Apparatus for forming round bundles of rod-shaped articles

The apparatus has a receptacle adapted to accommodate the articles, a pair of generally C-shaped bell cranks pivotally mounted on the framework and arranged symmetrically with respect to the vertical axis of the apparatus, each bell crank being pivotally connected with its respective actuator for being pivoted thereby, a device for shaping the bundle to a round shape, including as many flexible elements as there are the bell cranks, and guides. Each flexible element has its opposite ends attached to the different arms of the same bell crank and runs about its respective guide situated to that side of the axis of the apparatus, which is opposite to the position of the working arm of the same bell crank in the open position of the apparatus, so that at the closed position thereof the topmost point of the flexible elements at the area of their intersection, directly underlying the bundle, should be situated in direct proximity to the bottom of the receptacle.

The present invention relates to apparatus for forming round bundles or 
packs of rod-shaped articles. Apparatus of this type are widely utilized 
for bundling generally rod-shaped articles into a pack and retaining this 
pack while the latter is being either wrapped or tied up. 
The apparatus of the present invention can be employed by various 
industries, including rolling mill production where it can be used as part 
of auxiliary equipment preparing rolled articles for shipment. 
The present invention can be utilized to utmost effectiveness for forming 
round bundles of rod-shaped articles with relatively low cross-sectional 
area shaped as a circle, a square, a rectangle, etc., in combination with 
machines for tying up such bundles, wherein the mechanism for securing the 
ends of the tying-up material underlies the bundle. This arrangement of 
the mechanism securing the tying-up material enables to place the 
rod-shaped articles into the bundling apparatus without any obstruction 
and to remove ready bundles from this apparatus in any suitable known 
manner, while the mechanism for securing the ends of the tying-up material 
does not interfere in any way with the loading/unloading operations, and 
the machine for tying up the bundles is readily accessible for maintenance 
and other purposes. 
The herein disclosed apparatus can be used in combination with practically 
every known bundle tying-up machine; likewise it can be used where bundles 
are tied up manually by means of hand-held pneumatic, electric and other 
tying tools. 
However, the advantages offered by the presently disclosed apparatus can be 
utilized to their utmost in combination with tying-up machines where the 
coil or spool with the tying-up material is fixed on a rotatable rotor, 
and the tying-up material encircles the bundle being tied up upon rotation 
of this rotor. Machines of this last-mentioned type have been found to 
ensure, in comparison with other types of machines for tying up bundles 
with wire, the most firm tying-up of a bundle with several turns and a 
knot made in one of the turns. However, it should be born in mind that 
machines of this type require a steady position of the vertical axis of 
the bundle formed, lest the stability of their performance might be 
affected. 
The herein disclosed device is generally intended for forming bundles 
having a circular shape in their cross-section, within a wide range of 
diameters of such bundles. As compared with bundles having other 
cross-sectional shapes, e.g. a trapeze, a square, etc., round bundles have 
been found to retain the shape they have acquired in the process of the 
bundling and tying-up in the most dependable manner, which can be 
explained by the fact that a circle has the smallest perimeter of all the 
geometric shapes having the same cross-sectional area. 
There are known apparatus for forming bundles comprising a receptacle 
adapted to accomodate therein rod-shaped articles and levers symmetrically 
arranged with respect to the vertical geometric axis of the apparatus and 
pivotally mounted on the framework of the apparatus, or else comprising 
relatively movable prisms, each having recesses facing the axis of the 
apparatus, these recesses upon closing of the respective elements defining 
a pattern corresponding to the required shape of a bundle, e.g. a circle. 
However, each pair of the movable elements of this type of the hitherto 
known apparatus is capable of forming a bundle of a single fixed diameter. 
Should it be necessary to form bundles of several diameters, the 
corresponding amount of the sets of the movable elements is required. 
Besides, the apparatus of the aforementioned known type in some cases fail 
to shape a bundle of rod-shaped articles to a round shape, even when the 
diameter of the bundle is the same fixed one, on account of the articles 
of the nominally same cross-sectional size being manufactured with certain 
tolerances concerning this size. Therefore, with the movable elements 
being closed and defining the fixed cross-sectional size of pattern, 
various bundles with the same number of articles having the same nominal 
cross-section are liable to have different total cross-sectional areas. 
Consequently, the bundles are liable to become oval-shaped either 
vertically or horizontally, which more often than not results in weakening 
of their ties during handling and transportation. 
