US2506021A - Machine for wrapping folded sheets - Google Patents

Description

y 1950 J. A. HOLMBERG 2,506,021

mcnma FOR WRAPPING FOLDED SHEETS Filed Feb. 15, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JOHN A. HOLMBERG ATTORNEY y 9 J. A. HOLMBERG 2,506,021

MACHINE FOR WRAPPING FOLDED SHEETS Filed Feb. 15, 1947 3 Shts-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JOHN A. HOLMBERG ATTORNEY Filed Feb. 15, 1947 y 1950 J. A. HOLMBERG 2,506,021

MACHINE FOR WRAPPING FOLDED SHEETS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 WWW/WWW FIG.6

FIG. 7

IINVENTOR. JOHN A. HOLMBERG BY ATTORNEY Patented May 2, 1950 um-rec STATES PATENT OFFICE *MACHINEEEQR WRKPPINGTOLDED SHEETS John :A. .Holmberg, .Camas, Wash assignor to iCrownZellerhach Corporation, isan Francisco, Calm, .a corporationcof Nevada 4 13laims. 31

linvention relates -.to machines designed to :press together and wrap -bundles =oi folded, doublerfolded; or interfoldedsheets of paper,.-particul-arly folded sheets of toilet tissue, paper towelsand theilike.

An object of thetpresent-invention istoprovide an improved machine which will 1 press "and" compress-suchbundles of foldedl tissue orother; paper as they :are delivered 'from the' folding machine and will cause .a wrapper to he .placed @around each bundle, after which the bundles vcan 1 beacut transversely into'finishedicommercialipackages of the desired uniform-length.

A Iurther "obj ect of this inventioniiseto provide a packaging machine for folded atissue -.sheets which will *be relatively zsimple i in rccnstruction and-simple,- easy andzconvenient ifor' operation by a single operator.

.An additional-object istoiprovide an improved machine of the typeab'ove indicated in "which a specially arranged squeeze bar iwillioperate automatically to 'compressmachggroup of folded sheets into the desired i bundle size 1 to :enable the wrapper to the secured around the compressed bundle-with a minimum-of effort-andcare on -the partof the operator.

Another: specific object is to iprov-idc a machine for compressing and wrapping folded sheets :in which the operator willtb'e: required only toslid-e a group: of ifolded :sheets on :2. iworking surface 5 An ..operating'table top tfliisisupported at each side bylasuitablewstandardorw frame I I and these standards II also-serve as 138331118751113130138 for the several transmerse1yextending whorizontal shafts.- hereinatter mentioned. :At .the front of the machine the table ftqp =10 terminatescin'a 5s plun e s 29 rer-p lr n r p chutelitsee FiaQand-Figsto 7)., which exiv ly to rockerarms 36 -6Eig. 2) The rocker: tends the full -idthpf athe -ma,ch1ne,:g,ndff1t0m 811111930: are.keye'd.tcea.shaft. 3 l .neanitsiepposito thehottoeo of which, tIiewrappedQ'icompresSed ends. An intermediate rocker armt-ilt whichds bundles oi: folded; toilettissuelare. delireredl .The also: keyed .to .shaft -3 l is 0 arranged so a-a-s .to be two side walls of the chute I2 are parallel and 155 :engaged by laifootnpedallever t3z-soithat down I 2 arespaced adistance apartv equal approximately to the overall desired width. .of the finished wrapped bundles soc-that-the-wrappedhundles.can

easily be pushed down the chuteand delivered from the bottom endthereof.

Beyond 1 each end: of .the .chute J2, :and on =the outside of-each of the .standards tl,1a.pair .of

vertical guideways J6 lliig. .3) are secured and a sliding block M is mounted for up and down movementat each side of themachine. .Each of -.these blocks :14 isconnected .by means 012a link 15 to a crank 1-8, and .the cranks Q16 .are

of i theposts I 8 (thus the. left hand post asiviewed inlfiig. 1) anda-counter balance .weightiU car- 'ried on: a rod 2 l securedto and extending beyond the end of the press bridge L9,:enablesthmpress bridge is when swung-upwardly on the hingelat thatend-to remain inraised.inoperativeposition until -.the operator brings .the =.opposite end .of. the press bridge downinto contactwith theother The other post I8 is provided twitha' post 18. yoke :22 which slides over the saidaopposlte-end of thezpressbridge I19 and thus holds .thatend. of the press bridge-down onlitspost LBin opera-.

tlve position when .desired. Partial .i'otation of the. shaftl-T then causesthepress.bridgeto. move downwardly while maintaining its horizontal position. .The .purposeof the press .bridge will .be explained .later.

.A slot 23 =(Figs. 2 and 3),.extends-across the work table top I0. An angle iron shield .Z Land a horizontalplate 25 are .mountedfor .uprvand down movement within saidslot 23. The plate 254s supported onaipairofmods 2'5 :whicirslide through stationary brackets .21. interposed. coil springs "Elk-one on eachlrod 2-5, actltcholdtthe plate 23 normally .on the .samelevl. with .the work table .top ID but permit lthe plate .to he pusheddown: against the force of thesprings.

