US2304428A - Wrapping machine - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 8, 1942. I M TH ETAL 2,304,428

WRAPPING MACHINE Filed may 12, 1941 e Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Dec. 8, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WRAPPING MACHINE Elmer Lovell Smith, Longmeadow, and flariton Wetsel, Springfield, Mash, asslgnors to Package Machinery Comp ny 3 trlngiielrl, Man, a cor- This invention relates to wrapping machines, and has particular utility in machines for wrapping articles of slightly irregular shape such as candy bars. One object of the invention is to improve the folding devices so that a better con trol of the folds will be had. A further object is to provide an improved type of folding box which may be replaced readily to accommodate articles of diflering size. A further object is to improve the manner of feeding an article into the machine and in particular themanner of transferring it from the initial feeding conveyor to the plunger or elevator which associates it with the wrapper and assists in performing the initial wrapping operation. A further object is to provide an improved gluing device for applying glue or other adhesive to the inner side of the final bottom fold. Additional objects will appear from the following description and claims.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. l is a longitudinal median section of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section thereof taken substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1 but with certain parts in different operative positions;

Fig. 3 is a section on line H of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is atop plan view of the elevator;

Fig.6 is a detail plan of thefolding box, taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a perspective detail of th support for the fold former;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan of an adhesive applying device;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation thereof;

Figs. 10 and 11 are successive details showing the manner in which the incoming article is transferred from the feed conveyor to the elevator;

Fig. 12 is a detail showing the formation of the initial folds in the-wrapper;

Fig. 13 is a side view thereof;

Fig. 14 is a view similar to Fig. 12 but showing a later stage;

Fig. 15is a similar view showing a still later position of the elevator; r

Fig. 16 is a side elevation with the parts in the position of-Fig. 15; r

Fig. 1'7 is a similar view, showing the elevator receding and the support of the article as having been taken over by theside tuckers; the wrapper having been omitted for clearness;

Fig. 18 is an end view, and Fig. 19 is a plan,

with the parts in the positions of Fig. 1'1;

10 (laimt. (Cl. 93-2) Fig. 20 is a view similar to Fig. 1'1, showing the action of the rear bottom folder;

Fig. 21 is a plan, and Fig. 22 is a side elevation,

showing the initiation of the discharge of the article from the folding box;

Fig. 23 is a side elevation showing a further stage in the discharge of the article;

which are Journaled sprockets 22 driven continuously by any desired mechanism. Around these sprockets and other idle sprockets at the feeding end of the machine run chains 23 hearing spaced lugs 24 in front of which the articles a are placed manually or by any suitable'feeding means. The chains are supported underneath by guides 25 and at their sides by plates 26. The articles are carried along in front of the lugs on rails 21 (Fig. 10), which extend a short distance beyond the point where the chains pass around the sprockets 22. Reciprocating vertically in front of therails 21 is an elevator 28 mounted as will be described below.

In prior machines it has been customary either to drive the pushing lugs intermittently so that they came to rest with an article positioned on 7 top of the elevator, or to employ special tilting pushers to deposit the article on the elevator and then withdraw so that they would not interfere with its further movement. In the present instance an arrangement is employed which increases-both the speed of operation and the accuracy with which the article is positioned onthe elevator. This mechanism comprises a pair of supplementary pusher fingers 30 which are reciprocated toward and away from the elevator and at the same time are raised and lowered so that they may pass rearwardly underneath an article being advanced by the lugs, come up behind the article as in Fig. 10, and move forwardly at a faster ratethan the lugsto carry the article away from the lugs and deposit it upon the elevator (Fig. 11).

The pushing fingers are detachably mounted as at. 3| (Fig; 1) on a member 32 pivoted at 33 to a bell crank 34 and at 35 to a link 36 itself pivoted to a second bell crank 31. Bell crank 14 carries a roll 38 running in contact with a cam on a cam shaft 39, and serves to move the fingers forward and back; while bell crank 31 carries a roll running in contact with a second cam on the shaft and serves to move the fingers vertically by elevating or lowering the pivot 35 with respect to the pivot 33. The fingers are by this means moved through an endless path of the nature indicated at 4| (Figs. 1 and 10).

