U.S. patent number 3,668,818 [Application Number 05/108,401] was granted by the patent office on 1972-06-13 for semi-automatic closure applicator.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Kwik Lok Corporation. Invention is credited to Jack H. Holmes.
United States Patent |
3,668,818 |
Holmes |
June 13, 1972 |
SEMI-AUTOMATIC CLOSURE APPLICATOR
Abstract
A power-cycled machine triggered by the manual vertical
presentation thereto of a bunched bag neck, to apply in confining
relation to said neck a "Kwik Lok" type of bag closure. The machine
receives closures in strip form, each closure having a narrow
forward opening connecting with a heart-shaped closure aperture
forming jaws preventing escape of the bag neck forced through said
opening into said aperture. This strip is advanced during the
second half of each cycle to feed the foremost closure into a slot
in a closure applying rocker with the latter rocked upwardly into
horizontal position. As the cycle is concluded, the rocker is
rocked 60.degree. downward to thus incline downward the foremost
closure. The next cycle is initiated by presenting a vertically
bunched bag neck manually to the middle of the rocker, the bag neck
engaging a trigger starting the motor which rocks the rocker to
swing the foremost closure back up to horizontal position, thus
flexing the jaws thereof about the bunched bag neck and trapping
the latter in the closure aperture. The motor automatically stops
when this occurs, and starts again to complete the cycle when the
closed bag is pulled forwardly to separate the foremost closure
from the strip. The next following closure then becomes the
foremost in the strip and is automatically fed into the rocker and
swung downwardly 60.degree. in readiness to be applied to a bag in
the next following cycle. An automatic indexer prevents escape
rearwardly of the foremost closure while being applied to a bag
neck. The indexer also secures the balance of the closure strip
against being pulled forwardly by the separation of the closure on
the bag from the rest of the closure strip. Provision is also made
for optionally feeding through the machine bare closures in strip
form or strips of such closures having labels glued on the
individual closures. The machine also has a printer for printing
dates or code markings on the individual closures or labels as they
pass through the machine.
Inventors: |
Holmes; Jack H. (Cowichi,
WA) |
Assignee: |
Kwik Lok Corporation (Yakima,
WA)
|
Family
ID: |
22321984 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/108,401 |
Filed: |
February 8, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
53/67; 53/131.3;
53/135.3; 53/131.5; 53/138.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B
51/043 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65B
51/00 (20060101); B65B 51/04 (20060101); B65b
051/00 (); B65b 057/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;53/14,67,137,138,138A,198A |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Condon; Theron E.
Assistant Examiner: Abrams; Neil
Claims
I claim:
1. In a device for applying to a bunched bag neck, or the like, a
closure made of stiff but springy sheet plastic and having a narrow
forward opening connecting with an inner aperture to form jaws
which resist escape of a bag neck enclosed within said aperture,
the combination of:
a rocker pivoted on an axis and having a slot parallel with and
close to said axis and extending through said rocker transversely
of said axis, said slot being adapted to receive and closely
confine one of said closures with the forward opening thereof at an
end of said slot which is relatively remote from said axis,
said rocker having also formed therein, intersecting said slot, a
bag neck receiving recess,
said recess admitting a bunched bag neck into close proximity with
said closure and guiding the bag neck into longitudinal alignment
with the opening and aperture of said closure, and
means for rocking said rocker toward a bunched bag neck held
stationary in said recess, while a closure is trapped in said slot,
to cause said rocker to flex the jaws of said closure about said
neck thereby applying said closure to said bag neck.
2. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein are provided
powered cycle means which successively
rocks said rocker from a primary position to a secondary position
thereby applying a closure already in said rocker to a bunched bag
neck held in said recess,
halts operation of said means pending withdrawal of said bag neck
and applied closure from said rocker, and then
resumes operation to feed another closure into said rocker,
reversely rock said rocker to said primary position and halt
operation of said means.
3. The combination recited in claim 2 wherein is provided
trigger means responsive to introduction of a bunched bag neck into
said rocker recess to start said powered cycle means in the
performance of a new bag closing cycle.
4. In a device for applying to a bunched bag neck, or the like, a
closure made of stiff but springy sheet plastic and having a narrow
forward opening connecting with an inner aperture to form jaws
which resist escape of a bag neck enclosed within said aperture,
the combination of:
a rocker pivoted on an axis, said rocker being shaped to receive
one of said closures to support the same in a plane parallel with
and close to said axis, said support being applied to said closure
along the side edges thereof but leaving a free space beneath said
jaws, said rocker also being shaped to leave a free space in axial
alignment with and directly above said closure to accommodate a
bunched bag neck aligned with said closure and held stationary in
juxtaposition therewith, and
means for rocking said rocker while said space above said closure
is occupied by such a stationary bunched bag neck to rotate said
closure about said axis and towards said bunched bag neck to apply
said jaws to opposite sides of the latter whereby said jaws are
flexed around said bunched bag neck to trap the latter in said
aperture.
