US2389699A - Binding strip apparatus - Google Patents

Description

'2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR W. STUEBING, JR

BINDING STRIP APPARATUS Filed Jan. 5, 1942 Nov, 27, E945.

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BINDING STRIP APPARATUS 2 ShetS-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 5, 1942 "Tm-:Vl

Patented Nov. 27, 1945 UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFElcE BINDING STRIP APPARATUS William vSIsuebing, Jr., Cincinnati, Ohio Application January 5, 1942, Serial No. 425,627

1 Claim.

This invention relates to the making of binding strips for calendars, display cards and the like, and more particularly to accurately handling the strips during manufacture.

A binding stri-p of the above character is shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,906,024, and a machine for mounting metal strips of this character on the edges of cards, calendars, etc., is shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,057,295. An improved machine is shown in my U. S. Patent No. 2,042,912 and the present invention is an improvement upon the machine of this latter patent. The present invention relates particularly to the handling of the binding strips during the manufacturing process so that the strips are accurately held with the result that a uniform product is produced.

An object of the presentl invention is to provide means for accurately handling strips of the above character particularly during the manufacture thereof. A further object is to provide a guide means for automatically centering the binding strips when the eyelet tabs are being attached to the strip. A further object is to provide a gauge which will automatically center each binding-strip and which is adaptable for use under a variety of conditions. Another object is to provide apparatus of the above character which is sturdy in construction, dependable in operation and thoroughly practical in all respects.

The invention` accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements,

and arrangements of -parts as will be exemplied in the structure to be hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indi--V cated in the following claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the machine;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine shown in Figure 1 with certain portions broken away;

Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan View of one of the gauges showing its relationship to the end of a binding strip; and,

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the various views of the drawings.

'I'his machine comprises sheet metal feeding mechanism; a strip cutting and folding device and its operating mechanism; a strip indenting device and its operating mechanism; a strip pusher for feeding the cut strip to the device for indenting and folding, and its operating mechathrough gearing (not shown).

nism; a second strip pusher or feeding device and its operating mechanism; a movable strip-receiving table and its operating mechanism; eyelet tape feeding mechanism; an eyelet punch and die unit and its operating mechanism; a pressure bar and its operating mechanism; a fin `punching device and its operating mechanism; a iin clinching device and its operating mechanism; means and mechanism for delivering the nished strips from the machine in nested formation; and main driving and control mechanisms. The present invention relates particularly to the strip delivery device and the strip-receiving table and to means for insuring coordinated action between the various parts of the machine.

The details of the machine and its operation are discussed in my U. S, Patent No. 2,042,912, and except as pointed out herein, the details of construction and operation are the same as in that patent. 'Ihe structure of the machine and its operation will be discussed below and the details will be explained in so far as they are involved directly in the present invention. The broader aspects of the machine will be discussed in reference to Figure 1, and the details of construction will then be discussed in connection with the other gures. y

Referring to Figure 1, the machine is provided with suitable side-frame leg members III and sup-V porting upper side-frame members II. These frame members are connected together by means of a lower transverse frame-plate I2, and upper transverse frame-plates I3 and I3. Plate I3 lprovides an upper surface for supporting the metal sheet I4 as it is fed from the rear of the machine (the left of Figure 1) to the strip cutting and folding mechanism. At the right-hand side, plate I3 has a depending L-shaped projection forming a ledge to support a block I5, and similarly plate I3 supports a block I6. Block I6 is movable toward block I5 to adjust the gap therebetween, with the adjustment being accomplished by turning a plurality of adjustment screws Il mounted in plate I3 and adjusted from the right at the front of the machine.

'Ihe drive and control mechanism comprises a cam shaft I8 and an eccentric shaft I9 both extending across the machine and rotatably mounted in the side-frames. Cam shaft I8 is driven through a gear assembly from a motor, and cam shaft I9 is driven from cam shaft I8 Mounted to slide vertically in suitable raceways 25 in the sideframe members II is a sheet cutting and folding bar 24. At the left, bar-24 carries a movable cutting knife 26 which cooperates with a fixed cutting knife 28 rigidly mounted on plate I3, and at the right, bar 24 carries a folding blade 21 which moves downwardly between blocks I5 and I8 to fold the strip. Bar 24 also carries a gauge plate which is adjustably supported by a pair of adjusting screws 3l. Prior to each cutting operation the metal sheet I4 is-moved to the right with its extreme end overhanging the edge of cutter knife 28 'and into engagement" with gauge plate 39. As bar 24 moves downwardly, the cutting edges of cutting knives 25 and 28 cooperate to shear off the overhanging end of the metal sheet, and this cut-off portion forms the strip 29. By adjusting the position of gauge plate 30 with respect to the cutting edge of cutting knife 28, the width of the binding strip is regulated. After being cut off, the stripv falls upon block I5, and bar 24 moves up again.