The z-angleiron .shield 24, which,. asshowniin' Figs..2.and 3,: has. a verticalback wall and a ho'rl-.- zontalltop wall,is firmly. attachedateachl-end to" a .p1ungerod29, and the bottom .endszof .the.

ward pressure on the foot pedal 34 will cause downward movement of the plunge rods 29 and therewith downward movement of the angle iron shield 24 and with it downward movement of the bar 36 when the latter is positioned within the shield 24. A pair of coil springs 35 act to keep the rods 29 normally in the raised position shown in Fig. 2.

A squeeze bar 36 (Figs. 1 and 2), preferably of rectangular cross section, the length of which bar corresponds approximately to the width of the work table top it and the cross sectional dimensions of which correspond approximately to the inner dimensions of the shield Zjis pivotally connected at its ends to a pair of blocks 3i respectively. A rod 38 (Figs. 1 and 3) is slidable in each pivot block 31. A stop 39 is secured on each rod 38 on one side of the pivot block 3i and a compression spring 40 is mounted on each rod 38 between the opposite side of the block 3? and a nut 4i carried on the inner end of the rod 38. The' forward or outer end of each rod 38 is connected to a crank arm 42 and the pair of crank arms 62 are keyed to the ends of a shaft 43. A sprocket wheel 44, also keyed on shaft 43, i connected by a'sprocket chain 45 to a similar sprocket wheel keyed on the main drive shaft i! (the latter mentioned sprocket wheel being shown in broken line in Fig. 3).

Thus rotation of the main drive shaft i'i produces up and down movement of the press bridge l9 and horizontal movement of the squeeze bar 36. A pair of guideways 46 limit the sliding movement of the squeeze bar 36 on the work table top In.

A worm gear 41 (Fig. 2) keyed to the main shaft i1, is driven through the medium of a worm gear reducer (indicated at 48 in Fig. 2), and the worm gear reducer in turn is connected to a motor 49. Operation of the motor 49 i controlled by suitable manual press-button switches 56 (Fig. 1) located conveniently near the operator. A pair of limit switch elements 5! (Fig. 2) having adjustable contact members, are mounted on the worm gear 41 and are adapted to engage a cooperating limit swtich element 52 which is connected to the motor 49.

The forward wall of the chute i2 extends above the level of the work table top iii, as indicated at 53 in Figs. 2, 3 and l, and then extends horizontally forward to form a narrow elevated horizontal support 54. On this support 54 are a pair ofs pring members 55 (Figs. 1 and 4) which engage the forward edge of a wrapper sheet 56, the rear edge of which extends through a slot in the work table top it and under a hinged spring lid indicated at5i. v

The operation of the device is as follows: The sheets of folded tissue 5i! (Figs. 1 and 4) are delivered to the work table top ill from one of the well known paper cutting and folding mabe in the position shown in Fig. 4. v Preferably the machine which folds the paper and delivers it to i the work table top Ill cuts a tab 6! in one of the sheets after each predetermined number of sheets.

as is sometimes customary in such machines, and this tab serves as an aid to the operator in having exactly the same number of sheets formed into each bundler 1 shield 24 and the squeeze bar '36 are lnthe position shown in Fig. 4. The press bridge I! (not shown in Fig. 4) is in the raised and inoperative position previously described. The operator first places a wrapper sheet 56 in the position shown in Fig. 4. This wrapper sheet may be obtained from a pile of wrapper sheets (not shown) located conveniently below the hinged lid 51 of the table top 3 ID, or from any other satisfactory and convenient source. When the wrapper 56 is in position the operator presses down on the foot pedal 34 (Figs. 1 and 2). This causes the shield 24 and squeeze bar 36 to be lowered to the position shown in Fig. 5 with the top "surface of the shield 24 being on the same level as the work table top i0. While the foot pedal 34' is' held down the operator reaches over and pulls-the first group of folded sheets (that is, the group to the left of the marker Si in Fig. 4), to the front of the machine into the position shown in Fig. 5. When this has been done the operator releases the foot pedal 34 which permits the shield 24 and squeeze bar 35 to return to the normal raised position previously referred to in Fig. 4. At the same time the operator presses a push button switch starting the motor 49. This results in slow rotation of the main drive shaft ll and with it the shaft 43. Rotation of shaft 43 produces movement of the crank arms 42 (Fig. 2) and movement of the rods 38 and thus causes the squeeze bar 36 to move in a forward F direction as illustrated in Fig. 6, compressing the group of folded sheets ahead of it. When the squeeze bar 36 has nearly reached its extreme forward compressed position one of the limit switches associated with the drive gear 41 (Fig." 2) functions to shut oil the motor 49 temporarily. The operator then brings the free or raised end of the press bridge I!) down onto its supportingpost i8' (Fig. 2) and slides the yoke 22 over this end of the bridge Hi. When the press bridge is thus secured in place the operator pushes a press button switch to start the motor again. Thissecond operation of the motor causes the squeeze bar 36 to move a slight distance further forward to its extreme forward position and to remain in this position for a moment and simultaneously causes the press bridge I!) to move downwardly on top of the compressed bundle of folded tissues, this compressed bundle being indicated at 62 in Fig. '7. As this'compressed bundle of sheets 62 is pushed downwardly in the chute i2 by thepress bridge [9 the wrapper 55'i-s pulled down with:

the bundle 62 as shown in Fig. 7. After slight further downward movement of the press bridge 19 the continued operation of the motor with the further rotation of the shafts i! and 43 causes the press bridge i9 to move upwardly and causes the squeeze bar 36 to move rearwardly back to the starting position illustrated'in Fig. 4. When. these members reach their starting positions the limit switch elements associated with the drive gear again stop the motor. upon, the press bridge being raised, the operator folds the top flaps of the wrapper 56 over on each other and on top of the bundle62. Adhesive is 55 in Fig. 4.

tion.

There- Various modifications could be made in the construction of the different parts of the simple machine which I have described and which has been very satisfactorily employed for the carrying out of my invention, and other mechanism could be designed for producing the various movements of the squeeze bar which constitutes an essential feature of my invention. It is not my intention to restrict my invention to the particular operating mechanism illustrated and described or to limit my invention otherwise than as set forth in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine for wrapping folded sheets, a working table surface for receiving the folded sheets to be wrapped, a stop element extending up above the forward portion of said working table surface, a slot extending across said working table surface, a compressing member, a shield associated with said member, said member and shield normally positioned above said slot, means for temporarily lowering said shield and member to permit a group of folded sheets to be moved forward on said working table surface past said shield and member, means for returning said shield and member to normal position, and means for moving said member forward from said shield on said working table surface from its normal position so as to enable said member to compress the folded sheets located between said member and said stop element.

2. In a machine of the character described, a working table surface for receiving folded sheets to be wrapped, a chute connected with the forward end of said working table surface, a retaining wall extending up above the forward side of said chute, a squeeze bar extending the full width of said working table surface, a slot extending across said surface, said squeeze bar normally positioned above said slot, a support for said squeeze bar in said slot, means for temporarily moving said support and said squeeze bar downwardly in said slot to permit a group of folded sheets to be moved forward on said working table surface past said squeeze bar, means for returning said support and said squeeze bar to normal position, means for sliding sa d. squeeze bar forward on the top of said working table surface from its normal position to the rear side of said chute so as to enable said squeeze bar to compress the folded sheets located between said squeeze bar and said retaining wall. a press member adapted to press downward on a group of sheets while said group is held in compressed position by said squeeze bar and adapted to press said group down into said chute, and means associated and synchronized with said squeeze bar sliding means for moving said press member downwardly on said group while said squeeze bar is in forward position.

3. In a machine of the character de cribed, a working table surface for receiving folded sheets to be wrapped, a chute extending downwardly from said working table surface, a stop wall extending up above the forward side of said chute,

a squeeze bar, a shield extending over a portion of said squeeze bar, said squeeze bar and said shield normally positioned above said working table surface, means for temporarily lowering said shield and with it said squeeze bar to permit a group of folded sheets to be moved forward on said work'ng table surface past said squeeze bar and shield and then for returning said shield and squeeze bar to normal position, means for moving said squeeze bar forward from said shield on said working table surface from the normal position of said squeeze bar to the rear wall of said chute so as to enable sa d squeeze bar to compress the folded sheets located between said squeeze bar and said stop wall, a press member adapted to press downward on a group of sheets while said group is held in compressed position by said squeeze bar and adapted to press said group down into said chute, and means for moving said press member downwardly on said group while sa d squeeze bar is in forward position, whereby to push said compressed group of sheets down into said chute.

4. A machine for wrapping folded sheets comprising a working table surface for receiving folded sheets to be wrapped, a chute extending downwardly from the forward end of said working table surface, a retaining wall extend ng up above the forward side of said chute, a squeeze bar, a shield associated with said squeeze bar, said squeeze bar and sa d shield normally positioned above sa d working table surface, means for temporari y lowering sa d squeeze bar and said shield to permit a group of folded sheets to be moved forward on said working table surface past said shield and said squeeze bar, and then for returning said shield and squeeze bar to normal position, means for moving said squeeze bar forward on said working table surface from its normal position to the rear wall of said chute so as to enable said squeeze bar to compress the fold d sheets located between said squeeze bar and said reta ning wall, a press member adapted to press downward on a group of sheets while said group is held in compressed position by said squeeze bar and ada ted to press sa d roup down into said chute, and means associated and synchronized with sa d latter mentioned squeeze bar moving means for moving said press member downwardly on said roup while said squeeze bar is in forward position, whereby to push. said compressed group of sheets down into said chute.

JOHN A. HOLMBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,078,291 Kane et a1 Nov. 11, 1913 1,913,727 Shaffer et al June 13, 1933 1,935,443 Guenther Nov. 14, 1933

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