US2763899A

US2763899A - Machine for inserting a drawing thread or drawing ribbon in tampons or the like

Info

Publication number: US2763899A
Application number: US248332A
Authority: US
Inventors: Niepmann Friedrich; Niepmann Otto; Hahn Carl; Mittag Heinz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1951-09-26
Filing date: 1951-09-26
Publication date: 1956-09-25
Anticipated expiration: 1973-09-25
Also published as: DE915382C; FR1042290A

Description

Sept. 25, 1956 NIEPMANN ETAL 2,763,899

MACHINE FOR INSERTING A DRAWING THREAD OR DRAWING RIBBON IN TAMPONS OR THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 26, 1951 Sept. 25, 1956 F. NIEPMANN EI'AL 2,763,899

MACHINE FOR INSERTING A DRAWING THREAD OR DRAWING RIBBON IN TAMPONS OR THE LIKE Filed Sept. 26, 1951 IS Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 25, 1956 F. NIEPMANN ETAL MACHINE FOR INSERTING A DRAWING THREAD OR DRAWING RIBBON IN TAMPONS OR THE LIKE Filed Sept. 26, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. v' qywuww BY 4 %mn% United States atent O i MACHINE FOR INSERTING A DRAWI NG THREAD o lgpmwmo RIBBON IN TAMPONS OR THE Application September 26, 1951, Serial No. 248,332

7 Claims. (Cl. 19144.5)

This invention relates to a method and machine for inserting a drawing thread or drawing ribbon in tampons or the like. Tampons for womens hygiene are generally provided with a thread or a ribbon which facilitates their removal after use. To provide a tampon with a thread or a ribbon the same may conventionally be sewn together with the wadding or it may be placed about a web of wadding which in turn is rolled about itself.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means for these operations to be carried out automatically. To this end we suggest disposing the thread at a right angle with respect to the wadding web guided through a slot of a winding spindle and to lay it over said spindle by means of two slides or the like, to roll the web and then to press the projecting ends of the thread wound round the spindle against the lower portion ofthe preformed roll by means of a stripping element or the like. In this way the thread or the ribbon is laid round the wadding web, and after rolling and pressing the tampon the thread is so firmly attached to the tampon that practically it can not be drawn out. The two ends of the thread projecting from the tampon may be knotted together so that the tampon is removed by drawing both ends.

In a machine for carrying out the invention the slides serving to lay the thread over the wadding web may be designed as semi-circular stripping elements which, when the preformed piece is rolled, press the ends of the thread against the lower side of the preformed roll, and which then strip the preformed roll off from the winding spindle. Above the operation way or path of said slides there may be provided guide plates holding and guiding the ends of the thread while being laid over the strip. 7 On their inner sides the slides are provided with grooves for the thread to be laid in. In like manner, the winding spindle is provided on its front side with a narrow slot for receiving the thread or ribbon, these being thus reliably guided by said slots and grooves when laid over the strip.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

Figure 1 is a side view,

Figure 2 is a front view,

Figure 3 is a diagrammatical view showing the thread in its position before the winding spindle,

Figure 4 is a front view of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a cross section taken on the line VV of Figure 3,

Figures 6 to 8 show the different positions of the slides when drawing the thread over the spindle.

The wadding web 1 used for the manufacture of a tampon is drawn from a roll 2, passed through two guide rollers 3 and 4, and brought by means of tongs 5 into the position shown in Figure 4. The tongs 5 may be moved and steered in any manner, their operation being not an object of the invention. From the rear side, a winding 2,763,898 Patented Sept. 25, 1956 spindle 6, provided with a slot 7 adapted to receive the strip, is then slid over the strip 1 (Figure 3).

The axial movement to and fro of this spindle 6 is effected by the main shaft 8 of the machine (Figures 1 and 2), which may for example be driven by a gear wheel 9. Mounted on said shaft 8 is a curved drum 10 for the oscillating lever 11 which, through a bushing 12, is so connected to the end of the winding spindle 6 that the latter is capable of rotation.

