US2999618A

US2999618A - Hosiery inspecting, stacking and bundling apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2999618A
Application number: US832047A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gus T Smith
Original assignee: MARVEL SPECIALTY Co
Current assignee: MARVEL SPECIALTY Co
Priority date: 1959-08-06
Filing date: 1959-08-06
Publication date: 1961-09-12
Anticipated expiration: 1978-09-12

Description

G. T. SMITH Sept. 12, 1961 HOSIERY INSPECTING, STACKING AND BUNDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 6, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS Sept. 12, 1961 sMlTH 2,999,618

HOSIERY INSPECTING, STACKING AND BUNDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 6, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR BY M;%

ATTORNEY) rates tucky Filed Aug. 6, 1959, Ser. No. 832,047 Claims. (Cl. 223-43) This invention relates to hosiery inspection apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for automatically stacking and bundling hosiery at the conclusion of an inspection operation.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide apparatus for automatically stacking and bundling inspected hosiery whose action is correlated with and controlled by the operation of an associated hosiery inspection device.

It is another object of the invention to provide apparatus for inspecting, stacking and bundling hosiery wherein the inspection, stacking, and bundling operations are controlled by a single control element.

The foregoing and other objects are achieved in a device wherein a hollow, open-ended transfer tube is constructed with a hosiery inspection form on the exterior of one end of the tube. A source of air under pressure is connected to the tube in such a manner that the air flow may be induced through the tube in either direction. The air pressure source is controlled from a manually actuated foot pedal which in its normal or unactuated position conditions the pressure source to force air to flow through the tube in a direction such that it is discharged from the end upon which the inspection form is located. Air flow in this direction assists the operator in slipping a hose over the form on the exterior of the tube by blowing up the hose. At the conclusion of the inspection operation, the operator depresses the foot pedal to reverse the fiow of air through the tube and the hose is sucked into the open end of the tube and transferred through the tube to its other end. A mechanical stacking device is operable to withdraw the hose from the last mentioned end of the tube and, by rapid movement away from the end of the tube draws the hose out to its full length and deposits the hose in a direction extending transversely across the carrying run of a belt conveyor. The stacking device is operated by a pneumatic motor which is in turn actuated by the pressure source in a manner such that the action of the stacking device is correlated with the inspection operation. The conveyer carries hose received from the stacking device to a conventional bundle tying machine which is operable, when actuated, to tie hosiery delivered to the bundling machine into a bundle.

Actuation of the bundling machine is controlled by a counter which is in turn operated by the foot pedal by which the operator controls the flow of the air through the transfer tube of the inspection portion of the machine. The counter is coupled to suitable control mechanism in a manner such that the bundling machine is actuated after a selected number of manual actuations of the foot pedal by the machine operator. The control means for the bundling machine includes a delay mechanism so that the hose transferred by the final actuation of the foot pedal has time to be transferred through the transfer tube, stacking device and conveyer and be received at the bundling machine before the bundling machine is actuated to tie the received hose into a bundle.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view, partially schematic and paratent Q tially in section of one form of apparatus embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the electrical control circuit of the apparatus of FIG. 1; and,

FIG. 4 is a perspective schematic view of a timing control device employed in the operation of the circuit in FIG. 3.

Apparatus embodying the present invention includes a hosiery inspection and stacking device designated generally 10 which includes an inspection form 12 mounted upon the exterior surface of one end of a hollow openended transfer tube 14 which extends from form 12 through the interior of the machine housing 16 to terminate at a delivery station defined by projecting resilient wire fingers 18 at the other end of tube 14. A stacking arm assembly designated generally 20* is mounted upon machine housing 16 for oscillating pivotal movement between the full line position and broken line positions of FIG. 1. The structure described thus far is shown and described in detail in United States Patent No. 2,964,221 and does not, per se, form the present invention. However, the invention advantageously employs certain features of the machine disclosed in the above-identified patent application and a brief general description of the inspecting and stacking apparatus follows.

A source of air under pressure is located within the machine housing 16 and indicated generally at 22. A first conduit 24 is connected between pressure source 22 and transfer tube 14 in a manner such that when air passes from source 22 through conduit 24 it is discharged directly from tube 14 through the delivery station end of the tube. This action induces a flow of air through tube 14 from the inspection form end of the tube to the delivery station end of the tube. A sufficient flow of air is induced so that a hose fitted over the inspection form is sucked into the end of tube 14 and transferred through the tube to delivery station 18. A second conduit 26 is connected into transfer tube 14 as at 28 in a fashion such that when air flows from source 22 through conduit 26 and into transfer tube 14, air flow through tube 14 is induced in a direction from the delivery station end of the tube toward the inspection form end.

