US2693304A - Apparatus for packaging a soft resilient body - Google Patents

Description

NOV. 1954 H. c. DAVIS ETI'AL APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING A SOFT RESILIENT BGDY Filed Nov. 18, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l N 2, 1954' H. c. DAVIS Er/u. I 2,693,304

APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING A SOFT RESiLIENT BODY Filed Nov. 18, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 inserted into the container.

APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING A SOFT RESILIENT BODY Harold C. Davis, Webster Groves, and Robert A.

Claridge, Afiton, Mo., assignors to Bemis Bro. Bag Company,'St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application November 18, 1950, Serial No. 196,498

2 Claims. -(Cl. 226-18) p stood that the principles of the invention are applicable to the packaging of other soft, resilient materials or articles, such as mattresses, and in types of containers other than bags, as for example in boxes or cartons, paper or fabric tubing, etc.

In general, according to the invention, a soft, resilient body is packagedby compressing the body on opposite sides so as to reduce substantially the cross section or girth of the body, maintaining the body so compressed and inserting it into a container having a cross section larger than the reduced cross-section ofthe body but less than the normal cross-section ofthe body, and then removing the pressure on the body to allow it to expand within the container. The apparatus comprises a pair of interior container supports and material constricting guides, theguides converging from a relatively large en- United States Patent trance for the resilient body to a relatively small outlet 7' and carrying on their inner faces conveyor means for moving the resilient material or body from the large entrance through the constricting guides and out of the outlet. In passing through the constricting guides, pressure is applied to opposite faces of the resilient body to compress it in a direction transverse to the direction of movement and substantially to reduce its cross-section,

this condition being maintained while the body is being The container is stripped off the interior supports by the resilient body as it is ejected from the guides, so that support of the container is removed when the compression is released. Other features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction and -manipulation, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and

the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various' possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

Fig. l is a longitudinal vertical section of an apparatus of this invention, a resilient body and a container being shown in dotted lines, parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus, parts being broken away; and,

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

- Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

By means of this invention the packaging of soft, resilient materiaLsuch as blocks of foam rubber, may be efiiciently accomplished in paper bags packed so that the resilient material is under compression and the bag is under tension. When in this condition, the bag container affords the ease of handling of rigid boxes without the added expense, and has improved strength over untensioned loosely packed bags.

2,693,304 Patented Nov. 2, 1954 Referring to Fig. l of the drawing, there is shown an apparatus embodying the invention for packing soft resilient material 1 into a tight-fitting container 3. The resilient material shown comprises a pair of foam rubber cushions 4 stacked with their relatively smooth moldformed surfaces 5 on the outside and the uneven split surfaces 7 on the inside against one another. The container shown is a gusseted paper bag having bag walls 9, gusseted sides 10, a bottom 11 and a mouth 13.

The machine comprises a frame including a pair of upright side plates 15 rigidly held in spaced relation by a plurality 'of transverse angle bars 17. Cantilevered rearwardly from the frame is a platform or table 19 for initially receiving the resilient material to be packaged. Fixed in cantilevered relation and extending forward of the frame are cooperating upper and lower materialconstricting guides 21 and 23, respectively, these guides also serving as interior container supports. The lower guide 23 is coplanar and continuous with the rear receiving platform 19, while the upper guide 21 converges in a forward direction with respect to the lower guide from a relatively large entrance 25 to a relatively small outlet 27. The arrangement is such that the guides are close enough together at the rear entrance 25 to provide a relatively large amount of compression. The guides are adapted to support and hold open the container as well as guide material into the container.

The rear platform 19 is formed with longitudinal side channel members 29 affixed at one end to the respective frame side members 15. A roll 33 is journalled at the rear end of the platform. A top plate 35 extends from pulley 33 to the rear end of the lower guide 23. The lower guide 23 consists of a relatively wide thin plate 37 and carries a second roll 39 at its forward end. The plate 37 is fixed to the side plates 15 as indicated at 41. An endless belt 43 is trained around the rolls 33 and 39 with upper and lower reaches on opposite sides of the plates 35 and 37. The belt 43 is also trained around a driving roll 44 immediately below the fixed end of the plate 37, around a belt-tensioning roll 45 and around an idler roll 47 immediately below the forward fixed end of the rear platform 19. Rolls, 44, 45 and 47 are all journalled between the frame "side plates 15. The belt-tensioning roll 45 has suitable means 49 for adjusting its position to tension the belt. A driving motor 51 is coupled to the driving roll 43 by a chain and sprocket drive generally indicated at 53.

termediate roll 59. A belt-tensioning roll 63 having adjusting means 65 for belt-tensioning purposes is supported by the side plates 15 and a drive roll 67 is provided immediately above the fixed end of the plate 55. An endless belt 69 is trained around the rolls 57, 59, 61, 63 and 67 so as to have upper and lower reaches on opposite sides of the plate 55 and a lower reach 68 extending between the frame side plates 15 and converging sharply toward the lower belt from the roll 61 toward the guide. plate 55. This reach 68 provides for primary compression of resilient material .to be packed.

