US3076297A

US3076297A - Apparatus for packaging compressible disc-like articles

Info

Publication number: US3076297A
Application number: US844105A
Authority: US
Inventors: Povlacs Lawrence
Original assignee: Akwell Corp
Current assignee: Akwell Corp
Priority date: 1959-10-02
Filing date: 1959-10-02
Publication date: 1963-02-05
Anticipated expiration: 1980-02-05

Description

Feb. 5, 1963 POVLACS 3,076,297

APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING COMPRESSIBLE DISC-LIKE ARTICLES Filed 001;. 2, 1959 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR LAWRENCE POVLACS F m BY m ATTORNEY Feb. 5, 1963 A POVLACS 3,076,297

APPARATUS FORAPACKAGING COMPRESSIBLE DISC-LIKE ARTICLES Filed Oct. 2, 1959 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR LAWRENCE POVLACS ATTORNEY Feb. 5,1963 I L. POVLACS 3,076,297

APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING COMPRESSIBLE DISC-LIKE ARTICLES Filed Oct. 2, 1959 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 \N VENTOR Lawrence POU&($

J IILJ 3 6 7 Feb. 5, 1963 1.. POVLACS APPARATUS FOR max/acme COMPRESSIBLE DISC-LIKE ARTICLES Filed Oct. 2, 1959 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 /////////////fl/i all" INVEN Lawrence. Poo

Attorney Feb. 5, 1963 g L. POVLACS APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING COMPRESSIBLE DISC-LIKE ARTICLES Filed Oct. 2, 1959 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 1.0 d h I I b Tweegers Bmkm Throw Tuba 5% (N065 Gvipphg Space.

I Tubed Goods Spo-ce j 3 be to En'ier Tube Qosed Tuoe 15 to EntzrTube.

QNVENTOR L ranch: PoulacS 5 Wm a Airorney L. POVLACS Feb. 5, 1963 APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING COMPRESSIBLE DISC-LIKE ARTICLES 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Oct. 2, 1959 h mv l li 4f Z \NVENTOR Lawrence Pmflaqs 5 WW L. POVLACS Feb. 5', 1963 APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING COMPRESSIBLE DISC-LIKE ARTICLES a Sheets- Sheet '1 Filed Oct.- 2, 1959 Attorney Feb. 5, 1963 L. POVLACS 3,076,297

APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING COMPRESSIBLE DISC-LIKE ARTICLES INVENTOR Lbwrence P001 acs Niamey United States Patent 3,076,297 APPARATUS FOR PACK GING COMPRESGIBLE DISC-LIKE ARTICLES Lawrence Povlacs, Akron, hio,.assignor to The Akwell Corporation, Akron, 0hio, a corporation ofDelaware Filed 0ct..2, 1959,.Ser, No. 844,105 26 Claims. ((11. 53-24) This invention relates to apparatus for packaging articles, andin particular relates to a machine for packaging yieldingly compressible disc-like articles.

Prior Patent No. 2',13'4;0'49, in which'applicant herein was a co-inventor, discloses a packaging machine wherein disc-like elastic articles are withdrawn from a vertical stack thereof and deposited in a paper tube by a reciprocating gripper. This structure, however, was found to be unsatisfactory in commercial packaging of thin rubber articles for a number of reasons. In the first place, the articles, being fed by a continuous conveyor belt, had a tendency to become tilted or otherwise bunched out of vertical alignment in the stack, so that frequently the bottom articles did not move into proper position to be gripped by the reciprocating gripper. Moreover, the continuous belt fed the articles in hap-. hazard manner, not-in time with operation of the gripper. In the second place, the paper tubes were required to beproduced by separate operations and to be manually positioned in the machine. Difiiculty was encountered .in inserting the paper tubes in proper timing with movement of the gripper, and frequentlythe paper tubes were crushed orotherwise made unsatisfactory for etiicient operation of the packaging machine. Other known prior art devices for packaging compressible disclike articles were found to be unsatisfactory for similar reasons.

One object of the present invention is to provide a packaging machine of the character described, including improved means for uniformly feeding a continuous succession of the articles toward a given stopped position of each successive leading article, whereby there is always an article presented in such stopped position for timed engagement by said gripper while reciprocated at a substantially high rate of speed.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for'forming a succession of tubular wrappers from continuous material, and positioning the same in timed relation for rapid insertion of the articles therein by said reciprocating gripper.

.Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for conveying a continuous succession of disc-like articles of elastic material in continuous relationship without the same faltering, separating, or bunchin-g'up.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved vibratory device for conveying a continuous succession of articles, including means for holding the articles flatwise against vibrating guide surfaces without substantial tendencyto reverse the movement of the articles.

Another object of .the invention is =to'provide a unitary device for automatically making tubular wrappers from continuous sheet material, and inserting compressible disc-like articles in the same at a rapid rate.

Other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following brief description and the accompanying drawings.

Of the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE .1 is a top plan view, partly broken away, of a packaging machine embodying the features of the invention.

,FIGURE 2 is an enlarged front elevation partly broken away and in section, of vibratory conveyor means for 3,076,297 1 ted ,Felh. 1963 2 feeding a continuous succession of articles for packaging, substantially as viewed on the line 22 of FIG- URE 1 FIGURE 3 .is an enlarged rear elevation of the machine, partly broken away, substantially as viewed from the line 3-13 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a semi-diagrammatic top plan view of eentralrart f h ma h n e n ing he ub n an .v wrapping mechanisms otherwise shown on a smaller "scale in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged vertical cross-section, taken substantially .on the linev5 '5 off FIGURE 4, and illustrating the wrapping mechanism.

