GB2149747A - A machine for applying stretchable bands to containers - Google Patents

Abstract

A machine for assisting the manual application of such a resilient band to around the outside of an assembly of containers comprises four shoes 10, 11, two of which 10 are fixed in position and two of which 11 are mounted on a carriage 12 movable between a first band-receiving position and a second band-expanding position, and a mechanical linkage 22, 25 including a handle 13 to move the carriage 12 from its first to its second position, the linkage 22, 25 including an over-centre mechanism 23, 27, 26 which holds the carriage in its second position. The machine may be utilised to apply a unifying resilient band to a plurality of packages, each comprising a group of containers retained by a carrier comprising integrally connected bands embracing the tops of the containers. An additional pair of slotted shoes 19, 20 for receiving a pack-partitioning strap (7) extending across the band (Fig. 1). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A machine for applying stretchable bands to containers It is desirable to hold together a number of containers such as cans or bottles, to form a unitary package. Recently the most popular way of achieving this is to provide a carrier formed ofstretchable sheet plastics material having a number of interconnected bands which fit around the individual containers and engage the chime or enlarged lid at the top of the containers. Typically, at present, such carriers hold six cans containing beer, or other carbonated beverage, and similar carriers are also used to hold four bottles. Recently, proposals have been made to provide unitary packages which contain a greater number of containers.

Our British Patent Specifications Numbered 2069447 and 2111938 both show such arrangements. The carriers shown in both of these British Patent Specifications include a resilient band which includes a integral carrying handle and which surrounds the outside of the assembly of containers at about its mid-point. The band holds the larger number of containers together more securely and provides a convenient way of carrying these larger unitary packages.The individual containers may be held together by a single carrier surrounding the top of each individual container as shown in the specification No. 2069447, or, alternatively, individual containers may be held together by two or more carriers surrounding the tops of individual containers into two or more packs and then the two or more packs be held together to form a unitary package by the resilient band which surrounds the outside of the assembly of containers.

This is the arrangement shown in specification No.

2111938 in which the band with the integral carrying handle is used to hold together two smaller packages containing, for example, six cans or four bottles.

Our British Patent Specification No. 2074123 discloses a machine for automatically connecting together a large number of containers to form a unitary package including the application of a resilient band which surrounds the assembly of containers. The present invention provides a particularly simple machine for assisting the manual application of a resilient band to around two or more packs to form a single unitary package.

According to this invention a machine for assisting the manual application of a resilient band to around the outside of an assembly of containers comprises four shoes, two of which are fixed in position and two of which are mounted on a carriage movable between a first and a second position, and a mechanical linkage including a handle to move the carriage from its first to its second position, the linkage including an over-centre mechanism which holds the carriage in its second position.

In use, with the movable carriage in its first position, the resilient band is looped over all four shoes and then the handle is manually operated to move the carriage from its first into its second position. The over-centre mechanism holds the carriage in its second position. The movement of the two shoes on the carriage away from the other two shoes stretches the resilient band until it exceeds the periphery of the assembly of containers. The individual smaller packs of containers, for example two six-packs of cans containing beer are then manually positioned inside the stretched band. The band is then manually lifted off the shoes and it springs into contact with the external periphery of the assembly of containers. The band holds the individual packs together to form a single unitary package and also provides a convenient carrier.The unitary package is then removed manually from the machine. Finally the handle is moved to return the movable carriage to its first position ready to receive the next band.

The two shoes on the movable carriage are preferably separated from one another by a distance greater than one dimension of the complete single unitary package and the other two shoes are also preferably separated from one another by the same distance. When the carriage is in its second position the fixed shoes and the shoes on the movable carriage are separated from one another by a distance greater than the other dimension of the unitary package. Preferably these dimensions are sufficiently greater than the outer dimensions of the unitary package to provide sufficient clearance to enable the individual smaller packs of containers to be positioned inside the stretched band easily.

Preferably the shoes are curved with an internal radius which matches the external curvature of each individual container. Preferably the parts of the shoes about which the band is looped are made as thin as possible, consistent with the strength that is required to avoid undue stretching of the band before its application to the assembly of containers.

Generally, the shoes are shaped as quadrants of a cylinder.

Preferably the resilient band that surrounds the periphery of the assembly of containers includes a central stabilising strip as described in British Patent Specification No. 2 111 938. In this case, it is preferred that the machine includes two additional shoes, one mounted on the movable carriage and the other fixed in position. These additional shoes are formed by bifurcated plates. In this case, the central stabilising strip is placed between the bifurcated additional jaws and these additional jaws serve to locate the central stabilising strip in a central position so that the individual smaller packs of containers can be placed easily in their respective halves of the stretched band.

A particular example of a machine in accordance with this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a unitary package of containers; Figure 2 is a plan of a resilient band for surrounding the containers before application; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the machine for applying the bands to the containers; Figure 4 is an end elevation of the machine; and, Figure 5 is a plan of the machine with its movable carriage in its second position.

