US1968190A - Wrapping machine - Google Patents

Description

July 31, 19.34. F. R. CLARK WRAPPING MACHINE Filed Sept. 4, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. fiA/yc/s [Pass [2A 1% BY 9 2625 A TTORN E Y5;

WRAPPING MACHINE Filed Sept. 4, 1931 4 sheetsfsheet 2 '7 wfl 3; Q INVENTOR.

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y 1934- F. R. CLARK 1,968,190

WRAEPING MACHINE Filed Sept. 4, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVEN TOR. I fZ'Mc/s [1 05s CZ/MA ATTORNEYS.

July 31, 1934. F. R. CLARK 1,968,190

WRAPPING MACHINE Filed Sept. 4, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 31, 1934 UNITED STATES WRAPPING MACHINE Francis Ross Clark, Springfield, Mass., assignor to Package Machinery Company, Springfield, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application September 4, 1931, Serial No. 561,196

13 Claims.

This invention relates to wrapping machines, and has specific reference to a machine for wrapping and sealing in moisture-proof cellophane a package having'indented ends. While the machine taken as a whole has particular application to this specific use certain features may find employment in machines of other types. One object of the invention is to provide mechanism for forming the cellophane wrapper into the indented 19 ends of the package and for sealing it in place to produce a hermetically tight wrapping and to prevent the normally resilient cellophane from springing out of place. A further object is to provide improved means for applying a solvent between the overlying surfaces of the wrapper flaps. A further object is to improve the mechanism for evaporating the solvent. A further object is to provide improved mechanism for receiving a partially wrapped article from a wrapping wheel and 20 conveying it through the remaining folding mechanism. A further object is to improve the end folding mechanism heretofore applied to machines of this general character. Additional objects will appear from the following description and claims.

Referring to the drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a machine embodying the invention, taken at the edge of the folding channel;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, on a larger scale, of mechanism partially shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with th parts in a different position of operation;

1 Fig. 4 is a section on an enlarged scale, taken on line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a detail showing the start of the wrapping operation;

Fig. 6 is a detail showing the manner in which solvent is applied to the longitudinal margin of the wrapper;

Fig. 7 is a detail showing the ejection of the partially wrapped article from the wrapping wheel to the folding channel and the formation of the rear end tucks;

Fig. 8 is a detail plan illustrating the formation of the front end tucks and the application of solvent to the lower surfaces of the upper end flaps;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the mechanism in the position of Fig. 8, the article being omitted;

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the partially wrapped article in the condition of Fig. 8;

Fig. 11 is a side elevation showing the start of the formation of the upper end folds;

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the completion of thefolding of the upper end flaps and the application of solvent to the upper surfaces of the lower end flaps;

Fig. 13 is a side elevation showing the folding of the lower end flaps;

Fig. 14 is asectional detail corresponding to Fig. 13;

Figs. 15 and 16 are/ detail plans showing the heating and forming members for producing the indented ends of the Wrapper, with the parts-in inactive and active positions respectively;

Fig. 1'7 is a side view of one of the front end tuckers showing the arrangement of the wick for applying solvent to the lower surface of the upper end flap;

Fig. 18 is a section on line 18-18 of Fig. 17; and

for the first solvent applier.

The first wrapping operation (Figs. 1 and 5) is performed by a pusher 20 which carries an article a from a feedway 21 through a vertically disposed wrapper sheet b into one of four pockets formed by yieldable side plates 22 on an intermittently rotatable wrapping wheel or tumble box 23. The manner in which the article and wrapper are fed or in which the wrapping wheel is rotated does not form any part of the invention, and therefore has not been illustrated. Any of the standard mechanisms may be used for these purposes. The wrapper is initially positioned by a stop 24 non-symmetrically with. respect to the pocket in the wrapping wheel, so that when it is forced between the plates 22 one flap c (Fig. 5) will underlie and extendpartially over the lower surface of the article while the other flap (1 extends completely over the upper surface of the article and projects considerably beyond it.

