Automatic filling device for fibre cartridges and/or fibre cassettes of brush manufacturing machines

Abstract: Automatic filling device for fibre cartridges (3) and/or fibre cassettes of brush manufacturing machines, characterized in that, per fibre duct (2-3) is provided a pair of fibre gripping tongs (23) which can be moved between two positions, namely a position at the height of a take-up point (A) of bundles of fibres and a position which forms a supply point (B) in the fibre duct concerned.

Description: The present invention concerns a filling device for fibre cartridges and/or fibre cassettes which are used in a brush manufacturing machine. With known brush manufacturing machines, the fibre cartridges or fibre cassettes are usually filled manually, which is disadvantageous in that the brush manufacturing machine can only be operated continuously if an operator is full-time present. Moreover, during the filling, the operator's hands can be easily caught in the inadequately protected fibre supply opening of the brush manufacturing machine, which inevitably leads to work accidents. Belgian patent No. 901 006 of the Applicant describes an automatic filling device which makes use of fibre gripping tongs which are fixed in a rotatable manner on a conveyor part. In order to put loose fibres from a bundle chamber in a single or multiple fibre cartridge or in fibre cassettes, the fibre gripping tongs must rotate from a vertical into a horizontal position, whereby the conveyor part must carry out at least three linear movements. A disadvantage of this known device is that complex mechanical parts are required in order to realize the time-consuming movements carried out by the fibre gripping tongs. Another disadvantage is that with a multiple fibre cartridge, only one pair of gripping tongs are used to fill the different fibre ducts, which makes the mechanical part even more complicated and which reduces the efficiency of the filling. The invention aims to exclude the above-mentioned and other disadvantages. To this aim, the automatic filling device for fibre cartridges and/or fibre cassettes of brush manufacturing machines contains a pair of fibre gripping tongs per fibre duct which can be moved between two positions, namely a position at the height of a take-up point of bundles of fibres and a position which forms a supply point in the fibre duct concerned. The fibre gripping tongs in the device according to the invention carry out simple movements, so that the mechanical part of the filling device can be strongly reduced. Due to the fact that each fibre duct of a multiple fibre cartridge can be provided with a pair of fibre gripping tongs, the filling can be carried out fast and efficiently, so that the brush manufacturing machine has a high production capacity. The automatic filling device according to the invention will also guarantee the maximum safety of the operator. For, thanks to the use of an automatic filling device, the operator must no longer have direct access to the fibre cartridge, as the filling is carried out from a distance. As a result, the supply opening to the fibre cartridge can be reduced to a minimum in brush manufacturing machines which are entirely surrounded by a protective cover, so that the fibre cartridge and the entire brush manufacturing machine can be optimally protected, to the exception of said very small supply opening. In order to better explain the characteristics of the invention, the following preferred embodiment of an automatic filling device for fibre cartridges and/or fibre cassettes of brush manufacturing machines according to the invention is described as an example only without being limitative in any way, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which a preferred embodiment is represented schematically and in perspective. The automatic filling device for fibre cartridges and/or fibre cassettes according to the invention is designed to continuously supply a brush manufacturing machine with fibres. Although such an automatic filling device can be used both for a single and a multiple fibre cartridge, a double fibre cartridge will be described in the following example. In the accompanying drawing is represented a double fibre cartridge 1 which is formed of two fibre ducts, 2 and 3 respectively, whereby each of these fibre ducts is provided on both sides with a guide 4 in which a catch 5 can be moved. These catches 5 press in the known way on the fibres 6-7 which are present in the fibre ducts 2 and 3, to the purpose of which these catches are fixed on a carriage 8 under a certain spring pressure and by means of hinges. The carriage 8 can move along a guide 9 and is connected to the piston rod 10 of a pressure cylinder 11 whose body is fixed on the frame 12 of the machine. For each fibre duct 2-3 is provided, next to the fibre cartridge 1 on a part of the frame 12, a carriage 13 which can be moved along a guide 14 and which is connected to the piston rod 15 of a pressure cylinder 16 whose body is fixed on the frame 12 of the machine. On this carriage 13 is provided a driving means which is schematically represented by 17, for example an engine, whose output shaft 18 is connected at its free end with one end of a bar 19. At its other end, the bar 19 is provided with a driving means represented by 20, for example an engine, whose output shaft 21 is provided with a fixed jaw 22 of a pair of fibre gripping tongs 23, whereas the second jaw 24 of this pair of fibre gripping tongs 23 is fixed on an additional shaft which is bearing-mounted in the bar 19, whereby a toothing 25 is provided between the jaws 22 and 24. The fibre gripping tongs 23 are situated such in the height that they are positioned somewhat above the upper surface of the fibre cartridge 1 and carry out all the necessary movements in this high position. In the open position of the fibre gripping tongs 23, i.e. in the position as is represented in the figure for the left fibre gripping tongs, is provided a bearing face 26 for bundles of fibres under each pair of gripping tongs. The working of the device according to the invention is very simple and as follows. Since both fibre transmission devices are equal, the following description of the operation will be limited to one of these devices. On the bearing face 26, through an opening in the protective cover of the brush manufacturing machine schematically represented by 27, will be placed bundles of fibres. The place formed by the above-mentioned bearing face 26 forms the take-up point A of bundles of fibres in the brush manufacturing machine. When such a bundle or bundles of fibres is/are placed on the bearing face 26, the fibre gripping tongs 23 will be driven such by means of the driving means 20 that, as a result of the cooperation of the teeth 25 between the jaws 22 and 24, these jaws move towards one another, as is represented by a chain line, in order to clasp a bundle of fibres. Subsequently, by means of the driving means 17, the shaft 18 and consequently the bar 19 fixed on it will be turned with the fibre gripping tongs 23 at an angle of 180° according to arrow P, after which the pressure cylinder 16 will be controlled such that the carriage 13 moves up into the vicinity of the fibres 6, 7 respectively of the fibre duct 2 concerned, 3 respectively, i.e. until it reaches the catch 5 concerned. This position in the brush manufacturing machine forms the supply point B of bundles of fibres. During said movement, the bar 19, together with the fibre gripping tongs 23, will always be situated at a level which is situated right above the top of the fibre cartridge 1. At this moment, the carriage 8, together with the catch 5, will be removed from the fibres 6 or 7 concerned by means of the pressure cylinder 11, past the bundle of fibres 28, whereby the catch 5 concerned hinges away past said bundle 28 to end up behind the bundle 28 in the known manner, after which, by driving the carriage 8 in the appropriate manner, the bundle of fibres 28 is added in an appropriate manner to the fibres 6 or 7 which are already present in the fibre cartridge, such by means of the catch 5 which presses onto the fibres 6 or 7. The jaws 22 and 24 of the fibre gripping tongs 23 will then be opened as they are driven in an appropriate manner, after which the fibre gripping tongs will be placed outside the fibre cartridge 1 as the carriage 13 is moved, and they will be rotated outward by means of the driving means 17 until they arrive above the bearing face 26 to grasp a new bundle of fibres 28 there. Although, in the figures, the driving means 20 are provided at the bottom of the bar 19, it is clear that these means 20, should they hamper the appropriate movement of the catch 5, can be applied above the fibre gripping tongs 23 in the same manner. It is clear that the device according to the present invention has a very simple design, which guarantees a very high degree of operational safety, whereby the fibre ducts 2 and 3 can be replenished either or not simultaneously and whereby, which is very important in the case of machines which are entirely protected by a cover, only one or two small openings 27 are to be provided in the cover for the supply of bundles of fibres to the machine, so that the risk of the operator of the machine being hurt by moving machine parts is practically zero. The invention is by no means limited to the above-described embodiment represented in the accompanying drawing; on the contrary, such an automatic filling device for fibre cartridges and/or fibre cassettes of brush manufacturing machines can be made in all sorts of variants and in various forms and dimensions while still remaining within the scope of the invention.

