U.S. patent number 3,704,566 [Application Number 05/145,241] was granted by the patent office on 1972-12-05 for method and apparatus for packing vertically stacked coins, stamps and other stacked articles in a shrinking film.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Firma F. Zimmermann & Co.. Invention is credited to Gert Zimmermann.
United States Patent |
3,704,566 |
Zimmermann |
December 5, 1972 |
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKING VERTICALLY STACKED COINS, STAMPS
AND OTHER STACKED ARTICLES IN A SHRINKING FILM
Abstract
The film is fed from the roll longitudinally in a direction
transverse to the stack length, and the stack is pushed into the
film to form a relatively large film loop corresponding to the
lateral peripheral dimension of the stack, with the stack being
clamped in the film loop with the free loop ends overlapped in
superposition with each other and extending substantially
tangentially of the loop. The free ends are formed by severing the
loop from the continuous length of film after wrapping of the stack
in the film. The free ends may be sealed to each other. The wrapped
stack is then turned into a substantially horizontal orientation
with the free loop ends down, and the film loop is shrunk around
the stack while maintaining such substantially horizontal
orientation of the wrapped stack. The wrapped stack is fed to a
heating furnace, for shrinking of the film, by a conveyor which is
inclined laterally of its direction of movement, and pivoted angle
levers are provided to push against the lower ends of the stacks to
align the articles in the stack in superposition with each
other.
Inventors: |
Zimmermann; Gert (Berlin,
DT) |
Assignee: |
Firma F. Zimmermann & Co.
(Berlin, DT)
|
Family
ID: |
5773670 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/145,241 |
Filed: |
May 20, 1971 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Jun 6, 1970 [DT] |
|
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P 20 28 789.2 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
53/397; 53/212;
53/442; 53/557; 53/466; 53/586 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B
11/32 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65B
11/32 (20060101); B65B 11/06 (20060101); B65b
011/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;53/30,33,184,212 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: McGehee; Travis S.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. In a method for packing vertically stacked coins, stamps and
similar articles in a shrinking film which is wider than the stack
length and which is shrunk after it has been wrapped around the
stack, the improvement comprising the steps of pushing the stack
into the film transversely of the latter to form a relatively large
film loop corresponding to the lateral peripheral dimension of the
stack; clamping the stack in the film loop with the free loop ends
overlapped in superposition with each other and extending
substantially tangentially of the loop; turning the wrapped stack
into a substantially horizontal orientation with the free loop ends
down; and shrinking the film loop around the stack while
maintaining the substantially horizontal orientation of the wrapped
stack.
2. The improved method, as claimed in claim 1, in which an
initially substantially continuous strip of film is fed
longitudinally in a direction transverse to the stack length; and,
after clamping the stack in the film loop, severing the film loop
from the film strip to provide such free loop ends overlapped in
superposition with each other and extending substantially
tangentially of the severed loop.
3. The improved method, as claimed in claim 1, in which the free
loop ends are held closed by the weight of the stack until the film
loop is shrunk around the stack.
4. The improved method, as claimed in claim 1, in which the loop
ends are sealed before the wrapped stack is turned into such
substantially horizontal orientation.
5. The improved method, as claimed in claim 1, in which, after
turning of the wrapped stack into a substantially horizontal
orientation, and before shrinking of the film loop around the
stack, the wrapped stack is transported along a longitudinal path
in a direction perpendicular to the stack length, and with the
wrapped stack substantially inclined laterally of its direction of
travel; and, during such travel of the inclined wrapped stack,
exerting a push against an end of the wrapped stack upwardly in the
direction of inclination of the wrapped stack and longitudinally of
the stack.
6. In apparatus for packing vertically stacked coins, stamps and
similar articles in a shrinking film which is wider than the stack
length and which is shrunk after it has been wrapped around the
stack, and of the type including a stacking device whose stacking
axis is oriented substantially vertically, a holding device for the
stack to be wrapped, a feeding device, and a severing device for
the film, the improvement comprising, in combination, plural
vertically oriented stacking cages arranged at substantially equal
angular intervals along a circular path of movement; driving means
operable to step said stacking cages, intermittently and
conjointly, along said circular path of movement between holding
positions of the stacking cages and from a loading station into an
unloading station; cam means operatively associated with said
stacking cages and operable to open and to close such stacking
cages at preselected locations along said circular path of
movement; said stacking device being arranged outside the path of
movement of such stacking cages at a holding position of a stacking
cage; means guiding said film between said stacking device and a
then opened stacking cage at the holding position adjacent such
stacking device; and stack pusher means adjacent said stacking
device operable to push a stack from said stacking device into the
opened stacking cage then adjacent said stacking device; the stack
pushed into the opened stacking cage by said stack pusher means
carrying the film along with it, as a film loop, into the opened
stacking cage.
7. The improved apparatus, as claimed in claim 6, including a
rotatable vertically oriented drive shaft at the center of said
circular path of movement; said shaft and said stacking cages
conjointly forming a rotor which is stepped by said driving
means.