The upper belt 69 is driven by the roll 67, and the roll 67 is in turn driven from the driving roll 44 for the lower belt through gearing indicated at 71 (Fig. 3). The drive and gearing are such that the opposed upper reach of the lower belt and lower reach of the upper belt move in the direction forward toward the free ends of guide plates 37 and 55. As viewed in Fig. 1, the

driving roll 44 rotates counterclockwise so that the lower Y endless belt is moved in a clockwise peripheral direction. The upper driving roll 67 rotates in a clockwise direction so that the upper belt 69 moves in a peripherally counterclockwise direction. Any gearing adapted to cause the rolls 43 and 67 to rotate in opposite directions is satisfactory.

"Operation is asjfdllowsz The machine is started by energizing the motor 51 so that the upper and lowerxendless belts 69 and 43 respectively, are driven with theirjnwardlyfacingreaches 'movingforward' toward; thei'free. EIIdSi'Of. thezcon'stric'ting guides .21 and 23, and'their outwardly 'fac'ingreadhes moving rearwardly away from the free, endsof fthe guides. 'It will Zbeunderstoodthe lowerlbelt .43, where "it Iis trained around :the rear; platform, has its .upwardlyjiac- 'ing reach moving towardtheiframe. .A containerii31is then'slipped over the free ends of j guidesT-21-;.and 13. lathe example shown,'a;paper'bagl5is opened a'tjits .mouth 13 and slipped over 'ithefreeendsgdf ithe -two 'guides. The'bag need ,notsbe completely placedrupon fthesupports'but merely started ..as,the outwardly .fac- .ing rea'ches of the endless'ibe'lts engaging the walls1f9 l the bag draw the bag rearward .on .the .guides .untal .Zthe l bag 'bottomll .engages the. free en'ds ofthe guides. Wlt will .be understood themouth. of .the bagjis. suifi'ciently Tlargeto prevent 1 binding withlhe rearwardly diverging gu'idesjbefore :thejbottom of. the bag'.is engaged, .andIthat the i'be'lts may .slip with. respect, to .jthe bag walls 9.

When "the 'bagisnin position.on the guides, Iitlissupgporte'd so as to have ..a generally rectangular cross .section or predetermined dimensions. It .is preferred 'that .the gir'th of ,thebag' besuch. that. .itlhas arelatively elosefffitwith the. supportsfi'for certain .purposes..as will "be' apparent.

'Abody 1. of, soft, resilient materialiis ."then, placed .upon "the rear platform19. TThis body..oftresilient..mateiiial has .a. normal ,girth. greater. than-'thegirth .ofthe k-bag and preferably is .of generally.rectangulartcross-sedtional shape. One of the cross-sectionalklimenS'ions ofthe'body isgreater .thanla corresponding cross-sectional dimension of lthe supported vbag, .and .the .o'ther -.cross.-sec'tional :dimension ,of thejbody is. less than 1the..other,.cor.responding cross-sectional.dimension ofthesupported ba -g. {Ear example, the unreducedhei'ght. or.-.spacing..between the surfaces '5 of the .bodyj 1 shown ,in'i'Eig. I1' .is greater. than the spacing between thebag walls 9.sppported'.-in. .open .position on theguide. 1, It -will. be understoodthatseveral .small v pieces of resilient vmaterial, .such. as .fthe cushions 34, maybe assembled to ,provide a .body ;of the.;desired girth and dimensions, or, ,.conversely, that Ithe .size of the :bag may be selected with the view to .thejsize. oft the 'body' to. be packaged.

The "body .11 "is immediately carried i forwardfiromsthe .rear' pla'tforrn by the lower, belt 431 .to the .entrancefiZ'Sv .of .the constricting .guides21'and 1'23. .The .sharply..convergent reachGS'of the .upper ,bltreduccslthe vertical dimension of the resilientbody"1- rather .quicltly as'it moves forward through the-jguide. entranceI'ZS. Asthe rbody 1 passes on between "the. guide. plates.37.;andf55, .a further reduction. occurs'' but. the re'duction-is less ,than at the entrance. Eventually, the forward .end .-of. .the..compressed'body passes; through thet.outlet"27 and engages the'bottorn 11 of the'bag. 'As-thebo'dy exitsjfromtjthe guides, 'it pushes the bag forward, and ;the support. ofithe "bag is gradually-removed. and "the compression.,-onjithe body" is gradually "released.

?The resilient body 11 itselfiis. shorter .than; .the. bag.so "that when it has, completely, passedtthroughfihe,constricting guides a .portion of lthejbag. remains extending over these guides. However, since, the.,guides.' are. relatively "closely spaced at their forward .ends, .and sincejthe. bag mouth is relatively large, comparedtothe.spaeingpfihe forward ends of'the guides,1thebag rea'dily'falls from the supportof" the guides. An operator or conveyor may then take-the bagtostritable bag-closure apparatus "for closing the projecting top part. thereof.

