US3818810A

US3818810A - Apparatus for making handles for carrier bags

Info

Publication number: US3818810A
Authority: US
Inventors: F Bosse
Original assignee: Windmoeller and Hoelscher KG
Current assignee: Windmoeller and Hoelscher KG
Priority date: 1972-05-26
Filing date: 1973-05-15
Publication date: 1974-06-25
Anticipated expiration: 1991-06-25
Also published as: GB1418094A; FR2186885A6; DE2225671B1; DE2225671C2; JPS4942470A

Abstract

Apparatus for making a U-shaped carrier bag handle from a strip of plastics sheet material having end portions of the strip that are to form the limbs of the U-shaped handle folded over inwardly to overlie a central portion of the strip that is to form the web of the U-shaped handle, the said apparatus comprising a pair of rotary feeding and retaining rolls for a plastics web that has folded-over longitudinal margins, a pair of rotary severing rolls adapted to rotate faster than said feeding and retaining rolls and to engage the web intermittently so as to sever the strip from the leading end of the web, one of the severing rolls being segmented to form a pair of cantilever-mounted stub rolls at an axial spacing from one another, a pair of movable suckers rotatable in opposite directions to engage the folded-over end portions of the severed strip and turn them at right-angles to the said central portion, a carrier for said suckers adapted to move tangentially into and out of the space between the stub rolls, and drive means on said carrier effective to rotate said suckers through 90* in opposite directions in one sense as the carrier moves out of the said space and in the opposite sense as the carrier moves into the said space.

Description

United States Patent Bosse [75] Inventor: Frank Bosse, Ibbenburen-Dorenthe,

Germany [73] Assignee: Windmoller & Holscher, Lengerich,

Germany [22] Filed: May 15, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 360,592

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 26, 1972 Germany 1. 2225671 [52] US. Cl. 93/8 WA, 93/35 H, 225/100 [51] Int. Cl. ..B31b 1/86 [58] Field of Search 93/8 WA, 35 R, 8 R, 1 R,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,034,409 5/1962 Finke et a1. .1 93/8 WA 3,439,591 4/1 69 Class 93/8 WA X 3,613,523 10/1971 Wesselmann 93/8 WA 3,660,204 5/1972 Wesselmann et a1. 93/8 WA X 3,675542 7/1972 Torigoe .1 225/100 X 3,730,411 5/1973 Brockmuller 225/100 3,753,824 8/1973 Bosse 93/35 H X APPARATUS FOR MAKING HANDLES FOR CARRIER BAGS Primary Examiner-R0y Lake Assistant Examiner.lames F. Coan Attorney, Agent, or Firm Fleit. Gipple & Jacobson ABSTRACT Apparatus for making a U-shaped carrier bag handle from a strip of plastics sheet material having end portions of the strip that are to form the limbs of the U- shaped handle folded over inwardly to overlie a central portion of the strip that is to form the web of the U-shaped handle, the said apparatus comprising a pair of rotary feeding and retaining rolls for a plastics web that has folded-over longitudinal margins, 21 pair of rotary severing rolls adapted to rotate faster than said feeding and retaining rolls and to engage the web intermittently so as to sever the strip from the leading end of the web, one of the severing rolls being segmented to form a pair of cantileverr-mounted stub rolls at an axial spacing from one another, a pair of movable suckers rotatable in opposite directions to engage the folded-over end portions of the severed strip and turn them at right-angles to the said central portion, a carrier for said suckers adapted to move tangentially into and out of the space between the stub rolls, and drive means on said carrier effective to rotate said suckers through 90 in opposite directions in one sense as the carrier moves out of the said space and in the opposite sense as the carrier moves into the said space.

