US2074580A - Cord coating and wrapping machine - Google Patents

Description

M r h 23, 37 ,c. A. FO URNESS ET AL 2,074,580

CORD COATING AND WRAPPING MACHINE v Filed on. 16, 1935 4 sheets-s eet i f 72219780715. C'iiczrles H. ZJarraaas Jkn f7 Graef Mug, ML m1 MSN h March 23, 1937. c. A. FOURNESS ET AL 2,074,580

' com) COATINGAND WRAPPING MACHINE Filed 0m. 16, 1955 4 Sheets-Shget 2 March 23, 1937. c; A. FOURNESS El AL 2,074,530

CORD COATING AND WRAPPING MACHINE Filed 001;. 16, 1935 Sheets-Sheet 3 F.'// 7 20d Wrapper if/ g 0 I g9 chat/n9.

I 70 57 73 72 53 i 59 62 Z52 50 5/ Mai I IIL ;l Hm" 0- ii: LIE i I- l 6.3 66 A. 1:: A {Mi 4 61 fizuerziorfi' Cficzrlesfl j o u 772255 March 23, 1937. c. A. FouRNEss ET AL 2,074,580

CORD comma AND WRAPPING MACHINE Filed Oct. 16,1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Mar. 23, Q

PATENT- OFFICE 2,074,580 coitn cosrmc AND WRAPPING MACHINE Charles A. Fourness, Appleton, and John M.

Graei', Neenah, Wis., assignors, by mesne assignments, to International Cellucotton Products Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application October 16, 1935, Serial No. 45,364

m y 4' Claims.

' This invention relates to cord coating machines, and pertains more especially to a machine for wrapping and coating cords used in the manufacture of tampons. I In a method of manufacturing such tampons which we have designed and successfully put in practice, a sheet of sixteen-ply creped absorbent wadding is first repeatedly folded or crimped on itself into substantially round or cylindrical form,

and then run through a wide mesh braiding machine which compacts and holds together the numerous folds and produces a substantiallyround uniform article of about five-eighths inch diameter known as the tampon ,pcord. This cord is then run through a cord coating machine which first applies a. concentrated starch solution to the surface of the cord, then wraps a thin sheet or strip of cotton wadding on this cord, then appliesa diluted starch solution as an impregnation and thin second coating'to the coveringsheet or strip, and finally compacts and reduces the cord and winds it on a polygonal reel. The reel with the cord thereon is next placed in a drying oven in which it is subjected to a. flow of heated air suificiently long to thoroughly dry the cord. The ,cord' is then cutinto tampon lengths, and, by means of a stitching machine, the closed end of a cord loop is drawn through and then looped ound the tampon about onehalf inch from'the uter or rear end thereof and the twofree endsof the loop are knotted together. Finally, the inner or forward end of the tampon is moistened to render it pliable and then compressed in a die and dried to give it a comparatively rigid bluntpointed conical end form.

Our present invention relates to a machine for performing the cord coating operation, and a practical form of such machine is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-'- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine.

Fig.2 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section through one of the duplicate starch solution containers.

Fig. 5 is' a fragmentary horizontal section through a heating device for, the water jacket of "the solution container.

' Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail of an adjusting device for one member of the valve controlling the amount of starch solution applied to the cord, taken on the line 6-6 ofFig. 4. I

Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan view of a stationary forming tube by whichthe thin sheet or strip of cotton wadding is wrapped around the cord between the first and second starch solution-applying devices.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of Fig. '7.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which the sheet or strip of cotton wadding is wrapped on the cord. I

Fig. 10 is a sectional detail of a portion ofa Reeves pulley adjusting device. v Fig. 11 is an enlarged cross section pletely coated cord.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A designates as an entirety a dispensing drum on whichthe cord to be treated is wound, B designates as an entirety a container for the concentrated starch solution that is first applied to the cord, C designates as an entirety the forming tube for applying the sheet or-strip of cotton wadding to the cord, D designates as an entirety the container for the dilute starch solution that is applied to the wrapped cord, and E designates as an entirety a receiving reel.

The spindles ll of the dispensing drum A are journaled in bearings in a pair of upright end frames i2 forming'parts of a truck, the wheels l3 of which are adapted to'travel on track rails l4, whereby the drum may be bodily moved endwise to maintain the cord as it is unwound, in substantial alignment with its path of travel through the coating and wrapping mechanism. This coating and wrapping mechanism is mounted on a generally rectangular upright frame structure designated as an entirety by l5. On the frontend of the frame I 5 is a vertical forked guide I 6 through which the cord passes into and between a pair of grooved .guide rolls i1, whence the cord passes .through the first solution-applying device,- the structural details of which are best illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. l8 designates a. vessel for containing the concentrated starch solution, this vessel being surrounded at its sides and bottom by a water jacket iii. In the bottom of the water jacket is an electric heater of a known type designated as an entirety by 20, by which the jacket water is maintained at a suitable temperature to maintain a freely flowing condition of the starch solution. 2| designates an electrically controlled thermostat, the bulb 22 of which (Fig. 4) is immersed in the jacket water, this thermostat maintaining the solution at a uniform temperature.

