US1180773A

US1180773A - Packing-machine.

Info

Publication number: US1180773A
Application number: US81926714A
Authority: US
Inventors: William F Hirschman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1914-02-17
Filing date: 1914-02-17
Publication date: 1916-04-25
Anticipated expiration: 1933-04-25

Description

W. F. HIRSCHMAN.

PACKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11, 1914.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

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W. F. HIRSCHMAN.

PACKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17. 1914.

Patent-ed Apr. 25, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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WITNE55E5 l5 INVENTEJR Fi -EI. hY f V WILLIAM F. HIRSCHMAN, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

PACKING-MACHINE.

Application filed February 17, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM F. Hmsoi-I- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing atBuifalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Packing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

In machines heretofore employed for packing powdered, loose or granular material which is usually put up in packages it has been impossible to feed the material into the packages with absolute accuracy owing to the fact that more or less of the material will continue to drop or discharge from the feeding device into the package after the feeding operation was arrested. This necessitated re-weighing of each package and then either make up any deficiency or remove any excess amount of material from the package which operation wasted time and added to the cost of packing the goods.

It is the object of this invention to provide a packing machine having means which preferably operate automatically to open the passage for the material to be packed when the packing machine starts and runs and to automatically close this passage when the operation of the packing machine stops, which means are simple and durable in construction and reliable and efficient in operation so that an eXact predetermined amount may be fed into the package and thus avoid subsequent re-weighing of the package and adjusting of the contents thereof for obtaining an accurate amount of material in the package.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a front elevation, partly in section, of a packing machine adapted for packing powdered or similar material into packages. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation, partly in section, of the upper part of the mechanism for operating the feeding anger or screw and the valve or shutter mecha nism. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in section, of the lower part of the feeding anger or screw, valve or shutter mechanism and associated parts. Figs. 4: and 5 are horizontal. sections taken in the correspondingly numbered lines in Fig. 2. Fi 6 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale, taken in line (5 (3, Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the feed screw or auger and the valve, shutter or cut-off device, the latter being shown in its closed position. Fig. 8 is a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, 191%.

Serial No. 819,267.

chines for packing granular or powdered material which may vary considerably as to their detail construction, that shown in the drawings being merely illustrative of one more form of machine to which my improvement is applicable. The machine shown in the drawings, for example, comprises a main frame 1 which may be of any suitable construction to support the working parts of the machine and a vertically movable platform or table 2 adapted to support the bag, barrel, can or other package which is adapted to receive the material, the package 3 for this purpose represented in Fig. 1 being a barrel. Above the platform is arranged an upright feed tube or conduit 4: preferably of cylindrical form which is adapted to deliver the packing material through its open lower end into the package to be filled. A hopper 5 is arranged in the upper part of the main frame and adapted to deliver the material to be packed from a bin or other source of supply in the upper end of the feed tube, and a feed screw or anger 6 is arranged within the feed tube and rotatable therein about a vertical axis for the purpose of moving the material therein downwardly and delivering the same into the open upper end of the package to be filled. In practice the platform supporting the package descends'in the same measure as the filling of the package progresses and when the desired amount of material has been fed into the package the rotation of the feed screw and the descent of the platform is arrested which last mentioned operation may be effected either manually or by automatic means, either of which may be of any suitable or well known construction.

In order to adapt the machine for dif ferent sizes or packages the tube is removably connected with the hopper so that it can be replaced by one of larger or smaller diameter and when this is done a feed screw or anger is also substituted for one of corresponding diameter. In order to permit of this interchanging augers or screws of varying diameter the shaft which drives the augers is made up of a lower section 7 which is preferably formed integrally with the threads of the auger and an upper section 8 whichis detachably connected with the lower section and journaled in any suitable manner in the upper part ofthe main frame,:for instance, by means of upper and lower bearings 9, 1.0 formed on a. cross piece 11 mounted on the upper part of themain frame. The detachable connection between the upper and lower sections of the auger shaft may be effected in various ways, that shown in the, drawings, for example, being satisfactory and comprising a coupling sleeve 12 having a screw connection at its upper end with the lower end of the upper auger shaft section and provided at its lower end with an internal flange 13 .which engages with an external flange 14: on the upper end of the lower auger shaft section. The opposing ends of the two auger shaft sections are drawn against each other by the sleeve 12 and caused to turn together.

