US2309125A - Tape feeding machine - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 26, 1943. T. H. KRUEGER ET AL TAPE FEEDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 21,. 1338 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 NVENTO wn wmm CHARLES BEA/VD paw v67.

A TTORNEYS.

Illlll ll ALF/QED F? KEl/EGEE Patented Jan. 26, 1943 TAPE FEEDING MACHINE Theodore H. Krucger and Alfred P. Krueger, Stratford, Conn, and Charles H. Brand, Newton Center, Mass, assignors to Better Packages, Incorporated, a corporation of Connecticut Application December 21, 1938, Serial N0. 247,020

Claims.

This invention relates to gummed tape feeding machines, and relates more particularly to machines which are adapted to feed from wide rolls of tape a plurality of narrow tape strips which are simultaneously moistened and delivered.

Various types of machines have heretofore been proposed which deliver tape in gummed condition ready for use, but these machines are subject to the limitation that if narrow tape is desired a roll of narrow tape must be used originally in the machine.

Other types of machines have heretofore been proposed which deliver from the machine a plurality of narrow strips of tape by the expedient of using several rolls of narrow tape and feeding from these several rolls by one feeding motion. This type of machine is subject to the disadvantage that rolls of narrow gummed tape are relatively far more expensive than the same quantity of tape in a single wide roll. In addition, in such machines it is always possible that one of the narrow rolls will become exhausted before the others in the machine, and thus result in the annoying necessity of reloading each additional roll on difierent occasions, and in the consequent loss of operating time. Furthermore, where a plurality of narrow rolls are used in a single machine, it is necessary to have separating and spacing devices between each roll, and even with such spacing devices there is always danger of the individual strips of tape coming into interference with each other before delivery from the machine.

The advantages of our invention in fields where gummed tape delivery machines are applicable are numerous. Such machines, when used by organizations where a large quantity of gummed tape is employed for sealing packages, provide a saving of expense, both in materials and labor over known designs.

The saving in cost of material results from the fact that rolls of wide tape are less expensive than the plurality of rolls of narrow tape heretofore necessary to obtain the same number of narrow strips.

The saving in labor is clearly seen when it is considered that on a machine which delivers one narrow strip one stroke of the feeding device feeds one strip of tape. On the machine of this invention, one stroke of the feeding device feeds two or more strips of tape, thus resulting in a saving in the number of times which the machine must be operated, and a saving also of time, since one operation of the feeding device simultaneously delivers several narrow strips. This is particularly apparent where the operation of the machine is carried on by one individual who hands the strips delivered to other workers for application to packages,

Where the operator of the machine is himself applying the tape to the package, an additional advantage appears in that, while the first strip delivered is being applied to the package, the

other strips have an opportunity to become slightly tacky and thus will adhere more quickly to the package.

It is, of course, also clear that where uniform length of strips of tape is desired, this improve ment on tape-serving machines is particularly advantageous, since the plurality of strips delivered from the machine are precisely the same length.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improvement on tape-feeding machines which will make it possible to feed a plurality of narrow strips from one wide roll of tape.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a tape-delivering machine with the necessary modifications to slit a single roll of tape into pieces of tape of equal or unequal width, as may be desired.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improvement in tape-serving devices which makes possible the slitting of broad tape into narrow strips of tape of precisely the desired width by means of centering devices applied to the tape at various points during its course through the machine prior to the actual slitting, thus insuring that irregularities in dimensions of tape delivered from the machine are entirely obviated.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a machine which will deliver precisely the same length of slit strips of tape by provision of a device whereby the feeding rolls which actually engage the tape and cause it to travel through the machine are separated at the end of each feeding stroke, thus permitting the tape to realign itself in the event that minute irregularities in the feeding rolls have caused one of the slit strips to lag behind another.

Still another object-0f this invention is to provide means at the ejection end of the machine which delivers a plurality of narrow strips of tape whereby the tape issues from the machine in different directions, so that any possibility of a strip of moistened gum tape adhering to another strip is obviated, even under conditions where a current of air is blowing against the machine.

Further objects and advantages will appear throughout the description and drawings of a machine selected for purposes of illustration only, with the improvements of this invention applied thereto, wherein Fig. l is a top plan view, partly broken away, of a tape serving machine with the improvements of this invention applied;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section through line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the tape centering device;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through line 3-3 of Fig. 4, showing the tape centering device as applied to the holding means for the tape roll;

Fig. 4 is .a longitudinal, vertical section through line 4-4 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section through line 55 of Fig. 4, showing the adjusting means for the slitter knives;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section through line 6-8 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section through line of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a modified arrangement of tape delivery rollers in which one pair of rollers engages the edges of adjacent tape strips.

