US2637872A

US2637872A - Suction cleaning device for collapsible tubes

Info

Publication number: US2637872A
Application number: US40604A
Authority: US
Inventors: Holbrook Ralph Wentworth
Original assignee: Colgate Palmolive Co
Current assignee: Colgate Palmolive Co
Priority date: 1948-07-24
Filing date: 1948-07-24
Publication date: 1953-05-12
Anticipated expiration: 1970-05-12

Description

May I2, '1 953 SUCTION R. W- HOLBROOK CLEANING DEVICE FLOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Filed July 24, 1948 IN V EN TOR.

RIM-PH W HOLBROOK BY L6 ZTTORN EY Patented May 12, 1953 SUCTION CLEANING DEVICE FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Ralph Wentworth Holbrook, New Albany, Ind., assignor to Colgate-Palmolive-Peet Company, Jersey City, N. J., a corporation of Delaware Application July2 4, 1948, Serial No. 40,604

3 Claims." (01. 15-304) 1 The present invention relates to a device for cleaning collapsible tubes just prior to the filling operation, and more particularly to a cleaning attachment-for collapsible tube filling machines, Collapsible tubes are widely used for packaging dentifrices, creams, salves, etc. in which foreign particles such" as lint, pieces of metal, dirt, etc are highly undesirable. The present invention provides a cleaning device capable of being attached to existing filling machines which auto matically and effectively removes all such foreign particles.

The structure and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the follow ing detaileddescription taken in conjunction with the drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a; fragmentary front view of a collapsible tube filling machine, showing the device of the invention attached thereto;

Fi 2 is a side view of the device shown in 1 looking toward the left;

Fig. 3 is a top view of the air cleaner shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of amodified form of suction nozzle. Referring now to the drawing, numeral I represents a standard of a filling machine having a guide way 3 for a vertically reciprocating filling head 5. :Leading into filling head 5 are two feed lines liwhich connect through a valve system in the. filling head. 5. with two filling nozzles 9. Below the filling nozzles 9. is a conveyor belt or chain I I having tubecups I3 mounted thereon and which is adapted to move intermittently a distance corresponding to two of the base cups. The parts thus fardescribed are elements jof a conventionaland well known type of collapsible tube filling machine, whose structure and operation are well known to those familiar with this art. Briefly stated, the filling machine is provided with a drive mechanism for moving the chain as described to position two collapsible tubes in the inverted position shown in the drawing below the filling nozzles 9. During the dwell in the movement of the conveyor chain II, the filling head 5 is lowered until the filling nozzles 9 are a very short distance from the necks of the respective collapsible tubes. In this position the valves controlling the feed of the material with which the tubes are to be filled are automatically opened, and the head rises with the nozzles 9 at a rate so correlated with the rate of flow of the material into the tubes, that the lower ends of the filling nozzles are substantially at the level of the material at all times. When Fig.

tubes'and closes at about the time that the predetermined quantity of material has been flowed into the tubes, the valve mechanism automatically shuts cit-and the head 5 rises to the upper limit of its movement so as to lift the filling nozzles 9 out of the path of the filled tubes. The conveyor then moves to the left to position the next two empty tubes under the filling nozzles.

The cleaning device of the invention is represented generally by reference numeral 20. It comprises a bracket 22 secured by bolts 24 to the filling head 5 so that it reciprocates therewith. This bracket extends to the right of the standard I, as viewed in Fig. 1, a distance suilicient to support a pair of suction nozzles 26 above the two collapsible tubes which will be filled in the next filling operation. Each filling'nozzle is removably secured to an elbow 28, e. g., by a thread such as that illustrated in Fig. 4. Each elbow 28 is secured to one end of a pipe 30. To the other'end is attached one end of a flexible tube 32. The other end of tub 32 is fastened to a valve 34 which controls the flow of air into an air cleaner 36, which is connected by pipe 38 to a vacuum pump 40. The air cleaner is of conventional type having a cloth bag 42 to strain foreign particles from the air stream. The valve 34 is operably connected with the drive for the head 5 which is so arranged that the valve opens as the lower ends of the suction nozzles 26 approach the necks of the respective collapsible the head begins its upward movement.

The suction nozzle 26 has a body portion 56 having a diameter approximately A inch small er than the internal diameter of the collapsible tube to be cleaned. It has been determined by' experiment that the suction nozzle gives best results if the clearance between the body portion thereof and the wall of the tube is about inch. This assures a sufiiciently rapid flow of air downwardly in the annular space between the wall of the tube and the body portion of the suction nozzle to entrain any particles of dust or lint adhering to the tube wall and, by bringing the lower end of the nozzle within about inch of the neck of the tube, loose particles of metal or the like which fall into the neck of the tub are likewise sucked into the filling nozzle.

