US2747268A - Method and apparatus for cutting the head from an elongated member and moving the member to a predetermined position - Google Patents

Description

May 29, 1956 J. G. BAUMGARTNER 2,747,268

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING THE HEAD FROM AN ELONGATED MEMBER AND MOVING THE MEMBER TO A PREDETERMINED POSITION Filed April 18 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. cjfin &. 151mm gari'ner y 1956 J. G. BAUMGARTNER 2,747,268

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING THE HEAD FROM AN ELONGATED MEMBER AND MOVING THE MEMBER TO A PREDETERMINED POSITION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 18 1951 ax I. 28

INVENTOR.

6 ,Baumgariner Tlnited States Patent Ofice Patented May 29, 1956 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING THE HEAD FROM AN ELONGATED MEMBER AND MOVING THE MEMBER TO A PREDETERMINED POSITION John G. Baumgartner, Oswego, Ill.

Application April 18, 1951, Serial No. 221,651

7 Claims. (Cl. 29-418) This invention relates generally to the manufacture of small brushes, and more particularly to the handling of small plastic brush handles preparatory to the insertion of bristles therein and/ or the carrying out of other manufacturing operations.

Small brushes for use in applying lacquer or the like, such as fingernail polish brushes, have been constructed with the handle portion of the brush being of a molded plastic material. Machines have been provided for placing the bristles in the handle and for further processing of the brush. In some cases, the handle is thereafter secured to the cap of the bottle in which the lacquer or other material is obtained. These brushes are very small with the handles being of about the size of a standard match stick. The two ends of the handles are of different configurations with one end having a recess for receiving the bristles and the other end being of such configuration to be easily inserted in a cap or the like. The handles are held in a fixture while the bristles are inserted in the recess in the one end thereof and/ or during other operations in the manufacture of the brush. Because of the unsymmetrical configuration of the handles, it is necessary that the handles be fed into the fixture in a predetermined manner. Accordingly, it has been difiicult to provide an automatic mechanism for feeding the handles into the machine and it has been standard practice to feed the handles into the machine by hand.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to simplify the manufacture of small brushes by automatically feeding the brush handles into the machine for assembling and/or otherwise processing the brush.-

A further object of this invention is to provide a device for automatically feeding plastic handles of elongated configuration into a holding fixture, with the handles being inserted in the fixture in a predetermined position.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved method for constructing the handle and feeding the same into a fixture with a predetermined orientation.

A feature of this invention is the provision of a method for feeding a small elongated brush handle into a fixture wherein the handle is originally formed with a head therein, and is supported by the head until it reaches a predetermined position at which the head is removed and the motion of the handle controlled so that it falls in a predetermined position from which it is moved horizontally into the fixture.

A further feature of this invention is the provision of a device having conveyor means for supporting elongated plastic handles by heads thereon, cutting means for severing the heads and means for controlling the movement of the elongated handles from vertical to horizontal positions and plunger means for forcing the handles into a fixture in the proper end to end relation.

Further objects and features, and the attending advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description when taken in v connection with the accompanying drawings in which: j

Fig. l is a perspective view of a brush assembling machine incorporating the feeding device in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the feeding device in accordance with the invention;

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the device of Fig. 2 in other positions;

Fig. 5 illustrates the hopper structure;

Fig. 6 illustrates a handle with the head thereon, and

Fig. 7 illustrates a handle having the head removed and bristles inserted in one end of the handle.

In practicing the invention there is provided a brush making machine including a hopper for receiving elongated brush handles having heads formed at one end thereof. The hopper includes a rotating disc with slots therein into which the elongated portions of the handles extend so that the handles are supported by the heads thereon. An inclined channel extends from the hopper, having a slot therein for retaining the handles by the heads thereon, so that the handles slide from the hopper down the channel to the brush assembling machine. At the end of the channel there is provided a cutting and indexing device for severing the head from the lowermost handle. This handle is dropped on an inclined surface so that the elongated portion adjacent the head falls away from the cutting position. The inclined member is then withdrawn allowing the elongated portion to fall on a horizontal surface with the portion adjacent the head still further away from the cutting position. A plunger then engages the head and moves the same horizontally into a fixture which resiliently holds the handle While it is moved through various positions wherein bristles are inserted in the handle and/ or other operations are performed thereon. Control means are provided for the indexing and cutting device, for controlling the position of the inclined portion, and for operating the plunger.

