US2296142A - Packaging machinery - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 15, 1942. 5. J. CAMPBELL 2,296,142

PACKAGING MACHINERY Filed Aug. 2, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR J/QMUEL J am/ 55M BY A zonu eva.

Sept. 15, 1942.

5. J. CAMPBELL PACKAGING MACHINERY Filed Aug. 2, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 50M 54 AMPBELL.

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ATTORNEYJ,

P 1942- S. J. CAMPBELL 2,296,142

PACKAGING MACHINERY Filed Aug. 2, 1940 s Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTQR 59/01/51. J. CHMPEEALk f Q Q ATY'II'ORNEYJ,

P 1942- S. J. CAMPBELL 2,296,142

PACKAGING MACHINERY INVENTOR SH/"0E4, d. CH/1426524,

ATTORN EYZ 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 S. J. CAMPBELL Filed Aug. 2, 1940 INVENTOR flMI/EL J. 6100 6544 Meg, MY'W.

PACKAGING MACHINER Y Sept. 15, 1942.

ATTORNEYJ QQ Q1 Patented Sept. 15, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i t aximum im z fif z 1:3 871 u 1% Claims: (01: 93-3) This invention relates to an improvement .in packaging machinery and methods.

It is the primary object of the invention to provide a packaging machine in which the material to be packaged is fed at a constant rate and the printing on the wrapper is adjusted to the rate of package feed, the cut-off of the tubed wrapper,

between the material packaged therein being accomplished at the flxed rate at which such material is fed, without regard to the printing on the wrapper.

More specifically, it is proposed in the preferred embodiment of the machine to provide anparatus which will package loose and bulky articles such as stacks of napkins, the machine being organized to feed the napkin stacks at a constant rate and a previously printed wrapper being arranged with a normal feed at a rate slight- 1y lower than the rate of feed oi. t 'e articles to be wrapped, together with a supplementalfeed for accelerating the feed of the wrapper in conformity with the feed of the articles from time to time as discrepancies in the timing appear.

Small articles have been wrapped by tubing a wrapper about them and subsequently cutting the wrapper between the articles. of a tubed wrapper between such bulky articles as a stack of paper napkins has presented difllculties which it is a further object of the present invention to solve. It is proposed herein to use a cut-off knife which, while moving transversely of the tube wrapper for the severance thereof, also moves with the wrapper to make clean transverse cut.

Other objects of the invention have to do with novel and improved means for making and securing the folds in the ends of the successive packages after the tubular wrapper has been out between the articles wrapped.

In the drawings: 1 K

Fig. 1 is a view largely in side elevation of a wrapping machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the machine with which I have associated successive views in perspective of the article in successive stages of wrapping, these views in perspective being shown on an enlarged scale and connected by lead lines withthe portions of Fig. 2 in which the wrapping has progressed to the point indicated by the perspective.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view in plan illustrating a modified embodiment of the organization shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. .4 is an enlarged diagrammatic view in The cutting I chronizing controls which regulate the feed of the wrapper in accordance with feed of the mod-- uct. to be wrapped.

Fig. 5 is a detail view in transverse section of a differential mechanism used in the regulating device of Fig. 4.- a

. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view in side elevation showing a modified type of regulating equipment. a

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary horizontal section on an enlarged scale showing a detail of the cut-oil. knife and its associated mechanism in plan.

Fig. 8 is a detail view taken insection on line in plan and partially in section showing the operation of certain of the end folding devices illustrated in Fig. 9 and Fig. 10.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

While the device herein disclosed is particularly designed to package stacks of paper napkins, it will be understood that the machine is also adapted to package other articles and particularly bulky articles such as have not hereto foie been packaged in any machine of this charac er. i

The web l5 of wrapping paper is fed from a supply roll I6 over a guide H on to a feed belt 18. The inclined portion is of the feed table 20 rests centrally upon the web I! and the sides of the web are supported by the lateral conveyors 2| and 22 to provide a channel into which successive objects 25 requiring packaging are propelled by the arms 26 of conveyor 21.

