GB2108042A - Carry-through for wrapping machine crimping station - Google Patents

Carry-through for wrapping machine crimping station Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2108042A
GB2108042A GB08127742A GB8127742A GB2108042A GB 2108042 A GB2108042 A GB 2108042A GB 08127742 A GB08127742 A GB 08127742A GB 8127742 A GB8127742 A GB 8127742A GB 2108042 A GB2108042 A GB 2108042A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
crimping
tube
jaws
jaw
rotating
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB08127742A
Other versions
GB2108042B (en
Inventor
John Robert Cranmer
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
AUTO WRAPPERS
Original Assignee
AUTO WRAPPERS
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by AUTO WRAPPERS filed Critical AUTO WRAPPERS
Priority to GB08127742A priority Critical patent/GB2108042B/en
Publication of GB2108042A publication Critical patent/GB2108042A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2108042B publication Critical patent/GB2108042B/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/80—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof
    • B29C66/83—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof characterised by the movement of the joining or pressing tools
    • B29C66/834—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof characterised by the movement of the joining or pressing tools moving with the parts to be joined
    • B29C66/8351—Jaws mounted on rollers, cylinders, drums, bands, belts or chains; Flying jaws
    • B29C66/83511—Jaws mounted on rollers, cylinders, drums, bands, belts or chains; Flying jaws jaws mounted on rollers, cylinders or drums
    • B29C66/83513—Jaws mounted on rollers, cylinders, drums, bands, belts or chains; Flying jaws jaws mounted on rollers, cylinders or drums cooperating jaws mounted on rollers, cylinders or drums and moving in a closed path
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C65/00—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C65/02—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor by heating, with or without pressure
    • B29C65/18—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor by heating, with or without pressure using heated tools
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/01—General aspects dealing with the joint area or with the area to be joined
    • B29C66/05—Particular design of joint configurations
    • B29C66/10—Particular design of joint configurations particular design of the joint cross-sections
    • B29C66/11—Joint cross-sections comprising a single joint-segment, i.e. one of the parts to be joined comprising a single joint-segment in the joint cross-section
    • B29C66/112—Single lapped joints
    • B29C66/1122—Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/40—General aspects of joining substantially flat articles, e.g. plates, sheets or web-like materials; Making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles; Joining single elements to substantially flat surfaces
    • B29C66/41—Joining substantially flat articles ; Making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles
    • B29C66/43—Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles
    • B29C66/431—Joining the articles to themselves
    • B29C66/4312—Joining the articles to themselves for making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles, e.g. transversal seams
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/80—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof
    • B29C66/81—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps
    • B29C66/814—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the design of the pressing elements, e.g. of the welding jaws or clamps
    • B29C66/8141—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the design of the pressing elements, e.g. of the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the surface geometry of the part of the pressing elements, e.g. welding jaws or clamps, coming into contact with the parts to be joined
    • B29C66/81411—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the design of the pressing elements, e.g. of the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the surface geometry of the part of the pressing elements, e.g. welding jaws or clamps, coming into contact with the parts to be joined characterised by its cross-section, e.g. transversal or longitudinal, being non-flat
    • B29C66/81421—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the design of the pressing elements, e.g. of the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the surface geometry of the part of the pressing elements, e.g. welding jaws or clamps, coming into contact with the parts to be joined characterised by its cross-section, e.g. transversal or longitudinal, being non-flat being convex or concave
    • B29C66/81422—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the design of the pressing elements, e.g. of the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the surface geometry of the part of the pressing elements, e.g. welding jaws or clamps, coming into contact with the parts to be joined characterised by its cross-section, e.g. transversal or longitudinal, being non-flat being convex or concave being convex
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/80—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof
    • B29C66/84—Specific machine types or machines suitable for specific applications
    • B29C66/849—Packaging machines
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B51/00—Devices for, or methods of, sealing or securing package folds or closures; Devices for gathering or twisting wrappers, or necks of bags
    • B65B51/10—Applying or generating heat or pressure or combinations thereof
    • B65B51/26—Devices specially adapted for producing transverse or longitudinal seams in webs or tubes
    • B65B51/30—Devices, e.g. jaws, for applying pressure and heat, e.g. for subdividing filled tubes
    • B65B51/306—Counter-rotating devices

