US2600971A - Tampon applicator grip forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

June 17, 1952 H. A. COLLINS ET AL TAMPON APPLICATOR GRIP FORMING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 1. 1948 ward M Ruiz,

H. A. COLLINS ETAL TAMPON APPLICATOR GRIP FORMING APPARATUS June 17, 1952 Filed July 1, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 17, 1952 H. A. COLLINS ETAL TAMPON APPLICATOR GRIP FORMING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 1, 1948 H. A. COLLINS ET AL TAMPON APPLICATOR GRIP FORMING APPARATUS June 17, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 1, 1948 l j v m .w m

June 1952 H. A. COLLINS ET AL 2,600,971

TAMPON APPLICATOR GRIP FORMING APPARATUS Filed July 1, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented June 17, 1952 F F ICE TAMPON APPLICATORv GRIP FORMING APPARATUS HowardA';Collins,i.Neenah, and Howard M. Ruth;

Appleton,v Wis .a-ssignors to lucotton. Products International Cel- Company, Chicago; 111., a corporation. of Delaware Application July 1, 1948; Serial No. 36,528 'Cla-ims.. (Cl. 16490) This invention relates to an improvement -in mechanism or apparatus for forming'a grip on a-tampon applicator tube tofacilitate holding of the tube during'application of the tampon.

The improved apparatus is- -especially desirable although not-exclusively so,-in connection with double tube tampon applicators wherein a tampon is-seated in one end portion of' an applicator tube and an ejector tube is-seated. inigthe otherend portionandof'such length that it projects beyond the adjacent end of' the applicator tube. Such tampon-applicator is usually manipulated-by gripping an end-portion of the applicator or outer tube between two-fingers and pressing the ejector "tube inwardly Withanother finger of thesame hand. This operationisgreatly facilitated' if provision is-made to' prevent slipping; of the outer tubefrom between the fingers-and itis 'for the production of such a gripping surface that" the -present apparatus is designed.

The'main objectsof the invention are to provideapparatus of an automatic character, which will successively separate appli'catortubes from a batch thereof; apply the desired gripping surface to the tubes one by one and automatically discharge the tubes with their gripping areas to-whatever type of receiver is preferred.-

Another object is to provide grip forming means which will operate automatically at very high speed and whichwill produce the desiredgripping area without removing material from the applicator tube, thereby to avoid the necessity for handling removed material while also preserving a high degree of cleanliness in the premises in which the apparatus is employed.

Aiurther object of the invention is to simultaneously with theproduction of the above described finger gripping area, to provide means whereby the outer tube will lefiectively' frictionally grip the inner or ejectortube so as to becapableof preserving therequired assembled relationship between the outer and inner tubes. It is also an object of the invention-to provide: apparatus for performing the operationsindi'cated, which apparatus-is of a simple and'easyto build, maintain and operate character, and other objects and advantages oi 'the invention will be understood by referring to the followingspecificw tion and: accompanyingdrawings (5 sheets) in Which thereis illustrated a: machine embodying a-selected form of the invention:

In-- the drawings,

Fig: l is a sideelevation of-"tlie selected. machine;

2 Fig. 2 is a plan; Figs. 3 and 4. are perspr-zctiv'e's respectively of certain elements of themechanism;

Fig. 5 is a section on the plane represented approximately by the line 5 5 of-Figl 1;

Fig. 6 is a sectioncorresponding'toa portion of Fig. 5 b'ut showing a changedposition;

Fig. 7 is a. section: on the planerepresented approximately 1 bytheline- 1 of Fig. 2

Fig. 8 is an en'delevation of a-detail;

Fig. 9 is apersp'ective of another detail;

Fig. 10 is a: cross sectionon' thevplane repre sented by the line P49 011 Figsl and2 j Fig. 11 is a cross section on a plane represented by the lincl I-I| of Fig. 1;

Fig. 12-is acrosssection onthe-plan'erepresented by. the line I2-'-l2:of Fig. 7 i

Fig. 13is a cross section on theplane representedby the line -I3 l3 of Figs; 2 and 5;

