Patent GB-613348-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in the manufacture of drinking straws
IPC: A47G21/18
Filed: 1946-06-21
Abstract: Impregnating or coating apparatus, particularly apparatus for waxing paper drinking straws, comprises a casing carrying a coating liquid tank in its lower part, a horizontal main shaft carrying a plurality of radiating arms disposed within the casing, an inde <PICT:0613348/III/1> <PICT:0613348/III/2> rotatable radially - disposed shaft supported by each arm, means at outer end of each shaft for releasably retaining a container and means successively operating during rotation of the main shaft for charging a container into the retaining means, for rapidly rotating the radial shaft after the container has passed through the bath and for releasing the retaining means and discharging the container.  Referring to the drawings, a casing 3 houses bath 4 heated by steam pipes 5. Horizontal main shaft 6 carries six arms 8, each carrying bearings supporting radially - disposed shaft 8 which can be rotated by motor 10.  These motors are mounted on one side of circular plate 11 and current is supplied to the motors through arcuate contact plates (not shown) so that each motor is energized during part only of the rotation of the main shaft.  The containers consist of open-ended tubes 12, each with a pair of flanges 13.  The retaining means on shaft 9 comprise a bracket formed by cross arm 14 and a pair of hooked straps 15 and also a pair of caps 16 consisting of a flanged rim and a disc of metal gauze and which can move towards or away from each other to hold or release the container.  These caps are carried on levers 17 pivoted to cross arm 14, while spring 18 normally holds caps against the container.  When rollers 19 on inner ends of levers 17 engage with arcuate cam tracks 20 on the side walls of casing 3 the caps are moved away to release the container.  Loaded containers placed on a pair of rails 21 mounted in the lower part of a lateral extension 22 of casing 23, roll down the rails 21, flanges 13 engaging the inner bases of the rails and so guiding the containers. Escapement lever 23 is normally held in raised position shown by weights 24 when a pair of upwardly-projecting stops 25 engage in front of lowermost container 12.  Just before one of the arms 8 reaches the charging position it engages a lever (not shown) which depresses the escapement lever and allows the lowest container to roll off the charging rails.  At the same time, a pair of downwardly projecting stops 26 on lever 23 engage in front of the following container, then when the lever 23 is released it returns to its original position, allowing a container to run into the feeding position. The container rolling off the rails is caught in bracket 27 on upper end of swinging lever 28 weighted so as to be normally in position, shown, and swings this arm forward, overtaking arm 8 and delivering container to brackets 15.  Rollers 19 now leave tracks 20 so that end caps 16 move together and engage ends of container.  When container has passed through the wax bath, the circuit of the corresponding motor 10 is closed and radial shaft 9 thereby rotated. On reaching upper part of casing motor circuit is opened but shaft 9 continues to rotate until circular roller 29 on the shaft engages an arcuate spring-mounted friction track 30 on the side wall of the casing.  A roller 31 on shaft 9 then engages and rolls along track 32 and rotates shaft and container until a flat on periphery of roller 31 engages the track and so prevents the rotation.  The roller 19 then engages cam tracks 20 and move end caps 16 apart to release the container which is then removed from the bracket 15 by engagement with the upturned ends of a pair of angle section rails 34.  The container rolls off down these discharging rails and the radial arm passes on to receive a fresh container from the charging rails 21.