The above listed disadvantages are practically non-existent in apparatus 
for forming round bundles of rod-shaped articles, wherein a bundle is 
shaped with aid of flexible elements. 
Thus, there is known an apparatus for forming round bundles comprising a 
receptacle in the form of a housing with a recess therein, adapted to 
accomodate rod-shaped articles, a single C-shaped bell crank pivotally 
mounted on the housing of the receptacle, having its concave side facing 
the recess of the receptacle and also having one its arm connected to a 
drive or actuator for being pivoted thereby, and a device for shaping a 
bundle into a round shape. The device for shaping a bundle into a round 
shape has a flexible element having one end thereof secured to the housing 
of the receptacle and its other end secured to a driving drum, and an idle 
roller mounted on the working arm of the bell crank, the flexible element 
running about this idle roller. The pivot mounting the bell crank and the 
drum to which one end of the flexible member is secured are situated to 
one side of the recess of the receptacle, while the other end of the 
flexible element is secured, accordingly, at a point to the opposite side 
thereof. 
A bundle is formed with the bell crank being pivoted and with the drum 
having one end of the flexible member secured thereto being rotated, to 
take up the excessive length of this element, so that the bundle being 
formed is lifted off the bottom of the receptacle and becomes suspended on 
the flexible element. This apparatus does not require readjustment or 
reassembling to form bundles of various diameters, although, depending on 
the actual diameter of the bundle, the position of the vertical axis of 
the latter varies, as does the bottommost level of the bundle relative to 
the bottom of the receptacle. 
There is further known an apparatus for forming round bundles of generally 
rod-shaped articles, comprising a receptacle adapted to accommodate 
therein the articles, a pair of generally C-shaped working levers 
pivotally mounted on the framework of the apparatus and being 
symmetrically arranged with respect to the vertical axis thereof, the 
levers having their concave sides facing the axis of the apparatus and 
being connected with a drive adapted to rotate the levers; the apparatus 
further comprising a device for shaping a bundle to a round shape and a 
mechanism for timing the rotation of the levers. 
The device for shaping a bundle to a round shape in this last-mentioned 
apparatus includes a flexible element having one end secured to one of the 
levers and the other end connected, respectively, to the other lever, and 
four idle rollers of which two are mounted on the respective working 
levers and the other two are mounted on auxiliary levers which in the 
process of forming a bundle are adapted to take up the excessive length of 
the flexible element running about the said idle rollers. 
A bundle is formed with the working levers being driven toward each other 
and with the auxiliary levers being rotated to take up the excessive 
length of the flexible element, while the bundle being formed is lifted 
off the bottom of the receptacle and becomes suspended on the flexible 
element, which means that when bundles of different diameters are formed, 
the position of the bottommost level of the bundles varies, and the 
position of their vertical axis is unstable. 
There is further known another apparatus for forming round bundles of 
rod-shaped articles, which is considered as the prior art of the present 
invention. The apparatus comprises a receptacle adapted to accommodate 
therein the articles to be formed into a bundle, a pair of single-arm 
levers symmetrically arranged with respect to the vertical geometric axis 
of the apparatus, a drive for rotating these levers, a device for shaping 
the bundle to a round shape and a mechanism for timing the rotation of the 
levers. The levers in this apparatus are generally C-shaped and have their 
concave sides facing the axis of the apparatus. The levers are pivotally 
mounted on the common pivot axle or pin supported by the framework and 
extending along the vertical geometric axis of the apparatus, the levers 
being operatively connected to their common drive through a mechanism for 
timing their rotation under the action of this drive. The device for 
shaping the bundle to a round shape is made in the form of a flexible 
element having one end thereof attached to the free end of one of the 
levers and the other end thereof secured to the similar end of the other 
lever. 
A bundle is formed by the last-described apparatus with the levers being 
driven toward each other, while the flexible element is being moved by the 
motion of the levers and encloses the articles therein. The bundle is 
formed on the suspended flexible element. When bundles of different 
diameters are formed, their bottommost level would not stay in the same 
place, and the bundle being formed is lifted off the bottom of the 
receptacle. While being tied up, the bundle is likewise suspended on the 
flexible element and lacks a firm support, which results in displacement 
of its vertical axis in the course of the tying-up operation and affects 
the quality of the tying-up of the bundle. Besides, the range of the 
diameters of bundles that can be formed is relatively narrow. 