The margin of the side of the paper web sup ported by conveyor 2| is folded inwardly as indicated at 28 in Fig. 2 and is treated with adhesive by a roll 29 supplied from glue pot 30 in a conventional manner as shown in Fig. 1. The opposite margin of that side of the web supported by conveyor 22 is now folded inwardly as indicated at 32 and contacts with the glued margin 28. Any conventional folding means may be employed such, for example, as the folders shown in Marcus Patent 1,038,493 of Septem- 1920. Assuming that the packages ofnapkins or perspective showing the organization of the synother articles t0 e Wrapped are substantially 2 oblong or cubical as indicated in 23, it will be apparent that the tube in which the wrapper is formed about the articles is substantially square in cross section. Asthe tubed wrapper is propelled by feed belt I3 and confined at its sides by conveyors 2| and 22, the overlapping margins 23 and 32 are maintained under compression by a top conveyor belt 33 until the adhesive applied by roller 23has time to set.

The conveyor 21 which introduces the successive articles to be wrapped is driven at a constant rate by motor 35 which is belted to a pulley 33 carrying a pinion 31 meshing with gear 33. From gear 33, a belt 33' drives the glue pot mechanism. A small pinion 33 connected with gear propelling arms 23 passes a depending switch lever 33. The arrangement is such that whenever the proper correlation between theimpulses wrapping web is being underfed in re ation to the delivery of the "articles to be wrapped, the pitch 33 drives gear 43 on a cross shaft 4| which carries pinion 42 meshing with gear 43. Gear 43 meshes with another gear 44 on a shaft 43 carrying sprockets which drive chains 43 and 41 respectively connected to the conveyor mechanism 21 and to the cut-oil knife hereinafter to be described.

Bevel gearing connected with shaft 4| drives the chain 53 which operates the wrapping paper web conveyor |3 subject to the regulating means now to be described.

The sprocket 5| driven by chain 53 is mounted on sleeve shaft 52 which carries differential gear 53. Piloted in the sleeve shaft 52 is shaft 54 carrying a complementary differential gear 55. Free of shaft 54 and rotatably supported thereby is a worm gear 53 carrying three or more pinions, one of which is shown at 51 in mesh with differential gears 53 and 55. Worm gear 53 is driven by a worm 53 on shaft 53 which carries sprockets 33 driven by motor 3|. This motor may drive in one direction only, as shown in Fig. 4, or it may be reversible, as shown at 3 |3 in Fig. 6.

The output shaft 54 of th differential mechanism supports a pulley 32 over which the feed conveyor |3 for the wrapping paper web is operated.

As viewed in Fig. 1 and Fig. 4, shaft 54 must operate in a clockwise direction. Accordingly, the motion is applied counter-clockwise to sprocket 5| and such motion transmitted through pinions 51, drives shaft 54 in the proper direction.

The design of the sprockets and gears is such that the labels or other patterns repetitively printed on the web |5 of wrapping material will not be fed quite fast enough to register accurately with the successively fed articles to be wrapped.

Or, in the alternative, thedesign may be such that the web of wrapping material will be fed slightly too fast for proper registration of its label or other design with successive articles to be wrapped. In either case, it is possible through the use of a uni-directional motor at 3| to operate the differential mechanism shown in Figs. 4 and 5 to make suitable correction.

This is done by printing at intervals on the web of wrapping material |5 a suitable indicating mark 33, one of which is preferably associated of the threads of the worm 33 and worm gear 33 will be such asto slightly step up the rate of wrapper feed whenever the discrepancy becomes apparent. Since the retrogression of the wrapper will only be oneor two-thousandths of an inch for each article wrapped, the corrective mechanism will only function after the passage of several successive articles. enough to detect the discrepancy until the discrepancy becomes sufficiently substantial to warrant correction.

If the rate of feedqiof the wrapping web exceeds the rate at which the articles are supplied, then the direction of rotation of the motor 3| or the pitch of the threads of worm 53 and worm gear 53 will be such as to subtract the motion derived from motor 3| from the motion derived from chain 53 in the differential, whereby to retard the wrapper until registration of the printed design thereon with the articles wrapped therein is reestablished.

