U.S. patent number 3,792,564 [Application Number 05/316,684] was granted by the patent office on 1974-02-19 for wrapping compressible material.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Certain-teed Products Corporation. Invention is credited to William A. Brady, Jr..
United States Patent |
3,792,564 |
Brady, Jr. |
February 19, 1974 |
WRAPPING COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL
Abstract
Units of resilient compressed material are delivered at spaced
intervals to the interior of a tubular wrapper supported by a
wrapper carrier in encircling position about the upper and lower
jaw members of an almost-closed or collapsed counter-balanced
spout. Each of the jaw members has its own driven endless conveyor
belt which cooperate to advance the compressed unit toward the
almost-closed mouth of the spout, the thrust of the unit causing
the counterbalanced jaws to open to allow the unit to pass
therethrough. In timed relation thereto, the encircling tubular
wrapper is moved by its carrier in the same direction and at the
same speed as the advancing compressed unit as it emerges from the
opened mouth of the spout. As the compressed resilient material
emerges, it expands into pressure engagement with the encircling
tubular wrapper. When the wrapper is held in encircling position
about the almost-closed jaws, just prior to arrival of the next
unit to be wrapped, upper and lower cover plates, above and below
the moving jaw conveyors, are interposed between the moving jaw
conveyor belts and the wrapper. In preferred embodiments, automatic
means pick up a tubular wrapper from a supply of wrappers, spread
open the picked-up wrapper in a desired position of orientation
with respect to informational matter appearing thereon and also
with respect to a carry-handle with which the wrapper is provided,
and carry the picked-up wrapper in the desired position of
orientation to an encircling position about the almost-closed jaws
of the spout, in timed relation to the expected arrival of the next
unit of resilient compressible material to be wrapped.
Inventors: |
Brady, Jr.; William A.
(Norristown, PA) |
Assignee: |
Certain-teed Products
Corporation (Valley Forge, PA)
|
Family
ID: |
23230187 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/316,684 |
Filed: |
December 20, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
53/530; 53/585;
53/259; 53/573; 100/153 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B
63/026 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65B
63/02 (20060101); B65B 63/00 (20060101); B65b
063/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;53/124E,124CC,125,259,260,188,190 ;100/149,153,192 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: McGehee; Travis S.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Paul & Paul
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. Apparatus for wrapping units of resilient compressible material
in tubular wrappers, said apparatus including:
a. a pair of movable jaw members;
b. feed means for feeding unwrapped units to one end of said pair
of jaw means;
c. each of said jaw means carrying an endless conveyor belt;
d. drive means for driving said conveyor belts in a direction to
convey units of unwrapped material through said jaw means from the
feed end toward an output end;
e. means pivotally supporting each of said conveyor belts at the
feed end of said jaw means for pivotal movement;
f. means pre-loading said jaw means to positions in which said
conveyor belts occupy converging positions toward said output end,
said pre-loading means being adapted to yield to the thrust of
units of unwrapped material being conveyed on said jaw conveyor
belts to cause said jaws and said belts to swing pivotally to an
open position in which said belts occupy substantially parallel
positions;
g. said pivotal support means being so spaced that the spacing
between the conveying surfaces of said belts when in substantially
parallel positions is less than the corresponding dimension of an
uncompressed unit of resilient material to be transported
therethrough.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:
a. means are provided for suspending a tubular wrapper in
encircling position about said jaw means and conveyor belts when
said belts are in converging positions;
b. means are provided for moving said suspension means in the same
direction as, and concurrently with, the emergence of a unit from
the opened jaws, whereby as the material of the emerging unit
expands outwardly it comes into pressure engagement with the inner
surfaces of said tubular wrapper.
3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said pair of jaw means
comprise upper and lower jaw means supported for pivotal movement
in a vertical plane.
4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said preloading means
include counter-balancing mechanism adapted to maintain said jaw
means and conveyor belts in converging positions in the absence of
a unit of material being conveyed by said belts.
5. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein:
a. cover means cover the outward reaches of said jaw conveyor
belts, said cover means occupying positions interposed between said
belts and said suspended encircling wrapper.
6. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein:
a. said means for suspending a tubular wrapper in encircling
position about said jaw means and conveyor belts and for moving
said suspension means includes a carrier having suction means for
holding said tubular wrapper in suspended open position.
7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein:
a. a supply stack of tubular wrappers in flattened condition is
provided; and
b. suction pick-up means are provided for picking up the top
wrapper from said supply stack.
8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein:
a. spreader means are provided for spreading open said picked-up
wrapper;
b. said spreader means include a pair of arms, means for inserting
said arms into the interior of a picked-up tubular wrapper, and
means for moving said arms laterally in opposing directions to
spread open said wrapper.
9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein:
a. means are provided for moving said carrier into position above
said supply stack for taking a spread-open wrapper from said
pick-up means and carrying said wrapper to said encircling position
about said jaw means.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to apparatus for packaging resilient
compressible materials. While not limited thereto, the apparatus of
the present invention is particularly applicable to packaging, in a
tubular wrapper, fibrous insulation material, such as rolls or bats
of faced or unfaced fibrous insulation, for example, continuous
lengths of fiberglass insulation in rolled-up form. The tubular
wrapper may be a bag or a carton, but is preferably a sleeve.
Since the insulation material, such as a roll of fiberglass
insulation, is resilient and compressible, it is desirable, in
order to conserve shipping space, to reduce the volume of the
material by compressing, wrapping and shipping it in compressed or
partially compressed form, preferably in a generally rectangular
package, since rectangular packages, in comparison with round or
oval packages may be stacked in shipment with less voids and hence
less waste of shipping space.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for
automatically wrapping units of resilient compressible material in
tubular wrappers.
Another object is to provide apparatus for automatically wrapping
units of resilient compressible material, such as fibrous
insulation material in roll or bat form, in sleeve wrappers.
Another object is to provide apparatus for successively inserting
units of resilient compressed material, such as compressed rolls of
insulation material, into the interior of sleeve wrappers, and for
then allowing the compressed material to expand outwardly to a
limited extent to pressure engage the encircling sleeve.
Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus as
aforesaid which has the additional capability of picking up
automatically from a supply stack, one at a time, sleeve wrappers
in flattened form, opening the picked-up wrapper, carrying it to a
wrapping station, holding the sleeve in open position at the
wrapping station to receive within its interior a unit charge of
compressed resilient material, and allowing the compressed material
to expand to a limited extent within the sleeve wrapper.
Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus as
aforesaid, wherein the sleeve has a handle and has printed
information thereon, and wherein, when the sleeve wrapper is picked
up from the supply stack and opened for carry to the wrapping
station, the sleeve is properly oriented as to the handle and as to
the informational material appearing thereon.
In the description which follows it is assumed that the tubular
wrapper is a sleeve, but, as already indicated, the wrapper could
be a bag or a carton.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of apparatus embodying the present
invention.
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a schematic elevational view of the sleeve pick-up
mechanism, as seen looking along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the sleeve carrier mechanism
showing the sleeve carrier in advanced position over the supply
stack of sleeves.
FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of the sleeve pick-up mechanism and
of the sleeve carrier mechanism, as seen looking down along the
line 5--5 of FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is an elevational view as seen looking along the line 6--6
of FIG. 4 showing a single sleeve after it has been picked up from
the supply stack and spread open by the spreader arms of the
pick-up mechanism.
FIG. 7 is a side elevational view looking along the line 7--7 of
FIG. 1 showing the counter-balanced jaws of the discharge spout in
collapsed condition for receiving the sleeve held by the sleeve
carrier.
FIG. 8 is an elevational view looking along the line 8--8 of FIG. 7
showing the opened sleeve before it is advanced into encircling
position about the collapsed jaws of the spout.
FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the encircled area identified 9 in
FIG. 7.
FIG. 10 is an elevational view of the sleeve after it has filled
with expanded material and is about to be dropped on to an output
conveyor.
FIG. 11 is a schematic side elevational view of a unit of material
as it emerges from the jaws of the spout conveyor, showing the
leading portion of the material expanding into the encircling
sleeve, the trailing portion still being compressed by the open
jaws of the spout conveyor.
