Repetitive operating forming head employing a pair of cooperating elements

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REPETITIVE OPERATING FORMING HEAD EMPLOYING ’’

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ATTORNEY

United States Patent Office

3,149,21$

Patented July 7, 1964

3,140,218 REPETiriVE OPERATING FORMING HEAD EMPLOYING A PAIR OF COOPERATING ELEMENTS Gilbert H. Hannon, Sheboygan, Wis., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Hannon Engineering Company, Green Bay, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin

Filed July 11,1957, Ser. No. 671,327 16 Claims. (CI. 156—583)

This invention relates to a device for providing a plurality of sequential operations on a moving strip of material and more particularly to paper converting machinery wherein a forming head provides a plurality of accurately controlled repetitive operations on a continuously moving strip of material.

In paper converting machines employing repetitive cycle heating, crimping or cutting operations or a combination thereof the forming elements were usually fixedly attached to their actuating means. By being fixedly attached to endless chain, belt or track actuating means which usually followed, for example, elliptical paths the elements rotated about their axes during a cycle of operation of the forming head. Such an arrangement required slip ring wiring if electrical energy was needed to energize the forming elements.

To eliminate slip ring wiring and to provide a simple, cycle operating forming head employing cooperating forming elements it was decided that the forming elements should be mounted in a given axial position and be retained in that axial position as they traveled along their endless paths.

In accordance with the invention claimed a new and improved device for performing a plurality of operations on a strip of moving material is provided. This device comprises in combination a base, means for moving the material along a predetermined path on the base, and a pair of relatively movable cooperating members mounted on the base one on each side of the path and movable adjacent to and along at least a part of the path. The movable cooperating members are each arranged to travel along an endless path and are so arranged that they remain in a given axial or geometrical position at points along the path. These members at a predetermined point during their movement along the path of the material are actuated toward each other to cooperatively engage the material to perform an operation thereon. The members when engaging with the material move along the path of the material at the same speed as the material. This new and improved device may be used with any machine requiring an accurately controlled repetitive cycle of operation.

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a new and improved device for providing a plurality of accurately controlled repetitive operations on a continuously moving strip of material.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved repetitive cycle operating device in which a forming head retains a given axial position during the complete cycle of operation.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved forming device for paper converting machinery in which the forming heads follow along adjacent the path of movement of the continuously moving strip of material.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved forming device for paper converting machinery in which the cooperating elements of a forming head each follow along an endless path adjacent the path of movement of the continuously moving strip or strips of material and at all times whether in engagement with the material or not retain a given axial position.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a repetitive cycle operating device which is simple, durable and economical in construction and operation.

, Other objects and advantages of this invention will be5 come apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the repetitive cycle device embodying the various features of the present invention:

FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross sectional view of the structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial right end view of the structure shown in FIG. 1 with the sealing heads in material engaging position;

FIG. 5 is a partial right end view of the structure shown in FIG. 1 with the sealing head shown in the spread apart position;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of one of the sealing elements shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the heating unit or sealing elements shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the control means used for adjusting pressure during engagement of the cooperating sealing heads.

Referring more particularly to the drawings by characters of reference FIGS. 1-5 illustrate a repetitive cycle operating device 10 which is illustrated in operative arrangement with a continuous moving strip of material 11. In the description following, the invention is described with relation to a sealing head operating on a pair of superimposed strips of pliable plastic material such as transparent plastic wrap to form sequentially a plurality of bags, but it is to be understood that this new and improved forming head may be employed to produce any form of machine action on a continuously moving strip of any type of material, such as for example, paper, plastics, fiber, rubber or metal strips as the case may be. This invention and the structure disclosed employing its novel features may be used on an unlimited variety of machinery including paper converting machinery such as automatic wrappers, bag or pouch making machines and paper sheeters.

The repetitive cycle operating device 10 is mounted on a base 12 over or through which the strip or superim45 posed strips of material 11 pass. Strip 11 may be fed to the forming head or operating device 10 in any suitable manner and in FIG. 1 it will be seen that strip 11 is fed through two pairs of driving rollers 13 and 14. Rollers 13 and 14 not only flatten the strip 11 but also keeps 50 it taut over that portion of it subject to the operations of device 10. Device 10 when mounted on a machine structure usually provides a table surface over which strip 11 passes along a predetermined path and the forming operation of device 10 may occur at any point along its 55 path.

Device 10 shown in FIGS. 1-5 may comprise for example a pair of cooperating relatively movable sealing heads or members 15 and 16. These sealing heads or members are movable toward or away from the flat surθθ face of strip 11. During a part of the movable cycle of members 15 and 16 they are actuated toward each other in unison to cooperatively engage with strip 11 therebetween to perform an operation thereon. During the period of engagement with each other and strip 11, mem55 bers 15 and 16 are actuated along the predetermined path of strip 11 at the same speed as strip 11.

Sealing heads or members 15 and 16 are actuated by two pairs of endless tracks such as belts or chains 17, 17' which pairs are mounted on opposite sides of the table 70 surface of device 10 and on opposite sides of strip 11.

Each of the chains of each pair of chains is carried by a pair of sprockets 18, 18'. Sprockets 18, 18' are fixedly

3,140,318 secured to shafts 19, 19' rotatably mounted in bearing structures 20, 20' formed in frame structure 21 mounted on base 12. Shafts 19' of the lower chains, as shown in FIG. 1, are driven by drive shaft 22 through a pair of endless belt or chain drives 23, 23'. The endless chain drives 23, 23' are actuated through sprockets 24, 24' mounted on shaft 22 and sprockets 25, 25' mounted on shafts 19' of the lower sealing head drive as shown in FIG. 1. Drive shaft 22 is actuated through an endless belt or chain 26 from any suitable source of power, for example, a constant speed drive such as the electric motor 28 shown symbolically.