My. improvements are, intended to open and close the passage for'the powdered 0r granular material between the feed tube and feed auger so as to permit the flow of material into the package and to stop the further discharge of material through this passage after the desired. amount has been delivered into the package to be filled. The means for this purpose which are shown in Figs. 18 of the drawings represent but one embodiment of my invention and as there shown the same is constructed as follows:

At its lower end the feed screw or auger having a single thread shown in Figs. 1, 3, 7 and 8 is provided with a rabbet or pocket forming a horizontal valve 'face 15 extending forwardly from the extreme lower end of the thread of this screw and a vertical shoulder 16 at the inner end of. the horizontal'face. Within this rabbet is arranged the valve, shutter or cutoff which is adapted to be moved either into this rabbet for uncovering or opening the passage between the lower end of the auger and the adjacent part of the feed tube or this valve may be moved outv of this rabbet and across the passageway between the lower end of the auger and the tube for closing this passageway. The form of valve represented in Figs. 1, 3, 7 and 8 comprises two

segmental plate sections

17, 18 which are arranged one above the other and each having ap proximately an area equal to about one third of the cross sectional area of the feed tube while the flat face of the rabbet at the lower end of the. feed screw is also of substantially segmental form having an area somewhat more than one-third of the cross sectional area of the feed tube. The two sections of the valve are pivoted concentrically with the axis of the auger and are adapted to be folded and lie one above the other within the pocket of the anger, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 8, so that only about one-third of the cross sectional area of the tube is obstructed by the lower end of the auger leaving the remaining parts of the area of the tube forming the passageway uncovered or opened so that when the auger is turned forwardly the material within the tube will be moved downwardly by the auger and delivered into the package below the same. Upon unfolding the two sections of the valve, as shown in Fig. 7, the two sections thereof are spread like the leaves of a fan so as to extend across the passageway between the lower end of the auger and the feed tube, thereby closing this passageway and preventing the escape of material from the tube. As shown in the drawings the upper valve section 17 is provided with an upwardly projecting pin 19 projecting in a segmental groove 20 formed in the horizontal face or top 15 of the pocket and the lower valve section 18 is provided with an upwardly projecting pin 21 engaging with a segmental groove 22 formed in the underside of the upper valve section. The effect of this connection between the two valve sections and the upper valve section and the feed anger is such that when the lower valve section and the auger are moved relatively to each other in a circumferential direction for unfolding the valve the lower section will first unfold relatively to the upper section until the pin 21 engages with the rear end of the groove 22 in the upper shutter section after which the upper section travels with the lower section until the rear edge of the lower valve section engages with the lower part of the feed a uger adjacent to the shoulder 16 of the pocket. as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3 and by full lines in Fig. 7, and the pin 19 on the upper valve section engages with the rear end of the groove 20 in the lower end of the feed auger, as shown in Fig. 7. Upon moving the lower valve section and the feed auger in the opposite direction circumferentially operating the shutter so as to close the passageway between the feed tube and auger when the machine is at rest and opening this passageway when the machine is in operation but those shown in the drawings are suitable and preferable and comprise an upright valve shaft Qt, 25 which is arranged within the screw or auger shaft, the latter being made hollow or tubular for this purpose. Upon turning the valve shaft in one direction relatively to the auger shaft the valve will be moved into its closed position across the passageway between the auger and tube while upon moving the valve shaft in the opposite direction the valve will be moved out of the passageway between the auger and tube. For convenience in permitting the valve mechanism to be adapted to the particular size of feed tube and auger the valve shaft is made up of an upper section 24 which is journaled within the upper section of the auger shaft and a lower section 25 which is journaled within the lower section of the auger shaft and a detachable connection is provided between the opposing ends of the valve shaft which preferably comprises a tongue 26 formed at the upper end of the lower valve shaft section and entering a notch or recess 27 in the lower end of the upper valve shaft section, as shown in Fig. 1. The lower valve shaft section is supported against dropping in the lower auger shaft section by means of a collar or flange 28 formed on the upper part of the lower valve shaft section and engaging with the upper end of the lower auger shaft section. The lower valve section is secured to the lower end of the lower valve shaft section and the upper valve section turns loosely upon this valve shaft section immediately above the lower valve section.