If desired, the motor 3|3 may be a two-speed motor and the switch 31 may be supplemented by a switch 313 and an arm 333. In this arrangement, the control mechanism 363 is sovorganized by known electrical circuits that if the impulse received from the scanning cell 34 registers with the impulse received from switch 31, the reversible motor-H3 will be operated in a direction to accelerate the web feeding conveyor l3, whereas if the impulse received from scanning cell 34 synchronizes with the impulse received from switch 313, the motor 3|3 will be operated in reverse to retard the rate of operation of the feeding conveyor i3.

Aligned with the feed conveyor I 3 is a conveyor 33 and between such conveyors moves a cut-off knife 13 which is preferably in the nature of a disk saw. and is shown in detail in Figs. 7 and 8.

A slide 1| is reciprocable in a guideway 12. As viewed in Fig. '7, it is-drawn to the left by tension spring 13 and advanced to the right by a piston 14 operating in an air cylinder 15.

Mounted on the slide 1| is a rock shaft 13 to which is fixed a sleeve 11 carrying an arm 13 on which the saw 13 is rotatably mounted. Journaled in the sleeve 11 is a drive shaft 13 having splined engagement with a driving head 33 actuated by the separate motor 3|. The drive shaft 19 is connected by belt 32 to the saw. It is axially aligned with rock shaft 13 so as not to affect the centers over which belt 32 operates while the rock shaft 13 is oscillated. The motor 3| could be mounted on the slide 1| but the splined connection provided between parts 13 and 33 permits the motor to remain stationary while maintaining the driving connection to the saw.

tervals from switch 31 whenever one of the work The transverse bars 83 and 34 support a cross head 35 to which the arm 33 on rock shaft 13 is slidably connected. To operate the cross head transversely with respect to the slide 1|, a piston 31 is connected to the cross head and operates under pneumatic pressure in the cylinder 38.

It is not sensitive I normally held by gravity at one or the other of the extremes of movement permitted to rock shaft 18 by the length of travel of piston 81 in Since the wrapper is in constant mothe wrapper to fold downwardlyto the position indicated at D in Fig. 2.

In the meantime, the lowermost apices I83 at the endsof the wrapper have been engaged in the horizontal slots I85 of the stationary folding blades I88 and as they project through slots I85 they pass beneath a glue applicating roller I88 be at an angle and the wrapper would be bent move with the wrapper in the same direction and at substantially the same rate during the interval of cut.

In one cutting operation the knife 18 will be moved from its full line position to its dotted line position in Fig. 8. It will remain in the dotted line position until the time arrives for the next subsequent cutting operation whereupon air will be admitted again to cylinder 15 and this time to the opposite end of cylinder 88 whereby to move piston 81 in the opposite direction and swing the saw back to its full line position, again moving with the,tubed wrapper to make a cut therethrough at 88. Thus, in each to and fro oscillation of rock shaft 15, the knife 18 makes a cut of the tubed wrapper between the articles enfolded therein and, regardless of which direction the rock 'shaft oscillates to swing the knife through the work, the knife is always moved in the direction of the work and substantially at the same speed by movement of the slide 1| produced by piston 14 and cylinder 15.

As delivered on to conveyor 68, the work pieces comprise an article such as a stack of napkins 25 wrapped in a square tubed jacket having the overlapped margins adhesively joined as shown at A in Fig. 2.

The work is now moved from conveyor 68 at right angles on to table 88 and simultaneously portions of the wrapper are folded in as indicated at 8| in the perspective drawing B of Fig. 2.

Pulleys 82 and 83 above the table 88 support a conveyor belt 84 upon which at suitable intervals are disposed sets of propelling paddles 85 having folding wings 86 hinged to the sides of the paddles and provided with cam follower control levers 81 as shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11.

