GB2152465A - Apparatus for stacking and banding tags - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for banding tags (T) into stacks S comprises an endless belt conveyor (17, Figure 1) for moving tags transversely to a stacking position where they are stacked. A pair of webs W,W' of heat sealable material are fed to either side of the stack and are heat sealed together by jaws 36,37. The fixed jaw 36 has heat sealing elements 43,44 for making spaced seals and a selectively operated severing element 46 operable to separate any banded stack or series of stacks from an adjacent stack. The movable jaw 37 has a perforating knife 40 which is opposed to a cushion 42 to provide weakening lines between adjacent banded stacks to facilitate ready separation thereof. The stack is moved between the jaws, and the jaws are brought together first below and then above the stack. The movement of the stack and the jaws is powered by a continuously operating motor (50) (see Figure 8) which is coupled to the stack transfer slide 33,34 and to the movable jaw by respective single-revolution clutches (67,68) each controlled by an electromagnetic solenoid (84,90). The clutch (68) is coupled to the movable jaw (37) by 2:1 reduction gearing (74,74') a connecting rod (86) and bell crank (88), and the other clutch (67) is similarly coupled to the transfer slide. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for stacking and banding tags This invention relates to apparatus for stacking and banding tags.

The following United States patents are made of record: 2,379,935; 2,379,937; 2,418,054; 2,551,288; 2,578,799; 2,563,071; 2,581,724; 2,741,885; 2,748,550; 2,999,532; 3,140,572; 3,212,507; 3,213,589; 3,262,242; 3,269,089; 3,279,146, 3,321,353; 3,421,284; 3,422,186; 3,457,695; 3,469,365; 3,518,808; 3,580,786; 3,729,885; 3,735,551; 3,838,663; 3,824,908; 4,067,173; 4,169,344; 4,172,347; 4,253,291; 4,307,555.

The invention in its various aspects is defined in the appended claims.

One preferred exemplary embodiment of apparatus for stacking and banding tags is described below with reference to the drawings. The tags are typically produced by a high speed printer. The apparatus includes a conveyor that conveys the tags serially from the printer to a stacking station where the tags are accumulated into a stack. When a stack is completed, a transferring member transfers the stack to a banding station. Banding is accomplished using a pair of webs of banding material. As the stack is transferred from the stacking station to the banding station, the stack draws the webs from web rolls. The webs are brought into contact and heat sealed to each other at one location to form a loop aboutthetag stack using preferably one movable jaw and one stationary jaw. Thereafter, the stacking and banding cycle is repeated.As each heat seal is made the webs are also weakened, for example by perforating, so that each stack is manually detachable from the adjacent stack. When a series of a selected number of stacks has been banded, the series can be automatically severed, and thereafter additional tags can be stacked and bundled to provide another series of banded tag stacks. The sealing jaws contain web sealing, severing and weakening elements. The sealing and weakening elements operate each time a stack of tags is banded, but the severing element is selectively operated when the series of tag stacks is complete.

According to the preferred embodiment, an electric motor drives the conveyor and a drive shaft.

Whenever it is desired to move the transfer member from its first position to its second position or from its second position to its first position, a singlerevolution clutch is operated to drive the transfer member. A speed reducer is preferably used to operate the transfer member through one-half of its cycle for each operation of the clutch. Also, whenever it is desired to move the movable jaw from its first position to its second position or from its second position to its first position, another singlerevolution clutch is operated to drive the jaw. A speed reducer is preferably used to move the jaw through one-half of its cycle for each operation of the other clutch. The apparatus provides a relatively simple, compact structure for banding stacks of tags into an easy-to-use series of detachably connected stacks.