5. The combination recited in claim 4 wherein are provided
means responsive to the juxtaposing of a bunched bag neck in
overlying relation with said closure to set in motion said means
for rocking said rocker to apply said closure to said bunched bag
neck.
6. The combination recited in claim 5 wherein are provided
means for automatically delivering another closure into said
supported relation with said rocker at the close of each cycle in
which said rocker has been rocked to apply a closure to a bunched
bag neck.
7. The combination recited in claim 4 wherein
said rocker is adapted to receive and support a closure having a
label glued thereon and apply said closure to a bunched bag neck as
recited without disturbing the connection between said closure and
label.
8. The combination recited in claim 6 wherein
printing means is associated with said closure feed means whereby
said closures are automatically printed on as they are fed towards
said rocker so that each said closure has an indicia printed
thereon by said means when it is applied to a bunched bag neck.
9. The combination recited in claim 4 wherein
said rocker is provided with slot means in the plane in which said
rocker supports said closure along the side edges thereof,
said slot means extending transversely through said rocker, a
closure receiving end of said slot means being located close to
said axis,
said slot means having a lengthwise dimension approximately equal
to that of said closure.
10. The combination recited in claim 9 wherein
said rocker is positioned to incline said slot means and a closure
confined therein downwardly at the start of a closure applying
cycle, and is positioned with said slot means approximately
horizontal at the point in said cycle where said closure has been
applied to said bag neck,
means for feeding a closure into said slot means, and
means automatically causing said closure feed means to function
immediately following the withdrawal from said slot means of a
closure applied to a bag neck to feed another closure into said
rocker and to do this while said slot means is still approximately
horizontally disposed.
11. The combination recited in claim 10 wherein
said closure feed means embraces a horizontal guide means having a
guide channel for guiding a strip of said closures, united end to
end by frangible webs, on the same level as the receiving end of
said slot means when the latter is approximately horizontally
disposed, whereby
a foremost closure of said strip is fed directly from said channel
into said slot means of said rocker.
12. The combination recited in claim 11 wherein
automatic indexing means is provided to hold the next closure in
said strip from forward movement while the foremost closure, just
applied to a bag neck, is being withdrawn from said rocker by
pulling on said bag neck and thus parting the webs connecting it to
said next closure.
13. The combination recited in claim 12 wherein
a strip guide plate yieldably overlies said strip guide channel to
confine said strip therein,
said strip yielding to slidably admit labels glued on upper faces
of the closures of said strip and substantially wider than said
closures,
said slot means in said rocker providing a central, closure
accommodating guide way, therebeing
laterally extending slots in said rocker for accommodating said
labels.
14. The combination recited in claim 13 wherein said indexing means
includes
a lug extended by said means into a void in said closure strip,
when a strip of bare closures occupies said guide channel, and
a smooth braking surface pressurally applied by said
indexing means to a label carried by a next-to-the-foremost closure
of a strip of label carrying closures occupying said guide channel.
Description
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Fully automatic power driven closure applicators have been
heretofore available which receive Kwik Lok type closures in strip
form and apply these successively to the necks of polyethylene bags
containing products of various kinds and conveyor-fed to the
machine. Hand powered semi-automatic machines have also been
provided to which this type of bag closures have been fed in strip
form which positions the leading closure in the strip and properly
supports the same so that the operator may manually apply the
bunched neck of the bag vertically to the foremost closure in the
strip so that the jaws of the closure will be deflected to admit
the bag neck into the closure aperture, after which this closure
may be separated from the balance of the strip by pulling the bag
from the machine, this withdrawal operating to pull the strip
forward to properly position the next closure in the strip for
application to the next bag neck presented to the machine.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a
semi-automatic closure applicator the strip feeding and closure
applying functions of which are power driven, thus decreasing the
labor required and speeding up the operation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a
semi-automatic closure applicator which provides the ready option
to the operator of applying either the bare closure to a bag or to
apply to the bag a closure having a label glued to the closure.
A further object of the invention is to provide such a machine
having power actuated means for printing dates or code marks on the
closures or on the labels carried by closures being fed through the
machine.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the
invention showing the same in starting position with a strip of
plain Kwik Lok type closures threaded into operative position in
the machine.
