US2688830A - Feeding and banding machine - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 14, 1954 J. HALAHAN ET AL 2,688,830

FEEDING AND BANDING MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 16, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet l IIIIIIHII i1 Illllllll F I6. I.

II Im NIIII llli INVENTORS. JOHN HALAHAN THEODOREFARONSQN FLOYD A. LYON A T TORNE) p 1954 J. HALAHAN ET AL FEEDING AND BANDING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed Nov. 16, 1949 FIG.7.

INVENTORS JOHN HALAHAN THEODORE F ARONSON BY FL. OYD A. LYON ATT NEY Patented Sept. 14, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FEEDING AND BANDIN G MACHINE New York Original application November 16, 1949, Serial No.

Divided and this application March 30, 1951, Serial No. 220,111

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in mechanisms for feeding articles, particularly fiat folded articles like envelopes, and for forming bands around bunches of articles, and for a combination of said mechanisms.

A constant source of danger in all automatic machinery is jamming. This is particularly true for high speed machines that operate on individual articles such as envelope making and processing machines.

An object of the invention is to minimize jamming at high speed operation. This object is attained by combined mechanical and pneumatic means for restraining, grasping and transporting the articles held in a reservoir.

Another object of the invention is to provide mechanism for applying bands of predetermined tightness to bunches of envelopes or the like either in conjunction with a machine having the feed mechanism of the invention or separately.

While the invention will be described in connection with an envelope banding machine it is not limited to that type of machine. The feed mechanism according to the invention will operate satisfactorily on any article that has a flat surface, a folded portion and relatively sharp edges. The banding mechanism will function satisfactorily on articles of a wide variety. Furthermore, it is possible to use the feeding and handing mechanisms independently of each other as attachments to other types of machines where it may be desired to feed or band articles.

According to the invention the bottom envelope in an envelope reservoir or hopper is held by a movable catch. Pneumatic means is moved to engage the bottom envelope and, upon its release by the catch, pulls the envelopes edge away from the next envelope which is then engaged by the catch. Furthermore, the pneumatic means opens the flap of the envelope seized by it so as to permit flap engaging picks to remove the envelope from the pneumatic means.

The banding mechanism employs a slip clutch which simplifies the gearing of this mechanism to the rest of the machine. Furthermore, in order to insure that the bands applied around the bunches of envelopes are always of a predetermined tightness, the bands are wrapped around two fingers delimiting a bunch of envelopes rather than directly around the envolpes. When the bunch of envelopes is moved, they engage the V band and pull it off the fingers.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the drawings which may be considered in connection with our prior copending application, Serial No. 95,076.

Fig. 6 is a section on the lines 66 of Fig. 1 8

showing the banding mechanism;

7 Fig. 7 is a side elevation on the line l--1 of Fig. 1 showing some of the driving means for the banding mechanism.

Into a reservoir or feed hopper generally indicated by reference numeral l l, is placed a vertical stack of envelopes with their seal flaps down and headed into the machine in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2. The back portion of the bottom envelope E is supported by angle iron I2 projecting from a post of a hopper H. The forward edge of the bottom envelope rests on a pivoted or oscillating catch l3 fastened to shaft [4 which is suitably supported in bearings l5 (Fig. 1). As best seen in Fig. 2, catch [3 has a lip [6 which supports bottom envelope E at approximately the center of its front edge and thereby restrains all the envelopes in the hopper. Mounted on one end of shaft M is an arm I! (Fig. 4) having a cam follower I8 contacting cam I9 of drive shaft 20 to control the rocking back and forth of catch l3.

In the bottom of hopper II there is provided movable pneumatic means in the form of an oblong sucker plate 2| having air holes 22 (Fig. 4) along its front edge. One end of a rocker arm 23 is attached to plate 2! and the other end of the arm is fastened to sleeve 24 mounted on a rigid shaft 25. A spring 26 is connected between a fixed point 21 (Fig. 2) on the frame of the machine and a projection 23 from sleeve 2 whereby rocker arm 23 is urged downwardly to make its cam follower 29 contact a cam 30 mounted on drive shaft 20. Sucker plate 2! is moved up and into contact with the front portion of bottom envelope E each time cam follower 29 contacts high point 3! on cam 30. The timing of cams l9 and 30 is such that when plate 2! is raised catch 53 is oscillated back and the sucker plate takes over the support of the bottom envelope. 7

While there is preferably apositive control over catch [3 to move it back and forth, it would be possible to use other envelope restraining means such as a leaf spring which would hold the envelopes while permitting the sucker plate to disengage the bottom envelopes from the stack.

