US3422999A - Machine for buckle and tape assemblies - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 21, 1969 F. FISCHER MACHINE FOR BUCKLE AND TAPE ASSEMBLIES Sheet Filed May 14. 1964 /NVEN7'0R. fiwz F/acher ATTORNEY.

Jan. 21, 1969 F, FISCHER 3,422,999

MACHINE FOR BUCKLE AND TAPE ASSEMBLIES Filed May 14, 1964 Sheet 2 of ATTORNEY.

Jan. 21, 1969 F. FISCHER 3,422,999

MACHINE FOR BUCKLE AND TAPE ASSEMBLIES Sheet 3 of 5 Filed May 14, 1964 INVENTOR.

Fr/fz Flicker Unitcd States Patent 6 Claims The present invention, while relating broadly to the attachment of buckles to tape as extensively practiced in the garment industry, particularly by that branch engaged in the manufacture and/or assembly of ladies undergarments, has more especial reference to new and novel improvements in buckle and tape assembling methods and machines. Still more specifically the invention relates to the feeding of a flexible fabric tape or ribbon through a continuously operable automatic machine in a manner that successive portions of tape, precisely cut to a predetermined length, are ejected from the machine at regular time intervals with the forward end of each portion securely interlaced with spaced transverse bars of a buckle.

The main objective of the invention is the elimination of automatically operable means for gripping the tape per se and pulling it forward at the completion of successive assembly units, and the substitution therefor of an arrangement whereby successive buckles, on attachment to the tape, become the instrument for effecting such feeding movement.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a machine of the character and for the purpose described in which severance of each assembled tape and buckle unit from the supply strip does not occur until the operations for assembly of the succeeding unit, that is of readying the tape for threading, have been completed.

And, a still further object of the invention is the pro vision of buckle and tape assembling machine which is of sturdy and compact construction, employing but a minimum of parts in the execution of precise and rapid movement of tape threading elements, and by which both quality and quantity production are maintained.

To these and other ends as will become apparent from the following more detailed description the invention consists of certain parts and combinations of parts as will be fully set forth in this specification and particularly defined in the appended claims.

Summarizing briefly, the machine includes guiding means over which a tape or ribbon is fed under tension from a supply roll a predetermined distance at regular time intervals, the feeding intervals alternating with those during which the tape portion of a preceding assembled unit is severed and a succeeding buckle attached to the supply line adjacent its free end. As these buckles are successively threaded to the tape they become the medium for pulling the tape forward in its intermittent feeding movement, successive buckles being alternately projected onto a platen under the tape from a stack in an upstanding supply magazine.

The tape feed line lies intermediate and parallels two cam shafts one of which, the driver or main shaft, through the medium of a gear reduction unit is in turn belt driven from the shaft of an electric motor. Mounted transversely with respect to the cam shafts and driven from the aforesaid drive shaft through gearing, as will be described, are two counter shafts on one of which is keyed a tape feed control disc.

The other cam shaft is a counter shaft driven by sprocket wheel and chain connection with the aforementioned main shaft. Fixed to this counter shaft are a plurality of cams which, through respective instru- 3,422,999 Patented Jan. 21, 1969 mentalities actuated thereby, control operations on the forward portion of the tape so that it is alternately looped, first under and then over a succession of spaced transverse bars extending between side bars of the buckle frame, and the action of severing the tape just prior to the tape and buckle assembly. The tape cutter is a knifeedged disc on the outer end of a stub shaft guided for up and down reciprocating movement by having on its other end a pulley belt driven from the pulley on the shaft of a small electric motor.

In the initial operation of threading a tape its forward end is pushed downwardly through the first transverse slot in the buckle from the left, with respect to the drawings, and then swung rearwardly underneath the buckle, this movement being performed by means under control of a cam on the main drive shaft. At this same time the cut strip of tape from the preceding operation with its attached buckle is ejected from the feed control disc and line of feed. The control disc now becomes unlocked, rotates is again locked against rotation and the cycle of operations is repeated.

The accompanying drawings illustrating the invention and forming a part of the specification are as follows:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic view showing in perspective the operating mechanism of a machine according to the invention.

FIGURES 2 and 3 are fragmentary views, as will be explained, of portions of the mechanism seen in FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a face view of a buckle such as employed in the instant invention.

FIGURE 5 illustrates in angular perspective a fragmentary portion of tape overlying a buckle prior to threading, the tWo elements to be united in the assembly 'being shown in longitudinal central section.