8. The improved apparatus, as claimed in claim 7, in which each
stacking cage comprises two vertically oriented front holding bars,
substantially vertically oriented ejector bars rearwardly of said
holding bars, and radial guide bars adjacent its lower end; means
mounting said front holding bars for movement toward and away from
each other to close and open the respective stacking cage; means
biasing said front holding bars to a stack closing position; said
front holding bars being displaceable away from each other, upon
pushing of a stack into an opened stacking cage, in correspondence
with the lateral dimensions of the stack; said ejector bars being
displaceable, in parallel relation to each other, along said radial
guide bars; and restoring force means biasing said ejector bars
toward said front holding bars; said ejector bars being
displaceable along said radial guide bars in a direction away from
said front holding bars in accordance with the lateral dimensions
of a stack pushed into the respective stacking cage; said ejector
bars being mounted on said radial guide bars for radially outwardly
and downwardly tilting of said ejector bars by said restoring force
means when the respective stacking cage is opened.
9. The improved apparatus, as claimed in claim 8, in which each
stacking cage includes upper and lower pairs of shear members;
respective vertically oriented pivots on said rotor for each shear
member; each holding bar extending between and being connected to
respective upper and lower shear members; respective spring means
biasing the shear members of each pair in a stacking cage closing
direction; two identical in-phase cams, one mounted at the top and
the other mounted at the bottom of said rotor; and respective
rollers operatively interconnecting the shear members of each pair
and each engaged with the adjacent respective cam.
10. The improved apparatus, as claimed in claim 8, including
respective carrier plates each secured to the lower ends of the
ejector bars of a respective stacking cage; the radial guide bars
of each cage including respective upper and lower vertically
aligned radial guide bars; each carrier plate having a pair of
vertically spaced and aligned apertures therethrough each receiving
a respective guide bar, the diameter of said apertures being in
excess of that of the associated guide bars to provide for tilting
of each carrier plate on its associated radial guide bars; said
restoring force means comprising respective leaf springs each
engaging an associated carrier plate and biasing the latter to tilt
radially outwardly and downwardly.
11. The improved apparatus, as claimed in claim 8, in which said
radial guide bars are elongated U-shaped radial guide bars having
their legs lying in the same vertical plane and interconnected by a
web bight disposed substantially in the plane of the front holding
bars of the associated stacking cage.
12. The improved apparatus, as claimed in claim 9, in which said
upper and lower cams have cam surfaces cooperable with the rollers
of the adjacent pairs of shear members to positively close the
stacking cages, after they have been opened at the loading station,
at the start of the following stepping of the cages, and to open
such stacking cages positively only at the unloading station; said
cam surfaces providing, at the loading station, pivotal separation
of said holding bars in correspondence with the lateral dimension
of the stack pushed into the stacking cage then at the loading
station.
13. The improved apparatus, as claimed in claim 7, in which the
stacking cages are arranged on said rotor in pairs, with the
stacking cages of each pair being diametrically opposite each
other; said loading station being diametrically opposite said
unloading station along said circular path of movement; whereby,
when one stacking cage of a pair is at said loading station, the
other stacking cage of the pair is at said unloading station; said
severing device being positioned between said loading station and a
following severing station and being spaced further from said
loading station then from said severing station; and a spring
biased pivotally mounted sealing bar positioned substantially
one-half step beyond said severing station and in a position to
contact the stacking cages moving along said circular path of
movement; said sealing bar acting as an abutment for the sealing of
the free film loop ends during their passage past said sealing
bar.
14. The improved appratus, as claimed in claim 7, including a
rocker positioned at said unloading station in radially spaced
relation to said rotor; means mounting said rocker for reciprocal
pivoting about a horizontal axis between a vertical position and a
horizontal position; a trough carried by said rocker; and an
endless conveyor belt extending from said rocker to a heating
furnace for shrinking the film loop; said trough, in the vertical
position of said rocker, receiving a wrapped stack ejected from an
opened stacking cage at said unloading station and, in the
horizontal position of said rocker, transferring the wrapped stack,
with the film loop ends down, onto said endless conveyor belt.
15. The improved apparatus, as claimed in claim 14, in which said
stacked pusher means comprises a stack pusher at said unloading
station; means interconnecting said stack pusher and said rocker
and operable to pivot said rocker from a vertical position into a
horizontal position responsive to operation of said stack pusher in
a direction to push a stack into an opened stack cage then at said
loading station; means mounting said trough on said rocker for
tilting, against the bias of restoring spring means, about a pivot
axis extending longitudinally of said trough; a fixedly positioned
stop beneath said trough in the substantially horizontal position
of said rocker, and means on said trough engageable with said stop
to tilt said trough during movement of said rocker into its
horizontal position to transfer the stack on the trough to said
endless conveyor belt.