In general the mechanism comprises the provision of one or more relatively stationary cutting knives which are so placed that as a wide strip of tape is fed past these knives it will be slit longitudinally in two or more narrow strips. The slitting means may be applied to machines of various types and any suitable feeding means may be utilized. The machine also preferably includes means for moistening the tape strips and for severing them into strips of the desired length. The invention is shown as applied to one particular type of tape feeding machine, but it is evident that it may be readily modified for embodiment in other types of machines.

The machine shown in Figs. 1-7 comprises supporting standards or side frames Ill and lfla carrying a roll of gummed tape l2 mounted on pivoted arms l6. The roll |2 rests on supporting plate It which is mounted about the supporting shaft I5. The weight of the roll of tape against the supporting plate tends frictionally to prevent the roll from overrunning in its rotatingmovement during delivery of the tape. The tape strip I20. travels about the roller l8 and through the tape guide I9 and the tape-slitting mechanism there shown which will be hereinafter described. After passing the roller l8a, the tape strip travels between the top plate 23 and the bottom plate M in the channel 22 and between the feed rollers and 2| which are-actuated by the movement of the crank handle 32 and deliver the tape in measured lengths, as will be later described. Having passed the rollers 20 and 2|, the tape passes through the cutting off and moistening apparatus and out of the machine.

The cutting off mechanism comprises a knife 25 which may be brought down through the tape by means of the tension link 26, which is operated by the pin and slot connection 21, 28. The rock lever 29, pivoted at 30,. operates the pin and slot connection and thus the tension link 26. At 3| is shown an operating cam lug. Upon the forward feeding movement of the crank 32 a pin ii projecting inwardly from a web 42 integral with the crank 32 (Fig. 1) engages cam 3| on its upper side, whereupon the lever 29 permits the pin to pass by an idle movement. On the return stroke the pin and thus actuates M engages cam 3|, the lever 28 to operate cutter asoarac This construction is simi- Patent N0. 2,021.31; to

26 and sever the tape. lar to that shown in Theodore H. Krueger.

In order to insure that the feed rollers 20 and 2| shall engage the tape and deliver a length exactly measurable by the travel of the crank 32, it is desirable that one of the rollers or sets of rollers be of hard non-resilient material such as metal, and the other be of relatively soft resilient material such as rubber. It is not material, in order to insure the accomplishments of the objects of this invention, that the hard or soft rollers be the upper or lower feeding rollers respectively. So long as one set is relatively hard and the other relatively soft, no difilculty will be encountered. In the machine here shown, the upper feeding rollers 2| are of hard material, and as shown in Fig. 1, engage the tape strip at points not adjacent the edges of the strip. These rollers are preferably of such diameter that the stroke of the crank 32 will rotate the rollers against the tape sufficiently to deliver the desired measured length of tape. Forward movement of the crank 32 rotates the shaft 44 and the gear 46, which has a pawl and ratchet attachment at 4T, preventing the gear 46 from rotating on the return stroke of crank 32. Rotation of the gear 46 rotates the shaft 48 carrying the rollers 2| by means of gear 49, and thus rotates the rollers 2| in a direction opposite to that of the movement of the crank 32.

The lower rollers 20, which are in this case preferably made of or faced with some relatively soft, resilient material such as rubber, are mounted on studs 5|, which are carried by arms 52 pivotally mounted on shaft 53, so that it is possible to move these rollers up towards the rollers 2| or down away from them. When the rollers 20 are moved upwardly they press the tape against the rollers 2| and in the forward movement of the crank 32, the tape is drawn by the rotation of the upper rollers.

It is of particular importance in the construction of a machine which simultaneously slits, moistens and delivers gummed tape, that the feed elements (here shown at 20 and 2|) be so constructed that they will separate after each feeding movement so as to completely release the tape. Were this not the case in this type of machine, buckling of the tape might occur, caused by minute differences in feed roll diameters which bear against the separate slit strips. After a number of strips have been fed, one strip would tend to lie behind the others, and when this difference had accumulated the strips would buckle. The definite separation of the feeding elements after each stroke obviates this difficulty entirely. Any suitable construction for accomplishing this temporary release of the tape by the feeding means may be employed.

In the illustrated construction the mechanism for effecting this separation or release comprises a cam 33 pivotally mounted on block 34 which is clamped in the slot 83, of the plate 54, which, being integral with the crank 32, rotates on the operation of the crank.

