Patent GB-698181-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in package and like binding mechanism
IPC: B65B13/02
Filed: 1950-07-05
Abstract: 698,181. Bale-tying machines. CHEESMAN, J. J. July 5, 1951 [July 5, 1950], No- 16829/50. Class 45 [Also in Group XVII] Relates to mechanism for tying packages or the like with flexible binding material, of the type comprising a connecting device and on the near side thereof a reversible feed, a holding gripper and severing means operable on the flexible material in the binding plane so that the material having been fed out from a supply through the connecting device for insertion, after training to form a loop around the packages or like, into the gripper with the free end of the material projecting into the connecting device and held by closing the gripper, the material is drawn in and the loop closed on to the package or the like by reversing the feed, following which the parts of the material within the connecting device are joined together by actuating the latter and the looped part of the material is separated from the supply by actuating the severing means and the tied package or the like is released by reopening the gripper. According to the in-- vention at least two steps in the operation. of the mechanism are effected directly and solely by the same handle. One of these steps may initiate the operation of means for automatically effecting a sequence of other steps. General features. The mechanism for feeding and tensioning the binding strip and for connecting the ends of the strip and cutting it from the supply is mounted underneath a table 1 and powered by an electric motor. The sequence which consists of (a) closing holding grippers 6, 9, (b) reverse feed of the strip to draw it about the package, (e) tensioning the strip, (d) cutting the strip from the supply, (e) connecting the ends of the strip and (f) forward feeding of the strip ready for the next cycle, is controlled by a single control lever 26. In one construction the tensioning, connecting, cutting and forward feeding of the strip are controlled automatically by a camshaft 21 operated by a one-revolution clutch, when the lever is moved in one direction. The closing of a holding gripper on the strip and reverse feeding of the strip are accomplished under the direct control of the operator when the control handle is moved in the opposite direction. In this construction the strip is trained round the package during forward feeding by a ring-shaped guide 10. In another construction, the connecting and cutting of the strip are automatically carried out but the tensioning, forward and reverse feeding of the strip and closing of the holding grippers are carried out under the direct control of the operator. A single operating lever is used with an H- shaped gate. The training of the strip round the package is carried out manually and the guide 10 is not provided. Feeding, tensioning and gripping means. The'strip is fed forwardly by a roller 14, Fig. 4 and reversely by a roller 15. These rollers are geared together and are constantly rotated by the motor. The strip is brought into contact with one roller or the other by a pair of idler rollers 14a, 15a mounted in a frame 16 which is fixed to a shaft 16a by which it can be rocked from a neutral position either by hand or automatically. Roller 14 is directly driven from the motor and roller 15 which retracts the strip is driven through an adjustable clutch so that the roller slips when a loop of strip has been drawn round a package. The strip is fed from the roller 14, which is channeled to guide the strip, into a passage 6b in gripper 6, across a connecting device 8, through the second gripper 9 and is then trained around the package either by the guide 10 or by hand and back through the jaws of the first gripper 6 and across the connecting device 9 to a pivoted stop 11. The gripper 6 is mounted on an adjustable eccentric pivot 6a and is closed by a cam 6l. The top of the gripper is channeled at 6c to guide the strip and to prevent it fouling the withdrawal of a bound package, the front wall of this channel is resiliently depressible at its front end. A small deflector 12 is provided adjacent this gripper to prevent the end of the strip curling into the sealing opening in a plate 5 against which the strip is held by the gripper. The gripper 9 also closes against the plate 5 and is actuated in . conjunction with the gripper 6 and with the tensioning means as described below. The tensioning means consists of a gripper 18 arranged on the supply side of the roller 15. This gripper is mounted on a pair of arms 18a which are pivotally supported at their lower ends and which are moved by a push-rod 18b which is pivotally connected to a spring-loaded lever 18d disposed between the arms 18a and pivoted to them at its lower end slightly above their own pivot. An adjustable compression spring 18f to vary the tension on the strip, as desired, is provided between the arms 18a and the lever 18d through which