GU '6 s a u t n ar d e c l cros ec o taken substantially on the, line 6 .6 of FIGURE 5 to show a tweezer reciprocating means.

FIGURE 7'; is a similar view taken substantially on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 5 to show a tweezeropening and closing means.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged rear :section partly broken away, of a tube forming mechanism substantially as viewed at the pp nt a port n of. F GURE.

FIGURE 9 is .a further enlarged, fragmentary vertical cross-section of the tube moving and sealing device of FI V FIGURE 10 is a still further enlarged cross-section, taken substantially on the line 1t l.10 of FIGURE FIGURE 1.1 isa semi-diagrammatic vertical cross-sect tion transversely through the machine to show the driving connections for various mechanisms thereof.

FIGURE 12 is a'fragmentary top plan .view. of a modification f e invention ine n i s mpt means e sorting wrapped goods from empty wrappers. v

FIGURE 13 is a side elevation Ofl lhfi same, as viewed from the right of GU ,2,.Pa t1y' w en away and in section.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 3, there is illustrated a machine for packaging disc-shaped articles, namely rolled thin rubber pouches or finger cots. The machine i n-. eludes an article feeding mechanism A, a tube or wrapper ng mechanism T, and n article w app m ek, anism W. These mechanisms maybe, .in duplicate at opposite sides of the lateral center .line of the machine, for doubling the production of wrapped articles, .asbest Shown in p in IGUR a t ou hh y a a apte to e op t by a sin le. c r cal po uni M (s G E F r nvenie c on y n s de the ma:

chine will be described.

Eachsarticle feeding means A may include a resilicnb. y t rt e pply ainer 15 a ing a ettem a a cy i ri l al 17- V hrat n me ns, of nyn subst n i l y as dis losed in p o Pa en No. 2,609,914, dated September9, 1952, is provided to feed o l r onhy ies P from th con ner, n s ngle file, up a spiraltrack 18 around the wall '17, andalong a conn ing guid h n 19, e t nd ng ans ly o aid wal A str gh e en n or c ntinua i 2.0 of said guide c a ne m y be pp red n n et al v brator unit 22 of known type, such as disclosed in prior Pa n N 23 .8 d ted October 94 h ibrator 'in turn be nz supported on. a po 1 for e and n bs ruc ed vi io o t h n Th s ar an ement is adapted toprovideforward unidirectional linear movement of the articles P, in contacting edge-tmedge {Q13}, tionshi-p along channel 20, as indicated by arrows in FIGURE 1. [Post 21 is shown supported on a shockabsorbing table 23 (see FIGURE 3). A spacefl19a may 3 wall a of the channel 20, as shown in FIGURE 2, an elongated metal or like bar or element 24 may be supported to have a flat bottom edge 25 thereof in spaced parallelism with respect to said bottom wall. The minimum clearance, however, should be sufficient to permit unretarded forward movement of the articles P toward stop engagement of the leading article with the trailing side of stop means comprising spaced, peripherally grooved,

idler rollers

26, 26.

Should the bar 24 be afiixed directly on the channel portion 20, the latter would vibrate the bar in a manner tending to reverse the movement of the articles. To prevent such reversing action the bar 24 may be independently supported on spaced

arms

27 and 28, vertically adjustably mounted on the upper ends of upright-s 29 and 30, respectively, supported on non-vibrating parts of the equipment.

Movement of the articles between the vibratory influence of conveyor channel 19 and conveyor extension 20 may be enhanced by provision of spaced air-blast means 32, 32, having nozzles 33 continuously concentrating jets of air against the articles P, thereby to urge the same forwardly of the container 15. These air jets also are effective to hold the articles flatwise for free passage under the bar 24.

Simultaneously with movement of the articles P, and parallel to such movement, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 3, the wrapper tubing or forming device T is intermittently operable to feed a succession of

tubular wrappers

36, 36 to spaced

chambers

37, 37, defined by a series of tooth-

like lugs

38, 38 of a continuous flexible belt or link chain conveyor 39. This conveyor is supported between spaced front and

rear sprockets

40 and 41, rotatably mounted on a housing 42 on a framework 43. Belt conveyor 39 is intermittently operable, in a manner to be described later, to advance successively deposited wrappers 36 a predetermined distance, toward stopped positions of successive wrappers in alignment with the opening or space between the stop rollers 26 of the wrapping mechanism W, at the leading side of the stop rollers.