As each successive propelling paddle 85 passes about the pulley 83 into engagement with a work piece A on the conveyor belt 88, stationary cams 88 engage the rollers 88 on the cam follower levers 81 to oscillate the folding wings 85 about their respective hinge connections with said lever to fold inwardly the portions 8| of the work pieces as shown at B. The work piece with its (Fig. 9) with the result that the glued apices I83 of the wrapper are forced to fold upwardly into positions overlying the downwardly turned apices I82 thereof as shown at E in Fig. 2. This -com-. pletes the folding operation and before the paddle 85, which has been propelling the work across table 88, turns upwardly over pulley 82, the work is delivered on to conveyor belt I88 along which it moves between belts I88 and H8 at opposite sides of its path which hold the overlapped ends of the wrapper under pressure until the adhesive has time to set.

Reference has already been made to the driving chain 41 leading toward the rear of the marear end portions folded inwardly is then projecting wrapper portions engage in the slots I84 of the stationary folding blades I88 and the downward arcuate curvature of such slots as indicated in Fig. 8 forces the upper apices I82 of chine from shaft 45. This chain drives a sprocket II 2 which, in turn, drives the gear I I3 through pinion II4 (Fig. 9). Gear H3 is' mounted on a shaft 5 connected by chain I15 with the shaft II1 on which is located the pulley II8 over whic conveyor belt 88 operates.

Also driven by shaft II5 through chain I28 is shaft I 2I. Through bevel gearing at I22 and sprocket I23 and chain I24, motion is transmitted to the shaft I25 on which is located pulley 82 for the top conveyor 84 which propels the work through the folder. Associated with sprocket I23 to receive motion from the bevel gearing I22 is a gear I26 meshing with gear I21 on a cross shaft I28 which, through bevel gearing I28,

'drives pressure conveyor I 88 and through bevel gearing I38 drives pressure conveyor II8. I

On shaft I25 for the overhead conveyor 84 is a cam I35 with which coacts a cam follower I35 and connected with valve I31 which has a supply pipe I38 for air under pressure and pipe I38 leading to the end of air cylinder 15 (Fig, 7) which advances the knife with the work whenever the knife is in operation to cut the wrapper. 4

Driven at half speed from the same shaft I25 through a chain I48 is another cam I with which cooperates the cam follower lever I42 of a valve I43 having an air supply pipe I44 for delivering air under pressure thereto and two air outlet pipes I45 and I45, respectively connected to opposite ends of the air cylinder 88 which oscillates the knife to and fro for successive cutting operation (Fig. 7); Since cam I4I operates at half the speed of cam I35, it will be obvious that valve I31 will be operated twice in each complete cycle of operation of valve I43, thereby affording the required reciprocation of the slide H with each to or fro movement of the cutting knife.

The organization of the wrapping machine disclosed is such that comparatively few changes are necessary to enable the fundamental structure to operate on particles of differing sizes for the purposes of packaging the same. The spacing between side and top conveyors may readily be varied to suit the requirements of the work and only very few parts such as the folding and propelling paddles needbe bodily interchanged therein.

rate of delivery of a tubed wrapper with respect to constantly supplied work pieces and a cutoff knife'operating in synchronism with the rate at which the work pieces are supplied.

In the device of Fig. 3, it is not essential to use any means for synchronizing web movement to the rate at which articles are supplied to the web to be enfolded therein, inasmuch as the device of Fig. 3 does not employ a previously print ed web, but, instead, accomplishes the registration of printed portions of the wrapper with the articles enfolded in the wrapper by imprinting the pattern on the wrapper only after the articles have been registered therewith.

It is immaterial whether the pattern be imprinted on the folded web before or after the web is cut into sections by the cut-off knife 10. Either the wrapping section of the machine or the folding section thereof may be lengthened to provide space for the printing, embossin or other patterning dies I50. It is convenient in this connection to use the press dies I50 to print with aniline ink which is a quick-drying ink and well suited for the purposes of the present invention, since it dries before the subsequent operations are performed upon the partially completed package. Obviously, any desired number or form of, dies at I50 may be used to repeat, any desired pattern upon the tubular section containing an article in registration with the article entubed I claim:

1. The combination with means for feeding articles to be wrapped, a cut-off knife, and means for operating the cut-off knife periodically across a predetermined path in synchronism with the rate at which articles are supplied, of means for supplying a patterned wrapper, means for tubing the wrapper about the articles to be wrapped and advancing the wrapper and the enfolded articles on said path past the cut-off knife, and mechanism for synchronizing the feed of the wrapper to the rate at which articles to be wrapped are supplied by said first mentioned means.

