US1629525A - Conveyer, wrapping, and labeling machine - Google Patents

Description

' 1927. May 24 P. D; PARSONS CONVEYER, WRAPPING, AND LABELING MACHINE Sheets-Shgt 1 1927. May 24 P. D. PARSONS CONYEYER, WRAPPING, IAND LABELING MACHINE Filed Deo. 2, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mic-m Patented May 24, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP D. PARSONS, OF SWARTI'IMORE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO SCOTT PAPER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CONVEYER, WRAPPING, AND LABELING MACHINE.

Application led December 2, 1926. Serial No. 152,104.

My invention is directed to improvements for wrapping rolls of toilet paper with an outside protecting wrapper and which may also contain the, label matter, whereby thc n wrapping and labeling may be done in an automatic manner and with great rapidity, said improvements being embodied in a machine. for conveying the rolls of toilet papel' from :i place or places ot' reception to and over label or wrapper applying and pasting means such as set out in Letters Patent No. 1,570,918 and No. 1,570,919 granted to me on January 26, 1926.

In my former patents above referred to, the conveying and labeling apparatus comprchended an endless conveyer chain structure having thereon lateral projections or pins upon which the rolls of toilet paper were placed and by means of which said rolls were conveyed to a paste and label applying means and by reason of which the labels were caused to be wrapped about the rolls and securely fastened in an automatic manner commensurate with the speed of the moving conveyer.

In the present invention, the same general character of conveyer and paste applying means is employed, but instead of a label of relatively narrow width, the wrapper employed in lieu of a separate label is made sulliciently wide to project beyond each end of the roll of toilet paper, and during the conveyance of the wrapper so applied, the projecting ends of the Wrapper are respectively gathered and tucked into the tubular core in an automatic manner. Moreover, the conveyer is so modified that the pins which support the rolls of paper provide suiicient space between them and the conveyer chain proper to enable the Wrapper to project over into the space between the roll of paper and the chain conveyer to which the pins are attached.

With the above and other objects in view, the nature of which Will be more fully understood from the description hereinafter, the invention consists in the novel construction of conveyer, Wrapping and labeling machine, as hereinafter more fully described and dened in the claims.

ReferringT to the drawings: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my improvements; F ig. 2 is a plan view of the same with part in section; Figs. 3 to 7, inclusive, illustrate the means employed for gatherin in the overlapping Wrapper and tuckmg it Within the hollow space provided by the core; and Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view of a portion of the conveyor with its laterally extended pins.

2 are upright frames extending from the floor and are provided with longitudinal guide bars 3 arranged in pairs and one above the other to form guideways 4. Endless conveyer chains 5 are guided in the guldeways 4. The conve er 5 is of a link belt variety and is provi ed at definite intervals along its length with laterally projecting pins 8, said pins having a collar 9 at a considerable distance from the'chain conveyer. These pins 8 are extensions of every alternate hinge pin 6 of the conveyer.

In practice, I prefer that the links of the conveyer which directly carry the pins 6 and 8'shall be connected by intermediate hinge pms 1() for uniting adjacent link portions so that the conve er may be readily .guided over a sprocket W eel 16 by which it receives motion, said sprocket wheel driven by an electric or other motor 14 through the medium of suitable gearing such as the Well known Worm and Worm Wheel transmission gearing enclosed Within the casing 13. The conveyer 5 may be made in any other convenient manner than that described and may be driven in any other suitable manner.

The paper rolls P may be of any ordinary construction, being usually Wound upon a soft cardboard core and having a diameter suitable for receiving a dispensing holder. The apertures through the rolls are considerably larger than the diameter of the pins 8 of the conveyer, so that When they are placed on the pins as they travel past the roll making machines (not shown), the operators place the rolls upon any unoc cupied pins, no care in this respect being required.

After the roll of paper P has been placed upon the pins 8, said rolls are conveyed in contact with a vertical roller 11 carried upon a lever 12 pivoted at one end and 0perating under a tension spring 7, so that the paper roll by contacting with the roller 11 is forced back against the collars 9 of the pins 8. The paper roll so positioned then passes over and in contact with paste applying disks 17 rotating in a glue pot 17a, and thereafter said rolls are conveyed over the Wrapper magazine 18 containing the wrapper and label sheets W and adapted to be raised by a vertically adjusta le sup ort 19 having a downwardly directed sha t 20 which is automatically raised by the lever 21 ulcrumed at 22 and counterwe hted at 23, whereby there is a constant ten ency to `move the wrappers verticall against the under portions of the rolls in the custody of the conveyer pins. As the rolls pass over the magazine', the pasted portions of said rolls pick up one end of the wrappers W whereby they are automatically wrapped about`the rolls while the latter are being conveyed over and in contact with said wrappers and labels. As the wrappers or labels leave the magazine, their upper portions are drawn from under a paste applying belt 49 which is mechanically driven transversely to the direction of travel of the conveyer and rolls, and by reason of the application of which paste or glue the wrapper is secured in enveloping position about i the roll and with the tubular ends of the wrapper projecting beyond-the roll, as indicated at E, E, which projecting ends are to be gathered and tucked into the tubular cores of the rolls. The particular details of the paste applying belt 49 is not shown in the present application, as the same is fully described and claimed in Letters Patent No.