16. The improved apparatus, as claimed in claim 14, in which said
endless conveyor belt is inclined transversely of its direction of
movement; said conveyor belt comprising longitudinally spaced and
substantially parallel stack receiving rollers rotatably supported
by a pair of laterally spaced endless conveyor elements; stop
angles mounted along the entire length of said endless conveyor
belt; each stop angle including a short arm and a long arm; means
pivotally mounting each short arm, at its free end, between a
respective pair of adjacent stack receiving rollers for pivoting
about an axis extending longitudinally of said conveyor belt; said
endless conveyor extending through the heating furnace; and a curve
track extending along only the upper run of said endless conveyor
and through the heating furnace; the longer arms of said stop
angles engaging said curve track as said stop angles move from the
lower run of said endless conveyor belt into the upper run thereof;
said curve track pivoting said stop angles from an initially
horizontal position into a vertical position adjacent the lower
lateral edge of said endless conveyor to engage, align and push
together the articles in wrapped stacks on the upper run of said
endless conveyor belt.
17. The improved apparatus, as claimed in claim 14, in which the
two arms of each lever are joined at a right-angled knee engageable
with the lower end of a wrapped stack on the upper run of said
endless conveyor belt.
18. The improved apparatus, as claimed in claim 16, in which said
stop angles are pivotally mounted on a twistable flexible wire
extending longitudinally of said endless conveyor belt adjacent the
lower side edge thereof.
19. The improved apparatus, as claimed in claim 16, in which said
curve track is a portion of an angle guiding track including a pair
of spaced parallel guide rails extending completely through the
heating furnace and coextensive with said endless conveyor; said
guide rails maintaining said longer legs in the vertical position
throughout the travel of the stop angles through the heating
furnace to maintain the stacked articles aligned and pushed
together during shrinking of the film loops thereon.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A shrinking film, used in wrapping stacked articles, has the
characteristic that, by suitable treatment, it shrinks around the
stack on which it has been initially loosely wrapped, with
projecting parts of the film folding around the corners of the
stack. The shrinking generally is effected by heating the film and,
for this purpose, the film-wrapped stack is placed in a heating
furnace. Such wrapping of a coin stack in a shrinking film with
subsequent shrinking of the film around the stack by heating is
known. Known coin packing apparatus uses, for this purpose, a tube
of shrinking film whose end is flat-pressed and sealed. Such a
tube, which is closed at one end, receives a predetermined number
of coins, after which the open end of the tube is likewise pressed
flat and welded above the coins.
In packing coins, it is also known to use a film bag which is
already closed on one edge and which is welded closed on the other
edge, or to enclose the coins in a cushion-like envelope and to
deposit the coin rolls on endless conveyor belts and to feed them
to a shrinking furnace. The above-mentioned envelopes have the
effect that the coins are not always properly aligned, so that
bulges can form on the bag, on the tube, or on the cushion when the
film material is shrunk.
A known apparatus for aligning coins enclosed in an envelope
utilizes an electromagnetically operated stop arm which
intermittently and pulsatingly impacts the coin roll in the sealed
bag when it passes by the arm. However, this apparatus must be
arranged close to the inlet of the shrinking furnace, so that the
coins have no further opportunity to assume a wrong position. The
single pulsating impact, however, is generally not sufficient to
maintain the coins aligned in their envelope until the film is
shrunk.
Another known apparatus, and one on which the present invention is
based, uses a film band or sheet which is wrapped around the stack.
The wrapping is effected between three synchronously driven rollers
between which the coins are stacked vertically, the coin stack
turning between the rollers and being wrapped with the film. This
apparatus requires, however, that the film adheres firmly on the
lateral periphery of the stack. For this reason, the surface of the
film facing the coin stack has been wetted with parafin oil, and
shrinking is effected by a heater arranged between the rollers and
during constant rotation of the wrapped coin roll. Since shrinking
is effected while the coins are inside the wrapping device, the
method is extremely slow. Another disadvantage is that the film
must be wetted with oil in advance of each wrapping operation.
Still a further drawback of this known apparatus is that it is not
easy to switch from one type or size of coin to another, and
different coin diameters necessitate very considerable changes in
the apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the wrapping of vertically stacked coins,
stamps and similar articles in shrinking film and, more
particularly, to a novel, improved and simplified method and
apparatus for effecting such wrapping.
The objective of the present invention is to provide a new method
of wrapping which avoids rotating the coin stack or the like during
wrapping, avoids the welding of bags and the like, and permits the
production of a uniform packing of stacks of coins or the like even
when they have different diameters and directly from the film and
with the same and unchanged apparatus. This, in turn, ensures a
high yield of exactly aligned stacks.
With respect to the method aspects of the invention, the stack is
pushed into the film in a direction transverse to the latter and
clamped in the film, a large film loop corresponding to the
diameter or the lateral perimeter dimension of the stack is formed,
the free loop ends are folded over substantially coextensively in
superposed relation to extend tangentially to the film loop, and
the wrapped stack is turned into a substantially horizontal
position, with the loop tuck down, in which position the film loop
is shrunk around the stack.
A characteristic feature of the invention is that the formation of
the loop is effected automatically when the stack is pushed into
the film, and the loop adopts itself to any diameter of the coin
stack or any other stack to be wrapped, since the film is pulled
around the lateral peripheral surfaces of the stack and is held
tight.
