Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
` 1051~585
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0136-EJD .
1 1 . : . TYING MACHINE
i . ....
- ~0 Summary of the Invention~
: This invention relates to a tying machine for tying
articles with;a tying material oapable of being twisted to
~: form a tie and more`particularly to tying machines of *his
: ~type for tying articles having a wide range~o~ sizes with a
l5 ~ twist-tie ribbon and inoluding~:~provisions ior;quiokly~ad~usting
the machine to aocommodate all:the ~arious size~artioles to
be tied.
;; At~the present~time,-~there~is commeroially available
tying machines capable of~tying artioles with tying materials
that are twisted to form a tie. One:~suoh~tying machine is
commercially available from the Plas-Ties Division of Royal
:~ Industries, Inc. looated in Santa Ana, California and is
.- exemplified by the disclosure in United States Patent No.
. 3,369~,573 ~ranted on Feb. 20, 1968. This semi-automa~ic
tylng machine is~oapable of twist-tying artloles up to
; approximately 5/8-inch in diameter. Similar machines for
: such tying jobs axe commercially available and~it presen~ly
appears that the maximum diameter of an~article to be
twist-tied is approximately one inch.~ These commercially
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1058585
1 available tying machines are restricted as to the size of
the article to be tied by the opening,or throat,of the machine
and the corresponding amount of tie material that is metered
out relative to the restrictive throat. There are no known
machines available that accommodate articlec to be tied of
varying sizes and in particular articles up to two inches in
diameter. In addition to the restrictions as to the sizes
o~ the articles to be tied, there are certain articles that
are packaged in a bag or the~like that could be twis~-tied
0 if a machine were~available to accommodate extra long products
or products having awkward shapes that cannot be accommodated
either by the throat or the construction of the machines.
To this end, it is presently popular to place articles in
¦ a bag, twist-tie~the baq and place the resulting bagged
article in a box. S~imilar applications are found wherein
drum linerc are~employed ond placed in the bag and tied.
In addition to bag tying applications, such a machine is~ ~
capable~of functioning as a bundling machine or twist-tying
a number of articles together. For example, rubber tubing,
20 wood moldings and coils of wire may be twist-tied by the
tying macbines. For tying heavy dense items including heavily
weighted articles stored in a~bag that might cause the twist
tie to beco~e untied,-tle strips having a plurality of
reinforcing wires must ~e used if a~twist-tie ribbon is to
be employed~ Accordingly, the overall configuration and
width of both the entry thrcat for such bag tying machines
as well as the overhang or clearance are important parameters
to accommodate and extend the usage of the machin~s to
presen~ day packaging applications.
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~51~585
In accordance with the present invention there is
provided a machine for tying articles of varying diameter with
a twist-tie ribbon capable of being twisted to form a tie, the
apparatus comprising: means for advancing a preselected length
of ri~bon from a continuous length of twist-tie ribbon; means
for severing the preselected length of ribbon from its continuous
length; means for twisting the ends of a twist-tie ribbon
delivered thereto; movable means for receiving the ribbon from
; the advancing means and for forming the severed ribbon around an
article to be tied while delivering the thus formed ribbon to
the twisting means; the said forming means including means for
`~ assuring that the ribbon is evenly pulled from the forming means
at the twisting means; and drive means coupled to opçrate the
advancing means, severing means, twisting means and forming means.
; 15 Also in accordance with the invention there is provided
a machine for tying articles with a twist-tie ribbon capable of
: being twisted to form a tie comprising; means for storing a
continuous length of twist-tie ribbon having its free end extending
outwardly therefrom; means receiving ~he free end of the tie
material for metering out a preselected length of tie material
from the storing means and for advancing the preselected length
of ribbon from the continuous length; means for severing the pre-
selected length of ribbon from the continuous length of tie material;
means for twisting the ends of a twist-tie ribbon delivered
thereto; movable means for recèiving the ribbon from the advancing
means and for forming the severed ribbon arc.und an article to be
tied while delivering the thus formed ribbon to the twisting means;
the movable means including means extending adjacent the metering
means for receiving the ribbon from the metering means for positive
reception of the ribbon; said forming means including means for
assuring that the ribbon is evenly pulled from the forming means
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~513585
at the twisting means; the twisting means being operable to
twist the ends of the ribbon around each other thereby removing
the ribbon from the forming means; means for positively
controlling operation of the forming means for positive clearance
of the article to be tied when positioned to be tied and positive
placing of the ends of the ribbon at the twisting means; and
drive means for actuating and operating the severing means,
the forming means and the twisting means to twist-tie an
article positioned to be tied, and wherein the means for metering
out a preselected length includes an individual drive means for
actuating the metering means and a timing means for controlling
the length of time the individual drive means is actuated, the
individual driving means being an electric motor and the timing
means being electronic timing means.
15Further in accordance with the invention there is
- provided a method of tying objects of varying diameter with a
twist-tie ribbon including the steps of; adjusting the t~i~ng
: ~ mechanism for feeding a preselected length of twist-tie ribbon
from a supply of ribbon relative to the size of an article to be
tied, for centering the artlcLe at a tying station; advancing a
` ~ preselected length of twist-tie ribbon to movable forming scissors
: for forming the ribbon around an article to be tied; severing
the preselected length of ribbon from its continuous length;
forming the ribbon around the article to be tied while the ribbon
is carried to the tying station by the movable scissors to assure
that the ribbon will be evenly pulled at the twist tying station;
causing the scissors to successively open around the article to
be tied to assure clearance thereof and to close around the
article to be tied while carrying the ribbon to the tying station;
and stripping the ribbon from the scissors while twisting the ends
.
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:~)5~585
: of the ribbon upon itsel to twist-tie the article, and the
step of adjusting the tying mechanism including adjusting the
tying mechanism relative to the diameter of an article to be
tied for centering the article at a tying mechanism station.
: 5 Still further in accordance with the invention there
is provided a method for tying objects of varying diameter with
a twist-tie ribbon including the steps of; providing a twist-
tie ribbon tying machine having an adjustable opening to receive
an article to be tied and means for adjusting the Iength of
ribbon metered out for tying articles of variable diameter and
fcr~o~ntering the article to be tied relative to the tying station
in accordance with the size~of the article to be tied; adjusting
, the machine for metering out a preselected length of tying
ribbon correlated to the size of the article to be tied with
the ribbon; adjusting the opening of the machine to center an
article to be tied positioned in the opening in accordance with
the diameter of the article relat~ve to the tying station;
: positioning and,c~ntering an~article to be tied at the machine
~ tying station; automatically~:twist-tying the positioned article
: 20 with the tying mechanism in the following sequential steps;
severing the previously metered length of tying,ribbon from a
continuous length of ribbon; using forming means to form the
ribbon around the article positioned to be tied while delivering
the formed ribbon to the::t~ing station of the machine, the
forming step including assuring that the ribbon is evenly pulled
from the forming means at the tying station; twisting the ends
of the ribbon delivered at the tying station while stripping
the ribbon rom the forming means; retracting the forming means
to its "home" position while the ribbon is being twisted; metering
out another preselected length of tying ribbon for the successive
tying operation; withdrawing the twist-ti~d article from the tying
mechanism; and de-activating the tying mechanism.
