US2047486A - Method and apparatus for wrapping articles - Google Patents

Description

y 1935- e. MEYER-JAGENBERG 4 Q A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING ARTICLES Filed Nov. 9, 1934 9 Sheets-Sheet l oezcera Juiy M, 1936. G. MEYER-JAGENBERG 9 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WR APPTNQ' ARTICLES Filed Nov. 9, 1954 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 IIIIIA'IIIIWIIIIIIIIIIIIII July 14, 1936.

G. MEYER-JAGENBERG METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING ARTICLES Filed Nov. 9, 1934 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 July 14, 1936. I G. MEYER-JAGENB-ERG' r 2,047,486

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING ARTICLES Fig IIIIII July 14-, 1936.

G. MEYER-JAGENBERG METHOD AND APPARA'IEUS FOR WRAPPING ARTICLES Filed Nov. 9, 1954 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 July 14, 1936.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR Filed Nov. 9, 1934 G. MEYER-JAGENBERG WRAPPING ARTICLES 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 July 14', 1936. s. MEYER-JAGENBERG 2,047,486

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING ARTICLES Filed Nbv. 9, 1934 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 ain/1 21 eyer y 1936- G. ME YER-JAGENBERG 2,047,486

" METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING ARTICLES Filed Nov. 9, 1934 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 Affy Patented Jul 14, 1936 UNITED STATES METHOD APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING ARTICLES Giinther Meyer-Jagenberg, Dusseldorf, Germany Application November 9,

1934, Serial No. 752,358-

Germany November 9, 1,933

13 Claims. I

This invention is directed to a method and apparatus for wrapping substantially round articles in appropriate material, with the extended ends intertwisted and coiled to prevent casual unwrapping.

It has heretofore been proposed towrap a flat sheet of material around an article, with the ends of the wrapper lapping, and intertwisting the lapped ends beyond the article for holding the m wrapper in place. This method of securing a wrapping about an article relies particularly upon the twisted condition of the ends and as the ends so twisted usually project beyond the article, there is more or less liability of a casual untwisting during transportation or handling, with a consequent loss of the purposes of the wrapper.

The primary object oi'the present invention is to so arrange the wrapper around the article that the meeting ends of the wrapper are disposed with their inner surfaces in contact and projected away from the article, with the intertwisting of the projecting portion of the wrapper causing these contacting ends to be rolled into a seamlike connection, as distinguished from the ordinary wrapping arrangement of v the previously known wrapping. methods of this character. Through the intertwisting of the ends, the meeting edges of the wrapper are rolled into a seamlike formation, which so interlocks these edges as to avoid the possibility of separati'onin casual handling, and thus the wrapper will servev as a complete closure under all normal conditions, being as effectively interlocked throughout the seam of the wrapper overlying the article as at the twisted ends. 1

A further object of the invention is thepro sion of means which, during the final twisting operation of the projecting ends of the wrapper, will cause said twisted ends to be more or less coiled with respect to the axis of wrapping to thus cause the twisted ends to'be placed closely adjacent the article being wrapped to further protect against casual separation or opening.

' The invention involves the method for carrying out the particular type of wrapping as well as. the apparatus for perfecting the method. The improved method consists in placing a wrapper of I selected material about the article to be wrapped so that the meeting ends of the wrapper are arranged with their relatively inner surfaces in contact and projecting away from the article being wrapped. These contacting ends are then gripped and twisted, duringwhich the meeting portions of the ends immediately overlying the 65 article are rolled into an interlocked seamed rethe transfer of the article during the twisting of the wrapping and coiling operation, Figure 12 lation to provide an eiiective sealing while at'the same time the ends of the wrapper projecting beyond the article in both directions are intertwisted to. close said ends, with the intertwisting continued until the wrapper is in more or less close contact with the article being wrapped. Following or during thefinal stages of the intertwisting, the intertwisted length at each end of the wrapper is caused to follow a path which will compel the intertwisted portion to assume a substantially coiled form in close contact with the surface of the wrapper overlying the article.