If the film band used is wider than the length of the stack to be
wrapped, the film band is drawn along step-by-step to form new
loops after each preceding formed loop has been severed from the
film band, and the length of the film band to be drawn each time is
determined automatically by the lateral peripheral dimensions of
the stack, such as the circumference of the stack. To close the
loop, the free loop ends are folded over and superposed to form a
loop tuck which is practically independent of the diameter of the
stack and which is of a sufficient length. The packing or wrapping
can also be effected, according to the same principle, using a film
sheet which can be of standard size for different stack
diameters.
The film loop embraces the stack tightly as long as clamping is
maintained. The wrapping of film hardly loosens, since the stack is
turned into a substantially horizontal position or orientation with
the tuck down. Preferably, the loop ends are maintained closed by
the weight of the stack until the film is shrunk, so that the tuck
thus can hardly open during transfer of the wrapped stack to the
shrinking furnace. Nevertheless, it may be of advantage to exert a
pushing force against the lower end of a slightly inclined stack
during movement of the stack in a substantially horizontal
orientation toward the shrinking furnace, this pushing force being
exerted longitudinally of the stack. In this simple manner, the
coins and the like can be aligned inside the film loop and be moved
closer to each other to form a compact stack in which the coins or
the like are held in proper alignment until the film has been
shrunk.
The loop ends also can be sealed before the stack is turned into
the substantially horizontal orientation, with the sealing of the
loop tuck being effected in addition. This is particularly
advisable for long stacks, and assures additional security against
accidental opening of the loop. With the present method, it is
possible to produce uniform wrappings of aligned coin stacks, or
other stacks, in large numbers at independent of the diameter of
the stacks.
The apparatus for performing the method of the invention is based
on an apparatus having a stacking device whose stacking axis is
arranged vertically, a holding device for the stack to be wrapped,
a feeding device and a severing device for the film. In accordance
with the invention, several vertically oriented stacking cages,
which can be cam operated between open and closed positions, are
arranged on a circular track at equal angular spacings from each
other and at equal radial spacings from a central drive shaft. The
stacking cages form, with the central drive shaft, a rotor which
can be stepped angularly between holding positions of the stacking
cages, by a suitable drive, to move each stacking cage from a
loading station to an unloading station. The stacking device is
arranged outside the circular path of movement of the stacking
cages and in a holding position of one of the stacking cages. The
film is guided between the stacking device and the stacking cage,
and a stack pusher is provided to push the stack from the stacking
device into the open stacking cage, entraining the film.
Preferably, each stacking cage has two vertically extending front
holding bars which can be swung apart against spring pressure in
correspondence with the diameter of a stack, and has, in the rear,
substantially vertically extending ejector bars. Each stacking cage
has, on its bottom, radial guide bars on which the ejector bars can
be moved, parallel to each other, against the restoring force which
corresponds to the diameter of the stack, the ejector bars being
tiltable outwardly on the radial guide bars. The holding bars can
be secured between upper and lower pairs of shear members pivotally
interconnected for pivoting about axes extending parallel to the
rotor axis, these shear members being urged into closed position by
suitable elastic means, such as tension or compression springs. Two
identical and in-phase cams are arranged at the top and the bottom,
respectively, on the rotor, and two rollers, for each pair of shear
members, are engaged with the cams to control the shear
members.
The ejector bars preferably are secured, at their base, on a
carrier plate which is biased by a leaf spring and which has two
superposed bores spaced apart a distance equal to the spacing of
the guide bars and whose inside diameter is greater than the
outside diameter of the guide bars. The latter are U-shaped and
extend parallel to each other, and the guide bars are
interconnected by a web extending substantially in the plane of the
associated holding bars.
The springs engaged between the shear members of each pair permit
pushing stacks of different diameters into each stacking cage.
However, the shear member closing forces are provided by the cams,
which positively close the stacking cages after the latter have
been opened in the loading station, and at the start of the
succeeding step. The cams reopen the cages positively only at the
unloading station, while permitting, at the loading station, a
pivotal swinging apart of the holding bars in correspondence with
the diameter of the stack to be pushed into the respective stacking
cage.
In accordance with further features of the invention, the stacking
cages are diametrically opposite each other on the rotor, when in
the loading station and in the unloading station, a severing device
is arranged between the loading station and a following severing
station, further away from the loading station than from the
severing station, and a spring biased pivotal sealing bar is
arranged at a half-step distance beyond the severing station and in
the contact range of the stacking cages, this sealing bar serving
as an abutment for sealing of the free loop ends during their
passage from the severing station. The formation of the film loop
around the stack thus is effected during passage of each stacking
cage through the distance of one-half a revolution of the rotor,
after which the empty stacking stages are supplied again to the
loading station. With a total of six stacking cages, the stepping
interval is 60.degree. and, with each such step of the rotor, a
stack tucked into a film loop is ejected, turned from the vertical
orientation into a substantially horizontal orientation, and fed to
a conveyor belt.
