US1275661A

US1275661A - Apparatus for packing ground or comminuted material.

Info

Publication number: US1275661A
Application number: US12234116A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert G Clark
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1916-09-27
Filing date: 1916-09-27
Publication date: 1918-08-13
Anticipated expiration: 1935-08-13

Description

R. G. CLARK. APPARATUS FOR PACKING GROUND 0R CONINHNUTED MATERIAL.

APPLICATION FILED S`EPT.27, 1916.

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Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

R. G. CLARK.

APFLCATION FILED SET.27. 1916.

R. G. CLARK. APPARATUS FOR PACKING GROUND OR COMMINUTED MATERIAL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-27. 1916.

Patented Aug. 13, 1918. 4 shams-SHEET 3.

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.R. G. CLARK. APPARATUS' Fon PACKING GROUND on COMMINUTED MATERIAL.

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Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

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f ITED STATES `IEAIVENT OFFICE.

' ROBERT G. CLARK, 0F ZBROOKYN, NEW' YORK." APPARATUS FOB IACKINGI' GROUND OB COMMINUTED MATERIAL.

l Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

Application led September 27, 1916. Serial No. 122,341.

To allwtom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ROBERT G. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, Vresiding in the borough of Brdoklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented new andV useful Apparatus for Packin Ground or Comminuted Material, of whic the ol- VIMI' lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for packing ground or comminuted material, such as cork, mixed with a suitable binder into sticks, commonly termed cork sticks.

f cap To .provide a packing for caps for the closure of receptacles such as bottles, the

has a composite ming consisting of a thin layer of ground cork and a suitable binder. Vlin the production of this linirexgv the ground cork with the binder is pack and compressed into cylindrical form in a tube and after'being packed in the tube is baked Vto retain the cork with the binder in a compact or compressed and rigid though yielding mass, preferably in elongated cylindrical form, after which disks of predetermined thickness are sliced from the cylinder or stick.

llt is the object of the .present invention to provide an apparatus to pack the ground cork with the binder into cylindrical form, and to provide an a paratus to`simultaneously pack a series o sticks.l

ln carrying out the invention, an embodiment of which is shown in the accompanying drawings, I provide a hopper having a plurality of outlets and with which outlets` a series of pockets are adapted to communicate to receive a predetermined uantity of material from the hopper, toget er with a carrier for a series of open end tubes having means to serve as an abutment for'one end of the tubes, and a series of plungers toy a perspective view, with parts broken away of an apparatus showing an embodiment of my invention, and showing theV driving means in position to impart movement to the pockets and the tube carrier.

tubes..

Fig;- 4 is a diagrammatic sectional view of the plungers to illustrate the manner of compressing the material in the tubes.

Fig. 5 is a sectional side elevation taken on the line 5-5 of Fi .2 with part of the driving mechanism bro en away; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective viewof the stick as produced by the apparatus.

Similar characters of reference designate like parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

The embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings consists of a base 7 upon which the operative mechanism is mounted, said base having a vertical column or post 8. Fixed to said base concentric with the col umn 8 is a support 9'for a series of tubes `and which support also serves as an abutment for the tubes. The support has an annular guideway 11 in which the lower end of the tubes engage, the terminals of said guideway being inclined or beveled, as shown at 12, and being adjacent a mouth 13 of the support to permit of the readyinsertion of the tubes into the guideway.

Rotatably mounted on the column 8 is a turret comprising a sleeve 14 having spaced apart disks 15 fixed thereto, said disks havingr recesses 16 in the periphery thereof to embrace the tubes adjacent opposite ends and maintain the tubes in spaced apart relation, the tubes being removably retained in said recesses by yielding or springy fingers i6'. Fixed to the sleeve 14 above the upper disk l5 is a head 17 having teeth on the periphery, as shown, and havin a series of circumferentially disposed per orations 18, one for under face of the head, as shown at 19, of

yenlarged diameter or countersunk on the substantially .the same diameter as the tubes into which the upper end of the tubes cn-` gage, the tubes as they are inserted into the carrier disks through the mouth 1 3 of -the support 9 ,andA are carried up the inclined portions 12 of the guideway 11 are forced into and maintained in engagement in saidv countersunk portions of the perforations, the diameter of the perforations preferably being slightly less than the` internal diameter of the tubes to form a shoulder for the engagement of the material in the tubes wheii compressed to formA anabutment to prevent the material coming out ofthe top of the tubes due to any expansion force of the material in the tubes when filled.