Referring particularly to FIGURES l and 3, the tubing device T may include a roll 44 of narrow strip material 45, such as paper, which is guided by suitably arranged

rollers

46, 47, 48 and 49, to pass over an adhesive applying disc 50, and through a tube forming unit 51 to a cutting unit 52. Roller 46 may be carried by an arm 53, pivoted on the framework 43 to be gravitationally supported by the paper strip 45 as it comes from roll 44, thereby to keep the strip under tension. Each time the respective belt conveyor 39 is stopped, the paper strip 45 may be intermittently drawn a predetermined distance, equal to the'length of the wrappers 36, as by means of oppositely driven

rollers

54 and 55, between which the formed tubing 45a is frictionally engaged in a manner to be described later. Roller 55 is driven by being keyed on a suitably journalled shaft 57 (see FIGURE 3), which is intermittently rotated a fraction of a revolution, by means of a one-way ratcheting device 58 having an arm 59 which is reciprocated by a link 60. The opposite paper-driving roller 54 is driven by means of

meshing gears

61 and 62, keyed on a ratchet driven shaft 57 and on a shaft 64 of the roller 54, respectively (see FIGURE 1). Link 60 is reciprocated correspondingly to reciprocate arm 59, by having its other end connected to an arm 65, keyed on a shaft 66 which is intermittently oscillated by a roller 65a, on an extension 65b of arm 65, engaging a side cam 67 on a continuously driven cam shaft 67a driven by a motor driven shaft 670, through a chain drive 67b (see FIGURES 3 and 9). Shaft 670 is driven by continuously operating motor unit M, through a belt drive 67d. For varying the given length of the wrappers 36, and hence the length of the intermittent movement of strip 45, the connection between arm 59 and link 60 may be a pin 59a adjustable to fixed positions in a slot 60a.

Intermittent, progressive rotation of shaft 64, as described above, is utilized to provide like progressive rotation to the adhesive-applying disc 50, through a chain drive 64a. Disc 50 picks up liquid adhesive from a tank 68, within which it turns, whereby contact of the peripheral edge of the disc with the underside of the simultaneously moving paper strip is effective to provide a continuous narrow coating of tacky adhesive to the paper. Container 68 is shown adjustably mounted at 69, for varying the location of the coating (not shown) with respect to the edge of the strip.

The tube-forming unit 51 may include a pivotally mounted shoe element 71 which tapers forwardly at 71a with respect to the moving paper strip to hold the same against a fixedly supported, forwardly extending tubeforming plate 72 having upturned

side portions

73, 73, which curve gradually to a tubular end 74. Thus, the cooperating portions of shoe 71 (see FIGURES 3 and 8) and plate 72 are effective to form the edges of the moving strip 45 upwardly to final tubular form, with overlapping edges, upon passing from the tubular end 74. The intermittently moved tube 45a is thereby formed around, and is supported by, an integral continuation 71b of the tapered portion 71a of the shoe, said extension constituting a mandrel which extends between the

rollers

54 and 55 and through a slot or recess 76a in a conveyor guard plate 76 to terminate in the plane of the inner face thereof. Mandrel 71b, with paper tube 45a thereon, may be supported between a pair of vertically spaced idler rollers 71c and 71d adjacent the plate 76. At the point where the

paper driving rollers

54 and 55 come together against opposite central wall portions of the tubing 54a, the mandrel 71b, which is of flattened, ovate cross-section corresponding to desired flattened tubular shape of the Wrappers 36, is provided with an elongated slot 71a, to receive the opposing edges of the rollers as best shown in FIGURES 8 to 10. Thus, the oppositely rotating rollers 54 and 5S frictionally engage opposite wall portions of the tubing 45a in the bight between the same, and thereby move the tubing forwardly as described, and at the same time adhere the overlapped edges of the tubing. The ends of the slot 71e are shown tapered to facilitate passage of the walls of the tubing between the driving

rollers

54 and 55, and the forward tapered portion is effective to separate the opposite walls of the tubing and prevent possible adhesion thereof due to an excess of the adhesive material.

Guard plate 76 is mounted in spaced relation to conveyor 39, so that a rotating disc cutter 77 may be reciprocated through the tubing 45a, in a vertical plane passing between the guard plate 76 and the conveyor, when movement of the conveyor and of the tubing 45a are simultaneously stopped, With the leading end of the tubing received in an aligned chamber 37 of the conveyor 39, against a stop plate 76c. Accordingly, with each downward stroke of the rotating cutter 77, a wrapper 36 of predetermined length will be cut and retained in a corresponding conveyor chamber 37. A longitudinally U-shaped bar 38a, gravitationally resting on lugs 38 along the upper reach of belt 39, retains the wrappers properly positioned in the chambers 37. The end of the mandrel 71b, supported on the lower edge of slot 76a, may serve as a fixed shear member for the cutter.

For operating the disc-cutter 77, the same may be affixed on a shaft 78, rotatably mounted on the free end of a bracket 80, pivoted on a shaft 81 in a fixed lug 82 (see FIGURES 1 and 3). Bracket 80 is adapted to be intermittently raised and lowered by a link 83 pivoted thereto at its upper end, and extending downwardly to pivotal connection with an arm 84 on a shaft 85, intermittently reciprocated by a cam 67 on continuously rotated cam shaft 67a, each time the conveyor 39 and tubing 45a are momentarily stopped. Shaft 81 is continuously rotated by a chain drive 86 between the same and the shaft 78, which is inturndriven by an electric motor 87, through a chain drive 88.

For successively positioning articles P, fromrvibrating conveyor 20, in wrappers 36 on belt conveyor 39, particular reference is made to .FIGURES 1 and 3 to 7. Slidably :mounted on a top plate 91 of housing 42 may be a slide :92 (see FIGURES 4 to 6), which is reciprocated toward and from the spaced stop rollers 26, 26 (see FIG-

URES

1, 2, 4 and 5), as by means of a block.93 extending through an elongated slot 94 in top plate 91, and havingaroller 95 on the lower endthereof received in a continuous scam track 96 of a continuously rotated barrel cam 97, afiixed on driven shaft 98. For continuously rotating the cam 97, onerevolution with eachintermittent cycle of operation .ofbelt conveyor 39, the shaft 98 is correspondingly rotated by the cam shaft 67a, through a chaindrive 99 (seeF'IGURES .8 and 9).

