US2164935A - Method and apparatus for forming parcel handles - Google Patents

Description

F. H. MEYER July 4, 1939.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING PARCEL HANDLES Filed Aug. 2, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

July 4, 1939. F. H. MEYER 2,354,935

} METHOD AND APPARATUS FOB FORMING PARCEL HANDLES Filed Aug. 2, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 39 ATTORNEY.

4, 1939. V F. H. MEYER 2,164,935

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING PARCEL HANDLES Y Filed Aug. 2, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 F' li-fi ull m' 102 1 2 H INVENTOR. I I l I r" L J 'IIIIIHHI y A/ BY ATTORNEX F. H. MEYER July 4-, 1 93&

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING PARCEL HANDLES Filed Aug. 2, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 i513 A TTORNEY.

Patented July 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING PARCEL HANDLE S Application August 2, 1937, Serial No. 156,962

ll Claims.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for forming parcel handles of the gummedpaper type and particularly that type of handle disclosed in a copending application of Woodford s F. Harrison entitlted Parcel handle, Serial No.

135,495, filed April '7, 1937.

The handle disclosed in the said copending application comprises a body member formed of an elongated strip of gummed paper and a lo reinforced paper bail member. The body member is perforated, and the ends of the bail member extend through the perforation, terminating on the gummed surface to which they are secured through the medium of the gum thereon.

13 Preferably, a reinforcing paper strip extends transversely of the body member on the gummed surface thereof adjacent the perforation to strengthen the same and distribute the strain of the narrow bail member throughout the entire 90 width of the body member.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for efficient quantity production of such parcel handles.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a method whereby materials for the body member, the bail, and the reinforcing strips of such a handle, supplied in continuous lengths or rolls, may be formed into handles, and to provide mechanism operating automatically to lead said ,1 materials from supply rolls, out, perforate and combine them rapidly and efficiently.

One form of the invention is exemplified in the accompanying drawings and described in detail in the following specification wherein further ob- 35 jects and advantages of the invention are made apparent.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodying my invention, and constructed to manu- 4n facture parcel handles according to my method;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. l for applying reinforcing strips to the parcel handle;

45 Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the same mechanism taken on line IIIIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 3;

Figs. 5 to 12, inclusive, are enlarged detail views of the portions of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1 for receiving the bail member of the handle forming it into the shape of a U or staple, and projecting its ends through perforations in the body member of the handle;

Fig. 13 is a front elevation similar to Fig. 1, but

with the major portion of the supporting plate and operating mechanism of the machine removed to disclose the drive means and connections between the same and the several driven units of the machine and also to disclose the structure of a cam which operates the bailforming members; and

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a handle formed by the machine.

Referring first to Fig. 14 of the drawings, a typical handle constructed by the machine is shown as comprising a body member ID of gummecl paper tape, and a bail member I I formed of a strip of suitable flexible material such as folded reinforced paper tape. The body member is perforated as at ill by U-shaped slits to produce tabs which may be forced away from the plane of the body member by the projection against them of the ends of the bail member ll. The extreme ends l3 of the bail member, after having been forced through the perforations 12, are bent against and glued to the under gummed surface of the body member l0. Reinforcing strips M of durable paper, preferably gummed on one side, are secured transversely of the body member Ill adjacent the perforations l2, and preferably before the bail member has been inserted.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the gummed paper tape In of which the body members of the handles are to be formed, is shown as carried on a roll l5 which is rotatably mounted on a shaft It. A bracket ll, extending upwardly from the roll It, carries a flexible fabric tape 8 with a weight If! at its lower end causing it to frictionally engage the roll 55 and prevent imdesired rotation of the roll I5 but permit it to rotate as the tape is drawn from it. From the roll I5, the paper In is laid over a guide plate which is in the form of an angle-shaped bracket secured to the main plate 2| which serves as a common support for the several mechanisms hereinafter to be described. A pair of pins 22 projecting upwardly from the plate 2ft guide and slidably support a weight 23 which acts as a friction brake to provide further resistance to the feed of the tape from the roll 15.