The arms 52 actuated by springs 56 attached to arms 55 rigid with the arms 52 normally hold the rollers 20 against the tape strips to be delivered, and thus against the rollers 2|. In order to move the rollers 20 out of engagement with the tape and the rollers 2|, it is necessary to extend the springs 56.

As the crank 32 is operated the plate 54 move: the cam 33, and near the end of the stroke thi 59, thrusts the bar cam comes against the hinge pin 51a of the toggle 51. The toggle 51 comprises a link 58 and a link 59 pivotally connected at 51a. The toggle 51 is normally held in spring tension against the edge of the plate 54 by the leaf spring 60 which bears against arm 58. This spring has sufficient tension so that as the cam 33 meets the hinge pin 51a during the forward feeding stroke of the crank 32 it is permitted to rotate and pass without disturbing the toggle. On the return stroke of the crank 32, the cam 33 which can rotate idly in one direction only because of the stop6l, engages the hinge pin 51 and by depressing the link 18 against the arms 55, which thereupon draw the rollers 29 momentarily out of engagement with the tape strips and the rollers 2|. When the cam has passed toggle 51 on the return stroke, the springs 56 draw the rollers 20 back into engagement with the plate and the rollers 2|. By this mechanism, a momentary disengagement of the two sets of rollers is effected, and during this momentary disengagement,

minute irregularities in feeding are self-adjusted by the tape, so that buckling of individual strips of the tape cannot occur due to a piling up of these differences after a succession of feeding strokes.

In order to insure-that the relatively narrow strips of tape delivered from the machine are of equal width, adjusting means for aligning the tape with the slitting In Fig. 3 is best shown the construction of these aligning means as applied to the tape roll itself. By operation of the knurled head 68 on the right and left screw 65, the tape roll may be moved slightly in the machine until it is properly centered. The operation of the screw 65 moves the arms l6, which in turn adjust the position of the studs 69 which carry the tape roll.

In Fig. 2 is shown a similar construction for adjusting the position of the tape just prior to slitting as it passes through the tape guide H! which is held in proper inclined position by resting upon the bar 35. The tape guide is mounted on the right and left screw 31 which is adjustable by means of knurled head 15. Thus, an adjustment of the knurled head 10 so that either side of the tape guide barely engages the edge of the tape will align the tape in proper position so that the strips delivered from the machine will be of the desired uniform width since the tape cannot move laterally while traveling past the cutters. The location of this centering device, or its equivalent in position on the dispensing machine just before the actual slitting device is one of the essential features of our invention.

Fig. 5 illustrates the actual slitter means which comprise blades which are clamped into blade holders 12. The blade holders are mounted on the rod 80 which also holds the tubes 13. The tubes 13 are of predetermined length and the blade holders may be inserted between them on the rod 80. As shown in Fig. 5, three tubes are used in order to clamp two blade holders 12. This, of course, may be varied according to the number of slitters to be used in the individual machine. By selecting tubes of proper length the desired spacing of the knives may be secured and thus the width of the tape strips determined. The clamping of the blades 40 in position for slitting is accomplished by operation of the knurled head 14 which causes the blade holders rigid. The blade 40 may take any convenient form and is here shown as a conventional safety razor blade having a hole in itsthe rod 80 is inserted.-

center 8| through which knives ar preferably provided.

tubes 13 to hold the v The blade extends slightly down through the tape strip at 15 (see Fig. 4) and slits the tape as it is fed past this point just after it passes the tape centering means at It! (see Fig. 2) and just before reaching the roller l8a.

The mechanism described for the slitting oper ation can obviously be applied to any form of tape delivering machine, mechanism for aligning the tape in the delivery mechanism of the general type shown in Figs. 2 and 3 being preferably employed.

Fig. 8 shows diagrammatically a modified form of tape deliveringv mechanism in which a single pair of rollers delivers two strips by means of engagement with both strips adjacent the edges after the tape has already passed the knife and been slit.

In the type of machine described, the tape comes from th machine in moistened condition ready for use and as the moistened tape strips issue close together from the delivery end of the machine, there is danger that they may come in contact with and adhere to each other. This condition is particularly obvious in working rooms where drafts of air are liable to come against the machine and blow the tapes so that they will overlap each other. To obviate this condition, we have provided at the issuing end of the machine a fanning out device 38, which may be in any convenient shape, depending on the number of tape strips issuing from the machine, and as here shown in Fig. 1, is a curved plate-like element which is particularly suited to separate three strips as they come from the machine. As the moistened tape strips reach this element, the center tape 36a tends to travel straight forward and down, and the two side tapes 36b and 360 tend to travel forward and downand to each side of the center tape, thus separating the strips and preventing the moistened tapes from overlapping each other and sticking together. This fanning out plate in a two-strip machine might take triangular form, the moistening strips being divided so that they travel on either arm of the triangle. Other forms in other types of machines are obviously possible.