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1058585
The present invention provides an improved, novel, and
relatively inexpensive tying machine capable of employing
the twist-tie ribbons having either a single or a plurality
of reinforcing wires embedded in the ribbon casing for tying
S articles covering a wide range of sizes. The tying machine
o~ the present lnvention is of heavy duty construction to
cut and twist tying ribbons constructed of either plastic
or paper and having embedded therein two reinforcing elements
of 24-gauge wire~ The machine is adapted for twist-tying
0 such reinforced tying ribbons with up to 2-1/2 twists in
order to securely hold tied articles up to 30 lbs. in
weight. An advantageous feature of the tying machine of the
present invention is that the machine may be quickly and simply
adjus`ted by an operator to accommodate articles to be tied
having various sizes whioh may range from approximately 3/8
inch to two inches in diameter. The tying machine may be
readily adjusted by a relatively unskilled operator for
adjusting the amount of tying material metered out by the
.
machine and for adiusting th~ centering of the articles
to be tied in accordance with their size to assure that the
articles are centered at the tying station and that t~e
tying ribbon is properly formed and centered around the bag
neck or the article so that it will be securely tied. The
machine also has the capacity to provide at least 30 ties
per minute and this rate may be increased depending upon the
skill of the operator.
When the tying machine is to ~e used in very cold
environments such as in an ice plan~, the heated air generated
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1058585
1 by the drive means for the machine can be blown back into
the machine to maintain lt heated to render it operative for
such environment without the requirement for a separate
heater as is necessary in prior art tying machines. The
S machine may also be readily adapted to operate on its side I,
or in an upside down position without any interfexence with
the normal opera~ion of the machine.
From a method standpoint, the present inven~ion compr~hends
a method of tyi~g objects of varying diameters or sizes with
0 a twist-tie ribbon including the steps of adjusting the
tying mechanism ~or feeding a preselected length of twist-tie
ribbon from a source of supply relative to the size of the
article to be tied. The preselected length of ribbon is fed
to a forming scissors to form the ribbon around the article
to be tied and prior to~being formed~around the article to be
tied. It is deformed initially and then the deformed ribbon ~
is formed around the article and carried~to a tying station~ ¦
By causing the scissor~s to be opened and closed around the
~ article to be tied, while carrying the ribbon to the tying
station, the preselected length of the twist-tie ribbon is
formed around the artiale to be tied and positioned at the
; tying station ana is then stripped from the~scissors while
twisting the ends of the ribbon upon itself to twist-tie
the article.
The step of adjusting the tying mechanism may include
adjusting the~mechanism relative to the size of the article
to be tied for centering the article at the tying station.
,~ ~ p9?~C~
From a structural organization standpoint, ~be apparatus t
. Com~
for tying articles o~preh~n~s means for storing a continuous
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105~585
1 }ength of tying material having the free end of the tying
material coupled to means for metering out a preselected
length of tying material from.the storage means, and means
for severing the preselected length of tying material from
its continuous length. Movable forming means are provided
Por receiving the tying material from the metering means
and forming the tying material around the article to be
twisted thereto. The movable forming means extends adjacent
the metering means for receiving the tying material from the
0 metering means to assure positive reception of ~he tying
ma~erial including any camber ~he tying material may exhibit.
The apparatus includes means for receiving the tying material
from the forming means~and twisting the ends upon itself
.
thereby stripping the tie material from the forming means.
Means are provided for positively controlling the operation
of the forming~means to assure both positive clearance of
the article to be tied by the tie forming means and the
positive-placement of the ends o~ the tying material at the
twisting means. Drive means is co~pled to each of the
aforementioned means for actuating the severing means, the
~ forming means and the twisting means to twist-tie the article.
. ' 1'.
. These and other features of the present invention may
be more fully appreciated when considered in the light of
the following specification and drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tying machine embodying
the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a partial, top plan view o~ the tying machine
of ~IG. 1 with the cover removed;
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1058585
1 ~IG.3 is a partial, top plan view of the forming
scissors shown in its inoperative ully retracted position
; on the machine;
FIG. 4 is a partial, top plan view of the forming
; S scissors moved to a position corresponding to the time that
the forming retainer is lifted out of the path of the advancing
` tying material; ;
FIG. S is a partial,top plan view of the forming scissors
moved to a fully extended position at the tying station and
10 illustrating a twist-tied article positioned at the tying
" station;
FIG. 6 is a detached, top plan view o~ the camming
control plate for controlling the movemënt and operation of
the forming scissors as illustrated in Figs. 3-5;
FIG. 7 i8 a diagrammatic representation of the drive
apparatus for the machine illustrating the coupling of the
driven e~ements to the dri~e motors;
~ FIG. 8 is a partial, perspective view of a typical con-
; struction of a tw1st-tie;
20 ~ ~IG. 9 is a detached, front elevational view of the
twist-tie drive rollers illustxated in Figs. 2 and 7 with
a twist~tie ribbon positioned therebetween;
FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view of ~he ribbon
storage spool and the braking apparatus therefor with the
brake-off position illustrated in dotted outline~
FIG. 11 is an elevational view, with portions shown in
section,of the ribbonretainer mechanism coacting with the
ribbon forming scissors;
FIG. 1~ is an end elevational view of the ribbon retainer
30 mechanism illustrated in Fig. 11;
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105~585
1 FIG. 13 is a d~ached, end elevation~l view o~ t~e
inoperativ~ twisting mechani~m o~ th~ tying maahin~ o~
Fig. 1 and illustrating the ends of the ribbon in a position
to be twisted; and
FIG. 14 is an electrical schematic representation of
the control circuite for the drive motors employed in the
~ying machine of Fig. ~.
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Now referring to the drawings, the tying machine 10
N of the present invention will be examined in d~tail.
Specifically referring to Fig. 1, the~general organization
`~ of the tying machine 10 can best be appreciated. The tying
machine 10 of the present invention is a semi-automatic
machine and is adapted to employ tie material or ribbon R-
capable of being tied by twisting it upon itself or twist-
tie material R constructed of plastic or paper for coveriug
a reinforcing wire or wires . Such tying ribbons~R are
presently commercially available anù are employed in the
present day tying machines of the prior art includin~ the
tying machine disclosed in United States Patent No. 3,369,573
granted on Feb. 20, 1968. The general construction of such
tying ribbons R can best be appreciated by referring to
Fig. 8 which shows a tying ribbon R which may be a plastic
and/or paper ribbon for embedding a reinforced wire 11 therein.
The tying machine 10 of the present invention is capable of
employing ribbons R having a single reinforcing wire 11,
; or two reinforcing wires 11, within the same unified paper
and/or plastia strip. ~he standard, commercially available
tying ribbons are 5/32 of an inch in width and have a 24 gauge
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1058585
reinforcing wire. The tying machine 10 is useful to twist-tie
articles with ribbons as wlde as 1/4 of an inch and having
: two 24-gauge wires as reinforcing elements. At the other
extreme, the ribbon R that may be used by the machine 10
S may be 1/8 of an inch in width and have a 24-gauge reinfoxcing
wire 11. The tying ~achine 10 of the present invention
includes a heavy duty power train to cut and twist the
. aforementioned commercially available tying rlbbons.