The belt conveyor 39may be intermittently progressively moved, .for purposes previously described, as by means of at Geneva gear device 100, between the cam shaft 67a and an intermittently driven Geneva shaft 101, on which is keyed a sprocket 102 to drive the conveyor belt or chain 39' (see FIGURES 3 and 11).

That is, the slide 92 is intermittently reciprocated toward and from the stop rollers 26 each time the belt conveyor 39 is .stopped, as described above, with a cut wrapper 36 in a chamber 37 previously indexed into alignment with thespace between said stop rollers, and with the forward edge of the leading article in stop position against the same (see FIGURES l, 4 and 5 Referring now to FIGURES 1, 4, 5 and 7, affixed on top of slide 92 may be a block 103 which carries elongated article-gripping tweezers 104, extending horizontally to be in alignment with the space between rollers 26 and the forward edge of said leading article. An upper finger 1050f the tweezers is shown as being relatively fixed on the block 103, while the lower finger 106 is pivoted on said block, as indicated at 107 in FIGURE 7, to be movable toward and from a closed or article-gripping position with respect to thefinger 105, against the action of a suitable compression spring 108 (see FIGURE 5). To this end, the lower finger 6 is supported by a roller 109 on apin 110, which is vertically reciprocably mounted through a bushing 110a afiixed in'housing plate 91. Pin 110. is vertically predeterminately yieldingly reciprocated with each horizontal reciprocation of slide 92, as by means of a cam 111 on said shaft 98, engaging a roller 112 on the lower end of the pin. Yieldingresistance to movement of pin 110 is attained by a compressionv spring 110b engaged between top plate 91 and projections 1100, 110cafiixed in the pin 110 to'ride in slots 110d in the lower end of bushing 110a. Thiscam'operated slide 92 is operable in the opposite direction for alternate actuation of left handartiele-wrapping mechanism W, while corresponding conveyor 39is stopped.

.As best shown and described in FIGURE 7, thecarn -111'.is progressively operable, through movement of pin 110 and roller 112, first to hold the

fingers

105 and 106 closed as the slide 92 moves toward the stop rollers 26, to permit the fingers to pass through an aligned wrapper "36; :next, to open the fingers after the slightly inturned tip ends 113 thereof (see FIGURE 7 havepassed'through and beyond the aligned wrapperto span the nearest edge of said leading article P; next to close said fingers with said tip ends embracing the rolled or rounded edge of the article P (see chain-dotted lines at right of FIGURE 55); then to withdraw the so gripped article, thereby to compress the same to compact cross-section between the rollers 26, for centered reception within the wrapper .36; and finally, asthe slide moves toward a centered or neutral position, toopen the fingers and release the com pressed article within the wrapper, as shown in chaindotted .lines in FIGURE 5. During said article-inserting operation, wrapper 36 isheld against lateral movement :fromjthe respective chamber 37, by means "of stop plate 6

extensions

76c, 76c (FIGURE 5 'Forwardly'openvended slots 76f in extensions 76e, aligned with the positioned wrapper, permit passage of-the tweezers .104 and the respective article P therethrough, and also permit subsequent forwardmovement of the packaged article.

The article-gripping action of both tweezers 104 may be made smooth and steady by provision of compression springs 114, 114 on fixed parts ,of the machine, and adapted to be yieldingly engaged byflange

portions

115, 115 on the block 103, as the latter is reciprocated for alternate insertion .of compressed articles P in wrappers 36 of one or other of the belt conveyors 39.

In operationrof the machine, disc-like articles P, such as rolled thin rubber articles, previously loaded into container 15, are continuously vibrated by the vibratory means beneath the bottom wall 16. This causes a continuous succession of the articles to vibrate'or walk up the spiral track 18, and along the horizontal guide channel 19 (seearrowsin FIG. 1). Continuousjets of compressed-air from nozzles 33 assist movement of the articles from channel 19 to channel extension 20, and into the influence of the unidirectional vibratory action applied to the articles by continuously operated vibrator 22. The non-vibratory bar 24 retains the articles in flatwise relation without tendency to reverse the movement thereof, as previously described. This results in a plurality of the articles being maintained in continuous edge-to-edge succession with the leading articlein stop position against the stop rollers 26 of'the wrapper applying mechanism W (see FIGURES 1 and 2). A substantial number of articles in said plurality thereof will also remain stopped, until the tweezer 104 extends forwardly and pulls the leading article between the grooved stop rollers 26, in which instance said plurality of articles moves up to immediate contact of the next leading article with stoprollers 26.

While this is happening, the tube-forming mechanism T will have been intermittently operated to form the strip material 45 into continuous tubing 45a each time the right hand conveyor 39 is stopped (see FIGURE 1), and the intermittently advanced tubing 45:: will have been cut into predetermined length within successive chambers 37 by-the rotating, reciprocating cutter 77. Thatis, a number of progressively advanced chambers 37 will contain wrappers 36, includingone already in alignment with the leading article P against stop rollers 26.