1,570,919 aforesaid, and to which reference may be had for a more detailed understanding of such paste applying means.

will now describe my improvements in respect to the means employed for tucking the ends of the' wrappers over the 1frolla and into the cores. 24 is an endless sprocket chain having spaced. along its length a plurality of semi-circular buckets 25 whose radius of curvature substantially corresponds to the radial distance from the center to the perimeter of the toilet paper roll when covered by the wrapper, and this endless bucket conveyer is guided about a driving sprocket wheel 28 on a driving shaft 29 at one end, and at the other end about a sprocket wheel 26, freely rotating upon a shaft 27 carried in upright bearings 2%.

Arranged parallel to the bucket conveyer 24 is a short endless transfer bucket conveyer 33 guided about the sprocket pulley 28 at one end and about a driving sprocket wheel 30 at the other end, said sprocket wheel 30. being secured to and driven by a shaft 31 which, in turn, receives its power from the main driving shaft 32 through spur gearing 34. The short bucket conveyer 33 is provided with buckets 33a which are similar to the buckets 25ct the bucket conveyer 24. As shown, these buckets are semicylindrical having a curvature and radius which are adapted to receive the rolls of toilet paper P when surrounded by their combinedwrapper and label. As shown, the transfer bucket conveyer 33 travels immediately under the pins '8 and at the same surface speed, so that the rolls of toilet paper automatically pass into the buckets 33a during their travel under the influence of the conveyer 5, and, at the same time, the bucket conveyer 24 is also 'travelling at the same surface speed so that the buckets 25 and 33 of the two conveyers move along side by side 1n unison (F ig. 2). During the period of travel of the toilet paper roll in the combined custody of the buckets 33 and pins 8, the said rolls are shifted lengthwise of the pins' 8 so as to pass from the buckets 33a into position upon the buckets 25 of thn bucket conveyer 24. This is accomplished by means of the obliquely arranged transel sprocket chain'35 guided about horizona sai sprocket chain having downwardly projecting lugs 35EL which project just suiiciently to lbe able to catch the rim of the toilet paper roll to push it clear of the pin 8 and from one of the buckets 33t1 to one of the buckets 25, and b which latter it may then be conveyed in t e direction of the arrow, (Fig. 2), to the tucking mechanism T. The transfer chain 35 is driven by means of spiral gears 38 and a sprocket chain drive 39, whereby power is received from the main shaft 32. Any other suitable means for driving the transfer chain may be employed, and while -I prefer the transfer chain mechanism, the paper rolls may be transferred from the pins 8 into the buckets 25 in any other suitable manner.

Referring now to the mechanism for folding in the wrappers at each end of the roll and tucking the upper ends thereof into the hollow space within the core of the roll, the

. same is indicated at T in Figs. 1 and 2, and

the operative mechanism.- therefor is also illustrated in Figs. 3 to 7, inclusive, and comprise the following instrumentalities The bucket' conveyer shaft 27 is loosely journaled in upright frame 2a and inside from carrying the sprocket Wheel 26 for the bucket conveyer 24, it also carries two disk-like frames 40 secured to the shaft and arranged respectively on opposite sides of the bucket conveyer. At` intervals about these disk-like: frames 40 are secured bushings 41 to which are hinged tucking arms 42, there being preferably six such tucking arms to each bushing. The tucking arms 42 are'provided with specially shaped longitudinal slots 43 which are engaged by pins 44 on a sliding head 45 secured to the end of the reciprocating rod 46, said rod having lateral pins 47 moving in cam grooves 48 of the cam cylinders 50 which are firmly secured to the frames 2a and about which the reciprocating rods 46 are caused to travel by the rotation of the shaft 27 and disk-like frames 40. The camv grooves 48 are so shaped that the rods 46 are reciprocated rotating sprocket wheels 36 and 37,'

during a semi-revolution thereof about theaxis of the shaft 27, with the result that the pins 44 cause the tucking arms to be moved together' at their free ends to gather 1n the tubular extending wrapper about the roll P proper. The operation just described will be clearly understood from Figs. 3 to 7, inclusive, from which it will be seen that in Fig. 3, the arms are extended in a radial direction and are out of contact with the tubular wrapper extension IV. As the bucket conveyer still further advances, the cam groove 48 moves the sliding'head 45 slightly forward, with the result that the tucking arms 42 are caused to approach each other somewhat and press upon the outside of the tubular wrapper extension lV, as will be understood by reference to Fig. 4. A further advancement of the parts brings a still further movement to the sliding head 45 and also a greater extent of collapsing of the tucking arms, as indicated in Fig. 5. As the parts still further advance in respect to the stationary cani 50, the tucking arms become fully collapsed as indicated in Fig. 6, and finally the sliding head 45 is moved fully forward, with the result that the tucking arms are slightly spread and the plunger head 46a forces the gatheredgwrapped into the tubular core, as indicated in Fig. 7. It will be noted that the cam slots 43 in the tucking arms are such that said tucking arms are gradually closed for the main movement of the plunger and sliding head 45 and thereafter, When the paper wrapped is gathered to a central position over the opening in the core, the tucking arms are forced slightly apart sufliciently to enable the tucking plunger to be driven forward. Thereafter, the parts return to the condition shown in Fig. 3.