2. In a device of the character-described, the combination with means for supplying articles at a constant rate, of means for advancing a web of wrapping material, means for enfolding the articles successively in the web, means for cutting the folded web between the articles enfolded therein, and means including an auxiliary booster mechanism co-operative with the web feed means for synchronizing a attern on the web with said cut-ofl means whereby said pattern is repeated in portions of the web intervening between each cut made therein.

3. In awrapping machine, the combination with means for advancing articles to be wrapped, of means for supplying a web provided with a pattern repeated at predetermined intervals, said web advancing means being slightly out of synchronism in a predetermined manner with said article supplying means, means for tubing the web about thearticles to be wrapped therein, a supplementary feeding device for said web adapted to vary the rate of feeding of the web toward synchronization with said article supplying means, and mechanism including a scanning device past which said web is operative and a switch operatively connected to be actuated by said article supplying means for regulating said supplemental feeding means to maintain said web in substantial synchronism with said articles, and a cutter operated in synchronism with said article supplying means for cutting the web midway between articles enfolded therein.

4. In a packaging machine, the combination with an article supplying conveyor, of means including a conveyor for advancing an article wrapping web bearing a repetitive pattern and indiciain predetermined relation to the pattern, of means for actuating said web conveyor at a rate slightly out of synchronism with said article conveyor, 8. supplemental'means effecting actuation of said web conveyor, scanning means in behalf of said web affected by said indicia and including mechanism controlling said supplemental web actuating means in a direction to compensate for lack of synchronlsmbetween the web and the articles to be wrapped, mechanism for enfolding the wrapping web in a tube about the articles, mechanism for severing the tubed web midway between articles previously wrapped therein, and mechanism for folding upon such articles the cut ends of the wrapping tube.

5. In a wrapping machine, the combination with an article conveyor and a wrapping web conveyor, of means for'operating said conveyors slightly out of synchronism, a supplemental means for actuating said web conveyor, and imechianism controlling the operatiion of said supplemental means at a rate such as to maintain substantial synchronism between the web conveyor and the article conveyor. Y

6. The combination withan article conveyor and a web conveyor, of means for tubing the web about the articles propelled by the article conveyor, means for cutting the tubed web midway betweenarticles enfolded therein and said cutting means including actuating connections synchronized with the article conveyor, and means for driving the article conveyor and the web conveyor slightly out of synchronism with the web conveyor slightly retarded as compared with the article conveyor, a supplemental driving means for the web conveyor and web control mechanism comprising a scanning device, and means actuated therebyin operative controlling connection with said supplemental driving means to regulate the operation thereof at a rate to maintain said conveyors in substantial synchronism.

7..In a wrapping machine, the combination with an article conveyor and a web conveyor, means for tubing a web carried by the web conveyor about the articles delivered by the article conveyor, means for cutting the web midway between the articles entubed therein, means for actuating said cutting means in synchronism with the article conveyor, a first means for actuating the web conveyor at a rate slightly greater than the rateof operation of the article conveyor, and a second driving means opposed a; in a wrapping machine, the co mbination with an article conveyor and a web conveyor and means for op rating said conveyors slightly web conveyor about the articles delivered by the article conveyor, and means for advancing andretarding the rate of operation of the web conveyor as compared with the rate of operation of the article conveyor, said means including control mechanism actuated in part by said successive switches and in part by said scanning devices. I I a 9. In a wrapping machine, the combination with means for delivering articles to be wrapped, means for delivering a web for the wrapping of said articles, and means for entubing said web about said articles, of means controlled in accordance with the operation of both of said first mentioned means for maintaing synchronization of web feed with article feed, means synchronized with the rate of article feed for cutting the tubed web midway between articles enfolded therein, and means for folding the cut ends of the tubed web upon the articles.