In accordance with the invention, such turning of the wrapped stack
into the horizontal orientation is effected by a rocker arranged in
the unloading station outside the rotor, and this rocker can be
turned about a horizontal axis from a vertical orientation into a
horizontal orientation and vice versa. The rocker is mechanically
connected by a guide rod with a stack pusher, and carries a stack
trough which can be tilted about a longitudinal axis and against a
spring bias. A stationary stop is provided on the trough beneath
the latter in the substantially horizontal position of the rocker,
and this stop engages the stack trough and tilts the latter during
its descending movement, transferring the stack, received by the
trough, together with its film loop to the conveyor belt which
feeds the stack, in a substantially horizontal orientation, to the
heating furnace.
To provide for any necessary subsequent alignment of the stacked
articles within the film wrapper, in accordance with the invention,
the conveyor belt is inclined transversely of its direction of
movement. The conveyor belt, which comprises longitudinally spaced
rollers receiving and supporting wrapped stacks therebetween, is
provided with stop angle members each having a shorter arm pivoted
between a respective pair of adjacent rollers, these stop angle
members extending along the entire length of the conveyor belt and
each having a longer arm extending between guide bars of a curved
track. The curved track is arranged only on the upper side of the
endless conveyor belt, which latter passes through the heating
furnace, and raises the stop angle members from an initially
horizontal position into a vertical position to align the coins, or
similar articles, within the film wrapping by pushing the coins or
other articles closer together. The alignment of the coin stack is
not effected by a brief impact, as in the prior art, but rather by
a pushing action. In combination with the slightly inclined
orientation of the conveyor belt transversely of its direction of
movement, the raised longer arms of the stop angles effect a
perfect alignment of the stacked articles, such as coins, and this
alignment is maintained during passage of the wrapped stacks
through the heating furnace.
An object of the invention is to provide an improved method for
wrapping vertically stacked articles, such as coins and the like,
in a shrinking film.
Another object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus
for performing the method.
A further object of the invention is to provide such a method and
apparatus which avoids rotation of the stack during wrapping of a
shrinking film therearound.
Another object of the invention is to provide such a method and
apparatus which permits the production of uniform wrapping of
stacks of different diameters directly with the shrinking film and
without any change in the apparatus.
A further object of the invention is to provide such a method and
apparatus which assures a high yield of exactly aligned stacks
wrapped in shrinking film.
For an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference
is made to the following description of typical embodiments thereof
as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
In the drawing:
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the course of travel of
the stacks during wrapping with a shrinking film;
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of the course of movement of
the stacks between the loading station and the unloading
station;
FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the wrapping apparatus
taken along the line III--III of FIG. 4;
FIG. 4 is a radial and diametric sectional view of the apparatus
shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is an outside elevation view, looking in the direction of
the arrow V, of the rotor shown in FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view of the shear members of a stacking
cage;
FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of the wrapping apparatus shown in
FIG. 3;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a rocker incorporated in the
wrapping apparatus;
FIG. 9 is a transverse sectional view of the rocker taken on the
line IX--IX of FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the endless conveyor belt leading to
the shrinking furnace, together with the aligning device arranged
thereon;
FIG. 11 is a right side elevation view corresponding to FIG. 10;
and
FIG. 12 is a somewhat schematic end view of the conveyor belt
looking in the direction of the arrow XII of FIG. 10.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the following, the invention will be described, solely by way of
example, as applied to the wrapping of stacks of coins, and the
general operation of the method, as well as of the apparatus for
wrapping or packing coin stacks will be described with particular
reference, initially, to FIGS. 1 and 2.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the movements of the coin stacks,
required for wrapping or packing thereof, occur on a circular path
1. Coin stacks 2 are arranged in stacking cages 3 of a rotor 4, the
stacking cages being vertically oriented and each consisting of two
front holding bars 5 and two rear ejector bars 6. Rotor 4 has a
drive which is oscillated as indicated by the arrows 7 and 7a, and
which advances the rotor, in steps, from one holding position to
another. With six stacking cages 3, rotor 4 is stepped angularly
through 60.degree. during each oscillation of its drive. While the
drive is oscillatable, it moves rotor 4 only in the direction of
arrow 7, the return movement of the oscillatable drive occurring
during the standstill period of the rotor in its holding positions.
Such return movement, which is performed as an idle stroke of the
oscillating drive, is indicated by the broken arrow 7a.
The movement of each stack 2 to be packed takes place on a
semi-circular track between the holding positions I to IV, and
which will be termed "stations." Loading station I and unloading
station IV are diametrically opposite each other. In advance of
station II, there is a severing device 8, and a sealing device 9 is
positioned at approximately one-half step between stations II and
III. With each angular stepping of rotor 4, a coin stack 2 is
pushed into station I and, at the same time, a wrapped stack is
ejected from unloading station IV. From station IV, the now empty
stacking cages 3 arrive on the other semi-circular track on which
they are returned to loading station I.
