US1814696A - Wrapping and banding machine - Google Patents

Description

July 14, 1931.. 1, HQHL 1,31%693 WRAPPING AND BANDING MACHINE Filed July 12, 1929 I5 Sheets-Sheet 1,

I N VEN TOR,

20m Z: flai ATORNEY I July 14, 1931. G. I. HOHL 1334 696 WRAPPING AND BANDING MACHINE Filed July 12, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 14, 1931. G. I. HOHL WRAPPING AND BANDING MACHINE Filed July .12, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 BY GIJgQIJZZZ/Zj @u) a IN VEN TOR 'A TTORNEY Patented July 14, 1931 GEORGE I. HOHL, F NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND WRAPPING AND BANnnve mammal Application filed July 12,

This invention relates to improvements wrapping and handing machines; and the invention has reference, more particularly, to a novel construction of machine for wrapping andbanding chewing gum, candy bars and similar articles.v

This invention has for its principal object to provide a very compact, comparatively simple and 'yet durable machine which can be operated at very high speed so as to be capable of a maximum output.

The invention has for a further objectto rovide a machine in which the wrapper foldmg devices consist for the most part in stationary folder elements with movable folding elements reduced to a minimum, and in which the articles to be wrapped together with the wrapper are carried and moved by an intermittently rotated carrier head in operative relation to said folder elements; and

- in which a similarly intermittently rotated 'banderhead is in conj u ate relationto said carrier head and sync ronously operated therewith to apply an outer encircling band to the wrapped article or articles.

The invention has for further objectsthe general simplification of the wrapping and handin machine as a whole with respect to the feedin of wrapping material and to the feeding 0 bands respectively to the conjugate carrier head and bander head, to the end that very high speed operation may be attained with mimmum wear and tear because of the reduction of moving parts to a minishowing the conjugate relation of carrier" head and bander head, and the relation of said heads to the folding devices or elements;

1929. serialfll'li. 397,685,

Fig. 3 is a detail transverse vertical, section, taken on line 33 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view looking down on the carrier head and folding devices, with cer tain of the latter shown in dotted outline to 1 a fragreveal underlying parts; and Fig. 5

aken on mentary transverse Vertical section, line 55 in F 4.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the hereinabove described 50 views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to said drawings, the reference character 6 indicates a suitable supporting plate or frame mounted in up-standing longitudinal extension on a suitable base 7. Mounted on a shaft 8, which is journaled in said supporting plate or frame 6, and which is driven by any suitable power transmission means (not shown) adapted to produce intermittent rotation thereof by quarter turns, is a carrier head 9. This carrier head 9 is provided, in radial extension therefrom and in circumferentially spaced relation ninety degrees apart, with a series of receiving pockets, each formed by parallel wall portions comprising a leading wall member 10 and a trailing wall member .11. The lateral marginal portions of said trailing wall members 11, at their outer faces, are provided with chamfered folder edges 12. Pivotally connected with the carrier head 9 within and adjacent to the leading wall members 10 are yieldable pressure plates 13 spaced from the inner sides of said trailing wall members 11 and yieldably pressed toward the latter by 5.

springs 14 intermediate the pressure plates 13 and leading Wall members 10. The spaces intermediate said pressure plates 13 and trailing wall members 11 form the receiving pockets within which the article or articles to be wrapped and the wrapper are inserted and carried during the wrapping operations. By the arrangement of carrier head thus provided the receiving pockets thereof are arranged in outwardly andlaterally open dia metrically disposed and oppositely extending pairs. Reciprocably slidable through the carrier head 9 and shaft 8 relative to each diametrically aligned pair of receiving pockets thus provided and arranged, are pushme bars 15, the free end portions of which are "-movable toward and from the mouths or entrances of said pockets for purposes which will subsequently ap car. In operation the carrier head rotates direction of the arrow in Fi 2.

