US2315596A - Sealing device - Google Patents

Description

April 6, 1943.

w. c. CHILDRESS 2,315,596

SEALING DEVICE Filed Feb 27, 1940 2 Sheet-Sheet l.

April 1943- w. c. CHILDRESS 2,315,596

SEALING DEVICE Filed Feb. 27, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 6, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEALING DEVICE William C. Childress, Oak Park, Ill., assignor to Acme Steel Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application February 27, 1940, Serial No. 321,094

(Cl. S l-9.1)

3 Claims.

.dated September 25, 1934. The purpose of the present invention istoprovide an improved hand operatedsealing device of the tong type disclosed in said prior-patents which is adapted for use in applying an open-metal seal, preferably of channel form,-.to the overlapped ends of a strap which has been drawn taut about a box or package, or a group of such packages, preliminary to applying the seal thereto, the sealing device being formed to bend the side walls of the seal about the strap endsand-then to deform the seal and theenclosed strap ends to provide an interlocking joint.

Theprincipal object of thepresent invention is to provide an improvedsealing device comprising relatively movablebendingdies and cooperating. cutting dies incombination with lever operated means for actuating the bending dies to bend a sealaboutoverlapping strap ends and to cause portions of the seal and strap ends to be sheared and bent by the dies, and means for causing the seal and the enclosed strap ends to be thereafterejeeted from'their position in the sealing device -by a reverse movement of the operating levers. .-A 'further object of the invention isto provide animproved sealing device comprising opposite relatively movable bending jaws adapted to cooperate with a novel form of cutting die-mounted in proximity thereto and adapted to shear portions of the seal and the enclosed strap ends which are bent about the strap-ends. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved sealing-device of the tong type comprising a pairof opposed bending jaws of laminated form mountedbetween side plates and :adapted to-be actuated lay-relatively movable levers,-the laminations of the jaws being arranged to receive between them cutting or shearing dies which are mounted in fixed positions with'respect to the side plates and which areadapted to cooperate with the bending jaws 'for shearing the lateral edges of the seal and the enclosed strap ends to provide an interlocking end joint. Stillanother object of the invention is to provide an improved sealing device comprising relatively movable bending jaws adapted to embrace a seal and overlapping strap ends and to cooperate with cutting dies for shearing and bending portions of the seal and the strapends, the bending dies having mounted between them a supporting plate or saddle which is adapted to rest upon the seal during the sealing operation of the device and which is adapted to be actuated by the bending dies or jaws upon relative separation of their seal engaging portions for moving the completed joint positively out of engagement with the cutting and bending dies. Other objects relate to various features of construction and arrangement which will appear more fully hereinafter.

The nature of the invention will be understood from the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings in which one embodiment is illustrated. In the drawings,

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the improved sealing device with the jaws spread apart to receive between them the overlapping strap ends and the seal which is to be applied thereto, portions of the operating levers of the device being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one type of joint adapted to be formed by the sealing device of the present invention;

Fig. 3 showsan enlarged sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Fig.2;

Fig. 4 showsan enlarged vertical section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1;

.Fig. 5 shows a vertical section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4, illustrating by dotted lines the position of the seal before .its side walls have been bent about the overlapping strap ends and showing the bending dies or jaws after they have been separated following the completion of the joint by relative movement of the operating levers away from each other;

Fig. 6 shows a bottom plan View of the sealing device asit is illustrated inFigs. 1 and 5, with the seal and the overlapping strap ends removed;

Fig. '7 is a sectional View similar to that of Fig. 5, showing the relativepositionsof the ,parts -of the sealing device when the jaws and the operating levers have been fully closed upon each other in the formation of the joint;

Fig. 8 shows an edge elevation of the sealing device looking toward the left as viewed in Fig. '7;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view-taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing a side plate, one of eachoi the two forms of bending dies or jaws, a cutting die, and the supporting plate or saddle which are embodied in the sealing device shown in Figs. 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.

