in concert with a bell-crank stop lever 37 loaded by a spring 38 and also cooperating with the pegs 21, to arrest the chainwheel 12 in its successive indexed or stepped positions. Means (not shown) are provided for pivoting the stop lever 37, at the commencement of each extension of the piston rod 27, against the action of the spring 38, to permit each stepping movement, the lever 37 being returned to the illustrated position to ensure that the chainwheel 12 is arrested at its desired stepped position.

The stepping of the chain 11 serves to bring the trays 13 successively into a packet receiving position,indicated at 39 in Figure 3. A packet locating flap 40 (see Figures 1A and 3), pivotally located between two sidewalls 41 (of which one only is visible in Figure 1A) defining a packet-supply passage 42, protrudes over that tray 13 which is at the packet receiving position 39, following approximately to the angle of the reception plate 20 of the tray and terminating just clear of the stop tongue 21 thereof.

Disposed between the two sidewalls 41 is a packet supply conveyor 43 of which the feed-off end is shown diagrammatically in Figure 1A. This feed-off end of the conveyor 43 terminates at a spacing from the tray 13 at the packet receiving position 39, and the gap therebetween is occupied by a reject flap 44 provided with a mechanism (not visible) which enables said weighflap 44 to pivot downwards to reject any underweight or faulty packet 18 and deflect it downwards and away from the tray 13 at the position 39.

The conveyor 43 serves to receive the packets 18 (e.g. of peanuts or other articles) which have been filled (for instance at a filling machine at the inflow end of the conveyor 43) and forward them one at a time and it will readily be understood that each such packet 18, provided it is not rejected by the weighflap 44 arrives in the tray 13 at the position 39 and assumes a stationary disposition with its leading end portion 45 projecting from between the bottom plate 16 of the tray 13 and theflap 40 with its leading edge abutting against the stop tongue 21 as can be appreciated from Figure 4.

The arrival of a packet 18 in that tray 13 which is at the receiving position 39 is sensed by a photocell 46 (Figure 1A) which triggers off a reciprocation of the tray-stepping ram 28 thereby to stop the trays 13 by one step in the direction of the arrow 34 (Figure 3) and consequently the successive packets 18 arriving from the conveyor 43 enter into the successive trays 13 which are progressed stepwise laterally relative to the conveyor to assemble a group or row of such packets along the upper run of the chain 11 in take-up positions with their leading end portions 45 projecting towards the packet feed section B of the apparatus.

Referring now to Figures 1A, and 5to 11,the packet feed section B comprises a packet feed wheel 49 having a shaft indicated generally at 50 extending transversely of the apparatus and journalled in the side plates 10 (see particularly Figure 6) by reduceddiameter end sections 51 of a core 52 of the shaft 50 being located in bearings 53 in the side plates 10.

Bearings 54 provided on the reduced-diameter end sections 51 of the core 52 of the shaft 50 support, around the core 52, an external sleeve 53 of the shaft 50 so that the sleeve 53 and core 52 can rotate independently of one another. Fixed to the ends of the external sleeves 53, to rotate with the latter, are respective end members or discs 54 of the feed wheel, these each being formed with a plurality (e.g.

eight) of radial slideways 55 each of which is of channel-like configuration and lined on its opposite sides by hand liners 56. Each such slideway accommodates a respective radially-disposed slide 57 which is approximately square in cross-section.

The radial slides 57 in the two end members 54 are orientated so as to be aligned at the opposite ends of the shaft 50, and as shown particularly in Figure 7, the outer ends of each aligned pair of such slides 57 serve to support a respective gripper carrier, indicated generally by the numeral 58, comprising a tube 59 journalled by its ends in bearings 60 in the slides 57, substantially parallel to the axis of the shaft 50.

Keyed onto the reduced-diameter section 51 of the core 52 of the shaft 50 is a stepping disc 61. This has, in its face directed towards the adjacent end member 54 of the feed wheel 49, a cam track 62 (see particularly Figures 1A and 5) into which engate cam followers 63 one of which is connected to and projects from each of the slides 57 through a respective radial slot 64 in the end member 54 and into the track 62. Rotation of the stepping disc 61 accordingly serves, by way of the cam track 62, to displace the slides 57 (and, with the latter, the respective gripper carriers 58) radially inwards and outwards relative to the axis of the feed wheel 49.