. construction'in which may be de osited, to

form a vertical stack or column, t e articles to be wrapped and banded, as, for example, slabs of chewin gum. Arranged to reciprocate on said ta le 16 toward and from said stacker 17 and carrier head 9 is a plunger 18, which, on its forward movement, removes from the lower end of said stacker the de-.

sired number of articles to be wrapped and slides the same forward and into a receiving pocketof the carrier head while the latter is v at rest. Connected with a tail block 19, with which the rear end of said plunger 18 is provided, through a link 20 is the oscillating end -of a lever arm 21 operated by a rock shaft 22, which in turn is actuated by suitable timed power transmission mechanism (not shown). Y

. Suitably supported on a spindle 23 above said carrier head 9 is awrapping material supply roll 24. The wrapping material may be of any suitable kind, such as pager, tin foil, etc. Supported by hearing racket means 25, which may be attached to the stacker 17, are wrapping material feed rolls. Preferably these rolls comprise two pairs or sets, the upper set of rolls 26 being em loyed to pull the material from the supp y roll 24, and the lower set of rolls 27 being subject to timed intermittent rotation to feed, at proper times, a given measured length of the material downwardly across the mouth of .a

carrier head receiving pocket and in front of the articles moved by the plunger 18 to the carrier head 9, and so that the material will lie adjacent to a fixed folder plate 28 the lower folding edge of which is ali the upper edge of the mouth of said carrier head receiving pocket. Suitably timed transmission means (not shown) is provided for actuating said rolls 26 and 27.

Arran d below the feed rolls 27 is a stationary s ear blade 29 and a movable shear blade 30, between which the wrapping material is fed so that the desired given length thereof may be severed from the supply at the proper moment to insure the same being carried with the plunger propelled article or articles into a carrier head receiving pocket.

Said movable shear blade 30 is actuated by an om left to right in the,

ed with oscillatable lever 31 operated by a timed rock-shaft 32, the reciprocable blade actu-- ator 33 being operativel connected with the free end of said oscillatahle lever 31 by means of a link 34.

Suitabll); supported in fixed relation to the ends of t e carrier head 9, and so that the latter turns therebetween, are pairs of stationar folder blocks 35 and 36 which are shape to provide the stationary foldin elements hereafter specified. The carrier ead 9 isof a width corresponding to the len h of the wrapped article or articles. he width of the severed length of wrap ing material is greater than the length of t e article or articles to be wrapped, so that marginal portions beyond the ends of the latter are provided from which may be formed end covering wrapper folds. The lower folder blocks 35 are provided at their lower ends with portions 37 of reduced width so as to provide spaces 38 intermediate the same and the adjacent ends of the carrier head 9 to provide clearance for. the end projecting portions of the'wrapping material (see F 1g. 3).

As the plunger 18 moves toward the carrier head 9 the articles to be wrapped (which as illustrated in the drawings may comprise a plurality, five e. g., superimposed slabs of chewing gum) are carried forwardly so as to first engage a severed length of wrappin material, which is thereupon pushed, wit said articles, into a carrier head receiving pocket, which is arrested in aligned relation to the path of movement of the articles so. moved. The controlled delivery of the wrapping material is such that, when the severed ortion thereof is engaged bythe forward y moved articles, a pro ecting end of less extent than the width of the articles extends downwardly from the plane of the under side of the latter, while a projecting end of substantially greater extent than the width of the articles extends upwardly from the plane of the upper side thereof. As the articles and wrapper thus provided are ushed into the waiting carrier head receiv- .mg pocket, the lesser projecting end of the wrapper will enga the lip 39 of the trailing wall member 11 o f th pocket to be thereby folded under the bottom side of the articles entered in said pocket, while the greater pro- 'ecting end of the wra per will engage the I ottom edge of the fixe folder plate 28 to be thereby folded over the upper side of the articles entered in said pocket, but in such mannerasfto leave the free end portion thereof outwardly'extending from said pocket.

-Extending inwardly from the reduced porlongitudinally projecting end portions of the wra per at: the fold thereof around the forwar side of the articles are moved forward with the articles, as the latter enter the'waiting carrier head receiving pocket, the same will be engaged by the tuck fingers 40, and infolded or tucked against the ends of the articles, as shown at 41 in Fi 2 and 3, at the same time forming a folda 1e wing 42 aligned substantially to the bottom plane ofthe articles and a foldable wing 43 aligned substantially to the top plane of the artlcles, also shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

When the articles and wrapper have been entered in the waiting carrier head receiving pocket in the manner above described, the

' timed operation of the carrier head is such that a quarter turn thereof occurs in the direction of the arrow :2: in Fi 2. B such movement the 10 'tudmal y pro ect n wings 42 and 43 oft e wrapper arecarrie .agamst and past the folding lips-44 at the i lower inner portion of the lower folding blocks whereby such wings are turned into P l i fi -through e folder com the plane of the ends .of the articles, while at the sametime the proilecting end of the wrapb t plate 28 and turned downwardly over the outer side of the articles, leaving,

per is engaged e folder owever, projecting portions 45 extending beyond the ends of the articles (see Fig. 3) As the carrier head com. pletes the quarter turn,the rejecting por-.

tions 45 are carried into fol er cam grooves. 46 in the upper folder-I blocks 36, which lead toward the inner faces czar the latter.

