US3537630A

US3537630A - Manufacturing photographic film packets

Info

Publication number: US3537630A
Application number: US776734A
Authority: US
Inventors: George P Reimann Jr
Original assignee: Polaroid Corp
Current assignee: Polaroid Corp
Priority date: 1968-11-18
Filing date: 1968-11-18
Publication date: 1970-11-03
Anticipated expiration: 1987-11-03

Description

United States Patent I 72] Inventor Georle P- Relmlllll, Jr- [56] References Cited 21 A l No :;|6I 1,l;4gham,Mmach -l8efl UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 P 1 1,537,749 5/1925 Colgrove 226/115 [22] 2 990 091 6/1961 a 1d 11 226 112 [45] Patented Nov. 3, I970 o swort y [73] Assignee Polaroid Corporation Primary Examiner-Richard A. Schacher Cambridge, Massachusetts A rtorney- Brown and Mikulka, Robert M. Ford and William a corporation of Delaware W. Rymer [54] r -gg'g PHOTOGRAPHIC ABSTRACT: Grippers arranged to longitudinally advance a 3 Chin 4 i n web in the production of photographic film packets, one set of n: grippers drawing the web at a narrow portion, a second set of [52] 11.8." 226/115, grippers drawing the web at a wider portion to isolate up- 226/158 stream propagation of the off-center force exerted by the first [51] IIILCI. B65l1 1 7/36 set; and a third set of grippers bearing the main burden of [50] Field ofSearclr 226/8, 1 l2, drawing the web from a position upstream of weakened porllS, l58, 162; 83/153, 154

tions of the web.

MANUFACTURING PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM PACKETS pivoted at opposite sides of support 90. The edges of the web are held by and pass under the jaws. Support 90 is mounted to slide on

parallel shafts

92 and 94 which respectively pass through bores 96 and 98 (FIG. 4) in the support and are ble, simple, and inexpensive manner without interfering with web processing mechanism and without distorting, overstressing, or otherwise injuring the web material or laterally diverting the web from its intended path, even though the web includes mechanically weakened portions and portions of different widths asymmetrically arranged relative to each other with respect to the webs longitudinal axis.

The invention features a first set of grippers drawing the web at its-narrow portion and a second set of grippers drawing the web at its wide portion to isolate upstreampropagation of the offcenter force exerted by the first set. In preferred embodiments a third set of grippers bears the main burden of drawing theweb from a position upstream of the weakened portions of the web, and a single linearly oscillating bar drives in unison movable grippers in each of the three sets.

Other objects, features, and advantages will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, taken together with the attached drawings thereof, in which a FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the photographic film packet of the type made by apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary partially schematic isometric view of portions of said apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged isometric view of one of the gripper assemblies shown generally in FIG. 2, with one position of the movable grippers being shown in dotted lines; and

FIG. 4 is a vertical section showing one of the movable grippers. I

' Packet has

outer walls

14 and 16 of opaque paper joined.

' apparatus 32 shown in part in FIG. 2. At station ,34 of ap paratus 32 web 30, by then having been slit along its longitudinal centerline 36 into

halves

38 and 40 rejoined on their undersides by tape 20, is transversely punched at packet length intervals to form packet length web sections 50 joined end to end only by narrow bands of

paper

52, 54, and 56 at the edges and centerline 36 respectively. Later, at station 60, after other operations have been performed on the web and several photographic and nonphotographic components of the packet have been deposited on the web, band 54 and that portion of band 56 on web half 38 are severed and the then freed packet length segment of web half 38 is folded along centerline 36 onto web half 40. At later stations (not shown) the individual packets 10 are completed and cutoff.

The web is moved longitudinally intermittently in packet length increments by three

sets

70, 72, and 74 of grippers respectively positioned just before (in-the progression of the web from right to leftin FIG. 2) station 34, just before station 60, and after a series of stations following station 60. The gripper sets are identical except that set 74, which engages the web after its effective width has been halved at station 60, has narrower grippers than

sets

70 and 72. The typical gripper set 70 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 has a longitudinally stationary pair of

jaws

80 and 82 pivoted at opposite sides of block 84 and a longitudinally linearly oscillating pair of jaws .86 and 88 mounted at their ends in block 84 and block 100. Neck 110 of support 90 extends through slot 112 in table 114 and is connected to operating bar 116. The corresponding movable gripper supports 90a and 90b of sets 72 and 74, respectively, are similarly connected to bar 116, so that the three movable gri p ers oscillate in unison.

ultable drive and control mechanism is provided, of types known in the art and not described here, to longitudinally oscillate bar 116, pivotally openand close the gripper jaws, and properly sequence the gripper operations with the manufacturing operations performed on the web.

ln operation, for each packet length advance of the web, jaws 86 and 88 (along with the corresponding jaws on the other movable grippers) close on the web while in their rightward dotted line position (FIG. 3); laws and 82 simultaneously open; bar 116 moves to the left until support is in its leftward position (FIG. 3);

jaws

86 and 88 open as

jaws

80 and 82 simultaneously close to hold the web in its newly advanced position; and bar 116 moves to the right to return support 90 to its original position. The major advancing force is applied to the web by gripper set 70 (about 15 lbs.) so that the lesser forces (about 3 lbs.) applied by each of gripper sets 72 and 74 are insufficient to rupture the web at its partial severances between packet lengths. The force applied by gripper set 74 is effectively exerted along a centerline 120 laterally offset from the main web centerline 36. Gripper set 72, by engaging the web just before it is folded, cuts off upstream propagation of the offcenter force applied by gripper set 74, thereby averting distortion of the web or its lateral diversion from its intended path.

Other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and are within the following claims.

lclaim: V

. 1. In apparatus for handling a web during the manufacture of a photographic film packet, said apparatus providing a path of longitudinal advance for said web, said web having a first effective width along one portion of said path and a second effective width less than said first width along a second portion of said path located downstream from said first portion, said apparatus having grippers for applying longitudinal force to said web to advance the same:

the arrangement of said grippers in sets such that;

a first gripper set is located within said second portion of said path, to apply a force to the web effectively exerted along a line laterally offset from the centerline of said web within said first portion of said path; and

a second gripper set is located within said first portion of said path whereby said second set isolates propagation upstream along said web of the offcenter force applied by said first set.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said web has weakened portions downstream of a position within said first portion of said path, said second set is located downstream of said position, and a third gripper set is located upstream of said position, said third set bearing the major burden of advancing said web.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each said set includes a longitudinally oscillating gripper mounted on a movable support and a single linearly oscillating bar drives said oscillating grippers in unison.