. The tying machine lO of the present invention has a
0 capability that is no~ ~ound.in prior art machines in that
it is capable of being guickly adjùsted to tie articles of
varying sizes or diameters ranging from approxLma~ely 3/8
of an inch ~tD 2~ inches in diameter. In addition, articles
weighing up to 30 pounds may be;tied by providing 2-1/2 twists
: . 15 to the ribbon R~to a-ssure~that the weight;of the object will
~not cause the ribbon to become untwisted. In aocordance with
~ ~ the ability to tie:articles of varying sizes, the machine 10
:~ : is adjustable for feeding.and:metering tying ribbon R in l:engths
~of approximately.4 inches to 9~inches and to center the
; 2~ ;selected length of the rib~on in relationship to the article
.~ to be tied. To acaommodate articles having the wide range of
sizes, the machine 10 is considered a "wide throat" machine
in that the throat for receiving the articles to be tied
is wide enough.to allow the.articles to be received and
positioned at the machine tying station. This is to be
distinguished from pricr art machines and which machines are
generally limited in the width of the throat and therefore
cannot be used with the larger objects *hat the present
invention can be used with. For example, the machine that
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: lOS8585
1 is the subject o United States Patent 3,369,573 i5 limited
to tying axticles of approximately 5/8 inch in diameter
bec`ause of the restrictive openlng o~ the throat and the
metered amount of tie material. With the throat T for the
S tying machine 10 providing sufficient opening to accommodate
all of the various articles to be tied, ~he amount or ribbon R
that is metered in accoxdance with the size of the article
to be tied aan be readily adjusted so that ~he correct length
o~ ribbon can be metered and utilized to twist-tie a wide
0 of objects.
The ribbon R utilized in the machine 10 is btored on a
- spool S mounted to the rear of the machine, as best appreciated
from examining Fig. 1. The spool is provided with a brake B
to control and allow the rotation of the spool S only during
the feeding cyoles of the ribbon R into the nachine proper.
The machine 10 is illustrated with a coYer C having a hinged
portion C~ at the forward end of the machine 10 and enclosing
~he throat T.~ The~hinged portion CH of the cover C ls ~ !
hin~ed~by~a hinge H arranged adjacent the forward, top end of
20 ~the ;cover C to allow the cover CH to be swung upwardly for
exposing the throat T and the tying and forming stations of
; the machine as illustrated in Fig. 2. The tying machine 10
is adapted to be mounted on a bench or work station for normal
tying operations~ to allow the operator to~readily place the
articie to be~tied ~into the throat T at a fairly rapid rate
and easily handle the article ;rrespective of the diameter or
the shape thereof. To this end, the machine 10 has a capacity
of at least 30 ties per minute and may be extended to 35 per
minu~e dèpending upon the skill of ~he machine operator. As
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105858.
illustrated in Fig. l, the machine 10 is mounted on a stand
S~ secured to the machine at the lower rear of the cover C.
The stand ST is of conventional const~uction and allows the
machine to be mounted in the illustrated normal vertical
relationship for tying operations. The stand ST mounts the
machine 10 ~o also allow lt to be operat~d on i~s side and~or
upside down in accordance with the configuration o the article
to be tied. To accommodate the various size articles to be
tied with the machine 10, the stand ST is mounted to the rear
` 10 of the machine to provide an overhang OH for the forward
portion of the machine which allows the larger diameter
articles and the like to be accommodated since they may be
: .
moved inwardiy~beyond~the inner extremity of the throat T.
~o this end, the practical embodiment of the overhang OH
provided for the machine 10 may be approximately 12 inches
measured as indicated in Fig~ 1 from the forward end of the
`~ throat to the forward end o~ upstanding member STU of the
stand 8T. The stand ST~also mounts the control switches and
~the like for actuating the machine as will become more
- 20 evident immediately hereinafter.
In order to accommodate~objects of varying diameters
and shapes the machine 10 is reguired to meter ribbon R from
lengths of approximately 4 inches to approximately 9 inches
and to center the length of the ribbon R in relation to the
object to be tied. In accordance with the teachings of the
present invention, the centering is assured by moving the
entire ribbon drive assembly one-half~the total tie length
and then timing the ribbon feed motor to supply the other
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1058585
1 one-half of the desired length. For this purpose, the ribbon
drive assembly can be moved approximately 2-1/2 inches
considering the total length of metered ribbon being between
4 and 9 inches and the total movement being one-half of the
difference in tie Iengths from the smallest to the largest
article to be tied. The ribbon R is advanced by the provis~on
of a separate drive motor that may be co~trolle~ through an
infinitely adjustable delay relay for timing the ribbon drive
motor to meter out the precise length of ribbon to ma~e up
0 the difference between the adjustment o~ position of the
ribbon drive assembly and the total amount of ribbon required.
For this purpose, as will be made evident hereinafter, the
individual drive means for feeding the ribbon ~ is controlled
by the delay relay to be energized for the c~rrect and precise
amount of time to coact with a brake provided ~or the motor
so that it may be stopped guickly to correctly meter the
ribbon fed into the machine proper for the tying operation.
. . .
These machine adjustments will be considered hereinafter.
The machine 10 as~illustrated in Fig. 2 will now be
described with the machi~e considered a~ having been adjusted
for tying objects within a paxticular range of sizes or
diameters without requiring any adjustments. For example,
objects falling within approximately 1/4 of an inch in
diameter of any size for which the machine has been adjusted
2 may be tied by the machine 10 without requiring any further
adjustment of the ribbon drive assembly.
Now referring to Fig. 2 the various stations comprising
the tying machine 10 can be appreciated. The drive means for
the machine 10 in this instance comprises two individual drive
mo~ors having different functions. The main drive motot MDM
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1 is mounted to the left rear of the machine as illustrated
in Fig. 2 and powers all of the operations except the ribbon
feed which is the function of the ribbon drive motor RDM
arranged on the opposi,te side of the machine from the motor
MDM or in the upper right-hand corner as illustrated in Fig. 2.
The main drive moto~ MDM is continuously energized so that it
`,is in operation ox rotating at all times. ~his condition
ls provided for the motor ND~ to provide high Btarting torque
;: ~or the tying operation to ~acilitate the ribbon cutting
opèrations by using the inertia of the motor armature and
to employ an instantaneously engaging single'xevolution clutch
, to cause the machine to cycle through a single revolution for
each complete tying operation. It has also been found that
with the motor MDM continuously energized the heated air
- generated by the motor can be blown back in.to the machine 10
.
,for heating the machine.when it is utilized in ice plant
~ operations and thereby eliminating the need for a separate
'~ heater.:' The ribbon R metered and fed out by the' ribbon
drive motor RDM~is advanced through the ribbon feeding
. 20 station RF arranged to receive'the ribbon R from the spool 5.
and advance i~ toward the ribbon forming station F arranged
. forwardly thereof and adjacent the right-hand side of the
;. throat T, as can be best~appreciate~ from examining Fig. 2.
. The ribbon forming station functions to receive the ribbon R
~ 25 and form it around the article to be tied positioned in t; . ' ,throat T and while forming the ribbon transporting it to
the ribbon twisting and tying station RT arranged on the
opposite side of the throat T,. on the lef~-hand side as
illustrated in Fig. 2, from the forming station F. The
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105E~585
l ¦ ribbon former F is then retracted to its normal position while
¦ the ribbon is being twisted. At this point it should be noted
that there is positioned at the inner end of the throat T a
motor triggering arm ~IT arranged in the path of the article
S ¦ to be tied as it is positioned in the ~hroat by ~he machine
: I operator and is movable in response to the engagement with
: ¦ the article to trigger and operate a switch LS-2 for energizing
. I and cycling the main drive motor MDM.