The invention will be described in more detail by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tag stacking and banding apparatus in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a series of stacks of banded tags; Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus showing one tag at the stacking station; Figure is a view similar to Figure 4, but showing the transferring member as having moved a whole stack from the stacking station to the banding station and in so doing having pulled web material from their respective rolls; Figure 6 is a view similar to Figures 4 and 5, but showing the jaw as having moved into cooperation with another jaw and in so doing having pulled one of the webs across the side of the stack;; Figure 7 is a rotated perspective view showing the jaws and the heat sealing and perforating they perform on the webs; Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view showing the drive mechanism for the conveyor, the transfer member and the movable jaws; and Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view showing means for operating heat sealing and severing elements.

Detailed description ofa preferred embodiment With reference to Figure 1, there is shown an apparatus 10 for stacking and banding tags T. The tags Tare accumulated in a stack S at a stacking station S1 and the stack S is thereafter transferred to a banding station S2. The apparatus 10 includes a frame 11 shown to have spaced frame plates 12 and 13. The plates 12 and 13 are connected by suitable structural members including member 14. A printer 15 serially prints data on the tags T. The tags T pass from the printer 15 to a conveyor generally indicated at 17. The conveyor 17 is shown to include an endless belt 18 trained about pulley wheels 19 and 20. The pulley wheels 19 and 20 are rotatably mounted on respective rods 21 and 22 secured to frame plates 12 and 13.A pair of rails 23 supports the tags T and have respective flanges 24 which provide side edge guides for the tags T. The belt 18 is under tension and biases the tags T against the rails 23 as best shown in Figure 2. The tags Tare conveyed serially to the stacking station S1 where the forward tag movement is arrested by a stop 25. The stop 25 is shown to be a bent rod with a vertical portion 26 and a horizontal portion 27 joined at right angles. The horizontal portion 27 is adjustably connected to the member 14 by a set screw 28. By loosening the set screw 28, the stop 25 can be moved forwardly (to the left in Figure 2) to accommodate longer tags and rearwardly (to the right in Figure 2) to accommodate shorter tags T.The frame plate 12 and another frame plate 29 mount pairs of one-way friction strips 30 which allow the tags Tto descend as shown for the uppermost tag T, but retard any retrograde or upward movement of the tags T. The strips 30 have bristles which are inclined downwardly. There is an upstanding wall 31 spaced from the vertical portion 26 and joined to the frame plates 12 and 29. The tags Tare confined between the vertical portion 26 and the wall 31.

A transferring member or slide generally indicated at 32 has two sets of upstanding members 33. Each member 33 has a downwardly extending finger 34.

The slide 32 is mounted to frame plates 12 and 29 for reciprocating vertical movement. The slide 32 is originally in a position shown in Figure 4 and is moved to the position shown in Figure 5 to move the stack S to the banding station S2. The vertical arrows in Figure 5 indicate the direction in which the stack S has moved.

With reference to Figures 1,4, 5 and 6, there is shown a pair of webs Wand W' of suitable heat sealable banding material, for example a polyethylene and mylar laminate. The webs Wand W' are wound into supply rolls R and R' on opposite sides of the frame plates 12 and 13.

The webs W and W' pass about respective rotatable spring-biased tension rolls 33' and guide rolls 34'. In the event the rolls R and Rare mounted on hubs R1 and R2 parallel to parallel frame plates 12 and 13, then a turning bar 35 or the like is also used.

A pair of opposed jaws 36 and 37 are used to seal the webs Wand W' to each other locally to provide a heat seal generally indicated at 38. More specifically, the drawings show that the heat seal 38 is comprised of spaced heat seal portions or zones 39. The jaw 36 is preferably stationary and the jaw 37 is slidably mounted for horizontal movement. In the position shown in Figure 4, marginal portions of the webs W and W' are joined by a heat seal 38. The webs W and W' are in overlying relationship to respective jaws 36 and 37. Although the webs Wand W' are shown spaced from the respective jaws 36 and 37 for clarity, the upper surfaces of the jaws 36 and 37 are in supporting and guided contact therewith.

When the slide 32 moves downwardly, the fingers 34 pull the webs Wand W' from the rolls Rand R'.