Means are provided for turning the auger and valve together forwardly as well as permitting a limited independent movement of these parts relatively to each other for either opening or closing the passage between the auger and tube. The preferred means for this purpose which are shown in the drawings comprise a horizontal driving shaft 29 journaled transversely in suitable bearings on the upper part of the main frame, a driving pulley 30 mounted loosely at the outer end of the driving shaft and adapted to receive a driving belt 31, a clutch adapted to connect and disconnect the driving pulley and shaft and preferably comprising a clutch ring 32 having its hub splined on the driving shaft and having the conical face on its periphery movable into and out of engagement with the corresponding clutch face 33 on the rim of the driving pulley, and a shifting lever 34 pivoted on the main frame and engaging with the hub of the clutch ring. At its inner end the driving shaft is provided with a driving bevel. gear wheel which meshes with a driven bevel gear wheel 36 mounted to turn loosely to a limited extent about the upper part of the upper auger shaft section but positively connected with the upper end of the upper valve shaft section, this last mentioned connection being preferably effected by means of a pin 37 connecting the hub of the driven gear wheel with the upper valve shaft section and movable circumferentially through a segmental slot 38 formed in the adjacent part of the upper auger shaft section, as shown in Fig. 5. A spring device is provided between the auger shaft and the valve shaft which is placed under tension during the forward movement of the valve shaft independently of the forward movement of the auger shaft and remains under tension while these two shafts and the parts connected therewith turn forwardly during the operation of discharging material from the tube by the action of the auger while the passage between the auger and the tube is opened by the valve. This spring device preferably comprises a helical spring 39 sur rounding the upper part of the upper auger shaft section and secured at its upper end to this auger shaft section while its lower end is secured to the hub of the driven gear wheel 36, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

\Vhen the machine is at rest and the clutch between the driving shaft and driving pulley is uncoupled the resilience of the spring 39 causes the valve shaft and the parts connected therewith to be turned baclrwardly so that the valve at the lower end of the auger is unfolded and forms an extension at the lower end of the auger for closing the passage between the auger and tube, thereby preventing any of the material con fined in this passage from escaping conwardly from the tube. Upon coupling the driving shaft with the driving pulley by means of the clutch the valve shaft will be first turned forwardly to a limited extent independently of the auger shaft for causing the valve to be moved out of the passageway between the tube and auger and into the pocket, at the lower end of the auger, thereby uncovering this passage to permit the discharge of material therefrom. Immediately after the valve has been thus folded or moved into its open or inoperative position by the movement of the valve shaft independently of the auger shaft, the auger shaft and the parts connected therewith are also caused to move forwardly with the valve shaft for the purpose of causing the auger to move the material downwardly through the tube and deliver it from the lower end thereof into the package to be filled. This turning of the auger with the valve during the operation of feeding ma tcr ial from the tube may be effected by transmission'of movement from the lower end of the valve shaft to the auger through the medium of the pins which connect the valve sections with each other and the auger and by engagement of the front edge of the valve sections with the shoulder 16 of the pocket but inasmuch as these cooperating parts are located a considerable distance from the source of power twisting of the valve shaft is liable to occur and it is therefore preferable to elfecta coupling'of the auger shaft and valve shaft atthe upper ends thereof near the source of Dower. For this purpose the driven gearwheel 36 is provided on its underside with a driving lug 40 which is adapted to engage with, afront driving shoulder 41 formed on the upper side of a driving collar 42 secured to the adjacent part of the auger shaft. During the back Ward movement of the driven gearwheel relatively to the auger shaft the driving lug 40 engages with a rear shoulder 43 on the driving collar and thereby operates to limit the backward movement of the valve while closing the passageway between the auger and tube and relieving the valve shaft of any twisting strains. During this forward movement of the valve shaft independently of the auger shaft the spring 39 is wound up and strained and the instant the driving shaft is disconnected from the driving pulley which is eflected upon the completion of the filling'of a package with material the resilience of the spring 39 turns the driving shaft backwardly to a limited extent through the medium of the gear wheels 35., 36 and also turns the valve shaft backwardly, while the auger remains at rest, thereby causing the valve to be moved rearwardlv to close the passageway in the tube and prevent the further escape of material therefrom.