By means of tongs having jaws 13 and 14, the drawing thread 15 or a ribbon serving the same purpose is drawn over a guide roller 16 from a feeding roll (not shown) so as to come to the front side of the winding spindle (Figures 3 and 4). The steering elements of these tongs are shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The jaw 13 is rigidly fixed to a support piece 17 which, by means of a sliding bushing 18, is capable of sliding over a rigidly fixed guide rod 19. The support piece 17 is linked to a rod 20 operated by a lever 21 so as to move up and down. Said lever 21 is mounted on a shaft 22 disposed parallel to the main shaft 8.( F igure l) and is steered, through a double lever 23 with two rollers 24 and 25, by two curved disks or earns 26 and 27 attached to the main shaft 8. For the sake of clearness said curved disks 26 and 27 are not illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing.

On the support piece 17 of the jaw 13 is mounted the jaw 14 so as to hinge on the bolt 28 (Figure 2). Moreover the support piece 17 carries a short lever 29 which, through two parallel levers 30, is connected to the movable jaw 14, said levers having between them a roller 31. Beside the guide rod 19 there is arranged a'movable steering rod 32 having a short travel up and down and being provided with two curved pieces or

cam portions

33 and 34 the latter piece being disposed at the upper end of said steering rod 32. At its lower end, said steering rod is rigidly connected to a lifting piece 35 which is guided on the steering rod 19 by means of a bushing 36. The lifting piece 35 engages with a lever 37 which is steered, through the steering lever 38 having rollers39 and 40, by means of the curved piece or cam 41 mounted on the main shaft 8. The steeringlever 38 is mounted on the shaft'42. This steering mechanism is not shown in Figure 1.

The tongs operate as follows:

, In Figure 2 the tongs are in the lowermost position, the roller 31 has run on the curved piece 33 and drawn the jaw 14 from the jaw 13. When the main shaft 8 is set to rotation the whole support piece 17 is lifted through the curved disks 26 and 27, the roller 31 sliding from the curved piece 33 so that the tongs close under the pressure of a spring .(not shown). As the support piece 17 approaches its uppermost position the roller 31 runs on the curved piece 34 thus causing the tongs to open again. The drawing thread 15 to be grasped is led through a guide 43 and a bush 44, a short piece of it extending down freely. To ensure that the opened tongs may slide over said free thread end the curved piece 34 is by means of the steering rod 32 lifted a little together with the support piece 17. Such lifting operation is effected by means of the curved disk 41 as described. After reaching the upper limit the support piece 17 is brought down whereas the curved piece 34 remains in its uppermost position so as to enable the tongs to close and to grasp the end of the thread. Near the lower limit the tongs open, and the steering rod 32 is also led down again so that the thread 15 now hangs down vertically before the a ure. 1). At the front side of theslides 45 .and46there are

guide pieces

51 and 52, which at their opposite ends are provided with semi-circular cut-outs 53 corresponding to the diameter of the winding spindle 6. On theirside directed toward the machine frame, these

guide pieces

51 and 52 are provided with narrow keygrooves 54 and in the cusp of thecut-outs 53 with grooves .55 Figure 3).

Above the travel way or path of the: slide-45 and :below thetravel wayof the slide 46 there are disposed spring guide plates 56 serving to guidethe thread ends as described later. Said guide plates are attached to the vertical part 58 of the machine frame bymeans of 'angle -pieces:57.

The

slides

45 and 46 are connected with bushes'59 capable of sliding on rods 60 and 61. Thesero ds 60, 61 are connected witha pair of levers-62-and63which are mounted onshafts 64 and 65 between the machine frame Walls 58 and- 66. Thetwo levers ofeachpair of levers 62 are connected with each other by a shaft 67 which engages with the double lever-69 through a steer ing rod 68. A pivot-bearingof said lever 69 is mounted on a shaft 70. The free end of'said double lever-69 engages with a'rod 71 whichisstcered' by a-curved'-disk or cam 76 through a lever 72, ashaft 73 and another lever 74 with a roller 75. In this way there isachieved a parallel displacement ofthe two

guide pieces

51 and 52 in the direction of the Winding spindle 6. I

When the slides-45 and 46 and"consequently theguide

pieces

51 and 52 are in-their-advanced' position (Figure 3'), the thread is drawnto come before thewinding mechanism. The slides are then moved toward the machine frame after the two

knives

77 and 78 have cut ofi the thread. The

guide pieces

51 and 52 now put the thread-on the winding spindle 6 which is provided von-its front side with a groove 79 for receiving the thread, said groove being made at right angles with respect to the slot 7. When somoved, the thread 15 is caused to lie inthe grooves 54 of the guide pieces. During the'movement of the slide, the ends of the thread are guided by means of the guide plates'56- as indicated in Figures 6 and 7.

