Patent GB-1071339-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to the packaging of gramophone records
Inventor: PHILLIPSON ALAN
IPC: B65B9/02
Filed: 1964-08-13
Abstract: 1,071,339. Packaging. DECCA Ltd. July 30, 1965 [Aug. 13, 1964], No. 33059/64. Heading B8C. A method of packaging records comprises feeding the records in succession between two strips 19, 22 of sheet material, the strips having circular holes 20 therein, Fig. 7 (not shown), heat-sealing the material around the record to form a bag, and removing the bag and record before the next record is fed between the strips. The strips 19, 22 may be of lined paper with a heat-sealable coating. The strips 19, 22 have the circular holes 20, each between transverse lines of perforations 21, and are passed from spools 15, 16 over guide and tension rollers 24, 25, 27, 33 and capstans 28, 36 to heat-sealing apparatus 38 operated by a cam-shaft 57 driven by a motor 50. During the feeding of the strips 19, 22, the holes 20 are held in alignment by photo-electric sensing assemblies 29, 129 operated pneumatic servos 45, 46 controlling the positions of lever-mounted tension rollers 25, 33. The position of the tension rollers 25, 33 also controls electric motors 83, 84 rotating the spools 15, 16. The records are fed separately from a rotatable carrier to a shoot 10, Fig. 2 (not shown), and fall through flexible guide strips 214, 215 against retractable stops 208, 209, Fig. 3 (not shown), passing through electrically-heated sealing platens 204, 205 movable with respect to mounting plates 201, 202. At the start of a cycle a record lies on the stops 208, 209 in a position 302, Fig. 3 (not shown). A control photo-cell pair 211, Fig. 2 (not shown), operates a switch when light is transmitted through the hole in the record to start the electric motor 50 which drives the cam-shaft 57 through one revolution. As the cam-shaft 57 rotates, followers 74 &c. causes the platens 205, 206 to move against the record. The platens 205, 206 are held together and the sheets 19, 22 heat-sealed to each other along the bottom and both sides of the record and at two points above the record. The platens are then separated and pivoted fingers 412, 414, Figs. 4, 5 (not shown), grip the strips 19, 22 above the tranverse line of perforations 21, immediately below the assembly 38. The fingers 412, 413 are mounted upon linked blocks 409, 410 slidable up and down rods 402, 404. The pivotal movement of the fingers 412, 413 to grip the strips 19, 22 is effected by the camshaft 57 &c. acting through a push-rod 422 to turn interconnected levers 406 pivoted on a base 405, the levers carrying the rods 402. A detent locking the capstans 28, 36 is released, to allow withdraw of the sheet material from the spools. The cam-shaft 57 &c. acts to withdraw the stops 208, 209, supporting the record, and also oscillates a shaft 435 and an arm 434 to slide the blocks and the fingers 412, 413 down the rods 402. The sealed bag containing the record is accordingly drawn down out of the heat-sealing assembly 38. When the fingers 412, 413 have reached the bottom of their travel, the stops 208, 209 in the heat-sealing assembly 38 are moved together to receive the next record, one stop engaging the paper before the other. The fingers 412, 413 &c. are then slidden up the rods 402 &c. to re-engage both the strips 19, 22 immediately above the next line of transverse perforations. The sealed bags are folded in zig-zag fashion by oscillations of a pivoted guide 223 and piled on a platform 40 lowered by servos 73 as the pile grows. A bar 220 driven by an electric relay 642, Fig. 6 (not shown), severs the strips 19, 22 along the line of perforations 21 when a selected number have passed the photo-electric cells 211a, 211b.