Fig. 14- *is aperspective illustratinga tampon applicator tub-e having: a grip formedthereon by the apparatuszshown in theother figuresr The mechanism. herein shown operates on paper board. tubes: 2 (see Fig; 14) which -are to be prepared. foriuse as parts of tampon applicaters; The tubes are of substantially cylindrical form and of substantially unifornrpre cut length; The apparatus functions to produce: on :an .end portion 2' ofeachztub'e, vaseri'es of outwardly projecting; sharpj-pointedor; sham-edged nodes. or. spurs 3 which aiford :la non-slipping; finger i grip on the tube." In'addition'a number of inwardly projected nodes "or: spurs may also" be formed as represented-=at:4 inIFig. 14:- The inwardly-prm je'cting; parts. t" are! desirable. for? providing a friction grip: onf an'other tube-which is slidable within the tube 2 'ior ejectingla tampon or other member-"from saidfitubeis The apparatuscomprises a base: e of suitable construction, said base being so formedas to provide spaced bearingzbossesefieiandfli either in integral parts: of the base a or in brackets'secured to: the base. In-"this instance, the bearing: parts 'i are shown formed in acbracketwhichtis bolted to. the base and xthei'bearin'g; Gris an upstanding portionzintegral with. the base 5.:

The bearing .bosses 6 andi'l' rotatably support a shaft 8: which. is continuously driven. byv a chain" drive. 9 or in any 'oth'er: suitable manner. Between the bearings iil'and 1; the shaft '8 has mounted on it a cam disc Ill-l having onit a laterally 'projectedcface: cam .1 portion 1 I I which extends: aroundna little more than one+quarter ofrthe circumferenceof the disc;.asrs1i'0wn in Fig. 1. This cam H actuates; mechanism for controlling the feed of the tubes 2 from the hopper and for positioning the tubes for the operation of instrumentalities which produce the spurs or nodes 3 and 4.

The tube feeding and positioning elements are carried by a slide block [2 which is horizontally reciprocably slidably mounted on a pair of guide rods I3, 13, the latter being supported at their ends in upstanding frame portions provided for that purpose as best shown in Figs. 2 and 5. The block I2 is reciprocated on said guide rods l3 by means of a lever H which is pivoted intermediate its ends as indicated at I5, on an ear or a bracket I6 which extends from a part of the base 5. One end of said lever I4 is provided with an upwardly projecting roller l1 which fits in a slot l8 provided on the under side of the slide block [2. Said slot I8 extends crosswise of the direction of movement of the slide block l2 so as to permit relative shifting of the roller [1 transversely of the direction of movement of the slide as required by the arcuate path of travel of the roller |1 about the axis of the pivot IS.

A spring l9 stretched between a portion of the lever |4 and an anchor on the frame or base serves to normally urge the lever to rock in one direction. The other end of the lever H is equipped with a roller which engages the cam H so that said cam is operative to periodically rock the lever against the tension of the spring |9 to thereby retract the slide block l2 from the position in which it is normally held by said spring IS.

The slide block |2 has mounted on it an upstanding block 2| which carries a knife-like plate member 22. Said plate member 22 is secured to said block 2| through the agency of an arm 23 of a U-shaped mounting member 24 (see Figs. 2, 3 and 5) which straddles a chute or guide-way 25 in which the tubes 2 move downwardly from a hopper 25a which may contain a batch of tubes or receive them one by one from tube forming or treating apparatus. The arm 23 of the said U-shaped member is bolted as shown in Fig. 5 to the mounting block 2| and said separator plate 22 is screwed or otherwise secured to the upper edge of said arm 23. The other side arm 26 of said U-shaped member carries a second knife-like separator plate 21 which is secured to the bottom edge of said arm 26 by screws or otherwise.

The chute or guide-way 25 is of generally rectangular form in cross section as will be seen from an inspection being of an internal size which substantially corresponds to the length and diameter of the tubes 2. Preferably the size of the chute is such that the tubes will fall freely by gravity through said chute.

