US3337935A - Means for properly forming staples around a gathered end of a flexible container - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 29, 1967 J. VILUTIS 3,337,935 MEANS FOR PROPERLY F MING STAPLES AROUND A GATHERED END OF A FLEXIBLE CONTAINER Filed May 27, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IO 50 AIR SOURCE V I V V 27 I5 l5 Aug. 29, 1967 1.. J. VILUTIS 3,337,935

MEANS FOR PROPERLY FORMING STAPLES AROUND A GATHERED END OF A FLEXIBLE CONTAINER Filed May 27, 1 966 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 L. J. VILUTIS 3,337,935 MEANS FOR PROPERLY FORMING STAPLES AROUND A GATHERED Aug. 29, 1967 END OF A FLEXIBLE CONTAINER I5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 27, 1966 United States Patent 3,337,935 MEANS FOR PROPERLY FORMING STAPLES AROUND A GATHERED END OF A FLEXI- BLE CONTAINER Leonard J. Vilutis, 517 E. 166th Place, South Holland, Ill. 60473 Filed May 27, 1966, Ser. No. 553,337 7 Claims. (Cl. 2933.5)

This invention relates, generally, to flexible container closing and sealing apparatus and it has particular relation to automatic control of the operating time cycle thereof. It constitutes an improvement over what is commercially available as Clipper Model C106 of Tipper Tie Division of Rheem Mfg. Co. of Union, N.J., which carries a nameplate bearing reference, among others, to US. Patents 2,879,512, issued Mar. 31, 1959 and 3,115,733, issued Dec. 31, 1963. v

The Tipper Tie machine above referred to can be employed for applying staple fasteners to the gathered ends of flexible containers formed of plastic film which maybe empty or may be filled with a food product or the like. The gathered end is manually positioned in a throat in overlying relation to a stationary die. Then a valve is opened manually to supply air under pressure to an air motor for operating a spring biased piston to move a die toward the stationary die. The movable forming die picks up a staple from a magazine and moves it to straddle the gathered end and into engagement with the stationary die to form the staple into sealing engagement around the gathered end. An additional air motor is arranged to operate a spring biased knife to cut the gathered end adjacent the staple formed therearonnd. The second air motor is supplied with air under pressure to operate the knife against the spring biasing it after a slight delay on opening of the air valve to the first mentioned air motor. On manual closing of the air valve, the knife is retracted by the spring of the second air motor and the movable die is retracted by the spring in its air motor.

Difiiculty has been encountered in the formation of the staple around the gathered end of the container. If the manually operable valve is not held open for a sufliciently long time, the staple will not be fully formed to properly seal the container. On the other hand, if the valve is held open too' long, the staple will be over formed and grip the gathered end too tightly with the result that the container may be punctured.

The valve is spring biased to closed position and is opened by a manually operable lever. Unless considerable care is exercised, the lever may be variably operated time- Wise in the respects noted to form improperly the staple around the gathered end of the container.

In accordance with this invention a spring biased latch is arranged to engage the manually operable lever, when it has been moved to open the valve, to hold it open, thereby requiring no exercise of judging by the operator respecting the time that the valve is held open. The latch is released by a detent carried by the knife in its forward or cutting stroke. The detent engages the latch and moves it out of latching engagement with the lever. The valve then is closed by its spring to cut off the supply of air to both air motors. The respective springs return the movable die and the knife to their initial-positions with the staple having been properly formed around the gathered end of the container and the cycle of operation having been carried out, after initiation thereof, automatically and independently of anything that the-operator does.

Among the objects of this invention are: To provide for applying sealing staples around the gathered ends of containers uniformly and properly without requiring the exercise of any particular. skill or judgment by the oper- 3,337,935 Patented Aug. 29, 1967 ice lator and performing the sealing operation; to latch the lever, that is manually operated to open an air valve and initiate the sealing operation, in the operated position and to unlatch it a predetermined time after the lever opens the valve; and to unlatch the lever by operation of a knife that is arranged to cut off the gathered end of the container adjacent the formed staple.

In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view that illustrates the manner in which a stapling machine is modified in accordance with this invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view through a gathered end of a plastic container around which a staple has been properly formed. FIG. 3 is a view, similar to FIG. 2, and showing the staple that has been too loosely formed around the gathered end. FIG. 4 is a view, similar to FIGS. 2 and 3, and shows a staple that has been formed too tightly around the gathered end of the plastic container. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the lower end of a stapling machine that has been modified in accordance with this invention. FIG. 6 is a view, in side elevation, of the modified stapling machine. FIG. 7 is a view, in front elevation, of the stapling machine shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a view taken generally along the line 88 of FIG. 7 and shows the latch mechanism in the latched position.

