Patent GB-401478-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in machines for making sanitary napkins
IPC: A61F13/15
Filed: 1932-09-26
Abstract: 401,478. Making catamenial and like appliances. O'NEILL, E. J., 122, Dickerson Street, Syracuse, New York, U.S.A. Sept. 26, 1932, No. 26700. Convention date, Sept. 28, 1931. [Class 81 (ii).] In a machine for making catamenial appliances, a pair of parallel strips of absorbent material are arranged on either side of, and are intermittently moved in the same direction as, a strip of covering material, elongated pads being alternately severed from each of the parallel strips and deposited on the covering material, the side portions of which are then folded over the pads and the material severed between them. Preferably the pads are severed from the absorbent strips so that their longest dimension extends transversely of the direction of travel of the covering material, the pads being turned through 90‹ before being deposited thereon. Means are provided to fold the forward portion of the cover over the pad, while the rearward portion may be folded mechanically or by hand. The absorbent material is fed from a roll 27, supported on a V-shaped endless belt 22, in the form of a strip 28 and passed between oppositely moving belts 29 and 30. The shaft of the roller 34 of the upper belt 30 is seated in a bifurcated bracket 37 and is also carried by arms 35 pivoted in a bracket 38 on the frame 1. The lower belt 29 is driven by roller 32 actuated by intermittent gearing 38, which also drives the upper belt through gearing. This assembly is located on one side of the frame and a duplicate assembly on the other, driven by a similar intermittent gearing. These gearings are arranged so that the strips from each roll will be fed alternately. Each strip is fed beneath cutter devices 46 and 47 (Fig. 2) comprising a stationary plato 48 (Fig. 14) formed with an I-shaped slot 49 and having two spaced die plates 50 attached with rounded corners 51 to conform to the contour of the slot, and a cutter blade 54 shaped to pass snugly through the slot. The upper edge of the blade is attached to a plate 53 carried by rods 52 which slide vertically through holes in the plate 48. The rods 52 of each of the cutter mechanisms are corrected at their lower ends by rods 56 and are reciprocated vertically by correcting rods 57 driven from a crank shaft 58 (Fig. 1b), which is arranged to actuate the guillotine-like cutters alternately. The cutter blade 54 has an upward inclined V-shaped lower edge. Prior to the cutting operation, the material 28 is held by stripper plates 60 on opposite side of the blades. These plates are slidably mounted in the top plate 53 and are arranged to contact with the material before the blade falls and remain in contact therewith until the blade is nearly raised completely, to prevent sticking. After the cutting operation, the pads are fed on to a Y-shaped tray 63 (Fig. 2) and carried forward by wipers 80 attached by vertical stems to endless chains 69 driven by suitable bevel gearing, being guided and turned through 90‹ by ribs 64, 65, 66 and 67. They are deposited between adjustable guides 81 on to a strip of gauze 13 which is fed upwards over roller 9 from roll 2 and passed onward horizontally for the next operation. The roll 2 is tensioned by the pressure applied to a drum 3, attached to spindle carrying the roll 2, by means of adjustable elongated bars 4. A stationary drum 8 prevents rotation of the tensioning device. The side marginal portions of the gauze are lifted by forwardly and upwardly inclined members 11 and 12, being held thereon by rollers 18 pivotally mounted on brackets attached to the frame. From the members 11 and 12, the margins are folded by hinged converging plates 14 and 15 (Fig. 6) seated on blocks 16 and 17 which are flush with the upper surfaces of members 11 and 12 at their forward ends, and then passed beneath a squeeze roller 84. As the margins are being folded, they are maintained out of contact by a flexible element 82 attached at its rear end to the frame. In the event of excessive lumpiness in the pad material, the plates are arranged to open a switch to stop the machine. The folded material is then passed between oppositely moving belts 87 and 88 (Fig. 3) arranged so that the material is passed in a downward direction and discharged between a pair of endless conveyors 99 and 100, each consisting of a pair of spaced chains connected at intervals by bars 101, and timed so that the bars of each conveyor engage simultaneously with the folded material. In its passage forward, the material is severed between the pads by a movable knife 109 coacting with an adjustable stationary knife 110 on the opposite side of the material. The cut length is carried forward until the bars of the conveyor separate when the material in front of the pad is forced by a finger 111 between oppositely moving belts 112 and 113, thus folding the forward portion of the material back over the pad. The finger 111 is actuated against a spring 114 by a timed cam 116. The half-folded pad passes between belts 112 and 113 and is discharged on to a tray A which is raised to receive it by a cam 123 acting through a lever 124. The tray is then pulled down by a spring 125. The upper wall of the tray overhangs the lower wall so that, in its lower position, the material adjacent the rear end of the pad is pressed against a moving belt 126 and the pad drawn between this belt and an oppositely moving belt 127 to fold the rear portion of the covering over the pad. The folded napkin is discharged on to a conyeyor 129 extending transversely of the machine.