US796611A - Package-filling machine. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTBD AUG. 8, 1905.

H. SMITH.

PACKAGE FILLING MACHINE.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENT can.

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FIG-.1.

WITNESSEE:

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PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905.

H. SMITH.

PACKAGE FILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED HAB..2,1904.

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No. 796,611. PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905. 11. SMITH.

memes FILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.2.1904.

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PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905.

S E. SMITH. PACKAGE FILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED HAB..2.1904.

4 SHBETSSHEET 4.

WITNESSES INVE'N'T [3B1 76 Ma .94: a W

CWZLL f6. dlmm UN ITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE;

HARRY SMITH, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO PNEUMATIC SCALE CORPORATION LIMITED, A

CORPORATION I OF MAINE.

PACKAGE-FILLING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905.

Application filed March 2, 1904. Serial No. 196,160.

To LLZZ whont it may concern.- 7

Be it known that I, HARRY SMITH, of Bos ton, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Package-Filling Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention is especially intended for use in that class of weighing and packaging machines in which the cartons receive a portion of the required amount of material-through one hopper or feeder and are then removed by a carrier to a position where they receive an additional supply to complete the desired amount.

In putting up certain classes of material, such as rolled oats and other light and flaky or fluffy material, it is necessary to provide some means for pressing the material down into the carton in order to pack it as compactly as demanded by the trade. Means have heretofore been devised for shaking and squeezing the packages when bags have been employed for fine material, like flour, and tappers have been used with cans. In Patent No. 750,830, issued February 2, 1904, on the application of WV. H. Doble, mechanism was provided for weighing out the material into dummies and then discharging it from the dummies into cartons through funnels and then forcing and pressing it down into the cartons by a plunger which descends through the funnel into the carton beneath.

The present invention is intended especially for double-hopper machines in which the material is fed into the cartons and weighed in them without the intervention of dummies.

It is found that the material can be packed,

more compactly and with less danger of bursting the carton if it be subjected to the pressing operation at least once before the load is completed and again after the completion of the load.

In the apparatus shown in Patent No. 750,830, above mentioned, the receiving-funnel holds the overflow of the fluffy material before it is plunged. In machines in which receiving-funnels are not used if the contents are plunged once after a partial supply the upwardly-extending flaps in the upper end of the carton serve to retain enough material in its fluffy state at the second or scale feed, so that at the second plunging operation the body of the carton will be compactly filled. When employed with a weighing-machine such as shown, in which the carton receives its final supply through the drip-hopper, as it is termed, while on the scale, the first press should preferably be applied at a point in the path of travel between the two feeds, and the second press should be applied after the carton has been removed from the scale.

In the class of machine shown the carrier has an intermittent rotary movement and thefeed chutes or hoppers are placed atsuch distance apart that there will be at least one period of rest in the travel of the carton after it has been removed from the position of the preliminary feed before it reaches the position similar to Fig. 2 after the plunger has descended. Fig. 4 is a plan showing the carton engaged by the portion of the casing which is attached to the carton-carrier arm and about to be delivered into position on the supporting-table for the descent of the plunger. Fig. 5 is a rear view of the back supporting-plate and the shaft and sleeve which carry the operating-cam. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional plan on line 6 6 of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a vertical section showing the rear support and the shaft and operating-cam. Fig. 8 is a detail view showing the plunger-operating shaft and driving mechanism and connection with the Fig.

carrier-ring of the weighing-machine.

9 is a section on line 9 9 of Fig. 8 looking to the right. Fig. 10 is a detail plan of a portion of the carrier-ring and connecting-rod and cam shown in the lower portion of Fig. 8.

The weighing mechanism will be but briefly described, as that of itself is not claimed in. the present application.

' project from the standard 18.

The cartons 1 receive their preliminary suphereinafter described.

While at one of the stages of rest between the two hoppers the carton stands on a bracketshelf 8 or other suitable support, which ex tends up between the tracks, and while in this position the materialalready in the carton is subjected to the first pressing operation.

At one of the succeeding movements of the carrier the carton is deposited on the scale, where it receives the completion of its load. When the scale tips, a reciprocating member 9 is caused to move in adirection to close the scale-hopper valve. At each cycle of operation the carrier-ring 7 is moved through an are equal to the distance between two of the carrier-arms 6.

Mechanism by which the carrier-ring 7 may be given the intermittent movement and the hopper-valves opened and closed is fully shown and described in Patent No. 716,007, issued December 16, 1902, and Patent No. 720,008, issued February 10, 1903.