The head of the elevator 28 is formed as a detachable cap L-shaped in vertical and U- shaped in horizontal section and is replaceably held by a screw 46 to the integral upper end of a slide 41 the intermediate part of which is divided to form a pair of spaced square rods 48. The slide reciprocates vertically in guides 49 and has a bracket 50 attached to one side of its intermediate part. A link 5| connects this bracket to a lever 52 oscilliated periodically by any desired cam mechanism. I

Reciprocable with the elevator during a portion of its upward movement, and movable independently during the rest of the cycle, is a fold former head 5| having fold forming wings 52 adapted to extend upwardly at the sidesof the elevator. The former head 5| is recessed at 53 to receive the rods 48, and a member 54 is fastened to it by screws 55; The latter member is recessed to receive the upper end of a. round rod 55, pinned in place at 5'7. The round rod extends downwardly between the rods 48, and at its lower end is shouldered to fit into a block 58 (Fig. 4.) where it is pinned in place at 59. Block 58 is screwed at 60 to an operating member 5| grooved to permit it to slide upon one of the square rods, and pinned at 62 (of. Figs. 1 and 2) to a link 63 coupled to a rocker 64 having on one arm a cam roll 65 engaging a cam on shaft 30. By this means the fold forming wings may be 'moved vertically in timed relation to the elevator as will be more particularly described below.

As the article is raised by the elevator it passes between guides 68, above which it picks up a wrapper w delivered in place by any suitable means not necessary to describe here. Above the wrapper slot 59 are folders 10 which drape the wrapper in U form down the front and rear of the article, and above these are opposed end folders H which turn down the ends of the wrapper asin Fig. 12, leaving outstanding front and rear flaps at each end. These flaps are folded in overlapped relation by plow folders 12 and 13, so that when the partially wrapped article is delivered to the final folding station it has a complete downwardly extending skirt.

During this entire action the fold forming wings 52' extend upwardly beyond the ends of the article, their operating cam being so shaped as to cause them to move upwardly synchronously with the elevator and with their upper edges about on the level of the top of the'article (Figs. 12 and 13). The end folds are thus made over these wings and are independent of variations of contour in the article itself, which may be considerable in the case of an article such as a candy bar. As soon as the article is received against the top plate 15 of the folding box, however, the fold forming wings retract (Fig. 15) leaving the skirt unsupported and only the relatively narrow elevator holding the article.

The side walls I6 of the folding box are fitted with slots 11, through which bottom end tucking plates 18 may pass to turn against the bottom of the ends of the article (Figs. 18 and 19). This motion of the tuckers is permitted by the fact that the elevator 20 is of less width than the article, so that the plates may move underneath the article a sumcient distance to make the folds without interference. Support of the article is now assumed by the tucking plates I3, which also hold all the previously made folds in position, and the elevator can recede (Fig. 17, in which the wrapper has been omitted to show the relatio of the various folding members).

The tucking plates 18 aredetachably secured as by bolts 30 (Fig. 2) to slides 8| movable on rods '82 held in brackets 83. The upper end of the slides are held between guide members 84 to maintain the folders always horizontal. Links 85 join the slides to rockers 86 mounted on shafts 81 journaled in the brackets 83. One of the rockers is connected by a cross link 88 to an extension 89 on the other, and one shaft 81 has anarm 90 joined by a link 9| with a forked member 92 embracing the shaft 39 and having a roll 93 engaging a cam 94 thereon. The tuckers will thus be driven simultaneously and in opposite directions in timed relation to the other mechanism.

After the end bottom tucks" have been made by plates 73, the rear bottom fold is turned under the article by a folding plate 97 removably secured at 98 to a carriage 99 slidable in ways i00 formed in the frame. The carriage is connected by a link l0! to a bell crank I02 pivoted at I03 and bearing a cam roll l04 running against a cam on a shaft I05 suitably driven in timed relation with shaft 33. The folder 91 moves underneath the article while the tuckers J8 are still in position (Fig. 20) and not until the tucks are covered by the rear bottom fold and the support of the article has been taken over by the rear folder do the plates 18 withdraw.

At the time when this shift of support occurs the article is pushed forwardly off from the folder 9'! (which at that time starts its retracting movement as in Figs. 22 and 23) by a forked pusher I01 detachably secured at I08 to a rod I09 slidable in bearings H0, A member I (Figs. 1 and 2) is clamped to the rod and has a lateral extension 2 engaging a guide H3 to keep the pusher against tilting sideways. A link 4 couples the member III with a bell crank H5 pivoted on shaft I03 and having a roll H6 engaging a cam on shaft I05, so that the pusher will be driven in timed relation to the other elements.

In order to make firm contact with the lower rear edge of the article, and prevent the wrapper from becoming loose, the forked ends of the pusher run in shallow grooves ll!v (Fig. 2) formed in the rear bottom folder. The reciprocation of the pusher carries the article well into the delivery channel H8, where it is taken by upper and lower delivery belts H9. It should be noted that the upper plate 15 is preferably provided with a depending reargulde I20 slotted to permit the forked pusher to pass, and that it has an elevated surface l2i joined with the upper surface I22 of the delivery channel by a slanting section I23. This gives room for the tuckers 18 to lie over the rear bottom folder 9! and at the same time prevents looseness when the article is finally pushed over the folder 9! into the delivery channel.