I ,:
Now considering the ribbon feeding station RF in detail, .
10 ¦ it will be assumed that the ribbon R is withdrawn from the
. . . ¦ spool S without reference to the action of the brake B. For
I
I this purpose, the ribbon R is fed from the spool S and is
¦ immediately engaged by a pair of longitudinal1y extending
ribbon guides 20 and 21 mounted side by:side to hold and guide
`the ribbon between their planar surfaceo. T~e ribbon R is
~: guided by the outer~extremity of the guide 20 into the space
:~ or channel between thè guides 20 and 21 as a result of.the
. ~ . ..................................................... ;
additional length provided for ~he guide 20. The controlled
: feeding of the ribbon R between the guides 20 and 21 causes
it to emerge and~be delivered between the ~ibbon feed rollers
22 and 23 arranged immediately adjacent the exit end of the
guides 20 and 21. The drive roller 23 is a serrated drive
roller that is coupled to be driven by the ribbon drive motor
. RDM and frictionally advances the ribbon R as a result of
: 25 coacting with the idler xoller 22. The idler roller 22 is
also a serrated rol1er and is provided with a groove 22G as
^ illustrated in Fig. 9 to accommodate the pro~ruding.reinforcing
wire ll for the ribbon ~. With the controlled rotation of
the drive roller 23 the precise amount of ribbon R is metered
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1051~585
~rom the spool S for the precise time interval of operation
of the motor ~DM. It will be recognized that when khe
ribbon R includes two reinforcing wires ll that the idlex
roller 22 may be removed and a similar idler roller 22 may
S be mounted in its place but having two grooves 22G to
accommodate the two reinforcing wires ll. The idler roller
~ .22 may be readily removed from the machine for replacement
i as a result of the provision of the pivotable cam arm 28
extending upstream of the roller 22 ~or pivoting the arm 26
0 which mounts the roller 22 and allows it to be pivoted in a
clockwise direction away from the~drive roller 23. For ~his
. puspose, the arm 26.is resiliently spaced from the ribbon
guide 20 by means of a spring 27 mounted between the arm 26
and guide 20 and seaured in position b~. the cam 28 mounted
on the opposite side of the arm 26 from the spring 27 adjacent
the inner end of the arm 26 as illustrated in Fig. 2. The
cam 28 is pivotally mounted by a pivot pin 29 to allow it to
be rotated in~a clockwise:dire~tion to allow the arm 26 and
the roller 22 to swing outwardly in accordance with the i
20 ~:movement of the cam 28. For gripping purposes~the cam 28
: i8 provided with a pair of upstanding:pins 30 and 31 to allow
~ . the cam 28 to be readily rotated for positioning the arm 26
: and the roller 23 at either of its two extremities. The
~am 28 will assume a position arranged approximately 90 to
its normal position, as indicated by the dotted outline
to allow the xoller 22 to be moved away from *he drive roller
23.
The ribbon R as it is advanced between the drive rollers
22 and 23 is fed to a pair of ribbon guides 24 and 25 for
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1 I secuxing the ribbo~ th~rebetwcen in a fash~vn similar to
¦ the ~uides 20 and 21 arranged at the ribbon entry end of the
¦ rollers 22 and 23. Arranged near the ribbon exit end of the
¦ guides 24 and 25 is a ribbon cutting knife 26 mounted for
5 ¦ shearing the ribbon at that point from its continuous length.
¦ The knife 26 is reciprocally mounted and is controlled by
¦ the operating arm 27-which is controlled to move in the same
¦ reciprocal fashion. The knife 26 is slidably supported for
¦ i~s reciprocal movement by the bearing block 28 and is
0 I arranged opposite the anv~l 29 upon which it abuts at its
¦ extreme left-hand position as illustrated in Fig. 2. The
¦ knife 26 is coupled to the control arm 27 by means of a
I connecting link 30 secured to the ri~ht-hand end of the
¦ ~nife 26 and also secured to the arm 27 so as to rigidly
5¦ couple the knife 26 to the arm 27. The arm 27 is controlled
by the cam 31 through the provision of the arms 70, 71 and
72 secured therebetween. In this fashion the knife 26 moves
I in unison with the control arm 27 which ~s controlled and
¦ actuated by the control cam 31 as will be made evident
201 hereinafter.
I As the ribbon R is fed from the drive rollers 22 and 23
¦ through the guides 24 and 25, it is advanced to a forming
station P The forming station F as illustrated in Figs. 2
I and 3 is illustrated with a ribbon forming scissors 32 in their
251 fully retracted or "home" position. The scissors 32 comprises
a right scissor arm 32R and a left scissor arm 32L, as best
seen in Fig. 3. ~he two scissor arms 32T and 32L are
coupled together by a pin 33 ~hat couples the two arms for
I movement outwardly and inwardly and linearly from i~s fully
301 .
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I l~ , `
10585B5
1 r~tracted position to the tying station R~ and back to i~s
fully retracted positi~n, as is eviaent from ex~mining Figs.
4 and 5. The right-hand extensions for the arms 32R and 32L
are positively controlled as a resul~ o being coupled to
S the cam plate 34 which has a pair of cam slots 34R and 34L
for controlling the mo~emen~s of the respective scissor
arms 32R and 32L of the scissors 32. Each of the arms 32
and 32L are coupled to the individual slots 34R and 34L by
means of coupling pins secured to right-hand extremities
o~ the arms and adapted to ride in the cam slots 34R and 34L.
These coupling pins are identified as pins 32RP and 32LP
for the respective arms 34R and 32L. In the same fashion,
. the coupling pin 33 for securing and coupling the two scisso.r
anms also couples them to the longitudinal slot 34C~of the
~5 control cam 34 which controls the linear travel of the scissors
32 to the tying station and its return to its "home" position
as a result of the pin 33 sliding there along under the
urging of the associated linkages controlled from the basic
control cam 31. For this purpose the scissors 32 are actuated
by a bell crank 35 coupled to the scissors 32 at the arm 32L
. by a shackle link 36 for responding to the movements imparted
to the bell crank 35 at the control-cam 31.
The forward ends or the left-hand ends ~as illustrated in
~ig. 3) of each of the scissor. arms 32R and 32L are provided
2 with ribbon receiving chutes 34RC and 32LC for loosely
receiving the ribbon R as it is fed from the rollers 22 and
23 through the guides 24 and 25. The chu~e 32~C is mounted
on and carried by the left scissor arm 32L in a fixed
condition. The chute 32RC mounted on and carried by the
i9
. . : '
105~585
1 ¦ right-hand scissor arm 32R is arranged in alignment with
¦ the chute 32IC and the guides 24 and 2~. The chute 32~ is
¦ removable and is made as long as possible to maintain the
¦ unguided length of ri~bon ex~ending between the ribbon ~uides
51 24 and 25 and the chute 32RC to a minimum because of the
¦ high possibility that the ribbon R will be cambexed as a
result of being stored on the spool S. The length of the
chute 32 RC is further governed by the amount of clearance
required for the chute 32RC when the scissors 32 opens up
0 to prevent the chute from engaging and being restricted by
the cutting mechanism including the chamfered end of gu~de 24;
see Fig. 2.
