US2116259A - Sealing mechanism - Google Patents

Description

May 3, 1938. l.. BENOIT ET Al.

SEALING MECHANISM Flled June 8, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 193s. L. BENCH Er AL 2,116,259

SEALING MECHANISM Filed June 8, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 24 May 3, 1938. L. BENOIT Er AL SEALING MECHANI SM Filed June 8, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 v zlf/@gn ga/gevang Q@ g fd/v,

.l n A May 3, 1938. L. BENolT grr AL SEALING MECHANISM Filed June 8, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 cnU Patented May 3, 1938 UNiTE D1 STTES PATENT ermee Moth, Tenay, N. Benoit J.; said Moth assigner to said Vimplication June s, 1936, serial No. 84,152

Claims.

The -device of the present invention in the form `shown is particularly designed for use in conjunction with a carton closing machine of the type illustrated in a copending application, Serial No. 81,208, led May 22, 1936, although the present sealing mechanism may be otherwise employed, either in conjunction with carton closing mechanism or for the purpose of sealing cartons closed by hand, or for the application of stamps, seals or the like, to cartons, boxes, or other objects generally.

`The mechanism is designed primarily to seal the cover llaps of an egg carton which is so constructed as to pro-vide a carton body having side walls each terminating in a cover flap adapted to be folded inwardly and downwardly to overlie the carton body. Each of the cover flaps terininates in a marginal tucking flap, and when closed the two tucking naps extend downwardly in vertical relation to the carton body and in Contact with one another along the longitudinal center partition which is afforded by folding the carton body along the longitudinal center. The carton body itself affords two trough-shaped compartments which are divided into cells by the provision 'of vertical cross partitions which are entered through slots in the trough-shaped divisions of the body with which they interlock. The bases of the cross partitions extend below the body walls and furnish the base upon which the carton is supported, and the cross partitions also aiord cross abutments for actuating the feeding mechanism of the present sealing appa-V ratus in the manner to be hereafter described.

Thesealing machine is designed to be actuated by the passage of each carton in a procession of iilled cartons and to feed downwardly a section of gummed tape from a` roll and to sever the section and apply the same to the joint or seam afforded between the turned down tucking flaps, the arrangement being such that each carton upon its arrival will initiate and complete the cycle of sealing operations, after which the sealing mechanism will stand idle until the arrival of the next succeeding carton.

The invention also includes means for restoring the sealing mechanism to its normal idle position in the event that it should get out of step for any reason, which is a highly desirable feature in order to insure the application of the seals uniformly to the intended position upon the carton. The invention also includes means for moistening the adhesive and for regulating the supply of water to the moistening bath for application through a strip of wicking to the gummed surface of the tape.

'The invention is also directed to the correlating and timing of the mechanisms provided for feeding, cutting and applying the severed sealing strips so that the sealing operations will proceed accurately, uniformly and rapidly, irrespective of the speed with which the cartons are delivered.

Further objects and details will appear from a description of the invention in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention showing thesame mounted upon the terminus of a carton closing machine of the character clescribed in the copending application above reierred to; l

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same looking inwardly toward the sealing mechanismirom the discharge end and toward the procession of oncoming cartons; Y

Fig. 3 is a detail of the star wheel and the restoring ydevice for resetting the same in the event it gets out of step;

Fig. 4 is a similar View showing the parts in a different operative position;

Fig. 5 is a detail taken on line 5 of Fig. 2 showing the presser roller for exerting pressure upon the sealing strip applied to the carton;

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation through the center of the sealing mechanism; and

Fig. '7 is a detail showing the cutting knife and associated parts for operating the same.

The sealing mechanism of the present invention is mounted at the terminus of the closing machine and is suitably supported upon bed plates In, It] which stand in spaced relation to one another and project outwardly beyond the framework I l of the closing machine, although the sealing mechanism might obviously be supported in 'any suitable or convenient manner.

The cartons are fed to the sealing machine by means of an endless. chain conveyor I2 having outstanding teeth or lugs I3, which in the present instance are suitably spaced to act upon alternate cross partitions M of the cartons. The cartons rest upon suitably driven conveyor belts I5 so that the advance of the cartons will be occasioned by the` positive action of the teeth or lugs I3 supplemented by the conveying action of the belts I5- The conveyor chain I2 passes around a sprocket wheel I6 which is power driven either directly or through themediation of the sprocket chain I2. The bed plates Il] are suitably spaced to permit the teeth or lugs I3 on the upper turn of the conveyor chain I2 to project upwardly in position to engage the cross walls I 4, and immediately in advance of the sprocket I6 is located a star wheel I1 having seven teeth I8 so spaced as to be engaged by the seven cross partitions I4 of the carton.