In some instances it is desirable to have the the article the portion of the wrapper skirt at 75 folds secured by adhesive, and for this reason a novel gluing device has been provided to appl a daub of adhesive to the inner surface of the final bottom fold I Just before the article is ejected-into the delivery channel. This device is shown in Figs. 1, 8, .9, and24. It comprises a plate-like dauber I25 adapted to receive glue or other adhesive on its end and to pass through a hole I26 in the side ofthe vertical folding channel (Fig.' 22) into contact with the flap.

The plate I25 is carried on a bracket I21 secured to a rod I28 sliding in bearings I29 in a sub-frame I30. This'sub-frame has adetachable' bridge I3I slidable toward and from the vertical wrapping channel by sliding upon rails I32 se curedto the main frame, and can be clamped in any adjusted position by a bolt I33. This permits the maximum forward position of the dauber I to be changed to correspond to different sizes of articles.

The rod I28 which carries the dauber is provided with a member I35 clamped to it and having a lateral guide I36 engaged between spaced rails I31, thus maintaining the dauber against angular displacement. A link I38 couples the member I35 to the'lower end of a bent arm I39 secured as by a clamp screw I40 to a sleeve I4I (Fig. 2). rotating freely on the shaft I03. An

4 arm I42 secured to this sleeve is provided with I unclamped from the sleeve I4'I, being clamped again in position when the gluing device has been adjusted. l

The dauber has a slightly narrowed end I41, best shown in Fig. 8, which rests against the rear side of aglue transfer roll I48 when the dauber is in the inactive position of Fig. 9. This 'roll runs in contact with a supply roll I49 journaled on a glue box I50 and dipping into it to receive glue and carry it to the transfer roll as the supply roll is rotated intermittently by mechanism to be described. The glue box is held in position on the sub-frame by a clamp screw I5I so that it may be removed for cleaning. The

transfer roll I48 is not mounted directly on the glue box,- but upon rockers I52 pivoted coaxially with the supply roll. Springs I53 give to these rockers a tendency to'rotate counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 9. As the dauber moves forwardly it pushes on the transfer roll and forces the arms to tilt against the springs. 'As the roll rocks the dauber passes over its surface until lateral abutments I54 on the dauber engage rolls I55 placed at each end of thetransfer roll. Ultimately the sides of the dauber ride over these rolls I55, which are of slightly larger diameter than the transfer ro1l, and hold the bottom face of the dauber out of contact with the adhesive coated surface of the latter. When the dauber 'is extended into the position of Figs. 22' and 24 it deposits a stripe of glue on the inner surface of the flap I, which is the last unfolded flap extending down the wrapping channel; and when the dauber again retracts the transfer roll springs up in front of it to apply a fresh supply of glue.

The supply roll I49 is periodically rotated to convey adhesive to the transfer roll by a ratchet I51 located on one end of the supply roll and engaged by a pawl I58 carried by a rocker I52 is coupled by a link I60 with an arm I6I pivoted at I62 and also bearing a roll I63 held in engagement with a cam plate I64 on the bracket I21 by means of a spring I65. As the dauber moves back and forth the cam roll I63 will be raised and lowered to cause intermittent rotation of the suppl roll (cf. Figs. 9and 24). The supply and transfer rolls. are preferably connected by gearing I66 (Fig. 8).

In order to facilitate adjustment of the machine for different sizes of articles the entire folding box, including the vertical and horizontal I wrapping channels, is carried by a bracket I68 (Figs. 1, 2, and 6) held to the main frame by.

clamp screws I69 over which slots in the bracket may fit. Other slots, one horizontal and the other vertical, are formed in lugs I10 projecting upwardly from the box and receive cross pieces III on the top plate I5. This top plate can thus be disengaged and removed at any time to permit access to articles without removing the entire folding box. If it is desired to remove the entire gluing assembly, a detachable connection between the arm I39 and the link I 38 is preferably provided as indicated in Fig, 25. The

, arm has a latch I14 pivoted to it at I15 and pintle may be removed to free the gluing device I from connection with the driving mechanism. When the gluing device is thus removed it may be adjusted for varying lengths of the flap f by I interchanging the spacer I19 located between the sub-frame I30 and the bridge I3I.

When the proper spacer has been put in place the subframe is clamped to'the bridge by a screw 'I80 (Figs. 1 and 9).

