METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING FLAGS OR SIMILAR PRODUCTS

Abstract: By a method for manufacturing flags (1) it becomes possible to eliminate the use of glue and at the same time the assembly process is suitable for automatisation as the rod of the flag is constituted of a wire (3) of a thermoplastic plastic and as the flag paper is constituted of a sheet (5) which is folded round the wire (3) by means of a folding device (10). The folding (10) takes place simultaneously with the wire (3) and the sheets (5) being continuously conveyed by means of conveyor belts (6, 8 and 9) which at the same time ensure a correct mutual positioning. The wire (3) and the sheets (5) are welded by means of nip rolls (11, 12) using heat and pressure. With a cutting device (13) which is synchronized with the conveying of the wire (3) and the sheets (5) a cutting is performed for the formation of separate flags (1). This method is especially suitable for manufacturing smaller flags, e.g. cake flags or festive flags.

Description: METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING FLAGS OR SIMILAR PRODUCTS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing flags or similar products constituted of a rod-shaped body and a sheet mounted thereon. So far, when manufacturing flags in form of so-called cake flags, fes¬ tive flags and advertising flags a flag paper has been used, which flag paper is glued round a flag pin. This mounting process is work demanding and very slow. Furthermore, the mounting process is diffi¬ cult to automatize because of the requirements to the machines used. Therefore, such flags are usually made by manual glueing of the flag paper onto the flag pin. It is the object of the present invention to remedy the drawbacks as¬ sociated with the known manufacturing method and to provide a method which is suitable for automatized manufacturing of flags without using glue. The method according to the invention is characterized by the features stated in the characterizing part of claim 1. Hereby it is achieved that the paper sheet, after the following folding round the rod-shaped body, is firmly attached to the rod-shaped body only using heat and pressure. As the option known per se of welding together paper and thermoplastic plastics is used the need for using glue is eliminated and at the same time the method is suitable for mechanical manufactur¬ ing of flags. Thus the flags may especially advantageously be manufac¬ tured in a continuous process wherein the rod-shaped body is supplied in the form of a substantially endless wire. Furthermore, the flags manufactured in this method are especially suitable for food products, either as cake flags or advertising flags in connection with displays of foodstuffs, as the flags may be manu¬ factured under very hygienic conditions without being touched by hu- mans and furthermore, bacteria will have very poor grow conditions because of the plastic used. Thus the method is not only suitable for manufacturing of flags, but it may also be used in the manufacturing of flag festoons using a suit- able rod-shaped body, e.g. plastic-coated wire or plastics wire may be used onto which the flags are welded. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention will now be explained in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein Fig. 1 shows a principle sketch of an apparatus for use in a method according to the invention, Fig. 2 a principle sketch for illustration of an apparatus for use in a further embodiment of the method according to the in¬ vention, and Fig. 3 a partial view for illustration of a detail of the manufac¬ turing. Fig. 1 illustrates schematically a method for continuous manufacturing of flags 1. A spool 2 contains a substantially endless supply of wire 3 of a thermoplastic plastic. A storage container 4 contains a supply of separate sheets 5 of flag paper. The sheets 5 are taken out in a manner known per se and are conveyed continuously and parallell with the wire 3 by means of a conveyor belt 6 provided with carriers 7 which ensures a correct mutual positioning of the sheets 5. The wire 3 and the sheets 5 are inserted between two conveyor belts 8 and 9 which secure their mutual position. The wire 3 and the sheets 5 are conveyed through a folding device 10 whereby the sheets 5 are folded round the wire. Then the wire 3 around which the sheet 5 is folded is inserted between two heated nip rolls 11,12. By the passage between the nip rolls 11,12 the plastic is heated to a sufficiently high temperature and for a sufficient period of time to ensure that the welding is achieved. After the passage through the nip rolls 11,12, the wire and the sheets 3,5 are still secured between the conveyor belts 8,9 in order to ensure their mutual fixing until the materials are cooled off sufficiently. A cutting mechanism 13 which may optionally be activated is positioned after the nip rolls 11,12. When the cutting mechanism 13 is activated it operates synchronously with the forward conveying of the wire 3 so that separate flags 1 are formed where the sheets 5 are at the one end of each attached wire. It is noted that operation of the cutting mech- anism 13 may be discontinued thus permitting manufacture of flag fes¬ toons. The wire is selected according to the desired object to be made. Thus a more stiff wire is selected when flags are made and a more pli¬ able wire, optionally a plastics-coated wire of cotton or the like is selected when flag festoons are made. Fig. 3 is a partial view for illustration of the passage between the nip rolls 11,12. As it will appear the edge portion of the sheet 5 which is preferably provided without the use of dye are folded approx- imately round the entire circumference of the wire 3. The nip rolls 11,12 are shown with a nip profile 13 adapted to the diameter of the wire 3. However, it is also possible to make the profile 13 with an edged form (not shown) to obtain pressure and heating only on conveni¬ ently selected areas of the contact surface between the wire 3 and the sheet 5. It is