It will be noted from Fig. 2 that the carton is provided with a body I9 which is bent or folded to furnish two trough-shaped channels separated by a center partition 20 and that the cover flaps 2| are each provided with a marginal tucking flap 22 which are tucked downwardly into the carton body within the space adjacent to the longitudinal partition 28. The configuration is one which permits the exposed centers of the cross partitions I4'to engage the teeth of the star wheel and impart the necessary motion thereto to actuate the sealing mechanisms now to be described.

The star wheel I1 is mounted upon a shaft 23 journalled within brackets 24 hung from the bed plates I8. The bed plates furnish a support for spaced standards 25, which constitute the frame for the sealing mechanism. The standards at their outer ends 26 are bifurcated to afford mountings for the reduced ends 21 of a spindle 28 which carries a spool 2S upon which is mounted a roll 30 of adherent tape. The roll is supported `upon a pair of rollers 3l journalled at the ends of cross arms 32 on the standards and suitably spaced to support the tape roll 30 so that as the roll is depleted the spindle 28 will work downwardly through the slotted ends 26 without interfering with the feeding of the strip from the roll.

The strip is carried outwardly around a guide rail 33 and along the surface of an inclined guide plate 34, and through the bite of a feed roll 35 and a serrated idle presser roll 36, which roll is mounted upon a shaft 31 carried by spring bars 38, each of which at its upper end is secured to a block 36 supported by the guide plate 34. The blocks 39 also afford a mounting for shoulder screws 48 which pivot a swinging yoke 4I of inverted U-formation having side arms 42 and an inverted cross head 43 carrying a serrated knife 44 which operates through a cross slot 45 in the guide plate 34. The blocks afford a mounting for a guide bar 48a under which the strip is carried. The guide plate is also provided with an aperture 46 through which the surface of the feed roll 35 projects, and immediately below the cutting aperture 45 is located a cross guide bar 41 which serves to hold the sealing strip in position against the surface of the guide plate 34. TheV lower end of the sealing strip is carried beneath a presser roll 48 which is positioned to press down the severed strip section upon the surface of the carton. Before delivery to the carton, however, the gummed strip is moistened by contact with the outwardly projecting end of a swab of wicking 49, which is moistened in a manner presently to be described.

The feed roll 35 and the knife 44 are both positively actuated through transmission mechanism in train with the star wheel shaft 23. The means for actuating the knife comprises a cam 58 having a maximum elevation 5| andn an abrupt shoulder 52. The cam bears upon a roller 53 carried by an arm 54 which is Slotted at its lower end 55 to embrace the shaft 23. The upper end of the arm 54 is pivoted to a bracket arm 56 carried by the swinging yoke 4I, and the arm is drawn inwardly by the action of a spring 51. This arrangement affords a sudden cutting movement to the knife as the shoulder 52 of the cam 50 passes under the roller 53 and the spring 51 draws the arm 54 forward to release the knife.

The star wheel shaft 23 at its opposite end carries a cam 58 operating upon a roller 58 carried by an arm 60 slotted at its lower` end 6I to embrace the shaft 23. The upper end of the arm 60 is pivoted to a swinging arm 62 freely mounted upon a shaft 63 to which the feed roll 35 is keyed. rIhe shaft is provided with a ratchet wheel 64 coacting with a dog 65 pivoted upon the end of the swinging arm 62 and spring pressed to engage the teeth of the ratchet 64 for imparting a limited rotation to the shaft 63. The arm 60 acts against the tension of a spring 66.

The cam 58 in its relation to the swing of the arm 62 is computed to gradually feed forward the gummed section of the intended length in advance of the release of the knife 44, and thereafter, upon the restoration of the knife, to continue the feeding operation suciently to bring the terminus of the gummed strip beneath the guide rod 41 in preparation for the next succeeding feeding and cutting operation.

The wicking sw-ab 49 projects outwardly through the forward wall 61 of a tank 68 having a well 59. The wicking is supported upon an inclined plate 18, and the well receives the lower end of a supply pipe 1I which at its upper end receives the inverted mouth of a globe shaped bottle 12 carried by a suitable holder 13, the bottle being held in place by a spring arm 14. The arrangement is one which limits the feeding from the bottle, which constitutes a reserve reservoir, since the feeding will cease as soon as the water level rises sufficiently to immerse the discharge end of the tube 1I, thereby preventing ingress of air upwardly into the bottle. The inner end of the wicking swab is thus immersed to the intended degree to draw up the amount of moisture necessary to moisten the gummed strip as it is carried downwardly in contact with the end of the wicking swab.