The direction of flow of air through tube 14 is controlled by the operator by a foot pedal 30 coupled through suitable linkage such as 32 to a valve shutter 34. Linkage 32 is so arranged that when the foot pedal is in its normal elevated position (FIG. 2) valve shutter 34 blocks communication between the interior of pressure source 22 and conduit 24 while opening conduit 26 to pressure source 22. As described above this causes a normal flow of air through transfer tube 14 in a direction toward the inspection form end of the tube. To reverse the flow of air through transfer tube 14, the operator depresses pedal 30 and linkage 32 acts to shift valve shutter 34 to a position opening conduit 24 to source 22 and blocking communication between source 22 and conduit 26.

Stacking arm assembly 20 is biased to the full line position of FIG. 1 by a tension spring such as 36. A pneumatic bellows 38 is connected through a piston rod 40 in a manner such that when air is supplied to the bellows, piston rod 40 is extended to drive the stacking arm assembly to the broken line position of FIG. 1. A conduit 42 connects bellows 38 to conduit 26 so that under conditions of normal air flow through transfer tube 14, stacking arm assembly 20 will be located in the broken line position of FIG. 1. Stacking arm assembly 20 is so constructed that it will grip and withdraw a hose from fingers 18 during movement from the full line to broken line position of FIG. 1 and release the hose upon arrival of the stacking arm assembly at the broken line position.

The rate of movement of stacking arm assembly from the full line to the broken line position of FIG. 1 is sufficiently rapid so that the hose is extended full length as indicated at H in FIG. 1.

When stacking arm assembly arrives at broken line position of FIG. 1, the hose is released and dropped upon the carrying run of a belt conveyer 4'4 which is driven as by an electric motor schematically illustrated at 46 in Conveyer 44 delivers the hose to the receiving chute 48 of a bundle tying machine designated generally 50. Bundle tying machine 50 may take the form of any of a number of well-known, commercially available machines of this type. The particular machine employed should be of a type in which an electrical motor such as 52 may be actuated to drive the machine in a cycle of bundle tying movement in which a group of hose such as at 54 (FIG. 2) are tied in a bundle and ejected from the machine as by an ejection arm 56 upon the completion of the tying operation. Since such machines are wellknown and widely employed in the industry, further description of the bundling machine will be omitted. One example of such a machine is Saxmayer Model No. 9F, manufactured by National Bundle Tyer Company of Blissfield, Michigan.

To control and interrelate the operation of bundle tying machine 54 with the inspecting portion of the apparatus, a series of three cam operated limit switches C1, C2 and C3 are located with their strikers respectively engaged with

earns

60, 62 and 64 mounted upon a common shaft 66 driven in rotation by a constant speed electric timing motor T. Each of earns 60, 62 and 6-4 is cut and rotatively oriented upon shaft 66 in a fashion such that the striker of its associated limit switch will be actuated through a selected portion of each complete rotation of shaft 66 which is in turn related to the respective portions of the rotati-ve cycle during which the other limit switch strikers are actuated.

The respective electrical contacts controlled by switches C1, C2 and C3 are connected in the electrical control circuit of FIG. 3 together with a control relay designated R and a counter operated switch C4.

Counter operated switch C4 is controlled from a conventional counter such as 68 which is actuated by each depression of foot pedal 30. As will be recalled from the description above, foot pedal 30' is employed by the machine operator to control valve 34 and, each time foot pedal 30 is depressed, a flow of air is induced inwardly through the inspection from end of transfer tube 14 to transfer an inspected hose through the tube to fingers 18. In this particular industry, it is customary to pay the machine operator on the basis of the number of hose inspected, hence counter 68 may be considered a normal component of the inspection portion of the machine. Counter 68 is coupled to counter switch C4 in a fashion such that the contacts of switch C4 are closed after a selected number of actuations of counter 68. Thus, if it is desired to tie hosiery into bundles each consisting of 24 hose, counter 68 is adjusted so that switch C4 is closed on every twenty-fourth actuation of foot pedal 30.

Referring now to the electrical circuit of FIG. 3, when switch C4 is closed, a circuit is completed across supply lines L1 and L2 to energize timer motor T, represented schematically in FIG. 3. When energized, timer motor T starts to rotate shaft 66 and cam 60 is so arranged that after an initial period of rotation cam 60 actuates the striker of limit switch C1 to close contact C1 in FIG. 3, thereby energizing control relay R. 'When relay R is energized, it closes a pair of relay controlled contacts Ra and Rb. Contacts Ra are connected in parallel with contacts C4,' thus switch C4 may open upon the next actuationof foot pedal 30 without influencing the operationtofthe electricalcircuit ofFIG. '3. Contacts Rb are 4 connected to a bundle tier actuating coil B which, when energized, starts motor 52 of the bundle tying machine, motor 52 running through a complete cycle of tying and ejecting movement upon the energization of coil B.

