US2679714A

US2679714A - Sealing machine

Info

Publication number: US2679714A
Application number: US277859A
Authority: US
Inventors: Norman E Kewley
Original assignee: General Electric Co
Current assignee: General Electric Co
Priority date: 1952-03-21
Filing date: 1952-03-21
Publication date: 1954-06-01
Anticipated expiration: 1971-06-01

Description

N. E. KEWLEY SEALING MACHINE June 1, 1954 Filed March 21, 1952 Inventor: Norman E. Kewle Maw His Attorney Patented June 1, 1954 UNITED STATES SEALING MACHINE ration of New York Application MarchZl, 1952, Serial No. 277,859

3 Claims.

My invention relates to sealing machines for fusing together the bulb and the mount of electric lamps and discharge devices, and more particularly to improvements in the spindles of such sealing machines, which spindles provide for the support of a so-called tipless type mount at sealing relation to the bulb.

Sealing machines of the type herein concerned are characterized by a rotatable turret having heads mounted about a peripheral portion thereof for holding mounts and bulbs, and also include heating means at Work stations about the turret adjacent the patch of movement of said heads. Indexing movements of the turret at regular intervals advance the heads, with the mounts and bulbs, to each of the work stations in turn. The heads in such sealin machines each comprise a vertical spindle for supportin the mount of an electrical device within the open neck of a bulb, and also include other means adapted to hold said bulb in axial alignment and proper axial displacement with respect to said mount. The mountsupportin spindle and the bulb-holding means are both rotated in the turret at the time of their arrangement with the heating means to cause the bulb to be heated uniformly.

The axial relation of the mount and the bulb is subject to change during the sealing operation by varying the vertical position of the spindle within the bulb-holding means, which is mounted dircctly upon the turret, and is determined by the elevation of a track located below said turret and providin the support for the lower end of said spindle. Means are provided in the form of passages extending through the length ofthe spindle for conducting air to the mount and the seal area of the bulb from openings in the track which extends along almost the full circular course of movement of said spindle.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide an improvement in the spindle construction which provides improved sealin uniformity, reduction of maintenance time and reduction of time the machine is idle.

The spindles of such sealin machines comprise a vertically disposed outer sleeve or shell and a hollow inner sleeve or core which ride on the top of a track having separate passages which communicate, respectively, with the interior of the core and with a space between the core and the outer sleeve, the core bein in communication with the exhaust tube of the lamp mount and the outer sleeve being in communication with the sealing area in the neck of the bulb. The several spindles (usually 16 in number) must be in exact relation at both the top and the bottom. The tops (mount supporting pins) must be the same height for good sealing and good molding of the seal. The bottoms must be uniform to maintain proper contact between the track and the inner and outer sleeves. As heretofore constructed, the bottom of the outer sleeve was provided with an adjustable extension but no provision was made for adjustment of the inner sleeve or core. Consequently, as the sealing heads wore to varying lengths, as they do, there was no easy method of adjustment to keep the mount pins the same height without upsetting the relation between the lower ends of the inner and outer sleeves and thus impairing the effectiveness of communication of the sleeves with the passages in the track. A further complication arose when a bent spindle was replaced by a new one because the newspindle had to be machined to length to match the spindles already in the machine. The result was that when th spindles became too uneven to function properly, they had to be removed from the machine and either be replaced by a new set or rebuilt so as to conform in length.

In accordance with my invention, the abovestated objects are attained by providing a single adjustable member which functions as an extension of the lower ends of both the outer sleeve and the inner sleeve or core. The problem of maintaining the lower ends of the outer and inner sleeves in proper adjustment is thus overcome, since they are made in one piece and adjust together. Both members then ride flush on the aforesaid track at all times, and adjustments to keep the mount pins all at the same height are made quickly on the machine.

Further features and advantages of my invention will appear from the following description of a species thereof and from the drawing.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a sealing machine, and Fig. 2 is a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, through one head of said machine with a tipless type mount and a bulb in sealing relation therein.

