METHOD AND MACHINE FOR PRODUCING LONGITUDINAL AND TRANSVERSE DUCTS IN A FOAM RUBBER OBJECT

Abstract: A machine for producing longitudinal and transverse ducts in a foam rubber object which e.g. has the shape of a pillow is provided with a moulding box for surrounding the pillow at all sides. By compressing the pillow by means of movable lateral walls (3 and 4) in the longitudinal direction it is possible to produce ducts in this direction whereas the ducts on the short side are punched without any other compression than the one produced by the punches (13) when they are introduced into the box.

Description: METHOD AND MACHINE FOR PRODUCING LONGITUDINAL AND TRANSVERSE DUCTS IN A FOAM RUBBER OBJECT. The invention relates to a method for producing lon¬ gitudinal and transverse ducts in a foam rubber ob¬ ject substantially having the shape of a box or rec¬ tangular parallelepiped having a height which is substantially smaller than the width and the length. There are known foam rubber pillows provided with longitudinal as well as transverse ducts serving ven¬ tilating purposes. Such pillows, however, have not spread widely and it is assumed that this is due to difficulties in producing the ducts in the foam rub¬ ber. It is therefore the object of the invention to provi¬ de a method whereby in a simple manner it is possible to produce longitudinal as well as transverse ducts in a box-shaped foam rubber object having a height which is substantially smaller than the width and the length. The characteristic feature of the method is that ducts extending longitudinally are punched after ha¬ ving first made a compression in said direction and that ducts extending upwards are punched without compression or vice versa. The shortest ducts are thus punched without compres¬ sion of the object beforehand whereas the long ducts are punched after having compressed the object beforehand. It is of no importance whether the long ducts are produced before the short ones or vice ver¬ sa. Having realized that it is possible to proceed in this simple manner, it will be practically possible to provide a simple machine for carrying out the me¬ thod. The invention therefore also relates to such a machine which is characterized by a moulding box for surrounding the foam rubber object with the upwards direction being e.g. vertical, and with a hinged co¬ ver which can be retained in a closed position, a first set of punches which are adapted to penetrate the box in the upwards direction through each its ho¬ le in the bottom of the box and the cover, respec- tively, and a second set of punches which are adapted to penetrate the box longitudinally through each its hole in both lateral walls after having driven same which can be moved towards the centre of the box somewhat towards each other for compressing the ob- ject. Suitable embodiments of same are characterized by end stops which are adapted to limit the movement of the lateral walls and by the punches being solid and cut straight at the ends. The invention will be furhter described with referen¬ ce to the drawing wherein fig. 1 is a sectional side view of a machine according to the invention along the line I - I in fig. 2, fig. 2 is a top view of the machine not showing a cover complete with parts, fig. 3 is a front view of the machine, fig. 4 is an enlarged view along the line IV-IV in fig. 2. The figures are described together in that the indi¬ vidual part have the same reference number in all fi- gures. At the top the machine is provided with a box having a bottom part one with a cover 2 wherein there may be placed a foam rubber object in the shape of a pillow with an undulating top side, but which sub¬ stantially has the shape of a box or a rectangular parallelepiped. The lateral walls 3 and 4 of the moulding box can be seen in fig. 2 from above. The lateral walls 3 and 4 " are inwardly provided with a padding of a soft foam rubber 5 and 6, respectively, having the shape shown in fig. 4. In the bottom 1 of the box there are designed rows of holes 7 for use in connection with the punching of the vertical ducts. In the cover 2 there are designed corresponding holes as shown in fig. 3. The cover 2 is moreover hinged at the rear whereas the two front edges thereof are connected with each draw bar 9 and 10 to each its hydraulic cylinder 11 and 12 the pres¬ sure pipes of which are not shown. The first set of punches 13 belonging to this ar¬ rangement is secured to a horizontal rectangular pla¬ te 14 under the moulding box. This plate 14 is ar¬ ranged so as to be movable vertically upwards and downwards and is for this purpose in each corner se- cured to a guide whereof the three guides 15, 16 and 17 are visible in the figures just as is the case of the co-operating three vertical guide bars 18, 19 and 20. The upwards and downwards movement of the plate 14 is controlled by a double acting hydraulic cylin¬ der 21 being suspended in the four guide bars whereof three 18, 19 and 20 are shown. These guide bars at the same time operate as draw bolts in that at the top they are connected with the frame structure sur- rounding and retaining the moulding box. The hydraulic cylinder 21 has a piston rod 22 which is secured at the underside of the plate 14. The hy¬ draulic hoses for the cylinder 21 are not shown. The punches 13 are all designed with a collar 23 at a distance from the outer end. The smallest diameter of the punches 13 is the same as the diameter of the ho¬ les 8 in the cover 2 whereas the somewhat larger dia¬ meter thereof corresponds to the diameter of the ho- les in the bottom 1. The lateral walls 3 and 4 of the box are in a manner similar to the bottom and the cover provided with rows of holes 24 and 25, and the lateral walls 3 and 4 are adapted so as to be movable into the moulding box from the position shown in fig. 2. To the lateral wall 4 there is thus secured two compression bars 26 and - 27-- which are again secured to a first movable yoke 28 being at each end provided with a guide 29 and 30 which is arranged on each its guide bar 31 and 32. The ends of these guide bars 31 and 32 are con¬ nected with a second stationary yoke 33 at the centre whereof there is secured a double acting compression cylinder 34 whereof only a section is shown. The pis- ton rod 35 of the compression cylinder is connected with the centre of the first movable yoke 28. The se¬ cond stationary yoke 33 is moreover provided with two guides 36 and 37 for the compression bars 26 and 27 which thus pass through the two yokes even though they are secured