US2758521A - Partition collapser - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 14, 1956 A. F. sun-10s PARTITION COLLAPSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 23, 1952 INVENTOR. 7' 54 510:

MW mm m w lame BY (9% Ygz g- 14, 5 A. F. SHIELDS 2,758,521

PARTITION COLLAPSER Filed April 23, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVE TOR.

5547 Sims-2o;

United Sta e Patent iCorrugated Paper Machine y Gm, -Inc., Brooklyn, N.- Y., a-corporation of New York nis sliestibn April 23, use, serial 283,812

' s claims. or. 93-37 g invention relates to a machine for collapsing and grasping partitions as they come from the partition assembling machine (more particularly an assembling ma- ;c' ln urine type "shown in my prior Patent No. 2,392,-

In the 'ckagi'ng or articles of various "types, it is is'bint sne'ces's'a'ry to in the 'fckagiiig container for individual articles as for "example "in the case of e'gg's, cartridges, bottles or other frangible of fragile articles.

To provide this compartmentaligation, partitions are "'ed from a seriesof 'i erlocking notched blanks which are inserted into'the cont ni'ei'.

Machines have been developed for assembling these partitions as shown, rurexampla-by Patents Nos. 2,392,- 005 or 2,414,336. These machines produce assembled partitions at g n fess fast 'a's' toicfr'eat'e handling difficulties at the take-off end "of the machine in that-a light bulky partition must be removed by hand, collapsed, and grouped with other partitions forsh-ipment to theipackage H861.

, When this is done by hand so many operators are requiredto handle the output of -a single machine as to require a large amount of floor space and even then to result in awkward working conditions.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a machine for collapsing the assembled partitions as they come from the assembling machine.

An equally important object is to provide means for arranging the collapsed partitions to facilitate ready bundling for shipment.

A further object of this invention is to provide a machine which may readily handle partitions of different sizes.

These and other objects of the invention as will appear hereinafter are achieved by means of the mechanism disclosed in the following specification taken in connection with the drawings in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of the apparatus.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side view similar to Figure 1 showing some of the collapsed partitions in edge piled relationship.

Figure 4 is a detail view of the partition orienter as seen in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 5 shows a top plan view of the partition in its position prior to being collapsed.

Figure 6 shows a top plan view of the partition as it is being collapsed.

Referring now to the drawings, it is seen that a sup porting framework 1 comprising uprights 2 and 3 and suitable horizontal bracing is provided to support a driven endless belt feeder conveyor To the right of said conveyor as seen in Figures 1 to 3 is seen a carriage 5 having rollers 6 and 7 riding on inclined tracks 8 and formed on the supporting framework. By means of weight 9 the carriage is biased toward the left as seen in Figures 1*3 due to the inclination of the pro ide individual compartments of the partition in the manner shown necks. A Collapsible abutment 111') "serves to prevent merenentiof 'thecarriage past a given limiting position. '01; the left hand edge of'th'e carriage as seen in Figures 1-'-3 isr nountd vertical'press'ure plate 11 having extensions for "contacting the partitions. I Frame 12 supported on the framework has pivoted ther'e'to, through pivot 23 arm 13 'carryin'gbearin'gs 14 fo'r roller 15. Deflector 16 is mounted by screws, rivets, for other suitable fastenin means s t adjacent to roller 15 and has extensions going into grooves 24 in roller. 15 to preventgmicles from being carried upwardly by the roller. Boiler '15 may as shown comprise a plurality of seotions15a'spring biased toward each other to permit the roller 15 to yield as the partition ends are driven out. Iii this case stripper fingers [6 are not used. I p

l3 is adjustabl'y mounted on frame 12 to provide a means for adjusting the lreight of roller i5 with respect "to conveyor 4 so as 'to'perrni't the handling of various siied partitions. Adjustinentis achieved by means of shaft 17 raving its ower 'endthread'ed into tapped sleeve :18 'pivot'ally fastenedto arm 13 and journ'alled in bearing 19 'pivo'tally mounted on frame 12. Shaft "17 "may "be turned to advance or retract the sleeve, thus raising or loweiin'g the anniy means of adjusting wheel Air ori'ehter 21 having an adjustable finger 22 is supported on upright '3whose operation will subsequently be discussed.

conveyors and roller 15 are power driven from atominon source shownhei'e b'y nians of sprocket wheels 25, 2'6, 2'7; ZS-and 29 andchains-SQ, 31 and 32 whichm'ay ubvio' sly tie replaced'by a myriad variety of-gear'ing.