By this method, the wrapper is interlocked about the article and the twisted ends eflectively coiled in close proximity to the article.

The apparatus for carrying out the method is, in a preferred form, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation, partly in section, showing the apparatus with the parts substantially in normal positions.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a view in elevation, partly in section, showing the means for feeding the wrapper to the apparatus. a

Figure 4 is an end view, partly in section, ofthe apparatus.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the parts in the positions occupied inthe initial application of the wrapper.

Figure 6 is a similar view showing the wrapper following the completion of its'initial movement about the article.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating initial position to a secondary illustrating particularly the coiling operation.

- Figure 13 is a plan showing the coiling operation.

Figure 14 is a perspective view of the completed article in the wrapper, showing one twisted end coiled as the result of the method and apparatus.

Figure 15 is a diagrammatic view showing a modified form of band by which the article is turned during the coiling movement.

With particular reference to Figures 1, 2, and 4, 5 it will be noted that the articles to be wrapped,

indicated at I, are advanced singly by means of stop 5 prevents its further advance.

to be periodically moved to release the forward article for further movement in the same direction and retard succeeding articles until the first article is out of the way.

A stop 5 is arranged in the path of the article advancing beyond the gate 1 and at the lower end of the stop and on each side thereof are pivotally supported downwardly inclined plates 6 which act to support the article from beneath while the The stop 5 is yieldingly held in position on a pivot 5' and by a coil spring 5" and the supporting plates 6 are held in supporting position by connecting springs 6', such plates being thus permitted to move outwardly under pressure from above.

The wrapping material, indicated at 20, is fed from a roll over appropriate guide rollers 13 and I4 and onto a platform i5. The wrapping material is preferably dampened by an appropriate dampening mechanism illustrated more particularly at l2 in Figure 3. Grippers operated in timed reciprocation through appropriately actuated rods II, are designed to be advanced to the edge of the platform l5, grip the wrapper and move the same to a position beneath the plates 5, the grippers carrying the free edge l of the wrapper beyond said plates in the direction of the latter movement, as clearly indicated in Figure 1. As the wrapper reaches this position, a cutter l6, actuated by timed mechanism of conventional form and not necessary to illustrate, is moved downwardly to sever the wrapper against an appropriate metallic edge at the end of the platform l5, as indicated in Figure 4.

The paper web has one appropriate wrapper dimension in its width which constitutes the overlies spaced suction heads I3 and I9, which suction heads underlie those ends of the wrapper which correspond to the longitudinal margins of the wrapping material web; that is to say, the suction heads are disposed parallel to the path of movement of the wrapper in initially positioning the same. These suction heads are mounted for rotation about pivots 2| and 22 at the upper ends of arms 23, one of which arms, as the one supporting the suction head I3, is mounted for swinging movement at 3| through the medium of a rod 24 actuated by swinging lever 24 and by rotating cam 24". The arm 23 of the other suction head I9 is mounted for sliding movement on an appropriate support through an arm 23 actuated by a conventional timed swinging lever 23", a pin and slot formation l9 serving to guide arm 23'. The lever 23 is moved by a rotating cam 23" Immediately beneath thearticle held between the plates 6 and against'the stop 5 is a concave receiver 3 supported upon a post 3 operated by conventional and timed mechanism to move downwardly at the appropriate stage of operation. Overlying the article in the position stated is a plunger 4 rounded on its lower end and preferably having a protective layer at such lower end to avoid man'i ng the article. The plunger, including the upright 4', is actuated by conventional timed mechanism not necessary to illustrate, and when the parts described are actuated, the plunger forces the article downwardly into the receiver 8 carrying with it the central portion of the wrapper and displacing the plates 6 to permit this movement. The plunger and receiver then move downwardly with the article while at the same time the arms 23 of the suction heads move inwardly. As the article continues its downward movement and the suction heads move inwardly, the wrapper will finally be disposed about the article in one direction.