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for 
forming round bundles of rod-shaped articles, which should enable to form 
bundles in a wide range of their diameters, so that the bundles should be 
at the same bottommost level, although being of different diameters. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus 
which, while forming bundles of various diameters and maintaining their 
permanent bottommost level, should provide for alignment of the respective 
vertical axes of the bundle and of the apparatus. 
These and other objects are attained in an apparatus for forming round 
bundles or rod-shaped articles, comprising a receptacle adapted to 
accommodate therein the articles, at least one pair of generally C-shaped 
levers pivotally mounted on the framework of the apparatus and 
symmetrically arranged with respect to the vertical geometric axis 
thereof, having their concave sides facing the axis of the apparatus and 
being pivotally connected with a drive adapted to pivot the levers, a 
device for shaping the bundle into a round-shape and a mechanism for 
timing the pivoting of the levers, in which apparatus, in accordance with 
the present invention, the device for shaping the bundle into a round 
shape includes a plurality of flexible elements of which the number equals 
that of the levers which latter are of the double-arm or bell crank type, 
and guides situated to the opposite sides of the vertical axis of the 
apparatus, each flexible element having its ends secured to the different 
arms of the same respective bell crank and running about its respective 
guide situated to that side of the axis of the apparatus, which is 
opposite to the position of the working arm of this bell crank in the open 
state of the apparatus, so that with the apparatus closed, the topmost 
point of the flexible elements at the area of their intersection, directly 
underlying the bundle, should be in direct proximity to the bottom of the 
receptacle. 
The present invention discloses an apparatus for forming round bundles of 
rod-shaped articles, enabling to form bundles in a wide range of their 
diameters, so that irrespectively of their diameters they have the same 
permanent bottommost level, the axis of the bundle being aligned with the 
axis of the apparatus, and the bundle itself being situated at the bottom 
of the receptacle, which enhances the quality of tying up of the bundles 
of rod-shaped articles, which is essential for their successive handling 
and transportation; furthermore, the invention creates prerequisites for 
automation of the operation of a plant for packaging rod-shaped articles, 
including the herein disclosed apparatus for forming round bundles of 
rod-shaped articles and machines for tying up such bundles.

In the drawings, the plant for packaging generally rod-shaped articles 
includes a common framework 1 (FIG. 1) having secured thereon in 
succession, along the axis 0--0 thereof, three apparatus 2 for forming 
round bundles 3 of rod-shaped articles 4 and three machines 5 for tying up 
the bundles 3 with wire, upon these bundles 3 having been formed by the 
apparatus 2 (it should be understood that the actual number of the 
apparatus 2 and machines 5 may vary in different plants for packaging 
rod-shaped articles, dependent as this number is on the length of the 
articles with which the plant is used and on the requirements put before 
tied up bundles. Similarly, the actual arrangement of the apparatus 2 and 
machines 5 on the framework 1 may likewise vary). 
Each apparatus 2 (FIGS. 2, 3, 4) for forming round bundles 3 of rod-shaped 
articles 4 comprises a receptacle 6 adapted to accommodate the articles 4, 
a pair of double-arm levers or bell cranks 7 and 7a symmetrically mounted 
with respect to the vertical geometric axis 0,--0, of the apparatus 2, a 
device for shaping the bundle 3 into a round shape, and a mechanism 8 for 
timing the rotation of the bell cranks 7 and 7a. 
The receptacle 6 adapted to accommodate the rod-shaped articles 4 is made 
in the form of a housing 9 fixed on the framework 1 and including a welded 
frame-like structure with a recess 9a having a semi-circular bottom (i.e. 
the bottom of the receptacle), the recess lying in a vertical plane 
perpendicular to the axis 0--0 of the framework 1. The rod-shaped articles 
4 are loaded into the recess 9a (quite understandingly, the receptacle 6 
may have various other structures, selected in each particular case to 
suit the conditions of the operation of the apparatus 2). 
The bell cranks 7 and 7a are pivotally mounted by means of respective axles 
10 and 10a on the bed 11 rigidly fixed on the framework 1 and are 
generally C-- or sickle-shaped, their concave sides facing the axis 0,--0, 
of the apparatus 2. The axles 10 and 10a on which the respective journals 
12 and 12a of the bell cranks 7 and 7a are mounted symmetrically to 
opposite sides of the axis 0,--0, and are secured to the bed 11 by means 
of plates 13 (FIG. 6) and bolts 14. 
The bottom part of each arm 7 and 7a is pivotally (by means of pivots 15 
and 15a, respectively) connected to the respective actuator or drive 
adapted to effect rotation of the arms. These actuators of the bell cranks 
7 and 7a are made in the form of hydraulic cylinders 16 and 16a mounted 
for pivoting about pivot pins 17 and 17a, respectively. 