--the carrier head dwells in, thepositionfat- 'tained by thmdescribedfquarter turn, a ;suc-,

ceeding set of articles and-"wrap j gare'in sorted inthe t t reef, At

the next quarterturn;

' portions45 of the wrapper ride t ooves 46 and are enby the faces 47 of the upper folder locks 36, beingthereby turned flat e carrier head, the

and while thelatter dwells at rest, laterally oscillatablo. folder blades are actuated to wipe,

ll'of the'receiving pocket, the extremities of the win 42 andf43 and projectin portions 45, so t at said parts are move to. overlie'the now upwardly resented face of the wrapped articles igs. 4 and 5), thus leaving a last remaining longitudinal fold 48 upwardl projecting from said upwardly resente face of the wrapped articles. Said aterally oscillatable folder blades comprise a pair of pivoted lever members 49 arranged respectively on opposite sides of the-carrier head 9, the rearward ends of the same being biased toward each other by an interconnecting spring 50, whereby the forward ends thereof are normally outwardly-swung to an inst the ends of the articles. At the completion of -this second quarter turn of the carrier head,

ends of said lever members 49 are roller bearin'gs 51, which bear against cam plates 52. Said cam plates 52 are fixed to the tail block 19 of the plunger 18 whereby on initial forward movement of thelatter for moving articles to be wrapped into the carrier head, said cam plates 52 engages the rollers to swing the lever members 49 so as to move the forward ends thereof toward the carrier head. Fixed on the forwardends of said lever members 49 are folder blades 53, which on inward swinging movement engage and fold down the wings 42, 43 and ortions 45 of the wrapper as above describe At this stage of the operations the wrapped articles are ready for transfer from the carrier head to a bander or label head. Mounted on a shaft'54, which is journaled in said supthe same being driven by any suitable ower transmission means not shown) where y in termittent rotation t ereof-in timed relation to the corresponding movements of the carrier head 9 is attained. Said bander head is provided in radial extension therefrom and in circumferentially spaced relation ninety degrees apart, with a series of receiving pockets, each formed by parallel wall portions com-fprising a leading wall member 67 and a trail Pivotally connected. with the bander head 55 within and adjacent f to 'the trailing wallm'embers'56 are .yieldable pressure plates 58 spaced from the leadmg wall member 56.

ing wall members 57 and yieldably pressed toward the latter by springs 59. Arranged for reciprocable. movement in and between diand from the mouths or entrances of said pockets for purposes to be hereafter explained.

Fixed. to said supporting frame or plate 6 "above and adjacent to said bander head 55 is a magazine 61 adapted to hold a supply of bands or labels 62. Said magazine 61 is open at its lower end, andbeneath the open bottom thus provided is a rotatable ejector roll 63, the rotation of which is timed in any suitable way to successively feed the bands or labels to the bander head through control means about to be described. Supported in connection with the lower open end of said magazine 61 is an upwardly and obliquely as I '-.ametrically opposite receiving pockets of saidbander head arevpush bars 60, the free end portions of which are movable toward projected sharp spur 64 which penetrates the;

lower bands or labels and retains all except i of the e'ectorroll 63 are a pair of cooperating fee rollers 66 and 67, the same being preferably annularly grooved to permit the movement of a depressor finger 68 there- 5 through. Said depressor finger 68 is subject to a timed vertical reciprocation by opera tion of any suitable actuating means. lVhile the bander head 55 is at rest the ejector roll 63 is timedto operate so as to move out of the magazine 61 the lowermost band or label therefrom, which band .is thereupon and thereby delivered to and between the feed rollers 6667 so as to be fed forwardly by the latter through a guideway formed by spaced guide plates 69. Asthe thus fed band leaves the feed rolls 66-67, the depresser finger 68 is timed to move downward and dex press the rear end of the band downward into engagement with a grooved push-post 2&70, one of which is carried on the leading wall member 57 of each receiving pocketof the bander head, whereby the band or label is disposed across the mouth of a receiving pocket which is ready to be moved into receiving position. Said depresser finger is spring biased to normal lifted position shown in Fig. 1, and may be actuated to depressed or operative lowered position by any suitable form of timing cam controlled mechanical motion adapted to swing down the rocker arm 68 to the free end of which said depresser finger is connected (also see Fig. 1). After the band or label is thus engaged and disposed, the timed operation of the bander head will effect a quarter turn thereof in the direction of the arrow y in Fig. 2, whereby the band or label together with the receiving pocket to which it is related is moved into opposed and aligned relation to the carrier head gocket in which the wrapped article is engage When the carrier head 9 and bander head 55 come to rest with the opposed receiving pockets thereof aligned, the machine 15 timed so that while a succeeding set of articles with a wrapper is being entered in a receiving pocket at one side of the carrier head, a