In the normal position of the slide block |2, the separator 22 is held in its inwardly disposed position as shown in Fig. 5 wherein it supports the overlying stack of tubes 2. When the plate 22 is in its in position as shown in Fig. 5, the second separator plate 21 is in its out position as also shown in Fig. 5. The broad face walls of the chute 25 are suitably apertured or slotted as indicated, to permit the passage of the plates 22 and 21 transversely through the chute as indicated, said plates being of somewhat less width than the horizontal length of the chute.

When the cam l rocks the lever M to retract the slide block l2, the upper separator 22 will, of course, be withdrawn from the chute and the of Figs. 2 and 5, the chute .4 lower plate 21 will be moved into the chute so as to catch the stack of tubes 2 as they drop past the withdrawing plate 22. It will be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 5 that the tubes cannot drop past the plate 22 until said plate is almost completely withdrawn from the chute and that at that time, the lower plate 21 will extend across almost the entire width of the chute so as to again trap the tubes. When the cam permits the spring l9 to return the slide to its normal position as shown in full lines in Fig. 5, the plate 22 will enter between the tube supported on the plate 21 and the next overlying tube so that all of the tubes in the chute except the lowermost tube are again supported by the plate. The lowermost tube will, of course, be permitted to drop further down in the chute when the lower plate 21 is again completely withdrawn from the chute.

In addition to the separator plates 22 and 21, the slide l2 carries a tube positioning and clamping device 28. Said positioning and clamping device comprises a stem or shank part 29, an intermediate widened part 30, and a head part 3|. The shank part 29 fits in a slot or recess 32 in the top of the slide I2 and it is provided with a slot 33 through which a clamping bolt 34 passes into threaded engagement with the un derlying portion of the slide. The shank part 29 is sufficiently elongated to permit the member 28 to be adjusted relative to the slide as permitted by the slot 33, the bolt 34 being adapted to clamp the member 28 in any selected position of adjustment.

The intermediate portion of the member 28 is widened as best indicated in Fig. 2 to a width approaching the width of the separator plates 22 and 21 so that said intermediate portion 30 is also capable of supporting a tube in said chute as represented at 20. in Fig. 5.

The head 3| of said member 28 has its front end provided with a V-shaped arched seat 35 for cooperating with an opposed V-shaped or arched seat 36 to grip a tube 22) in a predetermined position in which the spurs or nodes 3 and 4 are formed in the tube. Said head 3| is also provided with a lower shelf-like extension 31 which is operative to receive the tube 2a when the member 28 is retracted with the slide |2 to the position illustrated in Fig. 6. As there shown, the tube 2a will have dropped from the top face of the intermediate part 33 of the member 28 to said shelf 31 so as to be ready for lateral advancement into engagement with the seat 36.

The seat 36 against which the tube is held by the head 3| is formed in a block 38 which is bolted to the base structure by a pair of bolts 39 (Figs. 1 and 5). Said block is also provided with a slot or recess 40 which receives the shelf or tongue part 31 of the movable head when the latter is in its most advanced position as illustrated in Fig. 5. A suitable cover 4| is mounted on a portion of the block 38 and serves to enclose the zone of operation of the arm 26 and separator plate 21.

2b from following the presser head 3| back to tube receiving position, a pair of pawls or detents 42 (see Figs. 4 and 5) are pivoted for movement in recesses cut in the supporting part of the block 38. Said recesses traverse the vertical face of the upper part of the block and also extend as shown at 43, horizontally in the under face of the block to receive the pawl in approximately horizontal position as shown in Fig. 5. The pawls are, of course,

To prevent the tube sliding movement'imparted to the plate 55. The cam hump 52a is relatively narrow in the direction of its travel so that the rod 63 and expander or guide 14 is held in the expanding position shown in Fig. '7 only momentarily and is almost immediately retracted by contraction of the rubber sleeves 66 and 61. Whatever slight reciprocating movement may be imparted to the slide 45 and to the pricking bars 62 by the continuous movement of the crank pin is insignificant in respect of any bearing on the pricking action of the prick point 69. In any event, the tubing 2 being of relatively soft and easily deformable material may yield slightly if necessary to permit any slight endwise movement of the rod 63 and pricking bars 62. The conical shape of the pricking points 69 serves also to permit slight lateral movement of the points during inward movement or retraction thereof without significantly distorting the material of the tubes 2.

