Patent GB-1174667-A (GB)
Title: Forming Apparatus for Conical Paper Bands and the like
IPC: B65C3/18
Filed: 1967-06-19
Abstract: 1,174,667. Machines for making paper cores; valves. PAPERCONE CORP. 19 June, 1967 [3 Aug., 1966], No. 28271/67. Headings F2V and F2P. An apparatus for forming a band of paper-like sheet material from an elongated flat blank comprises blank support means 8 for supporting a plurality 10 of said flat blanks in a row in face to face engagement, discharge means 9 at one end of said row of blanks for successively discharging individual blanks, rotatable blank curling means 13 including an annular surface adapted for receiving each individual blank thereon, means for rotating said curling means, said blank curling means including a first rotatable shaft 22, a source of vacuum 273, vacuum suction means 87, 92 on said blank curling means adapted for holding said individual blank against said annular surface upon the introduction of vacuum to said vacuum suction means for rotating said blank with said annular surface about the axis of said surface and curling said blank into a band, a second rotatable shaft 21, generally similar to said first shaft, means for rotating said second shaft, a first conduit 277, Fig. 11, communicating between said vacuum suction means 273 and said vacuum source, a valve 211 in said conduit and or said second shaft and actuated by the rotation thereof for intermittently establishing communication between said vacuum suction means 87, 92 and said vacuum source 273, and blank transfer means 12 for transferring each said individual blank from said row thereof on to said annular surface and into contact with said vacuum suction means 87, 92. The apparatus comprises the blank storage and feed assembly 8, blank discharge mechanism 9 for successively releasing individual blanks from a stack 10, the transfer mechanism 12 which employs the vacuum 273 to suck the individual blanks from the stack 10 and on to the curling member 13 which also uses the vacuum for drawing the cone blanks down on to the surface of the curling member 13, a glue applicator 14 for applying glue to the trailing end of a blank immediately prior to its discharge from the pack 10, a pressure roller assembly 15 for pressing the glued ends of the blank together while it is being curled on the curling member 13, blow-off passages in the interior of the curling member 16 and a tube for propelling the completed cones off the curling member 13, and cone stacking mechanism 17 for automatically stacking the completed cones in stacks containing a preselected number. In operation glue, from an applicator (197) of conventional design, Fig. 8, not shown, is applied to one end of a blank immediately before it is released from the stack 10 which is carried by a trough 30, is urged by a weight 52 towards the discharge end 34, and is guided by rods 47, 48. A foot member 64 on a spring-loaded lever 60 is then raised by a cam-and-follower mechanism (50, 73), Fig. 1, not shown, to release a blank, suction from the vacuum source 273, regulated by a rotary valve 213 driven by a shaft 23, being supplied to a transfer tube 138 which has just been moved out of an annular groove 86 in the curling member 13 by the transfer mechanism 12, which includes a spring-loaded slide 117 and a linkage 101, 106 operated on by a cam mechanism 96, 104 rotated by the shaft 23, to transfer the blank on to the curling member 13 as the transfer tube is retracted into the groove 86. At the same time suction from the source 273 is fed through the rotary valve 211, driven by the rotary shaft 21, and through a rotary transfer chamber 212 to the hollow interior of a drive shaft 22 from which interior the vacuum is transferred to the openings 87, 92 to draw the blank 10 on to the surface of the curling member 13. A pressure roller assembly 165, 165 descends to press the glued ends of the blank together while the blank is being curled upon the curling member, the mechanism for regulating the roller assembly comprising a cam 130 on the shaft 23 and which co-operates with a follower 151 carried by a spring-loaded linkage 146 the free end of which carries the roller assembly 165, 165. Short blasts of air are fed from the compressor 282, through a valve 284 regulated by a cam 287 driven by the shaft 21 and through a tube 288 leading to the rotary transfer chamber 212 and the openings 87, 92, and also to a blow-off tube 186 which has a non-return valve 292 and which is located adjacent the curling member 13 to eject the completed paper cone forwardly to a cone stacking apparatus 17. The latter comprises a turntable 304 which carries four stacking rods 317 the table being indexed forward by a pneumatic piston and cylinder unit 312. 313 fed by the compressor 282 and through a line 336 controlled by solenoid valves 326, 327 to successively present the rods 317 in alignment with a tube 84 projecting forwardly from the curling member 13. The paper cones are counted, by a light source 321 and a photo-cell 231 and a register 318. When a number of cones, corresponding to a selector dial 322, has been reached the valves 326, 327 are opened so that the piston and cylinder unit 312, 313 turns the table through one quadrant and the cones commence to drop on to the next rod 317. The shafts 21, 22, 23 are rotatably mounted in bearings in spaced upright plates 4, 5 on a base 3 the shafts 21, 23 being rotatable at twice the speed of the shaft 22 through gearing 167, 167, 16 by an electric motor 183 which drives by means of a belt 178, a pinion mounted on the plate 4 and having a driven connection with a gear on the shaft 22. The valve 211, Fig. 10, comprises a fixed body 214 with a channel 222 which has an inlet port 223 and a body 215 which is rotatably mounted on the shaft 21 and has an arcuate channel 226 with a front face which is open to the open rear face of the channel 222, the fixed body 214 having an outlet 224, 225. The valve 213 comprises a fixed body 255 similar to the valve body 214, and a body 266 rotatably mounted upon the shaft and having an elongated frontwardly open rounded groove 268. The bodies 214, 215 and 255, 266 have seals 217, 272 respectively between them.