A ratchet wheel 64 (Figure 6), having eight equispaced ratchet teeth 57 (Figure 5) is provided on the end member 54 at the side of the latter facing the stepping disc 61, and the latter carries a pawl 65 which cooperates with this ratchet wheel 64.

The main drive section E (Figure 1A) of the apparatus, belowthe packet feed section B, includes a main drive shaft 66 on which is a crank 67 connected by a connecting rod 68 to a radial arm 69 fixed to the core 52 of the shaft 50. Accordingly, rotation of the main drive shaft 66, by an electric motor 70 which, in operation of the apparatus, runs continuously, serves to cause the stepping disc 61 to oscillate angularly forwards and backwards about the axis provided by the feed wheel shaft 50, and the pawl 65 and ratchet wheel 64 convert this oscillation into stepwise rotation of the feed wheel 49, each step being one-eight of a complete rotation.

Each gripper carrier tube 59 supports three gripper pairs 71, these being disposed at regular intervals along the length of the tube 59.

Each such gripper pair 71 comprises two grippers 72, of which details can best be seen in Figures 7 and 8, and comprises a trapezium-shaped body 73 fixed to the tube 59. Fastened to one edge face of this body 73 is a resilient strip 74 providing at one end a protruding fixed jaw 75 and at the other end a leaf spring portion 76. Pivotally fixed to the body 73 is a L-shaped lever 77 carrying a respective resilient strip 78 providing a respective resilient movable jaw 79 which is loaded by the spring portion 76 towards the fixed jaw 75. An adjustable thrust screw through the lever 77 cooperates with a respective ball 80 accommodated in a respective hole in the wall of the tube 59 and registering with a respective reduced diameter neck 81 on a gripper actuating rod 82 extending through the tube 59.Each such neck is defined on one side by a shoulder 83 at one side and connects at the other side with a tapering section 84 of the rod 81. The gripper actuating rod 82 extends through the tube 59 of the gripper carrier 58 and as shown in Figure 7 projects at the end thereof remote from the stepping disc 61, as at 85, to cooperate with a respective fixed cam 86 on the corresponding side frame 10 of the apparatus, thereby to displace the actuating rod 82 axially and cause opening and closing of the grippers by the movable jaws 79 thereof being displaced away from their fixed jaw 75 as a result of the balls 80 being displaced radially outwards by reaction thereagainst of the tapering sections 84 of the rod 81.

At its end towards the stepping disc 61, each gripper carrier tube 59 is fitted with a radial arm 87 provided with a follower stub 88 on the free end of which is a roller follower 89 which will engage with a respective fixed cam 90 (Figures 1A and 5) on the corresponding side pate 10 of the apparatus, thereby to rotate the carrier tube 59 and alter the dispositions of the grippers 72, that is to say the angle at which the grippers 72, on each said tube 59 project from the packet feed wheel 49 at the periphery of the latter. A respective friction disc 92, provided on the end of each gripper tube 59 remote from the respective follower stub 88 cooperates with a re spectivefriction peg protruding from the corresponding slide 57 to prevent rotation of the tubes 59 except when the follower 89 engage with the cam 90.

It will readily be understood that the configurations of the fixed cams 86 and 90 and the cam track 62 of the stepping disc 61 are such that upon each stepping movement of the packet feed wheel 49, one of the gripper carriers 58 is brought to an operative position, (indicated at 91 in Figures 1A and 5), wherein its grippers 72, in the open condition, are in alignment with and receive the group or row of the packets 18 (that is to say the packets P1, P2 and P3 in Figure 3) at the take-up position, the relevant trays 13 serving, as previously described, to cause their respective packets 18 to enter by their leading end portions 45 into the respective gripper pairs 72 at the operative position 91.Upon the feed wheel now being stepped forward, that is to say in the direction indicated by the arrows 94 in Figures 1A and 5,) the grippers 72 are closed by disengagement of their actuating rod 82 from the respective fixed cam 86 which is illustrated in an angularly displaced position in Figure 5 for convenience, the carrier tube 59 remaining orientated to maintain the gripped leading end portions 45 of the three packets in a substantially horizontal disposition by the friction arrangment 92,93.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that each time a gripper carrier 58 comes to the operative position 91, the three pairs of grippers 72 thereof take up a respective row or group of threee packets 18 which have been brought to the positions P1, P2 and P3 of Figure 3, so that such rows or groups are carried stepwise towards the card feed section C.

