US2781621A - Banding apparatus for forming packages - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 19, 1957 E. w. wlLsoN 2,781,621

BANDING APPARATUS FOR FORMING PACKAGES Filed May 20, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 @@m/ ha@ ,s

Feb. 19, 1957 Y E. w. wiLsoN BANQING APPARATUS FOR FORMING PACKAGES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l 1 I I l Il BANDING APPARATUS FOR FORMING PACKAGES Edward W. Wilson, Nashua, N. H., assignor to Nashua Corporation, Nashua, N. H., a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 20, 1954, Serial No. 431,185

5 Claims. (Cl. 53-198) This invention relates to an appliance for use in assembling, by means of encircling bands, a plurality of small packages or other objects to serve as a unit of sale, the Work being done by hand. The invention finds a particular application for assembling a number of packs of cigarettes to form a less carton lot. The particular mechanism which I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings is specilically designed for use with cigarette packages and, for convenience, butwithout limiting the invention I will describe it in terms of such an application.

It will be recalled that popular brands of cigarettes at the present time are sold in packs of twenty, in tightly fitting flexible wrappings of foil and paper, and that ten such packages are ordinarily packaged as a carton. A carton is a rather considerable supply unless the purchaser is going to take them directly to his home or ofce and the price not inconsiderable. On the other hand, twenty cigarettes are not much of a ration for a steady cigarette smoker. Particularly in self-service stores it would be desirable to have a package of internited States Patent() mediate size. In that case-the purchaser would be likely to buy such a package. The sale would be handled as a single transaction with resulting economy. Also the temptation to dispose of a single package in the pocket or handbag without exhibiting it at the checking out station would be done away with.

The requirements of, the ordinary retail outlet would not justify the use of an automatic machine, but facilities whereby, say, live packages of cigarettes could be neatly and rmly united ina single unit, the work being done by regular employees during slack periods, are desirable.

My invention will be well understood by reference to the following description of the illustrative embodiment thereof shown, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevation with a part broken away;

Fig. 2 is a plan, with part of the top member broken away. The bands are not shown;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, but including the bands partly broken away;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3 showing cigarette packs in place ready for banding;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view similar to part of Fig. 4 showing a later stage of the banding operation; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective of the banded package on a smaller scale.

In Fig. 6 there is shown a package comprising live packs P of cigarettes (half a carton) joined by the encircling bands B-l and B-2 of paper, which are in relatively perpendicular planes, one encircling the packs between their smaller ends and one crossing such smaller ends transversely, the two holding the packs neatly in alignment. Such a package may be quickly made with the appliance of the 'kind shown in the other gures and which will now be described. The appliance shown is of cast aluminum and to facilitate its production is ICC formed from two castings, a base member and a top member. Herein the base member comprises two end frames 10, joined by two outer, longitudinals webs 12, and two spaced inner webs 14 parallel thereto, each pair of webs 12 and 14 at opposite sides of the center line defining an open topped pocket closed by a bottom 16 which, as best seen in Fig. 3, is concave upwardly, herein as a curve, for a purpose to be described, and the upper edges of the webs may be similarly concaved as shown. The inner webs 14 are relatively widely spaced at opposite sides of the center line. The upper member (partly broken away in Fig. 2), which rests upon the base in the manner of a lid, comprises two end frames 18, joined by two lateral webs 20, which lie vertically above the side webs 12 of the body proper and a central broad web which may be of generally inverted channel form, as seen in Fig. 4, having depending flanges 22 substantially coplanar with the webs 14 of the base member and top portion 24 which overlies the space between the two inner webs 14, as likewise seen in that ligure. Toward either end of the appliance, but inset from the frames 18, the webs 20 and the central member have elevated portions 26 and 28 respectively, presenting inwardly facing lateral shoulders for a purpose to be,v described. The open tops of the pockets in the lower member are exposed between the top 24 of the central member and the, lateral webs 20, and these pockets extend outwardly at either end beyond the shoulders 26 and 28, as clearly seen in Fig. 3. At either side the space between the elevated portions 26 at the outer side and 28 at the inner side bounded at the end by the frames 18 are above the end portions of the pockets in the lower member and serve as continuations thereof, the whole when the assembly is considered forming a concaved open-topped pocket which extends along the member 14 below the level of the same and upwardly above the same outwardly of the lateral shoulders formed by the elevated portions 26 and 28.

An angular member comprising relatively perpendicular flanges 30 and 32 is pivoted at the intersection of these flanges above the part 24 and between the two shoulders 28. The top of portion 24, as seen in Figs. 4 and 5, may be parallel to, but somewhat below, the level of the tops of webs 20, so that when the angular member is turned so that one of its anges, 30 or 32, points toward a web 20 the upper surface of that ange is substantially coplanar with the top surface of that web.

The pockets provide each for the reception of a stack of paper bands B-1 and B-Z to be joined around an assembled group of packs, two bands being applied in relatively perpendicular planes. The upwardly concave form of the pockets gives such a stack of bands a bend when it is placed therein. The central portion of the stack is below the tops of webs 20 and of flanges 30 and 32 when the latter are horizontal. The end portions extend upwardly, outwardly beyond the shoulders of 26 and 28, and are supported laterally by the end frames 18. When the stack is thus bent its end edges are fanned out, the ends of the individual bands being offset so that the top one may easily be separated from the rest.