FIG. 2 is a full scale view of a section of a strip of Kwik Lok
type bag closures such as is shown threaded into the machine in
FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a full scale view of a section of a strip of Kwik Lok
type closures, on the individual closures of which labels are glued
and a roll of which strip is provided on said machine for optional
threading into the machine for the application of label-carrying
closures to bag necks.
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the invention drawn
approximately to one-half scale.
FIG. 4A is an enlarged vertical sectional detail view taken on line
4A--4A in FIG. 4 and illustrates the guiding of a strip of naked
closures in the strip guide base.
FIG. 4B is a view similar to FIG. 4A showing a strip of label
bearing closures being so guided.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on
the line 5--5 of FIG. 4 and shows, approximately at full scale, the
parts of the invention at the beginning of a power cycle in the
application of the foremost naked closure of a strip of these being
fed into the machine, and shows in broken lines the manner in which
the bunched neck of a polyethylene bag is presented vertically to
the machine so as to trigger the latter in starting a power cycle
in which said foremost closure will be applied to said bag
neck.
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary left side elevational view of said machine
partly broken away and with the outer cover removed to show the
inner working parts thereof, the elements of the machine being
shown as these are related at the start of a power cycle, or at the
end of such a cycle.
FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 5 and illustrates the relationship
of the machine parts shown therein just before the conclusion of
the first quarter of a power cycle of the machine which results in
the motor being automatically stopped.
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary front elevational view of FIG. 7 taken on
line 8--8.
FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 7 and illustrates the starting of
the second operative portion of a power cycle by withdrawal of the
closed bag from the machine thereby separating from the front end
of the closure strip the closure just applied to said bag and
freeing the motor control trigger from the pressure of the bag,
thereby starting the motor.
FIG. 10 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 10--10 of
FIG. 6 and illustrates in plan the cam shaft and geared drive motor
of the invention.
FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 9 and shows the next succeeding
relationship between the parts in a power cycle of the machine in
which the strip indexer releases the strip from downward pressure
thereagainst and the closure strip pick is retracted the length of
a single closure and is spring pressed upwardly into position for
starting a feeding stroke.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the rocker corresponding to the
sectional view of FIG. 7.
FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 11 and illustrates the conclusion
of the closure strip feeding stroke with the indexer still
lifted.
FIG. 14 is a view similar to FIG. 13 and shows the closing of the
indexer on the strip after the strip feeding movement is completed
and while the rocker jaw is just starting to return downwardly to
its cycle closing position shown in FIG. 5.
FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the rocker corresponding to the
sectional view of FIG. 5, with a bag neck starting a closing
cycle.
FIG. 16 is a diagrammatic fragmentary vertical sectional view taken
on the line 16--16 of FIG. 10 and illustrates the operation of the
rocker actuating cam.
FIG. 17 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the rocker as
rocked upwardly by said cam.
FIG. 18 is a fragmentary sectional operational view, taken on line
18--18 of FIG. 10, of the closure strip feed cam and shows the
strip pick in its most advanced strip feeding position.
FIG. 19 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the retraction
of said strip feed pick by said cam and also illustrates the
release finger for releasing said pick when it is desired to
withdraw a strip of closures from the machine.
FIG. 20 is a diagrammatic sectional operational view, taken on line
20--20 of FIG. 10, of the strip indexer operating cam, this view
showing the indexer applying pressure downwardly on the front end
portion of a strip of bare closures being fed through the
machine.
FIG. 21 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 21--21 of
FIG. 4 and illustrates the indexer neutralizing latch.
FIG. 22 is a diagrammatic vertical sectional view taken on the line
22--22 of FIG. 10 and illustrates the power actuated switches of
the motor control system of the invention.
FIG. 23 is a diagram of the electrical wiring of the invention.
FIG. 24 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view similar to FIG. 9
but shows the machine applying label equipped closures to bags and
with the indexer reversed to apply pressure to the labels which
cover the closures.
FIG. 25 is a front edge view of a label equipped closure shown in
full lines as it is being withdrawn from the closure flexing rocker
of the invention as shown in FIG. 24 with the rocker shown in
broken lines so as to clearly distinguish between the two and
illustrates how a space is provided in said rocker for optionally
handling a strip of bare closures as well as a strip, the
individual closures of which have labels glued thereto.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The machine 30 shown in perspective in FIG. 1 has a sheet metal
frame 31 with open sides which are covered by housing plates 32 and
33. The frame 31 includes a bottom plate 34 which is supported on
four rubber feet 35 and is bent upwardly at its front and rear
edges to provide front and rear end walls 36 and 37. Front wall 36
is lower than the back wall and the upper edges of both said walls
are bent towards each other to form support flanges 38 and 39.