Vertically-disposed lifter rods, indicated diagram maticaily at 95 (Figure 3) are provided in correspondence with the packets 18 at the positions P1, P2 and P3 are are reciprocable vertically as indicated by the adjacent double-arrows. These lifter rods are synchronised with the stepping of the packet take-up wheel 49 such that they rise so soon as each row or group of the packets 18 has been gripped the grippers 72 at the operative position 91, thereby to raise the non-gripped portions of the respective packets 18clearofthesidewalls 17 of the respective trays 13.This arrangement enables the stepping of the trays 13 to be initiated quickly aftertake-up of each row or group of the packets 18 at the positions P1, P2 and P3, and consequently enables the apparatus to be run at a substantially constant speed without the need for any extra dwell of the trays 13 each time a group or row of the packets is taken up.

Each successive position of the packet take-up wheel 49 is defined by a pair of hook-line locators 96, 97 pivotally mounted by respective brackets 98, 99 on one of the side plates 10 as shown in Figures 1A and 9 and loaded by respective springs 100, 101 to positions engaging opposite sides of each slide 57 when the latter moves into register therewith. The locator 96 is shaped so that as the packet take-up wheel is stepped (as indicated by the arrow in Figure 9) one of the slides 57 deflects such locator 96 and moves to the indicated position wherein the hook of said locator 96 engages behind the slide 57 and prevents reverse movement thereof. Substantially at the same time, the slide 57 encounters the hook of the other locator 97 so that the two locators then hold the slide 57, and the entire packet take-up wheel, stationary, corresponding to the taking up of a group or row of packets at the operative position 91. Thereupon, movement of the stepping disc 61 causes a slide release cam 102, carried thereby, to shift the locator 97 against the action of its spring 101 to permit the packet take-up wheel to be stepped forward.

At each step of the movement of the packet feed wheel 49 each group or row of packets 18 is progressed towards a card feed wheel or drum 110 forming part of the card feed section C. This wheel 110 is shown in various degrees of detail in Figures 1A, and 10 to 14 and is disposed with its axis substantially parallel to the axis of the wheel 49 and its periphery substantially tangential to the paths of the outer ends of the slides 57, at a location indicated by the numeral 111 in Figures 10 and 11.This location is effectively a packet transfer location at which the successive rows of packets 18 on the packet feed wheel 49 are transferred to a respective row of slits in a card 112 carried by the card feed wheel or drum 110.

The form of the card 112 can be seen in Figure 2. It is substantially rectangular in configuration with its corners rounded. At one end a blank panel 113 is present for carrying printed matter, such as an indication of price, trade marks, description of packet contents (none of which is shown in the figure) and so on as may be desired by the user. The rest of the card is formed with successive rows and columns of slits 114 which are approximately M-shaped in configuration and each provide a correspondingshaped tongue 115 between the "uprights" of the M and a respective lip 116 therebetween.As will be appreciated from Figure 2 which shows only one row of packets 18 in place on the card 112, each packet 18 is required to be held in position by its leading end 45 being folded over the respective tongue 115 and the corresponding lip 116 then being caused to overlie the folder-over leading end 45 and thus retain the packet 18 against unintentional removal.

Formed in each card 112 are two pairs of slots 117 and 118 to enable the cards to be fed mechanically as will shortly be described.

