CLIP STORAGE

REMISAGE DE PINCES A VETEMENTS

English Abstract

CLIP STORAGE
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
The invention provides a way of storing spring clips
that enables the clips to be conveniently supplied to a machine
for applying them to an article, e.g. spring clips (preferably
of plastics material) intended to grip and hold folded articles
or garments such as shirts, blouses or the like. This is
achieved by means of a supply tape comprising a plurality
of pleats running transversely of the length of the tape and
a plurality of generally U-shaped spring clips, each of which
has its opposed arms engaged on opposite sides of one of the
pleats. Also disclosed is an apparatus for applying the clips
to the tape, comprising mechanism for feeding the tape between
a pair of meshing toothed wheels (one having teeth of
substantially square section and the other of triangular
section spaced apart from one another) adapted to pleat the
tape. At an application station the clips are engaged on
the pleats, each with its opposed arms engaged on opposite
sides of the pleat.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive
property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
A supply tape for clips, the said tape comprising
a plurality of pleats running transversely of the length
of the tape and a plurality of generally U-shaped spring
clips, each of which has its opposed arms engaged on
opposite sides of one of the pleats.

Description

10567716
This invention relates to tl~e storage of spring
clips, An object of tlle invention is to provide a
way of storing spring clips which enables the clips
to be conveniently supplied to a machine for applying
the clips to an article. The invention is particularly
applicable to spring clips, preferably of plastics
material, which are intended to grip and hold folded
articles or garments such as shirts, blouses or like
garments. It is well known that such garments are
usually supplied by a maker in a folded condition with
the various lolds pinned or clipped together.
According to the invention there is provided a
supply tape l`or clips, the said tape comprising a
plurality of pleats running transversely of the length
of the tape and a plurality of generally U-shaped spring
clips, each of which has its opposed arms engaged on
opposite sides of one of the pleats.
There is also disclosed an apparatus for applying
clips to a storage tape comprising means for feedillg the
tape between a pair of meshillg toothcd wlleels adaptcd to
pleat the tape, means for feeding generally U-shaped
spring clips to a clip apl)lication station, an(llllcarls
located at the application station for engaging the
clips on the pleats, each clip being received on a
resl)ective pleat with its oppose-l arms engage(l on

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1056776
opposite sides of the pleat.
The invention is particularly applicable to clips
constructed generally as described in -the specification
of British Patent No. 1,351,783 but it will be appreciated that
the invention is not confined to the storage of SUC}I
clips .
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of
an apparatus for making a tape according to the invention; and
Figure 2 is a similar view of part of a modified
for~ of apparatus.
Figure 1 shows an apparatus for producing a store
of spring clips which comprises a pair of toothed forming
rolls 1 and 2 wllich are rotatable about parallel axes.
The teeth of these forming rollers mesh with each other.
The roller 1 has teeth 3 which are generally square in
axial section, and the teeth 4 of the roller 2 are
triangular, being separated from one another by flat
portions 5.
A tape 6 of suitable foldable material, for example
paper, is supplied from a sul)ply reel 7 to the formill6
rollers 1,2 and passes between thc rollers in a tortllous
path defined by the meshing teeth. Tlle passa~e of
the tape between the teeth of the forming rollers
causes the tape to be doubled on itself at rc6ularly
spaced intervals along its length, there~y to lorlll

1~56771~
pleats or folds 8 extending transversely of the length
of the tape. Clips 9 are fed from a supply thereof,
for example a vibrating hopper, to a feed channel 10.
The clips are forwarded from the channel 10 between an
upper driven belt 11 and a lower driven belt 12 as far
as a stop 13. Clips are built up behind the stop until
the build up is detected by a sensor 1~, for example
a photo-electric sensor. An upper pusher carriage
15 which carries a pusher plate 16 is then caused to
lQ move forwardly to propel the clips into an arrangement
of inclined chutes 17. The clips travel down the
assembly, one in each chute, until they come to rest in
a lower pivoted section 18 thereof. The section 18 is
pivoted downwardly into a horizontal position and a
lower pusher carriage 19 having a plurality of spaced
fingers 20 is then activated to push the clips from
the section 18 through a guide 21 on to pleats 8 of
the tape 6. One clip is received on each pleat.
The tape carrying the clips passes between a
pair of rollers 22 whose surfaces are preferably of a
soft material such as soft rubber, which ensure that the
clips are firmly seated on the pleats. The tape with
the clips thereon is then wound up on a reel 23. When
sufficient clips have been wound on a clip-free unpleated
section is wound on to complete the reel. The tape is

1056776
- then severed by a knife 24. The reel 23 is driven and
its surface by a belt 25. Tape is taken up intermittently
on the reel, the pusher carriage 19 Op? rating when the
tape is stationary.
A modified embodiment is shown in Figure 2. In
this the tape 6 is pleated between two rollers 1~2 iden-tical
to those shown in Figure 1. The pleated tape then passes
from the rollers 1,2 to a feed drum 30. This feed drum
rotates about an axis parallel to, and adjacent, the
rollers 1,2.
The feed drum 30 has a plurality of clip feeding
channels 31 regularly spaced around its periphery. These
feed channels extend lengthwise of the drum over about
half the peripheral surface of the drum. The other
half of the drum is substantially smoo~h. The folded
or pleated tape is fed from the forming rollers on to
the smooth surface of the feed drum.
Spring clips 9 of which only two are shown are
loaded into the feed channels 31 at a loading station
(not shown) past which the drum travels prior to
reaching the rollers 1,2. These clips are loaded into
the feed channels with their open end or mouth facing
the smooth surface of the drum. The rate of feed of tape
and the spsed of rotation of the drum are such that each
pleat o-~ the tape drives on the drum immediately opposite

- 10$67'^~6
the open end or mouth of a spring clip. A pushing device
(not shown) is provided to enter each feed channel and
engage the closed ends of the clips and push the open
ends over the doubled folds or pleats at a pushing
station 32, movement being continued until the pleat
or doubled fold is wholly embraced by the spring clip.
The tape with the clips thereon is removed from the
feed drum and wound on to a suitable reel or coiling
drum, as in Figure 1.
Instead of winding the tape with clips attached
on a suitable reel it may be folded into a suitable carton
or container or collated in an~v other way suitable for
subsequently leeding the tapes into a clipping apparatus.