A pinion 10 engages with teeth in the ring 7, the said pinion being on an upright shaft which passes through a bearing 11 and is connected with the driving-shaft 12 by clutch 13 and miter-gears 14 15, inclosed in the box above the clutch. (See Fig. 8.) Each time that the pinion makes one revolution the carrier-ring 7 is moved through the arc necessary to bring another carton into position. The operation and detail description of this mechanism is fully given in said Patent No. 720,008. 1

As previously stated, the pressure devices for both positions are alike and are driven simultaneously. The press and its operating mechanism will now be described.

A presser plate or block 16, of suitable shape to go into the carton from above, is mounted on a vertically-reciprocable plunger rod 17, which is so positioned that when the carrier-ring stops the presser-plate will be in Vertical alinement above the top of the carton, which is then resting on the bracket-shelf 8, fixed to the standard 18. Said rod 17 slides in bearings 19 20 on arms 21 22, which Rod 17 is connected by a cross-head 23 with a slide-rod 24, which moves in bearings 25 26, which are also on arms 21 22, so that rods 17 and 24 will move together. The purpose of the rod 24 is to control, the movement of the hinged supporting- walls 53 and 56 for the carton, as will be hereinafter described.

The means for operating the rods 17 and 24 are as follows: Carried by a rotary shaft 28 is a crank-disk 29. A crank 30 is connected at one end with said disk by means of a pin 31, and at its other end it-is journaled on a stud projecting from the cross-head 23, so that at eachrotation of the shaft 28 the rods 17 and 24 will make a complete stroke down and up.

It is important that the movement of the plunger and press shall be timed with relation to the carrier-ring 7 so that when the press descends the carton shall be in position to receive it. The driving mechanism for the shaft 28 is controlled by the carrier-ring 7 in such manner that the shaft 28 will begin to rotate when the carrier-ring comes to a rest, and mechanism is provided to stop the rotation of shaft 28 at the end of each rotation. Loosely mounted on said shaft 28 is a pulley 32, which is continuously driven by a belt 33 or other suitable means. Fast to pulley 32 is a ratchet-wheel 34. (See Figs. 8 and 9.) A dog 35 is pivoted at 36 tov an arm 37, which projects from a collar 38, fixed to shaft 28. When the toe of the dog engages with the ratchet, the shaft 28 will be turned. A spring 39 tends to throw the dog into such engagement and to hold it thusengaged, except when held out of engagement by the stop-lever 40. Said stop-lever 40 is fulcrumed at 41 and is shown in the form of a bell-crank, one arm of which is adapted to engage with the heel of the dog 35 and the other arm of which is pivotally connected with the upper end of a rod 42. said rod 42 is an arm 27, whose outer end is connected with a cam-lever 43, which is piv-- oted at 44 to the flange on the fixed ring 45, said fixed ring forming the support for the rotary ring 7. A spring 46, one end of which is attached tov the said cam-lever and the other end of which is attached to an arm 47, secured to the fixed ring 45, normally holds the camlever 43 in its uppermost position. On the upper side of said cam-lever 43 is a projection or hump which when the lever is in its normal position extends up into the path of the arms 6, which project from the carrierring. The movement of the carrier-ring is toward'the left as viewed in Fig. 8, one of the arms 6 having just passed the top of the incline 48 and riding on the decline side. The hump on said cam-lever has an inclined surface 48 on the approach side, over which the arm 6 rides, thus gradually turning the lever 43 down on its pivot until the top of the hump is reached, and has a decline 49 on the departure end to allow the gradual rise of the lever as the arm 6 rides off. In Fig. 8

one of the arms 6 has just passed the top of the incline 48 and is riding on the decline side 49. When the said lever is turned down, it pulls down the connecting-rod 42 and turns the l stop-lever 40 out of engagement with the dog,

Projecting from the lower end of as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6.

and allows the spring 39 to throw the dog into engagement with the ratchet 34, so that the shaft 28 will begin to revolve. When the arm 6 passes ofl? from the lever 43,so that the lever rises, it pushes up the connecting-rod 42 and turns stop-lever back into position to engage the'heel of the dog 35 as soon as the rotation of the shaft 28 brings the ratchet around into position for such engagement, and thereby trips the dog from the ratchet and the shaft 28 will cease to revolve. The camlever 43 is so located that one of the arms 6 will just pass over it before the carrier-ring stops, so that the shaft 28 will not begin to revolve until just as the ring 7 comes to a rest.

While the material is being pressed into the carton it is desirable that the carton shall be held steady and supported on all four sides to prevent bursting or bulging out of the sides. The supports for two of the sides that is, the rear side and the radially inner sideare carried by the arms 6and serve also to push the cartons along on the track. These supports consist of an angle-plate 5, attached to an angle-bar or casting 50, which is secured to the arm 6. Formed as a part of the angle-bar or secured thereto on the advance end is a lug 51, which extends part way across the advance side of the carton and having its end 52 beveled inwardly, forming a catch to lock the swinging side plate 53 of the case which supports the advance side of the carton during the pressing operation, as will be hereinafter described.