Slidably mounted and extending across the top of block I5 are two pusher fingers 32 which are oscillated between the position shown and a retracted position wherein the right-hand ends of the ngers are flush with the right-hand side of cutter knife 28. Thus, when the strip 29 falls on ,block I5, the left-hand side of the strip is engaged by the adjacent ends of the pusher fingers, and when the pusher fingers slide to the right to the position shown, the strip is slid over the gap between blocks I5 and I6. The strip is then held between the ends of pusher fingers 32 and the edge of adjustable gauge plate 33 mounted on block I5. In this position the strip is operated upon to produce therein suitable indentations and then is folded by the folding plate 21 upon the next descent of bar 24,

The pusher ngers 32 are oscillated by a cam and spring assembly with the left-hand end of each nger connected through a link 35 to the upper end of an arm 36 rigidly mounted on a rock shaft 38. Shaft 38 is mounted at its ends in the sideframes and carries an arm 39 having a roller 40 riding upon a cam 4I on the cam shaft I9. Arm 39 has a rearward extension 42 to which is connected one end of a tension spring 43, the other end of which is attached to the frame of the machine. Spring 43 biases arm 39 and rock shaft 38 in a clockwise direction, with the result that roller 48 follows the contour of cam 4I. Thus, as shaft I9 rotates, shaft 38 is rocked, with the result that pusher fingers 32 are oscillated to and from their retracted position where they receive a new strip 29 of sheet metal.

Bar` 24 is connected at its ends to a pair of adjustable connecting rods,(not shown) which are mounted at their lower ends on eccentrics on shaft I9. These eccentrics are so positioned with respect to cam 4I that fingers 32 are withdrawn immediately after the folding blade 21 engages strip 29 to force it downwardly in the gap between blocks I5 and I6, thereby folding the strip and giving it its V-shaped form. Thus, the pusher ngers release the strip and move backward into their rear position ready to carry forward the next strip at the time the strip is cut off.

In the upper side-frames, there is rotatably mounted a rock shaft 44 which carries a pair of embossing arms 45. These arms have pin-shaped or coneshaped tips 48 which are adapted to form indentations in the metal strip when the arms 32 are rocked into engagement with the strip. Suitable cooperating recesses 41 are formed in the upper face of block I5, and the gagement of each strip by the folding blade 21. The embossing arms 45 immediately return to the position shown and do not interfere with the folding operation- Rockably mounted in the side-frames below block I6 is a rock shaft 56 which carries a pair of vdelivery fingers 53, each of which is provided each of toggle members 65 is connected by a pinl with a V-shaped end 52. Rock shaft 56 is mechanically connected with shaft I'8, and its action is synchronized with the action of folding blade 21 so that when thev folding blade forces a folded strip downwardly, fingers 53 are in the position shown, and the strip falls into the fingers. The fingers are then rocked clockwise to a lowered, substantially horizontal position where they deposit the strip on a movable table 54. Table 54 is slidably mounted upon cross plate I2 and is moved toward and away from the front of the machine by a pair of toggle mechanisms, each of which is composed of a set of parts 64 and 65 connected together by a pin 66 upon which a cam roller 61 is rotatably mounted. The right-hand end of each of the toggle members 64 is connected to table 54 by a pin 69, and the left-hand en d of 1I to a suitable stationary support 10 carried by plate I2. Each of cam rollers 61 rides in'` contact with a cam 68 rigidly mounted upon cam shaft I8, with the result that when cam shaft I8 ro- Y tates, table 54 is reciprocated.

' strip is pushed to the right beneath pressure plate 15 to the position shown by fingers 55 extending from a pusher plate 18. At the left, pusher plate 18 is connected through links 88 to a pair of rock levers 8| mounted on studs 82 carrying at their lower ends cam rollers 83 which are maintained by springs 85 in engagement with cams 84 on shaft I8. Thus, when shaft I8 rotates, fingers 55 are reciprocated in timed relationshipwith respect to the other operations of the machine.