From this point the tape passes over an idler roller 24 and then through a driven cam 25 which will be referred to as a wetting cam carried on a driven shaft 2'5. The radius of the cam 25 is such that the lower or gummed surface of the tape I0 is normally spaced a slight distance above a wick 21 which has its lower end depending into a water reservoir 28. The reservoir 28 is pivotally supported with relation to the main plate 2| by means of a pin 29 and is provided with an adjusting screw 30 to rotate it about its pivotal support 29 and thus vary the distance existing between the upper end of the wick 21 and the lower surface of the tape l0. cam 25 contact the tape III as the cam is rotated, and the speed of rotation of the cam is so timed with relation to the movement of the tape that these lobes force the tape downwardly into contact with the wet wick 21 at intervals which will cause the gum of the tape to be wetted for reception of the reinforcing strips l4, shown in Fig. 14.

After the tape has been moistened for reception of the reinforcing strips 4, it passes between a knife-carrying roller and a roller 36, both of which are positively driven, and the details of construction of which are best illustrated in Fig. 4. The knife-carrying roller 35 is driven by a shaft 31, and the roller 36 is driven by a shaft 38. U-shaped knives indicated at 39 are recessed into the peripheral surface of the roller 35 and have cutting edges projecting therefrom to engage and out the perforations |2 in the paper tape as it passes over the roller 36. It is desirable, as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, that the roller 36 be provided with bronze or other relatively soft inserts 40 at the point where it is contacted by the knives 39 so that the action of the knife against this roller will not tend to dull its cutting edge.

After the perforations have been cut in the paper I0, it is led around and over the top surface of the roller 36, and as it passes the top most point of this roller, a strip of reinforcing paper is pressed against it, this strip being applied intermittently and its application being timed so that it is deposited upon that portion that has been wetted by the wick 21. Reinforc ing strips are fed from a continuous length carried by a reel illustrated at 42 in Fig. 1, and the mechanism for feeding the strips, for cutting them to proper length and pressing them against the wetted surface of the gummed paper tape is illustrated in detail in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

The tape l4 of which the reinforcing members of the handles are formed, and which is carried on the reel 42, is shown in Fig. 3 leading upwardly over an idler roller 45 carried at the outer end of a bracket 46 which extends outwardly from the face of the plate 2|. A friction brake in the form of a spring finger 41 presses the tape |4 downwardly against a guide block 48 and frictionally resists the intermittent feeding of this tape, which is accomplished by its passage between a rubber-faced idler roller 49 and a driving roller 50. The driving roller 50 has two raised portions 5| on its periphery with roughened surfaces so that upon rotation of the roller 56, which is positively driven by shaft 52, the surfaces 5| will intermittently engage and feed the tape by pressing it against the resilient surface of the idler roller 49.

The tape I4 is then guided between the top and bottom guide plates 53 and 54, respectively, and as it leaves the inner end of the guide plate 53, it is held against the lower surface of the same by means of a spring finger 55, This intermittent feeding of the reinforcing tape l4 causes its free end to be projected to a position overlying the uppermost surface of the roller 36 and underlying a presser plate 56. The presser plate 56, as best illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings, is carried by a lever arm 51 which is pivotally sup- Spaced lobes 3| on the wetting ported on a bearing member 58 by means of a pin 59. A spring 60 normally urges the presser plate 56 downwardly, and it is held upwardly against the tension of the spring 60 by means of a finger 6| which carries a pin 62 contacting the periphery of a cam 63 positioned directly behind the roller 36 and rotatable therewith. This cam 63 has peripheral depressions 64 into which the pin 62 drops as it rotates to permit the presser plate to snap downwardly against the paper tape ID as it passes over the roller 36. The outer edge of the presser plate 56 is of hardened steel and cooperates with a blade 66 to shear the tape l4 and thus separate from the main supply thereof that portion which has been positioned between the roller 36 and the presser plate 56. A spring finger 61 maintains the sheared strip of the tape I4 against the lower surface of the presser plate as it is moving downwardly, and until it contacts the wetted portion of the tape ID to which it is to be secured.