The card feed drum 110 comprises a pair of end sprockets 119 about which are guided a pair of gripper chains 120 extending in an endless circuit forward past a card take-up location indicated generally at 121 in Figure 17, then around the card feed drum sprockets 119, and rearwards past and above a filled card take-off chute 122 and conveyor 123 and then around guide rollers 124,125 and 126 back to the card take-up location 121. Gripper jaws 127 carried by cross bars 128 extending between these gripper chains 120 serve to engage with the leading edges of successive cards 112 which are offered to the chain 120 at the take up location, one at a time, by a swingable card feed mechanism, indicated generally by the reference numeral 129, which will be described in detail shortly, from a stack 130.

The card-feed drum 110 is effectively in two sections each corresponding to a sector of 180 of the drum 110 and each such section is composed of bars set into body 136 of the drum 110 and extending between end discs 131 of the drum 110 adjacent their peripheries. Each such section comprises a pair of card-locating bars 132 and 133 each having protruding locating pegs 134,135 for engag- ing into the respective slot pairs 118 and 117 in the respective card 112. Between the pair of card locating bars 132, 133 are eight packet insertion bars 137 each of which is shaped (see Figure 14) to incorporate M-shaped recesses 138 corresponding in configuration of and disposed so as to register with the tongue 115 of the respective row of slits 114 in the card 112.A radially-protruding plunger 139, loaded by a respective spring 140 housed by a sleeve 141 set in the body 136 is fitted in the middle of each said recess 138 so as to be engageable with the tongue part 115 of the card in register with each slit 114 in the respective row.

A locking bar 142 for holding the cards 112 against movement radially away from the card feed drum 110 is carried by a pair of radial arms 143 projecting from respective eccentrics 44 mounted on each end of shaft 145 of the card feed drum 110, which shaft 145 is mounted by its ends in bearings 146 set in removable dished carrier discs 147 located in respective apertures in the side plates 10 of the apparatus.

Connecting rods 148 connect between these eccentrics 144 and appropriate cranks (not visible) provided on the main drive shaft 66 (see Figure 1A) in the driving section E of the apparatus and the action thereof is to bring fingers 149 on the locking bar 143 towards each successive row of the plungers 139 just after insertion of a row or group of the packets 18 by their leading ends 45 into their slits 114 (as shown in Figure 11) so as to engage with the leading end 45, folded over the respective tongue 115, to press the tongue and its folded over part of the packet behind the respective lip 116 which thereby move into packet-retaining positions relative to their tongues 115, as shown in relation to the packets shown in Figure 2.

A ratchet (whose position is indicated at 150, e.g.

in Figure 12) cooperates with a ratchet disc (not shown) having two groups of eight teeth, which teeth are spaced apart by angles of about 12" of rotation in the group. The ratchet 150 is carried by a radial arm 151 adapted to be reciprocated from the main drive shaft 66 by way of a connecting rod 152.

This arrangment provides for the drum to be stepped in the anticlockwise direction, as indicated by the arrows 153 in Figures 12 and 13, upon each reciprocation of the arm 151 by an angle of 12" which corresponds to the angular spacing between successive rows of the slits 114 in each card 112, when the latter is in position on the drum 110.

The radial arm 151 is couplied to a release arm 155 which serves to actuate a drum locator pawl 156 cooperating with two corresponding groups of locator teeth 157 on a locator ratchet disc 158 (Figures 12 and 13) which tooth groups are separated by diametrically-opposed smooth peripheral sections 159. A spring 160 loads the pawl 156 towards engagement with the disc 158. The disposition of the locator pawl 156 is such that upon the ratchet arm 151 commencing to move in the anticlockwise direction of the arrows 153, the drum locator pawl 156 is held clear of the facing tooth 157, and approaches the ratchet disc periphery after such tooth has passed, so as to cooperate with the next successive tooth 157. Accordingly, the drum locator pawl 156 serves to arrest the drum 110 in each of its successive stepped positions.

Also mounted on the drum shaft 145 adjacent the locator ratchet disc 158 is a continuously driven sprocket 163, driven by a chain 164 from a chainwheel 165 on the main drive shaft 66, the chain 164 being kept under tension by a jockey sprocket 166.