In the accompanying drawings, the invention is illustrated in connection with a metal seal l5 of channel form which comprises a back wall 15a and longitudinal side walls 151) which are preferably arranged to converge slightly toward each other from the edges of the wall 65a, as shown in Fig. 1, and by dotted lines in Fig. 5, so that, when the seal is placed upon the overlapping ends l6a, of a metal strap IE, it is not likely to be accidentally removed from its position on the strap ends during the application of the sealing device thereto. After being placed over the overlapping straps ends, with the back wall I50. of the seal resting upon the uppermost strap end, the side walls |5b are adapted to be bent inwardly under the lowermost strap ends into parallel relationship with the back wall ifia and the sealing device then shears the lateral edge of the seal and the enclosed strap ends along transverse lines l1, shown in Figs. 2 and 3,

these shearing cuts being preferably located in pairs at opposite edges of the seal, and the metal between the cuts of each pair is deflected downwardly by the bending dies to form lugs IS, the edges of which abut against edges of and endwise movement of the overlapping strap ends and the enclosing seal. The joint which is described'is of the type disclosed in the United States patent to Ralph H. Norton, No. 1,260,016. dated March 19, 1918, but it will be understood that other types of joints may be formed with the use of the sealing device of the present invention.

The sealing device, designated generally by the numeral 20, comprises a pair of side plates 2| which are roughly rectangular in shape except that they terminate at their upper ends in tapered portions Zia. These side plates are provided along their lower edges with rectangular notches 2|?) to permit the device to be placed over a seal and overlapping strap ends, as shown in Fig. 1, and they receive between them a pair of jaws, made up of a plurality of bending dies or laminations 22, and a plurality of cutting or shearing dies 23, as well as the above mentioned supporting plate or saddle-24, the bending dies or jaws being capable of being operated by a pair of relatively movable levers 25 provided at their outer ends with handles in the form of spherical balls 2511. In the operation of the device the handles 25 are spread apart as shown in Fig. l and the device is then lowered in position over a seal which has previously been placed upon the overlapping strap ends, which then extend between the jaws through the notches 2 lb in the side plates, these ends being preferablyheld in overlapping relationship by a strap stretching device which has previously been used for. drawing the strap taut around a box or package to be bound thereby. When the sealing .device is in the position shown in Fig. l, the

'dies 23 'are held in assembled relationship to each other and to the side plates 2! by means of a pair of pins 26 which are formed in aligning apertures in the bending dies 22 of the opposite groups of jaws and in opposite end portions of the cutting dies 23 as well as in the side plates 2!. Each pin 26 is provided with an enlarged head 26a at one end and with a radially extending notch 2% at the other end, the parts being so proportioned that when the pin 26 is fully inserted, as shown in Fig. 4, the notch 2th will lie closely adjacent to the outer face of the plate 2| at the side of the device opposite the head of the pin. The notches 26b in the pins 26 are adapted to be engaged by a thin locking plate 2'! having an aperture formed therein which is engaged by the reduced threaded extremity of a, bolt or pin 28 arranged to extend through registering apertures in the middle portions of the side plates 2|, as shown particularly in Figs. 4 and 5. This bolt is provided with an enlarged head 28a adapted to seat against one of the side plates 2| and with a threaded extremity 28b at its other end adapted .to' be engaged by a nut 29 which seats against the locking plate 21. In this way the bending dies 22 of each jaw are mounted for pivotal movement about the pins 26 and the cutting dies 23 areheld in fixed relationship to the pins 2t and the side plates 2|.

The bending dies of each jaw are held in fixed relationship to each other and the two jaws are actuated for pivotal movement about the pins 26 by the levers 25 which are provided at their adjacent ends with enlarged portions 2%. The enlarged portion of one lever is provided on its outer side with an outwardly extending ear 25c adapted to extend between two outwardly exand arranged to extend vertically at right angles to the plane of the overlapping strap ends. The pin 3i! occupies a position between the side plates 2! in all relative positions of the operating levers 25. The enlarged'portion 25b of each lever 25 is also provided with two inwardly extending ears 25c which are spaced apart and arranged to extend between two adjacent bending dies of one of the bending jaws, there being three bending dies or laminations in each jaw, as will be apparent from an examination of Figs. 4, 6 and 8. These ears 25a and the intermeshing upper ends of the bending dies 22 are provided with registering apertures which are closely fitted by cylindrical pins 3 I These pins are of such length that their flat end faces lie in close proximity to the inner faces of the side plates 21 in all relative positions of the levers 25 so that they are thus retained in position, establishing pivotal connections between the levers 25 and the bending dies of one of the jaws.