Coincidentallywithsaid horizontal movement of the slides and- 46 caused by the curveddrum 50, there is another movement of the'slides toward'the winding spindle 6 which latter movement is caused by the curved disk 76; The semi-circular cut-outs 53 of theguide-pieces come nearer and nearer to the winding spindle, the thread being laid into the horizontal groovesfS S. When the guide pieces have reached the opposed=terrninal position (Figure 8), the cut-outs 53 lie on" the spindle 6 The spindle is now driven by means of a gear wheel 81 through a pinion 80' capable of being displaced tngether with said spindle,the gear wheel 81in turn being intermittently set to rotation by means -of another gelar wheel 82 (Figure 1). a resultithe wadding Web is wound on the spindle to form: a preformedroll- 83jthe thread ends also winding on the spindle (Figure 8); i The.

guide pieces 51 and-52 are then advancedagainlsothat they press the thread ends against the front side ofithe Pr fo me r011 nd r m a lfr ni h f pi'itd s to a conveyor band 4 ,or the likecpnveyingit'to a press ing and packing machine.

The method according to the invention above; all otters the advantage that the thrcador the ribbon is connected to the web mechanically andautomaticallyi The thread ends being as a result of this rncthod disposed 'onfthe front side of the tampon may thus be held conveniently when the tampon .is to be used; V

What we claim is: l. A machine for inserting a drawing thread Q11 ribbQtl inatampon or the .likecomprising awindingspindlga slot provided at one end of said spindle, means for guiding and positioning a wadding web, means for moving said spindle along its axis until the web is received in the slot of said spindle, two slides rneans for positioning a thread substantially at right angles to said web and between the web andtheinitial position of said slides,.means for'displacingsaid slidesfrom said initial positionalong a path substantially parallel to the axis of said spindle until the thread is positioned on said spindle, means for rotating Sfiitlspindle. about its axis to wind-a'waddingroll Qfi'th web, and to wind the free ends of the threadaboutsaid spindle, and means for pressing the ends of the thread wound about said spindle againsta face ofsaid roll and for simultaneously stripping off saidroll and thread from said spindle.

2. A machine as defined in claim 1 comprising semicircular-guide pieces-attached to-said slides for-positioning the thread on said spindle and stripping off said rolls.

3. A machine'as defined in claim 2 comprisingplates disposed adjacent the path ofsaid slides for guiding the free-ends ofthe thread.

4.- A machine as defined in claim 3 wherein the surfaces of said guidepieces facing said spindle are pro,- vided with grooves, and wherein afurther groove is provided on the end of said spindle facing said thread, said grooves in said guidepieces and in said spindle serving to receive the thread.

5. A machine for providing a tampon or the like with athread comprising a main shaft, means for rotating said-shaft, a curved drum on'said shaft, a lever controlled by Said drum, a-winding spindle, one end of said spindle being coupled to-said'lever for reciprocating said spindle alongits axis upon rotation of said shaft, means for rotating. said spindle intermittently about its axis, means for guiding and positioning awadding web, a slot provided inthe other end of said'spindle for receiving said 'wadding: web, slides, means for positioning a thread substantially at aright angle to said Web and between said web and said slides, means for moving said slides along a. path substantially parallel to the axis of. said spindle until the threadextends along said spindle, and semicircularfguide pieces attached to said slides for positioning-the thread along saidv spindle. 6. A machine asdefined'in claim 5 comprisingv tongs for grasping the thread and: pulling it into thepath of Said spindle, -cam-means onsaid shaft, lever means con: trolled byr-said cammeans:and coupled to; said tongs for lifting and lowering the-same, aguiding rod for guiding said tongsduring their. lifting and lowering, motions, a control 1 od,'cam means carried at the ends'of said'control rodtorropening the-tongs-held bya springin the dlosure position; and meansfor lifting and lowering; said oontrolrbd to open said'tongs upon displapement-ofsaid cam means in response to the movement of said control rod:

7. A- machine-asdefinedin claim 6 comprising-means for causing: said: semi-circular guide pieces to approach said spindleassaid slides movein. an axial direction along said spindle to facilitate stripping of said roll.

References Cited in the fileof th-is patent UNITED STATES PATENTS