US2863368A

US2863368A - Cone cup machine

Info

Publication number: US2863368A
Authority: US
Inventors: Eugene T Thiem
Original assignee: Continental Can Co Inc
Current assignee: Continental Can Co Inc
Priority date: 1949-12-10
Filing date: 1955-03-02
Publication date: 1958-12-09
Anticipated expiration: 1975-12-09

Description

Dec. 9, 1958 E. T. THIEM coNE CUP MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Deo. 10, 1949 .filme/linz: IgE/ze 24T/12km. ,5f/p6@ my $2/ WM if@ Dec. 9, 1958 E. T. THIEM 2,863,368

GONE: CUP MACHINE Original Filed Deo. l0, 1949 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 9, 1958 E. T. THIEM coNE CUP MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed Dec. 10, 1949 Dec. 9, 1958 E. T. THIEM coNE CUP MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed Deo. 10, 1949 lfm..

Jaa-wim @erw 277i wlmhf Dec. 9, 1958 E. T.TH1EM 2,863,368

GONE CUP MACHINE Original Filed Deo. 10, 1949 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Dec. 9,` 1958 E. T. THIEM GONE CUP MACHINE 6 Sheecs--Sheei'I 6 Original Filed D60. l0. 1949 United States Patent "ice CONE CUP MACHINE Eugene T. Thiem, Des Plaines, Ill., assignor` to Contlnental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York riginal application December 10, 1949, Serial N0. 132,257, now Patent No. 2,703,514, dated March 8, 1955. Divided and this application March 2, '1955, Serial No. 491,691 f This invention relates to a machine for automatically forming cups yof paper, sheet plastic or the like, the cups being cone-shaped, and provided with a safety fold at the apex and a rim at the upper edge of the cup, the present application being a division of my co-pending application, Serial No. 132,257, tiled December 10, 1949, now Patent No. 2,703,514, dated March S, 1955.

One object of the invention is to provide a machine of the general character just referred to which is comparatively simple and which automatically performs the functions of wrapping a cone blank on a mandrel for forming a cone-shaped cup, reinforcing the apex of the cone, rimming the upper edge of the cup and nally discharging the finished cup.

Another object is to provide a cup forming machine wherein cone mandrels are provided with gripping'ngers to` grip the advance edges of cup forming blanks, the mandrels having grooves to receive such advance edges and thereby position the blanks with respect to the mandrels, the gripping ngers holding the blanks so that they may be wound on the mandrels while the mandrels advance around a circle from a blank receiving station of the machine to a cup removing station thereof.

Still another object is to provide a rotary head for supporting a plurality of cone mandrels and a means for intermittently driving the head so that it rotates part of a revolution and then remains stationary for part of the time so that the cup blanks may be received and the cup forming and removing operations may be performed at various stations in a continuous manner, thereby providing a machine which has comparatively great production capacity.

A further object is to provide means to rotate the cone mandrels only while they are moving from station to station and to provide pressure shoes between the stations for winding the blanks on the mandrels as they are rotated between stations, at least two stations being provided with heated shoes that apply heat and also additional pressure to the seams of the cups to insure that the seams are properly sealed.

Still a further object is to provide one station of the machine with an element that provides a reinforcing safety fold at the apex of the cup where leakage is most likely to occur, thus making for additional thicknesses at the apex, a cone-shapedsocket element being provided at this station for rounding the apex and folding d-own the portion thereof adjacent the safety fold in addition to pressing down a tab over the safety fold if desired.

An additional object is to provide means at a further station for applying heat to the apex of the cup for iinishing the apex which of necessity must be the strongest portion of the 4cup and for spin-rolling a rim on the cup by means of a rotating rimming die and a cooperating tucking die, the rim being formed after the tucking die deforms the upper marginal edge of the cup into cylindrical shape.

A further additional `object is to provide a stacker 2,863,368 Patented Dee. 9, 1958 2 mechanism at a further station of the machine at which station stripping fingers cooperate with the finished cup on the mandrel, remove it therefrom, and transfer it into the stacker mechanism, which mechanism includes holding means to prevent return of the stripped cup with the stripper ngers.

A further additional object is to provide a cone cup forming machine which is adaptable for forming paper cups provided with either gummedor thermoplastic adhesive patterns, or for forming cups made of thermoplastic sheet material blanks which would seal together underV heat applied at the seam without the necessity of an added adhesive pattern.

Figure l is a plan View of a machine embodying my present invention for making rolled rim cone cups of the type herein disclosed.

Figure la is an enlarged View of a portion of Figure 1 to illustrate a portion `of a mandrel, shown in section, to receive a cup blank.

Figure 2 is a front elevation yof the gear box of the machine with one portion broken away and another portion shown in section on theline 2-2 of Figure 1, the turret being removed therefrom, and various operation performing elements likewiseremoved, with certain linkage thereto and the shaft for the turret shown in section.

