Patent GB-780782-A (GB)
IPC: C06F1/20
Abstract: 780,782. Making match book covers. S.A.F. F.A. SOC. PER AZIONI, FABBRICHE FIAMMIFERI ED. AFFINI. Aug. 16, 1955 [Oct. 2, 1954], No. 23629/55. Class 94(2). A machine for curving one or both ends of book-match covers, so as to provide a snap closure for the booklet comprises means for lifting each cover a from a stack and placing it in. one of a succession of dies 1a, Fig. 10, secured to an intermittently moving and endless conveyer chain 2, Figs. 1 and 10, heater elements 43 along the go and return paths of said chain to heat the dies and cause polymerization of resins with which the edges to be curved are treated, pincer means 68, 69 for taking the covers from the dies on completion and means 53 for ejecting the finished covers from the machine. The transmission from the main driving means 64, Fig. 1, to the conveyer chain 2 includes a spiral type cam 63 and a divider disc 62 which given an intermittent motion to the chain 2. The covers a are initially open and stacked on one longitudinal edge. Suction means 6, Figs. 1 and 1a, oscillating about an axis 7 takes up a cover a on each movement to the left and upon swinging to the right cam means 19, 20 causes an orifice 18 to be opened to break the vacuum and permit the cover to drop on to a die 1a temporarily halted below the suction means 6. A vertically reciprocating presser device 26 then descends to cause a spring biased foot 27 to press the cover a into the die 1a, and on further lowering of the device 26 two pivoted arms 28 move outwards to press the extreme edges of the cover a into the shape of the die. As shown in Fig. 10, only one end 39a of the die a is curved but the other end 114 may also be curved. In each die, on the sides opposite to the direction of feed, are two studs or pins 40, 40<SP>1</SP> to hold the cover in position during the travel of the die particularly during the travel of the die upwards towards the pincer means 68, 69. Along the upper path of the conveyer 2 the dies 1a slide in grooves formed in the supports 41 for the heater elements 43, the distance between the supports being adjustable. A continuous holding down element somewhat similar to the member 27 and one or more spreader elements similar to the members 28 are provided-along the upper path to maintain the shape of the covers a to the form of the die. As the dies move downwardly at the left hand end of the machine, Fig. 1, spring plates 49 and 50 hold the covers in the die, there being additional spring plates 51 along the lower path of travel of the conveyer 2 for the same purpose. Along the lower path of travel, the supports 41 for the heating element 43 need not be grooved to accommodate the dies a, but may be of rectangular section, rubbed only by the extreme edges of the dies 1, to allow the conveyer 2 to form a catenary along its lower section. Each die has two grooves 117 and 117<SP>1</SP> below the cover a and as each die moves upwards at the right hand end of the machine, Fig. 1, the grippers 68, 69 descend to lift the cover from the die, the arms 68 of the gripper entering the grooves 117 and 1171. The grippers 68 and 69 then rise and open and as the cover falls, ejector pushers 53, Figs. 1 and 9, move to the right to push the cover into a channel 55 and thence into an interchangeable collector box 56 for the removal of the finished covers to a machine which will effect the making up of the matches in the booklet covers. If both edges of the covers have been curved the table 57, on which the box 56 and the channel 55 rest, is caused to make a rhythmical sideways movement with respect to the direction of travel of the covers such that the covers are staggered in the box 56, that is, such that one curved edge of each cover is in contact with a flat part of the preceding or following cover. The box 56 is held by adjustable guides 98 and has a fixed end section 102, a removable end section 113 and top flaps 103, 1031 to enclose the curved covers whilst they are transferred to the next machine. If only one end of the covers is to be rounded, the box 56 is replaced by a segmental shape box 56a, Fig. 11, since the covers a will then assemble in fan-wise form. A lever 109, Fig. 1, is then operated to halt the oscillations of the table 57a and only the heaters 43 on the one appropriate side of the machine are energized.