Mounted on support flange 38 is a pair of short posts 40, the upper
ends of which are level with support flange 39 and combine with the
latter to support a strip guide base 45 which is formed of sheet
metal the sides of which are bent upwardly to form left and right
side walls 46 and 47. The strip guide base 45 extends for about
one-third of its length forwardly beyond front end wall 36 and has
notches 48 formed in the front end thereof as clearly shown in FIG.
4. Milled in the upper surface of the strip guide base 45
throughout its length is a closure strip guide channel 49.
Resting on top of strip guide base 45 and loosely secured thereto
by bolts 50 is a strip guide cover plate 51. The rear edge of this
plate is flared at 52 and the plate is provided centrally with a
series of slots 53, 54 and 55 which are spaced from each other by
webs 56 and 57, slot 55 opening from the front end of cover plate
51 which is flush with the front end of strip guide base 45. The
front corners of cover plate 51 are notched at 58 as clearly shown
in FIG. 4.
Formed centrally in the strip guide base 45 which is to say in the
middle of strip guide channel 49, near the front end of the latter,
is a pick receiving slot 59.
Secured at their upper ends to strip guide base 45 and at their
lower ends to a bag neck guide shoe 60 are four posts 61 which are
equal in length to posts 40 whereby the shoe 60 is supported on the
same level as support flange 38 on the front wall 36. The shoe 60
is bent upwardly at 65 at an angle of 30.degree. and is then bent
reversely at a similar angle at 66 to form a pair of horizontal
guide arms 67, the inner edges 68 of which diverge at an angle of
60.degree., these edges terminating at their rear ends in the side
walls of a slot 69 which extends from the bend 66 to the bend 65
where said slot terminates in a circular end portion 70. Formed
centrally in the shoe 60 is a pair of slots 75 for receiving bolts
76 which loosely mount a switch actuating bar 77 for free endwise
sliding movement on the shoe 60 and with the front end of bar 77
extending about a half inch forwardly of the rear end of the slot
69 when said bar is in its most advanced position on said shoe. The
rear end portion of bar 77 extends through a suitable slot formed
in the upper edge of front frame wall 36 and is provided with a
coil spring 78 which biases said bar into its forward position
whenever said bar is disengaged. The rear end portion 79 of bar 77
is inclined upwardly to have a camming relation with the arm 80 of
a switch 81 mounted on a bracket 82 which is secured to the inner
face of frame wall 36.
Secured to the front corner portions of strip guide base 45 in the
areas thereof uncovered by notches 58, in front corners of strip
guide cover plate 51, by bolts 83, is a pair of bearing arms 84.
These arms have aligned pins 85 on which a closure rocker 90 is
pivotally mounted. This element is preferably die-molded of
bakelite and includes end heads 91 which are recessed in the planes
of bearing arms 84 to receive the latter and also have bores to
receive the pins 85 so as to rockably support the rocker 90 on the
axis of these pins. The end heads 91 are also recessed in the
planes of bearing arms 84 to receive the apertured forward ends of
a pair of turnbuckle pitmen 92 which underlie side portions of
strip guide base 45. The rocker heads 91 are also provided with
bores to receive a pin 93 which extends transversely entirely
through rocker 90 and the opposite end portions thereof penetrate
the apertured ends of pitmen 92 so as to pivotally connect said
pitmen with the rocker on the axis of said pin.
The axis of the pins 85 approximately coincides with the front edge
of the strip guide base 45 so that this axis is somewhat eccentric
relative to the mass of the rocker 90. Forwardly and downwardly
from said axis, the end heads 91 of the rocker 90 are connected by
a floor 94 and a downwardly extending wall 95 which is integral
with the rear edge of said floor. The floor 94 and the wall 95 are
reinforced by webs 96. A central portion of the floor 94 has an
arcuate channel 97 formed therein which is just wide enough and
slightly depressed at its side edges to neatly receive a Kwik Lok
type closure 98 within said channel so that the upper face of the
closure is flush with the upper face of floor 94 but the body of
the closure is unsupported except at its side edges and is thus
free to be flexed downwardly to the limits provided by the arcuate
channel 97 therebeneath. In the area of the channel 97 the floor 94
is recessed from the front end thereof to form a deep notch 99, the
purpose of which will be made clear hereinafter.
Extending inwardly from upper portions of the end heads 91 so as to
overlie substantial portions of the floor 94 are cantilever guides
100, the lower surfaces 101 of which are parallel with the floor 94
and closely spaced therefrom to form aligned slots 105 between said
guides and said floor on opposite sides of the arcuate channel 97.