The gummed tape I0 is moving continuously as the reinforcing strip is applied to it so there is a tendency for the strip to slip or skid as it engages the tape. This is particularly true due to the fact that the gum on the tape is Wet and because the moisture applied to the tape may be slightly greater at some times than others. Furthermore, re-moistening gums such as are commonly used vary in their characteristics to the extent that some are more slippery when wetted than others. In order to prevent slipping of the reinforcing strips and insure their adherence to the tape ID in the proper place and position the means presently to be described are provided. At the points on the periphery of the roller 36 where the reinforcing strip is to be applied by the presser plate 56, this roller is provided with sharp pins 10 (see Figs. 3 and 4) which extend radially of the roller and are secured therein by means of set screws. The points of the pins 1|] project outwardly to pierce the paper tape l0 and to project into the reinforcing strip as it is pressed against the paper tape I6 and thus prevent the strip from skidding or slipping out of position. The lower surface of the presser plate 56 is provided with recesses II to prevent damage to the ends of the pins 76, and the roller 35 is provided with peripheral grooves 13 which also register with the pins 10 to prevent damage to their points as they pass this roller.

In order to secure a good shearing action between the outer edge of the presser plate 56 and the knife 66, a spring 15 (see Fig. 2) is carried in a tubular housing 16 at the back of the main plate 2| and is pressed by a screw 11 forwardly and into contact with the rear surface of the lever 51, tending to urge that lever outwardly on its pivotal support 59. The bearing member 58 through which this pivot 59 extends projects downwardly from an angle plate 18 secured to the main plate 2|.

After the reinforcing strips have been applied, the tape l0 passes over a large idler drum 19. In passing over this drum, a slight pressure is applied to the reinforcing strips, and time is permitted for the gum beneath them to dry or set so that they will be securely held in their proper position on the tape. Contacting the tape as it leaves the drum 19 is a rubber-surfaced pressure roller 60 rotatable on a shaft 8| to apply a final pressure desirable to insure firm adherence of the reinforcing tape.

The tape then passes over an idler 82 carried in a yoke 83 which is supported for vertical adjustment in a bracket 84 so that the length of the tape passing between the drum I9- and the point where the bails are applied thereto may be varied to synchronize the position of the perforations in the tape with the bail-inserting mechanism.

Next the tape passes through a wetting mechanism comprising a driven cam 85 carried by the shaft 91. A wick 89 depends into a reservoir 89 and this wetting mechanism is identical to the one shown at 28, but is designed to wet areas extending centrally and longitudinally of the tape rather than transversely of the tape, as this wetting is done in preparation for the application to the tape of the bail members, the ends of which are secured by the wetted gum to the gummed surface of the tape as illustrated in Fig. 14.

After the tape leaves the wetting mechanism, it passes around the periphery of the bail-forming and bail-inserting drum which is generally indicated at 99, and which serves the purpose, as will presently be described, of shaping the bails and projecting their ends through the perforations in the tape I9 so that they may be secured thereto by means of the moistened gum.

The tape II from which the bails are to be formed may be, of course, of any flexible durable material, but the tape illustrated in the present instance is that referred to in the above mentioned copending application. This tape comprises a paper strip.gummed on one side and having its edges folded inwardly to embrace a pair of reinforcing twines and to abut each other at the center of the gummed surface, The tape II is carried on a reel 9| provided with a weighted friction tape 92 similar to the weighted tape I8 heretofore described. The tape II is led from this reel between an idler 93 and a rubber-surfaced idler 94. A knife-carrying roller 99 cooperates with an idler 91 against which a knife 98 acts to sever the tape II as it passes between roller 96 and idler 91. The roller 96 is positively driven on a shaft 99 so that the tape is severed at predetermined intervals and separate lengths thereof are projected downwardly alongside the bail-forming drum 99.

These lengths of bail strip II are received by the bail-forming heads generally indicated at I99, six of which are provided in the bail-forming drum, and each piece is shaped by them into a staple, the ends of which are projected through the perforations of the tape. The construction of the heads and the manner in which they operate to form a bail is best illustrated in Figs. 5 to 12, inclusive.

Each of the heads I99 comprises a block I9I mounted for reciprocating movement radially of the drum 99. The block I9I, as illustrated in Fig. 8, has grooved sides which embrace a pair of parallel guide members I92, and has an inwardly extending pin I93 carrying at its inner end a roller I94 riding between cam tracks I95 (see also Fig. 13). The cam tracks I95 are shaped to impart a desired reciprocal movement to the block I9I as the drum 99 is rotated by its shaft I96. The block I9I reciprocates within a rectangular box, the side walls of which are cast as at I91 on the forward face of the drum 99.