FIG. 12 is a schematic plan view of an apparatus generally similar
to that of FIG. 1 but modified to the extent that it has but a
single pick-up mechanism whereas the apparatus of FIG. 1 has a dual
pick-up mechanism.
FIG. 13 is a prospective view of a sleeve-wrapped unit which is
delivered by the apparatus described herein.
FIGS. 14 and 15 are respectively side elevation and plan views of
apparatus generally similar to that of FIGS. 1 and FIG. 13 but
modified in that the sleeve is picked-up by the carrier mechanism,
no separate pick-up mechanism being provided.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Reference is first made to FIG. 13 which illustrates one form of
package which may be the output of the apparatus disclosed and
claimed in the present application. In FIG. 13, the package is
shown to be generally rectangular. It may contain a
partially-compressed continuous spiral roll 21 of fibrous
insulation material, such as fiberglass, which may be retained in
spiral form by an encircling band 22. The tubular wrapper or sleeve
20 consists of a length of wrapper material, usually heavy paper,
the ends of which have been stitched together as at 23. Secured
thereto is a handle 24, preferably of plastic. The sleeve 20
embraces the spiral roll 21 normal to the band 22. The sleeve 20
may have been pre-printed with desired information which, in the
finished wrapped product, appears in desired locations, as for
example, on the top and side surfaces of the generally rectangular
package, in the areas indicated in FIG. 13 by the dot-and-dash line
rectangles. Handle 24 is located in its most desirable position, in
the center of the top of the package. To open the package, the
sleeve 20 may be ripped along the line of the stitching 23. The
stitching facilitates the tearing. The wrapped package of FIG. 13
illustrates one form of output product which may be delivered from
the wrapping apparatus described and claimed herein.
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 7, units of resilient compressible
material, which in the present discussion will be assumed to be
spiral rolls of fiberglass insulation material encircled by a
retaining band 22, advance at spaced intervals along a feed
conveyor 30 which leads to one end of a collapsible spout conveyor
mechanism identified S in FIG. 1. Feed conveyor 30 includes (FIG.
7) an upper endless belt 31 and a lower endless belt 32. The
vertical spacing between the conveying surfaces of the two belts is
less than the uncompressed diameter of the spiral roll 21 so that
the roll 21 is compressed vertically as it is conveyed along
between the belts of the feed conveyor 30.
As mentioned hereinbefore, adjacent the delivery end of the feed
conveyor 30 is a collapsible spout conveyor mechanism S, the
details of which are seen in section in FIG. 7. As there seen,
spout conveyor mechanism S includes an upper jaw assembly 40 and a
lower jaw assembly 50. Each jaw carries a driven endless conveyor
belt, identified 41 and 51, respectively. The upper and lower jaw
assemblies 40 and 50 are similar so that a description of one will
suffice for the other. The upper jaw assembly 40 will be
described.
Journalled in side frame members 18 is a cross shaft 46, and
supported for rocking motion on shaft 46 is a pillow block 17.
Secured, as by welding, to the pillow block 17, at each side of the
machine but inward of the side frame members 8, is a side plate 18
having a cover 18A extending transversely between the two side
plates 18. Secured, as by welding, to the side plates 18 and
projecting therefrom, toward the discharge end of the spout
conveyor, is a hollow rectangular structure 49 having an upper
cover plate 47 and a lower plate 43 which functions as a supporting
shelf for an endless conveyor belt 41. The spacing between the
upper and lower plates 47 and 43 serves as a slot, open at both
ends, through which the non-conveying reach of the belt 41
passes.
Mounted on cross shaft 46 and secured thereto, as by key or pin, is
a drive roller 45 about which the endless conveyor belt 41 is
trained. Roller 45 may preferably have an anti-slip surface.
Endless belt 41 is also trained about a pair of tension rollers 44,
the positions of which are adjustable to assure that the belt 41
has a tight engagement with the surface of the drive roller 45. The
path of the endless conveyor belt 41 may be traced from drive
roller 45 along the underside of support plate 43, up and about the
end thereof, then back through the interior or slot of the hollow
rectangular member 49, about the pair of tension rollers 44, and
back to the drive roller 45.