A head is rotatably supported upon the column 8 above and in juxtaposed relation to the head 17, said head havin ear teeth on the periphery and a series o circumferentially disposed openings 21 the number of these openings being ftwicethe number of the perforations 18 in the head 17.v 'The openings 21k are in the natu-re ofV measuring devices or. pockets, the upper ends of the "openings-serving as inlets to and the lower i' Aendsas outlets from the poekets. These. pockets arev adapted to receive a predetermined quantity of material from a hopei and are adapted td register with outibts 22 of the hopper. The hopper is of annular form the outer walls of which inoline inwardly and toward the bottom and the inner wall vis of sinuousor concavo-con' vex form, with the outlets in the concaved portion'of said wall within the hopper. The `hopperis-pixed to a support 23 fixed to the upper end ofthe column 8 above the head 20, said support having circumferentially disposed openings to register with the hopclearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5.

e te

fThef' material from the hopper is I,fed through the hopper outlets into the measuring pockets 21 and is ejected from the latter into the tubes and compressed in the latter by a series of plungers 25 slidably Aengaging in the bosses 24. These plungers are slid,

ably supported in a carrier or head 26 ixedto-a column 27 having rack teeth 27 lwhich slidably engages in the frame column 8. The plunger carrier is reciprocated by a reciprocable rack 28 pivotally connected atv i one'end, as at 29, to a gear`30 eccentric to the axis of rotation of said gear, the latter 'being driven from a continuously rotatable shaft 31 through a pinion 32. The upper end of the rack 28 slidably engages in a bracket 33 pivotally supported upon the framework apd meshes with a pinion 34 fixed to one end of a shaft 35, a gear 36 also fixed to said shaft meshing with the rack teeth 27 on the column 27.

The composite material, that is, the ground cork and binder, is loose in the hopper and in such condition is fed into the measuring pockets and from the latter into the tubes where it is compressed to substantially one quarter of its volume in the measuring ockets. To feed a quantity of material sii cient to compress and fill the tubes at a single operation is impracticable and for this purpose a predetermined quantity of the material is fed to the tubes and compressed successively in the tubes. Furthermore, to compress material in all of .the tubes at the same time to the full capacity -of the tubes would require so much power as to make the apparatus impracticable for commercial purposes. For this reason the successive plungers have variable reduced portions, as 'at 37, and where they engage in the carrier or head 26, (see Fig.

4), the plungers being supported in their uppermost position bv the head by collars 38 fixed to the ends of the plungers projecting through the head. As the lunger carrier is moved downwardthe p lingers will drop or move 'with the carrier by gravity and during whichv movement the material is ejected from the measuring pockets into the tubes, and the plungers are then successively engaged by the head 26 where the shoulder is formed by the reduced portions of the plungers and forced into the tubes compressing the material therein. By varying the lengths of the reduced portions of the plungers the plungers are successively engaged by the carrier or 26, whereby the iirst plunger, as shown at the extreme right in Fig. 4, compresses the material at the bottom of the first tube in the series, and the succeeding plungers compress `successive layers with the last plunger of the series, shown at theextreme left of- Fig. 4, conipressing the material adjacent the top of the last tube of the series.