As a piece of the bail tape II is severed, it occupies a position tangent to the drum 99 at the extreme left-hand side thereof, as viewed in Fig. 1, and directly opposite the outer end of one of the bail-forming heads I99. In this position of a head I99, the block I9I thereof has been advanced outwardly by its roller I94 and the cam tracks I95 until its outer face is approximately flush with the periphery of the drum 99, as illustrated in Fig. 5.

Spaced brackets I98 at the forward end of the block I9I carry a bearing pin I99 upon which is rotatably mounted an elongated block I I9 of rectangular cross-section and having a notch III formed in one corner thereof. This block II9 carries a U-shaped gripper finger II2 (see also Fig. 8) which cooperates with the forward face of the block II to grasp and retain the bail tape I I at approximately the instant that it is severed from the main supply by means of the knife 98. The gripper finger H2 is held in. either its open position or its closed position by means of a spring II4 supported on a post H5 at the inner end of the block IM and engaging with the notch III in a manner to exert pressure against the rotatable block II9 either above or below a line passing through its center of rotation so that the finger I I2 may be snapped either to its open or closed position against the tension of the spring H4 and retained in either position by the same spring. A pin IIB projecting from the inner end of the block II9 strikes against the block I9I, as llustrated in Fig. 5, to limit the opening movement of the gripper finger H2, and the closing movement thereof is limited by the engagement of the finger with the tape II positioned against the forward face of the block I9I.

As theb lock I9I slides outwardly to the position of Fig. 5, the rotatable block II9 engages the bent end of a rod H8 carried by a lug II9 on a bracket I29, which bracket spans the head member and is secured to the front face of the drum 99 by means of screws I2I. This causes the finger II2 to close against the tape II, as illustrated in Fig. 7, and as the drum 99 continues in its rotary movement, the block I9I is retracted by means of its roller I94 and the cam tracks I95, and the ends of the tape member II are drawn into the box formed by the side walls I91 so that the tape is caused to assume the shape of a staple as illustrated in Fig. 10.

While the bail member is being thus grasped and formed into the shape of a staple, the head I99 by which it was originally received has moved from its position at the left-hand side of the drum in Fig. 1 to a position approximately at, the bottom of the drum where the perforated handle tape I9 is stretched across its outer face, the shape of the cam tracks I95 then causes the block I9I carrying its U-shaped staple to be advanced outwardly, and during this outward movement the ends of the bail tape II are projected through the perforations in the tape I9 as shown in Fig. 11 a sufiicient distance to permit of their being bent over and secured to the wetted gum on the under surface of the handle tape.

At this point, a resilient finger I22 carried by a bracket I23 which spans the head member and is secured thereto by means of screws I24, engages an upstanding ear I25 of the gripper finger H2 and rocks this finger to its open position, thus releasing the bail member I I and permitting it to be carried away from the drum 99 as the handle tape I9 subsequently leaves the drum.

As the bail strip is drawn into the space between the walls I9'I which impart to it its staplelike shape, there may be some tendency for its ends to curl inwardly toward each other and away from these walls. To obviate this tendency and maintain sufficient rigidity of the bail strip to enable it to be forced readily through the perforations I2 of the body member, it is guided in its movement along the walls I01 by finger I30. The fingers I30 are pivotally connected by screws I3I to the walls I01, and are connected together by a bridge I32. A spring I33 supported on the bracket I20 engages the bridge I32 to urge the outer ends of the fingers I 30 to their guiding position as illustrated in Figs. 9 and 11. The fingers I30 are spaced from the walls I01, a distance approximately the thickness of the bail strip I I so that this strip may be slidably received between the fingers and the walls. Short pins I34 (see Fig. 10) are carried by the fingers I30 to engage the upper edge of the bail strip and prevent any undesired movement thereof in the plane of the walls I01. When the block IOI moves outwardly to release the bail and receive a new strip to be formed into a bail, its forward or outer edge engages the fingers I 30 which are inclined downwardly at their outer ends, and lifts them out of their guiding position, as illustrated in Figs. and 7. As the block I 0| recedes, the spring I33 urges the fingers back to their guiding position so that they embrace and guide the ends of the bail strip as it is being pulled into the space between the walls I01. After the bail has been formed by one of the heads I00, the forward movement of the block IOI causes the ends of the bail strip to be projected outwardly through the perforations of the body member I0, as illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12, and this occurs when the head I00 is at approximately the lowermost point of its circular path of travel.