6 Claims, 11 Drawing; Figures PATENTED JUH25 m4 SHEET 3 (1F 5 APPARATUS FOR MAKING HANDLES FOR CARRIER BAGS The invention relates to apparatus for performing the preferred method disclosed in our Pat. application No. 24073/71 (German Pat. No. 2,012,084), namely a method of making a U-shaped carrier bag handle from a strip of plastics sheet material having end portions of the strip that are to form the limbs of the U-shaped handle folded over inwardly to overlie a central portion of the strip that is to form the web of the U-shaped handle, wherein the strip for the handle is severed from a plastics web which has a width of the desired strip length, has folded-over longitudinal margins corresponding to the folded-over end portions of the strip, and has transverse lines of weakness at intervals equal to the desired strip width, and wherein the end portions of the severed strip are turned in mutually opposite directions about respective axes until the said end portions extend at right-angles to the central portion, the said axes being substantially normal to the plane of the central strip portion and being spaced apart by a distance equal to the ultimate spacing desired between the centre lines of the limbs. 1

According to the present invention, which aims to provide relatively uncomplicated and economical apparatus for performing the aforementioned method, the apparatus comprises a pair of rotary feeding and retaining rolls for the folded web, a pair of rotary severing rolls adapted to rotate faster than said feeding and retaining rolls and to engage the web intermittently so as to sever the strip from the leading end of the web, the diameters of said rolls and the axial spacing of the severing rolls from the feeding and retaining rolls being no greater than twice the desired strip width, that roll of the pair of severing rolls which engages the web at the side of the folded-over longitudinal margins being segmented to form a pair of cantilever-mounted stub rolls at an axial spacing from one another, a pair of movable suckers rotatable in opposite directions to engage and turn the folded-over end portions of the severed strip as aforesaid, a carrier for said suckers adapted to move tangentially into and out of the space between the stub rolls, and drive means on said carrier effective to rotate said suckers through 90 in oppositedirections in one sense as the carrier moves out of the said space and in the opposite. sense as the carrier moves into the said space.

Such an apparatus permits the plastics strip to be engaged by the suckers at the folded-over end portions whilst it is being severed from the web and whilst the carrier for the suckers is moving in unison with the severing rolls, and to turn the folded-over end portions of the strip through 90into their final position during continued movement of the carrier, the handle thus formed then having adhesive applied to its limbs and being applied to a carrier bag or to a web from which the carrier bag is subsequently made. By reason of the fact that the bly also segmented to form a pair of cantilevermounted stub rolls at an axial spacing from one another, the carrier being mounted for rotation in a single direction at a tangent to the web feed to carry the suckers firstly between the stub rolls of the feeding and retaining rolls and then between the stub rolls of the severing rolls. This utilizes the advantages of uniformmotion for the carrier.

To facilitate manipulation and guiding of the strip whilst it is being formed into a U-shaped handle, the carrier is, atleast in the axial region of the suckers and at least in a circumferential length that is directly upstream of the suckers and corresponds to the length of the limbs of the U-shaped handle, preferably in the form of curved supporting discs or segments for the limbs, the curvature of said discs or segments conforming to the curve described by the suckers as the carrier is rotated. It is also an advantage if the carrier cooperates with a transfer drum that is effective to receive the handle and apply adhesive or an adhesive reinforcing sheet to the limbs thereof, the transfer drum being equipped at its periphery with at least one clamping jaw for engaging the limbs or the sheet. To ensure safe transfer of the handle to an adhesive reinforcing sheet, the apparatus may include a pressure lever for acting on the limbs of the U-shaped handle, the pressure lever being pivoted to the carrier and having a pressure face immediately upstream of the suckers, and a stationary cam co-operating with a spring-influenced cam follower provided on the pressure lever whereby, when the carrier is in a position at which the handle is transferred to the transfer drum, the pressure lever is swung against the spring influence to project the said pressure face radially outwardly beyond the curve described by the suckers as the carrier is rotated.