FIG. 2 represents a development of the semi-circular section of
track 1 between loading station I and unloading station IV. An
elongated shrinking film 10, which is wider than the length of coin
stack 2 to be wrapped, is wound on a delivery spool 11 from which
film 10 runs over a guide roller 12 and in front of the stacking
stage at station I. Coin stack 2, which is at the level of the
stacking cage, is pushed into film 1 transversely of the film, as
indicated by the arrow 13, and is clamped, together with the film,
inside the stacking cage. A large film loop 14, corresponding to
the diameter, or to the lateral peripheral dimension, of stack 2 is
formed, holding bars 5 opening to an extent corresponding to the
diameter of the pushed-in stack and moving toward each other again.
Upon leaving station I, the holding bars 5 are moved into the
closing position, as represented at station II.
The clamped film band 10 is drawn from delivery spool 11 and
severed by the knife of severing device 8 while the rotor is held
with the wrapped stack in station II. However, at this time, the
following stack has already been pushed into the stacking cage 3
then present at loading station I. The free loop ends 14a and 14b,
remaining after loop 14 has been severed, are superposed and
pressed against each other when they pass by the electrically
heated sealing device 9, and are sealed. The movement of a stacking
cage between station I and station III can be effected with delay,
and a short holding time can be provided before movement of a cage
from station II to station III.
The sealing bar of sealing device 9 bears, against the bias of a
restoring spring 16, on the film and produces a seam 15 between the
two free loop ends. After formation of this seam, the loop ends are
folded over substantially coextensively to extend tangentially of
the film loop and arrive in this fashion at station III and proceed
from there to station IV. At unloading station IV, the sealed free
loop ends are engaged by a deflector 17 in their path of movement,
and the wrapped coin stack is ejected from stacking cage 3 with a
loop tuck 18 extending downwardly. For this purpose, the front
holding bars 5 are opened and moved into the position indicated by
broken line circles, so that ejector bars 6 swing in the direction
of arrows 19 to eject coin stack 2 onto rocker 20. This rocker is
in the waiting position and, after receiving the wrapped coin
stack, turns from the assumed vertical orientation into a
horizontal orientation and transfers the wrapped coin stack 2, with
its tuck 18 downwardly, onto a conveyor track 21. On this conveyor,
the stack which is embraced by the film loop 14, is fed, in the
direction of arrow 22, to a shrinking furnace, which has not been
illustrated in FIG. 2, and in which the loop is shrunk.
Since loop tuck 18 is at the bottom and the loop 14 thus formed is
held closed during transfer in transportation of the wrapped stack
by the weight of the stack until the film is shrunk, the sealing at
sealer 9 can be omitted, if desired. The apparatus, with respect to
its details, is illustrated in FIGS. 3 through 12.
Referring to FIGS. 3 through 12, rotor 4 includes a vertically
extending central drive shaft 23 which is oscillated in the
direction of arrow 7 and 7a in FIG. 1. For the sake of simplicity,
the drive is illustrated as a crank drive, but the drive can also
be effected by a cam disk. The crank drive includes a shaft 24
carrying a crank disk 25, and which is continuously rotated by an
electric motor, which has not been shown, and which drives shaft 24
through a reduction gear. A guide link 27 has one end pivotally
connected to disk 24 by a screw 26, and its other end pivotally
connected to the flange of a bearing bush 28 by a screw 29. Screws
30 fixedly connect this flange with a cam disk 31 having a cam
groove 32 and fixedly connected, as by keying, to shaft 23. Bearing
bush 28 is designed as an axial bearing for rotor 4 and its end
face engages a bearing disk 33 interposed between bearing bush 28
and machine casing 34 having a bore 35 receiving a bearing ring 36
in which drive shaft 23 is mounted. The upper end of drive shaft 23
also is rotatably mounted in casing 34, and a second cam disk 31,
identical with the lower cam disk 31 and having a cam groove 32
identical with the cam groove 32 of lower cam disk 31, is fixedly
connected to the upper end of drive shaft 23, as by a key. The two
cams 31 are designed as self-contained grooved cams, being arranged
in phase with each other and facing toward each other. Rotor 4
proper is disposed between cam disks 31 and is mounted on drive
shaft 23.
Rotor 4 includes two axially spaced end disks 37 which are fixedly
connected with a hexagonal sleeve 38 having, at its opposite ends,
bearings 39 engaged with drive shaft 23. The inside diameter 40 of
sleeve 38 is greater than the outside diameter of drive shaft 23
and, between lower end disk 37 and cam disk 31 a spacer ring 41
embraces shaft 23.
The holding bars 5 of the individual stacking cages 3 extend
between shear members 42 and 43 which are arranged as upper and
lower pairs. Each pair of shear members has a roller 44 which is
engaged in a cam groove 32 and is moved by cam groove 32 in a
substantially radial direction. Each roller 44 is arranged on a
screw 45 which is secured by a threaded extension 46 in the
associated shear member 43. The cylindrical portion of screw 45 is
arranged in a fork 47 of the associated shear member 42. The two
shear members, 42 and 43, of each pair, are designed as angle
levers having lever arms extending at right angles to each other,
with the shorter lever arms being directed toward each other and
coupled with each other by roller 44. The two shear members of each
pair are mounted in a respective end disk 37 of rotor 4 by means of
respective screws 48, for pivotal movement.