This sprocket 163 carries a pawl 167 whose toothed end 168 is disposed to cooperate with an inner periphery of the ratchet disc 158 in which are a diametrically opposed pair of ratchets 169, and the sprocket 163 is so arranged as to enable itto be move eccentrically as a result of turning movement of the shaft 145 by means of a shaft oscillating arm 161 adapted to be oscillated from the main shaft 66 by way of a connecting rod 162, upon each eight revolutions of the main shaft 66. The eccentric movement of the sprocket 163 accordingly serves, after the stepping of the drum 110 by the eight steps of one of the sets or groups of teeth 157 for the filling of a card 112 occupying approximately one half of the periphery of the drum 110, to cause the drum 110 to turn in correspondence with a corresponding smooth peripheral section 159 of the ratchet disc 158.

A pair of radial arms 170, 171 at each side of the crum 110 support guide shoes 172 extend around the upper part of the drum 110 to ensure each card 112 approaching the drum on the chains 120 as indicated at 173 will follow the contour of the drum 110. Rails 174 carried by such arms 170, 171 carry a knock-off bar 175 the purpose of which is to ensure release of each successive card 112 from the card feed mechanism 129 as will shortly be described.

Referring now to Figures 1A, iB, 15,16 and 17, these figures illustrate how successive cards 112 are fed from the stack 130 to the card feed drum 110.

Uprightanglemembers 180,181 define the corners of a stack space above a pair of inclined freelyrotatable support rollers 182 disposed for the two longitudinal edges of the lowermost card 1 12A (Figure 15) of the stack 130 to rest thereon. These support rollers 182 are located inwardly of respective correspondingly-inclined larger-diameter fixed tubes 183 with which the edges of a few of the lowermost cards 112 in the stack 130 will engage.

This arrangement ensures that the lowermost cards in the stack belly downwards as can be seen in Figure 15 and in particular that the very lowest 11 2A of such cards tends to separate from those above, to a substantial extent in its middle, as shown.

Two side-by-side card separator chains 185 extend around guide sprockets 186, 187 each to provide an inclined feed run 188 extending at an angle corresponding to the angle of the underside of the card stack 130, beneath the latter. At its lower end this feed run 188 joins with a return run 189 extending to a fixed idler pulley 190 whereafter the chains 185 extend each in a drive bight 191 around a drive sprocket 192 provided on a crosspiece 196 connected to the extensible piston of a card-taken ram 193, with its end 194 anchored as at 195. At the other end of the inclined feed run each chain 183 extends vertically to a lower idler pulley 197 and thence in a secondary bight 198 around a take-up sprocket 199 coupled to the drive sprocket 192.Stubs 200 on the take-up sprocket 199 locate in slots 201 in check plates 202 to guide the two sprockets 192 and 199 in their vertical up and down movements under the action of the car-taker ram 193.

Connecting between the two chains 185 is an arcuate bridge piece 203 (Figures 15 and 16) on which is a thruster protrusion 204, and it will readily be appreciated that, starting with the bridge piece 203 in its starting position at the upper end of the inclined feed runs of the chains 185 just beyond the upper end of the lowermost card 1 12A, extension of the ram 193 causes the bridge piece 203 to move down the feed run below the stack 130, thereby entraining the lowermost card 1 12A and pushing it towards the card feed drum 110.

Disposed between the lower end of the stack 130 and the feed drum 110 is a card feed throat piece 205 whose form will readily be appreciated from Figure 17. Associated therewith is the swingable card feed mechanism 129 already referred to. This mechanism 129 comprises a pair of hanging swing levers 206 each carrying a respective leg 207 connected thereto by pin and slot connections 208 and having a foot piece 209. A lifter protrusion 210 is provided on and projects forwardly from each leg 207 at a location such asto cooperate with the knock-off bar 175 already referred to in relation to Figure 12 for raising the leg 207 slightly relative to the respective lever 206 at the end of card-feeding movement of the levers 206 to the position shown in full lines in Figure 17.A lever-swinging ram 211 connects by its piston 212 to a cross-coupling bar 213 extending between the levers 206 and projecting into slots 214 in the latter to connect with the legs 207. This arrangement provides for the legs 207 to be pressed downwards towards the gripper chains 120 when the piston 212 is being extended to swing the levers 206 and legs 207 from the chain-dotted card-receiving position to the full line transfer position in Figure 17.

