Method and apparatus for the continuous transfer of longitudinally extending workpieces

Claim 1

An apparatus for the continuous transfer of longitudinally extending tampons of compressed absorbent fiber material of like dimension to a high-speed receiver means, which apparatus comprises a driveable shaft carrying a first transfer drum disposed theeabout, said transfer durm provided with at least one transfer mandrel, means for displacing said transfer mandrel concentrically and longitudinally parallel to the drum axis, a chain-like element provided with sleeve-like tampon receiver means, said receiver means forming extensions of hollow hinge pins, said sleeve-like receiver means extending from the chain in the direction of a workpiece carrying means, an endless transfer element having mounted thereon workpiece carrying means having a slot therein, each of which workpiece carrying means is in the form of a trough-like member having an inside cross section smaller than the cross section of the tampon to be carried and elastic long sides forming clamping jaws which can enclose around the tampon to a point above a longitudinal axis through its center, said workpiece carrying means at least at its end remote from and facing said first transfer drum being closed to substantially the full height of the tampon to be carried so that the closed end of the workpiece carrying means facing said first transfer drum, in the transfer position thereof, forms a substantially closed transfer passage with said receiver means, a second transfer drum carrying said endless transfer element, said chain-Like element and said endless transfer element trained with respect to one another, said transfer mandrel and said means for displacing said transfer mandrel such that in the area of end-toend alignment of said receiver means with said workpiece carrying means said means for displacing said transfer mandrel moves said transfer mandrel concentrically and longitudinally parallel to said drum axis whereby said transfer mandrel transfers a tampon from said receiver means to said workpiece carrying means, said apparatus having a reversing shaft on which said second transfer drum is mounted rigidly said second transfer drum carrying, at least in part, said endless flexible element, said second drum provided with transfer push-rods mounted at identical angular distance and means for displacing said push-rods radially outward through a slot in the workpiece carrying means, a revolvable drum having depressions provided on the periphery thereof, said drum disposed in facing relationship to said second transfer drum whereby tampons can be serially ejected from said workpiece carrying means into said depressions.

Claim 2

An apparatus for the continuous transfer of longitudinally extending tampons of compressed absorbent fiber material of like dimension to a high-speed receiver means, which apparatus comprises a driveable shaft carrying a first transfer drum disposed theeabout, said transfer durm provided with at least one transfer mandrel, means for displacing said transfer mandrel concentrically and longitudinally parallel to the drum axis, a chain-like element provided with sleeve-like tampon receiver means, said receiver means forming extensions of hollow hinge pins, said sleeve-like receiver means extending from the chain in the direction of a workpiece carrying means, an endless transfer element having mounted thereon workpiece carrying means having a slot therein, each of which workpiece carrying means is in the form of a trough-like member having an inside cross section smaller than the cross section of the tampon to be carried and elastic long sides forming clamping jaws which can enclose around the tampon to a point above a longitudinal axis through its center, said workpiece carrying means at least at its end remote from and facing said first transfer drum being closed to substantially the full height of the tampon to be carried so that the closed end of the workpiece carrying means facing said first transfer drum, in the transfer position thereof, forms a substantially closed transfer passage with said receiver means, a second transfer drum carrying said endless transfer element, said chain-Like element and said endless transfer element trained with respect to one another, said transfer mandrel and said means for displacing said transfer mandrel such that in the area of end-toend alignment of said receiver means with said workpiece carrying means said means for displacing said transfer mandrel moves said transfer mandrel concentrically and longitudinally parallel to said drum axis whereby said transfer mandrel transfers a tampon from said receiver means to said workpiece carrying means, said apparatus having a reversing shaft on which said second transfer drum is mounted rigidly said second transfer drum carrying, at least in part, said endless flexible element, said second drum provided with transfer push-rods mounted at identical angular distance and means for displacing said push-rods radially outward through a slot in the workpiece carrying means, a revolvable drum having depressions provided on the periphery thereof, said drum disposed in facing relationship to said second transfer drum whereby tampons can be serially ejected from said workpiece carrying means into said depressions.

Claim 14

An apparatus for the continuous transfer of longitudinally extending workpieces of like dimension to a high-speed receiving means, which apparatus comprises a driveable shaft carrying a first transfer drum disposed thereabout, said transfer drum provided with at least one transfer mandrel, means for displacing said transfer mandrel concentrically and longitudinally parallel to the drum axis, an endless flexible transport element on which is mounted a receiver means for workpieces and adjacent thereto an endless transfer element having mounted thereon workpiece carrying means each of which has a closed end, workpiece carrying means carried on said endless transfer a second transfer drum carrying said endless transfer element, said endless flexible transport element and said endless transfer element trained with respect to one another, said transfer mandrel and said means for displacing said transfer mandrel such that in the are of end-to-end alignment of said receiver means with said wokpiece carrier means said means for displacing said transfer mandrel moves said transfer mandrel concentrically and longitudinally parallel to said drum axis whereby said transfer mandrel transfers a workpiece from said receiver means to said workpiece carrying means, the closed end of the workpiece carrying means Being angled in the plane of rotation of the transfer element, said transfer element being chain-like, the angled part of the workpiece carrying means being constructed to correspond to the side plate of a link of the chain-like transfer element and carrying at trough-shaped part of the workpiece carrying means between two points of articulation of the angled part, said transport element being a chain-like element which is provided with sleeve-like receiver means which form extensions of hollow hinge pins, said sleeve-like receiver elements extending from the chain in the direction of the workpiece carying means.

Claim 15

An apparatus for the continuous transfer of longitudinally extending workpieces of like dimension to a high-speed receiving means, which apparatus comprises a driveable shaft carrying a first transfer drum disposed thereabout, said transfer drum provided with at least one transfer mandrel, means for displacing said transfer mandrel concentrically and longitudinally parallel to the drum axis, an endless flexible transport element on which is mounted a receiver means for workpieces and adjacent thereto an endless transfer element having mounted thereon workpiece carrying means each of which has a closed end, workpiece carrying means carried on said endless transfer a second transfer drum carrying said endless transfer element, said endless flexible transport element and said endless transfer element trained with respect to one another, said transfer mandrel and said means for displacing said transfer mandrel such that in the are of end-to-end alignment of said receiver means with said wokpiece carrier means said means for displacing said transfer mandrel moves said transfer mandrel concentrically and longitudinally parallel to said drum axis whereby said transfer mandrel transfers a workpiece from said receiver means to said workpiece carrying means, the closed end of the workpiece carrying means Being angled in the plane of rotation of the transfer element, said transfer element being chain-like, the angled part of the workpiece carrying means being constructed to correspond to the side plate of a link of the chain-like transfer element and carrying at trough-shaped part of the workpiece carrying means between two points of articulation of the angled part, said transport element being a chain-like element which is provided with sleeve-like receiver means which form extensions of hollow hinge pins, said sleeve-like receiver elements extending from the chain in the direction of the workpiece carying means.