Machine for packaging long lengths

Claim 2

A machine for packaging long narrow lengths of material as said lengths are introduced thereto comprising a trough having one end portion disposed at a length-receiving station, said end portion having an open inlet end for receiving the leading end of each length, said trough receiving each said length for sliding movement therethrough, at least one door in the floor of the trough through which said lengths are discharged, and means on the trough for opening said door, a carriage at a filling station beneath and spaced from said trough having means for supporting a pair of spaced-apart sideby-side receptacles for receiving said lengths, said carriage being movable back and forth so as to position one of said receptacles at a filling position beneath said door and the other receptacle at a ready position, means responsive to the arrival of each length in discharge position on the trough for activating said door-opening means to permit each length to be deposited into the receptacle at said filling position, and means adjacent each end portion of the carriage for moving said carriage back and forth as a receptacle is filled to permit unloading of said filled receptacle.

Claim 3

Machine of claim 1 wherein said trough is inclined downwardly from the receiving station at an angle to aid sliding movement of the lengths in the trough.

Claim 4

Machine of claim 1 wherein said trough has an opening in the floor thereof between said door and the end remote from said receiving station.

Claim 5

Machine of claim 3 wherein said trough has a stop for the lengths beyond said opening.

Claim 6

Machine of claim 1 wherein said door-opening means comprise air cylinders.

Claim 7

Machine of claim 5 wherein said carriage-moving means comprise air cylinders.

Claim 8

Machine of claim 1 wherein said lengths are formed by a movable cutter at a cutting station adjacent said inlet enD of the trough, and wherein said activating means is responsive to a cutting step for producing said lengths movement of said cutter.

Claim 9

Machine of claim 1 wherein said activating means is disposed along the path of movement of each length and is responsive to the engagement thereof by each length.

Claim 10

Machine of claim 1 wherein two doors are present in said trough comprising a forward and a rearward door and wherein delay means are present for delaying the opening of one door until after the other door has opened.

Claim 11

Machine of claim 2 wherein a second sloping trough is present adjacent and parallel to the first trough, said troughs together being able to deposit two lengths at a time side-by-side in a receptacle at the filling position.

Claim 12

Machine of claim 10 wherein dividing means are present to insure lateral separation of said side-by-side lengths.

Claim 13

Machine of claim 11 wherein said dividing means have leading edges that are tapered.

Claim 14

A machine for stacking and boxing long narrow cut lengths of material as said lengths are cut from a continuous moving length of said material comprising a frame comprising forward and back upstanding members and a cross piece associated with each member, a trough for receiving cut lengths supported in a sloping position on said members, the high end of the trough comprising a cut length-receiving station and being open for the endwise reception of one length after another, said trough receiving each said length for sliding movement therethrough, at least one door in the floor of said trough through which said lengths are discharged, and means supported on a side of the trough for opening said door, a box carriage at a stacking and boxing station beneath said trough and supported on said cross pieces in a position substantially parallel to the trough, said carriage comprising a long member having brackets on each side thereof for supporting a pair of spaced-apart side-by-side boxes in which said lengths are deposited, bearing members on the underside of the carriage adapted to slide over the upper sides of said cross pieces, bearing means attached to said carriage underside and movably engaging a vertically extending wall of the forward cross piece, means supported on each cross piece for moving said carriage transversely back and forth on said cross pieces, stop means on one of the cross pieces for limiting the transverse movement of the carriage, said carriage being movable in a direction substantially normal to the movement of said lengths on the trough so as to position one of said boxes at a filling position beneath said trough and the other box at a ready position, and means responsive to the arrival of each length in discharge position on the trough for activating said door-opening means to permit each cut length to be deposited from the trough into a box at the filling position.