Extending across the machine and passing through the side plates 18
is a cross-shaft 48 which is secured, as by welding, to the upper
surface of cover plate 47. Each end of cross-shaft 48 has a
reduced-diameter portion which receives one end of a link arm 61 of
a counter-balancing mechanism 60. The counter-balancing mechanism
60, one at each side of the machine, is supported on a stub shaft
64 which is supported in a bracket 7 secured to frame member 9. The
counter weight 65 of the counter-balancing system ordinarily
maintains the counter-balancing mechanism in the position shown in
FIG. 7, thereby maintaining the jaw assembly 40 in the downward or
convergent position as seen looking toward the mouth of the spout,
i.e., in the direction in which the rolls 21 are advanced through
the machine.
The lower jaw assembly 50 is similarly constructed. Reference
numeral 51 identifies the lower endless conveyor belt; 59 is the
lower hollow rectangular jaw member; 57 is the lower cover plate;
53 is the shelf about which the lower belt 51 is trained; 56 is the
cross shaft; 117 is the pillow block 117; 55 is the drive roller
for belt 51; 54 identifies the pair of tension rollers; 58 is the
cross shaft which is supported in the side plates 118 and which is
welded to the cover plate 57; and 62 is the lower link of the
counter-balancing mechanism 60.
The endless belts 41 and 51 of the spout conveyor mechanism may be
driven by a motor 6 mounted on a stub shaft 10 supported at one
side of the machine on frame members 9. Secured to stub shaft 10,
as by pin or key, is a drive gear 12 which is in mesh with and
drives a gear mounted on and secured to shaft 46. Gear 12 is also
in mesh with and drives an intermediate gear 15 which in turn is in
mesh with and drives a gear 16 mounted on and secured to the lower
shaft 56. By the means just described, the shafts 46 and 56, and
the drive rollers 45 and 55, which are keyed or otherwise secured
thereto, are driven in the same direction to move the conveying
surfaces of the belts 41 and 51 in the direction indicated by the
arrows in FIG. 7.
The counter-balancing system is so arranged that when the
counter-weight 65 is at its lowest position, as illustrated in FIG.
7, the convergent ends of the upper and lower jaw assemblies are
spaced slightly apart, as illustrated in FIG. 7, and in enlarged
detail in FIG. 9.
When a to-be-wrapped roll 21 is delivered in compressed condition
from the feed conveyor 30 to the input end of the spout conveyor
mechanism, it is advanced by the spout conveyor belt 41 and 51 in
compressed condition. The thrust of the advancing compressed roll
21 forces the convergent jaws 40 and 50 to open. When fully open,
the jaws are in a position such as shown in phantom in FIG. 7. When
the jaws 40 and 50 are spread open, as just described, the cross
shafts 48 and 58 are caused, by the movement of cover plates 47 and
57, to rotate clockwise about their own axes, and the link arms 61
and 62 of the counter-balancing mechanism 60 are likewise moved in
clockwise directions. This causes the connecting rod 63, at each
side of the machine, to rotate counterclockwise on stub shaft 64
which is supported on the side frame of the machine. This lifts the
counterweight 65 on each side of the machine.
After the roll 21 has been advanced fully through the mouth of the
spout, and has cleared the terminal ends of the spout mechanism,
the counter-weight 65 on each side of the machine falls down to its
counter-balanced position, illustrated in FIG. 7, and the spout
mechanism returns to the collapsed convergent condition, shown in
solid line in FIG. 7.
It should be understood that the counter-balancing mechanism
illustrated and briefly described above is merely representative of
one suitable form of counter-balancing mechanisms which may be
used.
The drive means described previously herein for driving the spout
conveyor belts 41 and 51 may preferably have common means for
driving the conveyor belts 31 and 32 of the feed conveyor 30, so
that the feed conveyor and spout conveyor advance at the same rate
of travel.
