US2999615A - Apparatus for feeding cleats to box-making machines - Google Patents

Description

Sept 12, 1961 I D. G. KINGsLx-:Y ETAL 2,999,615

APPARATUS FOR FEEIDING CLEATS TO BOX-MAKING MACHINES Original Filed Sept. 20, 1954 F IG. /46 /6 FIG. 2 /05 u I' VENToR @av/'d G. K%gs/ey BY L. 5mn/ey Hayward F G 5 Msi/wf?, MF4

ATTORNEYS.

2,999,615 APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CLEATS T@ BOX-MAKING MACHiNES David G. Kingsley, Mountain Lakes, and L Stmey Hayward, Morris Plains, NJ., assignors to Stapiing Machines Co., Rockaway, NJ., a corporation of Deiaware riginai application Sept. 20, 1954, Ser. No. 457,066, new Patent No. 2,827,201, dated Mar. 18, 1958. Divided and this application Apr. 19, 1957, Ser. No. 659,453 1 Ciaim. (Cl. 221--13) This invention relates to apparatus for dispensing cleats to wirebound box-making machines of the type disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,304,510, issued December 8, 1942.

This application is a division of application Serial No. 457,066, iiled September 20, 1954, now Patent No. 2,827,- 201, issued March 18, 1958.

In such machines, properly assembled cleats and side material or slats are conveyed beneath a transverse bank of stapling units by which staples are driven over longitudinally extending binding wires, through the side material or slats and into the cleats to form wirebound box blanks. Each of these box blanks comprises a plurality, usually four, box sections or sides which are oldably secured together by the binding wire. The cleats are trequently provided with mitered ends which fit snugly together whenV the box blanks are folded around to set up the box. Where the box has oblong ends, two lengths of cleats are required, with alternate sections of the box blanks having cleats of diierent length.

The cleats and side material or slats are conveyed through the box-making machine by continuously moving conveyor bands which carry adjustably positioned projecting push elements whichl engage the cleats and side material or slats and maintain their properly assembled relationship.

In United States Patent No. 2,658,631, issued November 10, 1953, there is disclosed apparatus for mechanically dispensing cleats into proper position in the spaces ahead of the push elements on the conveyor bands of a wirebound box-making machine. This apparatus eliminates some of the manual labor which has previously been required inthe laying of cleats and thereby enables a substantial reduction in the cost of producing wirebound boxes and crates.

The present invention is in the nature of an improvement over the invention of said Patent No. 2,658,631, to the end of achieving a more dependable supply of cleats to the conveyor bands of wirebound box-making machines. The invention provides a dual safety gate having one member which opens to permit egress of two adhering cleats, thus clearing a slight cleat jam without interrupting production of the box-making machine while its other member opens only in the event of a serious cleat jam or other malfunction and the opening of this second member stops the conveyor lbands in order to prevent possible damage to the elements involved.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a view of the lower portion of a gravity feed-type cleat dispensing device embodying features or the present invention including, at its output end, a dual member safety gate end, and, at its opposite end, means for positioning tilted cleats.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 except that the members of the safety gate and the elements for positioning tilted cleats are shown in operative position.

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of the end of the apparatus which appears at the right in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional View taken on line 11S-15 of FIGURE 1.

2,099,615 Patented Sept. 12, 1961 The cleat dispensing apparatus in which the invention is employed is adapted to be supported by one of the pair of longitudinally extending side rails which form part of conventional wirebound box-making machines as disclosed in the aforementioned Patent No. 2,304,510. Gne of said side rails is positioned at each side of the machine to support the conveyor bands. While each of the side rails bears cleat dispensing apparatus, it is deemed suiiicient to illustrate and describe only one of the dispensing units, since they are identical except for reversal of parts.

As may be seen in FIGURE 4, each of the side rails is built up from a pair of angle members A and B which are bolted together in spaced relationship. T o the upper surface of outer angle member B the cleat dispensing unit it detachably mounted at a convenient point adjacent the input end of the machine while the inner angle member A supports the conveyor bands C with its attached cleat pushing members V. The construction of said unit is generally similar to that of the cleat dispensing unit disclosed in the aforementioned PatentNo. 2,658,631. The present invention provides means to regulate the egress of cleats from the hopper of the dispensing device and also includes mechanism for correctly positioning any cleats which are tilted so that their leading ends rest atop the push iin of one of the cleat spacing members. As may be seen in FIGURES 1 and 2, this mechanism includes an angular-shaped presser foot 104 pivotally mounted at its upper end on the outwardly projecting end of a bar 106 by a screw 105. The opposite end of this bar 106 is pivotally attached at 107 to an inverted L-shaped bracket 10S (FIGURE 4) which is adjustably Secured to the cross brace 110 of the cleat dispensing device by a clamp member 112 which is clamped against the outer face of the cross brace 110 by a screw 113- which extends through the member 112 and is threaded into the bracket 108. The horizontal lower portion 104@ of the angular-shaped presser foot 104 is urged downwardly by a compression' spring 114 interposed between it and the underside of bar 106 and guided on studs 116. The overhanging portion of the inverted L-shaped bracket 103 supports therein two spaced` adjustable screws 113 and 120. The screw 118, which is positioned directly above compression spring 114, extends downwardly into the upper end of a compression spring 122 which is interposed between the overhanging portion 109m of bracket 108 and the aforementioned bar 106, yielding to allow the free end of bar 106 to move upwardly when necessary. The bar 106 is normally held ina horizontal position against theforce of spring 122 by the screw 120 which engages the upper surface of the bar 106 on the opposite side of its pivot 107 from the spring 122.