Claim 15

A machine for stacking and boxing long narrow cut lengths of material as said lengths are cut from a continuous moving length of said material comprising a frame comprising forward and back upstanding members and a cross piece associated with each member, a trough for receiving cut lengths supported in a sloping position on said members, the high end of the trough comprising a cut length-receiving station and being open for the endwise reception of one length after another, said trough receiving each said length for sliding movement therethrough, at least one door in the floor of said trough through which said lengths are discharged, and means supported on a side of the trough for opening said door, a box carriage at a stacking and boxing station beneath said trough and supported on said cross pieces in a position substantially parallel to the trough, said carriage comprising a long member having brackets on each side thereof for supporting a pair of spaced-apart side-by-side boxes in which said lengths are deposited, bearing members on the underside of the carriage adapted to slide over the upper sides of said cross pieces, bearing means attached to said carriage underside and movably engaging a vertically extending wall of the forward cross piece, means supported on each cross piece for moving said carriage transversely back and forth on said cross pieces, stop means on one of the cross pieces for limiting the transverse movement of the carriage, said carriage being movable in a direction substantially normal to the movement of said lengths on the trough so as to position one of said boxes at a filling position beneath said trough and the other box at a ready position, and means responsive to the arrival of each length in discharge position on the trough for activating said door-opening means to permit each cut length to be deposited from the trough into a box at the filling position.

Claim 16

A machine for stacking and boxing long narrow cut lengths of material as said lengths are cut from a continuous moving length of said material comprising a frame including a forward upstanding member and a back upstanding member, and a cross piece associated with each said member, a pair of spaced-apart troughs for receiving cut lengths supported in a sloping position on said members with each trough having a high end disposed at a cut length-receiving station, each trough being defined by a side piece and having a floor comprising at least one door through which said lengths are discharged, said door of each trough, in closed position, being separated from the opposite trough by a fixed inner wall with said inner walls being slightly spaced from each other, a plurality of transverse members for supporting said side pieces and to which said fixed walls are attached, a series of spaced dividers in said wall space movable down and back as said doors open and close, and means supported on said side pieces for opening said doors, a box carriage at a stacking and boxing station beneath said troughs, saiD carriage being supported adjacent end portions thereof on said cross pieces of the frame in a position below the troughs, said carriage comprising a long member having brackets extending transversely thereof for supporting a pair of spaced-apart side-by-side cut length-receiving boxes between each bracket and the long member, means supported on each cross piece for moving said carriage transversely back and forth on said cross pieces, said carriage being movable in a direction substantially normal to the movement of said material so as to position one of said boxes at a filling position beneath said troughs and the other box at a ready position, means responsive to the arrival of each length in discharge position on the trough for activating said door-opening means to permit a cut length from each trough to be deposited side-by-side into said box at said filling position, means for moving said dividers downwardly to help maintain the position of the lengths relatively to each other, and means for actuating said carriage-moving means as each box at the filling position is filled.

Claim 17

A machine for stacking and boxing long narrow cut lengths of material as said lengths are cut from a continuous moving length of said material comprising a frame including a forward upstanding member and a back upstanding member, and a cross piece associated with each said member, a pair of spaced-apart troughs for receiving cut lengths supported in a sloping position on said members with each trough having a high end disposed at a cut length-receiving station, each trough being defined by a side piece and having a floor comprising at least one door through which said lengths are discharged, said door of each trough, in closed position, being separated from the opposite trough by a fixed inner wall with said inner walls being slightly spaced from each other, a plurality of transverse members for supporting said side pieces and to which said fixed walls are attached, a series of spaced dividers in said wall space movable down and back as said doors open and close, and means supported on said side pieces for opening said doors, a box carriage at a stacking and boxing station beneath said troughs, saiD carriage being supported adjacent end portions thereof on said cross pieces of the frame in a position below the troughs, said carriage comprising a long member having brackets extending transversely thereof for supporting a pair of spaced-apart side-by-side cut length-receiving boxes between each bracket and the long member, means supported on each cross piece for moving said carriage transversely back and forth on said cross pieces, said carriage being movable in a direction substantially normal to the movement of said material so as to position one of said boxes at a filling position beneath said troughs and the other box at a ready position, means responsive to the arrival of each length in discharge position on the trough for activating said door-opening means to permit a cut length from each trough to be deposited side-by-side into said box at said filling position, means for moving said dividers downwardly to help maintain the position of the lengths relatively to each other, and means for actuating said carriage-moving means as each box at the filling position is filled.