'- 'It'W'ill be noted theires'ilienflbddyl is-"compressed in a vertical direction nor'mal' to the -feed" of the conveyors,-or .in. the dimension: that. :is greater. than the:corresponding dimension of thevba'g. The; compression of ithe" resilient body 1 :by; the :widerflat: guides 'ipriorrtocits. renteringt-the .bag 3,- is such that the resilient:bodygassumest a generally rectangular .cross. section, theirdimensionsnofvwhich. are .less than the correspondingcross-sectionalgdimensions-of thesupportedbag. .Thatn's, .the girth-.of'. the: resilient body is reduced by compression so...that..,it isless-thanthe girth of the, supported bag.

In compressing'the res'ilientbodyglinia verticaL'Zdirection, a certain amount of transversehor-izontalexpansion will occur. However; it will" be understood 'lthatiithe. resilient material is of such a nature that in compressing two amount of bag tension and body compressionis of course determined by therelativeigirths :cfthe bag and unreduced body, hence it is desirable to have the bag closely fit the container supports, although. this is .not, necessary.

jIt will' be,.understoodrthat verticalgnides may. be placed at'the'lateral edges of the upperiandglower uides' if desired. Also, the resilientmaterialjl. and'thegb ,Srnay both be startedjon, the,apparatus.simultaneouslm th shag tbeingdrawnrearward overiithe guides'.f21;;and 23 while the .body*1 ,is being compressed; at the. entranceiZS .to itheguides.

.This packaging, machine v.iis ideal y suited. to resilient material. @Since the compressed?.body;:is,,more resistant Hthansan uncompressed; resilient. body tov punchingnboth the. container. and the body .are better. adapted. to resist damage. from ,punbhingand tearing. .If .the container, is arela'tively rig'idbox ;or c arto n, the compressed;body helps to protect the box-or cartonfrom {collapsing .ulider unduev outside stress.

in view. of jthe above; .it be seen. that the, ssever,al

' objects ,.of..the inventionare achieved and ,;other..1ad-

tvantageous results attained.

As many. changes,..coul'd ..be.. made .in the.,above;structures without departing. from .the .scope of .the. invention, it I. is :jntended that .an ,majtter ,cQntaine'd in .the .,-above description. or shown in Lthe..accompanying drawingsshall Ibeinterpreted ,as' illustrative andnot .in.all imiting; sense.

J '1. .JAppa-ratus'r for packaging; asoft, resilient; .hodyain .a bag, comprising .-a ;supportihaving, spaced-apart;v sides, -a

' .first.plat'e extending generallyfhorizontally outward as ,a

.cant'ilever from between .the isidesofthe. support, asecond ,plate extending outward-ash cantileverQfrorn between .the .sides .of.;the..suppo rt aboye thefifirst .plate and inclined downward .toward the free; end of theg firstaplate, thereby definingarconverging passage between the, plates irom the support.- .outward -.to. ithe flee. ends. .of f .the; plates, a. table ,at; .the level .oflthe. .first plate .on .the.opposite-sideof; .the -;support vtrorn the =plates, ".a first. .endless beltq conveyor trainedharoundnthe tableand. ;the-,first; .plate,; means ,ior

'- h guiding the .fi-r'st eonveyor. to have an .upp er generally horizontal forward-rnoying reach -trayelli ng oyerlthetable tandtheztop of.thefirst platectoward theifree end.- of;tl 1e first plate, and to have a lower return reach partpfiwhieh travels ealong the bot-torn of; :first, platenaway from gthe free .end of the first, plate, la -second; endless belheqnyeyor .trained around-:thev secondaplatet-and rrneans; lionguiding .;the second: conveyor -10 nhaye la; .lower forward-moving each travelling: toward ;the;. fI'fiGF/Qlld'g-Qf the seeondeplate along the bottom of the second platetand;ltonhaye an .upper:treturnwreaeh'which etrayels;along ,;thewtop;-.of Tthe ..secondiplate;awa3t from the free-:end of:thez.secondg plate, whereby a bag may be opened and placed on thegfiree ..ends;0f vt heg-platesgqto bet tdrawnt-rearward .byi theg lpper 'reachwof the:seeondponyeyomand thejlowen reaph of {the first; convey-on; and Wherebyaqtsofhr'resilient bodyymaysbe ;placed ion {the :first; conveyor 1011 :the table carried1:b etween the first and second conveyors and therlebywert-icallyg compressed, thetcornpressedbody tbeing fiomleyeddnto the'bag and pushing the bag off the plates.

2. Apparatus asset eforth claim: -1. wherein :the: means for guidingthe;second:conveyorrincludesgguidesiorrguiding the second'conveyori toa-have mrearward aportion of tits vf0rwardn'novi-n flower. reach t0: :the. rear; .of; the; wear- :wa-rdend ofi;the-.-second plate andnnorerincl-inedlthan the second: plate.

,,(Reerences.on itlllowigg pgge) References Cited in the file of this patent Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name 1 Date Beal Aug. 28, 1900 5 Henebergh Aug. 5, 1913 Number Name Date Fisher Nov. 11, 1913 Drolet, Sr. June 5, 1917 Scott Oct. 9, 1928 Young July 31, 1945 Fourness et a1 Dec. 31, 1946

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