GB2254662A

GB2254662A - Assembling a dip tube on an aerosol valve.

Info

Publication number: GB2254662A
Application number: GB9102934A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Josef Petr Prokopius
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-02-12
Filing date: 1991-02-12
Publication date: 1992-10-14
Also published as: GB9102934D0

Abstract

A machine for inserting dip tubes into or onto aerosol valves has a toothed pulley (1) provided with circumferential groove (2) to accommodate the dip tube (3), an endless timing belt (4) passing round part of the pulley (1) to grip the dip tube (3) in the groove (2). By rotary movement of the toothed pulley (1) the dip tube (3) is forced into or onto the aerosol valve (5), then a length of the dip tube and aerosol valve assembly is driven out, away from the pulley (1), and the dip tube cut to required length by cutter (6). <IMAGE>

Description

Title:- DIP TUBING MACHINE Technical field:- The present invention relates to automatic special purpose machinery in particular to the Dip Tube Machine assembling automatically a dip tube into or onto the aerosol valve.

Background art:- Presently used automatic machines for assembly of the dip tube into or onto the aerosol valves are designed as a combination of pneumatic and mechanical arrangement, in particular, using as a basic concept a crankshaft and linkages working in linear reciprocating motion. The machines are slow, large, noisy and complicated to set up for production batches.

They use complicated mechanical locking mechanism for holding the dip tube during assembly.

Presented art:- The present invention introduces a Dip Tubing Machine based on rotary motion using a mechanism of extreme simplicity resulting in fast, reliable and quiet machine easy to set up electronically for different batches of assembly.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which is represented:1. Toothed timing pulley 2. Circumferential groove 3. Plastic dip tube 4. Endless timing belt 5. Aerosol valve 6. Feed through cutter 7. Idler pulley 8. Tensioning idler pulley 9. Idler pulley 10.Hinged valve support A Dip Tubing Machine consisting of a driven toothed timing pulley (1), endless timing belt (4), fastened around part of the circumference of the toothed timing pulley (1), the toothed timing pulley (1) having a suitably shaped circumferential groove (2) as to accommodate the dip tube (3) in the said groove (2) in such a way that the tube is partly protruding over the roots of the teeth of the toothed timing pulley (1) as to allow the teech of the endless timing belt (4) to grip and deform the said dip tube (3) and by the friction developed between the circumferential groove (2) of the toothed timing pulley (1) and endless timing belt (4) teeth allow the dip tube (3) to be linearly driven out from the groove (2) and forced into or onto the aerosol valve (5) when the toothed timing pulley (1) is in the rotary motion, the aerosol valve (5) being supported by the hinged support (10) which opens after the dip tube (3) is forced into or onto the aerosol valve (5) and by rotary movement of the said toothed timing pulley (1) the aerosol valve (5) with assembled dip tube (3) is being fed out in linear motion to the required length and cut by the feed through cutter (6).

The toothed timing pulley (1) is being driven by a stepping or servo motor and its rotary movement corresponding to linear length of the dip tube (3) controlled electronically. Alternatively a double sided endless timing belt can be used and any of the idler pulleys (7), (8) and (9) can be toothed and powered by the said motor.

Claims

1. A dip tube automatic assembly machine for inserting a dip tube into or onto the aerosol valve having a toothed timing pulley provided with circumferential groove as to accommodate said dip tube within the groove in such a way that the said dip tube is projecting over the roots of the teeth of the said toothed timing pulley, the toothed timing pulley being fastened by endless timing belt around part of its circumference and the said endless timing belt by its teeth is slightly deforming the said dip tube in the said groove thus gripping the said dip tube.

2. A dip tube automatic assembly machine as claimed in Claim 1 where the said dip tube is being clamped by friction between the circumferential groove of the toothed timing pulley and endless timing belt and driven out of the said circumferential groove in linear motion and pushed into or onto the aerosol valve.

3. A dip tube automatic assembly machine as claimed in Claim 1 and Claim 2 where the aerosol valve is being supported during assembly of the dip tube by hinged support which opens for feeding out assembly of length of dip tube and aerosol valve and the dip tube being cut by feed through cutter to required length.

4. A dip tube automatic assembly machine where the toothed timing pulley having the said groove is being powered by stepping or servo motor.

5. A dip tube automatic assembly machine having a double sided endless timing belt fastened around part of the said toothed timing pulley with the said circumferential groove and around the part of the idler pulleys where anyone of the said idler pulleys is toothed and being powered by the stepping or servo motor.

6. A dip tube automatic assembly machine having a hinged support for the said aerosol valve which opens for feeding a length of the said dip tube assembled into or onto the said aerosol valve and is cut by the feed through cutter.

7. A dip tube automatic assembly machine as substantially described and illustrated on accompanying drawing.