Patent GB-1334563-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus and method for covering cylindrical articles
IPC: B29C63/18
Filed: 1971-09-21
Abstract: 1334563 Covering tubes with sleeves JOHNSMANVILLE CORP 21 Sept 1971 [29 Sept 1970] 43861/71 Headings F2P and F2S [Also in Division B1] Filter tubes (e.g. of resin and glass fibre) are covered with stocking material by passing an end to end succession of the tubes through a hollow mandrel, the mandrel being covered by the stocking in such manner that the articles " pull off " a covering of material as they exit the mandrel, the tubes being axially separated within the stocking prior to severance of the stocking between the tubes. General description of apparatus.-Tube stock 30 (Fig. 3) is manually or mechanically placed on the table 76 of cutting machine 32 and is then fed by rotation of fingers 78 to a rotary carrier whose hooks carry the tube past saws 86. The short lengths thus produced fall to an indexer 90 and are then delivered to a conveyer 36. Alternatively a shear, trough and pusher could be used to sever the tubes and deliver them. The conveyer 34 transfers the tubes to a feed roller 40 (Fig. 5) which pushes them in an end to end succession via a vacuum cleaning device (Fig. 1, not shown) and thence along guide 108 and into mandrel 46, the mandrel being covered in stocking. As the covered tubes leave the mandrel they are driven along guide 108 by roller 54 which rotates faster than head roller 40, thereby effecting axial separation of the tubes within the stocking, a further roller 58 being synchronous with roller 54 to maintain separation during operation of a shear 152. A pusher and extractor could be substituted for rollers 40, 50. The separated covered tubes pass a print wheel 164 and are delivered to a table 176 (Fig. 11). A switch 188 actuates a pusher 190 which causes the tubes to roll down slope 184 on to conveyer 64, the flights 66 of the conveyer locating the tubes thereon. While on the conveyer the ends of the stocking are manually inserted in the ends of the tubes and core tubes of perforated metal are loosely inserted therein at each end. Conveyer 64 passes between rams 70 slidably supported on rails 222 and geared for opposing movement via racks 228 and wheel 232. A cylinder (226) (Fig. 13, not shown) is actuated to bring the rams together to force the core tubes into the covered tubes. Subsequently the finished tubes are conveyed into alignment with nozzles 72 which reciprocate with rams 70 and which introduce compressed air to clean the insides of the finished tubes. Conveyer 64 could be replaced by moving fingers or a walking beam. Stocking mandrel.-Two mandrels 46 are provided on a frame 130 (Fig. 8) rotatable about rod 128 on stand 126. The upper mandrel is in use as described above while the lower mandrel is loaded with stocking by rollers 50 driven by chain 144 via wheel 142. Stocking 48 is supplied from reel 52 and is initially introduced on to the mandrel 46 by hand. Carriage 138 is slidable along way 139 and may be moved free of the end of the mandrel to allow the upper and lower mandrels to be interchanged. A clamp 146 is provided to hold the mandrel assembly stationary. In alternative arrangements the mandrels may be pendulously suspended and may be interchanged by lateral movement. The rollers 50 may be mounted to grip the sides of the stocking instead of top and bottom and may be V- or U-grooved in profile. The rollers 50 may be omitted and sliding clamps may be used to grip the stocking, push it on to the mandrel, release the stocking, return &c. Control and drive mechanisms.-The conveyer 34, feed roller 40, separating roller 50, tensioning roller 58 and the printing mechanism are all driven from a common drive loop 110, conveyer 34 and roller 40 being driven at one speed, and rollers 50, 58 and the print wheels being driven at a slightly higher speed. The difference in speed is controlled by a change speed gear 116 (Figs. 5 and 7) between the loop 110 and the higher speed drives. The feed of tubes from the table 76 to conveyer 34 is controlled by photocell 96, the mechanism 80, 90 being indexed one quarter turn when the conveyer 34 is empty. After covering and separating, the stocking between the tubes is severed by blades 152, each blade being driven from motor 162 via gears 159. The blades are arranged so as to cut from either side of the blade so that two cuts may be made per cycle (i.e. a tube is separated every half cycle of the shears). Every other cycle the shears send a signal which causes the final conveyer 64 to index two spaces past the rams 70 and nozzles 72, thus the rams and conveyer are synchronized. Alternatively a circular saw may be used. The tubes to be covered may have grooves on their outer surface.