Also mounted on drive shaft 20 is another cam 32 that contacts follower 33 on arm 34, which is pivoted at point 35 on the back of the casing of clapper valve 36. Lid 31 of the valve is fastened to the other end of arm 34 and has a spring 38 fastened between it and the bottom of the valve which tends to pull the lid closed in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2.

An air hose 39 may be slipped over projection 49 of valve 36. Three flexible hoses 4! connect the valve to the bottom of plate 2| at points beneath holes 22. When lid 31 is closed suction is applied to the holes in the plate.

As best seen in Figs. 4 and 5, sucker plate 2| is beveled and has an arcuate shape, its two sides 42, 42' being lower than midpoint 43 and its front edge sloping down as at 44 (Fig. 2). The plate should be of substantially the same length as the envelope, preferably slightly shorter as shown in Fig. but may be slightly longer as shown in Fig. 5c. When suction is applied at holes 22, the front and sides of envelope E are sucked down to conform to the shape of plate 2|, the other portions of the envelope remain level. On account of the suction applied and the shaping of the envelope by the plate 2!, the flap is pulled away from the body of the envelope on either side as at 45, 45', providing spaces for envelope picks 46 to enter, engage the forward edge of the envelope and remove it from the stack. The width of the plate is preferably less than the height of the flap so that when placed against the envelope the raised back area 41 of plate 2| (Fig. 5a) holds the rear portion of the flap against the body of the envelope. This prevents any possibility of the picks failing to disengage the envelope because the flap was free to be opened into the plane of the body of the envelope when engaged by the picks.

Picks 46 are mounted on sprocket chains 48 and are driven by them to pull a-n'envelope horizontally away from the stack and into contact with a conveyor belt 49 traveling at a greater speed than picks 46. Rollers 50 hold the envelopes in frictional engagement with the belt which walks the envelopes off the picks and deposits them one on top of the other at a separating or bunching station generally indicated at numeral 5| (Fig. 2).

While the preferred embodiment of the pneumatic means is that of sucker plate 2| and clapper valve 36, it would be possible to use other means. Movable separate pneumatic means could be employed to grasp a flat folded article adjacent at least one end while supporting the article intermediate its folded edge in a plane different from that of the pneumatic means. In this manner the fold will be bulged open at at least one side of the article to permit entry of mechanical means such as picks 46 for removal of the article from the pneumatic means.

The detailed operation of the feed is as follows: Envelopes are stacked vertically with their flaps down in hopper The midpoint of the front edge of the lowermost envelope rests on lip it of the oscillating catch |3. Power is turned on and drive shaft 29 starts rotating. When high point 3| of cam 39 engages cam follower 29, sucker plate 2| is raised to engage the bottom envelope in the stack. At the same time follower |8 on arm I! contacts the low point in cam l9 and shaft M is rotated to move oscillating catch |3 back as the sucker plate is raised, Clapper valve 36 is also operated at the same time via its arm 34 and cam 32 to close lid 31 so that suction is applied via hoses 4| to holes 22 in the bottom of the plate. Plate 2| contacts the bottom envelope and curls its front down; thereupon catch i3 is moved back in to engage the next succeeding envelope to support the rest of the envelopes. Plate 2| dwells in raised position just long enough for the oscillating catch to come back in, there being sufficient clearance between the two oscillating elements. As the plate comes down with the envelope adhering thereto, envelope picks 46 engage the forward edge of the envelope at the bulges in the side edges. At that point lid 31 of the clapper valve is opened and suction is stopped. The envelope picks carry the envelope a short distance before it is engaged by the conveyor belt 49 which walks the envelopes off the picks. It will be seen that the picks serve only to jerk the bottom envelope free from the stack of envelopes, the conveyor belt taking over immediately thereafter.