Figure 3 is a sectional View on the line 3--3 of Figure 1 showing particularly the drive for the gear `box and blank gripper opening mechanisms.

Figure 4 is an enlarged front elevation of the turret portion of the machine and the operating mechanisms omitted from Figure 2.

Figure'4r`1. is a sectional View of a portion of Figure 4 to show details of construction to better advantage.

Figure 5 is a side elevation, partly in section adjacent the top of the machine, and is taken from the right side of Figure l, a cone cup being shown on the upper mandrel but -omitted from the lower two.

Figure l6 is a fragmentary detail partly in section, showing certain operating elements omitted from Figure 5.

Figure 7 is `an enlarged sectional View on the line 7--7 of Figure 4 showing the mechanism for performing certain operations on the cone cup and its rolled rim, and the mechanism for removinglnished ycups from the turret.

Figure 7a is an enlarged sectional View of the portion of Figure 7 within the dotted circle 7a.

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional view through one of the mandrels and the turret as taken on the line 8 8 of Figure 4 (but showing the mandrel turned 180 to better illustrate the blank gripper mechanism thereof) together with elements for operating the same.

Figure 9 is an enlarged sectional View on the line 9 9 of Figure 8 showing a blank gripper in closed position. A

` Figure l0 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 9 showing the blank gripper open.

Figure 11 is a sectionalview on the line 11 -11 of Figure 4 showing a floating pressing'shoe iat station (2) of the machine.

`Figure 12 is a front elevation of part of the mechanism at station (3) of the machine with a portion `thereof as shown in Figure 4 omitted from this ligure.

Figure 13 is a View looking in the direction of the arrows `13 adjacent Figure l2 and showing an apex folder blade coacting with theapex of a cup for forming a safety fold.

` Figure 13a is an enlarged View of a portion of Figure 13 to more clearly show the safety fold being formed at the apex ofthe cup.

pleting the folding of a tab over the safety fold.

Figure 16 is an enlarged sectional view of that portion of Figure 7 shown within the dotted circle indicated at 16 and illustrating the parts in Figure 7 before the rim of the cup is bent down to a cylindrical shape.

Figure 17` is a similar view showing the parts in the position of Figure 7, the rim of the cup being vbent to cylindrical shape.

Figure 18 is a similar view showing another position of the parts in which the rim is rolled around the top of the cup.

Figure l9-is an enlarged sectional view on the line of the Geneva dis-c 78. The disc 78 also has semi-circular depressions 86 in which the edge of a second disc 88 on the gear 82 is adapted to travel. The disc 88 has a pair of semi-circular depressions 90 to receive the extremities of the Geneva disc 78 during a portion of the rotation of the gear 82.

The gear 82 and the disc 88 rotate counterclockwise 1 for rotating the turret clockwise one sixth of a revolution 19-,19 Vof Figure 7 showing a cup holding element of the cup delivery tube.

Figure 20 is a plan view of a mandrel with a cup thereon and of a pressure and heating shoe at station (2) of the machine.

Figure 21 is an elevation, partly in section, showing the cup finished except for rolling the rim; and

Figure 22 is a similar elevation showing the completed cup with its rolled rim. Y

v On the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate a base and 12 to indicate a gear housing thereon. The gear housing is provided with/a bearing 14 in which a spindle 16 is rotatably mounted. v The spindle 16, as illustrated in Figure 8, has a tapered portion 18 on which the hub 20 of a turret is secured as by a nut 22. The turret consists of a disc 24 secured to an annular ilange 26 of the hub 20 as by cap screws 28, the disc supporting six cone-shaped cupforrning mandrels and each mandrel being journaled in a hub 32 of the disc.

Describing one of the mandrel supporting means in detail, the mandrel has a cylindrical base 31 terminating in a base plate 34 secured to a sleeve 36 by screws 38 as shown in Figure 8. The screws extend through a web 40 which web extends inwardly from the sleeve 36 and terminates in a hub 42 mounted as by a set screw 44 on a sleeve 46. The sleeve 46 in turn is journalled in ball bearings 48 mounted in the hub 32. The mandrel 30 also has its apex rounded as indicated at 33.

Referring to Figure 9 wherein a lateral cross section of the mandrel 30 is shown, a V-groove 50 extends along the surface of the mandrel (left side of the mandrel in Figure 1a). It is cut out .as indicated at 52 to accom modate blank grippers 54. These are in the form of sheet metal fingers secured to an enlarged head 56 on a rod 58. The rod is oscillatable in a bore of the sleeve 46, the fingers being secured to the head 56 by screws 60 and short arms 62 being clamped to the other ends of the rods as shown in Figures 3 and 9. Figure 3 shows clamp screw 64 for clamping the larms 62 of the six rods 58 in the desired position on the rods 58.