10. In a wrapping machine, the combination withmeans for delivering articles to be wrapped, means for delivering a web for the wrapping of said articles, and means for entubing said web about said articles, of means controlled in accordance with the operation of both of said first mentioned means for maintaining synchronization'of web feed with article feed, means synchronized with the rate of article feed for cutting the tubed web midway between articles enfolded therein, and means for folding the cut ends of the tubed web upon the articles, said web cutting means comprising a knife, means for moving the knife transversely of the moving web, and means for advancing the knife with the web in the course of its transverse movement.

11. A wrapping machine comprising the combination with means for delivering an article to be wrapped, of means for delivering a tubular wrapper about each such article, and means for completing the folding of the wrapper upon the article, said means comprising a cross conveyor, a paddle engaged with a side of the tubular wrapping wings hinged to the paddle and movable across the ends of the tubular wrapping to make a preliminary foldtherein, and cam means operable in the advance of said paddle for hingedly moving said wings.

12. In a wrapping machine, the combination with means for feeding successive articles to be wrappe and means for enfolding successive articles in tubular sections, of wrapper feeding means variable as to its rate of operation, wrapping v engageable. with sides of the tubular wrapper sections, folding wings hinged to therespective paddles and engageable with projecting end portions of the tubular wrapper sections, and cam means in the path of movement of said paddles, said wings having cam followers engageable with said means for-the actuation of said wings in directions to fold forwardly the end portions of tubular wrapper sections engaged by said wings in the propulsion of the articles and tubular wrapper sections.

14. In a wrapping machine, the combination with means for feeding successive articles to be wrapped, of means for enfolding successive articles in tubular sections, of wrapping means for registering patterned portions of the wrapper with said articles, and means for folding the ends of the tubular wrapper sections upon the articles, said means comprising a cross conveyor including successive article propelling paddles engageable with sides of the tubular wrapper sections, folding wings hinged to the respective paddles and engageable with projecting end portions of V the tubular wrapper sections, and cam means in the path of movement of said paddles, said wings having cam followers engageable with said means for the actuation of said wings in direcmeans including mechanism for varying the rate of said feeding means to register patterned portions of the wrapper with said articles, and means for folding the ends of the tubular wrapper sections upon the articles.

13. In a wrapping machine, the combination with means for-feeding successive articles to be tions to fold forwardly the end portions of tubular wrapper sections engaged by said wings in the propulsion of the articles and tubular wrapper sections, and stationary folding blades having portions engageable with forward portions of the projecting ends of the tubular wrapper sections to fold said forward portions inwardly and oppositely curving slots successively engageable with upper and lower apices remaining projecting from said articles whereby to fold said apices over each other.

15. A machine for wrapping successive articles in webbed sections having a predetermined pattern and indicia thereon, said machine comprising a web support, a web advancing conveyor, a scanning device in the path of movement of the web between the support and the conveyor, a

table having a delivery portion extending on to 'of the web conveyor to synchronize the patterned portions of the web with the articles delivered thereto, a cut-01f knife, means for actuating said cut-01f knife across the path of the tubed web in synchronism with the rate of article delivery to the web, said knife being timed to cut the entubed web midway between articles enfolded therein, and means for advancing the knife with the web in the course of each cutting operation, and means for folding upon each article the cut ends of the web in which the article is entubed.

16. The combination with means for feeding articles to be wrapped, said feed being at a constant rate, a cut-off knife, and means for operating the cut-off knife periodically across a predetermined path in synchronism with the rate at which articles are supplied, of means for supplying a wrapper, means for tubing the wrapper about the articles to be wrapped and advancing the wrapper and the enfolded articles on said paths past the cut-oil? knife, a mechanism for synchronizing the feed of the wrapper to the articles to be wrapped, said feed being at a constant rate, a cut-off knife, and means for operating the cut-off knife periodically across a predetermined path in synchronism with the rate at which articlesare supplied, of means for supplying a wrapper, means for tubing the wrapper about the articles to be wrapped and advancing the wrapper and the eniolded articles on said paths past the cut-of! knife, and mechanism for synchronizing the feed of the wrapper to the rate at which articles to be wrapped are supplied by said first mentioned means, said mechanism comprising an auxiliary source of power and photo-responsive apparatus for controlling said source of power to alter the normal speed of the 10 auxiliary supply means.

SAMUEL J. CAMPBELL.

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