Juxtaposed inner ends of the guides 100 overlie edge portions of
the channel 97 to loosely confine a closure 98 in said channel as
shown in FIG. 8. The juxtaposed ends of guides 100 are shaped to
flare outwardly away from each other as shown in FIG. 4 so as to
cooperate with the converging edges 68 of the guide arms 67 of the
shoe 60 to bunch a loose neck portion of a plastic bag when the
same is advanced into slot 69, the importance of which will be
pointed out in describing the operation of the machine.
Fixed on a shaft 106 which journals in suitable bearings provided
in side walls 46 and 47 is an index arm 107 having bends 108 and
109 therein so that when said arm is turned forwardly from shaft
106, an end portion 110 thereof will be horizontal. Outstruck
downwardly from the end portion 110 is a cylindrical stud 111 the
purpose of which will be made clear hereinafter. Extending upwardly
from the shaft 106 just outside right side wall 47 is an arm 112,
the upper end of which pivotally connects with the forward end of a
turnbuckle pitman 113.
Secured to left side wall 46 of strip guide base 45 is a printer
guide track 114 on which a roller 115 of a printing device 116 is
supported. Journalling in suitable bearings provided on walls 46
and 47 is a shaft 117 having an arm 118, the outer end of which
supports a rotary printing head 120 which is superimposed over slot
54 in the strip guide cover plate so that when it is depressed it
can print a selected indicia on a closure strip travelling in guide
channel 49. Pivotally mounted on the arm 118, concentrically with
the mounting of rotary printing head 120 on said arm, is a guide
arm 121 on the lower end of which roller 115 is rotatably mounted.
Pivotally mounted on the same axis with the roller 115 on guide arm
121 is an arm 122 the opposite end of which carries an inking
roller 123 which is spring biased by suitable spring means (not
shown) into inking contact with the rotary printing head 120.
Mounted on the outwardly extending end of shaft 117 is an arm 124,
with the outer end of which the upper end of a turnbuckle pitman
125 is pivotally connected. The lower end of pitman 125 is
pivotally connected to the outer end of a cam roller supporting
link 126 the opposite end of which is pivotally mounted on a
bracket 127 which is mounted on the inner face of front end wall
36. Link 126 carries a cam roller 128 and is constantly biased
downwardly by a spring 129.
Mounted at one end on the bottom of the strip guide base 45 and
extending across this base and outwardly from the left hand side
thereof is a pick release arm 130 made of thin spring material.
Freely rotatable on a shaft 135 which is mounted at its opposite
ends on strip guide base side walls 46 and 47 is a cushion tired
roller 136 which is rotated by a closure strip travelling in guide
channel 49 and holds said strip in said channel. Mounted on right
side wall 47 on bolts 137 which are vertically aligned and extend
through slots 138 thereof is an indexer neutralizing latch 139, the
purpose of which will be made apparent hereinafter.
Referring now to FIGS. 6, 10, 14, 16, 18 and 20, the frame bottom
plate 34 has mounted thereon an electric motor 140 having a
solenoid stop mechanism 141, which halts rotation of the motor when
the same is deenergized, and a gear driven sprocket 142. Also fixed
on bottom plate 34 are main cam shaft bearing brackets 143 and 144
which carry ball bearings 145 in which a cam shaft 146 journals.
Fixed on cam shaft 146 is a driven sprocket 147 which is connected
to sprocket 142 by an endless chain 148. Also fixed on cam shaft
146 are cams 149, 150, 151 and 152. As shown in FIG. 6, the cam
roller 128 rides on cam 149 and the printing device 116 is thus
actuated by the rotation of said cam during each cycle of operation
of the machine 30. Journaling in brackets 160 and 161 is a shaft
162 on which are welded arms 163 and 164, the upper ends of these
arms being pivotally connected to the rear ends of turnbuckle
pitmen 92 (see FIG. 16). Mounted on arm 163 is cam roller 165 which
bears against cam 150.
Journalling in bearings provided by brackets 166 and 167 which are
mounted on the bottom plate 34 is a shaft 168 having arms 169 and
170 individually rotatable on said shaft. Rotatably mounted on arm
169 is a cam roller 175 which rests against cam 151. The upper ends
of arms 163 and 169 are connected together by a spring 176 so as to
constantly bias cam roller 165 against cam 150 and cam roller 175
against cam 151. Arm 169 has a bolt 177 at its upper end which
extends through an elongated slot 178 in a pick bar 179 so that the
pick bar is horizontally adjustable on the upper end of arm 169.