Accordingly, each time the right hand .belt conveyor 39 is stopped, the slide 92 will be momentarily reciprocated toadvance the tweezers 104 through the aligned wrapper 36, as described above,.to grasp the leading edge of the article and collapse or compress it betweenthe grooved edges of the two idler rollers26, and toldeposit the compressed .article withinthe respective wrapper. ,In other .words, .each time the right hand belt conveyor is momentarily stopped a wrapper 36 is deposited in a chamber 37, simultaneously with deposit of article P in a previously deposited and progressivelyadvanced wrapper 36. With each. forward advance of the .belt conveyor 39 a previously wrapped article will fall from its chamber 37 by gravity into a container C, .as the conveyor .belt turns downwardly about the forward belt pulley 41.

The corresponding.tubing and wrapping mechanisms at the left of the machine are alternately and conversely operated.

Thus has been provided a unitary machine which rapidly and automatically sorts articles to be packaged, forms and cuts wrappersfrom continuous strip material, and inserts the articles in the wrappers. The apparatus is extremely economical to use, because manual operations have been obviated, and because the prior art clefects have been eliminated. It has beenfound in actual practice, for example, that the combined operations described can be accomplished at each-side of the present machine at-a rate of upwardsof one hundred forty four pieces per minute.

Referring to FIGURES 12 and 13, in conjunction with the wrapper mechanism W of FIGURE 1, it has been found that occasionally a wrapper 36 does not receive an article P within the same. When this happens the empty wrapper may be carried forwardly by the conveyor belt 39, either to interfere with insertion of a replacement wrapper in the corresponding chamber .37, as previously described, or to be dropped into some other working part of the machine. To obviate this difiiculty a sorting mechanism S is provided, which will separately remove filled and empty wrappers '36 from the chambers 37, and sort the same into separate receptacles.

Accordingly, at the forward end of each conveyor belt 39 there may be fixedly mounted a plate 117 which is suitably slotted at 118 to have

fiat side portions

119, 119 extending horizontally at opposite sides of the upper reach of the conveyor belt, just above the rear conveyor sprocket 41 (see FIGURE 1). A forward portion 120 of plate 117 is bent at a downward inclination from the forward end of the slot 118, to integral connection with the top edge of a rear wall 121 of an inclined article-receiving chute 122 which carries the wrapped goods to a suitable receptacle (not shown). Afiixed on the side portions 119 may be

angle members

123, 123 providing spaced upturned cam tracks or

flanges

124, 124 at opposite sides of conveyor belt 39, to have straight upper edges .125 of the tracks in substantial alignment with the bottoms of the wrappers 36 in chambers 37 of the straight upper reach of the conveyor belt. As the belt 39 moves the wrapped articles P forwardly the opposite ends of the articles projecting from the wrappers (see FIGURE 12) will ride over the edges 125 of the cam tracks, thereby to lift the wrapped articles from the respective conveyor chambers 37 and to drop them onto the inclined plate surface 120 from which they slide into the chute 122, as the chambered portions of the conveyor belt 39 drop away and around the sprocket 41 (see FIGURE 13). The forward ends of the cam tracks 124 may be downwardly inclined, as indicated at 126, to facilitate forward movement of the articles P, as shown in chaindotted lines in FIGURE 13. The rear ends of the cam tracks also may be inclined or chamfered to facilitate movement of the articles onto the tracks. Empty wrappers 36, being shorter than the space between the cam tracks 124, will pass between the same. As the chambered portions of the conveyor belt 39 follow arcuately around the sprocket 41, the empty wrappers also will move in an arcuate path, past a continuous jet of compressed air from a nozzle 127, connected to a suitable source of air supply (not shown). Nozzle 127 may be arranged at a suitable upward inclination to direct the air jet upwardly within the empty wrapper at its passes and thereby to blow the wrapper from the conveyor belt and into a chute 128 mounted over a suitable scrap receptacle (not shown). An upturned lip 129 on plate 117, at the forward end of slot 118 is designed to permit passage of properly wrapped goods P down inclined portions 126 of the cam tracks 124, but also to prevent accidental removal of empty Wrappers from the chambers thereof before reaching the influence of the air jet from nozzle 127.

Other modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An article packaging device, comprising a receptacle for receiving disc-shaped compressible articles to be packaged; a chamber for positioning an open-ended tubular wrapper for said article; reciprocating gripper means including relatively movable gripping fingers mounted to move forwardly through said wrapper and to deposit one of said articles in said wrapper on the return stroke, and means coordinated with reciprocation of said gripper means to close said fingers before entering said wrapper, opening and then closing the fingers at the forward end of the stroke to grip an article, and again opening the fingers at the return end of the stroke to release said grip on the article.

2. An article packaging device, comprising stop means having opposed article-compressing portions thereon defining an opening therebetween, a first conveyor means for feeding a continuous succession of compressible articles in edge-to-edge relationship to a stop position of the leading article against said stop means, a second conveyor means having spaced article-receiving chambers therein, means for supplying tubular wrappers to said chambers, means for progressively moving said second conveyor means to effect alignment of successive wrappers in said chambers with said opening and leading article, and progressively operable means for feeding said leading article between said article-compressing portions to compress the article and to deposit the same in compressed condition within the aligned wrapper.

3. .An article packaging device, comprising stop means having opposed article-compressing portions thereon defining an opening therebetween, a first conveyor means for feeding a continuous succession of compressible articles in edge-to-edge relationship to a stop position of the leading article against said stop means, a second conveyor means having spaced article-receiving chambers therein, means for supplying tubular wrappers to said chambers, means for progressively moving said second conveyor means to effect alignment of successive wrappers in said chambers with said opening and leading article, and progressively operable means for feeding said leading article between said article-compressing portions to compress the article and to deposit the same in compressed condition Within the aligned wrapper, said first conveyor means including a guide member having a horizontal guide surface, resilient means for supporting said guide member for unobstructed vibration, and means for vibrating said member for unidirectional linear movement of articles along the guide surface toward said stop means.