In order to cause the chains 17, 17' driving the sealing members 15 and 16 to operate in unison two pairs of cooperating gears 27, 27', one pair mounted on each end of the lower shaft 19' and one pair mounted on each end of the upper shaft 19 of the sealing heads as shown in FIG. 1, are provided. Thus, as the chains 17' are actuated their movement is conveyed through the cooperating gears 27, 27' to the chains 17.

Members 15 and 16 are shown herein as temperature controlled sealing heads and their description will be covered in detail herein but it is to be understood that any other type of forming head may be readily attached to chains 17, 17' to cause the desired cooperating action to perform a useful function. The sealing members 15 and 16 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 each comprise a U-shaped base member 30 the legs of which each provide a bearing 31 extending through member 30 transversely of the longitudinal axes of members 30, a heat insulating member 32 mounted adjacent member 30 between the legs thereof, a thermal element such as a high temperature, high resistance rod 33 bent in the form of a U-shaped member, and a sealing head 34 formed to provide a sealing ridge or limited surface area 35 on one side thereof and a grooved surface 37 for receiving rod 33 on the other side thereof. All parts of the sealing members are held together by bolts threaded through aligned apertures 36 formed in members 30, 32 and 34.

Sealing members 15 and 16 are aligned for cooperating engagement with each other and for movement in unison along a predetermined path formed by chains 17, 17' by means of a pair of rods 38. Rods 38, as more clearly shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, are arranged to extend through bearings 31 in base members 30 of the sealing members 15 and 16 to align the sealing heads in a substantially vertical common plane and retain the sealing heads in that vertical plane during their movement around the path formed by chains 17, 17'.

In order to control the path of movement of sealing members 15 and 16 and also to make more rigid the sealing head structure, two pairs of horizontally arranged guide rods 47, 47' are provided. These rods are mounted on frame structure 21. Sealing members 15 and 16 through rods 38 and collars 48 mounted thereon are slideably mounted on rods 47, 47' for reciprocal movement therealong.

Each end of sealing members 15 and 16 are fastened to a link of the chains 17, 17' respectively, through interconnecting clamps 40, and as the chains 17,17' are driven by the drive shaft 22 the sealing head unit comprising sealing members 15 and 16 and the pair of rods 38 move as a unit. Clamps 40 are fixedly attached to chains 17, 17' and rotatably attached to rods 41. This rotatable attachment makes it possible for the sealing members 15 and 16 to retain a given axial or geometrical position at all times during their movement with chains 17, 17'. In other words the sealing members during their repetitive cycle operations do not rotate about their axes but retain a given axial position. This arrangement makes it possible to employ direct electric wiring connections to the sealing elements without resorting to the use of slip rings. Rods 41 are arranged to extend out from the ends of base members 30. Thus, as chains 17, 17' revolve around their endless paths the sealing members 15 and 16 are actuated along a predetermined horizontal path which is of the same length as the horizontal path of the chains and sequentially along a predetermined transverse or vertical path up and down rods 38.

Rods 38 serve as a guide or path for movement of members 15 and 16 transversely to the path of movement of material 11. Upon continuous rotation of chains 17, 17' the sealing elements move through a sequence of steps repeating over and over the same cycle or operation, namely predetermined horizontal movements and predetermined vertical movements. When the sealing elements are moving along their horizontal paths closely adjacent each other they are spaced a small predetermined distance apart but at a chosen point the sealing members 15 and 16 are forced together to form the heat sealing operation.

Members 15 and 16 are forced into sealing engagement by the action of two pairs of rollers 43, 43' moving over pairs of pressure plates 44, 44' mounted on frame 21. Rollers 43, 43' are each rotatably mounted on an Lshaped clamp 45. A pair of clamps 45 and their associated rollers 43, 43' are fastened to each of the sealing members 15 and 16 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. During a predetermined horizontal movement of members 15 and 16 during a sealing operation the rollers 43, 43' on member 15 roll under pressure plates 44, 44' while the rollers 43, 43' on member 16 roll over the pressure plates 44, 44'. The vertical location of the pressure plates 44, 44' forces the sealing members 15 and 16 together with the strip of material 11 therebetween to perform the sealing action. Springs 46 are mounted one on each rod 38 between the sealing members 15 and 16 so that when rollers 43, 43' leave the pressure plates 44, 44' the springs assist to move the sealing members apart.

As noted from FIG. 5 when the sealing members 15 and 16 are being reciprocated on their return part of the cycle the rollers 43, 43' of member 15 ride over the plates 44, 44' and the rollers 43, 43' of member 16 ride under the plates 44, 44'.

In order to control the compression of the sealing members 15 and 16 on strip 11 during a sealing operation the pressure plates 44 and 44' are suspended from cross braces 50 mounted on frame structure 21. Pressure plates 44, 44' are suspended from cross braces 50 by means of a plurality of threaded bolts 51 which elevate or lower pressure plates 44, 44' according to the setting desired.

The thermal elements 33 and 33' of the sealing members 15 and 16 are electrically connected as shown in the drawing by conductors 52 and a thermal couple diagrammatically shown at 53 indicates and controls the temperature of the sealing members.

Although but one embodiment of the present invention has been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.