There are various basic possibilities for rotating the suckers relatively to the carrier. One way, which avoids electrical or mechanical complications and ensures that the suckers are rotated in mutually opposite directions at substantially equal speeds, involves the provision for each sucker of a pinion which is rotatable therewith and engages a rack that is axially displaceable in the carrier within limits, one of the pinions being inmesh with the rack with an even number of teeth engagements and the other with an odd number of teeth engagements, each rach being displaced in one direction whilst the carrier is rotating between a position at which the strip is severed from the web and a position at which the handle is transferred to the transfer drum and being displaced in the opposite direction during the remainder of the carrier rotation. More particularly, positive reciprocating movement of the rack in an axial direction can be effected by an arcuate face cam disposed concentric to the rotary axis of the carrier. Such a drive for the rack is favourable even though electromagnetic, hydraulic or pneumaticmeans will be required to move the rack.

An example of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGS. la to If are diagrammatic side elevations showing respectively a plastics web from which the strip material for the handle is severed, a severed strip engaged by suckers, the strip in the process of being formed to a U-shaped handle, the finished U-shaped handle, the handle attached to a reinforcing sheet, and

the reinforcing sheet with handle secured the top of a carrier bag;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the apparatus for making the handle taken on the line II-II in FIG. 4;

FIG. 3 is a part-sectional plan view of the FIG. 2 apparatus, the severing rolls having been omitted for clar- FIG. 4 is an elevation of the apparatus in the direction of the line IV-IV in FIG. 2;

FIG. is a section through the carrier of a modified apparatus, and

FIG. 6 is a vertical section through a further embodiment of carrier illustrating the components at an instant when a handle is being transferred to a transfer drum.

Referring to FIG. la, the starting material for making plastics handles is a web A of sheet material of which the longitudinal margins are folded over inwardly onto a central portion of the web so that the spacing x between the longitudinal edges of the web is substantially equal to the desired length of the web of the U- shaped handle to be made. A finished handle is shown at G in FIG. Id. At intervals b equal to the width of strips T to be severed from the web A, the latter is provided with transverse lines of weakness P which may consist of incisions interrupted by small lands s. These lands are disposed in the vicinity of the longitudinal folded-over margins of the web. Suckers 4, 4' are used to engage each severed strip T at its folded-over end portions. By rotating the suckers in mutually opposite directions, the folded-over end portions of each strip T are turned in the manner indicated in FIG. Ic until they are at substantially right-angles to the central portion of the strip, which will then have been transformed to a U-shaped handle as shown in FIG. Id. The form of the handle G is retained by means of the suckers and the limbs of the handle can be provided with adhesive for direct application to a carrier bag. The narrower the spacing x in relation to the centre-to-centre spacing y of the suckers, the larger will be the extent by which the ends of the limbs project beyond the suckers, which may be suction cups, and the longer will be the end which is to be pressed against a transfer drum by a lever to be described hereinafter. However, as shown in FIG. Ie, the limbs of the handle may be applied to an adhesive reinforcing sheet B which, in turn, is stuck to a carrier bag C as shown in FIG. If. Such a reinforcing sheet B brings about a more secure connection between the handle and the carrier bag.

An apparatus for carrying out the aforementioned stages in production is illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4. It comprises a pair of delivery rolls I for supplying the folded-over web A of FIG. I a in the direction of the arrow a, transverse incising apparatus 2 for producing the transverse lines of weakness P, severing means 3 for successively tearing strips T from the leading end of the web A, and a constantly rotating carrier 5 for the suckers 4, 4'.