While we have illustrated and described in detail certain preferred forms of our invention, it is to be understood that changes may be made therein and the invention embodied in other structures. We do not, therefore, desire to limit ourselves to the specific construction illustrated, but intend to cover our invention broadly in whatever form its principle may be utilized.

I We claim:

1. In a machine for dispensing adhesive tape, means for slitting a relatively wide tape strip into a plurality of narrower strips, rollers for feeding the tape, the tape supply relative to the positions of the tape feeding rollers, and laterally adjustable guide shoes at each side of the tape path at the point of slitting for adjustably centering the tape with reference to the slitting means.

2. In a machine for dispensing adhesive tape, means for slitting a relatively wide tape strip into a plurality of narrower tape strips, feeding means for drawing the narrower strips through the machine comprising sets of cooperating feed rollers, and means for simultaneously separating the cooperating rollers of all the sets so as to release their gripping engagement with the tape strips at a time when tape is not being fed from the machine. I

3. In a machine for dispensing adhesive tape,

means for adjustably centering means for slitting a relatively wide tape strip into a plurality of narrow strips, rollers for feeding the tape, means for adiustably centering the tape strip before slitting, means for cutting and moistening the tape, and means at the delivery end of the machine to prevent the tape strips issuing therefrom from adhering to each other comprising a dividing plate which directs the angle of travel of each issuing strip of tape obliquely from the other issuing strip or strips of tape.

4. In a machine for dispensing adhesive tape, means for delivering a plurality of relatively narrow tape strips from a single wide tape strip comprising tape slitting means, means to center the supply of tape and the tape strip, tape feeding means adapted to be disengaged from the tape between each feeding stroke, means to cut and moisten the strips, means to hold some of the strips of tape in position to be used and out of contact with each other when a strip is being applied to a package.

5. In a machine for dispensing adhesive tape for packages, means to hold a supply of tape, means to feed a measured length of such tape through the machine, means for slitting the tape into a plurality of narrower strips, means for cutting off and moistening the strips and means to hold the moistened strips suspended by their moistened rear ends in position to be used.

6. In a machine for dispensing adhesive tape, means to hold a supply of tape, cooperating feed rollers between which the tape passes and a slitter operating to divide said tape as it is fed by said rollers into a plurality of narrower strips, said rollers being in non-cooperative position when in non-operative condition, means to transversely sever and moisten the tape, and means to hold the moistened slit and severed tape out of contact with each other in position to be used.

7. In a machine for dispensing adhesive tape for packages, means to hold a supply of tape, a slitter operating to slit said tape into a plurality of narrower strips, a plurality of feeding devices engaging said strips at laterally spaced points. means for cutting off said strips and means for moistening said strips.

8. In a machine for delivering adhesive tape. means to hold a supply of tape, means to simultaneously deliver a plurality of strips of tape, means to sever and moisten said strips and means to separately and removably hold the severed and moistened strips of tape out of contact with each other on the machine, whereby the individual strips of a group of moistened strips may be successively withdrawn from the machine for use.

9. In a machine for dispensing adhesive tape, a supply of tape, tape slitting means operating to slit said tape into a plurality of narrower strips, tape feeding means for drawing tape from said supply, past said slitting means and thrusting the strips forward, moistening means past which the strips are thrust including a moistener which contacts said strips, severing means between said slitting means and said moistening means, means including said moistening means to separately and removably hold the severed and moistened strips of tape out of contact with each other on the machine.

10. In a machine for dispensing gummed tape, means for holding a supply of such tape, means for feeding the tape through the machine, means for slitting the tape into a plurality of narrow strips, means for cutting off the strips, and a moistening couple at the delivering end of the machine for moistening the strips and temporarily holding them in position for separate removal and means to prevent the moistened gummed strips issuing from the moistening couple from adhering to each other, said means comprising a dividing plate which directs the angle of travel of each issuing strip of tape obliquely from the other issuing strip or strips of tape.

THEODORE H, KRUEGER. ALFRED P. KRUEGER. CHAS. H. BRAND.

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