Claims: Automatic filling device for fibre cartridges (3) and/or fibre cassettes of brush manufacturing machines, characterized in that, per fibre duct (2-3) is provided a pair of fibre gripping tongs (23) which can be moved between two positions, namely a position at the height of a take-up point (A) of bundles of fibres and a position which forms a supply point (B) in the fibre duct concerned. Automatic filling device according to claim 1, characterized in that the take-up point (A) is situated opposite a small opening (27) in the otherwise entirely closed protective cover of the machine. Automatic filling device according to claim 2, characterized in that the take-up point (A) consists of a bearing face (26) upon which fibres are supplied to the brush manufacturing machine through the small opening (27). Automatic filling device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fibre gripping tongs (23) mainly consist of two jaws (22-24) which are hinge-mounted in relation to one another. Automatic filling device according to claim 4, characterized in that the fibre gripping tongs (23) are driven by a drive means (20) whose output shaft (21) is provided with a jaw (22) of said fibre gripping tongs (23) fixed onto it, whereas the second jaw (24) of these fibre gripping tongs (23) is provided on an additional shaft, whereby a toothing (25) is provided between the jaws (22) and (24). Automatic filling device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fibre gripping tongs (23) are fixed on a bar (19) which is connected to an output shaft (18) of a driving means (17). Automatic filling device according to claim 6, characterized in that the driving means (17) is fixed on a carriage (13) which can be moved along a guide (14). Automatic filling device according to claim 7, characterized in that the above-mentioned carriage (13) is driven by a pressure cylinder (16) whose body is fixed on the frame (12) of the machine and whereby the piston rod (15) is connected to the carriage (13). Automatic filling device according to claim 5 and 6, characterized in that the output shaft (18) of the drive means (17) is parallel to the output shaft (21) of the drive means (20) onto which is fixed a jaw (22) of the fibre gripping tongs (23) on the one hand, and parallel to the additional shaft onto which the second jaw (24) is fixed on the other hand. Automatic filling device according to claim 9, characterized in that the output shafts (18-21) and the additional shaft for the second jaw (24) are situated vertically. Automatic filling device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the carriage (13) can be moved horizontally. Automatic filling device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fibre gripping tongs (23) can rotate over an angle of 180 degrees. Automatic filling device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the movement of the fibre gripping tongs (23) mainly consists of the combination of a rotation and a linear movement. Automatic filling device according to claim 13, characterized in that the movement of the fibre gripping tongs (23) takes place in a horizontal field.

Inventors: BOUCHERIE LEONEL POLYDORE, BOUCHERIE, LEONEL, POLYDORE.
Applicants: BOUCHERIE NV G B, G.B. BOUCHERIE, N.V.
Application year: 1997
Main classification: A46D3
IPC codes: A46D1, A46D3