The profile for the cam slots 34R and 34~ has been
selected to not only positively control the opening and
closing action of the scissor arms 32R and 32L but also to
assure proper clearance between the scissors 32 an~ the
article to be tied positioned in the throat T and to assure
the positive placement of the ends o~ the ribbon R in relation
to the twisting station RT at the moment that the twister
hook begins~to~;revolve. This important feature assures
reliable operation of the ~yin~ mac~ine 10 espe~ially with
articles of the larger diameters that can be tied with the
machine. The linear travel of the scissors 32 is control~ed
by the linear slot 34C for tha cam plate 34 in which the pin
33 rides. The profiles selected for the cam slots 34R and
34L also assures exact positioning of the scissors 32 in the
fully retracted position or in the "home" position along
with the selection of the profile for the control cam 31. The
linear stopping position of the scissors 32 at the "home"
. ' ` '.
~ a
.
.. , 11 10585~5
¦ position is det~rmined by a detent in the cam 31 which
¦ assures exact alignment with the chute 32RC downstream of
the guides 24 and 25. The right-hand extremity of the cam
l slots 34R and 34L are also contoured so that as the scissors
32 is moved away from its "home" position it will move
linearly to the left approximately 3/8 of an inch without
any opening action to the arms 32R and 32L so that the guide
chute 32RC will clear the cutting mechanism as noted
hereinabove. : . .
To assure that the ribbon R is pulled evenly from bQth
: o~ the chutes 32R~ and 32LC at the twisting station RT there
. . is further provlded a ribbon re~ainl~g mechanism mounted over
the scissors 32 for coaction therewith. To this end the
. pivot pin 33:-used as a fulcrum point for the scissor. arms
15 32~C and 32LC also functions with a retainer lifting arm 37
. which is secured to the plate 38 overlying the scissors 32
: . and in turn is secured to the frame of the machine 10 qee
~Fig. 2. The lifter arm 37 is secured to the plate 38 by
~ means of a retaining plate 39 secured to the plate 38 inter-
.~ 20 mediate the ends of the~lifter arm 37. The lifter arm 37
. : is pivoted to the plate 39 by means of the pivot pin 40 so
as to allow it to pivot about that point; see Fig. 11. The
right-hand end of the lifter arm 37 mounts a roll pin 37P
engaging the plate 38. This same end of the arm 37 engage-
~
2 the ùpper end of the fulcrum pin 33 for the scissors 32 andwhich pin 33 is adapted to travel along the bottom surface
of the lifting arm 37. This bottom surface of arm 37 is
defined as a cammin~ surface for the pin 33 as it slides
there along to control the vertical movements of the lifter
3 : :
~ ' ~/
"~ ) 1 ~05E~585
1 arm 37 as the pin 33 slides along the slot 34C o the cam
¦ plate 34. To this end, the right-hand extremity of the liftex
¦ arm 37 is of a planar coniguration and àllows the arm 37
¦ to be maintained in its normal ribbon retaining position
5 ¦ until it engages the camming surface 37C which causes the
¦ arm 37 to swing upwardly in response thereto and to continue
to progressively swing upwardly to a higher extent as the pin
¦ 33 travels beyond the surface 37C and along the inclined
¦ camming sur we 37I, as can be best appreciated from examining
;~ 10 I Fig. 11. This action causes the lifting arm 37 to be moved
¦ out of the path of the ribbon R as the scissors 32 continues
~ ¦ to move towards the tying station RT carrying the ribbon R
:~; I along with it~ The outer en:d of the lifting arm 37 carries
the inverted U-shaped ribbon retaining and forming arm 41;
see Fig. 12. The function of the ribbon retaining and
forming arm 41 is to.engage *he center portion of the ribbon
R extending between the chutes 32RC and 32LC and to momentarily
. : restrain its movement~and to~deform or kink the ribbon R
during the continuous~travel of the ribbon R to the tying
20 ~station ~T. This deforming operation:assures the~even pulling
of the ribbon R'from the sc1ssors 32:at thé tying station RT.
The retaining of the ribbon R occurs during the initial
advancement of the scissors 32 towards the tying~station RT
during the interval before the scissor arms 32R and 32L
begin to open, since it;is direckly in the path of the ribbon
~- R as the scissors are moved to the left linearly. The:
continued movement of the scissors~32 causes the arms 32R
and 32L to begin to open up when the ribbon R engages the
for~ 41 and will remain in the path of the ribbon until the
. . ~ .
~058S85
1 arms 32~ and 32L are fully opened~ The profiles for the cam
slots 34R and 34L relative to the linear movement o~ the
scissors 32 to the le~t is such that when the ribbon R engages
the fork 41 the scissor; arms 32R and 32L begin to open up
to clear the article positioned in the throat ~ adjacent the
ribbon tying station RT. The fork 41 remains in the path of
the ribbon R until the scissors 32 open to the extreme position
at which time the lifting arm 37 has been engaged at its
camming surfaces by the pin 33 to quickly raise the fork 41
0 away from the ribbon R. The exact time that this lifting
action occurs in the traYel of the ribbon R is illustrated in
Fig. 4 and which drawing further illustrates the resulting
deformation of the ribbon about its central portion. The
continuous linear travel of the scissors 32 to the tying
- 15 station RT will cause bhe a~rms 3~R and 32L to begin to close
and the ribbon to be formed about the article to be tied.
The formed ribbon R is delivered adjacent the twisting element
45 at the t~ing~statLon~RT and allows the ribbon R to be
stripped therefrom as the twister 45 is ro*ated for twist-
20 ~ tying the article~centered at that position. The scissors32 is retracted with the stripping of the ribbon R there~rom.
Now referring to Figs. 2 and 13, the ribbon twisting
station RT will be examined. The ribbon twisting station ~T
basic~lly comprises a twist-tie twister hook 45 mounted to a
rotatable shaft 46. The opposite end of the shaft 46 from
the twister hook 45 mounts a sprocket 47 which is coupled to
a chain 48 driven from the`motor MDM for rotating the twister
hook 45. The twister hook 45 is mounted over a cavity 49
formed in the machine frame to ~llow it to freely rotate
. ~ ' ' .
. ' . ,~ '~
,~
. ' , 'i
; 1058585
1 as is evident fr~m examining Fig. 2. The normol inoperative
position of the twister hook 45 is illustrated in Fig. 13.
The twister hook 45 includes the usual oppositely disposed
twisting arms 45a for receiving the free ends of the ribbon R
S when ~n the inopèrative position and picking up khe ribbon
ends with the arms 45a a~ter the twister hook 45 is rotated.
For this purpose, in the inoperative position of the twister
hook 45, the openings defined by the arms 45a for the twister
hook 45 are arranged to open in opposite directions and to
0 pick up the ends o~ the ribbon that are presented to it by
the forming scissors 3~; see ~igs. 5 and 13. It should now
be appreciated that with the rotation of the twister hook 45
~; in the counterclockwise~direction the openings in the arms
45A of the hook 45~will pick up and secure the free ends of
~ ~ 15 thetying ribbon R and twist the ribbon upon itself with
I ~ the continuous rotation of the hook 45. The hook 45 may be
~readily~adjusted~to provide 2-l/a tw1sts to the tying ribbon~
: R~or any convenient number of twists in accordance with the
tying applicatlon due to the provision of a chain drive therefor.