The sealing machine has work carryin heads 5 at regularly spaced intervals about a peripheral portion of a turret 2 and, by regularly occurring indexing motions of said turret 2, provides for the advance of each of said heads I to burners and other sealing apparatus (not/shown) at work stations thereabout. The operations'of the sealing machine correspond to those described in Marshall Patent 1,475,192, dated November 27, 1923,

and provide for the sealing of the vitreous flange 3 of the incandescent lamp mount 4 into the neck 5 of a bulb 6 in the same manner as in prior apparatus.

The cycle of operation of the sealing machine is initiated by the placing or the mount l upon the spindle I of one of the heads thereof. This operation, which may be brought about either manually or mechanically, is effected by directing the end of the exhaust tube 8, extending beyond the stem 9 of the mount 4, down through the axial bore of the mount pin ID on the upper end of the spindle I until the flange 3 of said stem 9 is seated upon the tapered end of said mount pin I0. When the mount 4 is properly positioned, the end of the exhaust tube 8 is located within the passageway of the close fitting bushing II' in the top of the core I I of the spindle I and is at a height determined by the position of the outer casing or sleeve I2 of said. spindle I inasmuch as the upper ends of the inner sleeve or core II and said outer sleeve I2 are fastened to the mount pin II) by the screw I3.

The bulb 6 of the incandescent lamp is inserted into its proper position in the sealing head by passing the open neck 5 thereof over the mount 4 and the upper end of the spindle I, and by resting the bulbous portion of said bulb I upon the pads I4 of the bulb holder I5 on the upstanding posts I6 at opposite sides of said spindle I. The bulb 6 is, at such times, in alignment with the mount 4 since the posts I5 are retained by the base ll of the sealing head I, and the mount supporting spindle I is, in turn, retained by the depending journal It of said base I'I. Since it is desirable for the entire head I (spindle I and bulb holder I5) to be rotated while the bulb 6 is in operative relation to the sealing fires, a pulley I9 is located upon the lower end of the journal I8 of said base H for engagement with a moving belt (not shown) at certain of the work stations and a key N and keyway are provided in the base I1 and spindle I respectively to cause them to turn as a unit. The ball bearing 20 is located between the base I1 and the turret 2. The relation of the mount 4 and the bulb 6 is dependent upon the elevation of the spindle I which is movable vertically in the base ll of the sealing head I and is established by the seating of the nut-like shoe 2|, on the lower end of the outer sleeve I2 of said spindle I, on the top surface of the stationary track 22 below the turret 2.

The sealing operation performed by the machine is brought about in the same manner as in prior apparatus by burners (not shown) at various work stations about the turret 2. The initial steps of this operation, which seal the neck 5 f the bulb 6 to the flange 3 of the mount d, occur at work stations where the shoe 2| of the sealing head I is aligned with a passage 23 through the track 22. This particular arrangement of spindle I and the track 22 vents the bulb 6 since the atmosphere trapped therein is free to pass through the opening 24 in the tipless type stem 9 to the exhaust tube 8 and thence down the hollow center of the core II of said spindle I to the passage 23.

As the sealing operation progresses, the burn ers of the machine are assisted by a blast of air directed against the inside surface of the bulb neck to cut off the excess neck portion or cullet below the fiare 3. This blast of air is emitted from the upper end of a longitudinal passageway extending between the full length of the tubular core II and the outer sleeve I2 of the spindle I and passes upward through slots 26 in the flange 21 of the mount pin III to the bulb neck 5. At such times, the shoe 2| on the spindle 1 rests upon a portion of the track 22 having a second opening 28 therein connected by a pipe 29 to a source of compressed air.

The succeeding steps in the sealing operation, which complete said operation and which may, for instance, provide for the molding of the seal portion of the bulb 6, are carried on while the spindle I continues to be supported by the track 22 and, when need be, is vented and receives air from passages in said track 22 corresponding to

passages

23 and 28. During this latter period, the elevation of the track 22 may vary so as to raise or lower the spindle I as in prior apparatus and, as is sometimes necessary at the start of the sealing operation, to insert the mount 4 into the bulb 6.