Tension springs 49 are connected between the shear members of each
pair, and bias the shear members in the closing direction. For the
sake of clarity, these tension springs are represented in FIG. 3 as
acting on each pair of shear members. However, and in order to give
each tension spring a greater effective length, it can extend
between the shear members of adjacent cages, as represented at the
left of rotor 4 in FIG. 3. All together, six of these longer
tension springs 49 are provided. The tension springs permit the
shear members 42, 43 to open, in correspondence with the diameter
of the coins, when a coin stack is pushed into a stacking cage.
Each cam groove 32 comprises a radially inner cam surface 32a and a
radially outer cam surface 32b, and is so designed that it permits
the associated rollers 44 to perform, at the loading station, an
outwardly directed movement so that the stack may be pushed in
against the action of a tension spring 49. In this position, each
roller 44 bears on an inner cam 32a, while the space necessary for
the movement is provided between the roller 44 and the associated
outer cam 32b. The opening of each pair of shear members, in the
unloading station, is effected by the associated rollers 44
engaging the bevel of the associated inner cam 32a during the
return oscillation of the cam disks 31 in the direction of arrow
7a. In the position illustrated in FIG. 3, the cam disk is at the
limit of its movement in the direction of arrow 7.
Stepping of roller 4 is effected by a driving nose 50 on each inner
cam 32a of a cam groove 32. This nose engages the respective
rollers 44 of a stacking cage 3, and pushes the latter, together
with the entire rotor, to advance in the direction of arrow 7.
During return movement of the cam disks 31 in the direction of
arrow 7a, noses 50 disengage the associated rollers 44 and engage
the next following rollers 44 at the end or limit of the cam return
movement in the direction of arrow 7a. The oscillation of the drive
is so selected that the cam disks are oscillated through an angle
of 60.degree.. Return movement of the cam disks is effected during
the holding time of the stacking cages 3 in the various
stations.
Ejector bars 6 are arranged side-by-side in pairs to form what may
be called the rear wall of each stacking cage 3, and the lower ends
of each pair are secured to a respective carrier plate 51 which has
two vertically spaced and aligned bores or passages 52 which
receive the two legs of a respective U-shaped guide bar 53. These
legs extend parallel to each other at the spacing of bores 52, and
their outer ends are interconnected by a web 54 located
substantially in the plane of the associated holding bars 5. The
inner ends of guide bars 53 are inserted in recesses in hexagonal
sleeve 38, into which they are firmly pressed and additionally
secured by soldering or welding. Guide bars 53 form the bottom of
each stacking cage 3, and are the supporting device for each stack
to be wrapped, which is supported on the upper leg of each guide
bar.
Each carrier plate 51 and associated ejector bar 6 is guided on the
respective guide bar 53 for radial movement, and can be moved
radially inwardly, against a biasing force, in dependence on the
diameter of a coin stack 2. FIG. 4 shows, at its left portion, two
different positions of ejector bar 6 with respect to two coin
stacks 2 of different sizes. Bores or apertures 52 have diameters
larger than those of the guide bars, so that ejector bar 6, as
shown on the right side of FIG. 4, can tip outwardly while the
associated carrier plate 51 bears on the respective web 54.
In the illustrated embodiment, each carrier plate has its rear
surface engaged by a compression spring, in the form of a leaf
spring 55 whose upper end is secured by screws 56 on hexagonal
sleeve 38. Hexagonal sleeve 38 corresponds, in position and
arrangement, to the hexagonal surfaces of the six stacking cages 3.
In place of compression springs 55, there can also be used tension
springs, which have not been shown. Additionally, it is possible to
effect ejection of a wrapped coin stack magnetically, for example,
by means of a pull magnet. Such constructional modifications are
within the scope of the invention, and other arrangements also
could be used.
The stack pusher comprises, essentially, a pusher bar 57 which is
articulated on a loading arm 58 pivotal about a pivot 58a. Pusher
bar 57 is connected by a coupling rod or link 59 to swivel arm 60
of rocker 20, which is mounted in a bearing block 61 as shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8. Oscillation of loading arm 58 can be effected by
crank disc 25 of FIG. 4, which controls movement of the loading
arm. The movement of loading arm 58 is coupled with the movement of
rocker 20, which assumes a substantially vertical orientation when
pusher bar 57 is in the solid line position of FIG. 3 in which it
has pushed a coin stack into a stack cage.
Pushing movement of pusher bar 57 and of loading arm 58 is effected
during the holding period during which the shear members 42, 43 at
the loading station are closed and the shear members 42, 43 at the
unloading station are opened, during return of cam disk 31, as
described above. This means that, at the time a new stack 2 is
pushed into a stack cage, the wrapped stack 2 is ejected by ejector
rods 6 when the shear members, and thus the holding bars, open, as
shown at the right side of FIG. 4, and the stack is transferred to
rocker 20 waiting in a substantially vertical orientation. For
holding the ejected coin stack, rocker 20 has a nose 62 which
extends beneath the transferred coin stack which comes to lie on
rocker 20 with loop tuck 18 down.