The spring 176 connects to an extension of the bolt 177. This bolt
also penetrates an apertured end of a turnbuckle 180, the opposite
end of which is connected by pin 181 to to the rear end of pick bar
179. The pin 181 is connected by a coil spring 182 to a pin 183
provided in arm 169 so as to spring bias the forward end of the
pick bar 179 upwardly. The front end of pick bar 179 has a pointed
end 184 which extends upwardly through the pick slot 59 and is
constantly biased by spring 182 into operative engagement with any
closure strip which may be fed along the closure strip guide
channel 49. The pick point 184 has two positions, a retracted
position as shown in FIG. 19 and a forwardly extended position as
shown in FIG. 18. The pick point 184 is constantly in operative
relation with a strip being fed through the machine excepting when
it is depressed by the pick neutralizer finger 130, which is shown
in FIG. 19 as depressing the pick point 184 to permit withdrawal of
a strip of closures from the machine.
Referring now to FIG. 20, the upper end of arm 170 is shown as
pivotally connected with the rear end of indexer turnbuckle pitman
113. Arm 170 is also provided with a cam following roller 185 which
is constantly biased towards cam 152 by a coil spring 190. The
upper end of arm 170 is in vertical alignment with the indexer
neutralizing latch 139, as shown in FIG. 21, when positioned as
shown in full lines in this view. When it is desired to neutralize
the indexer arm 107, the arm 170 is pulled rearwardly to lift the
arm 107 and the neutralizer 139 is shifted downwardly into the
broken-line position in which it is shown in FIG. 21 in which it
holds the indexer in a lifted inoperative relation with any closure
strip being fed through the machine. This is for the purpose of
freeing a closure strip when it is desired to remove this from the
machine for replacing it with a different kind of strip.
Referring now to FIGS. 10 and 22, a bracket 191 having contact
switches 192 and 193 mounted thereon is fixed in parallel spaced
relation with driven sprocket 147. This sprocket carries a switch
actuating lug 194 which successively engages the operating arms of
the switches 192 and 193 as the sprocket 147 rotates with the cam
shaft 146.
Referring now to the wiring diagram shown in FIG. 23, switches 192
and 193 are single poled switches each of which is closed when not
actuated by engagement by the lug 194 and is open when engaged by
said lug. Switch 81 is a double pole switch. Motor 140 has two
energizing circuits, C1 which contains switch 81 and switch 192,
and C2 which contains switch 81 and switch 193. When the machine 30
is halted, between operating cycles, the bar 77 is spring biased
forwardly as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, thus closing switch 81 on
circuit C1 and opening switch 81 on circuit C2. At this time lug
194 has opened switch 192 which interrupts circuit C1 so that both
circuits are interrupted and motor 140 is de-energized.
Rotatably mounted on a vertical bearing 195 provided on the rear
end wall 37 of the machine 30 is a standard 196 with suitable
indexing means (not shown) permitting said standard to be rotated
180.degree. from the position in which this is shown in FIG. 1. A
shaft 197, extending diametrically in opposite directions from the
upper end of standard 196, is provided at its outer ends with reels
198 and 199, the first of which is relatively narrow and
accommodates a roll 200 of Kwik Lok closures 98 which are bare of
labels and which is shown in FIG. 1 as oriented with the machine 30
and supplying a strip of such closures which is threaded through
the machine to place the latter in readiness for operation in
applying such bare closures one at a time to flexible polyethylene
bags 205. The reel 199 is somewhat wider than the reel 198 and
contains a roll 206 embodying a strip of closures 98, each
individual closure of which has a label 207 glued thereto.
It is to be noted that the closures 98 in either of the rolls 200
and 206 are united end-to-end in a strip 208 by adjacent closures
being connected by webs 209. Each closure 98 has a narrow opening
210 at the forward end thereof with flared edges to assist in
delivering a bag neck through said opening into an interior
aperture 211 with which said opening connects. This aperture may be
any shape but is preferably heart shaped as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3
to form inwardly pointed jaws 212 on each side of the opening 210.
These jaws are effective in resisting the removal of a closure 98
from any object to which it has been applied by introducing a
portion of the object or the entirety of it through the opening 210
into the aperture 211.
OPERATION
When threading the machine 30 with the strip 208 of closure 98 as
shown in FIG. 1, the pitman 113 may be pulled rearwardly to lift
the index arm 107 to form a clear space beneath this and held thus
elevated by use of the index neutralizing latch 139. The strip 208
of closure 98 is then uncoiled from the reel 198 and fed downwardly
under the cushioned roller 136, along the closure strip guide
channel 49 and underneath the strip guide cover plate 51 until this
strip reaches the front end of the strip guide base 45. The rocker
90 is then manually rocked upwardly against the biasing tension of
the spring 176 to place the slot 105 in horizontal position as
shown in FIG. 13 whereupon the strip 208 may be manually fed
forwardly to insert the endmost closure of the strip into the
rocker 90 after which the rocker may be relaxed allowing the spring
176 to rock this into its downward position in which it is shown in
FIG. 5. The latch 139 is then lifted to release indexer arm 107
causing this to be pressed down against the closure strip as shown
in FIG. 5.