When the jaw 37 moves from the position shown in Figures 4 and 5 to the position shown in Figure 6, the jaw 37 draws the web W' from the roll R'.

In the position shown in Figure 5, the end portion of the web W is disposed along one side of the stack S and the end portion of the web W' is disposed across the bottom and along the other side of the stack S at the banding station S2. When the jaw 37 has moved to the position of Figure 6, the end portion of the web W' is also disposed across the top of the stack S, and the webs Wand Ware in contact between and are clamped by the jaws 36 and 37. In the position of Figure 6, not only are the webs heat sealed at zones 39, but a perforating knife 40 on the jaw 37 makes perforations 41 in the webs Wand W'.

The jaw 36 has a resilient cushion 42 aligned with the knife 40. The knife 40 can contact the cushion 42 without damage. The jaw 36 also has spaced heat sealing elements 43 and 44 and a heat severing element 46 disposed between the cushion 42 and the heat sealing element 43. The heat sealing elements 43 and 44 heat seal the web Wand W' to each other at the zones 39. The heat severing element 46 can be selectively operated to sever the webs Wand W' along a line of severing 45 which is located between the border 39' of the zone 39 and the line of weakening provided by the perforations 41. The line of weakening can be provided by means other than perforations, as by thinning out the webs Wand W' at the same location, if desired. If only one stack S of tags T is to be banded and severed along the line 45, then the heat severing element 46 is activated.It is usually desired to provide a series of connected stacks S in which event the severing element 46 is only operated when the desired number of stacks of a series has been banded. Figure 3 shows three stacks in the series. When making a series of a multiplicity of stacks S, the jaw 37 just returns to the position shown in Figures 4 and 5 and the next stack S is accumulated, and when accumulated the fingers 34 move the next stack S downwardly to the Figure 5 position and thereafter the jaw 37 moves to the left to the position of Figure 6 and that next stack S is banded, and soon until the series is complete, whereupon the severing element 46 is activated. The banding of tag stacks Sin a series is also illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 9 illustrates diagrammatically how closure of switch 47 simultaneously actuates elements 43 and 44 to heat seal along zones 39. Closure of switches 47 and 48 simultaneously activates elements 43, 44 and 46. The elements 43, 44 and 46 are preferably of the impulse type. Both weakening by the illustrated perforations 41 and heat severing along line 45 is accomplished between borders 39' of zones 39.

With reference to Figure 8, there is shown a drive mechanism generally indicated at 49. An electric motor 50 directly drives pulley wheels 51 and 52 on a shaft 53. The pulley wheels 51 drives a pulley 54 which in turn drives a pulley wheel 55. The pulley wheel 55 and a pulley wheel 56 are secured to a shaft 57. The pulley wheel 56 drives a pulley wheel 58 via a pulley 59. The pulley wheels 20 and 58 are secured to a shaft 60. Thus, the conveyor belt 18 is driven continuously during operation of the motor 50.

The pulley wheel 52 drives a pulley wheel 61 via pulley 62. The pulley wheel 61 and a pinion 63 are secured to a shaft 64. The pinion 63 drives a gear 65 secured to a shaft 66. Single-revolution clutches 67 and 68 are received on the shaft 66. Clutches 67 and 68 have respective clutch parts 69 and 70 secured to the shaft 66 and have respective clutch parts 71 and 72. The clutch part 71 is secured to a pinion 73, and clutch part 72 is secured to a pinion 74. The pinion 73 meshes with a gear 73'. A connecting rod 75 is pivotally connected to the gear 73' at 76 and to an arm 77 at 78. The arm 77 and a pair of arms 79 are secured to a pivotally mounted rod 80. The slide 32 includes arms 81 having elongated slots 82. A rod 83 connected to arms 79 passes through the slots 82.

The clutch 67 is engaged by operation of a electromagnetic means such as solenoid 84. The clutch part 69 rotates as a unit with the shaft 66.