A resilient band for surrounding the periphery of an assembly of containers such as beer cans and the complete pack are described fully in our earlier British Specification 2111938. Figure 1 shows the final unitary package consisting oftwelve cans 1 which are connected together to form two six packs 2 by carriers 3 made of sheet plastics material such as polyethylene and comprising a number of connected rings which fit beneath the chime at the top of the individual containers 1. The two six packs 2 are held together by a resilient band 4which is preferably also made of polyethylene and which comprises a container encircling portion 5, an integral handle 6 and a central stabilising strip 7.The band 5 thus serves to hold the two six packs together to form a unitary package containing twelve cans and, moreover, provides a convenient way of carrying the unitary package by means of the handle 6.

Figure 2 shows the general configuration of the band 4 after it has been stamped from a web of plastics material. In practice, a chain of such bands 4 are connected together by weakened zones, the position of the following band being shown in chain dotted lines in Figure 2. The central stabilising strip 7 may be joined to the container encircling portion 5 and to itself by perforated weakened zones 8. In use, as the band is stretched, these weakened zones 8. In use, as the band is stretched, these weakened zones part. Similarly, the aperture in the handle 6 is also not completely formed until it is grasped by the user.

Figure 3 shows the machine in accordance with this invention for assisting in the manual application of such bands to two six-packs of containers. The machine comprises two pairs of shoes 10 and 11, a movable carriage 12 and an operating mechanism including a handle 13. The pair of shoes 10 are fixed to a platform 14 which is mounted on a support 15 and this, in turn, is connected to a baseboard 16. The pair of shoes 11 are fixed to the movable carriage 12 and the movable carriage 12 slides on a pair of guide bars 17. The guide bars 17 are fixed between the support 15 and a further support 18 which is also fixed to the base board 16. Shoes 19 and 20 are also fixed to the platform 14 and the movable carriage 12, respectively.

A rod 21 is connected to the movable carriage 12 and slides through a bearing in the support 18. The handle 13 is located on one end of a lever 22 which is connected via a pivot 23 to a clevis 24 fixed to the base board 16. A pair of links 25 are connected via pivots 26 and 27 between the end of the rod 21 and the lever 22. The links 25 tnd the lever 22 between its pivot 23 and 27 form an over-centre toggle linkage so that when the handle 13 is in its lowermost position, having been moved clockwise from the position shown in Figure 3, to the position shown in Figure 5, the pivot 27 lies just beneath the pivot 23.

The shoes 10 and 11 are all similar and shaped generally as quadrants of a cylinder. The shoes all have a cylindrical internal face which correspond in curvature to the outside curvature of the containers 1. The shoes have a base portion 28 of substantial thickness and much thinner band receiving portions 29. By reducing the thickness of the portions 29 as far as possible unnecessary stretching of the band 4 during its application is prevented.

The shoes 19 and 20 also include enlarged bases and thinner band engaging portions and the thinner band engaging portions include a slot 30 to accommodate the central stabilising strip 7 of the band 4.

In use, the handle 13 is raised to move the carriage 12 into its first position in which the shoes 11 and 20 are located adjacent the shoes 10 and 19. The band 4 is then placed around the shoes with the container encircling portion 5 engaged with the portions 29 on the shoes 10 and 11 and with the central stabilising strip 7 inserted in the grooves 30 in the shoes 19 and 20. The handle 13 is then moved clockwise as shown in Figure 3 into its lowermost position. This moves the movable carriage 12 along the guide bars 17 into its second position in which the over centre mechanism formed by the links 25 and lever 22 move into their over centre position and thus lock the movable carriage 12 into its second position.

Two pre-assembled six packs of containers 2 are then manually inserted inside the band 4 on each side of the central stabilising strip 7. The band 4 is then lifted manually off the portions 29 of the shoes 10 and 11 and it shrinks into contact with tbe periphery of the assembly of containers to form a single, unitary package. This single unitary package is then removed from the machine, again manually, and finally the handle 13 is lifted to move the movable carriage 12 into its first position. The cycle is then repeated.

Claims (6)

1. A machine for assisting the manual application of a resilient band to around the outside of an assembly of containers comprising four shoes, two of which are fixed in position and two of which are mounted on a carriage movable between a first and a second position, and a mechanical linkage including a handle to move the carriage from its first to its second position, the linkage including an over-centre mechanism which holds the carriage in its second position.

2. A machine according to claim 1, in which the two shoes on the movable carriage are separated from one another by a distance greater than one dimension of the assembly of containers and the other two shoes are also separated from one another by the same distance.

3. A machine according to claim 2, in which when the carriage is in its second position the fixed shoes and the shoes on the movable carriage are separated from one another by a distance greater than the other dimension of the assembly of containers.

4. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the shoes are curved with an internal radius which matches the external curvature of each individual container.

5. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims, which includes two additional shoes, one mounted on the movable carriage and the other fixed in position, these additional shoes being formed by bifurcated plates.

6. A machine substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.