To feed and compress successive portions or layers vof material in the tubes, the

measuringpockets and the tubes are intermittently rotated or advanced. By the intermittent movement of the pockets the pockets are brought successively in place or register with the hopper outlets and lthe plungers, so-that. alternate pockets will be in register with the hopper outlets and plungers to successively fill and eject the material from the pockets; that is,as material is supplied to certain of the pockets the plungers will be ejectin the material from the pockets alternate with the pockets being filled. Simultaneously with the movement of the measuring pockets the tube car- .rier with the tubes is rotated or advanced to bring the upper ends of successive tubes in alinement with successive plungers and 1n register with the outlets of alternate measuringdevices. It will thus be seen that the movement of the tube carrier isv tating shaft 31 by a Geneva gear, comprising a star wheel 39 liXed to a shaft 40, said the projections of the wheel and transverse guideways 42 at right angles and intersect' ing each other. A pawl or arm 43 is mountcarries a wheel 44 at oneside thereof yto operatein the guideways of the starl wheel. lt will be obvious 'that as the arm 43 rotates Q0 by a pinion 49 meshing with the lill with the shaft y31-the wheel 44'will engage in one end of one guideway and impart a one-quarter turn to the star wheel and `will move out of the guideway at substantially right angles tothe entrance thereof into the guideway, which movement is transmitted by a bevel gear 45 on a shaft 40 through a bevel gear 46 xed to a vertical shaft47, and the movement of the latter shalt is transmitted'to the tube carrier by a gear 48 mesh ing with the gear-teeth of the head o1' the Y tube carrier or turret, and the movement oil the shaft 47 transmitted to the pocket head gear teeth on said pocket head.' 4'To lock the shaft 47 and therebythe pocket head vand tube carrier against movement during'the periods of rest, a disk 50 on the shaft 31 ,engages with the curved portions 41 of the star wheel, and as movement is imparted to said star wheel by the arm 43 the projections of the star wheel will engage and pass through a recess 51 in said disk 50.

lt will be obvious that the tube carrier and pocket head are moved during the period that the plungers are out of engagement with the pockets, and that the plungers are actuated during the periods of rest oi said tube carrier and pocket head. and the actuation of the tube carrier and pocket head are so timed that the movement thereof will take place asthe plungers approach their uppermost position.4 The arm 43 is mounted on the shaft 31 to have axial movement th ereonwhereby the arm maybe thrown into and out of operative engagement with the guideways in the star wheel to impartmovement to the latter at a predetermined time with relation4 to the operation of the plun- (vers. by a grooved collar 52 in which the bifurcated end o1E the shifter arm 53, pivotally supported at 54, engages, a spring 55 normally maintaining the shifter andl thereby the arm 43 in position so'that the roller 44 For this purpose. the arm is carriedarm will coperate with the star wheel to impart movement to the latter the gear 30 has a cam 56 at one side toengage with a cam engaging roller 57 carrled by the shifter 53. y

As shown in Fig. 1 the plungers are in vtheir uppermost position and movement is being imparted to the tube carrier and pocket head. Just previous to imparting [movement to the tube carrier a' tube is inwheel having curved portions 41 between y serted into the disk recesses 16 through the ret is rotated the lower end 'of the tube will `run up the incline at theletof the mouth ed on the shaft 31 to rotate therewith'land 13v and maybe readily removed or ejected into a .receptacle or receiving bin for the Same.

To assure `the ready How et the material tromfthe hopper into the measuring pockets agitators 59 are provided to agitate thematerial in the hopper adjacent the hopper outlets, said agitators being rotatably sup--v ported to engage in Athe hopper adjacent the hopper outlets, and are rotated by a sinuous rod 61 connected to each agitator, the said rods engaging in slots in projections 60 on the plunger head 23'. As the plunger carrier is moved downwardI the sinuous rods passing through said slots will rotate. the agitators in one direction, and as the carrier moves upward the agitators are rotated in a reverse direction'.

The apparatus may be driven in a suitable manner, and as shown herein is adapted toIk be .driven by a belt to pass 58 fixed to the shaft 31.