The suckers 4, 4' are rotatable relatively to the carrier 5 about radial shafts 6, 6, the suction surfaces of the suckers being disposed at the periphery of the carrier. The axial spacing between the suckers is equal to the spacing y of the centre lines of the limbs of the U shaped handle to be made. By means of flexible conduits 7, 7', the

suckers

4, 4 are connected to a central bore 8 of a rotary shaft 9 for the carrier 5. This bore 8 communicates with the usual control head of a vacuum pump (not shown). In the embodiment of FIG. 6, suction is applied through the interior of the shafts of the suckers in a somewhat different manner. The shafts 6, 6 of the suckers carry fixed pinions 10, I0 respectively, which engage with racks 11, II. The racks are mounted on control bars I2, 12 which are mounted in the carrier 5 for displacement in a direction parallel to the rotary shaft 9 of the carrier. Each control bar l2, 12 is associated with a stationary control cam 13, 13 (see FIG. 3) which is concentric with the rotary shaft 9 and against the cam face of which the end of the respective control bar is urged by a spring I4, 14. The control cams I3, 13 are so designed that the suckers 4, 4' will be accurately turned through in opposite directions whilst the carrier 5 is rotating. In the vicinity of the

suckers

4, 4, the carrier 5 comprises supporting discs 15, I5 which are concentric to the rotary shaft 9 and the peripheries of which are flush with the suction faces of the suckers (FIG. 2).

A modified form of rotary drive for the suckers is shown in the example of FIG. 5. In the carrier 5a of FIG. 5, provision is made for only one control bar I2a which is displaced against the force of a spring 14a by a single face cam 13a. The control bar carries two rack segments Ila and 11a The rack segment 11a is in direct mesh, i.e., with an odd number of teeth engagements, with the pinion 10 of the sucker 4 and the other rack segment lIa is in mesh with the pinion 10 of the other sucker 4 through an intermediate gear lItIa, i.e., the pinion I0 and rack segment Ila are in mesh with an even number of teeth engagements.

The severing means 3 comprise a pair of feeding and retaining rolls I6, 16' and a pair of severing rolls I7, I7. To ensure that only one transverse line of weakness is disposed between the nip of the rolls 16, 16 and the nip of the rolls I7, I7, the spacing between these nips must be no more than twice the narrowest width b of the strip T desired to be processed by the apparatus. For this purpose, the diameter of any of these rolls should not exceed twice the minimum width of strip. The severing rolls 17, I7 have a markedly higher circumferential speed than the rolls 16, 16. The feeding and retaining rolls I6, I6 have a circumferential speed equal to that of the delivery rolls 1 and this circumferential speed is such that the web A is fed in the direction of the arrow 0 by a distance equal to the strip width b during each cycle of operations. As indicated by the arrow c in FIG. 2, the upper severing roll 17 is reciprocatable towards and away from the roll I7 in sequence with the operating cycle of the apparatus. The carrier 5 is disposed in relation to the severing means 3 such that its supporting discs 15, 15' and

suckers

4, 4 loosely roll on the upper severing roll 17 when the latter is in its lowered condition. The circumferential speed of the carrier 5 is equal to the circumferential speed of the upper severing roll 17. To permit this cooperation between the carrier 5 and the upper severing roll 17, the lower severing roll 17' is segmented as shown in FIG. 4 to form a pair of cantilever-mounted stub rolls disposed at an axial spacing from one another. The spacing between the stub rolls is at least equal to the width of the carrier so as to permit the entry of the carrier between the stub rolls and unhindered access of the suckers to the web A. Similarly, the lower roll I6 of the pair of feeding and retaining rolls is segmented to permit the carrier to enter the space between the segments.

The web A is provided with the transverse lines of weakness P by the apparatus 2 as it is being continuously moved in the direction of the arrow a in FIG. 2. The web is engaged by the feeding and retaining rolls 16, 16 and led to the severing rolls 17, 17' whilst the upper severing roll 17 is lifted off the lower roll 17'. The leading strip T defined on the web A thereby arrives in the region of the

suckers

4, 4 that are moving in unison with the carrier 5 and the suckers engage this strip at the folded-over end portions and retain same. At practically the same time, the leading strip arrives between the severing rolls l7, 117 which engage same when the upper roll 17 has been lowered and then tear the strip off the web. The strip is retained on the carrier 5 by the