While the spout conveyor is in its convergent condition,
illustrated in solid line in FIG. 7, and shown also in FIG. 9,
(which for convenience may be referred to as the "closed"
condition) and before the spout is opened to the position shown in
phantom in FIG. 7 by the advancement of a roll 21 or other unit of
material through the spout conveyor system, an opened sleeve
wrapper 20 is carried to and placed over the closed spout, by the
carrier 70, as shown in phantom in FIG. 7. In this phantom
position, the sleeve 20 is supported in hanging position by the
carrier 70. The convergent spout mechanism is within the interior
of the sleeve 20, with cover plates 47 and 57 being interposed
between the sleeve 20 and the moving belts 41 and 51.
When a roll 21 (or other item to be wrapped) is advanced into the
spout conveyor system, the jaws of the spout open, as previously
described, and as shown in phantom in FIG. 7. The roll 21 is in
compressed condition, being flat on top and bottom, the leading and
trailing ends being somewhat rounded.
When the roll 21 reaches the position shown in phantom in FIG. 7, a
signal is generated, as by photo-cell or mechanical switch means,
and, carrier 70 moves back away from the spout at a rate of travel
corresponding to that of the spout conveyor belts. Thus, the sleeve
20 is moved back at the speed of the emerging roll 21 and
concurrently therewith.
Reference is now made to the schematic illustration in FIG. 11. As
the compressed roll 21 emerges from the open mouth of the spout
conveyor system S, the resilient compressed material expands
outwardly and comes into pressure engagement with the inside
surfaces of sleeve 20. In FIG. 11, the leading half portion of roll
21 is shown to be so expanded. When roll 21 has advanced
sufficiently to be fully clear of the spout conveyor, as shown in
phantom in FIG. 11, the entire roll 21 has expanded and is now in
pressure engagement with the sleeve 20. Suction force which has
been applied through flexible tubes 71 to the outer surface 26 of
the sleeve 20 is now cut off, and the sleeve-wrapped roll drops on
to an output conveyor belt 100, and is carried away, as indicated
in phantom in FIG. 11.
As soon as the roll 21 has cleared the open jaws 40 and 50 of the
spout conveyor system S, the jaw members are returned to closed
position by the counter-balancing mechanism 60, as indicated
previously.
The means by which an open sleeve wrapper 20 is delivered to and
held over the closed jaws of the spout in timed relation to the
advancement of a roll 21 through the jaws, will first be described
in a general fashion with reference to FIG. 1.
In FIG. 1, a sleeve 20 is picked up from a supply stack of flat
sleeves by a pick-up mechanism 80. The sleeve picked up is then
spread open by a spreader mechanism 90 after which it is
transferred to sleeve carrier 70. After receiving the sleeve 20,
carrier 70 is moved in a transverse direction on a cross carriage
105 to a center position, in line with the spout mechanism S. FIG.
8 is a view looking along the line 8--8 of FIG. 7 and shows the
open sleeve 20 held by the carrier 70 about to be moved toward the
closed jaws of the spout conveyor S. After reaching the center line
position, the sleeve carrier 70 is moved toward the spout
mechanism, to the position shown in phantom in FIG. 7. When the
roll 21 has emerged from the mouth of the spout and has expanded
into the sleeve 20, the sleeve 20 assumes a generally rectangular
cross-sectional shape, as is illustrated in FIG. 10. It is to be
noted that that portion of the side surface 26 of the sleeve 20,
which in FIG. 8 is shown to be held by the suction tubes 71, has
been pulled down in FIG. 10 to become part of the top and bottom
surfaces of the finished package. The surface having the handle 24
is the top surface of the finished package.
In connection with the description of FIGS. 1, 7 and 11, it has
been indicated that the sleeve carrier 70 carries a sleeve 20 and
places it over the closed jaws of the spout conveyor system.
Various arrangements and mechanisms may be used for carrying a
sleeve to, and placing it about, the collapsed jaws of the spout
mechanism. Several different embodiments are illustrated in the
present patent application. A preferred dual arrangement is
schematically illustrated in FIG. 1 in which two supply stacks 20
and 20A of sleeves are provided, one stack located on each side of
the spout mechanism S. A single arrangement is shown in FIG. 12. In
FIG. 14, another modification is shown. In the arrangement of FIG.