In FIGS. 1, 5, 6 and 7 the reference character 10 designates, generally, a stapling machine which includes a base 11 and an upstanding frame member 12 which carries an air motor that is indicated, generally, at 13. As seen in FIG. 1 the air motor 13 includes a piston 14 that is arranged to be retracted by a spring 15. Air for energizing the air motor 13 is applied by an air valve 16 that is biased to closed position by a spring that is indicated diagrammatically at 17 in FIG. 1. The air is supplied from a suitable source of compressed air as indicated at 18. A piston rod 21 is connected at one end of the piston 14 in the air motor 13 and at the other end is connected to a movable die 22 that is arranged to form a staple 23 which is obtained from amagazine 24, FIGS. 6 and 7, and is moved downwardly in a slot 25 and into a throat 26 in which a gathered end 27, FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, of a plastic container is positioned. The gathered end 27 overlies the stationary die 29 at the lower end of the throat 26.

When the die 22 moves the staple 23 to a position around the gathered end 27 of the plastic container, the lower ends of the staple 23 engage the stationary die 29 and are turned thereby so as to embrace the gathered end 27 as seen in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

In order to cut oil the gathered end 27 adjacent the staple 23 after it has been formed in the manner described, a horizontally reciprocable knife 32 is employed as shown in FIGS. 1, 6, 7 and 8. The knife 32 is connected by a piston rod 33, FIG. 1, which in turn is connected to a piston 34 in a second air mot-or that is indicated, generally, at 35. A spring 36 in the second air motor 35 serves to retract the piston 34 and the knife 32. Compressed air for operating the air motor 35 is supplied through a compressed air line 38 in which a time delay device 39 is interposed, the compressed air line 38 opening into the upper end of the air motor 13 so that, when valve 16 is opened, air is supplied not only to it but also to the second air motor 35 through the time delay device or valve 39. The sequence of operation is such that the knife 32 is operated to cut off the gathered end 27 of the plastic to the closed position. The lever 42 is pivoted at 43 on the upstanding frame member 12 to rotate about a horizontal axis. A connecting rod 44 is employed for interconnecting the manually operable lever 42 and the valve 16. Thus, when the operating handle 45 at the distal end of the manually operable lever 42 is moved downwardly, the connecting rod 44 is moved downward 1y to open the air valve 16 and apply compressed air to the air motor 13 and after a time delay provided by time delay device or valve 39 to the second air motor 10 35 for operating the knife 32.

The stapling machine 10 as described hereinabove is representative of the Tipper Tie machine above referred to. Preferably the stapling machine 10 is arranged to deform the staple as indicated at 50 in FIG. 2 uniformly around the gathered end 27 of the plastic container. Such a formation of the staple as indicated at 50 may or may not take place, depending upon the length of time that the operator holds the operating handle 45 in the depressed position and the valve 16 open. FIG. 3 shows an improperly or loosely formed staple at 51 and indicates that the gathered end 27 is not sufliciently compressed to provide the required seal for the plastic container.

On the other hand, if the operating handle 45 is held down too long and the valve 16 is held open too long, the staple, as indicated at 52 in FIG. 4, may be over formed or flattened with the folds of the gathered end 27 firmly compacted together and making it likely that the container will be punctured due to the excessive sealing force applied by the improperly formed staple 52.

In accordance with this invention, as pointed out above, provision is made for making it unnecessary for the operator to exercise any judgment in the time that the operating handle 45 is held in the depressed position in opening the valve 16. For this purpose a latch mechanism, shown generally at 55, is employed. The latch mechanism 55 includes a locking lever 56 that is pivoted at 57 to rotate about a horizontal axis on the upstanding frame member 12. The locking lever 56 has a laterally extending arm 58 near its distal end that is arranged to engage a shoulder 59 on the manually operable lever 42, the shoulder 59 being shown more clearly in FIGS. 1, 6 and 8 of the drawings. A coil tension spring 60 is connected at one end to the arm 58 and at its other end at 61 to the lower end of the connecting rod 44. In this manner the locking lever 56 is biased to rotate in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 6 toward the manually operable lever 42 and particularly into engagement with the shoulder 59 when the operating handle 45 has been depressed sufiiciently to open the valve 16. As soon as the laterally extending arm 58 engages the shoulder 59, it is no longer necessary for the operator to exert a downward force on the operating handle 45. Accordingly, it can then be released.

The manually operable lever 42 is held in the operated position and the valve 16 is held open until the second air motor 35 is energized and the knife 32 is moved forwardly to cut off the gathered end 27 adjacent the staple that has been formed therearound. In order to release the manually operable lever 42 a pin or detent 64 is mounted on the horizontally reciprocable knife 32. Near the end of the forward stroke of the knife 32 under the control of the second air motor 35, the pin or detent 64 engages the lower edge 65 of the locking lever 56 and exerts sufiicient force to move the laterally extending arm 58 of the locking lever 56 out of latching engagement with the shoulder 59 on the manually operable lever 42. As soon as this takes place the spring 17 in the valve 16 rotates the manually operable lever 42 in a counterclockwise direction and the valve 16 is closed. The spring 15 in the air motor 13 retracts the piston 14 while the spring 36 in the second air motor 35 retracts its piston 34.