suckers

4, 4 and moved away from the severing device 3. During continued rotation of the carrier 5, the racks ll, 11' are displaced axially with the aid of the control bars 12, 12' and the stationary control cams 13, I3. As the racks are displaced, the suckers '4, 4 are rotated through 90 in mutually opposite directions. Since the suckers only engage the folded-over end portions of the strip, it is only these end portions that are turned through 90 as the suckers are rotated. Upon termination of rotation of the suckers, the end portions of the strip will be at right-angles to the central portion and are retained in this position by the suckers, the end portions being supported by the supporting discs l5, 15' of the carrier. With the aid of adhesive applicator segments which rotate in unison with the carrier 5, the limbs of thehandle may be provided with adhesive and then applied directly to a carrier bag.

A better connection between the handle and the carrier bag is achieved by associating the carrier 5 with a synchronously rotating transfer drum 18 by means of which an adhesive reinforcing sheet B is stuck to the limbs of the handle (see FIGS. If and 2), the handle being transferred from the carrier 5 with the aid of grippers 19. The part of the reinforcing sheet not covered by the handle is then adhered to a carrier bag which is moved in unison with the transfer drum 18 and tangentially thereto.

To ensure that the limbs of the handle held by the suckers will be reliably transferred to the transfer drum 18, a pressure lever 20/21 is provided on the carrier 5 as shown in FIG. 6. This pressure lever consists of a pair of pressure fingers 20, one of which is mounted in the same axial position as one of the suckers, and a pivotal lever 21 disposed between the two pressure fingers. Both levers, the pair of fingers and the pressure lever are fixed to a pivotal shaft 22 which is rotatably mounted on the carrier 5. The pressure faces 23 of the lever 20/21 are disposed immediately upstream of the suckers as viewed in the direction of rotation of the carrier.

A spring 24 tends to urge the pressure lever 20/21 into an inoperative position at which the pressure face 23 is located between the surface of the supporting disc 15. At the end opposite the pressure face 23, the lever is provided with a cam follower 25 co-operating with a cam 26. The cam 26 is located in a circumferential and radial position relatively to the supporting plate 15 and the rotary shaft 9 such that, at the instant of transfer of the handle T to the reinforcing sheet as shown in FIG. 6, the cam follower roller 25 is depressed and the pressure faces 23 of the pressure fingers 20 are projected beyond the surface of the supporting disc 15. The pressure faces 23 are padded with a layer of foam material. Since the foam material is compressible, the pressure with which the fingers 20 are applied to the transfer drum I8 is not critical.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for making a U-shaped carrier bag handle from a strip of plastics sheet material having end portions of the strip that are to form the limbs of the U- shaped handle folded over inwardly to overlie a central portion of the strip that is to form the web of the U- shaped handle, wherein the strip for the handle is severed from a plastics web which has a width of the desired strip length, has folded-over longitudinal margins corresponding to the folded-over end portions of the strip, and has transverse lines of weakness at intervals equal to the desired strip width, and wherein the end portions of the severed strip are turned in mutually opposite directions about respective axes until the said end portions extend at right-angles to the central portion, the said axes being substantially normal to the plane of the central strip portion and being spaced apart by a distance equal to the ultimate spacing desired between the centre lines of the limbs, the said apparatus comprising a pair of rotary feeding and retaining rolls for the folded web, a pair of rotary severing rolls adapted to rotate faster than said feeding and retaining rolls and to engage the web intermittently so as to sever the strip from the leading end of the web, the

