Patent GB-1520025-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus and method of shaping the ends of tubular blanks to form tampon ejector tubes
IPC: A61F13/20
Filed: 1975-08-07
Abstract: 1520025 Moulding the ends of tampon applicator tubes PRODUCT DESIGN & ENG Inc 5 July 1976 [8 July 1975] 28706/75 Heading B5A A blank in the form of a plastics tube is fed between a pair of heated dies, at least one of which is then advanced towards the other to engage in the dies, the ends of the tube and reshape them whilst the tube is supported on a mandrel. The reshaped tube 22, (Fig. 2) comprises the inner ejecting tube of a telescoping tampon applicator, and has an outwardly curved end 24, an inwardly curved end 23, and an annular or discontinuous projections 25. In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of extruded blanks 21 (Fig. 4) in a hopper 30 are fed by a vertical conveyer 31 to the top of an inclined feeding shoot 45, from which a plurality of blanks are fed simultaneously to a reshaping unit 37 for simultaneous reshaping of both ends of each blank between a plurality of pairs of dies. Sorting.-Shoot 45 comprises a corrugated metal sheet or a table 40 (Fig. 11) having parallel feed channel into which the blanks are pushed by upstanding pins 42 to form rows. Piles of blanks are prevented by brushes that ration excess blanks to the upper end of table 40. Feeding to Dies.-A pair of arms 96/103 (Fig. 6, showing the inclined shoot 45 and shaping unit 44 and Fig. 14) are mounted on a platform 97 slidable by a cylinder along rails 73. A pusher blade 101 is spring biased vertically on arms 96 for engagement behind the lowermost blank 21 of each row, to push these on to a support table 82 for reshaping. The second lowermost blanks of each row is held stationary by a damping bar 95 pivoted with a shaft 91 by the end 85 of a lever 83. Cams 107 of lever 83 also pivot the pusher blade 101 to a retracted position (dotted in Fig. 6). [In an alternative embodiment, blanks are dropped on to the table 82, not further disclosed.] Reshaping.-Lever 83 is pivoted by a cylinder 87 (Fig. 6) and supports and moves up and down a first die head 67 having one heated die cavity for each row of blanks. A carriage 50 movable by two cylinders 77/74 supports and moves to right and left a second die head 53 having one heated die cavity and mandrel 54 for each row of blanks. On movement of the second die head 53 to the right, the die cavities mould an out-turned rim 24 (Fig. 16) on one end of each blank 22 and inturned end on the other. The mandrels 54/56 each support a spring-biased pin 60 and pivoted arms 63 normally withdrawn within the mandrel, but the first die head 67 and end stop 66 push the pin further into the mandrel and thus the arms 63 out through mandrel apertures 65, to mould projections on the blank. Alternatively (Fig. 17) a conical mandrel cam 70 pushes apart spring rods 71 supported in the associated first die cavity 67a, to push the rod ends through mandrel apertures 65a. Stripping.-Reshaped blanks are prevented from following all the leftward movement of mandrels 54 (Fig. 6) by engagement by a scalloped plate 116 (see also Fig. 7) that holds the blanks stationary until they drop into a hopper. Operation.-With the apparatus as shown in Fig. 6, blanks are prevented from sliding off table 40 by the abutting first die head 67. Cylinder 77 operates to move carriage 50 to the right, whereupon a cam 80 operates a cam follower 121 to pivot the stripping plate 116 clockwise out of action. Carriage 50 operates a switch 123 to actuate cylinder 87 and so move the first die head 67 downwards (in the figure) out of the path of the blanks. The attached lever 83 pivots so that end 85 pivots shaft 91 and clamping bar 95 for clamping the second lowermost blanks. Meanwhile cams 107 allow the pusher blade 101 to become operative, platform 97 is moved to the left, and the lowermost blanks are delivered on to the table 82. Platform 97 returns to the right, operating a switch 127 to re-raise the first die head 67. The cams 107 re-position the pusher blade 101 in inoperative position, the clamping bar 95 is removed, and the second blanks take up the vacated positions of the lowermost blanks. Cylinder 74 now advances carriage 50 further to insert the mandrels 54 into the blanks on table 82, and re-shaping occurs to the blank ends and body by the heated die cavities and the mandrel. The carriage 50 is retracted to its initial position with the mandrels transporting the reshaped blanks, until the cam 80 allows the stripping plate 116 to drop and hold the blanks stationary until they drop off the retracting mandrels into a hopper.