Referring now to the drawings, in Fig. 1 there is illustrated a brush making machine including a hopper 10 into which handles are placed. An operator places handles in the hopper 10 from a container 7, with the deflector 8 directing any handles that are dropped on a table. Fig. 6 illustrates one form which the handle may take, with the handle being designated 20, the stem 21 and the head 22. As previously stated, the handle is made of plastic material, and can be formed with the head 22 thereon in various manners known in the art, such as by the use of a multiple cavity injection mold. A rotating disc 11, driven by motor 9, is provided in the hopper having slots 12 therein of such width to receive the elongated stem portions of the handles therein, and which hold the handles by the heads formed thereon. The disc 11 rotates in a clockwise direction with the handles which have dropped into the slots thereof being brought to a position where they slide into a channel portion 13 within the hopper which connects with a channel portion 14 extending from the hopper to the machine. This channel including the portions 13 and 14 is inclined so that the handles will slide therealong, being supported in a substantially vertical position by the heads thereon which engage the sides of the channel.

The handles supplied by the channel are to be positioned in supporting means at the edge of a disc 15, which disc is rotated to move the handles to various positions. The ,novel structure for inserting the handles in the edge of the disc is illustrated in Figs. 2-5 and .Will be described more in detail. Bristles 24, provided in a slide, are inserted in the handles at one position, with a handle having the bristles inserted therein being illustrated at 16, and the completed handle may then "be transferred to a conveyor for holding the same against grinding wheels 17 and 18 which finish the bristle tufts. Such grinding apparatus may be in accordance with my prior appli- 3 cation Serial No. 74,106, filed February .2, .1949, now Patent No. 2,685,477, subject Brush Making Machine and Method. The completed brush is shown in Fig. 7, with the t'ufts 24 being inser'tedin the stem 21.

Referring now more particularly to the apparatus for feeding the brush handles into the supporting fixture of the brush making machine, reference is made to Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive. Fig. 5 shows more in detail the hopper construction with the rotating disc 11 which moves the handles around to the conveying channel. A lip 19 prevents the handles 20 fro'rnfalling out of the disc :11 until they reach 'the ch'airnel '13 so that all of the handles inthe various slots 12 are brought around to the position in which they slide into the channel 1-3.

In Fig. --2 there is illustrated the lowerend of the channel14through whichthe handles slide due'to the inclination of the channel. A stop plate prevents the handles from isliding out of the channel and has-a notch therein for receivingthe lowermost handle. Aknife 26 is mounted to slide along the top of the plate 25 for severing the head 22 from the elongated handle portion 21. The knife 26 is supported by the shaft 27, and has secured thereto a finger 28 which holds back all the handles except the lowest one, so thato'nly the head of the lowest handle is cut off. An air connection is made to the knife through flexible tube 29, which communicates with a passage 30 in the handle having an opening 31 adjace'ri-tthe-cutting edged the knife. Airis supplied'through the tube 29 to the passage for blowing the severed head out of the way. The knife is moved by an arm 35 connected to the shaft 27 and is operated by connecting rod 36 and pivoted arm 37. The arm 37 is secured to the frame structure at 38 and includes a cam follower 39 engaging cam 40 on the control shaft 41. Cam 40 is of such shape to permit the spring 42 to pull the arm 37 "forward so that the edge-of the knife 26 is rotated counterclockwise to sever the head 22 as shown in Fig. 3. The cam 40 then causes the arm 37 to be pivoted back so that'theknife is in position to sever the head from the ne-xt'handle.

The elongated portion 21 of the handle drops down after the head 22 is severed therefrom on the inclined surface '45 of the sliding block 46. This inclined surface insures that the elongated portion 21 rests in apredetermined position when it falls. The block 46 is connected to a shaft '47 having a projection 48 thereon engaged by arm '49. The arm 49 is pivoted to the frame structure at 50 and includes a cam follower '51 engaging cam 52 on the'control shaft 41. A spring 53 normally holds the block in the position under the knife, and the cam SZ is of such configuration that the arm 49 and rod 47move to positions so that the block 46 is withdrawn after the elongated portion 21 rests thereon to allow the elongated "portion to fall into a horizontal groove 55.