In the position of FIG. 7, pusher bar 57 is retracted and rocker 20
has been turned, by coupling rod 59, into the substantially
horizontal position. In this position of pusher bar 57, the new
coin stack 2 rests on a lifting plate 63 which can be vertically
reciprocated in the direction of double arrow 64. In its upper
position, lifting plate 63 is loaded with the new coin stack 2, and
moves it into the loading station, in front of rotor 4, when
lifting plate 64 assumes its lower position as illustrated in FIG.
7. This vertical reciprocation of lifting plate 63 is coupled
mechanically with vertical reciprocation of severing device 8 whose
knife cuts shrinking film 10 from the bottom to the top during
ascent of lifting plate 63. The film sheet forming the loop in
severing station II is thus severed from the film band drawn from
delivery spool 11.
FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate the details of rocker 20. As illustrated
therein, rocker 20 turns about the horizontal pivot 65 of bearing
block 61. A bar 66 is arranged as an extension of swivel arm 60 and
rigidly connected thereto, and two cross beams 67 are secured to
bar 66. A longitudinal pivot 68 extends between cross beam 67, and
is embraced by restoring spring 69 of a stack dish or trough 70
which is tiltable about the axis of pivot 68. Trough or stack dish
70 is concave on top, in order to hold a coin stack 2 firmly, the
concave trough being indicated at 71. Arcuate recesses 72 on the
upper sides of cross beams 67 correspond in shape to the
trough.
Normally, stack dish 70, with trough 71 is in a hinge-back
position, due to the bias of spring 69, in which it receives the
wrapped stack of coins, this position being shown in FIG. 8 in
broken lines. The solid lines in FIG. 8 indicate the tilted
position of stack dish 70 which, for this purpose, carries, on its
underside, a stop pin 73 extending angularly therefrom and rigidly
connected thereto. In the path of stop pin 73, there is arranged a
stop 74 in the form of a roller which is rotatably mounted in a
block 75 in turn secured on the bottom 76 of the machine casing.
During movement of rocker 20 from the vertical position into the
horizontal position, stop roller 74 is engaged by stop pin 73
shortly before the end of this movement and, during the further
downward movement of rocker 20, stack dish 70 is tipped, as
represented in FIG. 8. Due to such tipping, coin stack 2 lying in
trough 71 with loop tuck 18 down, is transferred downwardly to
endless belt 21. The tilted position is also apparent in FIG.
9.
Conveyor track 21, which extends from rocker 20 to heating furnace
77, comprises two endless conveyor chains 78 between whose chain
links there are arranged, at equally spaced intervals, receiving
rollers 79. The drive of the conveyor chains is effected
continuously by sprockets 80. Such endless conveyor belts are known
in coin packing or wrapping machines, and the known conveyor belts
are arranged either horizontally or longitudinally inclined. By
contrast, the conveyor belt of the invention is inclined at an
angle .alpha. transversely of its longitudinal direction of
movement, and the angle of inclination can be about 15.degree..
On the lowered side of the inclined conveyor there are arranged,
along the entire conveyor belt, stop angles 81 each having a short
arm 82 and a long arm 83. The two arms extend at an angle of
90.degree. to each other, to form a right-angle knee indicated at
84. Short arms 82 are pivotally mounted between adjacent receiving
rollers 79, and the long arms 83 extend between guide bars 85 and
86 which extend, on the top side of conveyor track 21, parallel to
the sprocket 80 on a track curve 87. Guide bars 85 and 86 raise
stop angles 81 from the initial position in which the longer arms
are horizontal into a position in which the longer arms are
vertical, the knee 84 of each stop angle 81 engaging the coin stack
deposited on the conveyor belt at the end of the stack and aligning
and pushing together, inside the film wrapping, the coins which are
slightly inclined in the film wrapping as shown, for example, in
FIG. 12.
The aligned position of the stack is maintained during the passage
of the stack through shrinking furnace 77, and guide bars 85 and 86
extend, as do the conveyor chains, completely through the heating
furnace. The inclination of the conveyor belt transversely of its
direction of movement also is maintained during its passage through
heating furnace 77. The combination of this inclination and stop
angles 81, acting as displacers, assures a satisfactory alignment
of the coin stack inside the enveloping film loop, and this
alignment is maintained during shrinking of the film.
Support of stop angles 81 between adjacent receiving rollers 79 can
be effected with any available means. Thus, the stop angles can be
mounted, for example, on an oscillatable flexible wire 88, with the
individual stop angles being secured on respective sleeves 89
through which the flexible wire extends. Receiving roller 79 can be
sleeves which rotate freely on chain bolts or pins 90, leaving the
bearing points of angle levers 81 free. At these points, bolts 90
are drilled transversely parallel to the conveyor track, and the
endless flexible wire 88 extends through the resulting bores and
has sleeves 89 of stop angles 81 mounted thereon.
Guide bar 85 also extends on the underside of the endless chain
horizontally, so that the stop angles can bear thereon and guide
themselves properly into it during the descending movement along
track curve 87.
While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and
described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles
of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be
embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.
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