noted that it also will be possible to treat the edge portions of the sheet 5 to improve the welding. It may for instance be possible to apply a coating of plastic on this edge portion. It is noted that along their circumference the nip rolls 11,12 are provided with suitable milled grooves (not illustrated) in order to ensure that the pressure is exerted only when a flag is passing between the rolls. Thus the rotation of the nip rolls 11,12 is adapted to the conveying of the wire/flags. Practice has proved that the produced flags 1 are less prone to crum¬ ple the flag paper if the sheets 5 are orientated with their machine direction extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the wire 3. Fig. 2 illustrates an apparatus for use in an alternative method ac¬ cording to the invention. By this method separate rods 14 of a thermo¬ plastic plastics material is used to which sheets 15 of flag paper are fixed. As indicated in Fig. 2 the edge portions 16 of the sheet 15 which are intended for engagement with the rod 14 are free of dye. The rods 14 are contained in a supply 17 from where they are conveyed au¬ tomatically along a path 18 to a position in between two heated sub¬ stantially rectilinear nip jaws 19,20. The edge portion 16 of the sheet 15 is folded round the rod 14 as explained above whereafter the two jaws provided with profiled grooves (not shown) corresponding to the grooves 13 nip round the flag and sheet assembly for a sufficiently long period and at a sufficiently high pressure for obtaining a weld ing. After the welding the jaws 19,20 are withdrawn whereupon the finished flag 1' is displaced away from the jaws by means of the succeeding rod 14 which is carried forwards and is positioned between the jaws 19,20. By the method illustrated in Fig. 2 the sheets 15 are fixed firstly in relation to the rod 14 of the onset of the nipping of the jaws. How¬ ever, it will also be possible with this method to use two conveyor belts corresponding to the belts 8 and 9 in Fig. 1 nipping round the rods 14 and the sheets 15 and fixing the latter in relation to each other. The method illustrated in Fig. 2 is more suitable for larger flags, e.g. with a rod length ranging up to 0,5 metre while the method illu¬ strated in Fig. 1 is suitable for smaller flags, so-called cake flags with a flag pin length of approximately 50 to 100 mm. When larger flags are manufactured it is of particular importance that the jaws 19,20 are heated to a sufficiently high temperature to establish a welding only in mutually separated areas as crumpling of the paper or optional¬ ly release of the sheet 15 from the rod 14 due to the expansion and the contraction of the rod during the heating and the succeding cooling is hereby omitted. Generally, the plastic should be heated as little as possible in order to avoid the problems of crumpling or optional release of the sheet from the rod. However, it will be possible to combine features of the two alterna- tive methods. Thus it is possible to replace the nip jaws 19,20 with nip rolls 11,12 or vice versa and it will also be possible to use a folding means together with the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 2.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A method for manufacturing flags or similar products constituted of a rod-shaped body and a sheet mounted on thereon, c h a r a c t e - r i z e d in that the rod-shaped body is constituted of a thermoplas¬ tic plastic, that the sheet is constituted of paper or similar fibrous material, that the sheet is folded round the rod-shaped body, that the sheet and the rod-shaped body are fixed in their mutual position and that the sheet and the rod-shaped body are welded together by using heat and pressure. 2. A method according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the rod-shaped body is constituted of a substantially endless wire which is conveyed continuously and that separate sheets are likewise conveyed continuously and parallel with the wire and that the edge portion of the sheet is during the conveying provided with a folding round the wire to cover substantially the entire circumference of the latter prior to the welding. 3. A method according to claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that after the welding the wire is cut for the formation of separate rods each having a sheet welded at its one end. 4. A method according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the sheets are orientated with their machine direction extending sub- stantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the rod- shaped body. 5. A method according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the welding is performed pointwise along the circumference and in the longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped body. 6. A method according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the welding is performed by means of two profiled heated nip means exerting a pressure on the paper and the rod-shaped body when they are situated between the two nip means. 7. A method according to claim 6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the nip means are constituted of rolls rotating at constant velocity. 8. A method according to claim 6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the nip means are constituted of substantially rectilinear jaws of which at least the one is moved forwards and backwards for exerting the mentioned pressure during the welding. 9. A method according to claim 8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that in mutual separated areas only the jaws are heated to a sufficiently high temperature for establishing the welding. 10. A method according to claim 6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the nip means are mounted resiliently, and forced towards each other for exerting the mentioned pressure during the welding.

Inventors: JOHNSEN PALNA SEVERIN, JOHNSEN, PALNA, SEVERIN +DI
Applicants: JOHNSEN KAREN & LF, JOHNSEN, KAREN +LF
Application year: 1990
Main classification: G09F17
IPC codes: B29C65, G09F17