to the first yoke 28 as indicated and shown. The guides 29 and 30 are movable between the shown end position on the guide bars 31 and 32 and a second end position where they abut on end stops 38 and 39. The parts connected thereto, i.e. the first movable yoke 28, the compression bars 26 and 27, the lateral wall 4 and the piston rod 35 of course move along in this movement. At the second wall 3 the structure is a little more complicated because the second set of punches 40 is a constituent part thereof. A second stationary yoke 41 again connects the two guide bars 31 and 32. A second movable yoke 42 is by means of guides 43 and 44 arranged on the guide bars 31 and 32. Hydraulic double acting compression cylin¬ der 45, whereof only a section is shown, is suspended at the centre of the stationary yoke 41. The piston rod 46 belonging thereto is not, however, as at the other end secured to the movable yoke 42 but simply made to pass through this yoke 42 thus forming a gui¬ de for -the piston rod 46. At the end the piston rod 46 is secured to the plate 47 whereon the second set of punches 40 is supported and secured. The lateral wall 3 is firmly connected with the second movable yoke 42 through guide bars 48 and 49. The guide bars pass through the second stationary yoke 41 by guides 50 and 51. The plate 47 with the second set of punches 40 is guided on the guide bars 48 and 49 by sliding sleeves 52 and 53. The shown parts are in an end position determined by ajustable stop bars 58 and 59. The second end position is determined by a second set of end stops 54 and 55 in the same manner as at the other end. The plate 47 and the second movable yoke 42 are connected with two tension springs 56 and 57. The second set of punches 40 has the same diame¬ ter over their entire length and it corresponds to the hole diameter in the lateral walls 3 and 4. To the plate 47 there is finally secured a rod 60 which passes through the second stationary yoke 41. Connec¬ ted thereto there are not shown electric sensors which serve to determine the relative positioning of the parts. The movable parts of the machine are all controlled by hydraulic cylinders which are activated in a cer¬ tain order. Program controller which is not shown therefore forms part of the machine. The machine now operates in the following manner. An object consisting of foam rubber for a pillow which substantially has a shape so as to fill the moulding box is now placed in the moulding box. Then the pro¬ gram controller is activated which will first provide closing of the cover 2 by activating the cylinders. During- he-—entire— rocess- -the lid 2 is retained in the closed position then first one and subsequently the second set of punches or vice versa are acti¬ vated. By activating the first set of punches 13, i.e. by activating the cylinder 21, these punches mo¬ ve upwards into the moulding box and compress the pillow so as to finally penetrate same and the cover 2. The movement of the punches 13 stops when the col¬ lars 23 abut on the cover 2. Thus the vertical ducts in the pillow are produced. The surplus material will be deposited on top of the cover and will later slide down when the cover is opened. By producing the horizontal ducts the compression cy¬ linders 34 and 45 are activated in that the compres¬ sion cylinder of course not is activated, i.e. the first set of punches 13 is outside the moulding box, i.e. in the shown position. When the compression cy¬ linder 34 is activated, the lateral wall 4 is driven to its second end postion inside the moulding box as previously described whereby the pillow is compres- sed. When the compression cylinder 45 is activated the same will at first happen to the lateral wall 3 in that the springs 56 and 57 will.at first pull the second movable yoke 42 ' and thus the lateral wall 3 in the movement. In this connection it is worth noticing that the piston rod 46 acts directly on the plate 47 to which the springs 56 and 57 are secured. The springs 56 and 57 are now so strong that they will only stretch when the second movable yoke 42 and the lateral wall 3 have reached the end position where the pillow is thus pressed together by the lateral walls 3 and 4 from both sides. Then the piston 46, the plate 47, and second set of punches 40 will con¬ tinue the movement in--that- the-springs- 56 and 57 are streched. The punches 40 will thus move through the lateral wall 3, the compressed pillow and the second lateral wall 4 whereby the horizontal ducts are pro¬ duced. The surplus material will drop onto the floor. When the cylinders 34 and 45 are activated for move¬ ment in the opposite direction, the parts are moved back to the position shown in the figures, i.e. the cover will also end by being opened whereafter the pillow provided with ducts can be removed.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Method for producing longitudinal and transverse ducts in a foam rubber object having substantially the shape of a box or a rectangular parallelepiped having a height (z) which is substantially smaller than the width (x) and the length (y), characterized in that ducts extending longitudinally (y-direction) are punched after having first made a compression in said direction and that ducts extending upwards (z- direction) are punched without compression or vice versa. 2. Machine for carrying out the method according to claim 1 characterized by a moulding box for surroun¬ ding the foam rubber object with the upwards direc- tion (z-direction) being e.g. vertical, and with a hinged cover which can be retained in a closed posi¬ tion, a first set of punches which are adapted to pe¬ netrate the box in the upwards direction through each its hole in the bottom of the box and the cover, re- spectively, and a second set of punches which are a- dapted to penetrate the box longitudinally through each its hole in both lateral walls after having dri¬ ven same being movable towards the centre of the box somewhat towards each other for compressing the ob- ject. 3. Machine according to claim 2, characterized by end stops which are adapted to limit the movement of the lateral walls. 4. Machine according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the punches are solid and cut straight at the end.

Inventors: JACOBSEN JOERN ANKER BAY, JACOBSEN POUL ERIK BAY, NIELSEN SVEN BORCH, JACOBSEN, JOERN, ANKER, BAY, JACOBSEN, POUL, ERIK, BAY, NIELSEN, SVEN, BORCH
Applicants: B J SYSTEM RANDERS APS, B. J. SYSTEM RANDERS APS
Application year: 1986
Main classification: B29C37
IPC codes: B26F1, B29C37