US2304396A

US2304396A - Wrapping machine folder

Info

Publication number: US2304396A
Application number: US387134A
Authority: US
Inventors: Stephen M Bodolay
Original assignee: Package Machinery Co
Current assignee: Package Machinery Co
Priority date: 1941-04-07
Filing date: 1941-04-07
Publication date: 1942-12-08
Anticipated expiration: 1959-12-08

Description

S. M. BODOLAY' WRAPPING MACHINE FOLDER Filed April 7, 1941 Dec. 1942.

INVENTQR JTL'Pl/[AM 5000 y ATTOFZEYs Patented Dec. 8, 1942 WRAPPING MACHINE FOLDER Stephen M. Bodolay,Springfleld, Mam,

tolachge Balm! Machinery Company, Springfield,

Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application April "I, 1941, SerialNo. 387,134

7 Claims.

This invention relates to. improvements in folders for wrapping machines of the general type described in my prior application Serial No.

364,164, filed November 4, 1940. Folders of the type there described comprise a flexible member projecting laterally from an endless chain or other conveyor movable in an endless path. The flexible folder is adapted to contact a wrapper flap with its leading edge and fold it down, and then to hold the folded flap by contact with the body of the continuously moving folder while its leading end and the article move away from each other. Since this type of folder moves continuously in an endless path, it may have a very high and steady speed, and has the further advantage of giving a tight foldbecause it does not move backwardly with respect to the folded down flap, as do the usual type of reciprocating folders.

I have found that a considerable improvement in the tightness of the fold, particularly in the case of irregular or non-rectangular articles, can be obtained by the addition of yielding extensions to the flexible member, so that these extensions will be folded down during passage across the article and will straighten out as the article and folder diverge, this straightening serving to give a frictional pull on the folded flap in a direction to tighten it still further around the article. These yielding extensions are preferably in the form of bristles, and have the further advantage that they make the device less critical inthe matter of spacing from the surfacevof the article to be wrapped.

The invention will now be described in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the improved folder at the start of its folding action;

Fig. 2 is a similar view at a later stage;

Fig. 3 is a side view, partly in section, showing one way of mounting the flexible folder; and

Fig. 4 is a top plan of the folder and its carrier.

The'folder is composed, as in the previous case referred to, of a plurality of segments I pivoted on rods ll extending laterally from chains 12 directed and driven in an endless path as by sprockets l3, l4, l5, l6; and H. The segments have alternating concave and convex interfltting sides, as indicated at I8, and are held together by chains l8 and 20. Chains i2 are preferably provided with stationary guides 2| during the portion of their travel when the folder is in contact with the wrapper to preserve projecting from it lateral extensions which may be in the form of flexible sheets arranged on edge but are preferably formedas a row'of bristies 22, conveniently located in holes spaced along the segment.

The action of the folders is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It will there appear that the leading end of, the flexible folder, which is formed, of the aggregate of segments, and also the leading row of bristles, cooperate in folding the flap b against the article a, and that the remaining bristles smooth down, tighten, and hold the flap o after it is folded. As the segments come to the drag upon it which keeps it tight as it passes around the stationary folder 24. The continued advance of the article past the stationary folder completes the folding down of the flap c.

One further advantage of this construction should be noted. In the prior construction the the proper relationship. Each segment III has segments contacted directly with the wrapper, and very careful and accurate adjustment of the position of the carrier chain was necessary to preserve the exact degree of contact between. the segments and the wrapper which would produce the tension desired on the wrapper without binding it too tightly. By the present construction the yielding quality of the bristles permits a considerable tolerance in. the position of the carrier chains, and produces greater uniformity in the tension of the folds.

What I claim is:

1. In a wrapping machine of the type in which an article with projecting front and rear flaps is moved past a stationary front flap folder, 9. rear flap folder comprising a flexible plate-like member having yielding members extending from its surface, and means for moving the member in a path having an initial portion parallel to the article at a distance therefrom less than the extent of said yielding members, whereby said member will fold down a flap onto a face of the article and hold it yieldingly against said face by the bending over of the yielding members, the path having a subsequent portion abruptly diverging from its initial portion adjacent the stationary folder to permit the yielding members to straighten out and force the flap by frictional engagement towards the stationary. folder.

2. A folder forwrapplng machines and the like comprising a flexible plate-like member having yielding members extending from its surface, and means for moving the plate-like member in an endless path in part contiguous to a face of the article to be wrapped and spaced therefrom a distance less than the extent of said yielding members, and then diverging abruptly from said directionally past an'article to be wrapped and lying in a plane at right angles to the surface ofthe article across which the fold is to be made.

5. A folder for .wrapping machines and the like comprising a segmental plate-like member having bristles extending from the surface 'ofthe segments, and a carrier for said member to move it in a unidirectional endless path extendarticle face to cause bodily bending of the 'flexible member, whereby said plate-like memberwill engage and fold a flap and hold it with the bentover yielding members and then tension the flap by the straightening of the yielding members as the flexible memberis bent.

3. A folder for wrappingmachines and the like comprising. a flexible, plate-like member having bristles extending in one direction from its surface, and means for moving the member'in an endless path in part contiguous, to a face of the article to be wrapped and spaced therefrom a distance less than'the lateral extent of the bristles, and then diverging abruptly from said article face to cause bodily bending of the member,-

whereby said member will engage and fold :a flap against the article and hold the flap by the tension of its bent-over bristles, and will then tension the flap by the straightening of the bristles as the member is bent.

l. A folder for wrapping machines and the like comprising a flexible plate-like member having yielding members extending from its surface, and a carrier for said member tomove it in a unidirectional endless path extending in part uniing in part unidirectionally past an article to be wrapped and lying in a plane'at right angles to the surface. of the article across which the fold is to be made.

' folder 6. In a wrapping machine or the like, a folder, means constraining the folder for movement in a non circular endless path extending in part unidirectionally past and parallel to a face of an article to'be wrapped, said path being wholly extemal to the article when the latter is in folding positionand lying in a plane at right angles to the surface of the article across which the fold is to be made, and yielding members projecting from the folder towards the article face for con-- tact therewith.

7. In a wrapping machine or the like, a folder,