After the elongated portion of thehandle is in position in the groove 55, a plunger engages the end thereof andpushes the handle horizontally into an opening'providedby the notch 61 in the disc 15 and the plate 62 resiliently held over the notch 61. This frictionally holds the handle on the disc 15 while the bristles are inserted therein and/or other operations are performed on the same. As shown in Fig. 3, the plunger 60 is connect'edto an arm 63 pivoted at 64 to the frame structure. The arm includes a cam follower 65 thereon engaging cam 6'6 onthe control shaft 67. The control shaft 67 is coordinated with the control shaft 41 so that the operation of the plunger '60 is, properly synchronized with the operation of the knife 25 and the sliding block 46.

It will be apparentfrom the foregoing that by the provisionof-heads onthe small elongated handles, the handles can be placed in the hopper ina randommann'er, and will he fed down'the channel to the mechanism-for'inserting the same-in the holding fixture. The heads are, of course, always placed on the same end of the elongated portion, this being illustrated as the end to be inserted in a cap or the like. The other end of the handle includes a recess 23 for receiving the bristle tuft 24. By the provision of the block with an inclined surface on which the elongated portion drops, which block slides out of the way, the proper end to end relation of the handle with respect to the holding fixture can bedefinitely established. The handle is also dropped so that it is directed properly to be inserted in the horizontal opening in the fixture and may be inserted therein simply by engaging the same at the remote end by the sliding plunger. This arrangement absolutely insures that'the handles are positioned in the fixture correctly.

By the use of the process described, it is possible to automatically feed the small 'elon'g'atedhandles for brushes into a fixture in the brush making machine. This eliminates the need for an operator who must position the brushes individually by h'an'd, as has been formerly required. The structure required is relatively simple and does not add substantially-to the overall cost of such brush making machines. The plastic material from which the handle is made can be remolded so thatthe material used in forming the head on the .handle can be reused and thereforeis not wasted.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, -it -is obvious that "various modifications and changes can be made therein without departing from the intended scope of the -inven'tion as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

-1. The method of 'positioning an elongated member having ends o'f'diiferen't configuration into a holding fixture having a horizontal opening for receiving the member, with the endsof'the member extending in predetermined positions in the fixture, said method including the steps of, forming said 'member with a headon one end thereof, sliding the member on the head thereof into a desired position, molding said member 'by the 'head thereof in a substantially vertical position, cutting the head off the member and allowing the member to drop, controlling the movement "of the elongated member from a substantially vertical position through an intermediate in- 'c lined position to a substantially horizontal position, and moving the elongated member horizontally into the open- 2. -Adevice for automiatical'ly handling elongated plastic members which have heads formed thereon to facilitate handling the same, said -device including in combination, hopper means for receiving said members in random positions and for feeding the same individually-in "predetermined positions, channel-means connected to said hopper means for feeding said members to a particularioc'ation and including portions on which said heads are supported sothat'each elongated member is in a predeterminedpositionwhen said particular location is. reached, separating means at said particular location for individually receiving said members thereat, cutting means for removing the head of the member at said particular location, means for moving said elongated members individually from said particular location to a second location wit-h the position of said member at said second location having a predetermined relation with said predetermined position of said member-at said particular location, and control means for-operating said separating means, 'said cutting means and said moving means for automatically moving the members to said second 'location.

3. A-deviee for automatically handling elongated members having ends of different configuration and which have heads formed thereon to facilitate handling the same, said device including in combination, channel means for individually feeding said'members to -a first io'cationfhoppermeans associated'with said channel means .for 'rec'eivingsaidmembers in random positions and for feeding the same individually into said channel means,

said channel means including portions on which said heads are supported so that each elongated member is in a predetermined position when said first location is reached, separating means at said first location including a finger portion for allowing said members to be individually received at said first location and a cutting portion for removing the head of each member at said first location, and receiving means positioned below said separating means, said members falling on said receiving means when said heads are removed therefrom, said receiving means moving said members individually from said first location to a second location and holding the same in a position at said second location having a predetermined relation to said predetermined position thereof when supported by said heads at said first location.

