Band guiding and forming assembly for banding apparatus

• US 5,024,049 A
• Filed: 02/20/1990
• Issued: 06/18/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eric W. Strub, Kenneth M. Strub
• Original Assignee: Eric W. Strub, Kenneth M. Strub
• Inventors: Strub, Eric W., Strub, Kenneth M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sipos, John
• Application Number:
  US07/481,965
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 53/459, 53/551, 53/568, 53/567, 53/578, 53/585, 53/291, 53/298, 493/255, 493/258, 493/302
• US Class Current: 53/585
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 3/065 by placing tubular labels around the container applying preformed tubular sheathings of plastics in general B29C63/18; applying protective covers to closures B67B5/03
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 5/036 the covers being heat-shrinkable

Abstract

A band guiding and forming assembly for a banding machine includes an inner, free floating guide member for locating in the travel path of banding material through the machine and for positioning within the banding material to open it out, and outer opposed guide members on opposite sides of the travel path for supporting the inner guide member. At least one pair of opposed inner pinch rollers are rotatably mounted on opposite sides of the inner guide member for rotatably engaging opposed inner surface portions of the banding material, and a pair of opposed outer pinch rollers are rotatably mounted on the respective outer guide members for engaging and supporting the respective inner pinch rollers. Opposite surface portions of the banding material are rotatably engaged between the respective opposed inner and outer pinch rollers so that any crease lines between them are flattened out at least temporarily.

Claims

1. A band guiding and forming apparatus for opening and smoothing flattened tubular banding material having opposing creased lines, comprising:

guide means for opening out and guiding tubular banding material along a travel path;

the guide means including inner guide means extending along the travel path for positioning inside the tubing material, an outer opposed guide means on opposite sides of the travel path for supporting the inner guide means and for guiding opposed portions of the tubing walls between the inner and outer guide means;

the inner guide means comprising a wedge-like member having a first pair of opposed tapering portions of substantially continuously and uniformly reducing width extending along substantially the whole length of the wedge-like member in the travel direction contacting the band within said crease lines and a second pair of opposed tapering portions extending alongside the first pair of tapering portions in a plane perpendicular to said first pair and of substantially continously and uniformly increasing width extending along substantially the whole length of the wedge-like member in the travel direction for gradually spreading and opening the tubing material, and a pair of opposed inner pinch rollers, each inner pinch roller being mounted on a respective one of said first pair of opposed tapering portions for rotatably engaging respective opposed interior surface portions of said crease lines; and

the outer guide means including a pair of opposed outer pinch rollers located on opposite sides of the travel path adjacent respective ones of said inner pinch rollers for rotatably engaging opposite surface portions of said banding material and pressing said portions between respective inner and outer pinch rollers for flattening and smoothing said crease lines between said rollers.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said inner guide means comprises a solid, tetrahedron shaped block and said inner rollers are rotatably mounted on opposed faces of said block which taper inwardly in the travel direction.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said inner guide means is a free, floating member and said outer guide means comprises means for freely supporting said inner guide means.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the maximum width of said inner guide means is substantially equal to the tubing lay flat width.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, including a plurality of inner guide members of varying dimensions for fitting inside tubing of different diameters.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said outer pinch rollers are adjustably mounted to accommodate inner guide members of different dimensions.

7. A band guiding and forming apparatus for opening and smoothing flattened tubular banding material, comprising:

guide means for guiding and opening out tubular banding material traveling along a travel path;

the guide means including inner guide means extending along the travel path for positioning inside the tubing material, and outer opposed guide means on opposite sides of the travel path for supporting the inner guide means and for guiding opposed portions of the tubing walls between the inner and outer guide means;

the inner guide means comprising a wedge-like plate having flat surfaces with a pair of opposed tapering portions of reducing width in the travel direction, and a pair of opposed inner pinch rollers; and

the outer guide means including a pair of opposed outer pinch rollers located on opposite sides of the travel path adjacent respective ones of said inner pinch rollers for rotatably engaging opposite surface portions of said banding material between respective outer and inner pinch rollers so as to flatten and smooth any crease lines between said rollers;

said first pair of opposed surface portions comprising tapering linear edges for locating the internal sides of opposite crease lines on said banding material each said inner pinch roller being rotatably mounted on a respective one of said opposed tapering portions perpendicular to said flat surfaces for rotatably engaging respective opposed interior surface portions of said banding material.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said outer guide means further includes opposed, outer elongate guide members extending on opposite sides of the travel path adjacent the respective opposite tapering edges, said guide members having channels for guiding said crease lines between each respective outer guide member and inner tapering edge.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said channels are V shaped.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said outer pinch rollers are rotatably mounted at the end of said guide channels with the gap between each pair of inner and outer pinch rollers in alignment with the respective channel.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, further including support means for supporting said guide members, and mounting means for adjustably mounting said guide members on said support means.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, including biasing means for urging each guide member inwardly against the respective opposed tapering edge.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said inner guide means includes a second flat plate of tapering width, one of said plates having a slot extending along at least a major portion of its central axis and engaging over the other plate so that the plates are perpendicular to one another with their central axes coinciding, the wide end of the first plate being adjacent the narrow end of the second plate, and said inner pinch rollers being mounted on the respective opposite edges of said first plate.

14. A band guiding and forming apparatus for opening and smoothing flattened tubular banding material, comprising:

inner guide means extending along part of a travel path for tubular banding material for positioning inside and opening the tubular banding material as it travels along the path, and outer opposed guide means on opposite sides of the travel path for supporting the inner guide means and for guiding opposed portions of the tubing walls between the inner and outer guide means;

the inner guide means comprising first and second flat plates of tapering width secured together perpendicular to one another along their center lines so that they taper in opposite directions with the wide end of the first plate adjacent the narrow end of the second plate and the first plate being of reducing width in the travel direction;

a pair of opposed inner pinch rollers rotatably mounted on respective opposite portions of the opposite edges of the first plate for rotatably engaging respective opposed interior portions of said banding material; and

the outer guide means including a pair of opposed outer pinch rollers located on opposite sides of the travel path adjacent respective ones of said inner pinch rollers for rotatably engaging opposite surface portions of said banding material between respective inner and outer pinch rollers so as to flatten and smooth any crease lines between said rollers.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein said outer guide means includes opposed outer elongate guide members extending on opposite sides of the travel path, said outer elongate guide members being inclined towards one another at angles equivalent to the angle of taper of said first plate and having channels extending along their length for receiving the opposite tapering edges of said first plate and for guiding said crease lines between each respective edge of the plate and guide member channel, said inner and outer opposed pinch rollers being located at the end of said channels.