As the wrapping wheel stops with the pocket at itsupper position (Fig. 6) the flap d rests against a stationary plate 25 mounted upon a. stud 26 (Figs. 1, 2, and 3) projecting from a portion 27 of the machine frame 28. The wrapper is preferably moisture-proof cellophane, which is very thin and without much rigidity, and it is therefore desirable to provide means for holding the flap d against the plate. In the present case a pipe 29 (Figs. 1 and 6) is provided, connected to a suitable source of air under pressure and provided with one or more holes 30 directed towards the plate 25. Air is permitted to issue from the pipe continuously during the operation Fig. 19 is a detail of the operating mechanism of the machine, serving to catch each succeeding tion to have solvent applied to it by the mechanism which will now be described.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, the frame part 27 is provided with ways 31 upon which a bracket 32 is adjustably secured by screws 33 passing into the frame through slots 34 in the bracket. The bracket supports a reservoir 35 having a filling opening 36 in its top and a wick 37 extending from its hollow interior to an exposed position on one of its sides. Upon an oscillating shaft 38 above the reservoir is an arm 39 to which is pivoted a dauber 40. A link 41 is journaled on a pivot 42 adjustably mounted in a slot 43 in the frame and is pivoted at its other end to a lug 44 extending from the dauber. The end of the dauber is slotted at 45 to receive a strip of wicking 46. During most of the machine cycle the dauber arm rests with its wick 46 against the wick 37 as in Fig. 3. When the flap (2 has been brought against the plate 25, however, the shaft 38 is rocked, causing the wick 46 to travel through the path indicated at 47 to apply to the end of the flap the solvent which had been absorbed previously from the wick 37. For oscillating the shaft 38 an arm 48 is secured to it, connected by a link 49 with a lever 50 (Fig. 19) pivoted to the frame and having a cam roll 51 running upon a cam 52 fixed upon the main cam shaft 53 of the machine. The arm 48 is preferably joined to the link 49 through a pivot 54 adjustably secured in a slot 55 in the arm; this adjustment, together with those obtainable with the pivot 42 and the screws 33, serving to vary the path of the wick 46 so that it may extend different distances down the plat'25. Changes in the length of the fiap d may thus be accommodated.

As the wheel again revolves a quarter of a turn the partially wrapped article is brought (Fig. 7) opposite the entrance to a folding channel comprising a bottom plate 60, spring-pressed top plates 61, and various end guides and folders which will be described specifically. A pad 62, carried by an arm 63 journaled on a stationary pivot 64 and urged towards the wheel by a spring 65 (Fig. 1) presses the flap d against portions 66 of the wheel during the movement of the wheel and the subsequent ejection of the article. The wrapper is by this means kept tight around the article. Ejection from the wheel 23 is accomplished by an arm 67 reciprocable through the pockets of the wrapping wheel as they are brought successively into position. The mechanism for operating the ejector has not been illustrated, as it is generally similar to that by which the ejector 143 of the Ferguson Patent No. 1,557,039, October '13, 1925, is moved. The ejector 67 differs from the one shown in the Ferguson patent, however, by being provided with a pair of spaced tucking members 68 which overlap the ends of the article and form the rear tucks e (Fig. 10). The corresponding front tucks f are made by stationary tuckers 69 mounted on each side of the folding channel. In order to permit the ejector to move the article well into the folding channel the rear tuckers 68 are provided with notches 70 so that they may overlap the front tuckers in the manner shown in Fig. 9.

As best shown in Figs. 17 and 18, the stationary tuckers 69 are each provided with a conduit 71 through which a wick or wicks 72 pass to a reservoir 73. The wicks preferably extend slightly beyond the upper surface of the tucker and are beveled off as at 74 so that the upper flaps g will not be caught and injured. As the package passes the tucking plates the wicks supply solvent to the lower faces of the upper flaps.

The articles are picked up from the position in which they are left by the ejector 67 by a pair of chains 75 (Figs. 1 and 4) mounted on sprockets '76, 77, and 78 and passing through slots in the channel bed 60. The sprocket 76 is connected by a chain 79 with a sprocket 80 on the shaft of the wrapping wheel, so that the chains 75 are moved intermittently in synchronism with the wrapping wheel. The first stops made by the pushers 81 on the chains 75 is in the position a (Fig. 1) where the previously moistened top flap g is folded down by folders 82. These folders are carried upon rods 83 mounted for vertical reciprocation in the frame and having at their lower ends a pin and slot connection 84 with a lever 85 pivoted to the frame and having a cam roll 87 running against a cam 87 mounted upon the cam shaft 53. These folders 82 are made in the form of plates which descend between extensions 88 (Fig. 8) of the side tuckers and the ends of the packages, thus knifing the folds in place in the manner shown in the Ferguson Patent No. 1,634,711, July 5, 1927.