The axle 10 pivotally supporting the bell crank 7 is mounted to one side of 
the vertical axis 0.sub.1 --0.sub.1 of the apparatus 2, while the pivot 
pin 17 pivotally supporting the hydraulic cylinder 16 actuating this bell 
crank 7 is mounted to the opposite side of the axis 0.sub.1 --0.sub.1. The 
relative arrangement of the axle 10a and the pivot pin 17a with respect to 
the axis 0.sub.1 --0.sub.1 is similar to the one described. 
The bell cranks 7 and 7a with their respective actuating cylinders 16 and 
16a are arranged, as it can be seen in FIG. 5, in parallel vertical 
planes. 
The device for shaping the bundle 3 into a round shape is provided with two 
flexible elements -- chains 18 and 18a, i.e. their number equals that of 
the bell cranks 7 and 7a, and guides 19 and 19a symmetrically arranged to 
opposite sides of the vertical axis 0.sub.1 --0.sub.1 of the apparatus 2. 
Each chain 18 and 18a is secured to the opposite ends of the same 
respective bell crank and runs about the respective guide 19 or 19a 
situated to that side of the axis 0.sub.1 --0.sub.1 of the apparatus 2 
which is opposite to the respective working arm 7b or 7c of this 
respective bell crank 7 or 7a in the open state of the apparatus (when the 
bell cranks 7 and 7a are spread apart into their endmost positions), this 
open state being illustrated in FIG. 2 of the appended drawings. It can be 
seen in FIG. 2 that the chain 18 has one its end fixed to the arm 7b of 
the bell crank 7, runs about the guide 19 and has its opposite end fixed 
to the arm 7d of the same bell crank 7, while the chain 18a 
correspondingly has its ends fixed to the arms 7c and 7e of the bell crank 
7a and runs about the guide 19a. 
With the flexible elements being thus arranged and secured, the range of 
the diameters of bundles that can be formed is significantly broadened. 
Thus, the chains 18 and 18a belong to different vertical plane and 
intersect in a direct proximity to the bottom of the receptacle 6 of the 
apparatus 2. 
In the presently described embodiment the guides 19 and 19a are made in the 
form of idle rollers or pulleys, supported, respectively, by arbors 20 and 
20a and mounted in a cantilever fashion on the bed 11, each roller being 
rotatable about its respective arbor by means of a ball bearing 21 (FIG. 
7), the rollers or pulleys 19 and 19a having trough-shaped peripheries 22 
and 22a adapted to guide the respective chains 18 and 18a (it should be 
understood that the guides 19 and 19a may have a structure different from 
the one described. For the purposes of the present invention it is 
essential that the guides should be incorporated in the device for shaping 
a bundle into a round shape and that they should be arranged with respect 
to the vertical axis 0.sub.1 --0.sub.1 of the apparatus 2 and to the 
bottom of the receptacle 6 in the abovespecified general manner). 
The rollers or pulleys 19 and 19a which in the presently described 
embodiment act as the guides, respectively, for the chains 18 and 18a, 
i.e. for the flexible elements, are arranged so that the topmost point of 
the chains 18 and 18a guided by the trough-shaped peripheries of the 
rollers 19 and 19a, at the area of intersection of these chains, is in 
direct proximity to the bottom of the receptacle 6. Preferably this point 
is at one level with the bottom, but it should not be above the latter. 
The abovedescribed arrangement of the flexible elements and of the guides 
ensures that in the process of shaping a bundle 3 by means of the flexible 
elements, i.e. of the guides 18 and 18a, this bundle 3 is not lifted off 
the bottom of the receptacle 6, and that the bundle is formed on a rigid 
support which in the presently described embodiment is the bottom of the 
receptacle 6. In this way the bundle being formed acquires, in addition to 
the round shape, a stable position in the apparatus and the alignment of 
its vertical axis with the axis 0.sub.1 --0.sub.1 of the apparatus, and 
when bundles of various diameters are formed, there is ensured the 
stability of the position of their bottommost level which would be always 
aligned with the level of the bottom of the receptacle 6. 