14, the supply of sleeves 20 is in line with the spout mechanism
S.
Referring now to FIG. 2, positioned above the supply stack of
sleeves 20 is a sleeve pick-up mechanism 80 which, in the
particular form illustrated, includes four suction tubes 82
suspended from a pair of horizontally disposed rods 83 carried at
the lower end of a vertical piston 84.
Piston 84 is extended and retracted by a fluid cylinder 85
supported by a beam 86. Also supported from beam 86 are a pair of
rails 87 along which a carriage 88 is movable, as by a piston and
cylinder 89. Carriage 88 carries a pair of spreader arms 92 and 93.
When the piston of cylinder 89 is in retracted position, as in FIG.
2, arms 92 and 93 project from the lower end of the carriage 88
toward the sleeve pick-up mechanism 80.
In timed relation to the advancement of rolls 21 or other units
through the wrapping machine, piston rod 84 is extended to lower
tubes 82 into contact with the top sleeve 20 of the supply stack.
Suction is applied and piston 84 is retracted upwardly, lifting the
top sleeve 20, as illustrated in FIG. 2. One side 27 of the sleeve
20, the near side as viewed in FIG. 2, which is the left side as
viewed from the spreader arms 92, 93, is gusseted, and this side
falls open, as seen in FIG. 3. The right side is stitched and has a
handle 24 attached thereto, as seen in FIGS. 13 and 3. FIG. 3
illustrates the sleeve 20 both before and after it is picked up by
the suction tubes 82.
After the upper-most sleeve 20 has been lifted from the supply
stack, the spreader-arm carriage 88 is moved, as by the piston and
cylinder 89 toward the pick-up mechanism 80, and the spreader rods
92, 93 enter into the partially-opened picked-up sleeve 20. As
indicated above, the picked-up sleeve 20 is partially open because,
as seen in FIG. 3, the gusseted side 27 has dropped open because of
gravity. In FIG. 3, the spreader rods 92, 93 are side by side.
After entering into the partially-open sleeve 20, the arms 92 and
93 are moved laterally, as by a pair of pistons and cylinders, 94
and 95, seen in FIG. 3. In so moving laterally, the arms 92 and 93
spread the sleeve 20 to its full width, which as seen in FIG. 6, is
wider than the original width since the inward gusset in side 27
has now been extended outwardly. By this action, the stitched edge
and the handle 24 of the sleeve 20 is placed in a position at one
edge of the spread sleeve and the center fold of the gusset is
placed at the other edge. When the picked-up and spread-open sleeve
20 is subsequently transferred to carrier 70, as will be described,
it is held suspended by the suction tubes 71 of the carrier 70, and
moved to and placed about the closed jaws of the spout conveyor S.
When the compressed roll 21 emerges from the jaws of the spout
conveyor and expands into the suspended sleeve 20, the stitched
edge and handle 24 will be positioned at the center of one side of
the package, which after expansion assumes a generally rectangular
form, and the areas of printed information will appear in the
proper locations, shown as dot-and-dash line rectangles in FIG. 13.
The output package, when turned through 90.degree., so that the
gusseted side 27 becomes the bottom, has the appearance illustrated
in FIG. 13, with the handle 24 being at the center of what is now
the top of the generally rectangular package.