4. An article packaging device, comprising stop means having opposed article-compressing portions thereon defining an opening therebetween, a first conveyor means for feeding a continuous succession of compressible articles in edge-to-edge relationship to a stop position of the leading article against said stop means, a second conveyor means having spaced article-receiving chambers therein, means for supplying tubular wrappers to said chambers, means for progressively moving said second conveyor means to effect alignment of successive wrappers in said chambers with said opening and leading article, and progressively operable means for feeding said leading article between said article-compressing portions to compress the article and to deposit the same in compressed condition within the aligned wrapper, said first conveyor means including a guide member having a horizontal guide surface, resilient means for supporting said member for unobstructed vibration, means for vibrating said member for unidirectional linear movement of articles along the guide surface, an elongated element coextending above said guide surface and engageable by the moving articles to retain them in position, and non-vibratory means for supporting said element whereby vibration of the memher will not be transmitted to the element to create a tendency for the articles to reverse the direction of movement thereof.

5. An article packaging machine, comprising a first conveyor for moving a succession of articles, stop means for stop engagement therewith of the leading articles on said conveyor and having spaced article-compressing portions, a second conveyor provided with spaced articlercceiving chambers, means for intermittently advancing said second conveyor to position successive said chambers in cooperation with said stop means, a continuous source of strip material, means coordinated with intermittent movement of said second conveyor for forming said strip material into tubular form and intermittently feeding leading end portions of the same into successive said chambers, means synchronized with intermittent movement of the strip material and said second conveyor for severing said leading end portions of said continuous tubular material into wrappers of predeterminedlength in said successive chambers, and reciprocating means synchronized with said positioning of the article receiving chambers operable to draw successive leading articles from said first conveyor to compress the articles between said article-compressing portions and to deposit the compressed articles within said wrappers in the progressively advanced chambers.

6. An article packaging device, comprising means for supplying a continuous succession of articles, means for intermittently moving a continuous strip of flexible material and simultaneously forming the same into continuous tubing having overlapped adhering edges, cutting means for severingsaid continuous tubing into wrappers of predetermined lengths, and intermittently operable means for depositing successive said articles in successive said wrappers, said means for forming including a forming member and a forming element between which saidstrip material is fed, said element having an elongated extension constituting a tubing mandrel provided with an opening therethrough, said member and element having co operating guide portions for holding the moving strip to tubular for-m about said tubing mandrel, said means for moving said strip including a pair of intermittently'op- 'positely rotated rollers having cooperating peripheral edges received in said opening fromopposite sides of said mandrel frictionally to engage and compress opposite walls of the formed tubing together in the bight between the rollers and thereby to urge the tubing forwardly along the mandrel a predetermined distance with each said intermittent rotation of the rollers.

7. A method of packaging compressible articles in tubular wrappers, comprising the steps of moving a succession of the articles flatwise in edge-to-edge'relationship to a stop position of the successive leading articles, while simultaneously 'moving a succession of tubular wrappers into astop position in alignment with an edge of successive leading articles, and while momentarily retaining said successive Wrappers and articles in said alignment compressing and drawing the articles .in compressed condition into the respective alignedwrappers.

8. Amethod of packaging compressible disc-like articles in tubular wrappers, comprising the steps of moving a succession of the articles .fiatwise in edge-to-edge relationship, simultaneously progressively forming a strip of sheet material into tubular form and cutting the leading end of. the tubing into tubular'wrappers, progressively moving successive said'cut wrappers into momentarily stopped position in alignment with an edge of successive leading articles, and compressing and drawing successive leading articles in compressed'condition into the respective aligned wrappers while in' momentarily stoppedposition.

-9. Article conveying apparatus, comprising a continuous .conveyor having spaced chambers opening'outwardly of the conveyor and adapted to contain a succession of tubular wrappers and articles therein with ends of the articles protruding freely from the ends of the wrappers and the chambers, means for guiding said conveyor to move the .arti-clesalong a horizontal path toward a'path of downwardly divergent movement of the conveyor, said chambers being adapted to receive articles therein with opposite ends protruding freely, relatively fixedly spaced cam tracks along laterally opposite sides of the conveyor for downward engagement thereof by protruding ends of the wrapped articles and thereby to be umoved along the same by the conveyor, said cam tracks having portions engageable' by the moving articles to lift the same outwardly and upwardly of the chambers, and meansfor removing the upwardly lifted articles from the cam tracks, the spacing of said cam tracks being greater than the lengths of the wrappers, and thereby to allow passage of possible empty wrappers between the cam tracks without being lifted thereby from the respective chambers, whereby suchempty wrappers are moved by theconveyor along said path of downwardly divergent movement of the conveyor.