Of the two ends of the bail strip which are projected, one must be bent forwardly with respect to the path of travel of the drum 90 so that it may be pressed against the wetted gum of the tape I0, and for the same reason, the other must be bent rearwardly. The means for bending forwardly one of the ends of the bail member are shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings where a sleeve I36 is illustrated as mounted on a rotatable shaft I31. A rod I38 is slidably mounted in the sleeve I36, and the springs I39 interposed between the ends of the sleeve I36, and heads I40 carried by the ends of the rod, tend to centralize the position of the rod and to resist its sliding movement through the sleeve I36 in either direction. The heads I40 carry small metal wipers MI and resilient pressure rollers I42. The rotation of the shaft I31 in the direction of the arrow at is so timed with relation to the movement of the drum 90 that when the ends of the bail members are projected through the tape I0 to extend radially outwardly from. the drum 90, the first of these ends is engaged by the wiper I4I to bend it in the direction of travel of the drum 90. toward the wetter spot on the gummed surface of the tape I0.

The roller I42, which immediately follows the wiper MI and which serves as a resilient pressure member due to the sliding mounting of the rod I38 and the pressure of the springs I39, presses the end of the bail member against the wetted spot where it remains until it passes under a stationary guide and wiper I43 and then under a belt I44 which follows the periphery of the drum throughout about one-quarter of its circumference to hold the end of the bail member against the wetter spot during drying of the gum. The second projecting end of the bail member which is illustrated at I 45. in Fig. 1 is unaffected by either of the rollers I42, but is bent rearwardly by the plate I 43 just before it enters beneath the belt I 44.

The belt I44 leads over drums I41, I48 and I49, and an adjustable tightening roller I50, and is thus held in firm contact with the periphery of the drum 90, the tape I0 and the ends of the bail members passing between the drum 90 and the belt I 44 to insure proper adherence of the ends of the bail member to the wetted gum of the tape. The drums I48 and I40 are carried by driven shafts I52 and I53 respectively, rotation of these shafts being timed to cause the belt to travel at the same rate of speed as the drum 90 so that it follows the periphery of the drum and does not slip or slide thereon to result in disturbance of the members being dried.

A rubber-faced pressure roller I 54 is preferably mounted to bear against the inner surface of the belt I44 at the point where it leaves the drum 00, and thus supplement the pressure of the belt itself and further insure adherence of the ends of the bail member.

The tape I0 with the completed bail member secured thereto follows the belt I44 over the drum I48. The bail members which then project upwardly from the top surface of the tape I0 in the form. of a rectangle are folded or laid fiat against the surface of the tape 50 by means of a stationary wiper plate I56 under which they pass. A rubber-faced pressure roller I51 bearing directly against the drum I49 imparts sufficient pressure to crease the material of the bail members and retain them in their fiat folded position.

The handle members which are now completed as they leave the machine may be fed into any suitable mechanism for rolling them, folding them, or cutting them apart, depending upon the type of dispensing mechanism in which they are eventually to be contained. In the event that it is desired to maintain them in the form of a continuous strip from which the single handles may be torn as they are delivered from a'dispensing device, it is foreseen that it may be desirable to perforate or weaken in some way the tape It be tween adjacent handle members. Suitable perforations may be provided in the tape R0 for this purpose by means of an auxiliary knife or perfo rator blade carried by the roller 35 (see Figs. 1 and 4) which carries the knives 39 for forming the perforations I2.

Referring to Fig. 13 of the drawings, a motor I 60 is illustrated as disposed behind the main plate 2I to actuate all of the driven parts of the machine. A main drive belt Ifil, driven by a pulley I62 on the motor, drives a pulley I65 carrying a small sprocket I54 fixed to the shaft 81 which is driven thereby. A chain I66 is driven by the small sprocket I 64, and meshes with an idler sprocket Ili'l and sprockets on the shafts 99, I52, I53, I31, and an idler sprocket Hi8, and a sprocket on the shaft 31. The drum 95 which carries the bail-forming heads is driven by a sprocket I on its shaft I08 and a chain I1I which passes over an idler sprocket I12, and is driven by a sprocket I13 also fixed to the shaft I31. The shaft 26 is driven by a chain I which is driven from a sprocket on the shaft 30, this shaft receiving its driving movement through a sprocket I16 engaged by a chain I11 which meshes with a sprocket on the shaft 31 and also drives the shaft I18. The shaft I10, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, extends through the plate 2I and carries at its forward end a beveled gear I19 meshing with a similar gear I80 affixed to the shaft 52 which carries and rotates the cam 50 (see Fig. 3) which intermittently advances the reinforcing strip I4.