After the two pockets are filled the operation of banding a half carton of cigarettes may be effected as follows. Referring to Fig. l the angular member is adjusted so that the flange 32 extends upwardly and the lange 30 rests with its top coplanar with the supporting surface provided by the top of the adjacent web 20. Five packs are then placed on this flange and this supporting surface with their longer sides bridging the pocket between them. The upstanding shoulders 28 and 26 at the right, for instance, provide a guide for stacking these together, while the upstanding flange 32 aligns the ends This is illustrated in Fig. L4. The operator will then grasp with his finger the two ends of the top bands B1 in the subjacent pocket. Its ends are bent up over the group of packs, one end held firmly and the other brought down on top of it and'joined thereto.

While the bands may be joined in any desirable way as by any suitable adhesive means, it may be anticipated that usually the bands will be of the type described in the patent to Lane 2,000,763, May 7, 1935, the two ends of each band being coated on its opposite faces respectively with rubber latex or similar material, which will adhere to a like coating to form a joint, although alone it will not stick to exterior objects.

The five packs are now joined by a band B-1 encircling their smaller cross-section in the manner of a sleeve. To complete the package the joined group of packs may be tilted over away from the reader (viewing Fig. 1) to the position of Fig. 5, the angular member comprising the flanges 30 and 32 and moving with them, and the group of packages is now positioned as seen in Fig. 5 with their shorter ends supported by the flange 32 and by the other web in bridging relation to the other band-holding pocket, and the group of packages is aligned by the ange 30 which now extends vertically. A band B-Z from the other pocket is then secured about the longer dimensions of the package at right-angles to the previous band, thus securing the several packs rmly together as a unit, as seen in Fig. 6.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, it will be noted that the angular member comprising the anges 30 and 32 is pivoted at one side of the central plane of the device and the two flanges are unequal in length. This is because the cigarette packs have a longer and a shorter side and the construction permits them to be positioned in bridging relation to the tops of the band-receiving pockets without obstruction of the tops of the latter, and with the support provided for by the webs 20 adjacent the outer parts of the sides above them, as will be clear from Figs. 4 and 5. An overhang would not be objectionable provided the center of gravity was properly located and the point of application suitable. Thus, while I have illustrated cigarette packs for the common, shorter type of cigarette, the same appliance could be used for banding together so-called king-size packages. It is obvious that a package comprising a number of packs different from five could be similarly made up.

I l.am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, as is in fact clear in several matters from the description itself. Reference is to be had to the appended claims to indicate those principles of the invention exemplified by the particular embodiment described and which I desire to secure by Letters Patent.

I claim:

l. An appliance for facilitating banding of a plurality of objects comprising a base member with end frames, spaced webs between the frames defining two spaced open-topped pockets, and upwardly concaved bottoms for said pockets, a top member seated on the base member and having webs extending along the outer sides of said pockets and between the two to expose the tops of the pockets between them, said webs being elevated adjacent the ends of the member to provide laterally positioned shoulders, a member having two angularly disposed flanges, the member being rotatably supported at the junction of its flanges at the middle portion of the top and having two positions of adjustment in each of which one ange extends toward one of the side webs and provides a supporting surface substantially coplanar with the top of the web and the other extends vertically to of the packages.

provide an aligning guide for objects supported in bridging relation across the open top of a pocket by the other flange and by the web toward which it extends.

2. An appliance for facilitating banding of a group of like objects provided with a pair of spaced longitudinally-extending open-topped pockets in each of which a stack of bands may be positioned and having at either side of said pockets horizontal supporting surfaces and between the pockets a member having angularly related flanges, said member being movably mounted for alternative disposition in two positions in one of which vone of said anges is coplanar with one of said surfaces to cooperate therewith to support the objects in crossing relation to the adjacent pocket while the other extends upwardly to engage the ends of such crossing objects and to aiign the same, whereas in the other position said other flange is coplanar with the other surface and said one ange extends upwardly.

3. An appliance for facilitating banding of a group of like objects provided with a pair of spaced longitudinally-extending open-topped pockets in each of which a stack of bands may be positioned and having at either side of said pockets horizontal supporting surfaces and between the pockets a member having angularly related flanges, said member being movably mounted for alternative disposition in two positions in one of which one of said flanges is coplanar with one of said surfaces to cooperate therewith to support the objects in crossing relation to the adjacent pocket while the other extends upwardly to engage the ends of such crossing objects and to align the same, whereas in the other position said other flange is coplanar with the other surface and said one flange extends upwardly, there being an cnd stop adjacent at least one end of the angular member for positioning a group of objects between the ends of the bands.

4. An appliance for facilitating banding of a group of like objects provided with a pair of spaced longitudinally-extending open-topped pockets in each of which a stack of bands may be positioned, the pockets having end walls to maintain such a stack in flexed position with the end portions of the bands upwardly extending and in fanned-out relation, the appliance having at either side of said pockets horizontal supporting surfaces and between the pockets a member having angularly related flanges, said member being movably mounted for alternative disposition in two positions in one of which one of said anges is coplanar with one of said surfaces to cooperate therewith to support the objects in crossing relation to the adjacent pocket while the other extends upwardly to engage the ends of such crossing objects and to align the same, whereas in the other position said other ange is coplanar with the other surface and said one flange extends upwardly.

5. An appliance for facilitating manual banding of a group of like objects provided with an open-topped pocket to receive from above the middle portion of a stack of bands longer than the pocket, the pocket being concaved upwardly to bend the stack whereby the end portions of the bands are directed upwardly and fanned out to facilitate manual separation of individual bands from the stack, supporting surfaces at either side of the pocket between the ends thereof to support objects in crossing relation thereto and a side stop and an end stop both projecting above said surfaces, for cooperating with such objects to position the same.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Images