After the desired number of envelopes has been deposited one on top of the other in separating station 5|, where they are divided into bunches containing a predetermined number, a ram 52 is operated in the direction of the arrow, Fig. l, and moves a bunch of envelopes into banding station between opposite reaches of chain 53 mounted on sprocket wheel 54 and idler wheel 55. Envelope clamps 56 are rotated downwardly to hold the bunch of envelopes during the banding operation. The free end of paper tape 51 is fed from a supply of the banding material through a guide and feed mechanism generally indicated at 58 to a tape clamp 59 that grasps the end of the tape. Clamp 59 is fastened to chain 53 and extends therefrom so that when the chain is operated the clamp will carry a length of tape substantially around the center of the bunch of envelopes to form a loop therearound. Jaw 60 of clamp 59 is normally closed to hold the free end of the tape therein. A depending projection 6| from clamp 59 is engaged by the top of a spring loaded plunger 62 which is mounted by brackets 63 on a plate 64 fastened to the bottom of table 65 that supports the mechanism, When plunger 62 contacts projection 6| (as shown in solid lines, Fig. 6) jaw 60 of the clamp is opened and paper tape 51 is fed therein by mechanism 58. Plunger 62 is connected by rocker arm 66 and cam follower 61 to a cam 68 mounted on cam shaft 69, which is timed to make the plunger engage projection 6| after clamp 59 has made one revolution on chain 53.

The following mechanism controls the operation of chain 53. A bracket 19 on plunger 52 has a pin H which engages an arm 12 of a member 13, pivotally fastened at 14 to plate 64. Another arm 15 of member 13 engages a projecting lug stop 16 mounted on sprocket chain 53. A spring 11 fastened between the bottom of member 13 and. plate 64 tends normally to hold arm 15 in engagement with stop 16 and thereby prevent rotation of sprocket chain 53. When plunger 62 is lowered to the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 6, arms 12 and 15 are rotated downwardly to free stop 16 and permit rotation of chain 53.

Chain 53 is driven by sprocket wheel 54 mounted on one end of a shaft 18 which is connected to a slip clutch mechanism on the other end of shaft 18 comprising a sprocket wheel 19 (Fig. '7) mounted on a freely rotating bushing 80 having a plate 8|. Sprocket wheel 19 is continually being driven by; a. sprocket chain 82 connected to cam shaft 69. Plate 8| is in frictional engagement witha disk 83 of leather, asbestos or other suitable material mounted on plate 84 which is keyed to shaft 18. Spring 85 extending between plate 96 and nut 86 urges disk 83 against plate 8i so that there is slipping engagement 'therebetween. As soon as arm moves out of engagement with stop 16, chain 53 is free to be rotated until the stop is again engaged, which is after the chain has made one revolution.

In order to apply the bands of tape 51 around a bunch of envelopes with the desired degree of tightness, the tape is carried around a pair of beveled tips or fingers 90 that project from opposite edges of supporting plate 9| to define the space in which the envelopes are during the banding operation. As best seen in Fig. 6 and shown by arrows 92, when tape 5! is carried around the bunch of envelopes, the tape does not contact the side edges of most of the envelopes, but only the fingers 9B. The band of tape is drawn fairly tightly around fingers 9!} so that the flat sides of the top and bottom envelopes in the bunch contact the tape. Furthermore, when envelope clamps 56 are lifted the envelopes spring apart somewhat to engage the tape.

The cutting and stapling of the tape into a band is performed by mechanism diagrammatically illustrated at 93. Just before clamp 59 carrying the tape comes back to its rest position, a short portion of the tape is overlapped and the stapler operated against the bottom of a plate 94 projecting from supporting piece 9| to secure the overlapped portions to one another. Simultaneous with the completion of stapling, the band surrounding the envelopes is severed from the supply of tape.