A spring 85 disposed around the rod 63 and under compression between the ear 16 and a collar 86 secured to said rod serves to restore the rod and its expander head 13 to its normal position relative to the pricking bars 62 as soon as permitted to do so by the movement of the cam hump 52 past the roller 80. Engagement of the clevis 1'1 with the ear 16 determines the limit of movement of the rod 63 under the expansive force of the spring 85.

In the apparatus herein shown there are provided sixteen pricking bars 62 so that a corre sponding number of rows of outwardly projecting spurs 3 are formed, most of the bars 62 being provided with three prick points in a row. This number of pricking bars and pricking points may, of course, be varied as desired to provide a greater or smaller number of nodes or spurs 3 on the end portion of the tube 2.

In the mechanism shown, provision is made for also producing the inwardly projecting nodes or spurs 4 and in this instance three such inward projections are formed, each replacing one of the outwardly projecting spurs 3 so that in the finished product the spurs appear in neatly arranged rows spaced uniformly around the circumference of the tube. While it is not necessary that the inward projections be located in the normal position of an outward projection, this is desirable for appearance purposes.

For producing the inwardly projecting spurs, there are provided in this instance three arms each pivotally mounted intermediate its ends as indicated at '88 in the slide carried member 69 (see Figs. 2 and '7). arms are each provided with a pricking punch 89 which may be adjustably mounted in the end portion of the arm and located in selected position of adjustment by suitable set screws 99. The opposite end of each arm 87 is provided with a roller 9| (see Figs. 1 and 2) which bears on a cam sleeve 92 carried by the rod 63. Said cam sleeve has an intermediate conical portion 93 whereby, when the rod 63 and cam sleeve 92 are moved endwise by the cam 52, the conical cam sleeve portion will efiect spreading of the roller carrying ends of the arms 81 to thereby move the prick carrying ends into tube pricking position as shown in Fig. 7. Springs such as shown at 54, are stretched between the adjacent arms 3'! in such a manner as to resiliently hold the roller carrying ends thereof in operative engagement with the surface of the sleeve cam 92. Hence, when the rod 63 and sleeve cam are retracted by the spring -85, the external pricking arms 81 The front ends of said i will also be restored to their open position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

It will, of course, be observed that the external pricking arms 81 move in unison with the internal pricking arms 62 so that all of said arms are simultaneously brought into operative relation to the tube 2 which is held in operative position as already explained. Similarly the transverse movement of the pricking ends of said arms 62 and 81 is simultaneously effected incident to longitudinal movement of the rod 63 as effected by the cam 52. While the internal pricking arms '62 are forming the external spurs, the outerarms 81 are also forming the internal spurs in positions which would otherwise normally be occupied by one of the external spurs.

When the pricking arms and the expander head 13 are moved endwise into operative relation to the tube '2, said tube is held against corresponding endwise movement by engagement with a wall or stop 95 which may conveniently be in the form of a transparent plate element suitably supported from the base 5 of the machine as shown in Fig. l.

The mechanism is wholly automatic in its operation, requiring no attention from an operator except to see to it that the hopper a is continuously supplied with tubes to be treated. The operation is quiet and it displaces but does not remove any tube material so that there is no problem of waste handling and disposal.

Various changes in the described structure may be made without departing from the invention.

We claim:

1. In apparatus of the class described, means for holding a tube in predetermined position, a reciprocating carrier, a rod mounted on said carrier for reciprocating movement therewith and so as to be longitudinally movable independently thereof and in the direction of its reciprocating movement, a plurality of punch bars extending lengthwise of said rod and substantially radially therefrom, resilient means normally holding said punch bars in contracted relationship to each other around said rod, outwardly projecting punches carried by end portions of said punch bars, an expander carried by said rod outwardly of the punch carrying ends of said punch bars, the adjacent ends of said punch bars being provided with angularly disposed end portions and said expander having angularly disposed portions for engaging said punch bar end portions for efiecting expanding movement of said punch bars relative to each other and relative to said rod as an incident to endwise movement of said rod independently of said carrier, and means for efiecting such independent movement of said rod in predetermined timed relationship to the reciprocating movement of said carrier.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein there is associated with said punch bars an external punch bar which is mounted on said carrier for reciprocating movement therewith and for rocking movement transversely of the length of said rod, and wherein said rod and external punch bar are provided with interengaging means for efiecting predetermined rocking movement of said external punch bar at the same time that the other punch bars are expanded.