Wrapped around each rod 58 is a spring 66 having one end 68 engaging one of the fingers 54 and its other end 70 engaging in an opening `72 of the base 34 as shown in Figure 8. Referring to Figure 9, the bottom of the V notch 50 is indicated at 74. This serves as a stop means for the cone cup blank :as will hereinafter be described. The fingers 54 terminate in down-turned ilanges 76 to engage the marginal edge of the blank as will also be described.

For rotating the turret disc 24 one-sixth of a revolution at a time, `and for causing it to remain stationary between the periods of rotation, I provide suitable mecha- .nism such as a Geneva movement which will now be described. A disc 78 (Figure 2) is secured to the shaft 16 and is provided with radial grooves 80.v The disc 78 is driven intermittently by a gear 82 having a pair of indexing rollers 84 to cooperate with-the radial slots 80 each half-revolution of the gear. For driving the lgear' 82 I provide a pinion 92 operatively secured to a gear 94 which in turn meshes with a pinion 96. The pinion 96 is secured to a drive shaft 98 having thereon a pulley 100 as shown in Figure 3 which may be belted to a suitable motor 102 as shown in Figure 1 by a belt 104. The motor pulley is illustrated in 105.

The Geneva movement described will rotate the turret disc 24 one-sixth revolution, then permit it to remain stationary for a period of time, then rotate it another one-sixth revolution and so on. During the time the turret is rotating, it is desirable to rotate the cone mandrels 30 but permit them to remain stationary during the time the turret is stationary. This is accomplished by providingon each sleeve 46 a pinion 106 as shown in Figure 8 which pinion is in mesh with a stationary gear 108. The gear 108 is secured to the bearing 14 of the gear housing 12 by cap screws 110.

i In'addition to driving the turret through the Geneva movement, the shaft 112 on which the gear 92 is mounted drives a cross-shaft 114 journall-ed in bearings 116 of the gear housing 12 as shown in Figure l. The mechanism for driving the shaft 114 from the shaft 112 consists of bevel gears 118 and 120. The shaft 114 is for driving various mechanisms of the machine, as will hereinafter appear.

n Referring to Figure 3, the shaft 112 also drives a disc 122 having therein a cam groove 124. A roller 126 is adapted to travel in the groove 134 and is carried by a lever 128 pivotally mounted at 130 on the gear housing 12. The upper end of this lever drives a slide 132 in a guide 134 and the lower end is connected by a link 136 to a lever 138 pivoted at 140 in the gear housing. The slide 132 and the lever 138 carry

rollers

142 and 144 respectively which are adapted to engage the arms 62 on the gripper operating rods 58 at stations (5 )and (1) respectively of the turret. These stations are indicated throughout the various drawings by numerals in circles to distinguish from reference numbers.

Floating pressure shoes are provided for engaging the cup blanks on the mandrels as the mandrels carry the blanks from stations (2), (3), and (4) successively. These shoes are designated as 146, 148 and 150 in Figure 4. They are similar in cross-section, the shoe 148 being shown in Figure l1, but they vary slightly in the way they are cut off at the left and right hand ends as illustrated in Figure 4.

Each shoe comprises an arcuate base 152, a radial web 154 and a flange 156 (see Figure 1l) which is a segment of an internal cone surface. The bases 152 are received in an arcuate supporting channel 158 supported by a bracket 160 which in turnl is supported on a shroud 162 surrounding the hubs 32 of the turret disc 24 and the pinions 106 together with the gear 108 that meshes with them. The shroud 162 in turn is secured to the gear housing 12. The bases 152 of the floating

shoes

146, 148 and 150 are held from dropping out of the channel 158 by arcuate cov-e1- straps 164 held in position by cap screws 166.

Intermediate the

shoes

146 and 148 is a heated pres.- sure shoe 168, and intermediate the shoe 148 and the shoe 150 is a `second heated pressure shoe 170. These shoes are similar, the shoe being shown in Figure 7. It is somewhat similar in cross-section to the

shoes

146, 148, and 150, having a base 172 in the channel 158 and a cone-shaped presser flange 174. The central portion of this flange may be dished slightly as indicated at 174a assenso 5. atfstation (2) in Figure 4 and at station (3) in- Figure 12 to conform somewhat to the contour of the mandrel 30 so as to provide a wider pressure and heating area than possible with tangential engagement, as will hereinafter more fully be described.

Each of the

shoes

168 and 170 is of the `construction shown in Figure. 7, having a socket 176` to receive a heating element 178, preferably of the electric type. Each heated pressure shoe` is backed by a spring 180so as to. give pressure in addition to the weight of the shoe as distinguished from the oating shoes 146, 148, and 150 held against the mandrels merely by their own weight.

The series of

shoes

146, 168, 148, 170,` and 150 Vare linked together in the order just listed as illustrated in Figure 4 by links 182. Withl such an arrangement all of the shoes may be threadedl into the supporting channel 158 from either end` and after they are installed a screw 184 (see Figure 11) is passed through the bracket '16 and threaded `at 186 into the supporting channel 158. The lower end of the screw is turned down as at 188 vto enter an opening 190 in the base 152 of the shoe 148, lthe opening being slightly larger than the element 188 to avoid restricting the movement of the shoe. The 'projection 188` thereby holds the entire assembly of ve .shoes in position against dislodgement from their supporting channel 158 butpermits them to float freely as Ldictated by gravity and the springs 180 opposed by :the mandrels as they pass beneath the shoes.

At station (3) of the machine means are provided Vfor forming a leak-proof safety fold at the apex of the Icup and for reinforcing the apex by means of a tab to `overlie the safety fold. This is perhaps best shown in VFigures 4, and 12 to 14. It consists of a bracket 192 .secured to the supporting channel 158 by screws 194. AA rod 196 extends from the bracket 192 and has clamped thereto a bracket 198. The clamp screw is shown at i200.

A rod 202 extends from the bracket 198 and has rigidly irnounted thereon a bracket 204 carrying a stop screw .286. An arm 288 is pivoted on the rod 202 and carries :an apex folder blade 218. The arm 208 is biased to nor- ;mally engage the stop screw 206 by means of a spring 1212, one end of which engages the bracket and the other `end of which engages a clamp collar 214. The outer end of the blade 210 is approximately tangent to the `circular path followed by the apices of the cones 30 :as the turret rotates.

Also at station (3) a tab folder plunger 216iis provided (see particularly Figures 7 and 13 to 15). The zplunger 21.6 has a conical socket 218 with which passageways 228 communicate for permitting escape of air. The jplung-er 216 is slidably carried in a sleeve 222, the sleeve :being clamped in a boss 224` by a clamp screw 226 (see Figures 4 and 5). The boss 224is carried by an apex .folder bracket 228 which, `as shown in Figure 4, is sefcured by screws 231i to a cross-head 232. The sides -of the cross-head are secured to bars 234 having rollers i235 which travel in guideways 236. The left hand guideway is supported by a bracket 238 and the right Vhand one is supported by a bracket 248. These brackets `are secured by screws 242 to flanges 244 extending upiwardly from a bracket 394 on th-e base 10.

Returning to Figures 7 andlS, the plunger 216 has :a rod-like stem 246 extending on through the sleeve 222 and slidable in an adjustable sleeve 248 threaded into the sleeve 222 for backing up a spring 258 at its left hand end, the right hand end of the spring being engaged with the plunger 216 for tending to extend it toward the right in relation to the sleeve 222 so that in its normal position a flange252 en the plunger 23.6 lengages a stop shoulder 254 in the sleeve 222. At times '.therod 246 `is pushed Vtoward the left to compress the .'springZuSt) as shown in Figures 7 and 15 and at its limit @of movement in this direction .compresses a rubber disc 256 in the adjusting sleeve. 243 which is backed up by a .set screw 258 and a locking set screw 260.

At station (4) the cross-head or reciprocating carriage 232 carries a heated apex pressure plunger 262 for sealing and setting the apex of the cone cup, and mechanism is operated at this station for spin-rolling a rim on the cup which will now be described. The pressure plunger 262 shown in Figure 7 has a .socket receiving an electric heating element 264. The` plunger is threaded in a bushing 266 which in turn is secured to a carriage housing 268 by screws 270. The` housing 268 is formed as part of the cross-head or reciprocating carriage 232.

A cone 272 forms an extension of a cone-shaped socket 274 in the plunger 262 and this cone carries at its small end a cylindrical flange 276. The flange 276 is slidable in the housing 268 and the large end of the cone is slidable in a bead tucking die 278 of the housing 268 secured thereto by screws 280. The cone 272 is `normally biased toward the right Vin Figure 7 by a spring 282 with its flange 276 against a stop lug 284 of a screw 286.

The extension 278 for-ms a `bead tucking die having a `tucking lip 288. Slidable and rotatable on the sleeve 36 and the cylindrical base 31 of each cone 30 is a rimming die 29) having an annular rimming groove 292. The die 290, as shown in Figure 8, is secured by screws 388 to a pulley member 298 having an outwardly opening groove 294 around it. This groove normally travels along a C-s-haped track arranged in a plane normal to the axis of the turret, .which track keeps the rimming dies 298 at the axial position illustrated in this figure. The C-track 296 has extremities indicated at 382 and 384 in Figures 4 and 5. The Vgap between these extremities is bridged by a shoe 386 which is somewhat thinner than the C-track 296 to prevent its contact with a friction wheel 352 to be later described. The shoe 306 is carried by a slide 308 which is guided in a slideway 310 on the `shroud 162 and is actuated by a forked lever 312 pivoted at 314 to the gear housing 12. The forked end has a block 316 slidable ther-ein, which block is pivoted to the slide 308.

Intermediate the ends of the lever 312 an enlargement 318 is provided. This enlargement is perforated so that a rod 328 extends loosely therethrough and the rod carries

collars

322 and 324 for engaging opposite sides of the enlargement 318. The rod32tl terminates in a -fork 326 which .straddles a hub 328 on the cross shaft 114. The fork 326 carries a roller 33) received in a cam groove 332 of a cam disc 334.

The cross head or carriage 232 is reciprocated by means of a link 336 pivoted thereto at 338. This link extends toward the right from the pivot as shown in Figure 5 and the link is completed in Figure 6 wherein I illustrate a crank pin 340 on the disc 334 extending from a `boss 342 on the face of the disc. A bearing block 344 is rotatable on the pin 348 and is slidable in relation to the link 336 for adjustment purposes. A spring 346 tends to keep the `bearing against an adjusting screw 348 threaded in the link 336. The screw 348 is provided with a lock nut 358 to retain the adjustment. This arrangement permit-s the inward limit of movement of the carriage 232 andiall the mechanism carried thereby to be nely adjusted.

At station (4), means is provided for rotating the rimming dies 298 and the pulleys 298. This `means consists of the friction wheel 352 shown iii-Figures l and 4. This wheel may be faced with leather or the like to provide the necessary friction against the periphery Vof the pulley 298 at station (4) and is constantly rotated by an electric motor or the like (not shown) which may be relatively small. The drive from this motor to the wheel 352 consists of a V-belt 354 and a \!pulley 356. The wheel 352 and the pulley 356 are mounted on a Ishaft 358 rotatable in arms 36() carried by a shaft 362. The shaft 362 is supported in a bracket 364 for rocking movement and has clamped thereto an arm 366 by means of a clamp screw 368. Y

The arm 366 is biased clockwise as shown in Figure 4a by a spring 370 against a stop nut 372 on a stud 374 extending from the shroud 162 on which the bracket 364 is also mounted. This arrangement permits the nut 372 to be adjusted so that when a pulley `298 is at station (4) the arm 366 is slightly away from the stop nut 372v and that the spring 370 can thus provide the neces sary pressure engage-ment between the friction wheel 352 and the pulley for driving the pulley from the wheel. The pulley will also be started in its rotation just befor reaching station (4) and will disengage from the wheel just after lea-ving this station'.

At station (5) means is provided for stripping the finished cup from the mandrel and inserting it in nested relationship to the previously finished cups in a delivery tube. This mechanism consists of a bracket 376 secured to the carriage 232 by screws 378. The bracket is angleshaped as shown in Figure 7 and carries a pair of studs 380 on which cup stripper fingers 382 are pivoted. .These fingers carry stop screws 384 (see Figure 4) which are 'biased to engage a stop bar 386 extending from the bracket 376 by means of springs 388.

Mounted at station (5) is a delivery tube 390 having a half-cylinder extension 392. The delivery tube and its extension are supported by an angle bracket 394 which is secured to an upstanding lug 396 from the base 10. v

The outer end of the tube extension 392 may be suitably supported by an angle brace 398 shown in Figure 5.

The delivery tube 390 has a flanged entrance as shown in Figure 7, the flange being tout away at each side to accommodate a pair of receiving fingers 402 which are Isecured to the sides of the delivery tube by screws 404. As shown in Figure 20, each finger is rigidly mounted and includes a ratchet-like projection 406 to engage the rim of a cup, as will be described later on.

In Figures 1 and 1a, I show the fiat shape of a cup blank B. In general it is a segment of a disc having a circular outline and provided with a substantially rectangular tab, the width of which is indicated at 408 in Figure la, the length of which is indicated at 410. This tab is extended at 412 to provide additional thickness at the apex of the cone and to cover a safety fold at the apex.

The blank B may be fed as a continuous strip of paper in the direction `of the narrow a the width of the strip being somewhat wider than the width of the blank itself indicated by the dimension line w and the blank being cut out of this web without severing the web itself. This strip comes from a continuously fed roll of paper and the blank is completely severed therefrom and fed to the mandrel at statio-n (l) where it is grasped by the gripper fingers 54. The feeding of the paper and the severing of the blank therefrom form no part of my present invention so have not been illustrated nor described in detail. It is sufficient to indicate that the blanks are fed by suitable means on to a plate 413 against a blank guide 414 and with theadvance edge 411 of the blank received in the V-groove 50 against the bottom 74 thereof, this position being illustrated particularly in Figure la and 9.

Instead of severing the blanks from a strip, they may be pre-cut, stacked in a magazine, and removed one at a time from the magazine.

On the underside of the tab 408-10 in Figure la, a gum pattern is indicated by the dotted outline 416. The gum appears also in Figure 5 at station (2) and may be of the heat-seal type. Brieliy, the cone cup is designed to be formed into a cone from the fiat shape shown in Figure la after leaving station (l) and while passing stations (2) and (3) and arriving at station (4), the cone cup forming operation being completed at station (4). At station (3) a safety tab 422 is formed, as will hereinafter be more fully described, and it is optionally covered by the tab 412. At station (4), the rim 0f the` cup is formed cylindrically as indicated at 418 in 8, Figure 21 and is thereafter formed nto'a roll as indicated at 420 in Figure 22.

Practical operation In the operation of my cone cup-forming machine, a mandrel 30 arrives at station (l) with its blank gripper fingers 76 open (roller 142 engaging arm 62 at station (1) in Figure 3). After the blank B is fed to the cone with its advance edge 411 in the groove 50, the fingers close as shown at the left side of Figure 4, this action being accomplished by the cam 122 of Figure 3 and the roller 142 of the slide 132. The bottom 74 of the groove 50 is the` limiting means for the blank at station (l). The mandrel is now ready to be advanced to station (2).

While the mandrel is in transit from station (l) to station (2), it revolves under the action of its pinion 106 rolling around the periphery of the gear 108, the move ment of course being accomplished by one of the rollers 84 of the gear 82 coacting with one of the slots 80 of the Geneva disc 78. The coaction of the pinion 106 with the gear 108 accomplishes a complete revolution of the mandrel clockwise in relation to the turret as it is in transit from station (1) to station (2) so that at station (2) the blank gripper fingers 76 are again radially outward from the center fof rotation of the turret. The blank B is wiped around the mandrel by the floating shoe 146, the pressure of which due to gravity is sufficient for accomplishing a satisfactory wiping operation.

This completes the first blank wiping revolution and the mandrel stops and remains stationary with the ad.- hesive lap 408-410 tangent to the outer circular travel line of the mandrel. At this position the mandrel is under the heating pressure shoe 168 as shown adjacent the top of Figure 7 with the spring 180 slightly compressed. The slight concavity 174a in the shoe 168, if provided as hereinbefore mentioned, serves to cover more area of the adhesive and thus improves the setting thereof. The heat applied at this point aids the adhesive in penetrating the paper and at station (2) the first stage of sealing the side seam or lap of the cup is thus accomplished. The mandrel is then ready for transit to station (3).

As to the reason for the heat and the pressure on the gummed lap seam, in the past it has been difiicult to make a cone cup with the Vside seam securely snug and tight. To overcome this, I stop the seam on the outer circle of travel at stations (2) and (3) and apply heat and pressure for setting the adhesive as well as causing penetration of the adhesive into the fibres of the paper for producing a seam that holds better.

As the mandrel revolves between stations (2) and (3), a `second wiping revolution is accomplished by the floating pressure shoe 148. Slightly before the mandrel reaches station (3), the sharp apex of the cup engages or impacts the blade 210 to form the safety fold 422, as shown in Figure 13. The fold is bent over as shown more particularly in Figure 13a wherein a portion of the tab 412 has been broken away to show the safety fold more clearly.

The next step at station (3) is for the tab folder plunger 216 to advance (toward the right in Figure 14) which finishes folding the safety fold 422 around the rounded apex 33 of the mandrel 30 as illustrated due to the plunger engaging the blade 210 and swinging it in a direction along the inclined surface of the cone cup arriving at station (3).l The tab 412 is open as illus-- trated at station (2) in Figure 5 (the mandrel of station (3) being broken away t-o show station (2)) and this tab is still loose in Figures 13, 13a, and 14 as the plunger 216 advances. However, its cone socket 218 engages the tab and folds it over the safety fold 422, the final position being shown in Figure 15.

The tab 412 may be omitted, in which case the cone socket 218 would press the safety fold 422 down securely, but the tab does reinforce the apex of the cone cup by being folded over the safety fold, thus providing severalfthicknesses off material at, the weakest point ofthe cupjwhiehis the apex. As the plunger216 advances, it pushes the blade 210 out of the way as illustrated in Figure 15 and when the plunger recedes, the spring 212 returns the blade to a position against the stop screw 206, which position is shown in Figure 13. In Figure 12, the parts are` in the same position as in Figure 13-that is,`before theplunger 216'advances. The mandrel is now readyto advance to station (4).

As thef mandrel' is in transit from the station (3) to station (4), a third wiping operation is performed to more securely iron down the side seam as Well asv the safety fold 422 and the tab 412 that covers it. The cup isjthenready for spinrolling its rim.

lustrbefore the mandrel reachesthe station (4) positionthe fraction pulley 352 engages `the rimming die 290 and the adjacent periphery of the pulley 298 for rapidly rotating the die. Asthe tucking die278 advances from the position of Figure 16 to the position of Figure 17, it bends down a cylindrical flangeV 418 on the mouth of the cup` as shown in Figure 21 and this flange is then ready for forming into a cup rim. The rim is formed by advancing the rimming die29t0 toward the left from the position ofV Figure 17` to the position of Figure 18 while theA same is` being rotated thereby causing the annular groove 292 to engage the cylindrical flange 418 to Figure17` and turn it into the rolled rim 292 of Figures"l8 and 22. As the rimming die advances, the tucking die 2.78 which formed the cylindrical flange 418 recedes to permit the rimming die to spin-roll the rim.420.

The tucking die 278 ispropelled in both directions by movement of the carriage 232 and the rimming `die 290 is advancedby the shoe 306 engaging in the groove 294 of the pulley 298V and moving the pulley out of alignment with the rG-track 296. The rimming die is then retracted andi the groove of the pulley again aligned with the C-track for advance of the mandrel to the next station.

In addition to the forming of the cylindrical liange 418 and the rolled rim 420 on the cup at station (4), the cup is pressed against the mandrel bythe cone 272under theiactionrof the spring 282 asV the cone and its rear guide portion 276slide in the members 278 and 268.` At the same time, the heating plunger 262 applies additional heat and pressure to the safety fold 422 and its covering tab 412 to more thoroughly set the parts that form the apex and adjacent portions of the cup. As the annular groove 292 spins the rim 420 on the Cup, the rim is turned about three-fourths of a circle and the upper end of the iiange 418 finally engages the tucking lip 288 so as to tuck the leading edge of the iiange under the roll being formed and its final shape is slightly more than a complete circle as shown in Figure 18.

After the carriage 232 has been retracted, the turret is again advanced for moving the completed cup from station (4) to station (5).

Just before the mandrel reaches station (5 the gripper fingers 54 are opened to the position of Figure l0 by means of the roller 144 on the arm 138 as illustrated in Figure 3. The edge 411 of the blank B has thus been gripped continuously from the time the blank leaves station (l) until the cup is finished and ready to be discharged at station (5). This prevents the blanks from slipping on the mandrels at any time while the cups are being formed. At station (5), the cup is removed from the mandrel by means of the cup stripping ngers 382 which, as the bracket 376 advances to the position of Figure 7, swing outwardly against the action of the springs 388 and snap over the rim of the cup, this position being shown particularly in Figure 7a. Upon the reverse movement of the bracket 376, the cup is carried by the iingers 382 and stacked in the cups already removed from the mandrels in previous cycles of operation of the machine `and which were caused to slide into the delivery tube 390.

In entering" the `delivery tube, the rinn of the Cup passes between a pair of' rigid fingers, 402 andtsnap pasf the. ratchet-like projections 406 thereof, as shown by dottedlines in Figure 19, whereupon the cup then springs" outto its full circular shape behind these projections to preventit from being withdrawn when the stripper fingers 382 are next moved toward the next cup at station (5) for stripping ittfrom the mandrel. The size of the tube 3 90 is such as to frictionally engage the cupswith enough tension to cause them to be closely nested and gradually fed through theA delivery tube into the half-,cylindrical extension 392 thereof from which they` may be removed for packing.

Station (6) is `anidle station where nothing is performed on the cup and the ngers 54 are opened just prior to reaching station (l).

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of theA parts of my cone cup machine without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modiiied forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within theirscope.

I Aclaim` as myinvention:

l. In a cup forming machine of the character disclosed, a rotary head, a plurality of cone mandrels carried by said head and each rotatable relative thereto, means for driving said rotary head intermittently and said mandrels intermittently only while said head is rotating, riminingmechanism for the cup at one station of the machine, and removingv and stacking mechanism at a` further station thereof, said removing and stacking mechanism comprising a pair of arms for removing the cup fromthe mandrehsaid arms being pivotally mounted on an axis substantially parallel to the cup axis and biased to engage over the` rim of a cup on a mandrel at said further station, saidfarms being arcuate and each having-a ratchet-like bead to engage over a substantial portionl of the periphery of said rim, said arms being reciprocably mountedfor effecting such engagement and forthen carrying, the cup away from the mandrel, a stacking tube to receive the cup socarried, said stacking tube having, between the ends of said arcuate arms when they approach said stacking tube, xed and rigid rim engaging holding catches past which said arms carry the cup and cause the cup to deform to oval shape and snap into position behind shoulders of said holding catches so that the cup is thereby held as the arms return to transfer another cup from a mandrel to the stacking tube.