4. A device for automatically handling elongated members having ends of different configurations and for individually feeding said members into a holding fixture with the ends thereof extending in a predetermined relation in the fixture, and which members have head portions formed on one of the ends thereof to facilitate original positioning of the members in a given end to end relation by automatic means, said device including in combination, feeding means including inclined channel portions for supporting the members by the head portions and feeding the same toward a predetermined position, with the member at said predetermined position being supported by the head portion thereof and the elongated portion extending substantially vertically downwardly therefrom, separating means at said predetermined position including a finger portion and a cutting portion, said separating means operating so that said finger portion allows only one member to move to said predetermined position and causing said cutting portion to sever the head portion from the member at said predetermined position whereby the elongated portion drops downwardly in given end to end relation, a slide mechanism having an inclined surface extending below said predetermined position on which the elongated portion drops when the head portion is removed, support means having a horizontal groove extending below said inclined surface of said slide mechanism, said slide mechanism including means for withdrawing said inclined surface so that the elongated portion drops into said horizontal groove, plunger means operating in said groove for moving the elongated portion horizontally into a holding fixture, and control means for operating said separating means, said slide mechanism and said plunger means in sequence so that the elongated portions are automatically fed into the holding fixture one after another.

5. A device fo rautomatically handling elongated members having ends of different configurations and for individually feeding said members into a holding fixture with the ends thereof extending in a predetermined relation in the fixture, and which members have head portions formed on one of said ends thereof to facilitate original positioning of the members in a given end to end relation by automatic means, said device including in combination, feeding means including inclined channel portions for supporting the members by the head portions and feeding the same toward a predetermined position, with the member at said predetermined position being supported by the head portion thereof and the elongated portion extending substantially vertically downwardly therefrom, separating means at said predetermined position including a finger portion and a cutting portion, said separating means operating so that said finger portion allows only one member to move to said predetermined position and said cutting portion sevcrs the head portion from the member at said predetermined position whereby the elongated portion drops downwardly in given end to end relation, support means having a horizontal groove, moving means for receiving elongated portions released at said predetermined position and moving the same to said horizontal groove in desired end to end relation, plunger means operating in said groove for moving said elongated member horizontally into a holding fixture, and control means for operating said separating means, said moving means and said plunger means so that the elongated portions are automatically fed into the holding fixture one after another.

6. The method of handling elongated members having ends of different configurations, and for automatically positioning the members in a desired end to end relation, said method including the steps of, forming the members with heads on one end thereof, placing a plurality of members in a container, individually picking out said members from the container by the heads thereof, individually conveying said members toward a particular location by engagement with the head thereof, separating one member from the others and holding such member at said particular location by the head thereof with the elongated member extending downwardly in a substantially vertical position, cutting the head from the member at said particular location so that the member drops with a desired end to end relation, controlling the movement of the elongated member from the substantially vertical position through an intermediate inclined position to a substantially horizontal position while maintaining the desired end to end relation, and moving the elongated member horizontally to a desired position.

7. The method of automatically feeding elongated members having ends of different configurations into a fixture for holding the members in a desired end to end relation, said method including the steps of forming the members with heads on one end thereof, placing a plurality of members in a container, individually picking out said members from the container by the heads thereof, individually conveying said members to a particular location by engagement with the head thereof holding the member at said particular location by the head thereof with the elongated member extending downwardly in a substantially vertical position, cutting the head from the member at said particular location so that the member drops with a desired end to end relation, controlling the movement of the elongated member from the substantially vertical position to a position aligned with receiving means of the holding fixture while maintaining the desired end to end relation, and moving the elongated member longitudinally into the receiving means of the holding fixture.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,110,762 Ferry Sept. 15, 1914 1,449,424 LeBoeuf Mar. 27, 1923 2,101,924 Turnquist Dec. 14, 1937 2,159,066 Weiner May 23, 1939 2,203,287 Smith June 4, 1940 2,542,988 Bureau Feb. 27, 1951 2,595,065 Evasic Apr. 29, 1952

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