The bending dies of each jaw arc of two forms, 22a and 221), shown particularly in Fig. 10, and each jaw comprises two of the dies or laminations 22a and one of the dies or laminations 22b. Each form of bending die comprises a terminal hook or jaw 22c adapted to engage the outer surface of one of the side walls l5b of the seal, when the jaws are closed upon each other, for the purpose of bending these side walls inwardly and upwardly beneath the lowermost strap end and for the purpose of forcingthe seal and the enclosed strap end'upwardly into operative engagement with the cutting dies 23 which are more fully described hereinafter and which are positioned alternately with respect to the bending dies, there being one cutting die on each side of each bending die 221). During the operation of bending the side walls of the seal and forming the joint a lateral edge portion of the seal is adapted to be received in the recess 2201 which is formed on the upper side of each of the hooks or jaws 220. The intermediate bending dies 2% diiier from the outer dies 22a in that they are provided opposite the pins 3| with-projections 22c which engage each other, as shown in Fig. 5, for the purpose of limiting the relative separation of the jaws and of the levers 25. The intermediate bending dies 22b also differ from the outer bending dies 22a in that they are provided opposite the pins 26 with inwardly extending rounded projections 22) which. are adapted to have a loose rocking engagement with curved recesses Zeb which are formed in the opposite sides of the supporting plate or saddle 24, as shown particularly in Figs. 5 and 10. This supporting plate is provided with a fiat lower face 2 3a adapted to rest upon the upper back wall 55a of the seal, and the upper part of the plate or saddle 24 is provided with a vertically extending U-shaped notch 24c adapted to engage the bolt or pin 28 by which the side plates 2! secured together. It will be apparent that upon relative movement of the two bending jaws about their pivot pins 26, the supporting plate 2e will have a vertical movement during which it is guided by the bolt or pin 28.

The cutting dies 23 are of the form shown particularly in Figs. 5, '7 and 10, each consisting of an oblong plate positioned below the bolt or pin 23 and terminating at its ends in rounded surfaces which are concentric with the pins 25 and substantially flush with the outer curved portions of the bending dies 22a and 22b. Each cutting die 23 is recessed on its underside as shown at 23a to provide a fiat intermediate surface 235 which is united at the ends with inclined surfaces 23c, the surfaces 230 terminating at their margins in sharp cutting edges adapted to cooperate with the bending dies in eilecting the shearing of the lateral edges of the seal and the enclosed strap ends in the manner shown at l? in Figs. 2 and 3. The surface 23b of each cutting die has a length which is less than the width of the back wall l5a of the seal so that the inclined cutting portions 230 are spaced apart in a predetermined manner in order to effect a predetermined cutting of the seal and the enclosed strap ends at each edge of the joint. The flat surfaces 23?) of the cutting dies are so positioned that they lie slightly below the top margins of the notches Zlb which are formed in the side plates 2i, as shown in Fig. 9, and the inclined cutting portions 230 of the cutting dies intersect the marginal portions of these notches Zib so that the cutting operation is not interfered with by the side plates.