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Containers And Plastic Fillers For Packaging (AREA)

Abstract

In a wrapping machine crimping station, in which an in-line succession of elongate bars is entubed in a wrapping web and is then divided into individual packages by contra-rotating crimping jaws 11, 12, preferably electrically heated, the tube is supported as it enters and as it leaves the crimping jaws by respective curved surfaces 17, 18 each of which moves in the same rotational direction as the adjacent crimping jaw 12 to make non-linear supporting contact with the tube, and each of which is so sized, located and driven as not to foul the rotating crimping jaw in use. In the illustrated embodiment, each curved surface 17, 18 comprises an elongate part-circular bar formed by cutting away circumferentially relatively short portion of a circular tube whilst leaving the opposite end regions of the tube sufficiently intact to mount the surface rotationally in the crimping station about an axis parallel with that of the adjacent crimping jaw. An endless chain 21 synchronizes the rotation of the bars 17, 18 with the drive to the jaws 11, 12. Alternatively, each surface may be driven independently of the jaw drive. In addition, an upper cushioned curved supporting surface may be provided. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Carry-through for wrapping machine crimping station The invention relates to wrapping machines which produce a high-speed outflow of individually wrapped and sealed bars of product, for example chocolate coated bars. It is particularly concerned with the crimping station of such machines.
The machines themselves are well known and have been developed to a stage at which they can accept a continuous infeed of individual product bars and entube the bars in a wrapping web. The web, with the individual product bars spaced one behind another, is crimped and possibly heatsealed and perforated by contra-rotating crimping jaws rotating about parallel axis one above another in the crimping station of the machine.
The crimp between individual product bars effectively divides the moving tube into a succession of wrapped sealed packages.
Problems can arise asthe initially uncrimped tube bridges the gap between the last set of rollers in the wrapping and sealing station of the machine and the crimping jaws; or when the tube, having been crimped, leaves the crimping jaws and bridges the gap between those jaws and the discharge conveyor. These problems are well recognised and previous attempts have been made to overcome them. One such attempt is shown in U.K. Patent Specification No. 1,274,832 in which a chain slat conveyor or belt conveyor with transverse cutouts supports the tube before and after it passes through the crimping jaws.
The arrangement shown in Specification 1,274,832 has drawbacks. The belt of the chain slat conveyor can flex and can fail to provide sufficient support for heavy products. The gaps between successive slatted lengths of the conveyor have to be fairly large in order to avoid the rotating crimping jaws, and products which are short can tend to fall through those gaps. The present invention seeks to overcome these drawbacks.
According to the invention the tube is supported as it passes through the crimping station by a substantially rigid curved surface (or by a closely spaced succession of surfaces whose envelope defines such a surface notionally) which moves in a closed curved path in the same rotational direction as the adjacent crimping jaw to make non-linear supporting contact with the tube and which is so sized, located, and driven as not to foul the rotating crimping jaw in use.
Said surface may comprise an elongate partcircular bar rotating, in use, about an axis parallel with that of the crimping jaw. The bar may conveniently be formed cutting away all but a circumference relatively short portion of a circular shaft or tube whilst leaving the opposite end regions of the shaft or tube sufficiently intact to mount the surface rotationally in the crimping station.
The surface may be suitably coated to increase its grip on the tube as it supports the tube in its passage through the crimping station.
There may be two such surfaces, one supporting the underside of the tube and the other supporting the top of the tube, both surfaces contra-rotating to urge the tube through the crimping station, and both, in accordance with the invention, being so sized located and driven as not to foul the respective adjacent crimping jaw.
Where two surfaces are used as just outlined, the top surface especially may be cushioned, not only to increase its grip on the tube but also to accommodate slight up-and-down movements of the tube as it is crimped. This is especially advantageous where a heavy crimp is used, for instance with certain very thick tubular wrappings, since otherwise the wrappings might tear or the crimp might damage the product by tending to drag it to the contra-rotating surfaces or might itself be insufficiently properly formed to seal the packages effectively.