thrust is transmitted to the desired extent. The gripper 18 is normally held open by a stop 18h and it closes when moved away from the stop. Tension is maintained, until the strip is cut from the supply, by a ratchet 19 on a spring-loaded pivoted lever 19a which engages a stirrup between the arms 18a. Connecting and cutting means. The strip is first cut from the supply by means of cam-actuated cutter 7 which co-operates with the end 6d of the gripper 6. The connecting device 8 may join the ends of the strip by cutting or deforming them with or without a seal. If a seal is used continuous strip may be fed in to make the seals, the sealing strip being cut by the connecting device 8 as it rises. The device is cam operated. Control means. The automatic part of the' cycle is controlled by the shaft 21 which is driven through a one-revolution clutch 22, Fig. 6, comprising a pivoted dog 22c on the driven member 22b which can engage any one of a plurality of slots on the driving member. The clutch is controlled through a pivoted member 24 which in turn is rotated by the hand control lever 26 when it is moved from neutral inwardly of the machine. This is carried out by an arm 26i on a shaft 26a to which the lever is connected. This arm moves a spring- pressed push-rod 26k, a spring latch on the end of which rotates the member 24. The member 24 has a wing 24b which normally holds dog 22c disengaged. When member 24 is rotated a head part 24c becomes engaged and held by a spring- pressed bell crank 25 and dog 22c can then engage the clutch. Near the end of the revolution of the clutch, a projection 22c on this driven member 22b engages the tail of the bell crank 25 and causes it to release the part 24 into the path of the dog 22c, which is then withdrawn since it rides up a camming surface 24c on the wing 24b. A projection 24d stops the dog and hence the driven member of the clutch when it is fully disengaged. In the construction in which tensioning and feeding the strip is under automatic control, shaft 21, Figs. 1 and 4, carries a cam 13d (not shown) to control the connecting and cutting means, cams 6i, 9a for the holding grippers 6, 9, cam 16b for the forward feed, cam 18i for tensioning and cam 19d for releasing the tension maintaining arm 19. Cam 13d controls a dog clutch which causes a shaft 13 which is driven from shaft 21 to make one - revolution during that part of the cycle in which connecting and cutting takes place. Cams 7a and 8a on shaft 13 actuate the cutting and connecting means respectively. Cam 6i controls the gripper 6 through a lever 6k and a cam 6l on the lever shaft. Lever 6k is held against cam 6i by a spring 6m which acts tc close the gripper. A latch 6n to keep the gripper open during the forward feeding operation is connected to the lever 6k by a rod 6o. The latch engages automatically when the gripper 6 is opened by cam 6i and is released to close the gripper by outward movement of the control lever 26 which operates a catch for the latch. Gripper 9 is connected to lever 6k through a lever arm 9c and a thrust-rod 9b which has a lost-motion connection to lever arm 9c. Thus when gripper 6 is latched open, gripper 9 is also latched open. Lever arm 9c is also connected through a spring 9e with an arm 9g which is controlled by cam 9a. When the latch 6n is released, gripper 9 closes on the strip under the influence of spring 9e but the tension in the spring is such that the strip can be drawn back through the gripper 9 during the reverse feeding of the strip. At the completion of this operation the tension in spring 9e is increased by cam 9a acting through arm 9g so that gripper 9 holds the strip firmly for the tensioning operation. The lost-motion connection permits the extra movement of the gripper. The additional tension is removed by cam 9a before the gripper is opened by cam 6i. The forward feeding of the strip is controlled by cam 16b which rocks the frame 16 to engage rollers 14, 14a through a spring-pressed lever 16d. Cam 18i, Fig. 4,  actuates the tensioning arms 18a through thrust-rod 18b and lever 18d. The cam 18i is shaped so that rod 18b through the resilient connection between arms 18a and lever 18d can return before the arms 18a are released by ratchet 19 which is operated by cam 19d. Outward movement of the control lever 26 after releasing latch 6n to close grippers 6, 9 on the strip then rocks shaft 26a, and causes an arm 26g, Fig. 9a, on the shaft to rock the frame 16 through an arm 16g so that rollers 15 and 15a engage the strip for reverse feeding to draw it about the package. In the alternative construction in which forward feeding and tensioning of the strip are also under direct control of the operator, cams 9a, 16b and 18i and the levers which they operate are omitted the remaining cams operating as above. Cam 9a. is omitted since tensioning now takes place before control shaft 21 starts to rctate; the increase of tension on gripper 9 is accomplished by connecting spring 9e to the lever 18d so that'as tension cn the strip is