Engagement of the clutch 67 causes the clutch parts 67 and 71 to rotate as a unit through one complete revolution. The gear ratio between gears 73 and 73' is 2-to-1 so that for a complete revolution of the gear 73, the gear 73' makes one-half revolution. One-half revolution of the gear 73' causes counterclockwise pivoting of the shaft 80 in the direction of arrow 85 and in turn the slide 32 is moved downwardly to transfer a stack S from the stacking station S1 to the banding station S2. Another actuation of the solenoid 84 causes the gear 73' to make another one-half revolution to move the slide 32 upwardly. Thus, during each complete machine cycle the solenoid 84 is actuated twice.

The pinion 74 meshes with a gear 74'. A connecting rod 86 is pivoted to the gear 74' at 87 and to a bell crank 88 at 89. The clutch 68 is engaged by operation of electromagnetic means such as a solenoid 90. The clutch part 70 rotates as a unit with the shaft 66.

Engagement of the clutch 68 causes the clutch parts 70 and 72 to rotate as a unit through one complete revolution. The gear ratio between gears 74 and 74' is 2-to-1 so that for a complete revolution of the gear 74, the gear 74' makes one-half revolution. One-half revolution of the gear 74' causes counterclockwise pivoting of the bell crank 88 in the direction of the arrow 89. The bell crank 88 is forked as shown at 90 and receives a pin 91 secured to spaced rods 92. The rods 92 are guided in bearings 93 shown in phantom. A block 94 is secured to rods 92. A shaft 95 secured to jaw 37 extends through a compression spring 96 and is slidably received in the block 94. A collar 97 adjustably secured to the shaft 95 retains the spring 96 under slight compression.Movement of the bellcrank 88 in the direction of the arrow 89 causes the jaw 37 to move from the position shown in Figures 4 and 5 to the position shown in Figure 6.

The spring 96 allows some overtravel of the blocks 94 and allows the jaw 37 to be urged against the jaw 36 with the proper amount of pressure. Another actuation of the solenoid 90 causes the gear 74' to rotate through another one-half revolution to cause the bell crank 88 to pivot clockwise to move the jaw 37 from the position of Figure 6 to the position of Figure 5 for example.

Once a stack S has been accumulated at the stacking station So, the solenoid 84 is operated to move the stack S to the banding station S2. Thereupon the solenoid 90 can be energized to move the jaw to the position shown in Figure 6 and to energize heat sealing elements 43 and 44 through closure of the switch 47. In that the jaw 37 moves in a path between the pair of members 33 on the right side of Figure 8, the solenoid 90 can be energized even before the jaw 37 returns to the Figure 6 position. In any event, a second energization of the solenoid 90 causes the jaw 37 to return to the Figure 5 position.

In the event it is desired to sever one stack S or a series of stacks from the adjacent stack S or series of stacks, the heat severing element 46 can be operated by closing the switch 48 simultaneously with closure of the switch 47.

Other embodiments and modifications of this invention will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and all such of these as come within the spirit of this invention are included within its scope as best defined by the appended claims.

Claims (13)

1. Apparatus for banding tags into separate stacks, comprising: means for mounting first and second webs of banding material, means providing a path for the first web to a tag stack banding station, means providing a path for the second web to the banding station, means for bringing the first and second webs together at spaced locations about a stack of tags, means disposed at the places where the first and second webs are brought together for heat sealing the first and second webs to each other at spaced locations, means for weakening the first and second webs within the borders of a heat seal made by the heat sealing means so that the adjacent tag stacks remain detachably connected along a line of weakening, means for selectively separating any tag stack or series of tag stacks from an adjacent tag stack or series of tag stacks, and wherein the separating means includes a severing element positioned to sever the first and second webs within the borders of the heat seal.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the means for bringing the first and second webs together includes a first stationarily mounted jaw and a second movably mounted jaw, means for moving the second jaw toward and away from the first jaw, wherein the severing element is a heat severing element, and wherein the heat sealing means and the heat severing element are mounted on the first jaw.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein one of the jaws is stationary, wherein the heat sealing means and the severing element are on the stationary jaw.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the weakening means includes a perforating element.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the jaws include means for guiding the first and second webs.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the heat sealing means includes spaced heating elements, wherein the weakening means is disposed between spaced heat sealing elements, and wherein the severing element is positioned to sever the first and second webs between one border of one heat sealing element and the line of weakening.