Referring to the right of the figure, at the time a strip 29 is being positioned beneath pressure plate 15, the end of eyelet tape 86 moves from the right over the top of the center portion of l the strip. The pressure plate 15 then descends and resiliently holds the folded strip and the end of the eyelet tape in proper juxtaposition. At this time the die member 88 of the punch and die unit 13 moves downwardly, pinning the end of the eyelet tape. The downward movement ofthe die member 88 also causes the round punch Slito cut a hole in the eyelet tape which is to form the next successive eyelet. As explained in my Patent No. 2,042,912, a pair of punches I 8| lare at this time operated to pierce from below the strip 29 and the eyelet tab to cause upstan'ding metal ns. These metal fins are subsequently clinched or riveted by means of a pair of hammer pins |03 which reciprocate in the pressure plate 15. While these operations of punching the fins and clinching the same are being carried on, the pressure plate 15 rests with resilient force upon the eyelet tab and folded strip holding them in position. The mechanism for operating the punching and clinching pins and the pressure plate 15 is shown in part in the accompanying drawings, and a detailed description may be found in my Patent No. 2,042,912.

The clinching of the ns securely fastens the eyelet to the metal strip so that the finished product is a substantially unitary structure. The metal strip is released by the lifting of the pressure plate 15, and the fiat springs |32 react to flip the finished binding strip to the left. At this time the movable table 5d has been drawn back to the left, causing a gap to exist between the forward edge of the table and the die block 12, and the nished binding strip falls through this gap into the mouth of a hopper |33. The hopper guides each individual binding strip downwardly, and its advance is stopped by contact with a pair of flat springs |36. A pair of fingers |39 then moves from the broken line position to the full line position, thereby delivering the binding strip to the nested position shown at the left.

These binding strips are adapted to act as supports for sheets of material such as calendars, maps, etc., and it is important that the eyelet tab be accurately positioned upon each strip; that is, if the eyelet tab were off center, this would not be discovered until the calendar or the like was finished. Then, in all probability, the calendar or the like would be discarded. In carrying out the present invention, each binding strip is automatically centered with respect to its eyelet tab in a manner which is tied up with the operation of the other portions of the machine. Accordingly, as the binding strips are moved along the surface of the table 54 by pusher fingers 55 (see Figures 2 and 3), the strip is moved between'a pair of end gauges adjustably held by screws |16 to the stop gauge |1. Each endgauge is formed by a link having a slotl |1| at one end and carrying a guide finger |12 at the other end. Each guide nger |12 has a beveled edge |14 shown best in Figure 5, and it is adjustably held to link |16l by a screw |13'. Referring again to Figure 2, screws |16 are received in holes |11 spaced along the top of stop gauge ||1, and by providing a number of these holes and the elongated slot |1|, each link |10 may be positioned to hold its guide finger in any desirable position.

To adjust the two end gauges, a sample strip 29 is placed in its true position with relation to th'e center of the eyelet-attaching mechanism. A pair of holes |11 is then selected such that the end gauges may be clamped to approximate the relation to strip 29 which is shown in Figure 2. Guide fingers |12 are then placed in alignment with the ends of the strip and locked in place by tightening screws |13, and links |10 are then secured in the proper adjusted position by tightening screws |16.

The beveled edge |14 of each guide finger |12 (see Figure 5), and each guide finger is resiliently held by link |10 so that this beveled engages and presses downwardly on the end edge of the strip. As shown best in Figure 4, the beveled edge |14 of each guide finger is cut away at th'e end of the guide finger which first engages the strip so that if the strip is not in perfect alignment with the finger, the strip' will be deected longitudinally into proper alignment. The guide ngers are adjusted in accordance with the conditions of use, depending upon the type of strip and upon th'e leeway which must be given for the strips to be out of alignment when they are pushed between the end gauges. Thus, for eX- ample, in Figure 2 the guide fingers are adjusted at a wide angle.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth, or sh'own in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

In apparatus for attaching metal eyelets on folded metal strips wherein the strips are fed transversely of their length beneath a pressure plate in overlapping relationship with respect to the eyelets and wherein each eyelei-l is automatically attached to said strip, the combination with' means for moving and holding the strips of a pair of gauges positioned at the respective ends of the strip, each of said gauges comprising a nger member adjustably held against the working surface upon which the strip is positioned, said linger member having a, beveled side edge beneath which the respective end of each successive strip is moved, and a resilient link providing the support for said finger member with the linger member attached at one end of the link and with the link adjustably clamped to a stationary support adjacent its other end.

WILLIAM STUEBING, JR.

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