The incorporation of the mechanism 8 for timing the pivoting of the bell 
cranks 7 and 7a is essential to ensure that the chains 18 and 18a move 
identically throughout the operation of forming the bundle 3 and thus 
preclude displacement of the latter in a horizontal plane, whereby the 
vertical axis of the formed bundle 3 is always aligned with the axis 
0.sub.1 --0.sub.1 of the apparatus 2. The timing mechanism in the 
presently described embodiment includes meshing pinions 23 and 23a 
mounted, respectively, on the hubs 12 and 12a of the bell cranks 7 and 7a. 
Two such pinions are fixed on each one of the hubs 12 and 12a (FIG. 6). 
Thus, two pinions 23 are mounted on the hub 12 of the bell crank 7, and 
two pinions 23a are mounted on the hub 12a of the bell crank 7a, the 
pinions 23 meshing with the respective pinions 23a (FIG. 5). 
To prevent scale, that might fall off bundles 3 formed of rolled stock and 
other foreign matter getting onto the working surfaces of the pinions 23 
and 23a, the latter are covered from above with hoods 24 (FIG. 6). It 
should be understood, however, that the mechanism for timing the pivoting 
of the bell cranks 7 and 7a may have a different structure, suitable for 
the purpose. 
The presently disclosed apparatus is operated, as follows. 
Rod-shaped articles 4 that are to be arranged into round bundles 3 are 
placed into the receptacle of the apparatus for forming a bundle, the 
articles 4 being accumulated between the chains 18 and 18a, as it can be 
seen in FIG. 2. With the required amount of the articles 4 placed into the 
receptacle 6, the respective hydraulic cylinders 16 and 16a of all the 
bundling apparatus 2 incorporated in the packaging plant are actuated 
simultaneously, whereby the rods 16b and 16c of the cylinders 16 and 16a 
of the apparatus 2 drive, respectively, the bell cranks 7 and 7a, so that 
their work-performing arms 7b and 7c are pivoted toward each other. 
Consequently, the chains 18 and 18a enclose the articles and intersect 
thereunder and thereabove in a vertical plane, forming a round bundle, 
while the excessive length of the 18 and 18a is taken up or pulled out by 
the arms 7e and 7d. 
Owing to the incorporation of the mechanism 8 for timing the rotation of 
the bell cranks 7 and 7a, the latter are positively rotated through the 
same angle, even if the loads applied thereto are not equal, and if the 
cylinders 16 and 16a are actuated not in the very same instant. With the 
timing mechanisms incorporated, the chains 18 and 18a are likewise driven 
in a synchronized manner, whereby alignment of the vertical axis of the 
bundle 3 being formed is positively aligned with the vertical axis 0.sub.1 
--0.sub.1 of the apparatus 2. 
Owing to the herein disclosed structure (FIG. 2) of the device for shaping 
the bundle 3 into a round shape, i.e. to the device including two flexible 
elements 18 and 18a (their number equalling that of the bell cranks 7 and 
7a), with every flexible element 18 and 18a having its ends secured to the 
opposite arms 7b, 7d or 7c, 7e of the same respective bell crank 7 and 7a 
and running about its respective guide 19 or 19a, situated to the side of 
the vertical axis 0.sub.1 --0.sub.1 of the apparatus 2, opposite to the 
position of the working arm 7b or 7c of the respective bell crank 7 or 7a 
in the open state of the apparatus (shown in FIG. 2), with the apparatus 
being closed, the topmost point of the flexible elements 18 and 18a at the 
area of their intersection, directly underlying the bundle 3, is always in 
direct proximity to the bottom of the receptacle 6, and bundles 3 of 
different diameters are formed so that the bottommost level of the bundles 
is likewise positively in direct proximity to the bottom of the receptacle 
6; in other words, the bundle 3 is always formed on a rigid support 
afforded by this bottom (FIGS. 3, 4). 
With the bundle 3 thus formed, it lies on the bottom of the receptacle 6 
and is retained in this position by the chains 18 and 18a, while the 
machine 5 is tying it up with wire. 
Owing to the chains 18 and 18a being taut and firmly hugging the bundle 3, 
the axis of the latter is not displaced during the tying-up operation from 
the axis 0.sub.1 --0.sub.1. 
With the bundle 3 having been tied up, the cylinders 16 and 16a are 
operated to retract their respective rods 16b and 16c, whereby the bell 
cranks 7 and 7a are spread apart, moving the chains 18 and 18a off the 
bundle 3, so that finally the arms 7b and 7c of the bell cranks 7 and 7a 
and the chains 18 and 18a are retracted beyond the confines of the recess 
9a of the receptacle 6, i.e. they occupy their initial positions shown in 
FIG. 2.