When a bunch of envelopes has been banded in the manner above described, they are pushed out of the banding station by the succeeding bunch being moved into the station by arm 52. As the banded hunch is moved out of the banding station, the band of tape 51 slips off fingers 90 and around the envelopes. The band moves with the envelopes rather than staying on the fingers because of the frictional engagement between the envelopes and band.

This application is a division of Serial No. 127,6e2, filed November 16, 1949.

What we claim is:

1. In a machine for banding a bunch of envelopes, a supply of banding material, means for grasping the free end of the material, continuously operated means for moving said means for grasping to form a loop of material around the bunch of envelopes, means operative upon the completion of said loop for stopping the movement of said means for grasping, means for severing the loop of material from the rest of the supply and securing it in a band around the envelopes, means for releasing the end of the band grasped by the means for grasping, means for feeding the free end of the banding supply to the means for grasping and means operative thereupon for releasing the means for moving the grasping means.

2. The machine according to claim 1, and in which the articles are supported within a space defined by two fingers around which the band is formed.

3. In an envelope banding machine having a supply of paper tape, a bevelled finger immediately adjacent opposite sides of a bunch of envelopes, an endless sprocket'ch'ain, a source of power, a slip clutch connecting the sprocket chain to said source of power, a clamp having a jaw to receive the free end of the tape, a movable plungerfor contacting the clamp in one position to open the j aw, a projecting lug fastened to the chain, a pivotally mounted member, a first arm on the member movable to contact the lug to stop rotation of the chain, a second arm on said member, a pin fastened to the plunger movable to contact said second arm when the plunger is free from the clamp thereby moving the first arm out of engagement with the lug to permit the clamp to carry the tape around the beveled fingers and the bunch of envelopes, means for severing and securing to one another the ends of the tape into a band, and means operative thereupon for feeding the free end of the tape into the clamp aw.

4. Apparatus for banding articles comprising a sprocket chain, means for driving said chain including a friction clutch coupled therebetween, an article supporting platform associated with said chain, a supply of handing tape including means for feeding the free end thereof into the path of said chain, means carried by said chain for gripping the free end of said tape, a yieldable detent disposed in the path of said chain, means carried by said chain for engaging said detent upon each revolution of said gripping means relative to said platform whereby to arrest movement of said chain, cam controlled means for actuating said gripping means and said detent simultaneously, whereby said tape is drawn by said chain around said articles in overlapping relation during one revolution of said gripping means, and independent means for securing the overlapped portions of said tape and for severing the tape from said supply during cessation of chain movement.

5. Apparatus for banding articles comprising a sprocket chain, means for driving said chain and a friction clutch coupled therebetween, a banding station including a supporting platform for a stack of articles cooperatively associated. with said chain, a supply of banding tape including means for feeding the free end thereof into the path of said chain, means carried by said chain for gripping the free end of said tape, a yieldable detent disposed in the path of said chain, means carried by said chain for engaging said detent upon each revolution of said gripping means whereby to arrest movement of said chain, cam controlled means for actuating said gripping means and said detent simultaneously, whereby said tape is drawn by said chain around said articles in overlapping relation during one revolution of said gripping means, and independent means for securing the overlapped portions of said tape and for severing the tape from said supply during cessation of chain movement.

6. Apparatus for banding a plurality of stacked envelopes comprising a sprocket chain, means for driving said chain including a friction clutch coupled therebetween, a banding station including supporting platform for said envelopes cooperatively associated with the lower reach of said chain, a supply of banding tape including means for feeding the free end thereof into the path of said chain, means secured to said chain for gripping the free end of said tape, a yieldable detent disposed in the path of said chain, means secured to said chain in advance of said gripping means for engaging said detent upon return of said gripping means to said platform whereby to arrest movement of said chain against the action of said clutch, reciprocable means adapted for actuating said gripping means and said detent simultaneously whereby said chain operates to draw said tape around said envelopes in overlapping relation in one revolution of said gripping means, cam means for actuating said reciprocable means in timed relation with each revolution of said gripping means relative to said platform, and independent means for securing 1O the overlapped portions of said tape and for severing the tape from said supply during cessation of chain movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,262,232 Harvey Nov. 11, 1941 2,471,304 Bunn May 24, 1949

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