Within the container 18 and its jacket I9 are a pair of opposed tubular bosses 23 lined with bushing sleeves 24. A valve tube 25 is fitted tight within the bushing 24 and is formed with a tapered duct 26 to facilitate the passage of the cord therethrough, and alvalve tube 21 has aslidof the com-,

,these tubular valve tubes 25 and 21 are tapered so as to form between them an annular V-shaped orifice for the fiow of the solution onto the cord. ,On the outer end of valve tube 21 is a grooved collar 28 engaged by an eccentric 29 on the inner end of a short shaft 30 that is journaled in a bracket 3| attached to a member of the main frame and equipped with a handwheel 32. By

turning the wheel 32 in one direction or the and the size of the annular orifice between the two valve tubes is regulated. The solution container l8 and its water jacket l9 are normally closed by a cover plate 33 and secured in-place by a group of hinged spring-actuated clamps 34 that, in turn, are mounted on a ring 35 screwed onto the upper end of the water jacket IS. The cover 33 isformed with a central upstanding boss 36 forming a bearing for an agitator shaft 31, on the lower end of which shaft is an agitator 38 driven by a pulley 39 on the upper end of the shaft 31 and serving to maintain the consistency of the starch solution substantially constant. By means of this device, as the cord travels through the tubular valve members 25 and 21, it receives a coating of the starch solution, the thickness of which of course depends on the adjustment of the valve.

From this solution-applying device the coated cord travels over a supporting pulleyx4li into the forming tube C. Before it reachesthe latter,-

however, it passes on to a narrow sheet or strip 4! of cotton wadding coming from an underlying roll 42, the cord and its covering meeting on the roll 40. The roll 42 is journaled in and between'the free ends of a yoke 43, the hub of which is hinged on a rod 44 (Fig. 3) between a pair of collars 45 on said hinge rod, the rod 44 having a threaded portion 46 mounted in a threaded bearing 41 on one of the frame members and operable by a hand wheel 48 so as to shift the yoke 43 laterally to bring theroll 42 in accurate alignment with the overlying pulley 48. A tension spring 49 between the yoke 43 and an overhead frame member regulates the pressure of the roll 42 on a rubber covered drive roll 50 by which the wadding strip on the reel 42 is unwound. Since the roll 42 continuously decreases in diameter as it is unwound, and since it is desirable to maintain the feed of the cov ering strip at the uniform speed or travel of the cord, we provide a variable speed drive for the drive roll 50' the structural details of which are best shown in.Figs. 3 and 10. On the shaft of the drive roll-50 is a grooved pulley 5| driven by a cord belt 52 from an adjustable drive pulley of the well known Reeves type comprising 53 to vary the effective diameter of the pulley.

For this purpose the hub 55 of pulley section 54 is mounted on a tubular member 56 that, in turn, is journaled in a bearing 51 on one of the uprights'ofthe main frame; the hub 55 carrying a key 58 extending through a slot 59 in the tubular member 55 and also extending through a hole in a rod 68 within the tubular member 56, so that the pulley section 54 is rotatively fast with the tubular member 56 and rod 60, but has a limited sliding movement on the member 56. As shown in Fig. 10, the outer end of rod 69 is journaled in an anti-friction bearing 5! withina casing 52, the end of the shaft being confined endwise within said casing by a collar 63 and a nut 84. To the casing 62 is secured a cover plate 65 in which is fitted and secured the inner end of a screw 56, this latter engaging an internally threaded bearing 51 formed on a yoke 68 that is mountedon one of the upright frame members, the outer end of the threaded rod 66 having keyed thereto a hand wheel 69. By this device the rod 60 and the pulley section 54 may be bodily adjusted toward and from the fixed pulley section 53. The tubular member 56 constitutes a diametrically enlarged hollow extension of the drive shaft 10', on which the pulley section 53 is keyed, the drive shaft 10 being journaled in a bearing 1| on one of the upright frame members and confined against endwise movement by collars Hand 13 keyed thereon.

As the diameter of the roll 42 decreases, the

frame, and shaft 80, through cooperating bevel gears 8| and 82 drives the split drive pulley 53, 54.