In the foregoing description, the method of forming a parcel handle is described which comprises perforating the body member of the handle, then forminga bail strip into the shape of a staple and projecting its ends through the perforations in the handle. The apparatus illustrated for carrying out this method includes a rotary drum carrying the bail-forming heads. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the particular apparatus shown, but that the bail-forming means may vary in construction and may be stationary or movable in other than a circular path. Other modifications may also be resorted to in the construction and arrangement of the several parts of the invention as it is herein disclosed within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The method of forming a parcel handle comprising a body member of gummed paper tape and a bail member of flexible tape secured thereto which comprises perforating the body member, bending the bail member to the shape of a staple, and projecting its ends through the perforations in the body member.

2. The method of forming a parcel handle comprising a body member of gummed paper tape and a bail member of flexible tape secured thereto which comprises perforating the body member, bending the bail member to the shape of a staple, confining the bail member to such shape, and projecting its ends through the perforations in the body member while so confined.

3. The method of forming a parcel handle comprising a body member of gummed paper tape and a bail member of flexible tape secured thereto which comprises perforating the body member, bending the bail member to the shape of a staple, confining the bail member to such shape, projecting its ends through the perforations in the body member while so confined, bending the ends against the gummed surface of the body member, and then releasing the bail member from its confined position.

l. The method of forming a parcel handle having a gummed paper body member and a bail member formed of a flexible strip which, comprises perforating the body member, wetting the gum thereon adjacent the perforations, then projecting the ends of the bail member through the perforations and pressing said ends against the wetted gum.

5. The method of forming a parcel handle having a gummed paper body member and a bail member formed of a flexible strip which comprises wetting the gum on the body member at spaced points, perforating the body member adjacent the wetted points, placing reinforcing members transversely of the body member at said points, then wetting the gummed surface again near the perforations, projecting the ends of the bail member through the perforations and pressing said ends against the wetted gum.

6. An apparatus for forming parcel handles which comprises means for moving a continuous strip of gummed tape, means for moving a flexible bail strip in timed relation thereto, means for severing the bail strip, and means for projecting the several ends thereof through the gummed tape during such movement.

7. In an apparatus for forming parcel handles, a forming head for receiving and shaping a flexible strip into the shape of a staple and ejecting the same, and means for passing a perforated tape over the end of said forming head whereby the ends of the staple-shaped strip will be passed through the perforations thereof.

8. In an apparatus for forming parcel handles, a bail-forming member comprising means for receiving a length of a flexible strip, means for drawing said strip into said bail-forming member, and means for projecting the ends of the strip from the forming member and through a tape disposed adjacent the forming member retaining the bail.

9. An apparatus for forming parcel handles comprising means for perforating a strip of gummed tape, means for wetting the gum thereof adjacent the perforations, means for forming bail members, means for projecting the ends of the bail .members through the perforations in the tape, and means for pressing said ends against the wetted surface as the tape and bail-forming means move in a common path.

10. In an apparatus for forming parcel handles of gummed tape with flexible tape-like bail members, means for placing reinforcing strips transversely of a continuously moving strip of gummed tape which comprises means for feeding the reinforcing material intermittently, means for cutting it in short lengths, means for pressing said length against a wetted surface of the gummed tape at regular intervals corresponding to points where the bail members are to be secured to the tape, and

means for projecting pin points through the tape and into the reinforcing strips to prevent skidding of the strips as they are applied to the wetted gum.

11. An apparatus for forming parcel handles of gummed tape with flexible bail members secured thereto which comprises a plurality of bail-forming heads supported in a rotatable drum, means for passing a continuous strip of gummed tape over said drum, means for perforating, means for reinforcing and means for wetting the tape as it approaches the drum, means in the bail-forming heads for projecting the ends of the bails formed thereby through the perforations in the tape passing over the drum, and means for engaging and pressing said ends against the wetted gum of the tape before the tape leaves the drum.

FERD H. MEYER.

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