wrapped set of articles is being discharged fromgflie receiving pocket at the other side of the carrier head and entered in the 0pposed and aligned receiving pocket of the bander head. The transfer of the wrapped set of articles from the carrier head to the bander head is produced by the operation of the push-bars 15 of the carrier head. In order to assure a uniform high speed operation of the machine, I find it undesirable to 1 depend on the inward movement of entering articles at one side of the carrier head for actuation of the push-bars 15 to eject wrapped articles from the opposite side of the carrier head, since such method is not positive and accurate enough to assure timely and complete throw of the push-bars 15; 65 furthermore, the resultant pressure exerted on the goods or articles is likely to cause inury to or deformation of the latter, to say nothing of the resultant likelihood of so jamming the machine that it must be stopped and cleaned, whereby loss of operatin time comprises pivoted propulsion arms 71 ad acent to each side of the carrier and bander eads, said propulsion arms being actuated in proper time by a connecting rod 72 adapted to be reciprocated by a cam 73 which cooperates with rollers 74 carried by the rodl The push bars 15 of the carrier head 9 have laterally projecting ears 75, and the pushbars 60 of bander head also have laterally projecting cars 76. The rearward marginal ends of the propulsion arms 71 have abutments 77 which engage the ears 75 of the carrier head ush bars 15, while the forward marginal on s 78 of said propulsion arms engage the ears 76 of said bander head push bars 60. Simultaneously with the operation of the plunger 18, whereby articles to be wrapped are inserted at one side of the carrier head 9, the propulsion arms are swung forward so as to engage the push bar ears 7 5 to positively propel the push-bar 15 forward so as to e ect wrapped articles from the opposite side of the carrier head and into an aligned receiving pocket of the bander head. The inner faces of the propulsion arms 71 abut the end folds of the wrapper and retain the same against outward displacement from the positions to which they have been folded, thus, holding the same while the wrapped articles are being transferred from the carrier head to the bander head.

a As the wrapped articles enter the receiving pocket of the'bander head 55 the same engage the band or label 62 so as to fold the same fold 48 of the wrapper. The band or label 62 is so positioned relative to the mouth of the receiving pocket of the bander head that as it is folded into the latter a free projecting section 78 extends therefrom. The band or label folds over and around the infolded ends of the wings 42, 43 and 45 of thenism operates to apply glue or other suitable adhesive to the inner face of said projecting section 78. This pasting mechanism comprises a supporting bracket 79 suitably affixed to the frame 6 beneath the bander head. l\lounted. on this supporting bracket 7 9 is a glue pot or box 80, in which rotates a glue transfer roll 81, J ournaled in bearing arms 82 is a shaft 83 on which is fixed wiper fingers 84. The shaft 83 and its wiper fingers 84: are rotated from said transfer roll 81 by intermeshing gears 85 and 86. As the wiper fingers 84 are thus rotated, the free ends of the same pass first into contact with the surface of the transfer roll 81 to thereby receive a coating of glue, so that as the rotation of the wiper fingers 84 is continued, the glue coated ends of the same are carried in wiping contact with the inner face of the projecting end 78 of the band or label so as to apply glue to the surface thereof.

Aligned with the outer side of the bander head so as to oppose a receiving pocket of the latter when the bander head is at rest, is a runway 87 formed by a spaced bottom plate 88 and top plate 89, supported by brackets 90 from the frame 6. I

On a succeeding quarter turn of said bander head the wrapped articles with the band or label furnished with the application of glue are carried into alignment with said runway 87. As a wrapped article and band or label is being inserted within a receiving pocket at the inner side of said bander head, the wrapped and partially banded articles within the receiving pocket at the outer side of said bander head are ejected therefrom and thrust into the runway 87. This is positively accomplished by the forward swinging movement ofthe propulsion arms 71,

whereby the forward marginal edges thereof engage the ears 76 of the push-bar to cause the same to eject the wrapped and banded articles from the bander head and to thrust flit the same into the runway 87. As the wrapped and banded articles move into the runway 87, the glue coated projecting end 78 of the band or label is moved against the folding edge 91 of the bottom plate 88 of the runway, whereby the same is up-turned against the opposite infolded end of the band or label so that the glue acts to join said ends to complete the attachment of the band or label to the wrapped articles and to thereafter retain the same in such attached relation. Owing tothe fact that the top plate 89 of the runway is permitted a vertical play under avity, the same will press the wrapped and banded articles toward the bottom plate 88 whereby the band is securely retained in operative embracing relation until the glue is set; and consequently by the time the wrapped and handed articles are ejected from the runway 87 the same are in condition for packing in cartons or boxes.