FIGURES 6, 7, 8 and 9 are longitudinal central sectional views of a buckle and tape in the process of being interlaced, successive views illustrating corresponding successive steps in the sequence of operations.

FIGURE 10 is a sectional view along the same line as that of FIGURES 5 through 9 but showing a complete assembly of the tape and buckle.

FIGURE 11 is an outer face view drawn to full scale of a buckle and tape assembly produced by the invention, a center portion of the tape being cut away.

FIGURE 12 is a view in elevation of a tape feeding disc, supporting means over which the tape is fed in its passage through the machine and fragmentary portions of tape control and threading devices in their respective positions along the path of the tape.

FIGURE 13 is an enlarged top plan view of one of the buckle holders.

FIGURE 14 shows inside elevation the feed control disc and associated parts.

In the drawings similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The type of buckle used in the assembly, and as shown greatly enlarged in FIGURES 4 to 11, inclusive is indicated generally by numeral 20. It is preferably of thin sheet stock and die-cut to form a substantially rectangular frame including side rails 21, 21, to which an end bar 22 at the left, with respect to the drawings, lateral projections 23, 23 turned inwardly from the side rails 21, 21 to form its other end, and spaced transverse bars 24 and 25 which, with the end bar and projections 23, 23 provide three spaced transverse tape receiving slots or eyelets, that is, inner, intermediate and outer slots 26, 27 and 28, respectively. The assembled unit as illustrated in FIGURE 11 represents the shoulder strap of a girdle. The strip of tape or ribbon may be variable in length and, also, is adjustable in the buckle 20 as to length.

The instant invention relates mainly, for reasons hereinabove set forth, in tape feed control and placement of the buckle in the process of tape and buckle assembly. Because of this and for the facts that such other novelties of construction and operation will form subject matter for a separation application, and that much of the driving and actuating mechanism employed are known in the art, parts and operations not specifically detailed are shown schematically-see FIGURES 1, 2, and 3.

A pulley 30 on shaft 31 of a motor 32 drives a pulley 33 of greater diameter through the medium of a belt 34, the pulley 33 being fixed to a shaft 35 which, through a gear train not shown, in a speed reducing unit 36, drives a main shaft 37 on which earns 38 and 39 are mounted. Parallel to the shaft 37 is a counter shaft 49 which carries a plurality of cams 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 and 46, this shaft 40 being driven by a sprocket chain 47 connected to sprocket Wheels 48 and 49 on the drive shaft 37 and counter shaft 40, respectively. Also driven from shaft 37, but in reverse direction to each other and by gearing as will be described, are a pair of transverse shafts 50 and 51, shaft 50 having a feed control disc or index member 52 keyed thereon.

The tape 29 in its travel through the machine is supported in a line intermediate and parallel to the shafts 37 and 40. It is fed from a roll 53 through a tensioning device 54 to a supporting rod, 54a, thence to and over a pair of rods 55, 55 from which it is extended to and over a buckle 20 positioned for attachment to the tape, at what will hereinafter and in the claims be referred to as the buckle loading station, and from there to the plane of a cutting disc 56.

The cutter 56 is the means for severing the tape 29 at the rear or free end of the strip of that which will become an assembled tape and buckle unit, at what will be termed the assembly unit discharge station, and the buckle may then be attached to that portion of tape at the buckle loading station.

The cutting disc 56 is mounted on one end of a shaft 57 guided for vertical reciprocating movement as indicated by the arrows thereon. The other end of shaft 57 is rotatably mounted for slight oscillating movement in the free end of an arm 58 fulcrummed at its inner end on the shaft 59 of a small independent motor 60, a belt 61 being the driving connection between a pulley 62 on the motor shaft 59 and pulley 63 on the cutter shaft 57. Shaft 57 is aligned at the one end by a collar 84a at the bottom of sliding parts 84 and at the other end by arm 58.

It may here be stated that FIGURE 2 shows the cam 38 on shaft 37, and parts associated therewith, as rotated 90 from the respective positions in which they are seen in FIGURE 1. And, FIGURE 3 is a schematic detail of cam 39 and parts associated therewith also rotated 90 from the position of this cam in FIGURE 1.