When the feed tube is filled with material the friction of the auger against the same is usually suiiicient to hold the latter at rest until the valve shaft has'moved forwardly independently of the auger and opened the valve. Inasmuch, however, as this material at times may not offer sufficient resistance to the turning of the auger during the initial forward movement of the valve shaft means are provided whereby the auger is positively held against turning forwardly until the valve has been turned forwardly into its open position, and thereby always lnsure opening of the passageway n the tube preparatory to beginning turning forward of the auger and discharging material from the tube. The means for this purpose which are shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 6 of the drawings are constructed as follows: 44 represents a vertically movable locking bolt which is guided in a way 45 formed in a bracket 46 on the cross piece below the driving collar and adapted to engage with a locking opening or recess 47 in the underside of the driving collar. This locking bolt 1s yieldlngly held in its elevated position by means of a spring 48 arranged in said guidcway and bearing at its upper end against the lower end of the locking bolt and its upper movement is limited by means which may consist of a pin 49 projecting laterally from the locking bolt and into engagement with the the upper end of a slot 50 formed in the bracket 46. The locking opening is formed in the driving collar immediately in rear of the front driving shoulder ll thereof. \Vithin a recess 51 formed in the driving collar above the locking opening is arranged a vertically swinging tripping latch 52 which is pivoted on the driving collar adapted to engage with the upper end of the lockin g bolt. The tripping latch is adapted to be engaged by the driving lug 40 of the driven gear wheels.

When the machine is at rest the locking bolt projects upwardly into the locking opening of the driving collar so as to hold the auger against turning, and the tripping latchv engages with the upper end of the locking bolt and projects upwardly into the path of the driving lug of the driven gear wheel, as shown in Fig. 6. During the last part of the initial forward movement of the driven gear wheel and the valve shaft inde pendently of the anger, the driving lug 40 engages with the free end of the tripping latch and presses the same downwardly until the underside of this latch is flush with the underside of the driving collar, thereby pushing a locking bolt downwardly out of the locking recess in the driving collar and permitting the latter and the auger shaft to turn with the valve shaft by reason of the driving lug 40 engaging with the front driving shoulder 41 immediately after the locking bolt is disengaged from the driving collar. The parts remain in this relative position during the time that the auger and valve are turning forward simultaneously and discharging material from the tube into the passage during which time the tripping latch is held in its depressed position by the driving lug so that the locking bolt cannot reenter the locking opening, and while the driving collar is thus free to turn the upper end of the locking bolt rides id]. T against the underside of the driving collar. lVhen the clutch is uncoupled the spring 39 turns the driven gear wheel 36 backward together with the valve shaft and driving shaft a limited extent for causing the valve to close the passageway in the feed tube. At this time the driving lug 4.0 also moves backwardly away from the front driving shoulder 41 and permits the tripping latch to be lifted by. the locking bolt which is raised by its spring into the locking opening of the driving collar the instant-this opening and the bolt come into register by the subsequent turning of the driving collar into a position to permit of such action, thereby again holding the auger against turning forwardly during the initial forward movement of the valve shaft.

Instead of employing a valve, shutter or cut-off having two sections as indicated in Figs. 1, 3, 7 and 8, this valve may consist of but a single section 53 secured to the lower end of the valve shaft 54, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, for closing the space between the lower end of the auger 55 and the feed tube.

When employing an auger 56 having a double thread, as shown in Figs. 11 and. 12, the valve may consist of two

segmental sections

57, 58 which are both secured to the lower end of a valve shaft 59 and project diametrically from opposite sides thereof so that upon turning this valve forwardly independent of the auger 60 one of the valve sections will close the passage at the lower end of one thread and the other valve sec tion will close the passage at the lower end of the other thread.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description of my invention that the same will positively and reliably cut-off the further escape of material from the packing tube the instant the operation of the packer is arrested, and that no interference occurs with the discharge of material when the operation of the packer is resumed, thereby facilitating the packing of loose materials without the necessity of re-weighing the packages and adjusting the contents thereof.

My improvement is applicable to any of the well known forms of packing machines now on the market and does not require any extensive alterations in the same to permit of receiving my improvement. It furthermore in no wise interferes with the methods of packing heretofore in use nor with the automatic mechanism for stopping and starting the platform when a predetermined amount of material. has been delivered into the package, thereby avoiding the necessity of specially training the operatives in, the use of my improved packing machine.