The roller 48 is carried by arms 15 projecting inwardly from a cross rod 16 carried by standards 11. The rod has mounted thereon a yoke 18 having a finger 16 which embraces a pin 88 projecting from one of the standards 11, which pin mounts a spring 8l adapted to be regulated by lock nuts 52, the arrangement being such as to positively limit the down swinging movement of the yoke 18 and thus limit the downward pressure of the roller 48. The upward movement will be resisted by the spring 8l which when properly adjusted serves to impart the desired pressure to the severed section of the sealing strip to seal the same upon the carton as the latter passes beneath the roller 48.

If by any chance the strip feeding mechanism should get out of step with the advance of the cartons, unless corrected this would have the effect of applying the seal at the wrong point on the carton, and provision is made to correct such pcssible mal-adjustment of the parts by the means now to be described.

The star wheel shaft 23 has keyed thereon a mutilated ratchet wheel 83 having at one point in its periphery a plane section 84. 'I'he ratchet wheel coacts with a dog 85 carried by a swinging arm 86 loosely mounted on the shaft, the dog being held in engagement with the ratchet teeth by a spring 81. The swinging arm 86 has pivoted thereto a rocking arm 88 which is slotted at its opposite end 89 to embrace the shaft 90 which carries the conveyor sprocket I6 and which is constantly driven at uniform speed during the operation of the machine. The shaft 90 has keyed thereon a star shaped cam 9|A having, as shown, four rounded arms 92 which bear against a roller 93on the rocking arm 88 and serve'to advance the arm against the tension of a spring 94. Y

` The projection ofthe ratchet teeth is such as to permit them to slip past` the dog 85 during the normal rotation of the star wheel Il when carried around by the advance ofthe carton. If the star wheel and associated parts-are properly in step, the final passage of the carton will bring the plane section 84 of the ratchet wheel around to the point of contact with the dog 85, so that the latter will Vreciprocate idly upon the plane surface thus presented. If, however, the passage ofthe carton should leave the star wheel and associated parts out of proper position with relation to the coacting cartons, a toothed portion of the ratchet wheel 83 will `be presented to the dog 85, so that the reciprocation of the dog will turn the star wheel shaft 23 to the degree necessary to bring the plane section around to the dog and thus restore the parts to their intended position so that the next succeeding carton will feed andapply the seal at the intended point.

By the provision of the restoring mechanism, therefore, the operation of the star wheel is' so regulated th-at it will always be set to uniform position in advance of the arrival of an oncoming carton. During the passage of a carton, the dog 85 in engagement with a ratchet tooth will, on its active movements, followthe tooth around at the same rate of travel, and on its return movements will slip idly over the ratchet teeth, so that the dog only becomes functionally active in case the ratchet'wheel `should stop rotating at a point at which the dog engages a ratchet tooth during its active swing, in which event it will impart a restoring movement to the shaft 23 in the amount required' to bring the shaft around to its normal position.

Operation The operation of the device may be briefly summarized as follows: The filled cartons will be positively advanced to the sealing position by the engagement of the teeth or lugs I3 with the cross partitions of the carton, assisted by the carrier belts l5 upon which the base of the carton rests. During such advancement the alternate cross partitions of the carton will encounter the teeth of the star wheel and impart a definite or computed degree of rotation to the star wheel shaft. This turns the cams 5| :and 59 to the degree required to rst feed down a section of the gummed strip of the intended length and thereafter suddenly release the knife or cutter 44 which severs the sealing section from the remainder of the strip.

During the down feeding of the strip it will be moistened by the wicking swab 49 and its leading edge will be brought into contact with the top surface of the advancing carton, thereby causing an adherent contact to be established at the instant the gummed sealing section passes under the roll 48. At this instant the knife will descend and sever the section, which will thus be drawn down by the advancement of the carton and press down onto the surface to effect the sealing operation. After the knife has been withdrawn, the feeding of the main sealing strip will continue slightly until its leading edge has been brought beneath the guide rod 4l', which concludes the operations performed by the mechanism, after which the sealed carton passes to the discharge end of the machine and is removed.

By utilizing the carton itself as the means for actuating the sealing mechanism, and by providing means to effect a restoration of the parts to normal position in the event of mal-adjustment, an accurate sealing of the cartons can be secured at all times irrespective of the speed of arrival 'or the speed of passage through the machine.