In Operation the driving shaft 37 and cam shaft 4-0 rotate continuously but the gearing arrangement is such that shaft 50 on which the feed control disc is mounted makes a one-half revolution at regular time intervals. To this end shaft 51 is given partial rotation intermittently by helical gear 64 thereon which is driven by a meshing helical gear 65 on shaft 37, this gear having a delay surface due to the removal of a sufiicient number of teeth to meet the timing requirements. A spur gear 66 on shaft 50 is rotated intermittently at a two to one ratio by a meshing gear 67 on shaft 51. A single tooth which is a portion of an annular spline on a disc 68 loose on shaft 37 is engaged by teeth on a helical gear 69 fixed to shaft 56 at the proper time intervals to function as a lock in preventing rotary movement of shaft 50 and the control disc 52 during their idle periods.

The so-called buckle loading station and assembly unit ejection station are diametrically opposed points on the tape feed control disc 52. At each station, loading and ejection, there is an arm 70 extending laterally from that face of the disc 52 adjacent the tape 29. These arms 70 are similar in that each throughout its length is an outwardly opening channel member in the side walls 71 of which are inwardly opening grooves 72 wherein a buckle 20 is slidable edgewise from one end to the other of the arms, and held against displacement. Each of the arms 70 provides a platen as a support for the buckle during the tape threading operation and is open under the tape to permit reciprocating movement therethrough of pusher fingers acting on the tape.

Also extending laterally under the tape 29 from the member 52 adjacent its peripheral edge and circumferentially spaced are a plurality, six in this instance, of tape guiding and supporting studs 73. Each stud 73 has an inner annular shoulder 74 forguiding the run of tape 29 and at least two of them have both an inner shoulder 74 and an outer shoulder 75, the two functioning to correct alignment 'of the tape as it engages over a buckle20 at the buckle loading station. I

At the beginning of each idle period for the feed control disc 52, a buckle 29 from the bottom of a supply stack within a magazine 76 is projected forward onto the combination buckle holder and arm'70 at the loading station by means of a slide 77 in contact with and actuated by cam 39 on shaft 37, see FIGURE 3. The buckle at the bottom of magazine 76 slides along slide'77 as the'latter is tilted by cam 39.

The sequence of operations in the process of buckle and tape assembly is as follows:

A foot piece 78 carried by an arm 79, the latter being actuated by cam 45 on shaft 40, is lowered into pressure contact with the tape 29 to hold it against the pair of supporting rods 5555; a pusher arm 80 having pivotal connection with a frame piece 81 is actuated by cam 42 to lower a finger 82 on its outer end into contact with the tape 29 and hold the latter in contact with the buckle 20 at the buckle loading station; and, cam 41 actuates a pivoted arm 83 and sliding parts 84 associated therewith to lower the cutter 56 and sever the tape at the outer free end of that section of tape forming part of the preceding assembled unit which, at this time is at the unloading station. Sliding parts 84 include collar 84a on shaft 57. Shaft 57 can slidably rotate in collar 84a while being raised and lowered in accordance with cam 41.

In the second operating movement of the parts, the cutter 56 retracts upwardly by spring urging; finger 82 continues on a downward movement and pushes the forward portion of tape 29 through the inner slot 26 of the buckle 20, see FIGURE 6.

In operation number three the finger 82 retracts upwardly; the arm 79 retracts, lifting its foot piece '78 from the tape and thus permitting a looseness of the latter; an arm 85, see FIGURE 7, pivoted at its lower end for oscillating movement swings from the dotted to the full line position .by action of cam 38 on shaft 37. This movement of arm 85 pushes that portion of tape pushed through slot 26 of the buckle to the right where it is held against the under face of the buckle and thus forms a loop in the tape about the transverse bar 24 of the buckle, the tape thus being held for the next operation.

In this next operation a rocker arm indicated generally by numeral 86, and under control of cam 46, swings upwardly allowing a finger 87, normally resting on the tape 29, to permit slack in the tape. This allows the upturned finger 88 on the outer end of an arm 89 actuated by cam 43, FIGURE 8, to push the twofold looped end of the tape upwardly through the intermediate slot 27 in the buckle.

In operation number five the arm 89 and its pusher finger 88 retract; finger 87 is lowered to take up slack in the tape 29 and buckle loading slide 77 retracts. All retractions are by spring means, not necessarily shown in the drawing, and cam-actuation is against spring urge.

In operation number 6 a finger 90 on the outer end of an arm 91 fulcrummed on the frame part 81 and actuated by cam 44 on shaft 40 pushes the end of the twofold portion of the tape downwardly through the outer slot opening 28 of the buckle as shown in FIGURE 9.