I claim as my invention:

1. A packing machine comprising a delivery tube, a feed auger rotatable in said tube and having a hollow shaft, a valve shaft arranged in said hollow shaft, a valve projecting laterally from the valve shaft and adapted to open and close the passage between the auger and tube, means for turning said valve shaft forwardly, and a spring operatively connecting said screw and cutoff shafts.

2. A packing machine comprising a delivery tube, a feed auger rotatable in said tube and having a hollow shaft, a valve shaft arranged in said hollow shaft, a valve projecting laterally from the valye shaft and adapted to open and close the passage between the auger and tube, means for turning said valve shaft comprising a driven wheel loosely mounted on the auger shaft and connected with said valve shaft, and a spring surrounding the auger shaft and connected. at one end with the latter and at its other end with said driven wheel.

3. A packing machine comprising a delivery tube, a feed auger rotatable in said tube and having a hollow shaft, a valve shaft arranged in said hollow shaft, a valve projecting laterally from the valve shaft and adapted to open and close the passage between the auger and tube, means for turning said valve shaft comprising a driven wheel loosely mounted on the auger shaft and connected with said valve shaft, a spring surrounding the auger shaft and connected at one end with the latter and at its other end with said driven wheel, a driving shaft, and a driving wheel mounted on the driving shaft and engaging the driven wheel.

4. A packing machine comprising a delivery tube, a feed auger rotatable in said tube and having a hollow shaft. a valve shaft arranged in said hollow shaft, a valve projecting laterally from the valve shaft and adapted to open and close the passage between the auger and tube, means for turning said. valve shaft forwardly comprising a driving shaft operatively connected with said valve shaft, a spring operatively con necting said auger and valve shafts, a driving pulley, and a clutch adapted to connect and disconnect said driving shaft and pulley.

5. A packing machine comprising a clelivery tube, a feed auger rotatable in said tube and having a hollow shaft, a valve shaft arranged in said hollow shaft, a valve projecting laterally from the valve shaft and adapted to open and close the passage between the auger and tube, means for turning said valve forwardly, means for compelling said auger shaft to turn with said valve shaft at the end of a predetermined move-- ment of the latter independently of the auger shaft, and locking means for holding said auger shaft against turning forwardly until the valve shaft has completed its independent forward movement and has opened said valve.

6. A packing machine comprising a delivery tube, a feed auger rotatable in said tube and having a hollow shaft, a valve shaft arranged in said hollow shaft, a valve projecting laterally from the valve shaft Ta and adapted to open and close the passage between the auger and tube, means for turning said valve forwardly, means for compolling said auger shaft to turn with said. valve shaft at the end of a predetermined movement of the latter independently of the auger shaft, and locking means for holding said auger shaft against turning forwardly until the valve shaft has completed its inclependent forward movement and has opened said valve, said locking means comprising a movable bolt mounted on a stationary part and engaging with a locking member turning with said auger and means operated by the turning of said valve shaft for disengaging said bolt from said locking member. 7. A packing machine comprising a delivery .tube, a feed auger rotatable in said tube and having a hollow shaft, avalve shaft arranged in said hollow shaft, a valve projecting laterally from the valve shaft and adapted to open and close the passage between the auger and tube, means for turning said valve forwardly, means for compolling said auger shaft to turn with said valve shaft at the end of a predetermined movement of the latter independently of the auger shaft, comprising a driving collar arranged on the auger shaft and having a driving shoulder or face, and a driving lug mounted on the valve shaft and adapted to Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the engage said shoulder, and locking means for holding said auger shaft against turning forwardly until the valve shaft has completed its independent forward movement and has opened said valve, comprising a locking opening formed in said collar, a bolt guided on a stationary part, a spring adapted to press said bolt against said collar and engage it with said locking opening, and a tripping latch movably mounted on said collar and adapted to be shifted. by said lug for disengaging said bolt from said locking opening and releasing the auger to permit the latter to move forwardly with the valve.

Witness my hand this 16th day of February, 1914:.

WILLIAM F. HIRSCHMAN. l Vitnesses:

Tnno. L. Porr, E. M. GRAHAM.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.