Article banding machines

Claim 2

A banding machine comprising: a. a platform having a working surface adapted to receive an article to be banded; b. a rotary assembly disposed adjacent the surface of the platform remote from said working surface, means mounting said rotary assembly for rotation about a fixed axis and said rotary assembly including a support means mounting said support both for circumferential movement closely by said platform to receive an article therefrom and for inward substantially radial movement against biasing means, a reciprocal constantstroke gripper, means mounting said gripper adjacent said support for movement in a substantially radial direction from a rest position to a predetermined inward position, said gripper having a radially disposed portion positioned for engaging a trailing edge of an article upon said platform, said gripper including also a tangentially disposed terminal portion defining means movable towards said predetermined inward position for engaging a part of the outer surface of an article disposed upon said support and gripping said article thereupon; c. means for feeding a band upon said support before it reaches said platform; d. driving means for rotating said rotary assembly; e. actuating means for said gripper, said actuating means being driven by said driving means and operable upon rotation of the rotary assembly to cause said radially disposed portion of the gripper to engage the article trailing edge thereby to transfer the article from said platform to said support with a band therebetween and thereafter to move said gripper from said rest position radially inwardly with said tangential portion of the said gripper moving to said predetermined inward position thereby to grip the article; and f. means for bringing together and uniting the two ends of the band while the article is gripped by said gripper.

Claim 3

A banding machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for bringing together the two ends of a band comprises first reciprocal lever means pivotally mounted to said rotary assembly and operable upon rotational movement in a direction opposite to that of the rotary assembly to fold a leading end of the band against the article leading edge, second reciprocal lever means pivotally mounted to said rotary assembly and operable upon rotational movement in the same direction as the rotary assembly to fold the trailing end of the band around the trailing edge and outer surface of the article gripped upon said support, and actuating means for said lever means dRiven by said driving means and means fixedly mounted to a stationary part of the machine for coacting the leading and trailing ends of the band.

Claim 4

A banding machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein the actuating means for said gripper and said first and second reciprocal lever means comprises, respectively, first and second and third cams and associated first and second and third cam followers, said cams being fixedly mounted co-axially about the axis of rotation of the assembly.

Claim 5

A banding machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for feeding the band upon said support comprises a suction member mounted upon said rotary assembly, a rotary air distribution valve comprising a stationary component having a distribution port in communication with a source of suction, a rotary component adapted to rotate with said rotary assembly and having port means in communication with said suction member and adapted to align cyclically with said distribution port, and safety means operable upon rotation of the rotary assembly to move said gripper to its predetermined inward position when, as said gripper approaches said platform, there is less than a predetermined degree of suction in said suction member.

Claim 6

A banding machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein the actuating means for the said gripper comprises a modifiable cam fixedly mounted co-axially about the axis of rotation of the rotary assembly and an associated cam follower connected mechanically to said gripper and the safety means is adapted to modify the effective profile of the said cam.

Claim 7

A banding machine as claimed in claim 5 wherein said cam comprises two distinct portions, a major portion adapted for normal operation of the machine and a movable minor portion adapted to move into effective alignment with said major portion whereby to increase the peripheral profile of the said cam and to cause the extremity of the said gripper to pass inwardly of the working surface of the said platform upon rotation of the rotary assembly.

Claim 8

A banding machine as claimed in claim 6 wherein the minor portion of the cam is spring biased to said effective alignment and including a vacuum sensitive electrical switch in fluid communication with the interior of said suction member and an electromagnet adapted to be energized by said vacuum sensitive switch, and in its energized state, to move said minor cam portion out of said effective alignment.

Claim 9

A banding machine as claimed in claim 1 including a magazine adapted to house a supply of bands, said magazine being pivotally mounted and driven by said driving means in unison with the rotation of said rotary assembly thereby to facilitate the removal of a band from said magazine by said band feeding means.