As is shown in FIGURE 2 by broken linesV 124, a cleat in tilted position with its leadingl end at such height as to engage the undersurface of presser foot 104 is subjected to a frictional drag tending to retard its forward movement in the direction indicated by the arrow X and cause it to drop into proper position as, shown by full lines 126.

This embodiment of the invention is provided with an alternative type of means for supplying into proper spaces onthe moving Iconveyor bands, cleats of twodiiierent lengths where requiredy by the design of the box being made. As maybe seen in FIGURE 1, there is mounted on the base member H, in the path of cleat movement, a cleat step member 128 which is adjustable iongitudinally of the base member. The end of the stepvmember 123 facing in the direction of the oncoming cleats is formed with `an upwardly inclined bevel 130, which is positioned a short distance forward of the trailing end of the bottom cleat 132 in the hopper. As shown by full lines in FIGURES l and 2, the bottom cleat 132 is v about to be moved out of the hopper in the direction indicated by the arrow X by push iin 134 of a cleat spacing member, followed by the cleat 136 from another cleat dispensing device located ahead of the device in the direction of movement of the conveyor bands.

The outgoing cleat 132 rests upon the step member 128 and supports the neXt-to-bottom cleat 1411l and the other cleats above it in the stack. The position of the end 130 of the step member 128 is such that the leading end of the cleat 136 from the first cleat dispensing device does not reach the step member until after it has passed lbeneath the trailing end of the next-to-bottom cleat 14? in the stack. This allows the cleat 136 to pass freely beneath the cleat 140 without engaging its trailing end. When the leading end of the cleat 136 does reach the step member 12S, it climbs up its beveled end 130, as illustrated in broken lines in FIGURE 1, in position to support the stack ofcleats as the precedingcleat 132 moves out of the hopper. By the time the push tin 13S reaches the trailing end of the neXt-to-bottom cleat 140, the cleat 136 will have dropped to a horizontal position on the step member 128 (in the same position as is occupied by the cleat 132 in FIGURE 2) with the trailing end of the cleat 136 above the top of the push iin 13S so that the push lin 138 cannot engage the trailing end of the next-to-bottom cleat 140. The cleat 145i will thus remain in the hopper until the arrival of its proper cleat space between the push elements on the conveyor bands.

Also shown in FIGURES l and 2 is a dual safety gate which embodies features of this invention, and which functions to clear minor cleat jams and to prevent damage of the apparatus as -a result of more serious cleat jams.

Generally, this gate mechanism comprises two gate members which may be moved independently of each other in a counterclockwise direction -as viewed in FIG- URES l and 2. The outer gate 142 is pivotally mounted at its upper end on a stud 144 threaded into one flange 146 of an upstanding angle 14S and is supported in a plate 151i attached to a bracket 152 extending outwardly from flange 146.

Gate 142 is normally in vertical position, as illustrated in FIGURE l, and extends downwardly to such a point as to permit unrestricted passage beneath it of individual, normally positioned cleats. riihe upper portion of the left-hand side of gate 142, as viewed in FIGURES l and 2, is cut away to provide a notch 154 of suitable depth to receive therein the lower portion of the end wall member 156 of the cleat dispensing device, thereby establishing a continuous guiding surface for the ends of the cleats as they move downwardly in the hopper and providing a positioning stop for gate 142.

As may be seen with reference to FIGURE l, from the right-hand side of and adjacent the pivotal end of gate 142 there projects upwardly at an oblique angle a fixed arm 158 having at its upper end a mallet-shaped head 160 (see FIGURE 14) which Serves as a weight.

The weight 160 urges the gate 142 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURES 1 and 2, to its normal closing position in which it is shown in FIGURE l. The angle of the arm 158 is such that the force imposed on the gate 142 by the weight 160 is at its maximum when the gate is in closed position and decreases as the gate is opened in a counterclockwise direction as illustrated in FIGURE 2. The gate 142, once opened, thus imposes little drag on the cleats passing beneath it.