The or each curved surface may be adjustable up-and-down relative to the crimping jaws, to accommodate products of differing size. In such cases it is especially advantageous if the crimping jaws themselves are adjustable in the crimping station, as a unit, whilst the or each contrarotating surface and its associated drive means remain stationary. In general it is easier to adjust two crimping jaws in a sub-mounting than to attempt to adjust the very earefully synchronised contra-rotating curved surface or surfaces.
The drive to the or each curved surface may be taken directly or indirectly from the crimping jaw drive, but it is possible for the or each surface to be driven independently of the crimping jaw drive provided, of course, that the curved-surface drive is so synchronised with the crimping jaw drive that the curved surface does not foul the rotating crimping jaw in use.
The or each curved surface may support the tube as it enters the crimping jaws, or as it leaves the crimping jaws, or surfaces may be provided to support the tube both on entering and on leaving the crimping jaws. In any of these arrangements the invention lends itself to the production of an elegant and potentially trouble-free tubesupporting mechanism.
The accompanying drawings show, by way of example only, and in sectioned side elevation, parts of the crimping station of one wrapping machine fitted with a mechanism embodying the invention. The major details of the machine are well known in themselves and do not form part of the inventive features. The skilled reader will readily be able to supply them from known alternatives.
In the drawings: Figure 1 shows the crimping station main parts in sectioned side elevation; and Figure 2 shows in cross section one of the curved-surface tube supports of Figure 1.
The continuous wrapped tube and the products within it are indicated diagrammatically in chain line in Figure 1. They move from left to right of the figure, through contra-rotating crimping jaws referenced respectively 11, 12 and moving about respective horizontal axis 13, 14. The crimping jaws may be electrically heated and may seal, as well as crimp together, the opposite top and bottom surfaces of the tube in between successive products in the tube. The tube is transferred to the crimping station from the previous wrapping and part-sealing stations of the machine by spacedapart rollers 15, only one of which is shown in Figure 1. The rollers 1 5 contra-rotate about vertical axes and touch one another to urge the moving tube into the crimping station.Their other function, as indicated in Figure 1, is to fold the bottom fin of the tube up flat against the underside of the tube before the tube is crimped by the jaws 11, 12.
As the tube bridges the gap between the rollers 15 and the jaws 11, 12, and also as it bridges the similar gap between the jaws 11, 12 and the entry to the discharge conveyor (not shown) which carries away the individual packages crimped, sealed and severed from the tube by the jaws, it is supported by two respective rigid curved surfaces 17, 1 8. Each curved surface comprises an elongate part-circular bar rotating, in use, about respective axes parallel with the axis 13, 14 of the crimping jaws 11, 12. The bars are elongate in a direction across the crimping station and partcircular, as shown, in cross-section.They are formed by cutting away all but a relatively circumferentially short portion of a circular shaft or tube whilst leaving the end regions respectively 1 7a, 1 8a intact. The end regions can thus be used to mount each bar rotationally in the crimping station.
Sprockets 19, 20 are fixed respectively to one of the two opposite end surfaces of each curvedsurface bar 17, 18. An endless roller chain 21 passes round the sprockets 19, 20 and round a similarly sized sprocket 22 fixed to the shaft supporting the bottom crimping jaw 12, via two jockey sprockets respectively 23, 24. This ensures that the curved-surface bars 17, 1 8 are so synchronised with the drive to the rotating crimping jaws 11, 12 that they rotate in the same direction as the adjacent bottom crimping jaw 1 2 without fouling that jaw.
Further jockey sprockets 25, 26 are mounted above the crimping station adjacent the shaft supporting the top jaw 11. They train the chain 21 around its endless closed path and maintain tension in it.
The curved-surfaced bars 17, 18, and the sprockets 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26 form a unit within the crimping station. The crimping jaws 11, 12 and the shafts which support them are adjustable up and down relative to that unit. The tension is automatically taken up by the four jockey sprockets incorporated into the run of chain 21, although any or all of these could of course be made adjustable up and down to allow for extreme variations in size of tubular pack passing through the crimping station. A pack-guiding ring, cut away of course to avoid fouling the rotating tubular-pack-supporting bars 17, 18, may be carried by the shaft supporting the bottom crimping jaw 1 2. The size of that ring could again be varied to accommodate different pack sizes.
Figure 2 shows in detail the relative proportions of the parts of one of the bars, 18 in this particular case. The part-circular tube-supporting rigid curved surface itself extends circumferentially for 1 200, and the under surfaces of that part-circular surface are themselves cut away to make an angle of 200 with the horizontal as indicated.