During the final operation, number 7, the finger 90 retracts; arm 85, see FIGURE 7, returns to its dotted line position; cam 38 on shaft 37, see FIGURE 2, actuates an arm 92 which, by means of auxiliary stud 73a engaging the tape as shown in FIGURE 12, regulates the length of tape in the assembled units; cam 39 also functions to clear the preceding unit assembly from the machine at discharge station; and, the feed control disc 52 then rotates 180 to position for a new cycle.

As the assembled units are ejected from the machine the buckles 20 engage and slide along a ground bar. The units push each other along this bar 93 and drop off its end.

Although not shown, it is to be understood that all cam-actuated members are spring retractable.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination, in a machine for attaching buckles to tape including a buckle loading station and a tape and buckle assembly unit discharge station, of a buckle holder at each of said stations, means for attaching the forward end of a continuous tape to a buckle in the holder at said loading station, means for simultaneously moving said buckle holders and the buckles therein through a circular path from one station to the other at regular time intervals, the attached buckle and succeeding ones being the means for feeding successive lengths of tape through the machine, and cutting means in advance of said buckle loading station for severing the tape of the assembled unit preceding that of the unit in process of assembly.

2. The combination, in a machine for attaching buckles to tape including a buckle loading station and a tape and buckle assembly unit discharge station, of a shaft, means for rotating said shaft 180 at regular time intervals and means for locking the shaft against rotation during alternate ones of said time periods, a work supporting member fixed to said shaft, two diametrically opposite buckle holders carried by said work supporting member, means for interlacing the forward end of a tape leading from a supply roll to a buckle in the holder at said loading station, the attached buckle and succeeding ones being the means, transported by said buckle holders, for feeding successive lengths of tape through the machine, and a rotary cutting disc mounted for vertical reciprocation in a plane in advance of said buckle loading station for severing the tape of the assembled unit preceding that of the unit in process of assembly.

3. The combination of claim 2 characterized by said work supporting member being a disc, by said buckle holders being arms extended laterally from a .side face of said disc and grooved to slidably receive and hold a buckle in place and provide a supporting platen for the buckle during interlacing of the tape therewith; and including means at said buckle loading station, but operating from the other side of said disc to slidably insert a buckle flatwise into the holder at such station, and like means at said discharge station for slidably ejecting the tape attached buckle from the holder at that station.

4. The combination of claim 3 including an upstanding magazine at said loading station for containing a stack of buckles to be individually engaged from the bottom of the stack by said buckle inserting means, and a supporting member in alignment with said laterally extending arms, when reaching said discharge station, and onto which the buckles of assembled units are successively moved as they leave the machine under influence of said ejection means.

5. The combination of claim 3 characterized by said disc including a plurality of circumferentially spaced tape supporting studs extending axially forward from its front face and located adjacent its peripheral edge.

6. The combination of claim 5 characterized by each of the said studs having an annular shoulder adjacent its inner end as a guide for the tape, and by at least two of said studs having both an inner and an outer shoulder as means for centering the tape with respect to the buckle to which and at the time it is to be threaded.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,955,730 10/1960 Sonnato et al. 22349 3,033,728 5/1962 Block et a1 223--49 X 3,150,804 9/1964 Edelman 223-49 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. GEORGE V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. THE COMBINATION, IN A MACHINE FOR ATTACHING BUCKLES TO TAPE INCLUDING A BUCKLE LOADING STATION AND A TAPE AND BUCKLE ASSEMBLY UNIT DISCHARGE STATION, OF A BUCKLE HOLDER AT EACH OF SAID STATIONS, MEANS FOR ATTACHING THE FORWARD END OF A CONTINUOUS TAPE TO A BUCKLE IN THE HOLDER AT SAID LOADING STATION, MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY MOVING SAID BUCKLE HOLDERS AND THE BUCKLES THEREIN THROUGH A CIRCULAR PATH FROM ONE STATION TO THE OTHER AT REGULAR TIME INTERVALS, THE ATTACHED BUCKLE AND SUCCEEDING ONES BEING THE MEANS FOR FEEDINGG SUCCESSIVE LENGTHS OF THE TAPE THROUGH THE MACHINE, AND CUTTING MEANS IN ADVANCE OF SAID BUCKLE LOADING STATION FOR SERVING THE TAPE OF THE ASSEMBLED UNIT PRECEDING THAT OF THE UNIT IN PROCESS OF ASSEMBLY.

Images