The next advance of the article brings it to the position a it having meanwhile passed under a heater 89 which keeps the upper plate 61 hot and 'causes the solvent applied to the trailing flap d to penetrate and soften the coating both on that flap and on the underlying flap c and finally to be evaporated, leaving the flaps in permanent adherence. At this station a a stripe of solvent is applied to the upper surfaces of the lower end flaps h by mechanism which will now be described. At each side of the machine is a lever 90 (Figs. 1, 4, and 12) mounted upon a rocking shaft 91. Suspended at the end of the lever by a pivot 92 is a tank 93 provided with a filling opening 94. A wick 95 passes over the top of the tank and is then pointed directly downwardly, being held by a cover plate 96. The shaft 91 is rocked once during each stoppage of an article at the station a by a link 97 connected at one end to an arm 98 on the shaft and forked at its other end to embrace an oscillating shaft 99. A roll 100 (Fig. 4) on the link coacts with'a cam 101 on the shaft 99 so that the tanks 93 will be lowered upon each oscillation of the shaft. To produce this oscillation a pinion 102 (Fig. 1) on the shaft meshes with a rack bar 103 straddling the main cam shaft 53 and having a roll 104 running in a suitable grooved cam thereon.

During their travel from the station a to the next succeeding stop position a the articles are acted on by vertically reciprocating folders 105 (Figs. 1, 4, 13, and 14) which carry the lower end flaps h upwardly across the retaining plates 106 which receive the articles from the folders 82. These folders 105 preferably act while the article is in motion in order to avoid the necessity of too long a folding channel. The folders are carried upon rack bars 107 meshing with pinions on the oscillating shaft 99.

In the next stop position a3 the article is positioned, its folds'now completely made, between indenting plungers 108 (Figs. 1, 4, and 15) carried upon large electrically heated members 109. These members are mounted, as best shown in Fig. 4, upon the top of arms 110 each mounted upon a pivot shaft 111. One of the arms has a projecting lug 112 bearing a set screw 113 adapted to strike the upper side of a similar lug 114 upon the other arm. This second lug is adapted to rest upon a stationary set screw 115 and to be acted upon LTD by a set screw 116 mounted upon the end of a rocking bell-crank lever 117, the other end of which bears a roll 118 (Fig. 1) running on the surface of a cam 119 on the shaft 53. A spring 121 (Fig. 4) joins the two arms 110 so that they are drawn together by a yielding pressure except when forced apart by the cam 119. During the advancing movement of the articles the heating members are held separated, but they are allowed to approach each other as soon as the article stops. The plungers 108 force the overlying folds of the wrapper into the indentedends of the packages and by their heat cause the solvent to penetrate the coating and then to evaporate.

As the article is advanced again by the motion of the chains the article is deposited at station a, which is adjacent its former position due to the position of the sprockets '17. At the station a the package is in line with a pair of opposed plungers 122 also mounted on the members 109. By using two spaced pairs of heated plungers the time during which the packages are subjected to heat is increased without the necessity of increasing the period of dwell of the packages at any one station. Furthermore, by breaking up the heating period into successive stages with an intervening period of reduced pressure the escape of the volatile solvent is facilitated and danger of the volatilized liquid being forced into the interior of the package is minimized.

The completely wrapped artcles are delivered by the pressure of following articles onto a belt 123 by which they are conveyed away from the machine. A drag 124, held down by a spring 125, is preferably positioned adjacent the end of the delivery chute to exert resistance upon the package being delivered from the folding channel and thus to prevent overtravel of the arti le deposited by the chain in position a.

I claim:

1. A method of sealing articles which comprises applying a sealing liqui between overlying flaps of the wrapper, and applying heat and pressure to the overlying flaps in successive stages with a period of reduced pressure intervening to facilitate the driving off of entrapped sealing liquid by the heat.

2. A method of sealing articles in moistureproof cellophane which comprises applying between overlying fiaps of the wrapper a solvent for the moisture-proofing coating thereof, and applying heat and pressure to the overlying flaps in successive stages with a period of reduced pressure intervening to facilitate the driving off of the solvent by the heat.

3. A wrapping machine comprising means for forwarding step by step an article enclosed in a wrapper, heating devices presenting a plurality of spaced surfaces shaped to produce an indented end in the wrapper, and means for moving said devices towards the article so as to contact therewith at a plurality of rest stations and away from the article during its periods of travel.