When the levers 25 are spread apart and the jaws are open, the supporting plate or saddle 24 is projected downwardly by the bending dies 22b, as shown in Fig. 5, so that its lower face 2 1a lies substantially below the plane of the upper margins of the notches Zlb which are formed in the side plates, and at the same time the terminal hooks or jaws 220 of the bending dies are spread apart and project below the lower edges of the plates 2|, thus permitting the sealing device to beapplied readily to a seal [5 which has been placed upon the overlapping strap ends as'shown by full lines in Fig. 1 and by dotted lines in Fig. 5'; The extent of this separation of the jaws and of the levers is limited by the contacting lugs 22c of the bending dies 2%, as mentioned above. The levers 25 are then closed upon each other and during this operation the die plates 22a and 22b of the jaws are closed upon each other, which causes the extremities 22c of the jaws to engage the sidewalls lEb of the seal to bend them up \vardly' and inwardly beneath the overlapping strap ends while at the same time causing the elevation of the supporting plate or saddle 24 by theengagement therewith of the projections 22f'onthe intermediate die plates. As this motion continues, the supporting plate 24 is lifted to aposition'where the upper edge portions of theseal are brought into engagement with the inclined cutting portions of the die plates 23 and, upon further relative closing movement of the levers 25, the extremities 22c of the bending dies force the marginal portions of the seal further against the inclined cutting portions of the cutting dies23, during the continued upward movement of the supporting plate 24, with the resultthat the marginal portions of the seal and the enclosed strap-ends are bent and deflected in'the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 3. When this operation is completed, the parts have the relative positions shown in Fig. 7 where the relative inward movement of the levers 25 is shown as being limited by pins 32 which are fixed therein adjacent the enlarged portions 25b and arranged to contact with each other on their ends.

When a joint has been formed by the operations described in the preceding paragraph, the cutting dies 23 penetrate the recesses in the joint formed by cutting and deflecting the portions I8 of the metal, and the frictional engagement of the parts of the sealing device with the joint would tend to interfere with the free removal of the sealing device from the joint, were it not for the action of the supporting plate or saddle 24, which, upon relative separation of the operating levers 25, pushes downwardly upon the back wall of the seal l5 and thus positively ejects the seal from its position between the jaws, as shown by full lines in Fig. 5. The sealing device is thus capable of being quickly operated to complete a succession of joints in overlapping strap ends without delay occasioned by difiiculty in removing the device from the completed joint.

Although one form of the invention has been shown and described by way of illustration, it will be understood that it may be constructed in various other embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination in a sealing device for overlapping strap ends of a pair of side plates, a pair of jaws pivotally mounted between said side plates for movement toward and from each other, said jaws being adapted to receive between them an open seal embracing overlapping strap ends, a cutting die mounted in fixed position with respect to said side plates, a supporting member mounted between said jaws for engaging the back wall of the seal. said supporting member having connections with said jaws whereby a reciprocatory movement is imparted thereto by a relative movement of said jaws, and means for actuating said jaws to bend said seal about said strap ends and to force said seal and the enclosed strap ends against said cutting die, said supporting member being mounted to recede beyond the cutting edges of said cutting die during said movement of the seal and the enclosed strap ends, said supporting member being arranged upon separation of said jaws to move the seal and the enclosed strap ends away from said cutting die.

2. The combination in a sealing device for overlapping strap ends of a pair of side plates, a pair of jaws pivotally mounted between said side plates for movement toward and from each other, said jaws being adapted to receive between them an open seal embracing overlapping strap ends, a cutting die mounted in fixed position with respect to said side plates, a supporting member mounted between said jaws for engaging the back wall of the seal, said supporting member having connections with said jaws whereby a reciprocatory movement is imparted thereto by a relative movement of said jaws, means for actuating said jaws to bend said seal about said strap ends and to force said seal and the enclosed strap ends against said cutting die, said supporting member being mounted to recede beyond the cutting edges of said cutting die during said movement of the seal and the enclosed strap ends, said supporting member being arranged upon separation of said jaws to move the seal and the enclosed strap ends away from said cutting die, and means carried by said side plates for guiding said supporting member in its movements.

3. The combination in a sealing apparatus for overlapping strap ends, of a pair of side plates, a pair of laminated bending jaws pivotally mounted between said side plates and adapted to receive between them an open seal and overlapping strap ends, a cutting die mounted on the pivots of said jaws between said laminations and having inclined cutting portions spaced apart a distance less than the width of the seal, a supporting member mounted between and carried by said jaws and having a surface adapted to engage the back wall of the seal and position the seal and the enclosed strap ends out of engagement with said cutting portions of said die when saidjaws are separated, and means for effecting a closing movement of said jaws to bend said seal about said strap ends and then force said seal and the enclosed strap ends against said cutting portions of said die while at the same time retracting said supporting member, said last named means being adapted upon reverse operation to open said jaws and cause said supporting member to move the sealed joint away from said cutting die.

WILLIAM C. CHILDRESS.

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