During the inward movement of the suction heads l8 and IS, the heads proper are swung by appropriate conventional means on their pivots 2| and 22 until they finally reach a plane horizontally above the article, with the heads aligned. The swinging movement of the suction heads is caused by the fixed cams 2|" and 22", against which the rollers 2| and 22' of the said suction heads are forced. This movement of the heads is an uninterrupted one, so that as the operation of the initial wrapping is completed, the heads will have disposed the ends of the wrapper above the article being wrapped, with the inner surfaces of such ends in contact, as substantially illustrated in Figure 6. The wrapper is thus applied about the article with the ends thereof projecting upwardly from the article with their inner surfaces in contact.

The projecting ends of the wrapper above the article are then gripped by grippers 25 and 25. These grippers are illustrated more particularly in Figures 1, 2, and 4. Each gripper includes a sleeve 29' supported on the upper end of an arm 29 pivotally mounted for swinging on a shaft 3|, the arm being appropriately operated by a crank shaft 29" through a rod 29". Rotatably mounted in the sleeve 29' is a hollow core 32 on which is fixed a gripper lip 34. Pivotally supported upon the core 32 is a cooperating gripper lip 44 influenced by the roller 45.

A rod is movable longitudinally through the bore of the core 32 and appropriately operated by an arm 42 having an arcuate pressure member 43 to engage the gripper lip 44 and swing the same into gripping cooperation with the gripper lip 34. The gripper 25, a duplicate of the gripper 26, onsists of a fixed lip 34 and a movable lip 44. A rod 35 is slidably arranged in the hollow core 32 and is provided with a projecting end 46. A quadrant 43, fixed to a swinging lever 42, operates to advance to the outer end of the rod 35, pushing the same inwardly and causing the projecting end 46 to bear against the roller 45 and open the gripper by moving the lip 44. The core 32 is provided at one end with a pinion which is in mesh with an arcuate rack 39 carried on the upper end of an arm 39 mounted for swinging movement on the shaft 3| and operated by a connecting rod 33" and by rotating crank shaft.

The gripper lips 34 and 44 of each gripper 25 and 28 are thus brought into gripping cooperation through the endwise movement of the rod 35 and are capable of being rotated axially through cooperation of the pinion 40 and rack 39. As the article to be wrapped and the wrapper reach the position shown in Figure 6, the edges 41 and 48 turned up by the suction heads with their inner surfaces in contact will be in position to be between the gripper lips 34 and 44 of each gripper 25 and 26. These grippers, of course, engage the ends of the outstanding portions of the wrapper and at thispoint in the operation, the rods 35 tion and move back substantially have been operated to cause the gripper lip 44 to be brought into gripping cooperation with the complementary gripping lip 34. The ends 01' the wrapper in line with the projecting portions are thus held in the grippers and at this point in the operation the suction heads are relieved of sucto normal position.

The arm 29 is then swung downwardly and, at the same time, the arm 39' is moved to the left, as illustrated in Figure 1, turning the pinion 40 and thereby the grippers with the effector twisting the ends of the wrapper. In the initial turning movement of the grippers, they will operate, as indicated in Figure 10, to roll in the projecting upper meeting ends of the wrapper which have been positioned. by the suction heads and which the grippers and 26 initially engage, as shown in Figure 9. These projecting contacting edges 41 and 48'of the wrapper are rolled or interlocked and the twisting operation incident to the turning of the grippers is continued until the grippers are positioned at substantially the axis of the point of twisting, that is, the transverse axis of the article being wrapped.

As the article and wrapper are moved downwardly through the medium of the plunger 4 and receiver 8, they are finally positioned in a carrier' 21 having spaced arms appropriately shaped to receive and support the article in the wrapper. These arms are actuated through appropriate mechanism of conventional type, including a swinging lever 21' and a rotating cam 21", and as the rotation of the grippers complete the rolling in of the seam, the plunger and receiver withdraw, leaving the 'wrapped article supported onthe arms 21.

