GB796373A - Severing and stacking mechanisms for plastic material - Google Patents

Abstract

796,373. Severing and stacking chewing gum &c. WRIGLEY, JR. CO., W. Feb. 9, 1956 [July 19, 1955], No. 4058/56. Class 87(2). Slabs of compressible material, e.g., chewing gum, are sub-divided and stacked by severing mechanism comprising rollers rotating at different speeds and a shoot disposed to receive the severed pieces. The slabs of chewing gum, already scored, are severed by the difference in the speeds of rotation of two pairs of rollers 35, 36 and 39, 40, the latter revolving faster and receiving the slabs fed to it from the former. The severed pieces 44 fall into a shoot 45 and become stacked in it. Each roller has a series of rows of serrations, 59-65 on roller 39, Fig. 3, and 78-84 on roller 40, pairs of such rows, e.g., 59 and 78, being opposite, and the serrations are skewed so that the depressions made thereby on opposite sides of the material are criss-cross, to minimize premature breakage of the material. The serrations are oppositely skewed as between the half-lengths of each roller, to balance the angular forces. The rollers 35, 36 are similarly provided with opposite rows of serrations but, except for the outside ones, the pairs of rows are not in line with those of the rollers 39, 40, Fig. 5. In the middle and near the ends the diameter of the rollers is reduced to less than the root diameter of the rows of serrations, e.g., in the roller 35 by grooves 104, 105, 106. The form of the serrations is shown in Fig. 6. The tops 114 are flattened to minimize wear and the spaces 67 between them are curved, providing a self-cleaning action for, e.g., sugar coated chewing gum. Sugar which tends to accumulate near the outer ends of the serrations is pushed along the bottoms of the spaces and escapes by way of the grooves, e.g., 104-106. The severed pieces are discharged from between the rollers 39, 40, Fig. 9, assisted by fingers 115 which enter their end grooves. Each finger comprises two parts 117 and 118, the main part 117 being pivoted about a cross shaft 133 and biased towards the roller 39 by a spring 140 (limited by a stop screw 138) and the auxiliary part 118 being pivoted on the main part and biased by a spring 124 to cause its end to pass that of the main part, which is suitably forked. When the front of a severed piece 44 passes under the inclined surface 146 of the end of the main part the end of the auxiliary part rises but the spring 124 causes it to return and to press the rear of the piece 44 against the roller 40, so directing it to the stack in the shoot out of the path of succeeding pieces. The end 123 of the auxiliary part has serrations to wear away any sugar which might clog the parts. The main part has a projection 148 which is normally above the stack and if a piece becomes jammed or bent, Fig. 10, the main part is forced upwards, causing an arm 149 to rise and actuate the spring arm 156 of a switch 153 and stop the machine.