Patent GB-688024-A (GB)
Title: A machine for making pleated metal foil capsules
Inventor: RAILTON DENIS EASTHOPE
IPC: B21D51/44
Filed: 1949-04-26
Abstract: 688,024. Shaping or stamping metal-foil capsules. IDEAL CAPSULES, Ltd., and RAILTON, D. E. April 26, 1950 [April 26, 1949], No. 11098/49. Class 100 (ii). A machine for making pleated metal foil capsules from a continuous web comprises a plunger and matrix for forming the capsule, a smoothing cone and plunger synchronised with the main plunger, and a revolving head which has capsule-receiving pockets and which rotates step by step to receive the pleated capsules and present them to the smoothing plunger, the pockets having contractile side members, those of each pocket being arranged to contract as such pocket approaches the smoothing station. The contractile members on the revolving head preferably consist of pairs of arms having arcuate outer ends which are spring-biased to contact and hold the capsule, each pair of arms being moved in turn by the action of a cam as the head revolves. Embossing and smoothing.-Fig. 4 shows the embossing and smoothing mechanism. P is the forming plunger, co-operating with a die (not shown), and P' is the smoothing plunger. After the capsule is formed by plunger P it is gripped and passed to the smoothing station by the revolving head (see below). Drive is transmitted from the main shaft S, through dog clutch 100 and gear 109 to gear 111 formed integrally with a cam 112, the gear and cam being rotatably mounted on the fixed sleeve 85<SP>1</SP>. Co-operating with the face cam 112 is a corresponding face cam 113 integral with a member 90, which is slidably mounted on the guide rods 92 and is urged to the right by compression springs 96. As the main shaft S rotates, the cams move the member 90 to the left to compress the springs 96 and then release it whereupon it is forced to the right and imparts a blow to the sleeve 86, 87 carrying the embossing die, so embossing the capsule which is held between the die and plunger P'. The plunger P' is then withdrawn and the revolving head (see below) moves the embossed capsule to the ejecting station and a fresh capsule to the embossing station. Work holders.-The revolving head is shown in front view in Fig. 1 and rear view in Fig. 2. The assembly is pivotally mounted on a horizontal spindle 6 fixed in lugs 3 integral with the base B of the machine (see also Fig. 4) whereby it may be swung clear of the forming and embossing plungers to clear obstructions. The assembly is located in its working position by adjustable stop screws 8 and is releasably secured in such position by a conical cam member 13 with handle 132 which co-operates with a fixed conical member 10. Drive is transmitted from the main shaft S and gear 102' (Fig. 4) to gears 104, 107 and 108 (Fig. 1). Gear 108 is fast with its spindle to which is also fixed a disc having an eccentric pin (not shown), said pin engaging the slots 121 of a Geneva cross 120 (Fig. 2). Fixed to the Geneva cross spindle is the revolving head 18 carrying pairs of gripper levers 25. Each lever is pivoted at 26 to the revolving head, and each pair is urged together by a tension spring 28, their closed position being determined by adjustable stops 29, 29' which bear on cams 31. The cams are positioned to keep the gripper levers apart at the forming station L' and intermediate station L<SP>2</SP>, and are rotated to allow the gripper levers to come together slightly at the smoothing and embossing station L' and ejecting station L<SP>4</SP>. This'cam movement is effected by mounting each cam on one end of a lever pivotally mounted between its ends, the other end of each lever carrying a follower 38 which runs in a cam groove 39. The cam groove is formed in a disc 16 which is rotatably mounted independently of the rest of the revolving head, such disc being oscillated once for every step taken by the gripper arms in order to actuate the cams satisfactorily. The arrangement for oscillating the cam disc 16 is shown in Fig. 2 and comprises an eccentric mounted on the same spindle as constantly rotating gear 108 (Fig. 1), which oscillates the lever 43 pivoted at 45, such oscillation passing by link 42 and lever 40 to a rotatable sleeve (not shown) whose other end carries the cam disc 16. The revolving head is located in its five positions by a spring-loaded plunger in a housing 33, Fig. 1, which engages in any one of five radial slots 34 in a fixed back-plate 35. The finished capsules are ejected on to a discharge tray as described in Specification 688,046. Specification 663,860 also is referred to.