From pulley 40 the wadding strip 4|, with the cord lying thereon as shown in Fig. 7, passes into the stationary former tube C, the shape of which is clearly indicated in Figs. '7 and 8, and by which the wedding strip 4| is wrapped once around the cord with a slight overlap at its longitudinal mare gins as shown in Fig. 10, the wrapped cord emerging from the tube in the form shown at the right of Fig. 7. Thence the cord with its cotton wrapping passes into and through the second solutionapplying device D, the structural features of which are identical with those of the device B, by which the wrapping is impregnated and thinly coated and its joint sealed. From this second solution-applying device D the wrapped cord passes through a fixed tapered guide block 83 (Figs. 1 and 2) onto the receiving reel E. In the form shown, this reel is polygonal in cross section, for a reason that will later appear; comprising in essence two heads 84 connected by equally spaced bars 85, each of which is of wedge shape in cross section with its pointed edge outwardly. This reel is journaled in and above a generally rectangular bed frame designated as an entirety by 85. The two heads 84 of the reel are fast on a shaft, one portion 81 of which is square in cross section and the other portion 83 of which is threaded. The square section 81 exv tends slidably through the hub 89 of a sprocket wheel 99, which hub 89 is rotatably mounted in and between a pair of bearings 9| on one end of the bed frame. The threaded section 88 of the shaft is engaged with a half nut 92 secured on a cross bar 93 that in turn is removably secured at its ends on the bed frame by a pair of cotter pins 94 so that it may be readily removed. The reel is rotated by mechanism later described, and as it is rotated it moves slowlyendwise under the pull of the threaded section 88 of the shaft in its half nut 92 so as to lay a uniform spiral of the cord thereon. When the reel is loaded, the cross bar 93 may be readily removed and the reel then slipped off the threaded end of its shaft, ready for transfer to the drying oven.

The reason for the employment of a polygonal receiving reel is this. If a reel having a round peripheral surface were employed, it would impart a curvature to the damp cord, which would become fixed after the cord was dried and this curvature would appear in the tampons cut from the cord, which is undesirable. By employing a polygonal reel, the cord is wound in a plurality of straight sections, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, forming an angle with each other at the points where the cord bears on the bars 85; and

in subsequently cutting the cord into sections for the tampons, it can be divided at the angular bends, so as to avoid any substantial waste of material.

shaft 98, and on shaft Illl is a sprocket wheel I02 which through a chain I03 drives sprocket wheel 90 which rotates the reel shaft. on the outer end of the squared section 81. of the reel shaft is a collar I04 (Fig. 2) which, through'contact with a limit switch I05 opens the circuit of the motor I4 and stops the machine when the cord has reached the end of the rel.

The agitator drive is taken from the same way shaft 80 as the'reel drive and consists of a pulley I06 on shaft 80 which, through a belt I 01 drives a pulley- I08 on a short shaft I09 and on the other end of shaft I09 is a pulley IIO which, through a belt III and pulley II! drives a way shaft 3 journaled in, brackets Ill mounted on the containers B and D. Pulleys IIi fast on the outer ends of shaft II3 through belts IIS drive pulleys 39 fast on the upper ends of the agitator shafts 31.

In Fig. 11 we have shown an enlarged cross section of the finished cord in which the body, braiding, inner starch coating, wrapping sheet, and outer starch coating are all identified under the several names thereof. This machine pro.-

duees the stock from which the tampons are cut.

5 scribed is not claimed herein, as the same forms the subject matter of a-divisional application filed by us on the 24th day of July, 1936, Serial No. 92,308.

Manilestly changes in structural details of the machine may be resorted to without departing from the essence of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof; and hence we reserve such variations, modifications and mechanical equivalents as fall within the spirit and purview of the claims.

We claim:

l.-In a cord coating and wrapping apparatus of the character described, the combination with a cord dispensing drum and a cord receiving reel, of means for applying a coating solution to the cord, means for wrapping a covering sheet around the cord, and means for applying a second coating solution to the surface of said sheet; said several means being located in the order named between said drum-and reel.

2. In a cord coating and wrapping apparatus of the character described, the combination with a cord dispensing drum and a cord receiving reel, of means for applying a coating solution to the cord,'means for feeding and guiding a covering sheet into contact with the cord, means for wrap ping said covering sheet around the cord, and

means for applying a second coating solution to the surface of said sheet; said several means being located in the order named between said drum and reel.

1 3. In a cord coating and wrapping apparatus of the character described, means for wrapping 'a covering sheet around the cord, comprising a support over which the cord is drawn, means located beneath said support for rotatably supporting and driving a roll of said covering sheet and permitting the latter to be drawn over said support in contact with the under side of the cord, and a stationary former located beyond said support for wrapping said covering sheet around the cord.

4. In a cord coating and wrapping apparatus of the character described, means for wrapping a covering sheet around the cord, comprising a pulley over the top of which the cord is drawn, means located beneath said pulley for rotatably supporting a roll of said covering sheet and permitting the latter to be drawn over said pulley in contact with the under side of the cord, a variable speed drive for rotating said roll as it is drawn over said pulley, and a stationary former located beyond said pulley for wrapping said covering sheet around the cord.

CHARLES A. FOURNESS.

JOHN M. GRAEF.

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