7. Apparatus for banding tags, comprising: means for conveying tags serially to a stacking station, the conveying means including a conveyor for moving the tags in a first direction, means for interrupting the movement of the tags as they arrive at the stacking station to provide a tag stack, means providing a path for the first web of banding material to the stacking station, means providing a path for a second web of banding material to the stacking station, means for simultaneously moving the entire tag stack in a second direction to a banding station, means for attaching the first band to the second band at spaced locations to provide a band about the stack to keep the tags stacked, wherein the band attaching means includes a stationary jaw and a movable jaw cooperable with the stationary jaw, and at least one of the jaws having means for heat sealing and perforating the first and second webs between a series of tag stacks.

8. Apparatus for banding stacks of tags, comprising: means for conveying tags to a stacking station, means for transferring the stack of tags from the stacking station to a banding station, wherein the transferring means includes a transferring member movable between first and second positions, means for mounting first and second webs of banding material, means providing a path for the first web to a tag banding station, means providing a path for the second web to the banding station, means for bringing the first and second webs together at spaced locations about a stack of tags, means for heat sealing the first and second webs to each other at said locations, wherein the heat sealing means includes a pair of jaws, means mounting one of the jaws for movement between first and second positions, means for moving the transfer member and the movable jaw in sequence, the moving means including means for driving the transferring member from the first position to the second position to transfer a tag stack from the stacking station to the banding station and to thereafter return the transferring member to the first position, the moving means further including means for driving the movable jaw from the first position to the second position in which the jaws cooperate to heat seal the first and second webs to each other and to thereafter return the movable jaw to the first position, and wherein the moving means includes a single-revolution clutch coupled to the transfer member and a single revolution clutch coupled to the movable jaw.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the moving means further includes an electric motor, a drive shaft driven by the electric motor, and wherein the single-revolution clutches are coupled to the drive shaft.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, a 2-to-1 speed reducer coupling the single-revolution clutch and the transferring member, a 2-to-1 speed reducer coupling the single-revolution clutch and the jaw, so that one actuation of the single-revolution clutch for the transferring member moves the transferring member from its first position to its second position and another actuation of the single-revolution clutch for the transferring member moves the transferrring member from its second position to its first position and so that one actuation of the single-revolution clutch for the movable jaw moves the movable jaw from its first position to its second position and another actuation of the single-revolution for the movable jaw moves the movable jaw from its second position to its first position.

11. Apparatus for banding stacks of tags, comprising: means for conveying tags to a stacking station, means for transferring the stack of tags from the stacking station to a banding station, wherein the transferring means includes a transferring member movable between first and second position, means for mounting first and second webs of banding material, means providing a path for the first web to a tag banding station, means providing a path for the second web to the banding-station, means for bringing the first and second webs together at spaced locations about a stack of tags, means for heat sealing the first and second webs to each other at said locations, wherein the heat sealing means includes a pair of jaws, means mounting one of the jaws for movement between first and second positions, means for moving the transferring member and the movable jaw in sequence, the moving means including means for driving the transferring member from the first position to the second position to transfer a tag stack from the stacking station to the banding station and to thereafter return the transferring member to the first position, the moving means further including means for driving the movable jaw from the first position to the second position in which the jaws cooperate to heat seal the first and second webs to each other and to thereafter return the movable jaw to the first position, wherein the moving means includes electromagnetic means.

12. Apparatus for banding tags into stacks, substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.

13. The use of apparatus in accordance with any preceding claim for the banding of tags into stacks.