The material in the tubes as stated is comaround a pulley 4pressed in successive layers in the tubes and after the material has been compressed there is a tendency for such material toexpand, and for the purpose of maintaining the compressed material under pressure for the longest time possible during the operation of the plungers is a further object of providing the successive plungers with variable reduced portions. It will be noted from Fig. 4 that as the plunger which compresses the material in the bottom of the tubes ispicked up bythe plunger carrier to withdraw it from the tubes the remaining plungers still engage in the successive tubes and remain therein until they are successively picked up b v the plunger carrier, the weight of the plungers upon the material in the tubes `maintaining the compressed material under pressure. i

Having thus descrlbed my invention, l'

' claim 1. An apparatus ort the classv specied, comprising a support tor a tube, a hopper, a

irs,

m Lavar substantially as and for the vpurpose speci- 'l lio pose specified. 3. An apparatus of theclassjspeciliem` YJ so -Y 2 :AI`1 apparatus of the 'class speciiied,

comprising a support 'fpr a series of tubes, a `hopper having a plurality of outlets, a series of pockets receive material from the hopper, means Asuccessively place said pockets m register'with the hopper outlets and the tubes, and a plunger to eject the material from the pockets into the tubes and compress e it therein2 substantially as and furthe' purcomprising means to support a Yseries of tubes in spaced a art relation, a hopper hav- -g ing a plurality o outlets, a series ofA pockets f to receive materialfrom the hopper adapted to be interm'gttently placed in register with i a, series of the outlets oi the hopper and the tubes, and lun ers eject the material l fromthe poc etsilnto the tubes and compress it therein, substanti ,-f-fpose specified.

" 1 comprising a support for a series of tubes ,in

ally'as and for the pur- 4. An apparatus 4ofi-the class specified,

spaced apart relation;4 a hopper having a j plurality of outlets, a seriesl of pockets to receive' material from the hopper, means to alternately44 place said pockets in register with! the hopper outlets and the tubes, plungers to eJect the material from the .pockets into the tubes and compress it therein and meansI tofintermittently advance the es, substantially as and for the purppse 5. An apparatus of the class specified,

f comprising a support for a series of'open ended tubes; a hopper having a plurality i intermittently move said 'nately place the pockets in register with pockets to cause the successive pockets lto cey 0 'outlets; a plurality of pockets to receive material from the hopper; means to pockets to altera hopper outlet and the open end of a tube; means to intermittently move the tube support with the tubes to register with alternate pockets; and plungers toeject the material from the pockets into the tubes, substantially as and for the purpose specified. v

outlets;-a plurality of pockets tol receive .material from the hopper; a plurality of plungers; means to intermittently move the aline with the plungersand alternate pockets rto register with the tubes, substantially as and for the purpose specijfed.

7. apparatus of the class specie'd,

successive tu 6. An apparatus of the classY specified,Iv comprising a support for a series of open v end tubes; a hopper having a plurality of compri a support fors-a 'series of open end tubsga ho 'per having a plurality of outlets; a plura ity of. pockets to` receive material `:trom the hoppergfa lurality of plungers; means to intermittent y move the pockets to successively aline with the plungers; and means to intermittently move the tube carrier with the tubes to cause successive tubes to aline. with successive plungers and -Zto register with the pockets, substantially as and for the purpose s ecilied.

8. An apparatus of the c ass specified,

`comprisingfa support fora; series of open end tubes; a hopper having'a plurality of outlets; a plurality of plungers; a plurality of pockets having inlets and out ets; means to mtermittently move the pockets to place .the iinlets 'thereof successively in register with thehopper outlets and in alinement with the plungersand means to intermittently move the. tut to place successive' tubes in alinement with lsuccessive e support with the tubes 0 glungers and successive tubes in re ster wit the outlets of alternate pockets,

iudstantlally as and for thepurpose specie 9; An apparatus of the class specified,

- comprising a support for a plurality of open end tubes; a hopper having a plurality of outlets; a series of plungers; a plurality of pockets having inlets and outlets to receive aterial from the hop er; means to intermttently move the poc ets to cause successive pockets to alternately aline with the hopper outlets and plungers; and means to support the plungers operable to force the plungers into the tubes to compress the material therein and ermit the plungers to rest bg gravity u on t e compressed material in t e tubessu stantially as and forthe purpose specied.

