GB702144A - Improvements in or relating to apparatus for transforming thin-walled, flexible tubes into a form suitable for transport - Google Patents

Abstract

702,144. Pleating. BRITISH CELLOPHANE, Ltd. Oct. 16, 1951 [Oct. 18. 1950]. No. 25414/50. Class 141 Apparatus for transforming a thinwalled flexible tube into a form suitable for transport by gathering the tube in transverse pleats, comprises means for advancing the tube over a mandrel to the pleating station, pleating means comprising sets of straight-edged blades operated in regular succession to gather the tube into pleats in two series over the mandrel, the pleats of each series forming a regular nolygon and means for compressing the tube to a small fraction of its original length on the mandrel. As shown apparatus for producing two triangular series of pleats comprises a mandrel 3, Fig. 3, in the form of six separate plates arranged hexagonally, over which the tube 1 is drawn by means of six boards 4 each carried on an elbow 5. The elbows are mounted on spring-controlled slides 6 and springs 9 from the elbows pass through a ring 11 and are secured alternately to beams 12, 14 depressed by cams 13, 15 respectively, the cams being 180 degrees out of phase. Depression of the beam 14 causes the associated boards 4 to contact the tube and then travel downwards forming a series of pleats, then the other boards 4 operate in the same way to form further pleats which build up on a platform 16. The accumulated pleats are subsequently compressed and withdrawn over the mandrel 3. In an alternative form, Fig. 5, the mandrel comprises an opener portion 22 and an octagonal pillar 23 around which are mounted eight cam - boxes 24 each containing a spring - controlled sliding block and piston carrying a knife-edge 27 constrained to execute a trapezoidal motion. The cam-boxes 24 are driven by a chain 29 and alternate ones are 180 degrees out of phase so that the knife edges 27 operate in alternate sets of four to produce the pleats which are compressed against the platform 31. The second portion of the mandrel may, alternatively, comprise a shell of paper &c. so that the shell and pleated tube may be removed together. The tube may be made of paper, plastic &c. and the end may be closed after pleating to form a collapsed bag. In a further construction, the sets of pleating bodies may be mounted at separate pleating stations in staggered relation along the length of the tube.