Claim 10

A banding machine comprising: a. a platform having a working surface adapted to receive an article to be banded; b. a rotary assembly disposed adjacent the surface of the platform remote from said working surface, means mounting said rotary assembly for rotation about a fixed axis, said rotary assembly including a support, means mounting said support both for circumferential movement closely by said platform and to receive an article therefrom and for inward substantially radial movement against biasing means, a reciprocal constant stroke gripper, means mounting said gripper for movement in a substantially radial direction from a rest position to a predetermined inward position, said gripper having a radially disposed portion positioned for engaging a trailing edge of an article upon said platform, said gripper including also a tangentially disposed portion defining means movable towards said predetermined inward position for engaging a part of an outer surface of an article upon said support and gripping the article thereupon, and a pivotally mounted article aligning means adapted to engage the leading edge of an article upon said support and to constrain said article between the radially disposed portion of the gripper and said article aligning means prior to the gripping of The article upon the support; c. a means for feeding a band upon said support before it reaches said platform; d. driving means for rotating said rotary assembly; e. actuating means for said gripper and said aligning means, said actuating means being driven by said driving means and adapted upon rotation of said rotary assembly to cause the said radial portion of the gripper to engage the said trailing edge thereby to transfer an article from the platform to the support with a band therebetween, to move said gripper from said rest position, to move said aligning means to its effective position and, thereafter, to cause said tangential portion of said gripper to move to said predetermined inward position; and f. means for bringing together and uniting the two ends of the band.

Claim 11

A banding machine comprising: a. a platform having a working surface adapted to receive an article to be banded; b. a rotary assembly disposed adjacent the surface of the platform remote from said working surface, means mounting said rotary assembly for rotation about a fixed axis, said rotary assembly including a support, means mounting said support both for circumferential movement closely by said platform and to receive an article therefrom and for inward substantially radial movement against biasing means, a reciprocal constant stroke gripper, means mounting said gripper for movement in a substantially radial direction from a rest position to a predetermined inward position, said gripper having a radially disposed portion positioned for engaging a trailing edge of an article upon said platform, said gripper including also a tangentially disposed portion defining means movable towards said predetermined inward position for engaging a part of an outer surface of an article upon said support and gripping the article thereupon, and a pivotally mounted article aligning means adapted to engage the leading edge of an article upon said support and to constrain said article between the radially disposed portion of the gripper and said article aligning means prior to the gripping of The article upon the support; c. a means for feeding a band upon said support before it reaches said platform; d. driving means for rotating said rotary assembly; e. actuating means for said gripper and said aligning means, said actuating means being driven by said driving means and adapted upon rotation of said rotary assembly to cause the said radial portion of the gripper to engage the said trailing edge thereby to transfer an article from the platform to the support with a band therebetween, to move said gripper from said rest position, to move said aligning means to its effective position and, thereafter, to cause said tangential portion of said gripper to move to said predetermined inward position; and f. means for bringing together and uniting the two ends of the band.

Claim 12

A banding machine as claimed in claim 9 wherein the means for bringing together the two ends of a band comprises first reciprocal lever means pivotally mounted to said rotary assembly and operable upon rotational movement in a direction opposite to that of the rotary assembly to fold a leading end of the band against the leading edge of an article and second reciprocal lever means pivotally mounted to said rotary assembly and operable upon rotational movement in the same direction as the rotary assembly to fold a trailing end of the band around the trailing edge and outer surface of said article gripped upon said support, actuating means for said lever means driven by said driving means and means fixedly mounted to stationary part of the machine for coacting the leading and trailing ends of the band.

Claim 13

A banding machine as claimed in claim 10 wherein said first reciprocal lever means is also said article aligning means.

Claim 14

A banding machine as claimed in claim 11 wherein the actuating means for said gripper, said first lever means and said second lever means comprises respectively first, second and third cams and associated first, second and third cam followers, said cams being fixedly mounted co-axially about the axis of rotation of the rotary assembly.