The opposite end of the chain 48 is mounted to a stub
ehaft 50 secured to the frame of the machine proper. The
stub shaft 50 mounts a pinion gear 51 which is driven by the
segment gear 52 which is adapted to drive the pinion 51 over
a preselected portion of the operating cycle and thereby
rotate the twister 49. The segment gear 52 is mounted to the
same shaft as the control cam 31 and i9 driven by the main
i drive motor MDM. ~ ~
At the rlbbon twisting station RT, there is also arxanged
the motor triggering switch LS-2 which actuates the drive
30 motor UDM in response to the operation of the trigger orm
. '~ .
1~358585
MT arranged i~ the throat T o the tying machine 10. The
txigger arm MT h~s its one extremity extending into the
left-hand inner end of the throat T and extending underneath
the machine frame to pivotally move the switch operating arm
S3 into engagement with the operating arm for the switch
LS-2. When the article to be tied is positioned in the
throat T it will engage the trigger~arm MT and cause the arm ;
53 to rotate counterclockwise and operate the switch LS-2
to a closed electrical condition and maintain it in ~his
0 condition as long as the article maintains the trigger arm
MT out of the throat proper. The release of the arm MT b~ -
the article will cause the switch LS-2 to return ta its normal
open circuit condition.
~he drive means for the tying machine 10 comprises two
electrical motors having different functions. All of the
machine operations are actuated by the main drive motor MDM
except one and which function is activated by the ribbon
drive motor RDM. The motor RDM feeds the ribbon R from the
spool S into the machine proper.~ The mai~ drive motor MDM
includes a single revolueion clutch which may be a spring
clutch~ The drive motor MDM and the associated spring clutch
are of conventional, commercially available construction and
are utilized to provide one revolution corresponding to a
~ ~single operating cycle for the tyi~g machine 10. The main
drive`motor MDM is maintained energized at al1 times that
the machine is electrically powered and the single revolution
clutch is actuated in response to the operation of the
trigger arm MT actuating the switch LS-2 and initiating the
tying cycle. The output shaft of the main drive motor MDM
.. ~ 4
1058585
1 is positively coupled by means of a chain 5S to a shat 56
mounting the control cam 31 and the gear segment 52, The
normal position or the deactuated position o the control
cam 31 and the gear segment 52 is illustrated in Fig. 2.
The con~rol cam 31 and the gear segment 52 rotate in unison
with the shaft 56 during the time intervals that the single
revolution clutch is actuated.
The operations actuated by the main drive motor MD~
are controlled by the control cam 31 having a preselected
0 pro~ile for initiating the various operations of the tying
machine lO in a particu~lar sequence. For this purp~se, the '
control ~am 31 mounts a connecting rod 57 se~ured adjacent
the high profile portion of the cam 31 or the portion 3IHP~
The ~onnecting rod 57 has its opposite end secured to a
15 ~ link 58 which is~pivotally~æecured~to the frame of the machine
lO and is adapted~to pivot about-the pivoting member 59 secured
to the frame of the~machine. The link~58 is secured to the
bell crank 35 for coupling~and controlling the movements
thereof and there~y~the scissors 32. The~bell orank 35 is
adjustably secured to the link 58 by the provision of the
fastener 60 secured in the elongated slot 61 provided or the
link 58. The bell crank 35 may carry a U-shaped element 62
mounted at the inner extremi~y thereo~ adjacent the link 58
and secured thereto for operating the switches LS-3 and LS-l
arranged above one another and having operating arms LSA
extending therefrom. The switch LS-l has two operating arms~
while the switch LS-3 has a single operating arm identified
in Fig. 2 as the arm LS~. The movements of the link 5B and
bell crank 35 in~response to the movements of the connecting
. ';.1
_. . _. ., . . _ . ,.. ,. .. .. ... . . . ... .. .. ... . .... ... .. .. . _ _ ____ _. __ .. :
105t~585
1 rod 57 ~re ef~ective for movably opexating the switch operating
anms for the swltches LS~3 and LS-2 in the ~orrect time
sequence of the machine opera~ing cycle, as will be explained,
in detail hereinafter.
By referring to Fig. 7, it will be noted that the
commercially available ribbon drive motor RDM is coupled by
means o~ a chain 65 to a drive shaft 66 mounting the ribbon
drive roller 23 so that it is driven in unison with ~he shaft
66. The motor RDM is provided with a brake of commercially
0 available construction~so that it can quickly stop the motor
shaft and thereby precisely meter the ribbon R fed from the
spools. As will be ma~e evident hereinafter, the metering
of the ribbon R is also precisely~controlled through the
use'of an electronic timer ~employed~for timing the energization
period of the ribbon drive motor RDM.
Now referring to Fig.`~ lO, the arrangement of the ribbon
storage spool S and the braking apparatus B utilized therefor
will be'examined. It~will be~appreciated by those skilled
~in the art that some ~specific means for;preventing the~
~unraveling~of the~tying material R from the spool S during
the time intervals that the tying machine 10 is not in operation
:
and/or the time intervals that the ribbon R is not being
unwound from the~spool'S. For this purpose, it is important
to'have some braking apparatus associated with the spool S
to prevent the ribbon from coming unraveled during these~time
intervals which may render the tying machine inoperative until
the tying material can once again be tensioned on the spool
S for proper operation,. '
The braking apparatus B illustrated in Fig. 10 is of
conventional construction and is mounted to the same mounting
, ,,
~ . ' ' ,
.:
1058585
1 ~ arm 70 which mounts the shaft 71 upon which the spool S
is mounted. For this purpose, the arm 70 secures at its free
¦ end a mounting shaft 71B securing the upstanding bracket arm
I 72 which rotata~ly mounts an idler roller (or pulley)-'73'at
51 its free end. The idler roller 73 receives the free end of
l the ribbon R from the spool S and the ribbon is wound around
¦ ~he idler roller 73 and extenqs therefrom in~o the machine
proper as is evident from ex2mining Fig 2. ~he shaft 71B
secures the upstanding bracket arm 72 adjaaent the free end
thereof. Intermediate the upstanding brac~et 72 and the
end of shaft 71B, there is provided a torsion spring 74
mounted on the shaft 71B. The torsion spring 74 is secured
, between a pair of collars 75 and 76 to tightly secure the
spring 74 therebetween. One free end of the spring 74, or
the ë~d 74E is rotatably secured as the result of engagement
witb a shaft 77 seaured to ,the arm;70 outwardly of the
position of the shaft 71 thereon. The opposite free end of the
spring 74 is similarly~secur~ed to the mounting bracket 72
(not illustrated). The mounting bracket 72 includes a
, ,20 ;longitudinally extending braking member 72B~which consists
of a flat plate secured to the bracket 72 to engage the flanges'
of the ~pools for'preventing the rotation thereof. It will
be recognized that with the demand for ribbon R in the ma~hine
10 proper,,the tension produced on the ribbon at the bracket
arm 72 will cause the arm 72 and roller 73 to be moved
towards the machine, or forwardly, to,release the braking
element 72B from the flanges of the spool S and thereby allow
the ribbo~ R to be unwound from the spool S unti} the demand
fo~ rI~bon i8 ~ati~ d by the t~n~$on ~n ~h- rib~on ~ b~n~
3 ' '
`' '``
'' , .