3. Apparatus of the class described, comprising means for holding a tube in predetermined position, a carrier mounted for sliding movement in the direction of the length of said tube, a rod mounted on said carrier for unitary movement therewith and also so as to be longitudinally movable independently of said carrier, said canrier being provided with a support in which said rod is slidably mounted for said independent 1ongitudinal movement, a plurality of punch bars disposed around said rod and having punches extending outwardly from the outer surfaces of end portions thereof, said support and said punch bars having interengaging fulcrum means about which said lpunch bars are rockable, an elastic sleeve surrounding said punch bars adjacent said fulcrum means and recessed into both said support and said punch bars to thereby interconnect the same for said unitary movement, resilient means normally maintaining said punch bars in contracted condition around said rod, an expander carried by said rod and engageable with portions of said punch bars to effect movement of the same outwardly from said rod, means for moving said carrier, rod and punch bars as a unit from an inoperative position into operative position relative to a. tube held in said predetermined position and in which operative position the punch carrying portions of said bars are disposed within said tube, and means for actuating said rod and expander thereon independently of said carrier and punch bars to effect said outward movement of the punch bars when the latter are disposed within said tube as aforesaid.

4. Apparatus of the class described, comprising means for holding a tube in predetermined position, acarrier mounted for sliding movement in the direction of the length of said tube, a rod mounted on said carrier for unitary movement therewith and also so as to be longitudinally movable independently of said carrier, said carrier having a sleeve mounted thereon in which said rod is slidably mounted for said independent longitudinal movement, a plurality of punch bars disposed around said rod in radial relation thereto and having punches extending outwardly from the outer surfaces of end portions thereof, said sleeve being .provided on one end with a series of radially extending grooves and said punch bars being provided with end portions fitted in said radially extending grooves to thereby position the punch bars around the rod as aforesaid, means interconnecting said punch bars and carrier for simultaneous movement in the direction of movement of the carrier while also permitting said punch bars to be moved laterally, resilient means normally maintaining said punch bars in, contreated condition around said rod, an expander carried by said rod and engageable with portions of said punch bars to effect movement of the same outwardly from said rod, means for moving said carrier, rod and punch bars as a unit from an inoperative position into operative position relative to a tube held in said predetermined position and in which operative position the punch carrying portions of said bars are disposed within said tube, and means for actuating said rod and expander thereon independently of said carrier and punch bars to effect said outward movement of the punch bars when the latter are disposed within said tube as aforesaid.

5. Apparatus oi the class described, comprising means for holding a tube in predetermined position, a carrier slidable in the direction of the length of said tube, a punch bar carried by said carrier so as to be thereby movable into telescoped relation to said tube, actuating means for effecting lateral movement of said punch bar when the latter is in said telescoped relation to the tube to thereby cause said punch bar to enter said tube so as to press a portion thereof into a projection extending laterally from the wall of said tube, said actuating means and the means for effecting movement of said carrier being such as to also free the punch bar from the tube and withdraw the same from said telescopic relation thereto so as to free the tube for discharge from the apparatus, and a continuously moving crank and a connecting rod connecting said crank to said carrier to effect reciprocation of the latter as an incident to rotation of said crank, said actuating means for effecting lateral movement of said punch bar being timed to actuate said punch bar when said crank is moving mainly transversely of the direction of reciprocation imparted to said carrier.

HOWARD A. COLLINS. HOWARD M. RUTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 678,856 Bellah July 23, 1901 1,588,200 Skelton June 8, 1926 1,600,632 Hartsoe Sept. 21, 1926 2,122,044 Powell a June 28, 1938 2,453,681 Temple Nov. 9, 1948

Images