10. Article conveyingapparatus, comprising a continuous conveyor having spaced chambers opening outwardly of the conveyor and adapted to contain a succession of tubular wrappers and articles therein with ends of the articlesprotrud-ing freely from the ends of-the wrappers and the chambers, means for guiding said conveyor towmove the same aiong a horizontal path toward a path of downwardly divergent movement-of the conveyor, fixed cam means along laterally opposite sides of the conveyor fordownwand engagement thereof by the protruding ends of thewrapped articles to lift the same outwardly of the chambers with continued movement of-the conveyor, means for removing the upwardly lifted articles from the cam tracks, the spacing of said cam tracks being greater than the lengths of the wrappers, and thereby to allow passage of possible empty wrappers therebetween between the cam tracks without being lifted from the respective chambers, wherebysuch empty wrappers are moved by the conveyor along said path of downwardly divergent movement of the conveyor, and ejection means for removing said empty wrappers from said chambers at a point along said path of downwardly divergent movement of the conveyor.

11. Article conveying apparatus as set forth'in claim 10, said ejection means including a jet of pressure fluid directed toward'the path of the empty wrappers.

12. Article conveying apparatus, comprising a continnous conveyor having spaced chambers opening outwardly of the conveyorand adapted to contain a succession of tubular wrappers and articles therein with ends th-ereof'protruding freely from the-ends of the wrappers and the chambers, means for guiding said conveyor to move the same along a horizontal path toward a path' of downwardly divergent movement of the conveyor, fixed cam means along laterally oppositesides of the conveyor having portions for engagement by the protruding ends of the wrapped articles as they are moved by the conveyor to lift the wrapped articles outwardly of the cham- 'bers, means for removing the lifted articles fromthe cam tracks, the spacing of said cam tracks being such as to allow passage of occasional empty wrappers therebetwe'en without lifting the same from the chambers thereof,

whereby the empty wrappers are moved in a pathdivergently of the movement of the wrapped articles on the cam tracks, and ejection means for removing the empty wrappers from said chambers at a point along saidpath :of divergent movement of the empty wrappers, said ejection means including a jet of pressure fluiddirected'toward the path of the empty wrappers, said jet of air at the point of contact with the interiors ofthe wrappers being at an inclination to the general axis of the same.

13. A vibratory conveyor for moving a succession of articles in given direction, comprising an elongated guide member having a substantially horizontalconveyor surface and laterally spaced article guiding portions,-res'ilient "means for supporting said member for unobstructed vibration, means fiorvibrating said member for unidirectional linear movement of articles along the conveyor surface, means at a trailing end of said member for feedstop portions at the leading end of said conveyor surface for retaining the lead article and thereby to stop forward movement thereof andlikewise a series of contacting articlesbehind the lead article, reciprocablemeans for with drawing successive lead articles vbetween said stop portions, an elongated element coextending above said conamaze"! veyor surface, said element terminating in spaced relation to said stop means and having a lower edge thereof spaced above the articles including the lead article but engageable with articles tending to be vibrated out of place and thereby to retain them flatwise in single file on said conveyor surface, non-vibratory means for supporting said element whereby vibration of the member will not be transmitted to the element to create a tendency for the articles to reverse the direction of movement thereof, withdrawal of successive said lead articles from between said stop portions thereby allowing successive trailing articles to be progressively vibrated toward the stop means.

14. A vibratory conveyor as set forth in claim 13, said iower edge of the element being at a forwardly convergent inclination to said guide surface.

15. An article packaging device, comprising a progres sively movable conveyor having spaced retaining means for receiving open ended tubular wrappers for the articles,

relatively fixed guide means for containing a succession of compressible articles, spaced stop means at a leading end of said guide means, vibratory means for vibrating said guide means to move said succession of articles to a stop position of the leading articles against said stop means without bunching the articles, means for progressively moving tubular wrappers into alignment with successive said leading articles, and reciprocable means for progressively drawing successive said leading articles between said spaced stop means to compress the articles and deposit the compressed articles in the aligned wrappers.

16. An article packaging device, comprising a progressively movable conveyor having spaced retaining means for receiving open ended tubular wrappers for the articles, relatively fixed guide means for containing a succession of compressible articles, spaced stop means at a leading end of said guide means, vibratory means for vibrating said guide means to move said succession of articles to a stop position of the leading articles against said stop means without bunching the articles, means for progressively moving tubular wrappers into alignment with successive said leading articles, reciprocable means for progressively drawing successive said leading articles between said spaced stop means to compress the articles and to deposit the compressed articles in the aligned wrappers, said stop means including spaced members having opposed guide portions between which the articles are adapted to be drawn to compress the same, said means for depositing including an intermittently reciprocable elongated gripper reciprocable through each progressively aligned wrapper to grip the article.

17. An article packaging device, comprising a progressively movable conveyor having spaced retaining means for receiving open ended tubular wrappers for the articles, relatively fixed guide means for containing a succession of compressible articles, spaced stop means at a leading end of said guide means, vibratory means for vibrating said guide means to move said succession of articles to a stop position of the leading articles against said stop means without bunching the articles, means for progressively moving tubular wrappers into alignment with successive said leading articles, and reciprocable means for progressively drawing successive said leading articles between said spaced stop means to compress the articles and to deposit the compressed articles in the aligned wrappers, said guide means including a guide member having a horizontal guide surface, resilient means for supporting said member for unobstructed vibration, means for vibrating said member for unidirectional linear movement of articles along the guide surface, an elongated element coextending above said conveyor Surface and having a lower edge thereof spaced above the articles but engageable with articles tending to be vibrated out of place to retain them in single file, non-vibratory means for supporting said element whereby vibration of the member will not be transmitted to the element to create a tendency for the articles to reverse the direction of movement thereof.