diameters of said rolls and the spacing of the axes of the severing rolls from the feeding and retaining rolls being no greater than twice the desired strip width, that roll of the pair of severing rolls which engages the web at the side of the folded-over longitudinal margins being segmented to form a pair of cantilever-mounted stub rolls at an axial spacing from one another, a pair of movable suckers rotatable in opposite directions to engage and turn the folded-over end portions of the severed strip as aforesaid, a carrier for said suckers adapted to move tangentially into and out of the space between the stub rolls, and drive means on said carrier effective to rotate said suckers through in opposite directions in one sense as the carrier moves out of the said space and in the opposite sense as the carrier moves into the said space.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein that roll of the pair of feeding and retaining rolls which engages the web at the side of the folded-over longitudinal margins is also segmented to form a pair of cantilevermounted stub rolls at an axial spacing from one another, the carrier being mounted for rotation in a single direction at a tangent to the web feed to carry the suckers firstly between the stub rolls of the feeding and re taining rolls and then between the stub rolls of the severing rolls.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, at least in the axial region of the suckers and at least in a circumferential length that is directly downstream of the suckers and corresponds to the length of the limbs of the U-shaped handle, the carrier is in the form of curved supporting discs or segments for the limbs, the curvature of said discs or segments conforming to the curve described by the suckers as the carrier is rotated.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2, including a transfer drum co-operating with the carrier and effective to receive the handle and apply adhesive or an adhesive reinforcing sheet to the limbs thereof, the transfer drum being equipped at its periphery with at least one clamping jaw for engaging the limbs or the reinforcing sheet.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein each sucker is provided with a pinion which is rotatable therewith and engages a rack that is axially displaceable in the carrier within limits, one of the pinions being in mesh with the rack with an even number of teeth engagements and the other with an odd number of teeth engagements, each rack being displaced in one direction whilst the carrier is rotating between a position at which the strip is severed from the web and a position at which the handle is transferred to the transfer drum and being displaced in the opposite direction during the remainder of the carrier rotation.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 including a pressure lever for acting on the limbs of the U-shaped handle, said pressure lever being pivoted to the carrier and having a pressure face immediately upstream of the suckers, and a stationary cam co-operating with a spring-influenced cam follower provided on the pressure lever whereby, when the carrier is in a position at which the handle is transferred to the transfer drum, the pressure lever is swung against the spring influence to project the said pressure face radially outwardly beyond the curve described by the suckers as the carrier is rotated.

Claims

1. Apparatus for making a U-shaped carrier bag handle from a strip of plastics sheet material having end portions of the strip that are to form the limbs of the U-shaped handle folded over inwardly to overlie a central portion of the strip that is to form the web of the U-shaped handle, wherein the strip for the handle is severed from a plastics web which has a width of the desired strip length, has folded-over longitudinal margins corresponding to the folded-over end portions of the strip, and has transverse lines of weakness at intervals equal to the desired strip width, and wherein the end portions of the severed strip are turned in mutually opposite directions about respective axes until the said end portions extend at right-angles to the central portion, the said axes being substantially normal to the plane of the central strip portion and being spaced apart by a distance equal to the ultimate spacing desired between the centre lines of the limbs, the said apparatus comprising a pair of rotary feeding and retaining rolls for the folded web, a pair of rotary severing rolls adapted to rotate faster than said feeding and retaining rolls and to engage the web intermittently so as to sever the strip from the leading end of the web, the diameters of said rolls and the spacing of the axes of the severing rolls from the feeding and retaining rolls being no greater than twice the desired strip width, that roll of the pair of severing rolls which engages the web at the side of the folded-over longitudinal margins being segmented to form a pair of cantilever-mounted stub rolls at an axial spacing from one another, a pair of movable suckers rotatable in opposite directions to engage and turn the folded-over end portions of the severed strip as aforesaid, a carrier for said suckers adapted to move tangentially into and out of the space between the stub rolls, and drive means on said carrier effective to rotate said suckers through 90* in opposite directions in one sense as the carrier moves out of the said space and in the opposite sense as the carrier moves into the said space.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein that roll of the pair of feeding and retaining rolls which engages the web at the side of the folded-over longitudinal margins is also segmented to form a pair of cantilever-mounted stub rolls at an axial spacing from one another, the carrier being mounted for rotation in a single direction at a tangent to the web feed to carry the suckers firstly between the stub rolls of the feeding and retaining rolls and then between the stub rolls of the severing rolls.