After the particular actuation of foot pedal 30 which initially closes counter controlled contact C4, it is necessary for the hose transferred by this actuation of foot pedal 30 to pass through transfer tube 14, be transferred by stacking arm assembly 20' to conveyer 44 and to: be

delivered by conveyer 44 to the bundle tying machine. Cam 62 which controls limit switch C2 is thus cut so that a suflicient time delay to permit the above-mentioned transfer of the last hose occurs before the bundle tying -machine is actuated. When this time delay has elapsed, contacts C2 are closed, thereby actuating the bundle tier.

In cases where the total transit time of the hose from the inspection form to the bundle tying machine is relatively short, cam 64 is cut to open contacts C3 to stop conveyer motor 46 during the time interval while the bundle tying machine is being actuated thereby assuring that the next following hose does not arrive at the bundle tying machine in time to be included within the bunde being tied or to interfere with the tying operation.

Timer motor T continues to rotate throughout a practically complete revolution until the low or short radius portion of cam 60 passes beneath the striker of limit switch C1, at which time contacts C1 open to deenergize relay R, thereby opening contacts Ra and Rb. Hose transferred during the time period whilethe bundle tying machine is being actuated may be stacked upon the conveyer, however, the stopping of the conveyer prevents these hose from reaching the bundle tying machine. Contacts C3 close just prior to the deenergization of relay R to start the conveyer.

While I have disclosed but one embodimentof my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the disclosed embodiment may be modified. Therefor, the foregoing description is to be considered exemplary .rather thanlimiting and the true scope of my invention is of said transfer means, and meanscontrolled by said counting means for actuating said bundling means to tie hosiery into bundles containing a selected number of hose.

2. A hosiery inspection and bundling machine comprising a hosiery inspection form, bundling means for receiving inspected hosiery from said form and operable when actuated to tie received hosiery into a bundle, means actuable to transfer an inspected hose from said form to said bundling means, control means operable by actuation of said transfer means to actuate said bundling means after a selected number of successive actuations of said transfer means, and means coupled to said control means for delaying actuation of said bundling means until the hose transferred by thelast of said selected number of successive actuations is received by said bundling means.

3. A hosiery inspection and bundling machine comprising a hollow open-ended transfer tube, .an inspection form on the exterior of said tube at one end thereof, pneumatic means connected to said tube for normally maintaining a flow of air thronghsaid tube toward said one end of said tube and actuable to reverse the flow of air through said tube to remove a hose from said inspection form and transfer the removed hose through said tube to a delivery station at the other end .of said tube, bundling means for receiving inspectedhosiery from said delivery station and operable when actuated to tie received hosiery into a bundle, transfer means controlled by said pneumatic means for transferring an inspected hose from said delivery station to said bundling means, and means responsive to repeated actuations of said pneumatic means for controlling actuation of said bundling means.

4. A hosiery inspection and bundling machine comprising a hollow open-ended transfer tube, an inspection form on the exterior of said tube at one end thereof, pneumatic means connected to said tube for normally maintaining a flow of air through said tube toward said one end of said tube and actuable to reverse the flow of air through said tube to remove a hose from said inspection form and transfer the removed hose through said tube to a delivery station at the other end of said tube, bundling means for receiving inspected hosiery from said delivery station and operable when actuated to tie received hosiery into a bundle, transfer means controlled by said pneumatic means for transferring an inspected hose from said delivery station to said bundling means, means for counting actuations of said pneumatic means, and means controlled by said counting means for actuating said bundling means to tie hosiery into bundles containing a selected number of hose.

5. A hosiery inspection and bundling machine comprising a hollow open-ended transfer tube, an inspection form on the exterior of said tube at one end thereof,

pneumatic means connected to said tube for normally maintaining a flow of air through said tube toward said one end of said tube and actuable to reverse the flow of air through said tube to remove a hose from said inspection form and transfer the removed hose through said tube to a delivery station at the other end of said tube, bundling means for receiving inspected hosiery from said delivery station and operable when actuated to tie received hosiery into a bundle, transfer means controlled by said pneumatic means for transferring an inspected hose from said delivery station to said bundling means, control means operable by actuation of said pneumatic means to actuate said bundling means after a selected number of successive actuations of said pneumatic means, and means coupled to said control means for delaying actuation of said bundling means until the hose transferred by the last of said selected number of successive actuations is received by said bundling means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,454,622 Ammon Nov. 23, 1948 2,684,187 Kienel July 20, 1954 2,722,348 Ammon Nov. 1, 1955 2,818,205 De Spain Dec. 31, 1957