18. An article packaging device, comprising a progressively movable conveyor having spaced retaining means for receiving open ended tubular wrappers for the articles, relatively fixed guide means for containing a succession of compressible articles, a spaced stop means at a leading end of said guide means, vibratory means for vibrating said guide means to move said succession of articles to stop position of the leading articles against said stop means without bunching the articles, means for progressively moving tubular wrappers into alignment with successive said leading articles, and reciprocable means for progressively drawing successive said leading articles between said spaced stop means to compress the articles and to deposit the compressed articles in the aligned wrappers, said guide means including a guide member having a horizontal-guide surrace, resilient means for supporting said member for unobstructed vibration, means for vibrating said member for unidirectional linear movement of articles along the guide surface, an elongated element coextending above said conveyor surface and having a lower edge thereof spaced above the articles but engageable with articles tending to be vibrated out of place and thereby to retain them in single-file relationship, non-vibratory means for supporting said element whereby vibration of the member will not be transmitted to the element to create a tendency for the articles to reverse the direction of movement thereof, said element having an article engaging surface at a forwardly convergent inclination to said guide surface.

19. An article packaging device, comprising stop means having transversely opposite trailing and leading sides and having laterally spaced article-collapsing portions thereon defining a space therebetween, unidirectional vibratory means for moving a series of collapsible articles transversely toward stop engagement with said spaced article-collapsing portions at the trailing side of the stop means, means for positioning a tubular Wrapper at the leading side of said stop means in alignment with said space, and gripping means reciprocable through the aligned wrapper and said space to grip the article and then to withdraw the same between said spaced portions to collapse the article and deposit the same in collapsed condition within the aligned wrapper.

20. An article packaging device as set forth in claim 19, including means for supplying a succession of articles to said vibratory means, means for forming continuous strip material into a succession of lengths of tubular wrappers, and means synchronized with reciprocation of said gripping means for depositing successive said articles in successive said aligned tubular wrappers.

21. An article packaging device a set forth in claim 19, including means for feeding said articles to said vibratory means, intermittently operable means for forming continuous strip material into a succession of tubular wrappers, and intermittent means synchronized with said intermittently operable means for depositing successive said articles in successive said aligned tubular wrappers, said means for forming including means for applying adhesive along an edge of said strip, guide portions engaging and turning opposed edges of the strip to overlap the same with said adhesive therebetween, and means for pressing said overlapping edges to adhere the same.

22. An article packaging device as set forth in claim 19, including means for supplying a succession of articles to said vibratory means, means for intermittently moving a continuous strip of flexible material and simultaneously forming the same into continuous tubing having overlapped adhering edges, cutting means for severing said continuous tubing into wrappers of predetermined lengths, means intermittently operable to position successive said wrappers in cooperation with successive said stopped articles, and intermittently operable means for depositing successive said stopped articles in successive said positioned wrappers.

23. An article packaging device as set forth in claim 19, including means for supplying a continuous succession of articles to said vibratory means, means for intermittently moving a continuous strip of flexible material and simultaneously forming the same into continuous tubing having overlapped adhering edges, cutting means for severing said continuous tubing into wrappers of predetermined lengths, means intermittently operable to position successive said wrappers in cooperation with successively stopped articles, and intermittently operable means for depositing successive said stopped articles in successive said positioned wrappers.

24. Apparatus of the character described including duplicate, oppositely disposed article-packaging devices as set forth in claim 1, wherein oppositely disposed sets of said relatively movable gripping fingers are reciprocable by said gripper means to deposit articles in the tubular wrappers of the respective said devices.

25. Apparatus of the character described including duplicate, oppositely disposed article-packaging devices as set forth in claim 1, wherein oppositely disposed sets of said relatively movable gripping fingers are reciprocable by said gripper means to deposit articles in the tubular wrappers of the respective said devices, and means being 14 provided for yieldingly resisting said reciprocation of said gripper means to steady the action of the same.

26. Apparatus of the character described including duplicate oppositely disposed, article packaging devices as set forth in claim 15, wherein said reciprocable means is coordinated with said progressive movement of tubular wrappers of the respective packaging devices into alignment with oppositely disposed said leading articles thereof alternately to deposit the compressed articles in the respective aligned wrappers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,992,463 Berger Feb. 26, 1935 2,099,257 Bergstein Nov. 16, 1937 2,134,049 Killian et al. Oct. 25, 1938 2,395,089 Arelt Feb. 19, 1946 2,413,556 Fourness et al Dec. 31, 1946 2,580,456 Noe Jan. 1, 1952 2,661,830 Total Dec. 8, 1953 2,682,137 Cox June 29, 1954 2,710,712 Friedman June 14, 1955 2,728,506 Kurkjian Dec. 27, 1955 2,935,174 Wynn May 3, 1960

Claims

7. A METHOD OF PACKAGING COMPRESSIBLE ARTICLES IN TUBULAR WRAPPERS, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF MOVING A SUCCESSION OF THE ARTICLES FLATWISE IN EDGE-TO-EDGE RELATIONSHIP TO A STOP POSITION OF THE SUCCESSIVE LEADING ARTICLES, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY MOVING A SUCCESSION OF TUBULAR WRAPPERS INTO A STOP POSITION IN ALIGNMENT WITH AN EDGE OF SUCCESSIVE LEADING ARTICLES, AND WHILE MOMENTARILY RETAINING SAID SUCCESSIVE WRAPPERS AND ARTICLES IN SAID ALIGN-