Claims (12)

1. In or for a machine in which an in-line succession of elongate bars is entubed in a wrapping web, and is then divided into individual packages by passing the tube between mating contra-rotating crimping jaws which rotate about parallel axes spaced one above another in a crimping station, the concept of supporting the tube, as it passes through the crimping station, by a substantially rigid curved surface (as interpreted herein) which moves in a closed curved path in the same rotational direction as the adjacent crimping jaw to make non-linear supporting contact with the tube and which is so sized, located, and driven as not to foul the rotating crimping jaw in use.
2. The invention of Claim 1 and in which said surface comprises an elongate part-circular bar rotating, in use, about an axis parallel with that of the crimping jaw.
3. The invention of Claim 2 and in which the bar is formed by cutting away all but a circumferentially relatively short portion of a circular shaft or tube whilst leaving the opposite end regions of the shaft or tube sufficiently intact to mount the surface rotationally in the crimping station.
4. The invention defined in any of the preceding Claims and in which said surface is suitably coated to increase its grip on the tube as it supports the tube in its passage through the crimping station.
5. The invention defined in any of the preceding Claims and in which there are two said surfaces, one supporting the underside of the tube and the other supporting the top of the tube; both surfaces contra-rotating to urge the tube through the crimping station.
6. The invention of Claim 5 and in which the top surface is cushioned to accommodate slight up-and-down movements of the tube as it is crimped.
7. The invention defined in any of the preceding claims and characterised in that the or each said curved surface is adjustable up-and-down, relative to the crimping jaws, to accommodate products of differing size.
8. The invention defined in Claim 7 and in which the crimping jaws themselves are adjustable in the crimping station, as a unit, whilst the or each contra-rotating curved surface and its associated drive means remain stationary.
9. The invention defined in any of the preceding claims and in which the drive to the or each curved surface is mechanically independent of the crimping jaw drive.
10. The invention defined in any of the preceding claims and in which curved surfaces are provided to support the tube both on entering and on leaving the crimping jaws.
11. A wrapping machine crimping station constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described herein with reference and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
12. A wrapping machine incorporating features in accordance with any of the preceding Claims.
GB08127742A 1981-09-15 1981-09-15 Carry-through for wrapping machine crimping station Expired GB2108042B (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB08127742A GB2108042B (en) 1981-09-15 1981-09-15 Carry-through for wrapping machine crimping station

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB08127742A GB2108042B (en) 1981-09-15 1981-09-15 Carry-through for wrapping machine crimping station

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB2108042A true GB2108042A (en) 1983-05-11
GB2108042B GB2108042B (en) 1985-03-27

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB08127742A Expired GB2108042B (en) 1981-09-15 1981-09-15 Carry-through for wrapping machine crimping station

Country Status (1)

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Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2214128A (en) * 1987-12-28 1989-08-31 Omori Machinery An automatic sealing method

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2214128A (en) * 1987-12-28 1989-08-31 Omori Machinery An automatic sealing method

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2108042B (en) 1985-03-27

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PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee