US2955529A - Packaging press - Google Patents

Description

W. K. MARBLE PACKAGING PRESS Oct. 11, 1960 Filed March 11, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. mm

AT'i'EI R N EYS Oct. 11, 1960 w. K. MARBLE 2,955,529

PACKAGING PRESS I Filed March 11, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

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PACKAGING PRESS Filed March 11, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 wig a I /7 g INVENTOR. t k

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ATTORNEYS W. K. MARBLE PACKAGING PRESS I Oct. 11, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 11, 1957 .WNY

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PACKAGING PRESS Wilbur "Knox Marble, Leland, Miss., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Lab-Quip Engineering Corp., Shreveport, La.

Filed Mar. 11, 1957, Ser. No. 645,289

2 Claims. (Cl. 100-215) This invention relates to packaging machinery, such as used in industrial plants and the like for packaging raw materials and particularly of the type used for packaging samples of lint of cotton, wool, and the like, and in particular a press having a tramper mounted to be actuated by a pneumatic cylinder for compressing raw materials between a stationary side wall and a pivotally mounted complementary side wall and upon a movable platen, and whereby the compressed sample which includes a pluralityiof segments or layers is discharged transversely of the machine and inserted in a wrapper or envelope to provide a complete sample package.

The purpose of this invention is to provide automatic means for compressing samples of materials removed fromcircular lint fines, or lines of other descriptions, into relatively small packages and wherein the cross section of the material of a package is the same throughout the length thereof so that the package may be cut into a plurality of smaller packages.

Various types of packaging devices have been provided for different types of materials, however, where raw materials such as cotton and wool are being processed it is 'diflicult to assemble the material and compress the material into a package that is adapted to be used as a sample. With this thought in mind this invention contemplates a press of the type used for forming a bale in which a relatively long narrow tramper or ram is used between a stationary side plate and a pivotally mounted side plate whereby material deposited between the side plates is compressed by moving the pivotally mounted side plate into spaced relation to the stationary side plate and further compressed by the tramper driven against a movable platen by a fluid pressure cylinder, and wherein after receiving and pressing a plurality of segments to provide a compact unit, the sample is discharged transversely of the machine and inserted in a wrapper or envelope.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide a sample packaging machine wherein a typical cross section of the material is carried throughout the length of the package so that the package may be divided into small packages.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sample packaging machine in which a long relatively narrow package is discharged transversely of the'machine after the material is compressed into the package unit.

,Another important object of the invention is to provide a sample package pressing machine in which material is deposited into a pressing chamber of the maa tramper for compressing the material in forming the package. V r

A still further object of the invention is to provide a lint packagingpress' in'which lint of a machine, such as a cotton gin is: compressed into a relatively long thin-- Patented Oct. 11, 1960 icev unit in which the machine is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies a vertically disposed stationary wall, a complementary wall carried by a lever pivotally mounted in the lower part of the machine and actuated by a pneumatic cylinder, a platen positioned at the lower edges of the walls and actuated by cylinders, a tramper positioned to travel downwardly from the upper edges of the walls and actuated by a pneumatic cylinder, and an ejecting plunger extended transversely from rial received from the condenser and pressed between side plates with a tramper at the upper end before compressing the material and with a platen at the lower end. Figure 2 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. l with parts broken away showing the sample package compressed between the tramper and platen, and also showing a locking pin for retaining the tramper in position with the material compressed.

Figure 3 is a cross section through the sample packaging press with one of the cylinders of the platen broken away and shown in section and with-another of said cylinders shown in elevation.

' Figure 4 is a cross section similar to that shown in Figure 3, with the upper part of the press broken away and showing the sample further compressed to form a relatively thin unit.

Figure 5 is a section, similar to that shown in Figures 3 and 4 also showing the sample in the compressed position.

Figure 6 is also a section through the press illustrating the positions of the parts with the sample ejected from one side of the press by the plunger of a pneumatic cylinder extended from the opposite side.

Figure 7 is a section, similar to that shown in Figure 3 in whichthe tramper has been returned to the starting position and is shown in the lower position in broken lines.

Figure 8 is a sectional plan taken on line 8-8 of Figure 7 with the parts shown on an enlarged scale illustrating one of the cylinders for releasing the platen locks which retain the platen in the upper position until the compressed unit is driven into a wrapper.

Figure 9 is a sectional plan taken on line 99 of Fig. 1, with the parts shown on an enlarged scale, showing a cylinder for operating a locking pin to secure the tramper in the lower position in which the material is cuits to. the cylinders of the packaging press.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the improved sample packaging press of this invention includes a platen 10 positionedrbetween spaced parallel channel-bars l1 and 12, and carried by upper ends 13 and 14 of piston rods 15 and 16 extended from pistons 17 and 18 in L cylinders 19 and20, a tramper 21' actuated'by a pneumatic cylinder 22, a stationary side plate 23 extended upwardly from the channelbar 11, a lint door or side plate 24 carried by a lever 25 actuated by a pneumatic cylinder 26, a laterally disposed plunger 27 actu-ated'by i a pneumatic, cylinder 28 and having a shovel 29 on the upper edge, and lock bolts 30 actuated by pneumatic cylinders 31 and positioned to extend through the channel-bars 11 and 12 for locking the tramper in the downward or compressing position;

The platen which is positioned on the ends 13 and 14 of the piston rods 15 and 16 extends through end plates 32 and 33 and the ends are provided with pins 34 and 35 by which the platen is retained in position, and the plates 32 and 33 are positioned to ride upon upper edges of locking plates 36 and 37 which are pivotally mounted in brackets 38 and 39 and, as illustrated in Figure 6, the locking plates 36 and 37 are urged inwardly to engage lower surfaces of the plates 32 and 33, by springs 40 and 41. By this means the locking plates 36 and 37 retain the plates 32 and 33 and also the platen in upwardly disposed positions whereby the upper surface of the platen 10 is in registering relation with the lower inner surface of a feeder chute 42 so that as the plunger 27 is driven across the machine by the cylinder 28 and piston rod 43 the compressed material is injected into a wrapper 44.

The cylinder 28 is suspendedby a hanger 45 and the hanger is pivotally mounted by a pin 46 on a bearing 47 in an inverted U-shaped shield or support 48.

The locking plates 36 and 37 are withdrawn after the material has been injected into the wrapper 44 by pneumatic cylinders 49 and 50 mounted on brackets 51 and 52 on vertically disposed struts or supports 53 and 54.

The cylinders 49 and 50 are provided with lugs 55 by which the cylinders are secured in position upon the brackets 51 and 52 with suitable fasteners 56 and connecting rods 57 extended from pistons 58 in the cylinders are connected by rivets or pins 59 to clips 60 of the locking plates 61 whereby with fluid under pressure supplied to the cylinders through tubes 62 the locking plates 36 and 37 are drawn outwardly releasing the upper plates 32 and 33 upon which the platen 10 rests. The plates 36, 37 are also provided with clips 63 that extend around flanges 61 of the supports 53 and54. The piston rods 57 are secured in sleeves 64 through which the pins 59 extend, by suitable means. The locking plates 36 and 37 are provided with wings or tabs 65 and 66 to facilitate adjusting the positions of the plates by hand.

The cylinders 19 and 20 are mountedon a horizontally disposed platform 67 and the platform issupported by the vertically disposed supports 68 and 69 the lower ends of which are positioned on channel- bars 70 and 71. The cylinder 19 is provided with a fluid pressure supply connection 72 and the cylinder 20 with a similar connection 73 and, as illustrated in Fig. 8 the cylinder 49 is provided with a release opening or vent 74.

The cylinder 22 is carried on a horizontally disposed channel bar 75 which is mounted on upper ends of the support members 53 and 54 and the tramper 21 is pivotally mounted in a clevis 76 at the lower end of a piston rod 77 extended from the cylinder 22. by a pin- 78 and, as illustrated particularly in Fig. 3, the upper end of the piston rod extends through a packing gland 79 at the lower end of the piston. The connecting rod is secured in a piston 80, as shown in Fig. 3. The cylinder 22 is also. provided with fluid pressure supply connections 81 and 82 whereby fluid, and particularly air under pressure may be supplied to the upper end of the cylinder for driving the tramper downwardly through the press.

The tramper 21 is provided with a backing bar 83 to which the clevis 76 is connected by the pin 78 and the tramper is retained in positionwith guide bars 84 and 85 that extend through openings 86 and 87 in the web of the channel bar 75 and, as illustrated in Fig. 3, upper ends of the guide bars are provided with heads 88 and 89 and the lower ends with clevises 90 and-91 which are secured to the backing bar '83 with pins 92 and 93.

As illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 9 one lock bolt 30 is secured on the end of a connecting rod 94 which extends from a piston 95 in the cylinder 31 and the cylinder is provided with fluid pressure connections 96 and 97. The cylinder 31 is mounted on a bracket 98 and the bracket is positioned whereby the lock bolt 30 extends into a sleeve 99 which extends from the side plate 23 and which is in alignment with an opening 100 in the opposite side of the web of the channel bar 12. By this means fluid under pressure supplied to the connection 96 drives the lock bolt 30 across the press to the locking position shown in Fig. 2 and pressure applied to the connection 97 withdraws the bolt, releasing the tramper.

The movable side plate or locked door 24 is carried by a bar 101 on the upper end of the lever 25 and the lower end of the lever is hinged on a base 102 of the press by a pin 193. The lever 25 is actuated by the pneumatic cylinder 26, which is supplied with fluid under pressure through a connection 104 and, as shown in Fig. 1, the cylinder is pivotally mounted by a pin 195 in a bracket 106 extended from an angle bar 107 extended between posts 108 of the frame of the press. The connecting rod 109, at the opposite end of the cylinder 26 is connected by a pin 110 which extends through a clevis 111 on the connecting rod and also through the lever 25 on which the plate 24 is carried.

The cylinders 49 and 50 are provided with fluid pressure supply connections 112 and similar connections 113 and 114 are provided on the ends of the cylinders 28.

A control panel 115 is provided at one side of the machine and the controls are connected to the elements through a tube 116.

With the door 24 in the position indicated by the broken lines 117 cotton, lint, or the like supplied to the condenser 118 passes through the feed rollers 119 and 120 which are mounted on shafts 121 and 122 and with the rollers rotating in the direction of the arrows the material is fed into an area 123 and when a suflicient quantity of lint is deposited into the area the cylinder 26 is actuated to drive the plate 24 against the material forcing the material into an area between the plates 23 and 24. The roller 119 is driven by a motor 124 through a belt 125. With the material in the pressure chamber between the plates 23 and 24, platen 10 and tramper 21 air under pressure is supplied to the upper end of the cylinder 22 whereby the tramper is driven downwardly to the position shown in Figure 2 and after a plurality of such opera: tions, wherein a plurality of layers or segments of lint are compressed upon the platen, the tramper is locked by the lock bolts 30 and pressure applied to the cylinders 19,

and 20 whereby the platen is driven upwardly pressing the lower layers or segments to the same degree as that ofthe upper layers or segments making the cross section of the sample consistent throughout. As an illustration, as many as ten segments may be included in one sample and when the pressure, such as forty pounds, applied to the cylinder 22 is not suflicient to carry the tramper downwardly below the lock bolts 30, safety devices are released whereby the pressure may be increased up to 120 pounds.

In moving the platen 10 upwardly the locking plates 36' and 37, riding against outer surfaces of the plates 32 and 33, drop into position below the lower edges of the plates 32 and 33 retaining the platen in an upwardly disposed position whereby the tramper may be elevated as the plunger 27 is driven across the platen by the cylinder 28. Upon return of the plunger 27 the tramper is also re turned to the upper position and pressure applied to the inner ends of the cylinders 49 and 50 which draw the locking plates 36 and 37 outwardly to release the platen.

With this combination of movements or with the platen coacting with the tramper, the press operates with less air volume and with air at lower pressure than used in conventional pressing machines.

By this means, a comparatively thin bar of cotton lint is provided and the sample is driven into the wrapper 44 providing a wrapped sample that may be usedasshown.

and described or that maybe cut into sections, as may be desired.

The press is provided with an electric circuit and controls wherein current is supplied through wires 126 and 127, and the circuit is provided with a pressing timer 128 whichcontrols the length of time the sample is held under high pressure, a sampling cycle timer 129for controlling the time between openings of the sampling valv'e, a samplertimer 130 controlling the length of time the sampling valve remains open, and a tramper delay 131 which allows sufficient time-for cotton to pass through the small condenser before the tramper depresses.

The circuit is also provided with a master relay 132 which prevents sampling and pressing at the same time, a tramper holding relay 133 which holds the tramper in the lower position except for the sampling interval, a tramper position relay 134 which prevents starting of the packaging cycle except when the tramper is in the lower position and an overload safety relay 135 for preventing taking too large a sample.

The circuit also includes a sampling valve cylinder 136, the cylinder 26 for controlling the side wall or lint door 24, the tramper cylinder 22, the platen pressing cylinders 19 and 20, the package inserting cylinder 28, a sampling valve cushion cylinder, the tramper lock cylinders 31, the pressing platen lock cylinders 49 and 50, and the wrapper holding cylinders.

The press is also provided with safety switches, such as the switches 137 and 138 that prevent the sampler taking too large a sample and with a large amount of cotton in the sampler press box the tramper, with forty pounds of air pressure will not go down far enough to close the switches 137 and 138, thereby causing the relay 135 to remain in the unlatched position holding the circuit to the solenoid valve 39 open, and preventing the sampling valve 136 from opening and taking further samples until the sample in the press has been packaged. In the packaging cycle, the tramper cylinder 22 operates under 120 pound pressure and the tramper is forced all of the way down, thereby closing the switches 137 and 138.

The circuit also includes a switch 140 which prevents the packaging of a sample before it is properly pressed and a switch 141 which prevents pressing a sample with the packaging cylinder partially extended.

The sequence of operations for automatic cotton sampler is as follows:

(1) Switch 142 switches momentarily at end of the packaging cylinder stroke, relays 133 and 134 are released, relay 132 is unlatched.

(2) With relay 133 open, solenoid valve 143 is deenergized, tramper goes up and lint door 24 opens.

(3) Switch 144 is switched by tramper, timer 130 starts running, and solenoid valve 139 is actuated, opening the sampling valve 136.

(4) Timer 130 runs the pro-set time, then switches and holds. Solenoid valve 139 is de-energized, sampling valve closes, and timer 131 starts running.

(5) Timer 131 runs the pre-set time and switches, relay 135 is energized and latches, relay 133 is energized, solenoid valve 143 is energized and the lint door closes and the tramper goes down.

(6) Switch 144 switches, timer 130 resets, timer 131 resets; timer 129 starts running; switches 137 and 138 close and release relay 135. This energizes relay 134.

(7) Timer 129 runs the preset length of time and switches, relay 133 releases, relay 134 releases, solenoid valve 143 is de-energized and the tramper goes up and the lint door opens; switch 144 switches, timer 129 resets, timer 130 starts running, solenoid valve 139 is actuated, opening the sampling valve.

(8) Cycles 3 through 7 repeat until the packaging switch is actuated, or the sampler lint box becomes too full.

(9) When the packaging switch 145 is actuated, relay 132 latches, timer 129 stops and resets; high pressure solenoid valve 146 is actuated, if the tramper is notin the up position or when it leaves the up position. Timer 128 starts, and solenoid valve 147 is actuated, if relay 34 is closed or when it does close. Actuating solenoid valves 146 and 147 press the sample. This pressure is held until timer 128 runs thepreset time, then switches and holds; solenoid valve 147 is de-energized when pressing platen closes switch 140, sample is pushed into the container and switch 142 is closed at the end of the stroke, releasing the relays 132, 133, and 134 and valve 146; timer 128 resets, valves 148 and 149 are de-energized, returning the packaging cylinder to the normal position wherein the sampling action starts.

Timer adjustment 1 Timers 128 and 131 are adjusted at the time of installation and should not require changing.

Timers 129 and are adjusted according to the rate of ginning to give the correct weight of sample with a r suflicient number of segments.

With the parts designed and assembled as illustrated and described a sample is withdrawn from a circular lint flue and carried through the conveyer tube 150 through the condenser 118 and fed through the feed rollers 119 and 120 to the box with the side wall 24 in a broken line position and with a sufficient quantity of lint in the box the cylinder 26 is actuated to move the wall 24 from the broken line position to the position shown in full lines, at which time, fluid under pressure is released to the upper connection 81 of the cylinder 22 whereby the piston in the cylinder drives the tramper 21 downwardly compressing the lint against the platten 10 and with the tramper in the lower position the cylinders 31 are actuated to insert the lock bolts above the tramper and cylinders 19 and 20 are actuated to elevate the platen.

This operation is repeated until a plurality of layers or segments such as ten segments, are compressed upon 48 is withdrawn and the tramper 21 also elevated to a starting position, at which time the cycle of operations is repeated.

It will be understood that modifications within the scope of the appended claims, may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a packaging press, the combination which comprises a vertically disposed frame, spaced horizontally disposed channel bars extended across the frame, a stationary wall extended upwardly from afirst one of said channel bars and mounted on the frame, the inner surface of the stationary wall being flush with the inner surface of the channel bar, a movable wall positioned to extend upwardly from the second of said channel bars which is opposite to the first channel bar from which the stationary wall extends, the movable wall being positioned parallel to and spaced from the stationary wall, and the inner surface being flush with the inner surface of the second channel bar with the wall in the closed position, a lever pivotally mounted in the lower part of the frame and on the upper end of which the movable wall is mounted, a hydraulic cylinder mounted in the frame and connected to the lever for moving the movable wall into a position where the inner surface thereof is flush with the inner surface of the second channel bar, a pair of fluid pressure cylinders mounted below the channel bars, a piston in each of said cylinders, said cylinders being positioned in such a manner that the pistons thereof may travel upwardly between the channel bars, a platen mounted on the pistons of the pair of cylinders, a platform for supporting said cylinders, a pair of vertically disposed supports connected to the opposite ends of said platform, end plates on said supports through which said platen extends, pins positioned in the opposite ends of the platen for retaining the platen in position, locking plates positioned below said end plates with the upper edges thereof in engagement with the lower edges of said end plates, brackets mounted on said supports for pivotally mounting the lower edges of said locking plates, springs mounted on said supports and biasing said locking plates inwardly to maintain the locking plates in engagement with the end plates so that said end plates and said platen are retained in upwardly disposed positions, a tramper positioned between the stationary and movable walls, end walls extended upwardly from ends of the channel bars and positioned between the stationary and hinged walls, a horizontally disposed channel bar mounted in the frame and positioned above the upper ends of the stationary, movable and end walls, a fluid pressure cylinder extended upwardly from the horizontally disposed channel bar, a piston rod extended from the fluid pressure cylinder and connected to the tramper for driving the tramper downwardly, a laterally disposed cylinder extended from one of the ends of the channel bars at one side of the frame and aligned with the passage between the channel bars, a plunger extended from the laterally disposed cylinder for urging units of prod- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 183,378 Davis Oct. 17, 1876 1,120,655 Kinter Dec. 8, 1914 1,822,923 Duerr Sept. 15, 1931 1,966,378 Dinzl July 10, 1934 2,399,857 Connors May 7, 1946 2,780,989 Guy Feb. 12, 1957

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