In employing the foregoing structure, partitions from the "assembling "machine are fed into -conveyor,feeder '4 which "carries them in the direction of the arrows past orienter 21 -which 'engages the corner of the leading edge in Fig. 4. Since the conveyor continues to feed, in the directionshown by the arrows-(see Figures 5 and 6 the partition 40-.pivots about finger 22 thereby causing it to partially collapse and to travel as shown in Figure 6.

On being fed further, the top surface of the partition is engaged by roller 15 which cooperates as an auxiliary feeder to the conveyor feeder and pushes the partition up against pressure platell. Since the plate 11 is forced in a direction opposite to the direction of feeding by weight 9, the partition on abutting against the plate is collapsed, being structurally weaker than any of the members exerting a force on it.

The collapsed partition backed up by the pressure plate exerts a suflicient retarding force to collapse subsequently fed partitions. An edge pileis thus formed as seen in Figure 3. As the pile is built up, plate 11 mounted on carriage 5 is forced along track 8 providing room for additional collapsed partitions.

The plate 11 may, if desired, be made in sections so that its height may be varied to allow the partitions to extend above it. This allows the operator to place a cord around the partitions and form a bundle.

A structure is thus provided where a single operator may readily handle the output of a partition assembling machine, removing bunches of collapsed partitions as required for packing and shipping.

In the foregoing I have described my invention solely in connection with a specific preferred embodiment thereof. Since many variations and modifications of my invention will now be apparent to those skilled in the art, I prefer to be bound not by the specific disclosure herein contained but only by the appended claims.

I claim: 7

1. Apparatus for collapsing partitions comprising an endless belt conveyor for feeding said partitions, a stop at the end of said conveyor engaging the forward end of the fed partition and preventing further motion of the partition whereby the feeding action of the conveyor in connection with the stop collapses the partition, and a roller mounted above saidconveyor serving as an auxiliary feeder to serve to force said partitions against said stop, said roller being mounted on an adjustable arm and a deflector positioned before said roller; said deflector engaging a corner of each of said partitions and causing them to rotate to a position where a diagonal of the partition extends parallel to the path of travel thereof; said deflector comprising a guide disposed in the path of travel of said partitions and at an angle thereto- 2. Apparatus for collapsing partitions comprising an I endless belt conveyor for feeding said partitions, a stop at the end of said conveyor engaging'the forward end engaging a corner of each of said partitions and causing them to rotate to a position where a diagonal of the partition extends parallel to the path of .travel thereof; said deflector comprising a guide disposed in the path of travel of said partitions and at an angle thereto and a projection from said guide engaging said corner of each partition.

3. Apparatus for collapsing partitions comprising an endless belt conveyor for feeding said partitions, a stop at the end of said conveyor engaging the forward end of the fed partition and preventing further motion of the partition whereby the feeding action of the conveyor in connection with the stop collapses the partition, auxiliary feed means mounted above said conveyor to force said partitions against said stop, said auxiliary feed means being adjustable toward and away from said conveyor; and a deflector positioned before said roller; said deflector engaging a corner of each of said partitions and causing them to rotate to a position where a diagonal of the partition extends parallel to the path of travel thereof;

said deflector comprising a guide disposed in the path of travel of said partitions and at an angle thereto.

4. Apparatus for collapsing, partitions comprising an endless belt conveyor for feeding said partitions, a stop at the end of said conveyor engaging the forward end of the fed partition and preventing further motion of the partition whereby the feeding action of the conveyor in connection with the stop collapses the partition, auxiliary feed means mounted above said conveyor to force said partitions against said stop, said auxiliary feed means being adjustable toward and away from said conveyor; and a deflector positioned before said roller; said deflector engaging a corner of each of said partitions and causing them to rotate to a position where a diagonal of the partition extends parallel to the path of travel thereof; said deflector comprising a guide disposed in the path of travel of said partitions and at an angle thereto; said stop being mounted on a movable carriage, said carriage moving away from the conveyor as the pile builds 5. Apparatus for collapsing partitions comprising an endless belt conveyor for feeding said partitions, a stop at the end of said conveyor engaging the forward end of the fed partition and preventing further motion of the partition whereby the feeding action of the conveyor in connection with the stop collapses the partition, auxiliary feed means mounted above said conveyor to force said partitions against said stop, said auxiliaryfeed means being adjustable toward and away from said conveyor, and means located before said roller for rotating each of said partitions to a position where a diagonal of the partition extends parallel to the path of travel thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 369,944 Jaeger Sept. 13, 1887 694,634 Griswold Mar. 4, 1902 1,269,673 Armstrong June 18, 1918 1,523,652 La Bombard et al. Jan. 20, 1925 1,993,915 Brown et al Mar. 12, 1935 2,392,746 Labombarde Jan. 8, 1946

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