In accordance with my invention, the nut-like shoe 2| is so constructed as to be adjustably secured to one of the sleeves II and I2 and constitute an adjustable tubular telescoping extension of both the outer sleeve I2 and the inner sleeve or core II. To that end, the shoe 2| is internally threaded for adjustment on the threaded lower end I2 of the outer spindle I2. The shoe 2| is also provided with an integral web 26 carrying a tubular ring or hub portion 25 which fits snugly on, but is slidable along, the lower end of the inner sleeve or core II and serves as an adjustable extension of the said inner sleeve. The air from pipe 29 and passage 28 thus passes through the annular space 25' between the ring 25 and the wall of the shoe 2|, and through an opening in the web 26, to the space between the inner and outer shells I I and I2. The ring 25 also serves to support and center the inner sleeve II which is further centered at its fluted upper end by the longitudinally extending ridges 30. The integral construction of the ring portion 25 with the shoe 2| assures accurate control over the air blast since no leakage can occur at the lower end of the spindle because the ends of both the shoe 2| proper and the ring 25 maintain close contact with the track 22.

It is essential to the sealing operation that the mount 4 be at the proper elevation to be in proper relation to the other portions of the sealing apparatus and this is provided in the construction of the shoe 2| for extending or shortening the efiective length of the spindle I. The spindle I is adjusted merely by threading the shoe 2| along the threaded lower end I2 of the outer sleeve I2 of said spindle I, and the lock nut 3| secures the shoe 2| at its adjusted position on the sleeve I2. The sliding, but quite snug, fit between the lower end of the tubular core I I of the spindle I and the inner ring 25 of the shoe 2| permits said shoe 2| to be adjusted without disturbing the position of or the air connection between said shoe 2| and said core I I. The construction of the shoe 2| and the associated ends of the inner core II and the outer casing I2 of the spindle 'I also enable adjustments to be easily made in the length of said spindle I to cause the mount 4 to be held at a standard height by all heads I of the sealing machine and to compensate for warpage of the parts of the machine under the high heat of sealing and for wear, which is often non-uniform, in the heads I.

Although a preferred embodiment of my invention has been disclosed, it will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific construction of parts shown, but may be modified within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a spindle for a sealing machine of the class described and comprising concentric inner and outer sleeves with respective passages longitudinally through the inner sleeve and along a space between said sleeves, a shoe member adjustably secured to the lower end of one of said sleeves and having a web portion integrally connecting concentric tubular portions thereof which constitute telescoping extensions of each of said sleeves and which are adjustable along said sleeves by adjustment of said shoe member on said one sleeve, said web portion having an opening therethrough communicating with the passage between said inner and outer sleeves.

2. In a spindle for a sealing machine of the class described and comprising concentric inner and outer sleeves with respective passages longitudinally through the inner sleeve and along a space between said sleeves, a shoe member adjustably secured to the lower end of the outer sleeve and having a web portion integrally connecting concentric tubular portions thereof which constitute telescoping extensions of each of said sleeves and which are adjustable along said sleeves 30 by adjustment of said shoe member on said outer sleeve, said web portion having an opening therethrough communicating with the passage between said inner and outer sleeves.

3. In a spindle for a sealing machine of the class described and comprising concentric inner and outer'sleeves with respective passages longitudinally through the inner sleeve and along a space between said sleeves, the inner sleeve projecting beyond the outer sleeve at the lower ends thereof. the lower end of said outer sleeve being screw threaded, and a tubular shoe member provided with screw threads for adjustable engagement with the screw threaded end of said outer sleeve to serve as an extension thereof, said shoe member being provided with a concentric tubular ring portion snugly telescoped on the end of said inner sleeve to serve as an extension thereof and integrally connected with said shoe member by a web portion provided with an opening communicating with the passage between said inner and outer sleeves.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,475,192 Marshall Nov. 27, 1923 1,942,042 Zimbler et al. Jan. 2, 1934 2,185,704 Donovan et a1. Jan. 2, 1940