During the movement of the lever 29 carrying the grippers to the right, the grippers are continually rotated through cooperation with the oppositely moving racks 39. There is thus a continuous twisting operation of the ends of the wrapper, during which the cores 32 carrying the grippers .are moved inwardly toward each other through the cooperation of a roller 21 in order to compensate for the natural shortening in the length of the material'incident to the twisting. This movement of the parts carries the wrapped article on to an endless traveling belt or belts 49. I

As the wrapped article reaches the belt or belts 49, the twisted ends inwardly of the grippers 25 and 26 are engaged by a further pair of grippers 50 and 5|. The grippers 50 and ii are mounted for bodily movement in a direction longitudinally of the path of travel of the upper phase of the belts 49. The grippers 50 and ii are mounted on a pair of levers pivotable at 50" and driven by connecting rods and rotating dlscs'ili. Such grippers 50 and ii are capable of swinging movement about a pivot 53 but do not revolve in themselves. These grippers 50 and 5| grip the twisted ends inwardly of the grippers 25 and 26 and move the wrapped article alongthe belt or belts 49 and as the belts, in their movement, turn the wrapped article while the twisted ends areflrmly held by the grippers 50 and 5|, there is a further and tighter twisting incident to this cooperation.

As the twisted ends, which have now been relieved of the grippers 25 and 26, are shortened incident to this additional twisting movement by thebelts 49 and grippers 50 and ii, the grippers swing inwardly on their'pivots 53 to accommodate the reduced length of the. twisted end. The grippers 5i! and 5| are compelled to travel during the movement of the wrapped article along of the wrapper, means {or carrying the article 76 the belt through an arc which'at the start is in the line of twisting axis and which gradually moves below that line as the articles are advanced along the belts. Thus, the line of movement 0! the grippers 50 and 5| is indicated by the line oi travel K in Figure 12. This carries the ends of the twisted portions-which are held between the grippers 50 and 5| into a plane below the axis of twist indicated at W, with the result that these twisted ends are compelled to coil inwardly substantially in contact with the wrapper about the article, the coiled ends being indicated at 52 in Figure .14. .Toinsure'a proper turning movement of the article and its wrapper during the holding of the twisted ends, an upper belt 55 may be provided, the operative phase of which is, of course, moving into a direction opposite to the operative phase of the belt or belts 49.

In certain types of articles, particularly those which, when stored, are apt to lose their shape,

the top wrapper belt 55 will not always be sufllcient to insure proper rotation of the articles in connection with the belt. 49 owing to this altered b belt isarranged as indicated in Figure 15. In this form, the wrapper belt, here indicated at 60, is led over rollers 63, 64, and 65 fltted in a guide pieceGl pivotally supported at 62. Through appropriate mechanism of conventional type. the guide piece BI is swung on its pivot until the belt is arranged in the formoi' a loop 68, so that the grippers 50 and SI will move the article in its wrapper into this loop 01 the belt, which, of ,course, is traveling in the appropriate direction, to insure that the article will be'appropriately turned by the belt. As the loop will accurately fit the article notwithstanding a somewhat irregular shape and-as it is tensioned to grip the article through a tensioning roller 56, it is apparent that an efiective rotation of the wrapped article will be obtained in the movement 01' the belt. When the wrapping is completed, and the grippers 50 and 5| released, the guide 8| is swung back to normal position indicated in dotted lines in-Figure l5, whereupon the upper phase of the belt provides a conveyor forthe delivery of the wrapped articles beyond the machine.

What is claimed to be new is: 1.v An apparatus for wrapping substantially means for positioning a wrapper, means for supporting an article above the wrapper, means for depressing the article and wrapper, suction heads vfor engaging the ends of the wrapper, means for moving the suction heads to fold the wrapper 'about the article in one direction with the inner surfaces of the edges in contact, grippers for engaging the contacting edges-beyond the article, and means for revolving the grippers to interi'old the contacting edges and twist the projecting ends of the wrapper.