The procedure just described is optional as the rocker 90 may be
provided with a closure 98 without neutralizing the indexer arm 107
and merely by pushing the strip along channel 49 until the front
end of the strip hits the lug 111 extending downwardly from indexer
arm 107 and then push the switch actuating bar 77 rearwardly to
engage the switch 81 so as to open this switch as to circuit C1 and
close it as to circuit C2 whereby the latter circuit will be
energized through normally closed switch 193 thereby starting the
motor 140 causing it to rotate cam shaft 146 in the direction of
the arrow shown adjacent thereto. As the shaft 146 starts to rotate
the switch operating lug 194 is moved out of contact with switch
192 and after the shaft 146 is rotated 90.degree. lug 194 engages
and opens switch 193 thereby de-energizing circuit C2 and stopping
the motor 140. This amount of movement of the cam shaft 146
operates to swing the rocker 90 from its depressed position as
shown in FIG. 5 to the position in which it is shown in FIG. 7 and
with the slot 105 practically in alignment with the closure strip
guide channel 49. The rocker 90 will still not have a closure
delivered thereto so pressure on the bar 77 will now be released
resulting in the same disengaging switch 81, causing this to close
as to circuit C1 whereby the latter circuit will be energized,
starting motor 140 and causing cam shaft 146 to rotate another
three quarters of a revolution until lug 194 engages switch 192 and
de-energizes circuit C1, thereby again stopping motor 140.
During the last mentioned three-quarter revolution of cam shaft
146, the guide strip indexer arm 107 is lifted and the pick bar 179
is retracted to the position in which this is shown in FIG. 11 and
then advances to deliver a closure 98 into the rocker 90 while the
latter is still in raised position as shown in FIG. 13. The rocker
then starts downward concluding with the rocker positioned as shown
in FIG. 5. During the final quarter revolution of the cam shaft 146
in any power cycle, the indexer arm 107 is returned downwardly into
engagement with the closure strip 208.
Where it is desired to print certain indicia on the individual
closures 98 to be applied to bags, the printing device 116 is
provided with the necessary type and ink so that it will print the
desired indicia on the closure directly beneath the roller printing
head 120 with each cycle of operation of the machine. The machine
will then be repeatedly cycled after a strip 208 of closures has
been fed into the machine as above described so that the closures
appearing between the printing device 116 and the rocker 90,
including the foremost closure fed into the latter, will all bear
the desired indicia before starting to apply closures to bags.
After the afore-described preparations have been completed, the
bunched neck of a loaded bag 205 will be manually fed, in vertical
position, into the middle of the rocker 90 as shown in broken lines
in FIG. 5, the lower portion of this bunched bag neck necessarily
engaging and shifting inwardly the switch trigger bar 77 which, as
above described, energizes the motor 140 and initiates the power
cycle which will automatically apply the foremost closure 98
contained in the rocker 90 to the bag neck 205. This application of
the closure to the bag neck is completed in the first 90.degree. of
rotation of cam shaft 146 which terminates with the halting of the
motor 140 after the rocker 90 has been tilted from its downward
position shown in FIG. 5 to its upper position shown in FIG. 7. It
is to be noted that no movement of the hands of the operator is
required in this application of a closure 98 to a bag 205, the
upward rotation of the rocker 90 power flexing the jaws 212 of the
closure about the bag neck following which the machine halts. This
inactivity continues so long as the operator is pressing the bag
neck against the front end of switch trigger 77. Immediately upon
the stopping of the machine, of course, the operator withdraws the
bag neck from the machine which pulls the closure applied to the
bag neck from the balance of the strip 208 by rupturing the webs
209 connecting the foremost closure to the next closure on the
strip. The presence of the indexer lug 111 directly in front of the
next foremost closure in the strip as shown in FIG. 7 prevents more
than the foremost closure being removed from the machine by
withdrawing the bag therefrom.
FIG. 9 shows how the closure just applied to the bag is separated
from the strip as the bag is removed from proximity with the rocker
90 thus freeing the switch actuating arm to return to its normally
forward biased position in which switch 81 is released from being
closed in circuit C2 and is automatically closed as to circuit C1
this combining with now closed switch 192 to energize motor 140
through circuit C1 causing a further three quarter revolution of
the cam shaft 146, during which indexer arm 107 is lifted and the
pick bar 179 is retracted to a position of readiness as illustrated
in FIG. 11.