Secured to the rear face of the rear arm of the angle-plate 5, near its outer end, is a lug 54, having its end 55 beveled outwardly to aid in locking the swinging side plate 56 of the case, which supports the radially outer side of the carton during the pressing operation, as will be hereinafter described. Side plate 56 is hinged at the bottom, as on a pin 58. A spring 59 tends to turn the side plate 56 back on its hinge, as viewed in Fig. 2 and in plan in Fig. 4. Attached to the vertical edge of the frame which is toward the approaching carton is a lug 60, whose end 61 is beveled on the inner side complementary to the beveled end 55 of the lug 54.

The side plate 53, which supports the advance side of the carton, is attached to or formed integral with a frame 62, which is hinged to the vertical edge of the plate 56 by a pin 63 on the side fartherfrom the advancing carton, so that the frame 62 and the side plate 53 carried thereby have a double swinging movementthat is, when the side plate 56 is turned on its horizontal pivot 58 the frame 62 and plate 53 turn with itand the frame 62 and plate 53 also have independent swinging movement on the pin 63, A spring 64 (see Fig. 5) tends to keep the sideplate 53 closed across the path of the carton.

tached to the plate 53 is a lug 65, having its end 66 beveled on the outer side complementary to the-beveled end 52 on the lug 51. Attached to or integral with a sleeve 67 on the slide-rod 24 is a cam 68, which when the sliderod 24 and the plunger-rod 17 descend engageswith a roller 69, journaled in a boss projecting from the side plate 56, and swings the side plate 56 up into a vertical position to engage the carton after the carton reaches its position on the table 8 before the press 16 has descended into the carton.

The carton will have reached its position on the table before the slide-rod descends, and the boss 51 will therefore be in the position shown in Fig. 6. i

The side plate 53 and its frame 62 will, as previously stated, he held by the spring64 crosswise of the path of the carton, so that when the cam 68 turns the plate 56 up into the vertical position the wedge end of the lug 65 will swing down into the recess formed by the beveled end of the lug 51, which thereby prevents the side plate 53 from being turned back on its hinge until the slide-rod 24 rises again and lifts the plates 56 and 53 and releases the lug 65 from engagement with lug 51. When the side plate 56 swings into the vertical position, it also turns the beveled end of lug down behind the beveled end of lug 54, as shown in Fig. 6. When the press is down, the cam 68 holds the plate 56 from turning back on its hinge. Thus the carton is supported on two sides by the swinging plates 55 and 56 and on the other two sides by the two arms of the angle-plate 5, carried by the carrier-arm 6, until the press has com pleted its downward movement and has risen partially.

It is desirable that the cam 68 shall rise only far enough to allow the side plates 56 and 53 to swing back sufficiently to release the locking-lugs and to allow the cartons freedom of movement by the carrier and that when the plunger descends again the cam will be in position to immediately throw the plate 56 up into position to support the carton. This is provided for by limiting the movement of the cam, whatever may be the length of stroke of the plunger-rod, in the following manner: The sleeve 67 is loose enough on the rod 24 to permit the rod to slide through it when the sleeve is restrained; but the sleeve is held to the rod so as to move with it unless restrained. The means shown for thus holding it is as follows, (see Figs. 5 and 7:) In the side of the sleeve is a tubular boss 70, within which is a washer 71, pressed against the rod 24 by a spring 72, which is held in place and under tension by a screw 73. The friction of the washer is sufiicient to normally clamp the sleeve to the rod tight enough to move with it.

Secured to the standard 18 is a plate 7 4, having an elongated slot 75, which is engaged by a pin 76, projecting from the sleeve 67. When .Fig. 3.

during the first part of the descent until the pin 76 strikes thebottom of the slot 75,-thus causing the cam to close the: side plates, and the rod 24-willcontinue the descent together with the press-plunger 17.

The "particular form of mechanism for throwing-the swinging side plates in and out and locking them may beyaried without departing from the scope of the inventionpand the form of the side supports also may be varied. One'of the main features of theinvention is to providesome means by which to subject the contents of the cartonto'atleast two pressing operations-one to press thematerialdown into thecarton afterit hasreceived'the preliminary supply and again after it has received the .completion of-its supply.

The rods 17 and 24 rise during the latter partof the'rotation'of shaft 28 and lift the press away from'the oartomand as the'in clined part of the cam "IlCiQS pastthe-roll 69 the plate 56'will bezturned'back on its hinge bythe'spring 59. As plate 56turns back it; also turns up'the'plate 53 and its frame 62, thus releasing the lug 65 from engagement, with lug 51, but still leaving the plate 53-extending crosswise of the track byreason of the pressure by its spring 64:.