2. An apparatus for wrapping substantially round and similarly shaped articles, consisting in means for positioning a wrapper, means for supporting an article above the wrapper, means for depressing the article and wrapper, suction heads for engaging the ends of the wrapper, means for during the twisting operation laterally and downwardly, and a moving belt for receiving the article and operative to turn the article during the furthe: twisting thereof.

3. An apparatus for wrapping substantially round and similarly shaped articles, consisting in means for positioning a wrapper, means for supporting an article above the wrapper, means for depressing the article and wrapper, suction heads for engaging the ends of the wrapper, means for moving the suction heads to fold the wrapper about the article in one direction with the inner surfaces of the edges in contact, grippers for engaging the contacting edges beyond the article, means for revolving the grippers to interfold the contacting edges and twist the projecting ends of'the'wrapper, means for carrying the article during the twisting operation laterally and downwardly, a moving belt for receiving the article and operative to turn the article during the further twisting thereof, and means for deflecting 'the twisted ends of the article during the final twisting to coil such ends.

4. A construction as defined in claim 3, wherein 23 the grippers are mounted for a predetermined longitudinal movement to compensate for the variation in length of the twisted ends during twisting.

X 5. A construction as defined in claim 3, wherein the means for deflecting the twisted ends include grippers fixed against rotation and mounted for free pivotal movement, and means for guiding the last named grippers for deflecting the twisted ends.

6. An apparatus for wrapping substantially round and similarly shaped articles, consisting in means for positioning a wrapper, movable supports for supporting an article above the wrapper, a plunger for moving the article and wrapper 4o downwardly to the supports, suction heads for engaging the downwardly moving wrapper, means for operating the suction heads to carry the same upwardly around the article with the inner. surfaces of the meeting edges in contact, grippers for engaging the extreme ends of the contacting edges, means'for' revolving the grippers'to interfold the contacting edges and subsequently intertwist the open edges of the wrapper beyond the article, a receiver for the article, a moving belt,

means for operating the receiver to deliver the article to the moving belt for rotation thereby, means for moving the grippers with the article,

and secondary grippers for engaging the twisted ends and holding the ends fixed during the rotation of the article by the belt.

'7. A construction as defined in claim 6, wherein the last named grippers are movable to displace 5 and coiling operations.

9, A construction as defined in claim 6, wherein the first named grippers are mounted for longitudinal movement to compensate for the varia- 15 tion in length of the wrapper during twisting operation, together with means for compelling a predetermined longitudinal movement of the grippers during the twisting movement thereof.

10. A method of wrapping substantially round 20 and similarly shaped articles, consisting in folding a fiat wrapper about the article with the inner surfaces of its meeting ends in contact throughout the length of the wrapper, and subjecting the ends of the wrapper beyond the article to 26 a twisting operation to simultaneously interfold the meeting ends of the wrapper throughout the length of the article and twist that portion of the wrapper beyond the ends of the article.

11. A method of wrapping substantially round 30 and similar articles, consisting in enveloping the article in a fiat wrapper with the inner surfaces of the free edges of the wrapper in contact, and subjecting the ends of the wrapper beyond the article to a twisting operation to simultaneously 35 interfold the meeting edges of the wrapper between the ends and twist said ends.

12. A method of wrapping substantially round and similarly shaped articles, consisting in enveloping the article in a flat wrapper with the 40 inner surfaces of the wrapper in contact beyond the article, and subjecting the meeting ends of the wrapper to a twisting operation to simultaneously provide an interlocking fold of the meeting portions of the wrapper between the twisted areas 46 and the twisting of the meeting surfaces of the wrapper beyond the interfolded portions thereof. 13. An additional step in the method defined in claim 10, consisting in subsequently coiling the twisted ends of the wrapper to reduce the pro- 50 jection of said twisted ends beyond the article.

GUN'I'HER MEYER-JAGENBERG.

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