The effect of the weight 160 keeping the gate 142 closed is augmented by the force of a light tension spring 162 which extends between a stud 180 at the upper end of the arm 158 and another stud 182 projecting from the lower portion of the plate 150.

The gate 142 may be swung open against the resistance of the weight Y16() and spring 162 to permit an improperly positioned cleat to pass out of the hopper, or to permit the two bottom cleats in the hopper to pass out of the hopper simultaneously, as illustrated in FIGURE 2, where these two cleats are adhering to each other, for example due to roughness of their interfaces. The opening of gate 142 thus prevents possible damage to the apparatus while avoiding the necessity of stopping the conveyor bands to clear up minor malfunctions which can be corrected merely by manually repositioning a misplaced cleat or removing a surplus cleat.

As may be Seen particularly in FIGURE 3, the upper gate 164 is positioned adjacent the inner face of gate 142 with suitable clearance provided therebetween to permit each gate to move independently of the other. Gate 164 is also pivotally mounted on stud 144, and is provided with an integral arm 166 projecting horizontally outward. In the rear face of arm 166 there is threaded a headed screw 168 which has hooked on it the upper end of a comparatively stiff tension spring 170 whose other end is anchored to a stud 172 threaded into the upper surface of angle member B.

An electric switch 174 attached to upstanding angle member 148 is arranged to be actuated by arm 166 in the event of a serious jam of cleats. As indicated by broken lines `176 in FIGURE l, the inner face of the lower portion of gate 164 adjacent the ends of the cleats in the stack is inclined downwardly and outwardly to prevent the leading ends of cleats which, for one reason or another, have been tilted upwardly from climbing the inner face of gate 164, `as they are urged to do by frictional contact with lower cleats which are moving out of the hopper.

However, should the leading ends of the cleats become tilted downwardly, there is danger of a serious jam of cleats, as indicated by the fragmentary portion of cleat 178 shown in broken lines in FIGURE 2. When such a jam of cleats occurs, gate 164 and its arm 166 will be caused to move in a counterclockwise direction, actuating switch 174 and causing the conveyor bands to stop, preventing damage to the apparatus and permitting manual clearing of the cleats involved. The motive means for driving the conveyor is more fully disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,924,825, in which FIGURE 1 shows an electrical control circuit therefor, including a stop switch 94 corresponding to the switch `174 of the present application.

It will be seen that the apparatus disclosed is capable of reliably dispensing cleats into their proper respective positions on the continuously moving conveyor bands of a box-making machine, such apparatus being relatively foolproof in operation and providing substantial safeguards against damage to the apparatus due any anticipated type of malfunction. It will therefore be appreciated that the aforementioned and other desirable objectives have been achieved. However, it should be emphasized that the embodiment of the invention shown `and described herein is intended as merely illustrative and not as'restr-ictive of the invention.

We claim:

Apparatus for dispensingcleats of generally uniform thickness, said apparatus comprising a hopper adapted to hold a generally vertical stack of said cleats, a conveyor, motive means for driving said conveyor, push elements mounted on said conveyor for movement therewith lengthwise across the lower end of said hopper, said push elements being spaced apart to receive said cleats lengthwise between them, a base member extending across the bottom of said hopper, said base member being spaced from the bottom of said hopper to permit said push elements to pass through the bottom of said hopper and engage the bottom cleat in said stack and push it endwise out of said hopper along said bar member, a pair of exit gates mounted side-by-side in a generally vertical position at the output end of said hopper, each of said gates being pivoted near its upper end for outward movement of its lower end, the lower end of the lrst of said gates being spaced above said base member a distancegreater than the thickness of one of said cleats but less than twice the said thickness and the lower end of the second of said gates being spaced above said base member a distance greater than twice the thickness of one of said cleats but less than three times the said thickness `and means urging Said gates inwardly toward the ends of the cleats in said stack, said urging means being yieldable to permit said gates to swing outwardly to increase the spacing of their lower 10 ends from said base member, an electric switch connected to control said motive means, switch actuating means associated with said second gate for movement therewith, said switch actuating means being arranged to actuate said switch to stop said motive means upon outward movement of said second gate, whereby said rst 5 stop said conveyor.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,857,881 Scott et al. May 10, 1932 2,599,460 Kingsley et al. June 3, 1952 2,658,631 Kingsley NOV. 10, 1953 2,726,013 Rice et al. Dec. 6, -1955 2,731,131 Shannon Jan. 17, 1956 15 2,769,570 Adams Nov. 6, 1956 UNTTED STATES PATENT OEETCE CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTN Patent NQ 2V999615 September 12 1961 David Ga Kingsley et ala certified that error appears in ihe above numbered pat- It is hereby the said Letters Patent should reed as entrequirng correction and that 'corrected below.

Column T line lV Strike out "be".

( S EA L Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDEE Attesting Officer I DAVID L. LADD Commissioner of Patents

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