Although the mechanism has been described with particular reference to the sealing of a carton having `cross partitions of the character shown, it is not the intention to limit the invention in any way to the sealing of cartons of this 'particular character, since the mechanism can be employed for the application of seals, stamps, or other gummed stickers, to boxes or other articles adapted to be fed through the machine, particularly when the same are adapted, `by reason of their configuration, to initiate the train of operavmeans for advancing an object to be sealed, means for sup-porting an adhesive strip, devices for feeding a predetermined section of said strip to the object to be sealed with each actuation of the mechanism, a moistening device located at a point between the feeding devices and the means for advancing the object for supplying moisture to a previously umnoistened section of the strip during its advancement to the sealing position, means for severing the advanced section at a point between the feeding and moistening devices, a member adapted to be engaged and have motion imparted thereto by the passage of an object to be sealed, and mechanisms operated by power imparted by said moving member for actuating the strip feeding and severing devices in timed relation to feed the leading end of the strip to a position to secure adherent contact with the advancing object before the severing mechanisms are actuated and to thereafter again feed the leading edge of the unsevered strip to a position below the severing devices in preparation for the next cycle of operations.

2. In a sealing mechanism, the combination of means for advancing an object to be sealed, means for supporting an adhesive strip, devices for feeding a predetermined section of said strip to the object to be sealed with each actuation of the mechanism, a moistening device located between the feeding devices and the means for advancing the object for supplying moisture to a previously unmoistened section of the strip during its advancement to the sealing position, means for severing the advanced section at a point between the feeding and moistening devices, a rotatably mounted member adapted to be engaged by the passage of an object to be sealed, and mechanisms in train therewith'and adapted to be operated by the rotation thereof for imparting feeding and severing movements to the feeding and severing mechanisms in timed relation to feed the leading end of the strip to a position to secure adherent contact with the advancing object before the severing mechanisms are actuated.

3. In a sealing mechanism, the combination of means for advancing an obj ect to be sealed, means for supporting an adhesive strip, devices for feeding a predetermined section of said strip to the object to be sealed with each actuation of the mechanism, a moistening device located between the feeding devices and the means for advancing the object for supplying moisture to a previously unmoistened section of the strip during its advancement to the sealing position, means for severing the advanced section at a point between the feeding and moistening devices, a rotatable star wheel having teeth adapted to be engaged by the object being sealed, cams operated by the rotation of the star wheel, and connections between said cams and the strip feeding and severing mechanisms respectively for operating said mechanisms by movements imparted to the star wheel and in timed relation to feed the leading end of the strip to a position to secure adherent contact with the advancing object before the severing mechanisms are actuated.

4. In a sealing mechanism, the combination of means for advancing an object to be sealed, means for supporting an adhesive strip, devices for feeding a predetermined section of said strip to the object to be sealed with each actuation of the mechanism, a moistening device located between the feeding devices and the means for advancing the object for supplying moisture to a previously unmoistened section of the strip during its advancement to the sealing position, means for severing the advanced section at a point between the feeding and moistening devices, a rotatable star wheel having teeth adapted to be engaged by the object being sealed, cams operated by the rotation of the star wheel, connections between said cams and the strip feeding and severing mechanisms respectively for operating said mechanisms by movements imparted to the star wheel and in timed relation to feed the leading end of the strip to a position to secure adherent contact with the advancing object before the severing mechanisms are actuated, and constantly actuated restoring mechanisms adapted to restore the star wheel to normal position in the event of mal-adjustment.

5. In a sealing mechanism, the combination of means for advancing an object to be sealed, means for supporting an adhesive strip, devices for feeding a predetermined section of said strip to the object to be sealed with each actuation of the mechanism, a moistening device located between the feeding devices and the means for advancing the object for supplying moisture to a previously unmoistened section of the strip during its advancement to the sealing position, means for severing the advanced section at a point between the feeding and moistening devices, a rotatable star wheel having teeth adapted to be engaged by the object being sealed, cams operated by the rotation of the star wheel, connections between said cams and the strip feeding and severing mechanisms respectively for operating said mechanisms by movements imparted to the star wheel and in timed relation to feed the leading end of the strip to a position to secure adherent contact with the advancing object before the severing mechanisms are actuated, a restoring mechanism comprising a rocking arm and means for imparting constant rocking movements thereto, a dog actuated by the rocking arm, and a ratchet having fixed relation to the star wheel and provided With a smooth section adapted to permit idle reciprocation of the dog'when the star wheel stands in normal position and to permit effective engagement between the dog and the ratchet to occur when the star wheel gets out of its intended step with the obj ects to be sealed.

LEON BENOIT. CLIFFORD C. MOTH.

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