- 10. An apparatus of the class specied,

comprising a rotatable turret to carry a series of open end tubes in spaced apart relation; a series of plungers; a hop er having a plurality of outlets; a rotata le head having a series of pockets having inlets and outlets to receive material Jfrom the hopper; and means to intermittently rotate the turret and pocket head to cause the inlets of succeive pockets to register alternately with the hopper outlets and plungers and es to register wlth successive plungers and the outlets of alternate pockets,` substantially as and for the purpose specified.

11. An apparatus of the class specified, comprising a rotatable turret to carry a series of open end tubes in spaced apart relation; a hopper having a plurality of outnemesi.

and to cause'successivetubes to register with the outlets of alternate pockets and with lll llt

with the inlets inv register With the pockets which are alternate tothe opper outlets; and means to force the material lrom the pockets and-compress it in the tubes, substantially as and for the purpose specified. v f

12. An apparatus of the class specified, comprisin a turret to carry a series of open end tubes 1n spaced apart relation; a hopper having a' plurality of outlets; a rotatable head having a series of pockets with inlets and outlets to receive material from the hopper; means to intermittentlyrotate the turret and pocket'head to cause the inlets of the successive pockets to alternately register with the hopper outlets and to cause successive tubes to register with the outletsy of alternate pockets; a series of plunger-s, one lor each tube; and means to support said plungers in line with the tubes and with alternate pockets, said support being operable to force the plungers into the tubes to compress the material therein and to permit the plunger-s to rest by gravity on the material in the tubes, substantially as and for the purpose specilied.

13. An apparatus of the class specified, comprising a rotatable turret to carry a series of open end tubes in spaced apart relation; a hopper having a plurality of outlets; a rotatable head having a series of pocliets With inlets and outlets to receive material from the hopper; means to intermittently rotate the turret and pocket head to cause the inlets of successive pockets to alternately register With the hopper outlets and to cause successive tubes to register With the outlets of alternate pockets; a series of plungers, one lor each tube; a carrier to support the plungers in alinement with alternate pockets and successive tubes; and means to actuate said carrier to cause the plungers to eject the material from the pockets into the tubes and compress' the material in the latter, substantially as and for the purpose specied.

1l. An apparatusof the class specified, comprising a rotatable turret to carrya series ol spaced apart tubes; a hopper having a plurality ol outlets; a rotatable head having a series of pockets With inlets and outlets to receive material it'rom` the hopper; means to intermittently rotate the turret and pocket head to cause the inlets of successive pockets to alternately register with the hopper outlets and to cause successive tubes to register With the outlets of alternate pockets and With pockets Which are alternate to the pockets with the inlets in register With the hopper outlets; a series of plungers, one for each tube; a carrier for said plungers comprising a head in which the plungers are ockets slidably carried; and means to reciprocate the head during the periods of rest of the turret and pocket head, substantially as and for the purpose specied. v l

15. An apparatus of the class specied comprising a rotatable turret to carry, a

series of` tubes in spaced apart relation; a

hopper having a plurality of outlets;` a rotatable head having a series of pockets with inlets and outlets t0 receive material from the hopper; means to intermittently rotate the turret and pocket head to cause the inlets of successive pockets to alternately register With the hopper outlets and to cause succesy sive tubes to register With the outlets of alternate pockets and with pockets which are alternate to the pockets with the inlets in register With the hopper outlets; a series ol plungers, one for each tube; a head in which the plungers are slidably carried; and means to reciprocate the head comprising a reciprocable rack, a shaft, a gear on the shaft to f mesh with the rack, a slidable support for the head having rack teeth, and a second gear on the shaft meshingy with said rack teeth, substantially as and for the purpose specied.