.' . .
` ! 1058585
l released, At this time, the brac~et ~rm 72 will move back
¦ to its normal position with the braking plate 72B engaging
¦ the spool flanges to prevent further rot~tion thereof.
¦ Now referring to Fig. 14, the electrical circuit diagram
51 for controlling the main drive motor MDM and the rib~on drive
motor RDM will be examined. The motors are connected to a
source of alternating current which may be a llO-volt source.
The circuit may also be converted for 220-volt and 50-cycle
operation for use in foreign countries. The two drive motors
0 are manually activated by a pair of toggle switches illustrated
. as switches SW-l and SW-2. Each of these switches are
shown in their normal "O~f", or open circuit, position for
maintaining an open~electrical circuit to:the two motors MDM
and RDM. The switch SW-l is connected in direct series circuit
relationship with the main drive motor MDU across the
alternating current source as illustrated in Fig. 14. The
switch SW-2, which ls illustrated in the line below SW-l, is
connected through the electronic timing element identified : j
. as a TR-l and a switch ~S-l to:the ribbon drive motor RDM to
20 the opposite:side of the alternating current source, which
is shown as the grounded side. Accordingly, ~ith the operation
of both switches SW-l and 5W-2 the two motors are activated.
The ribbon driv.e motor RDM will not be energized at this ti~e
since~an open circuit condition results through the switch
2 LS-l being maintained in its normally open circuit condition,
The main drive motor ~DM will be energized once the switch
S~-l is closed and will be maintained energized at all times
that this; switch is closed. It will be recalled ~hat the
main drive motor MDM utilizes a single revolution clutch fox
3 .
.
, '~
. ~q~ , ' , '.
,
ll 10585B5 ~ l
I ¦ actuating the machine's sequential operations. The clutch
¦ is instantaneousl~ engaged when it is pulsed by its control
solenoid and which solènoid is identified in Fig. 14 as SOL
l and is arranged in series circuit relationship across the
power source with the switch LS-2 and the normally closed
relay co~tacts CR-l with the "On" terminal of the switch SW-l.
With the power switches actuated, then, this is the normal
condition of the circuit for'controlling ~he drive motors.
With the main drive motor MDM energized at all times,
0 the singlè revolution clutch will be instantaneously engaged
to comm~t the machine 10 to a single revolution once it`is
triggered. Once the triggering action occurs, the machine
`is caused to cycle through a complete operation'in response
to the operation of the switch LS-2 by an article to be tied
in the throat ~. At that time'the solenoid SOL is momentarily
pulsed with a pulse of sufficient time duration to trip the `,~
clutch and to actuate the machine 10 and cause it to follow
through its sequential operations. The switch LS-2 is
actuated in response to the article being placed in the
2 throat T of the machine and engaging the tri~ger arm MT for
causing the switch L5-2 to close. The switch LS-2 will be
maintained in its' closed circuit condition while the article
is positioned at the inner extremity of the throat T. The
clutch once pulsed by the solenoid SOL will cause the
machine 10 to be committed to one-full revolution. As the
machine 10 goes through its various cycles of operation
controlled by the cam 31, at the appropriate time, the
bell crank 35 will be moved to cause the actuating element
62 to trip the operating arms LSA for the switches LS-l and
3 LS-3. This will cause the normally closed contact CR-l !
. ` . I
1~ c~ I
.
1058585
l ¦~or the rela~ CRl to open ~nd de-energize the solenoid SOL and
¦to correspondingly e1Ose the normally open con~act CR-l that i3
larranged in series circuit relationship with the relay CRl. With
¦the closing of the contact CR-l, the relay CR will be maintained
5 ¦in a closed circuit condition when the switch LS-2 is closed.
¦ At this same time, the pair of contacts for the switch LS-l
will have been closed by the element 62 so that the timer TR-l
will be energized and close the contacts l and 3 for the timer
l TR-l to thereby energize the ribbon drive motor RDM. The closing
¦ of the switch LS~3 (with LS-l) will assure energlzation of the
.¦ relay CRl and keep the solenoid SOL out of the circuit until a
single machine cycle is completed,. Similarly, the relay CRl
will be powered by the closing of contacts ~9 and l0 for the
relay TR-l arranged around'the switch LS-2 for this purpose.
15 This is a safety eature which has been introduced into the
circuit by pro~iding the~con,tacts 9 and ll to provide a circuit
path around the switch LS-2 for maintaining ~the relay CRl in
operation. After the relay TR-1 times out for the preselected
time interval, correlated to the~amount'of ribbon to be
20 ~metered, the ribbon drive motor RDM wil~1 become de-energized.
To assure that the motor RDN~is~quickly stopped so that the
amount of ribbon R that is metered is carefully controlled,
a motor brake is included with the motor RDM to cause it to
stop re,volving very quickly. The,time of energization of the
2 motor RDM is adjustable by .adjusti,n~ the timer TR~
Referring now to Fig. 2 in particular, the adjustable
features of the tying machine l0 will be examined. The
machine l0 may bq adjusted very quic~ly to control the amount
of ribbon R that is metered,therefrom in relation to the
3 sizes or diameters of the artlcles to be tied. In addition,
the tying machine l0 is provided with adjustable means ~or
I
``! 1058585
1 ¦ an article to be centered at the twister 45 to assure that
the ribbon R is centered about a bag neck, ~or ~xample, and
the ribbon ends will be properly received by the twister
l hook 45. ~he metering of the ribbon R is controlled by two
51 di~ferent means. The total length of the ribbon R for
properly tying a particular diameter bag, for example, is
~enerally known. One half of the ~ie length can be metered
by adjusting ~he position of the entire ribbon drive assembly
with the other one-half being provided by the adjustment of
10 . the timer TR-l for timing the interval of time that the
motor RDM is energized and thereby advance the rlbbon R.
The ribbon drive assembly for this purpose is mounted on a
movable plate AP which mount~ the ribbon drive motor RDM,
ribbon guides 20 and ~l, ribbon drive rollers 22 and 23,
guides 24 and 25, and the knife 26 so that the entire ribbon
~eed drive may be moved towards and~away from the ribbon
forming station F in accordance with the amount of ribbon.
. required to be metered for the particular diameter of the
article to be tied. The one-half length- of ribbon R to be
2 metered.by the adjustment of the plate AP is measured from
the face of the ribbon~exit end of the guides 24 and 25
to the longitudinal center line of the twister hook 45 or the
. shaft 46. For this purpose, the machine may be.calibrated
aIong the side the plate AP in relation to the varying
2 diameters of the articles to be tied. The machine opera~or
may then quickly adjust the position of the plate AP.. The
adjustmen~ of the plate AP is provided for by means of the
ad~usting;slot APS illustrated in the upper left-hand rorner
. of the plate AP in Fig. 2, which longitudinally extends on
3 the plate. The selected position of the plate AP i~ fixed
~ ` 3 ~_ `
105858~i
1 ¦ by securing the adjusting screw AS to the ~rame of the machine
through the slot ~PS. The operator need only loosen the
adjustable screw AS, move the plate AP in the correct
l direction in accordance with the desired amount of tape to
be metered and then secure the screw AS to maintain the plate
APS in the selected position.