4. A wrapping machine comprising means for forwarding step by step an article enclosed in a wrapper, an electrically heated member located adjacent each side of the article path and bearing a plurality of raised portions shaped to produce indented ends on the package, spring means yieldingly urging said members towards each other, and positively acting mechanism for moving said members apart at timed intervals to permit the article to be advanced from one to the other of said raised portions.

5. A wrapping machine comprising a folding channel, means for moving into the channel an article having a wrapper in tubular form around it, a front tucker at each side of the channel positioned to make front tucks in the tubular end extensions of the Wrapper, tuckers for making rear end tucks in said end extensions, a wick located in the upper surface of said front tuckers to coat the under side of each upper end flaps with a sealing liquid, and means for supplying a sealing liquid to the wicks.

6. A wrapping machine comprising a folding channel, means for moving along the channel an article having a wrapper in tubular form around it, a stationary folder at each side of the channel positioned to make front tucks in thetubular end extensions of the wrapper, tuckers for making rear end tucks in said end extensions, a wick located in the upper surface of said stationary folders to coat the under side of each upper end flap with a sealing liquid, folding means for turning the coated upper flaps against the ends of the article, a wick mounted for movement against the upper surface of each lower end flap, means for supplying said wicks with a sealing liquid, and folding means for turning the coated lower end flaps against the ends of the article.

7. A wrapping machine comprising means for supporting an article having a wrapper partially folded around it, a solvent reservoir, a wick ex tending from the interior of the reservoir, a transfer member possessing an absorbent surface, and mechanism for moving said transfer member periodically from a position of rest where its absorbent surface is in contact with the wick to a position where its absorbent surface contacts with the wrapper.

8. A wrapping machine comprising an intermittently rotatable wrapping wheel having pockets therein, means for inserting in the pockets successively a partially wrapped article having a wrapper fiap projecting therefrom, an abutment adapted to support the projecting flap at a later stage of rotation of the wheel, a solvent reservoir mounted in adjacency to said support, a wick extending from the interior of the reservoir, a transfer memberpossessing an absorbent surface, and mechanism for moving said transfer member periodically from a position of rest where its absorbent surface is in contact with the wick to a position Where its absorbent surface presses the projecting wrapper flap against said flap support.

9. A wrapping machine comprising means for supporting an article having a wrapper partially folded around it, a solvent reservoir, a wick extending from the interior of the reservoir, a transfer member possessing an absorbent surface, mechanism for moving said transfer member periodically from a. position of rest where its absorbent surface is in contact with the wick to a position where its absorbent surface presses the wrapper against the wrapper support, and means for adjusting the length of stroke of the transfer member to accommodate wrappers of different length.

10. A wrapping machine comprising means for supporting an article having a wrapper partially folded around it, a solvent reservoir, a wick extending from the interior of the reservoir, an oscillating shaft, an arm fixed thereto, a transfer member pivoted to said arm and bearing a strip of absorbent material at its free end, an adjustably mounted pivot, a link connecting said pivot and the transfer member, a second arm connected to the oscillating shaft and provided with av slot, and a reciprocating link adjustably secured in the slot.

11. A wrapping machine comprising means for forwarding step by step along a straight path an article having a wrapper upon it folded to provide opposite tubular end extensions, rear tuckers movable against said extensions for forming rear tucks therein, front tuckers forming front tucks therein, plate-like upper folders movable against the upper projecting flaps' of the wrapper during a period of dwell of the article to fold said upper flaps against the article end, and plate-like lower folders movable against the lower projecting flaps ofthe wrapper while the article is moving at right-tangles to the direction of movement of said foldersto fold said lower flaps against the article end.

12. A wrapping machine comprising means for forwarding step by step an article enclosed in a wrapper having a volatile sealing liquid between its overlapping flaps, a plurality of heating devices located at spaced rest stations of the article, and means automatically operable in timed relation with the forwarding means to move the heating devices against the article while the article is at rest and away from the article as the article is being moved ahead by the forwarding means, whereby heat and pressure is applied to the overlapping flaps in successive stages with a period of reduced pressure intervening to facilitate the driving ofi of the en trapped sealing liquid by the heat.

13. A wrapping machine for wrapping articles in a wrapper having a coating rendered adhesive by the application of a solvent which comprises means for wrapping an article in a wrapper with certain flaps of the wrapper overlapping, means for applying a solvent between the contacting surfaces of said flaps, and means for exerting heat and pressure against the overlapped flaps in a plurality of separate applications with a period of reduced pressure intervening to facilitate the driving oil of the entrapped solvent by the heat.

FRANCIS ROSS CLARQK.

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