FIG. 13 shows the completion of the strip feeding movement of the
pick bar 179 to advance the next foremost closure of the strip into
the rocker 90.
FIG. 14 shows the lowering of the index arm 107 into engagement
with the strip 208 at the front end of the strip guide base 45 and
the start downward of the closure rocker 90 which terminates, when
the motor stops, with this rocker depressed as shown in FIG. 5.
Having described the operation of the machine 30 in applying bare
closures 98 to the necks of plastic bags 205, the mode by which
label bearing closures 98 are applied to such bags will now be
pointed out.
If the machine 30 is threaded as shown in FIG. 1 with a bare
closure strip 200, the first step in changing over, is to rock the
indexer arm 107 upwardly, then swing arm 107 backward to force arm
112 downwardly over dead center, while depressing neutralizer latch
139 in the way of arm 170 to halt arm 107, now extending rearwardly
from its shaft 106, with arm 107 spaced upward from contact with
the closure strip 200. The control bar 77 is now shifted rearward
to cause machine 30 to operate for a quarter cycle and stop. The
main switch of the machine (not shown) is now opened to de-energize
the motor 140, with the rocker 90 rotated to align slots 105 with
strip guide channel 49. The closure pick release finger 130 is now
depressed to disengage the pick bar from closure strip 200 and the
reel 198 is rotated to withdraw strip 200 from the machine and wind
it up on said reel where the loose end of the strip can be taped
down. Pressure on the pick release finger 130 may now be
relaxed.
The standard 196 is now released from its indexing means and
rotated 180.degree. to position reel 199 in alignment with strip
guide channel 49. The strip 206 of label bearing closures carried
by reel 199 is now unrolled and threaded into the machine 30. The
closures 98 per se are accommodated by the strip guide channel 49
and the labels 207 support the guide plate 51 which is only loosely
superimposed on the strip feed base 45 by bolts 50, as shown in
FIGS. 4A and 4B. The guide plate 51 thus confines the entire label
bearing strip 206 in its guided relation with channel 49 and with
only a slight retarding action due to the friction produced by the
weight of guide plate 51 resting on the labels 207.
When the foremost closure 98 in strip 206 extends just to the front
end of strip feed base 45, the index neutralizer 139 may be lifted
and the main switch may be closed. This energizes motor 140 to
accomplish the remaining three quarters of the cycle already
started before turning off the main switch, thereby feeding the
label bearing closure strip 206 forward the length of one closure
to deliver the foremost closure into rocker slots 105 and then rock
the rocker downward to its cycle starting position shown in FIG. 5,
where the motor 140 automatically stops.
It is to be noted in FIG. 24 that the smooth elbow 108 of the
reversely functioning indexer arm 107 comes to rest rearwardly and
downwardly against a multiple layer of labels 207, the uppermost of
which is the label glued to the next to the foremost closure 98 of
the strip 206. By pinching this label, indexer arm 107 holds the
closure to which said label is glued against forward movement when
the foremost closure is pulled from the machine, with the bag to
which it has been applied.
The machine 30 will now function to apply a label bearing closure
to a bunched bag neck by almost exactly the same cycle as
previously described for applying a naked closure. The difference
between the two cycles is found in the mode of indexing the next to
the foremost closure to prevent its yielding to the pull applied
thereto in withdrawing the foremost closure from rocker 90. This
mode is necessarily different because the closures 98 in strip 206
are covered by the labels 207 and application of indexer lug 111 to
the labels would deface these. This is why the indexing function in
applying label bearing closures in machine 30 is performed by the
smooth elbow 108 of indexer arm 107 being applied to the label 107
which is glued onto the next to the foremost closure in strip 206
as shown in FIG. 24.
If the printing device 116 is used when applying label equipped
closures to bags in operating the machine 30, the imprint must be
made on successive labels of the strip 206 as this is fed beneath
the printer.
To clear the machine of label bearing closures in order to return
to the application of bare closures to bags, the same procedure is
followed as in clearing the machine of a strip 200 of bare closures
and described above, excepting that the indexer arm 107 is now
lifted from behind its shaft 106 and rocked forwardly over that
shaft before applying the neutralizer latch 139 to cam arm 170 to
neutralize the indexer arm 107 during the withdrawal of the label
bearing closure strip 206 from the guide channel 49. This
withdrawal operation having been completed, the standard 196 is
rotated 180.degree. to return it to the position in which this is
shown in FIG. 1. This brings the bare closure strip 200 in
alignment with the strip guide channel 49 whereby the strip 200 may
now be threaded into said channel as above described to ready the
machine 30 for applying bare closures to plastic bags.
* * * * *