The gathered end 27 with the staple 50 properly 4 formed therearound is removed from the throat 26 and the operation is repeated.

From the foregoing description and drawings, it will be apparent that no particular skill need be exercised by the operator in respect of holding the manually operable lever 42 in the depressed position to form properly the staple 23. Instead, as soon as the operating handle 45 has been depressed sutliciently far to bring the laterally extending arm 58 of the locking lever 56 into engagement with the shoulder 59, the operating force can be removed and the stapling machine then functions automatically to continue the forming operation for the staple 23 around the gathered end 27 until it is formed properly as indicated at 50 in FIG. 2. This is accom- 15 plished at about the time that the knife 32 performs its cutting operation and also brings the pin or detent 64 into engagement wih the lower edge 65 of the looking lever 56 and moves the laterally extending arm 58 out of engagement with the shoulder 59. The spring 17 20 the returns the manually operable lever 42 to the initial position and closes the valve 16. What is claimed as new is: 1. In a machine for fastening a gathered end of a flexible container by a staple fastener deformed between a stationary die and a die moved by an air motor operated in response to movement of a manually operable lever likely timewise to be variably operated to open and close an air valve to said air motor, the improvement which comprises:

latch means for holding said lever in position to hold said air valve open to cause said air motor to properly form said staple between said dies and around said gathered end of said flexible container, and means responsive to opening of said air valve for unlatching said latch means to close said valve 3. predetermined time after said lever has been operated.

to open said valve. 2. The improvement in the machine according to claim 1 wherein:

the latch means comprises a latch lever rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis about which said lever rotates and includes means engageable with a shoulder on said lever and a spring biasing said latch lever to latching position, and

the means for unlatching said latch means comprises a detent engageable with said latch lever to rotate the same against the biasing action of said spring and out of engagement with said shoulder.

3. The improvement in the machine according to claim 1 wherein:

a second air motor is connected to said unlatching means for releasing said latch means and is operated in response to opening of said valve, and

time delay means between said valve and said second air motor effect operation of the latter a predetermined time after said valve is opened.

4. The improvement in the machine according to claim 3 wherein:

the latch means comprises a latch lever rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis about which said lever rotates and includes means engageable with a shoulder on said lever and a spring biasing said latch lever to latching position, and

the means for unlatching said latch means comprises a detent operated by said second air motor and engageable with said latch lever to rotate the same against the biasing action of saidspring and out of latching engagement with said shoulder.

5. The improvement in the machine according to claim 4 wherein:

the machine is provided with knife means operated by said second air motor for cutting said gathered end adjacent said staple fastener formed as aforesaid, and

said detent is carried by said'knife means.

6. The improvement in the machine according to claim 1 wherein:

the machine is provided with knife means for cutting said gathered end adjacent said staple fastener formed as aforesaid, and

said means for unlatching said latch means is carried by said knife means.

7. In a machine for fastening a gathered end of a flexible container by a staple fastener deformed between a stationary die and a die moved by an air motor operated in response to movement to a manually operable lever likely timewise to be variably operated to open and close an air valve to said air motor, the improvement which 5 of said flexible container.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,694,198 11/1954 Frank 29-335 10 2,866,975 1/1959 Ine 2933.5 3,237,290 3/1966 Frank 29-335 RICHARD H. EANES, JR., Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN A MACHINE FOR FASTENING A GATHERED END OF A FLEXIBLE CONTAINER BY A STAPLE FASTENER DEFORMED BETWEEN A STATIONARY DIE AND A DIE MOVED BY AN AIR MOTOR OPERATED IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF A MANUALLY OPERABLE LEVER LIKELY TIMEWISE TO BE VARIABLY OPERATED TO OPEN AND CLOSE AN AIR VALVE TO SAID AIR MOTOR, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES: LATCH MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID LEVER IN POSITION TO HOLD SAID AIR VALVE OPEN TO CAUSE SAID AIR MOTOR TO PROPERLY FORM SAID STAPLE BETWEEN SAID DIES AND AROUND SAID GATHERED END OF SAID FLEXIBLE CONTAINER, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO OPENING OF SAID AIR VALVE FOR UNLATCHING SAID LATCH MEANS TO CLOSE SAID VALVE A PREDETERMINED TIME AFTER SAID LEVER HAS BEEN OPERATED TO OPEN SAID VALVE.

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