2. In a cup forming machine, a tapered cup forming mandrel, means for removing a cup from said mandrel comprising a pair of opposite cup engaging arms encircling a major portion of the diameter of the cup and resiliently constrained toward position for engaging the cup at its largest diameter, means to move said arms in one direction to cup engaging position while the cup is on said mandrel and then in a reverse direction for stripping the cup from said mandrel and supporting it as it is transported from the mandrel, and a cup receiving and stacking tube having rigid hooked fingers out of alignment with said arms and located between their ends when said arms have completed their movement in said one direction, said fingers deforming the cup to an oval shape as it is forced past the hooks of the fingers by said cup engaging arms, the cup edge thereupon engaging in the hooks of said fingers when the cup engaging arms return for another cup to thereby retain the cups in said stacking tube.

3. In a cup forming machine, a tapered cup forming mandrel, means for removing a cup from said mandrel comprising a pair of cup engaging elements resiliently constrained toward position for engaging the cup on opposite sides thereof at its largest diameter and throughout the major portion of its circumference, means to move said elements in one direction tov cup engaging position while the cup is on the mandrel and then in a reverse direction for stripping the cup from said mandrel, and a' cup receiving and stacking tube having a pair of rigid hooked fingers for engaging opposite sides of said largest diameter between the end limits of said pair of cup engaging elements and deforming the cup as permitted by the spreading of said pair of cup engaging elements under their resilient constraint and as the cupy is forced past the hooks of the fingers by said cup engaging elements, the cup edge thereupon engaging in said hooked fingers when the cup engaging elements return for another cup to thereby retain the cups in said stacking tube, said cup engaging elements, as they move in said one direction, advancing the stack of removed cups along said cup receiving and stacking tube.

4. In a cup forming machine, a rotary head, a plurality of cone mandrels carried by said head and each rotatable relative thereto, means for driving said rotary head intermittently and for rotating said mandrels while the head is rotating, and removing and stacking mechanism at one station of the machine, said removing and stacking mechanism comprising a pair of arms for removing the cup from the mandrel, said arms being arcuate in a plane normal to the axis of the cup to engage substantial portions yof the cup rim, said arms being biased to engage over the rim lof a cup on a mandrel at said one station, said arms being reciprocally mounted and having cone-segment faces diverging toward the large end of the cup for electing such engagement by spreading of said arms against their bias as they are moved axially of the cup and toward its large end, and then for carrying the cup away from the mandrel, a cup receiving and stacking element to receive and stack the cups so carried, and means carried thereby to prevent return of a cup with said arcuate arms as they return to remove another cup from a mandrel,

5. In a cup forming machine of the character disclosed, a rotary head, a plurality of cone mandrels carried by said head and each rotatable relative thereto, means for rotating said rotary head, rimming mechanism for the cup at a station of the machine, and removing and stacking mechanism at a further station thereof comprising a pair of opposite rim receiving elements for removing the cup from the mandrel, said elements being 12 biased to engage over the rim of a cup on a mandrel at said further station, said elements being reciprocably mounted for electing such engagement and for then supporting and carrying the cup away from the mandrel, a stacking tube to receive the cup so carried, said stacking tube having rigidly xed opposite rim engaging hold ing catches past which said elements carry the cup and cause the cup to deform against the bias of saidrim receiving elements and snap into position behind shoulders of said holding catches so that the cup is thereby held as the arms return to transfer another cup from a mandrel to said stacking tube, said opposite rimengaging holding catches being staggered between said opposite rim re# ceiving elements. v

6. In a cup forming machine of the character disclosed, a rotary head, a plurality of cone mandrels carried by said head and each rotatable relative thereto, means for rotating said rotary head, bead forming mechanism for the cup at a station of the machine, and removing and stacking mechanism at a further station thereof, comprising a pair of opposite bead receiving elements for removing the cup from the mandrel, said elements being biased to engage over the bead of a cup on a mandrel at said further station and arcuate in shape to engage substantial portions of the cup bead to thereby support the cup for carrying it, said elements being reciprocably mounted for effecting such engagement and for then carrying the cup away from the mandrel, a stacking tube to receive the cup so carried, said stacking tube having opposite bead engaging holding catches past which said elements carry the cup, said catches being rigid to cause the cup to deform and snap into position behind shoulders of said holding catches so that the cup is thereby held as the arms return to transfer another cup from a mandrel to said stacking tube, said bead receiving elements and said holding catches being arranged alternately surrounding the cup, said elements, when forcing the bead of a cup past the shoulders of said catches, advancing the 2,017,521 Whiting, Jr. Oct. 15, 1935 2,203,513 Amberg June 4, 1940 2,321,407

Merta June 8, 1943