During these operations, the wrapper of the toilet paper roll is more or less retained in the bucket 25 by reason of the fact that the tucking arms are around the gathered paper and finally the plunger enters the hole in the core, but when. the said plunger is Withdrawn the wrapped toilet paper roll is free to drop out of the bucket, as is indicated in the left hand part of Fig. l.

I have described the tucking operation as applied to one end of the roll, butI it will be understood from Fig. 2 that a similar operation takes place simultaneously at both ends of the roll. Figs. 3 tot", inclusive, are intended to illustrate the special features of this operation at one end of the roll, but it is to be understood that the similar operation simultaneously takes place at the othe 0 end of the roll. f

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the toilet paper rolls P are received upon and conveyed by the main'conveyer 5 and caused to become wrapped with a Wrapper which may also be the label, and

thereafter, the roll together with the tubular I wrapper is suitably conveyed or transferred to a second conveyer and while in the custody therein have the tubular ends of the wrapper gathered and tucked into the tubular ends ofthe core, and I do not restrict myself to the particular means for transferring the rolls from the pins of the primary conveyer into the buckets or holders of the secondary conveyer, nor do I restrict myself to the particular means .shown for tucking in the tubular ends of the wrappers.

By printing the subject matter of the label upon the wrappers, it is manifest that the label and wrapper is applied by the same operation and, therefore, reduces the cost, but it is to be understood that in such cases as 'where the wrapper is of very thin materlal, and additional label may be wrapped about the wrapper of the toilet paper roll and secured in place as heretofore.

It will now be apparent that I have de vised a novel and useful construction which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable, and while I have in the present instance shown and described the preferred embodiment thereof which has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reiable results, it is to be understood that I do not restrict myself to the details, as the same are susceptible of modification in various particulars withoutn departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

I-Iaving now described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent s:

l. A machine of the character stated, comprising an endless conveyer having lateral pins at intervals along its length adapted for carrying in suspension rolls of paper to be enclosed with encircling wrappers which extend beyond each end of the rolls, combined with a magazine for containing the wrappers and having a width greatly wider than the length of the roll, means for feeding the wrappers toward the travelling pins which pass over the magazine, means for centralizing the rolls carried by the pins when passing over the'magazine whereby the wrappers extend a definite distance beyond each end of the roll, and paste applying means for cementing the wrapper about the roll while centralized therein.

2. The invention according to claim l, wherein further, means are provided for automatically gathering in the extended ends of the wrapper on each end of the roll and tucking the same into the central aperture therein.

3. The invention according to caim 1, wherein further, means are provided for automatically gathering in the extended ends of the wrapper on each end of the roll and tucking the same into the central aperture therein, said means comprising a secondary transferring means for delivering the rolls with their` associated wrappers from the pins to the-secondary conveyer device, means on opposite sides of the secondary eonveyer device for gathering in the opposite ends of the Wrappers and tucking them into the apertures 1n the rolls and means for moving said gathering and tucking means at a speed commensurate with the speed of travel ot' the paper rolls and wrappers while in custody of the secondary conveyer.

4. The invention according to clann l, wherein further, means are provided t'or automatically' gathering,r in the extended ends ot the wrapper on each end of the rol'L and tucking the salue into the central aperture therein, said means comprising a bucket conreyer for supporting the paper rolls with the wrappers thereof extending on opposite sides, a short transfer conveyor coupled to travel in synchronisin with the pins which carry the rolls of palper and also in synchronisni with the travel of the bucket conconveyer device,

l5 veyer, means for discharging the rolls from the pins and to the bucket conveyer while supported by the short transfer conveyer, J

and means arranged on opposite sides\of the bucket convcyer for gathering in the extended wrapper portions at each end of the paper rolls.

5. The invention according to claim 1, wherein further, means are provided for automatically gathering in the extended ends of the wrapper on each end of the roll and tuckinfg the same into the central aperture therein, said gathering and tucking means comprising a plurality of pivoted arms and operating means to cause said arms to fold together when gatherin in the wrapper ends and also provided with a reciprocating.;` plunger for forciblypushing the gathered wrapper ends into the central aperture of the roll, and mechanical means for moving the gathering and tucking means along with the travel of the paper rolls and for reciprocating the plunUer.

In testimony of which lnventioin hereunto set my hand.

PHILIP D. PARSONS.

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