Returning now to FIGS. 1 and 2, after a sleeve 20 has been picked
up and spread open by the pick-up means 80 and spreader means 90,
as just described, carrier 70 is moved, as by piston and cylinder
75, toward the pick-up mechanism 80 until it is over the supply
stack and occupies the same lateral plane as the pick-up mechanism
80. This position is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. The sleeve
carrier 70 is shown to have a pair of arms 73, each carrying three
suction tubes 71. The spacing between arms 73 of the carrier 70 is
greater than the spacing between the pick-up arms 83. After the
carrier 70 reaches the lateral position illustrated in FIGS. 4 and
5, the carrier 70 is lowered, as by piston 74, until the suction
tubes 71 engage the surface 26 of the picked-up sleeve 20, as
illustrated in FIG. 6. As soon as the surface 26 of sleeve 20 is
held by the suction tubes 71 of the carrier 70, the suction in the
pick-up tubes 82 is cut-off, and the sleeve 20 is released, so far
as the pick-up mechanism 80 is concerned. The carrier 70 is then
withdrawn, away from the supply stack and pick-up mechanism 80,
into the position seen in FIG. 1. The sleeve carrier 70 is then, by
means of a cross-carriage 105 which, as seen in FIG. 2, rides on
cross-rails 106, moved in a transverse direction until the carrier
70 is in line with the jaws of the spout mechanism. The
cross-carriage 105 is shown to be moved by piston and cylinder
107.
In the dual arrangement shown in FIG. 1, when the carrier 70 is so
moved crosswise, the other sleeve carrier 70A is moved
simultaneously from the center position to a side position in line
with the other supply stack 20A. Then, when the carrier 70 moves
its sleeve 20 into an encircling position over the closed jaws of
the spout S, the carrier 70A may be moved into position over the
supply stack to receive a wrapper 20A which has been picked up and
opened by the pick-up means 80A and spreader means 90A. The dual
arrangement illustrated in FIG. 1 permits faster wrapping and
increased output.
FIG. 12 is a schematic representation of a single machine which is
similar to that of the dual machine of FIG. 1 except that the
apparatus of FIG. 12 has but one supply stack of sleeve wrappers,
one pick-up mechanism, one spreader mechanism, and one carrier
mechanism.
FIGS. 14 and 15 are schematic representations of a modified machine
which is also generally similar to that of the apparatus of FIGS. 1
and 12 but which is different in certain respects as will now be
described. In the machine of FIGS. 14 and 15, a single supply stack
of wrappers 20 is located in line with the center axis of the
machine, i.e., in line with the path along which the units to be
wrapped are advanced. The single supply stack of wrappers 20 is
positioned just in front of the discharge ends of the jaws 40 and
50 of the spout mechanism. Separate pick-up mechanism, such as
mechanism 80 of FIGS. 1 and 12, is not required in the machine of
FIGS. 14 and 15 since the picking up of the flat sleeve from the
supply stack is done by a combined pick-up and carrier 170.
The pick-up and carrier 170 is provided with two sets of suction
tubes, each set being separately supported. The one set consists of
four suction tubes 82. The ends of these tubes 82 contact first the
top sleeve of the supply stack. The other set consists of six
suction tubes 71 carried by pistons 78. After the carrier 170 has
been lowered, as by the piston 185, the set of suction tubes 82
contact and pick up the top sleeve 20 in a manner generally similar
to that described and illustrated in FIG. 3.
The spreader arm mechanism 90, which occupies a position above the
discharge end of the jaws 40 and 50 of the spout mechanism, is
elevated and lowered as by piston 186. After the sleeve has been
picked up by the suction tubes 82, the spreader arms 92, 93 are
lowered and moved to cause the arms to enter the picked-up sleeve.
The arms are then spread in the manner previously described with
respect to the apparatus of FIG. 1, and as is illustrated in FIG.
6. The pistons 78 then lower the second set of suction tubes 71
into contact with the picked-up spread sleeve 20 and the tubes 71
take hold of the sleeve 20. Suction is then cut-off in the tubes
82. The spreader arms 92, 93 are withdrawn and the spreader
mechanism is raised by piston 186 to allow the carrier 170 to be
moved, as by piston 116, in the direction of the jaws 40, 50 until
the sleeve 20 suspended from the carrier 170 is in encircling
position about the closed jaws of the spout mechanism. After the
sleeve is filled with a unit of expanded material, the carrier 170
is withdrawn by piston 116 from its position over the jaws 40, 50
to the position over the supply stack, after which the carrier 170
is further withdrawn, as by piston 118, to a position over the
output conveyor 100. The suction in tubes 71 is then cut-off and
the package dropped on to the conveyor 100, as indicated in phantom
in FIG. 14.
* * * * *