Secured to the legs 207 are respective L-shaped spring grippers 215 each providing a respective gripper leaf 216 underlying the respective foot piece 209 and engageable by a release rod 217 extending along the lever 206 and leg 207 and cooperating by its upper end with an actuating cam 218.

The action of the mechanism 129 is to receive each successive card 112 as it is brought to a position, by the thruster portrusion 204, with its leading edge protruding from the throat piece 205, and to carrry it forward to engage such leading edge with the grippers on the chains 120, thereafter engage the slots 118 with the locating pegs 134 on the card feed drum 110, with the release rod 217 serving to enable the front edge of the card 112 to be released from between the foot piece 209 and the gripper leaf 216, the levers 206 to be swung forward to disengage from the card, whilst the latter is stationary, and then cause the legs 207 to be raised whilst the levers and legs are returned to the dotted line position.

The operation of the apparatus will generally be understood from the foregoing description. The individual packets 18 from the filling machine are forwarded by the conveyor 43 one at a time to the trays 13 which are stepped laterally to bring successive groups of three packets 18 to the take-up positions P1, P2 and P3 of Figure 3. Each group of three packets is then gripped by the grippers 72 of a respective gripper carrier 58, of the packet feed wheel 49. Stepwise movement of the latter causes the grippers 72 to move, appropriately orientated, towards the card feed drum 110 onto which has been fed, by way of the gripper chains 120, a respective slit card 112, this card 112 being located relative to the drum by the locating pegs 134 and 133 engaging into the respective slots 118 and 117 in the card 112.

Because the card 112 is constrained to follow a curved path around the drum, as shown in Figure 11 there is a tendency for the tongues 1 15 thereof to diverge slightly from the adjacent parts of the card 112, sothatthe slits 114 in the card 112are effectively opened.

As shown in Figures 10 and 11, upon the first row or group of packets 18 approaching the card feed drum 110, the leading end portions 45 of these packets 18 are offered into the open slits 114 in the first row in the card 112, and the movement of the wheel 49 and the drum 110 is such that the rest of the packet 18 tends to fail under gravity thereby having the effect of folding the leading end portion 45 of the packet over the respective tongue 115. Each such end portion 45 overhangs the lateral extremities of its tongue 115 since the latter are narrower than the widths of the packets 18.

The eccentrics 144 on the drum 110 are now actuated to bring the locking bar 142 towards the tongues 115 over which the packet end portions 45 have just been folded so as to cause their fingers 149 to engage such end portions and press them, and their tongues 115 radially inwards of the drum 110 against the action of the respective spring-loaded plungers 139. This has the effect of pushing the tongue 115 behind the respective lip 116 thereby effectively retaining the packet 18 in place on the tongue 115. The fact that the packet end 45 is wider than the tongue 115 prevents the entire tongue 115 itself being pushed through the card, and ensures that just the lip 116 engages over the corresponding part of the packet end.

These operations of inserting a row of packets 18 into the slits 114 of a respective row of slits 114 on the card 112 is repeated successively with the packet feed wheel 49 and the card feed drum 110 being stepped appropriately after the insertion of each row, until all of the rows of slits 114 in the card 112 have been filled. Upon this occurrring, the secondary pawl 167 of the card feed drum 1 10 comes into operation and the drum 110 is then rotated by the rest of 180" so as to bring into position the first row of slits 114 of a next subsequent card 112, ready to receive the next row of packets 18.

With continued operation of the apparatus, the filled card is brought to the take-off conveyor 123 where the grippers of the chains 120 are opened to release the card onto the conveyor 123.

The invention is not confined to the foregoing example and variations may be made thereto. Thus, it will readily be appreciated that it is not limited to apparatus suitable onlyforcards 112 having eight rows each of three slits 114 and tongues, and can be appropriately designed, insofar as the packet feed arrangement including the wheel 49 and the card feed drum 110 are concerned, for handling cards 112 adapted for the reception of packets in any practical regular configuration. The manners in which the wheel 49 and drum 110 are stepped, and the practical construction thereof, can, of course, differ from what has been described.