It will be understood that the operations above described are successively carried on step by step in timed sequence and by the intermittent rotation of the carrier and bander heads;, and, that consequently the novel machine is adapted to be operated at high speed so as to produce a large capacity output in a given time. In practice the machine will attain and maintain a speed of approximately one hundred packages a minute. One of the important features in the construction and arrangement of the machine, and to which the possible high speed 0 ration may be largely attributed, is the irect communicating relation established between the carrier and bander heads, whereby the transfer of the articles worked upon is direct from the one to the other and not through intermediate runways, with the further provision of positive transfer mechanism acting directly upon the ejecting push rods of the respective heads, whereby'all strains or tendency to crush, distort or otherwise adversely disturb the articles, wrappers and bands is largely eliminated.

From the above description it willbe obvious that the arrangement of the machine is exceedingly. compact and that moving parts have been reduced to a minimum, particularly as to the-fold producing elements which, with the exception of the folder blades 53 are all stationary and are operative merely by the movement of the work past the same under the intermittent rotation of the carrier and bander heads.

It will be understood that many changes could be made in the above described construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims, consequently it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitin sense.

aving thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a wrapping machine, an intermittently rotatable carrier head having radial pockets to receive articles to be wrapped and wrappers therefor, stationary wrapper folding elements adjacent to the forward side and to the ends of said carrier head to produce certain longitudinal and end folds of the wrapper, oscillatable folder blades for in-folding the end folds of the partially folded wrappers, and means for ejecting the wrapped articles from the carrier head.

2. In a wrapping machine, an intermittently rotatable carrier lrtad having radial pockets to receive articles 1; be wrapped and wrappers therefor, a fixed folder plate longitudinally parallel with the recelvin side of said carrier head, lower folder bloc eluding tuck lingers arranged adjacent to the ends of said carrier head, upper folder blocks having folder cam grooves also arranged adjacent to the ends of said carrier head, oscillatable folder blades for infolding the end folds of the partially folded wrappers, and means for ejecting the wrapped articles from the carrier head.

3. In a wrapping and handing machine, an intermittently rotatable carrier head having radial pockets to receive articles to be wrapped and wrappers therefor, a fixed folder plate longitudinally parallel with the receiving side of said carrier head, lower folder blocks including tuck fingers arranged adjacent to the ends of said carrier head,

upper folder blocks having folder cam grooves also arranged adjacent to the ends of said carrier head. oscillatable folder blades for in-folding the end folds of the partially folded wrappers, a bander head also havingtradial pockets to receive wrapped ar-' ticles and a band therefor, said carrier head and bander head being arranged side by side so that in o eration the pockets thereof are successively l ironght into opposed aligned relation, push bars slidably extending through said carrier head in connection with diabars also slidahly extending through saii' hand er head in connection withtdianietri ly opposite pockets thereof. and osc mole propulsion arms for positively ar ng the push bars of said carrier and hander heads.

4-. In a wrapping and handing machine, an intermittently rotatable carrier head having radial pockets to receive articles to be wrapped and wrappers therefor. a fixed folder plate longitudinally parallel with the receiving side of said carrier head, lower.

5'' older blocks including tuck fingers arranged adjacent to the ends of said carrier head, upper folder blocks having folder cam grooves also arranged adjacent to the ends of said carrier head, oseillatable folder blades for iii-folding the end folds of the partially folded wrappers, ahander head also having radial pockets to receive wrapped articles and a band therefor, said carrier head and bander head being arranged side by side so that in operation the pockets thereof are successively brought into opposed aiigned relation, push bars slidably extending through said carrier head in connection with diametrically opposite pockets thereof. push bars also slidably extending through said bander head in connection with diametrically opposite pockets thereof, oseillatable propulsion arms for positively actuating the push bars of said carrier and bander heads. means for applying glue to portions of bands projecting from said 'hander head, and, a receiving run way oppos d to the outer side of said liander head having a folding 11p to complete the folding of the .glue coat-ed portions of the bands as the

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