What we claim is:

1. A wrapping machine comprising an elevator for raising an article and a wrapper, folding means for draping the wrapper about the article into a four-sided depending skirt as the article is raised by the elevator, reciprocable blades movable oppositely underneath the article to fold opposed portions of the skirt and to assume support of the article as the elevator reand provided with a leaf spring I59. The rocker cedes, a rear folder movable underneath the article and blades while the latter are supporting the article to fold one outstandingflap over the blades, means for withdrawing the blades from the folds, a delivery channel, and means for pushing the article off the rear folder and into the delivery channel to make the last fold.

2. A wrapping machine comprising an elevator for raising an article and a wrapper, folding means for draping the wrapper about the article into a four-sided depending skirt as the article is raised-by the elevator, fold forming plates extending beyond each end of the article and movable with the elevator during the action of said folding means, reciprocable blades movable oppositely underneath the article to fold opposed portions of the skirt and to assume support of the article as the elevator recedes, a rear folder movable underneath the article and blades while the latter are supporting the article to fold one outstanding flap over the blades, means for withdrawing the blades from the folds, a defor raising an article and a wrapper, stationary folders for draping the wrapper down into U form at the front and rear of the article, end tuckei's and plow folders operable during the ascent of the article to fold the wrapper at each end of the article into overlapping folds, whereby the wrapper is draped into a skirt extending below the article, fold forming plates extending beyond each end of the article and movable with the elevator during the action of said folders and tuckers with the leading end of said fold forming plates substantially in line with the top of the article and retracting out of said skirt, reciprocable blades movable oppositely underneath the ends of the article to make folds in the end portions of the skirt and to assume support of the article as the elevator recedes, a rear folder movable underneath the article and blades: while the latter are supporting the article to fold one outstanding flap over the blades, means for withdrawing the blades from the folds, a delivery channel, and means for pushing the article off the rear folder and into the delivery channel to make the last fold.

'4. A wrapping machine comprising a vertical channel, folding means in the channel, an elevator reciprocable through the channel and having a loading station, a continuously movable conveyor forwarding articles to a point adjacent said loading station, and a pusher having a subsiantially parallel movement in a closed path to move an article from said conveyor onto the elevator and to return out of the line of movement of the next advancing article.

5. A wrapping machine comprising a vertical channel, folding means in the channel, an elevator movable through the channel, an elevator carrier including a vertical slide having its upper portion formed as parallel rods, means for reciprocating the carrier, a fold former carrier slidable on the parallel rods and having a pair of fold forming blades extending beyond the ends of the elevator, a rod extending from the fold former carrier between said parallel rods, and means for reciprocating the latter rod relative to said parallel rods. I

6. A wrapping machine comprising a wrapping channel, means for forwarding an article through the channel, folders in the channel for draping the wrapper around the article into skirt form extending behind the article,'means for folding against the article the portion of the skirt at one side thereof, and adhesive applying mechanism comprising a dauber movable across the channel from the side thereof adjacent the last named side of the article into contact with the inner surface of the opposite flap.

7. A wrapping machine comprising a vertical wrapping channel, an elevator for raising an article and a wrapper therethrough, folders in the channel for draping the wrapper around the article.

8. A wrapping machine comprising a vertical wrapping channel, an elevator for raising an article and a wrapper therethrough, folders in the channel for draping the wrapper around the article into a depending skirt, end tuckers movable oppositely to form opposed folds in the two sides of the skirt, a rear folder movable from the third side of the article underneath the end tuckers to form a rear bottom fold, a glue dauber movable underneath the rear folder into contact with the flap depending from the fourth side of the article, means for withdrawing the end tuckers, and means for ejecting the article from the channel to fold the adhesive coated flap against the flaps previously folded against the bottom of the article, said delivery channel having a top plate converging towards the floor thereof an amount substantially equal to the thickness of the reciprocable blades.

9. A wrapping machine having a frame, a pair of article forwarding plungers movable on the frame at right angles to another, operating means for said plungers to reciprocate them in timed relation, an angular wrapping channel through the branches of which the plungers reciprocate, stationary folding members associated with the channels, reciprocatory folding members movable on the frame into the channels adjacent their junction, and means for removing the angular channel from the frame as a unit.

10. A wrapping machine havinga frame, a pair of article forwarding plungers movable on the frame at right angles one to another, operating means for said plungers to reciprocate them in timed relation, detachable connections between the plungers and their operating means, an angular wrapping channel through the branches of which the plungers reciprocate, stationary folding members associated with the channels, reciprocatory folding members movable on the frame into the channels adjacent their junction operating means for said reciprocatory folding members, detachable connections between the reciprocatory folding members and their operating means, and means for removing the angular channel from the frame as a unit.

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