Claims (16)

1. Apparatus for carding packets, on slit cards of the kind described, comprising supply means for supplying packets in successive rows, a stepwisedriven packet feed wheel having rows of grippers for taking the successive rows of packets by their leading end portions, a stepwise-driven card feed drum for progressing successive slit cards adjacent the packet feed wheel for each row of slits thereof to receive a corresponding row of packets, by the leading end portion of each packet entering into a respective one of said slits, each packet thereafter being orientated so that the said leading end portion thereof is folded over relative to the rest of the packet, and including displacement means fordisplacing the lip of each slit to overlie the respective tongue and the packet end portion folded over said tongue, to retain the respective packet in the card.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the supply means comprises a conveyor which serves to forward the packets, one at a time to successive trays carried by an endless carrier member adapted to be progressed, stepwise, laterally relative to the conveyor, to bring successive groups or rows of the packets to take-up positions at which they can be taken by corresponding grippers of the packet feed wheel.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein each packet is supplied to its respective tray when the latter is at a supply location whereat a guide plate converges with the tray receiving the packet and ensures that the leading end portion of the packet projects from between the tray and the guide plate.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein the packet feed wheel comprises end members having radial slideways and mounted at opposite ends of a feed wheel shaft, each said slideway accommodating a respective radially-shiftable slide, the radial outer ends of corresponding said slides supporting respective gripper carriers which extend substantially parallel to the axis of the feed wheel shaft and which carry the grippers.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4wherein the stepwise drive of the packet feed wheel is conveniently achieved by means of a stepping disc mounted on the feed wheel shaft adjacent one of the end members and carrying a pawl cooperating with a ratchet wheel secured to said one of the end members.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or 5 wherein each slide has a respective end member and engaging into a cam track in a respective cam disc facing the end member.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the two cam discs are doupled together by being mounted on a common shaftofthe packet feed wheel, which shaft comprises a cone which extends through a tubular sleeve of the feed wheel shaft.

8. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 4to 7 wherein each gripper carrier comprises a respective tubejournalled by its ends in the respective slides and having, on one end, a radial arm and follower engageable with a fixed cam plate mounted on a frame of the apparatus.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 in which each carrier includes a respective gripper actuating rod which extends through the tube and has tapering actuating portions in register with each gripper, each said actuating portion cooperating with respective actuating members which shift radially inwards and outwards for actuating the grippers upon axial displacement of the actuating rod.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the actuating rod has a protruding end which cooperates with a respective face cam provided on a stationary part of the frame of the apparatus.

11. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which the card feed drum comprises a drum stepping mechanism which serves, after a predetermined number of steps, to cause the drum to perform a partial revolution for carrying away a filled card and bringing a fresh card into position for its first row of slits to receive packets from the packet feed wheel.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 in which the drum stepping mechanism comprises a drum stepping disc mounted on a shaft of the drum adjacent an end disc thereof and carrying a pawl which cooperates with a ratchet on said end disc, so that oscillation of the stepping disc causes stepping of the drum, a card-change pawl carried by the end disc being engageable with a continuously-driven sprocket each time the drum stepping disc has moved forward a predetermined number of steps corresponding to the number of rows of slits in each card.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 or 12 in which the card feed drum is constructed to provide sections, around the drum, each said section comprising a card attachment portion, followed by a plurality of packet insertion bars each extending parallel to the axes of the drum, the number of said insertion bars corresponding to the number of rows of slits in each card.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 in which each of the insertion bars incorporates, for each slit, a respective plunger or pusher which serves the function of displacing the respective lip.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14 in which a counter bar is provided for cooperation with the plungers or pushers, this counter bar being carried by eccentric cams swingable about the drum shaft to a position providing a resistance for supporting the card adjacent the lip, for the latter to be shifted to its overlying position.

16. Apparatus for carding packets substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.