When the carrier-ring 7 makes :its next movement,the filled carton will-engage the plate 53 and push it back on itshinge 63, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, until the carton has passed out of engagement with it. Then the spring 64 will turn the plate 53 again across the track, but in a tilted position as long as the plate 56 is turned back on its hinge, but ready to be turned down again into looking position when the plunger-rod 24 again descends.

What I claim is 1. A package-filling machine having in combination two intermittently-actuated feeds for successively supplying material to each package, two presses, a package-carrier, and mechanism controlled by the package-carrier to actuate one press to enter the package and press down the material supplied by the first feed and mechanism controlled by the said carrier to actuate the other press to enter the package and 'press the material after it receives the supply from the second feed.

2. In a package-filling machine, two feed mechanisms, intermittent package-moving mechanism which moves each receptacle in succession under each feed and away from the second feed with a rest in its passage from the first feed position to said second feed position,and a rest in its passage awayfrom the said second feed'positioma vertically-movablepress above an intermediate'position of rest of the receptacle between the feeds and a vertically-movable. press above-a position of rest of the filled receptacle after it passes from the second feed, 1 mechanism which actuates'both of said presses to simultaneously descend into their respectivezreceptacles and press the material therein, mechanism con trolled by the package-moving mechanism to actuate said presses, and a movable guard controlled by the descent of the press to move into=position to support-the sides of 1 the cartons during thepressing operation.

3. A weighing and package-filling machine having twofeed-supplies, an intermittinglymoving carrier which carries each package successively into positionito receive material from each supplyand' away therefrom with'a rest in the travel after each supply, means for *automatically moving said carrier, two presses, mechanism which actuates both of said presses to reciprocate simultaneously, mechanism which stops the presses after each complete reciprocation, mechanism controlled by-the saidcarrier to release the said stop just before theend of eachmovement of the carrier, said presses being solocated that the carrier will bring each package into position to be acted upon by one-press after receiving the first supply and acted upon by the second press: after it is moved from theposition of the second supply.

4. In a package filling ma'chine, two feed mechanisms, intermittent package-moving mechanism which moves eachreceptacle in succession under each feed andaway from the second feed with a rest in its passage'from the first feed position to said'second feed'position, and a rest in its passage away from the said second feed position, a vertically-movable press above an'intermediateposition of rest of the receptacle-between the feeds and a vertically-movable press above a position of rest ofthe'filled receptacle after itpasses from the second feed, mechanism which actuates both of said presses to simultaneously descend into their respective receptacles and press the material therein, and mechanism controlled by the packagemoving mechanism to actuate said presses.

5. In a package-filling machine,a cartoncarrier, mechanism for delivering material into cartons, a vertically-movable press, mechanism for actuating the carton-carrier intermittently and moving the cartons from the place of filling to a position beneath the press, mechanism controlled by the moving carrier to actuate the press, a guard hinged on ahorizontal pivot for supporting one wall of the carton during the pressing operation, a guard hinged to one side of said first guard to support another wall-of said carton whereby said second guard has two swinging movements at right angles to each other, mechanism con.- trolled by the descent of the press to swing said guards into position to support the carton, and mechanism for locking said guards against swinging during the pressing operation.

6. In a package-filling machine, a cartoncarrier, mechanism for delivering material into cartons, avertically-movable press, mechanism for actuating the carton-carrier intermittently and moving the cartons from the place of filling to a position beneath the press, mechanism controlled by the moving carrier to actuate the press, a guard hinged on a horizontal pivot for supporting one wall of the carton during the pressing operation, a guard hinged to one side of said first guard to support another wall of said carton whereby said second guard has two swinging movements at right angles to each other, mechanism controlled by the descent of the press to swing said guards into position to support the carton, the carton-carrier having guards which support the other two sides of the carton, lugs on the guards attached to the carrier and lugs attached to the swinging guards which interlock with said first-mentioned lugs whereby the four guards are held stationary during the pressing operation, substantially as described.

7. In a package-filling machine, an intermittently-rotating receptacle-carrier, mechanism for supplying material to the receptacles, a vertically-movable press above one of the stopping places of the receptacles after it has received material, a rotatable shaft and intermediate mechanism whereby the said shaft actuates the press, driving mechanism for said shaft, clutch mechanism adapted to connect said driving mechanism with said shaft, stop mechanism which normally holds said clutch out of engaging position between said shaft and driving mechanism, and mechanism actuated by the moving receptacle-carrier to release said stop, mechanism which then throws the clutch into engaging position to cause rotation of said shaft and mechanism which throws said stop into position to again disengage the clutch and stop rotation of said shaft.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY SMITH.

Witnesses: WILLIAM A. COPELAND, ALICE H. MORRISON.

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