Slmilarly, the timer T~-l can be readily adjusted by
a movable arm or the like that may be calibrated for the
.~ same range of bag neck diameters as the scale for the plate
0 AP and will control the remaining length of the ribbon R to
be metered by the drive motor RDM.:
The article.to be tied must also be centered in the
. throat T with respeat to the center o~ the twister 45 to
cause the length of ribbon R to be centered about the bag
1 neck. For this purpose a centerlng plate TC is mo~ably
secured to the inner end o~ the throat T to arrest and
position the article to be tied at the:tyin~ station. The
~ ~ centering.plate TC is movable~towards and~away from the
: : center line of the twisting shaft 46 and the linear slot
. : .
:34C for the-cam plate 34. The plate TC is moved to position
it at a distance of one-half o~ the diameter of a bag neck,
for example,.from the center line of the twister 45. The
position of the plate TC is secuxed by a removable fastener
CF which secures the plate in a selected position and may be
2 loosened to allow the position of the plate to be moved in
the desired direction for centering purposes.
With the above ~structure in mind, the complete operation
of the tying machine 10 can now be described. It will be
asswmed that the machine 10 has been adjusted for tying an
3 article of a particular diameter and no adjustments are
~ 33
. .
1058585
1 ¦ required fox metering the correct length of ribbon ~ or
¦ the centering of the article at the tying station,
¦ The tying operation is initiated by closing the switches
I SW-l and SW-2 to activate the motors RDM and MDM. This will
sl energize the main drive motor MDM and maintain it energized
l as a result of the closing of the switch S~-l. The article
¦ to be tied may then ba placed into the throat ~ of the
¦ machine 10 and in doing so will engage the motor trigger arm
MT which will be moved out of the path of the article to be
0¦ tied and thereby actuating the swltch aperator S3 for closing
the switch LS-2. The closing of the bag switch L~ will
momentariIy pulse the solenoid SOL to actuate the ~ingle
revolution clutch associated with the drive motor MDM. With
this action the tying machine 10 will be committed to
complete a single revolution~for se~uen~ing through its
operations. It will be assumed~that the ribbon R has been
previously fed into the machine and~brought through the
ribbon exit end o the guides~24 and 25 even with the cut-off
knife 26. With the tripping of the switch LS-2, the control
cam 31 will begin~ to rotate counteralockwise in response to
the actuation of the slngle~revolution cIutch.
During the first 15 degrees of rotation of the contro~
cam 31, the ball bearing 70BB which is mounted to the free
en,d of the bellcrank 70~at the detent 31D of the control cam
2 31 will be forced-out of the detent 31D. When the ball
bearing 70BB is forced out of the detent 31D it will tra~el
along the high portion -31HP of the cam ~1 and actuate the
knife 26. The knife 26 is actuated through the movement
transmitted through the series of secured arms provided by
3 the bell crank 70, arms 27, 30, 71 and 72 which force the
1 1058585
1 ¦ knife 26 to move to the le~t as illustrated in Fig. 2. In
¦ moving to the left, the knife 26 will shear the ribbon R from
the xemaining portion of the ribbon extending upstream to
the spool S. At this time, it will be recognized that the
ribbon R will extend into the chutes 32RC and 32LC for the
forming scissors 32. As the control cam 31 continues to
rotate, the connecting rod 57 (which had been on bottom dead
center) begins to pull bell crank 35 which is connected to
the scissors 32 by the shackle link 36. The bell crànk 35
0 may cause the stroke of the conneoting rod 57 to be slightly
multiplied. In respon~e to the movement Qf the bell crank
35, the scissors 32~will then advance in a ætraight line
towards the article to be tied in the throat T. ~he motions
of the scissors 32 are controlled by the cam plate 34 during
lS the advancement of the scis60rs 32 towards the article~to be
tied. During the initial movement of the scissors 32, the
ribbon R will engage the fork 41 to be retained and thereby
deformed. At the tLme when the ribbon R contacts the fork 41, I:
the arms of the scis60r6 3Z wil~l begin to open to clear
2 the;article to be tied that is;~held at the throat T of the
machine 10. The fork 41 will remain in the path of the
ribbon R until the scissors have fully opened to their extreme
position as illustrated in Fig. 4. At this time the lifter
arm 37 will quickly raise the fork 41 away from the ribbon R.
2 The scissors 32 will~continue to be advanced towards the
tying station RT and the ribbon R will be formed around the
article to be tied during this interval.
As a result of the ribbon R being deformed in the manner
illustrated in Fig. 4, a tightening effect occurs as the
3 scissors 32 close around the article to be tied. This
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` 11 1058585
1 I tightening e~fect is most pxonounced on bags or packages
¦ having the larger di~meter necks. The scissors 32 continue
l in this fashion and completely close around the artîcle
to be tied at the top dead center position of the cam 31
and which position }s illustrated in Fig. 5. At this time
in the cycle of operation, the ribbon R is in a position
to be picked up by the twister hook 45. At this time the
twister hook 45 is actuated by the gear segment 52 engaging
the pinion 51 and rotating the twister shaft 46 in response
0 thereto. As the twister hook 45 begins to rotate counter-
clockwise, it will pick up the free ends of the ribbon R
and ~tr}p them from the scissors32 and begin the twist}ng
tying operation. At th}s time, the scissors 32 will begin
to retract from the tying station RT and move linearly in
the opposite direct}on~from left to right to its ~homen
position. ~ ~ ~
In moving from the tying station RT to "home", the
scissors 32 moYe ~through the reverse sequence describ~ for
the opening and closing of the scissor arms 32R and 32L.
As the scissors 32 approach the "home" position, the cam 31
is at the bottom dead center and the pin 33 for the scissors
32 will engage the lifter arm 37 to force }t back }nto its
normal down position. The bell crank 70 will then drop
into the detent 3~D for cam 31 just as the single revolution
clutch on the main dr}ve motor MDM disengages to term}nate
the cycle. The detent 31D for the cam 31 assures that the
scissors 32 are exactly positioned at the 'Ihome'' position
every tLme. The "home" position is defined slightly inwardly
from the ~erminal end of the control ~m slots 34R, 34L and
3 34C to assure that~the scissors are not forced up against
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1 10S858~ I
¦ the end walls. At this same point in time, the bell crank 35
will activate the operating armSLSA for the switches LS-3
and LS-l to place the ribbon drive motor RDM across the
source of power and cause the ribbon drive roller 23 to
rotate. With the actuation of the drive roller 23, the ribbon
R will be advanced as a result ~f the coactio~ of the drive
roller 23 with ~he roller 22. The ribbon will be advanced
for the interval controlled by the relay T~-l to provide the
correct metering of the ribbon for the successi~e tying
operation. The ribbon motor RDM will be stopped when the time
delay relay TR-l times out causing the brake associated with
the motor RDM to quickly stop the motor and the feeding of
the ribbon R. ~he article can then be removed from ~he
throat T and the machine is ready for the next tying operation.
1If the next article to be tied~exceeds the diameter of
the pre~ious article to require adjustment of the machine 10
for metering the ri W on R and the centering of the article~ !
these operations must be performed by the operater before
the article can be tied. Once these adjuætmen s are completed,
2 the next article to be tied may ~e placed into the machine 10
at the throat ~ and the above sequence of operations is
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repeated.
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