16. ln a device of the class specilied, the combination of a hopper having a plurality of outlets; plungers; a plurality of pockets to receive material from the hopper outlets, means to successively place the pockets alter nately in register with the hopper outlets and plungers, and a support and carrier for a series of spaced apart tubes intermittently operable to place successive tubes in register With alternate pockets in register With the plungers, substantially as and for the pur. pose specilied.

17. ln a device of the class specified, the combination of a hopper having a plurality of outlets; plungers; a plurality of pockets to receive material from the hopper outlets; and means to carry a series of open end tubes in spaced relation, comprising a xed part to support 4and serve as an abutment for one end of the tubes and having an annular guidevvay for the tubes, a pair of spaced apart disks having recesses in the periphery to embrace the tubes adjacent opposite ends, and a head rotatable With the disks having perforations for the engagement of the open ends of the tubes, substan4 ull lili

llO

opposite ends, a head'rotatable with the of outlets; a rotatable head d1sks having perforations for the engagement of the open ends of the tubes, and means to intermittently rotate the disks and head with the tubes to successively place the open ends of the tubes in register with alternate pockets, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

19. In a device of the class specified, the

combination of a hopper havin a plurality of outlets; a rotatable head avm gear teethr on the peri heryand a plura ity of pockets having in ets and outlets to receive material from the hopper; a rotatable carrier for a series of o en end tubes including a head supporte in juxtaposed relation to the pocket head, said head having gear teeth on the periphery and perforations in which the open en s of the tubes engage; means to intermittently rotate the pocket head to cause the inlets of alternate pockets to successively register with the hopper outlets and to cause the o en ends of successive tubes to register wit the outlets of the pockets alternate with the pockets having the inlets in register with the hopper outlets, com rising a rotatable shaft, gears on said sha t to mesh With the teeth of the pocket head and the head of the tube carrier, a rotatable shaft, and a Geneva gear to impart movement intermittently from said latter shaft to the first shaft; and plungers to aline with the tubes and pockets alternate with the pockets in register with the hopper outlets during the periods of rest to eject the material from the pockets into the tubes and compress it therein, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

20. ln a device of the class specified, the combination of a hopper having a plurality aving gear teeth on the peripheryv and a plurality of pockets having outlets and inlets to receive material from the hopper; a rotatable carrier for a series of open end tubes including a head supported in juxtapose relation to the ocket head, said head having gear teeth on t e periphery and perforations in which the open ends of the tubes engage; a pair of pinions to mesh with the ear teeth of the pocket head and the hea of the tube carrier; and means-to impart intermittent movement to said inions and thereby to the tube carrier and pocket head, comprising a star wheel having transversely eX- tending guidewa s in one face thereof operatively connecte to the inions, a continuously rotating shaft, and a pawl mounted on the shaft to rotate therewith and have sliding movement thereon to engage in the guideways of the star wheel, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

21. In a device of the class specified, the combination of a hopper havin a plurality of outlets; a rotatable head avin gear teeth on the periphery and a plura ity of pockets having outlets and inlets to receive material from the hopper; a rotatable carrier for a series of open end tubes including a head supported inv juxtaposed relation to the pocket carrier, said head having gear teeth on the periphery and perforations in which the open ends of the tubes engage; a pair of pinions to mesh with the gear teeth of the pocket head and the head of the tube carrier; and means to impart intermittent movement to said pinions and thereby to the tube carrier and pocket head, comprising a star Wheel having transverse guideways in one face thereof and curved portions between the projections, a continuously rotating shaft, a rotate therewith and have sliding movement thereon to engage in the guideways of the star wheel, means to slide said pawl on the shaft to throw the same into and out of operative engagement with the guideways in the star Wheel at a predetermined time, and a disk rotatable with the shaft to engage With the curved portions of the star wheel to lock the latter against movement and having a recessed portion for the pas-V sage of the projections of the star wheel, substantially as and for the purpose specilied.

' ROBERT G. CLARK.

pawl mounted on the shaft to