It is preferred to taper the lower end of the body portion 50, as illustrated at 52, to'facilitate entry of the suction nozzle into the collapsible tube without damaging the open end. A convenient way of making the suction nozzle is to provide a tube having a diametersuflicientand satisfactory results have been obtained with a body portion which is relatively short, Such a modification is illustrated in Fig. 4 in which the tube 54a is provided with a relatively short body portion 59a adjacent to the lower end thereof. The tube 54a is provided with a' thread 56 at the upper end for attaching to an elbow 28.

Most commercial filling machines are adapted for filling tubes of several diiierent diameters.

The present invention is adaptable to such machines by providing sets of suction nozzles having body portions of the desired diameter to correspend with the different sizes of collapsible tubes, and it-will be apparent that the cleaning device can bereadily changed iromthe set up required to.clean collapsible tubes of one size to another size by removing one set of suctionwnozzles and replacing it with another.

While a clearance of about inch between the body. portionpf the suction nozzle and the wall of the collapsible tube is preferred, the c1ear-- ance may be somewhat less than this distance and still give satisfactory results. If the clearance is greater than inch the scrubbing action of the air stream downwardly through the annular space between the suction nozzle and the.

collapsible tube is insufficient to remove lint and dust particles adhering to the collapsible tube wall, unless the suction is greatly increased, and, where this is adopted, difficulty has been ens perienced in having the cleaning nozzle-littthe collapsible tube from the cup which supports it. When this occurs the neck of the collapsible tube acts like a valve to shut off the flow of air into the suction nozzle,

The invention has been described and illus trated in connection with a specific embodiment, but it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations may be made without departing fromthe scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

. I claim:

1. A cleaning attachment for a collapsible tube filling machine which comprises a vertical guide, a bracket mounted for reciprocation in said guide, a pipe mounted on said bracket, an elbow secured to one end of saidpipe, and .a downwardly extending suction nozzle removably secured to said elbow, said suction nozzle comprising a central tube of relatively small diameter having a straight section at least as long as the collapsible tube to be cleaned and having its sole entrance for air at the lower end, and a closed cylindrical body portion of larger diameter surrounding and secured to said central tube, saidbody portion being tapered at the end remote from the removable connection from the diameter of the body portion to the diameter of the central tube.

2. An apparatus for cleaning collapsible tubes having a threaded neck with a cap attached at one end and being open at the other end, said apparatus comprising conveyor means adapted to hold a plurality of said. open collapsible tubes in upright position with the neck end down and to move them stepwise to a cleaning station, a

vertically reciprocable head, and a downwardly extending cleaning nozzle secured to said head, 'said'cleaning nozzle comprising a central tube of relatively small diameter having a straight section at least'as long as the collapsible tube to be cleaned and being adapted to be inserted into a collapsible tube at the cleaning station until its lower end is closely adjacent to the end adjacent to the neck when said head is at the low point of its downward movement,-said central tube having its sole entrance for air atsaid lower end, and a closed cylindrical body portion of larger diameter surrounding and'securcd to said central tube, saidbody being tapered at. the lower end from the diameter, of. the body portion to the diameter of the central tube. I,

3.. A cleaningv attachment for a collapsible tube filling machine which comprises a vertical guide, a bracket mounted for reciprocation in said guide, and a downwardlyextending suction nozzle removably secured to said bracket, said suction nozzle comprising a central tube of relatively small diameter having a straight section at least long as the collapsible tube to be cleaned and having its sole; entrance for air at the lower end,

and a closed cylindrical body portion of larger diameter surrounding and secured to said central tube, said body portion being tapered at the end remote from theremovableconnection from the diameter of the'body portion to the diameter of -"References" Cited in'the file of this patent vUNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 22,392 Berthold Nov. 16, 1943 48,948 Illingworth July 25, 1865 1,465,711 Gray Aug. 21, 1923 1,689,757 Taylor Oct. 30, 1928 1,863,755 Lodde June 21, 1932 2,066,283 Wadman Dec. 29, 1936 2,193,999 Allen Mar. 19, 1940 2,206,959 Irish July 9, 1940 2,237,699 Fechheimer Apr.'8,'1941 2,267,435 Thomas Dec. 23, 1941 $298,475 Fechheimer Oct. 13, 1942 2,309,290 Aksomitas Jan. 26, 1943 FQREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 24,548 Netherlands Feb. 15, 1932