Tampon ejector tube and apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for forming the inner ejector tube of a telescoping tampon applicator comprising, a first die means for shaping one end of a tubular cylinder to form an inwardly turned end wall having a central aperture therein, a second die means for shaping the other end of a tubular cylinder to form an outwardly turned bead-like rim, means for supporting a tubular cylinder with its ends in alignment with said first and said second die means, longitudinal tube feeding means for feeding tubular cylinders one at a time in a longitudinal direction to said supporting means, means for moving at least one of said die means towards the other until the distance separating said die means is less than the length of a tubular cylinder supported therebetween whereby the ends of a tubular cylinder are shaped by said die means to form a tampon applicator tube, means for internally supporting said tubular cylinder when its ends are being shaped by the converging die means, and means for removing a formed ejector tube from said internal supporting means, said die means being heated to soften the tube ends for shaping.

Claim 3

Apparatus as in claim 1, said internal supported means being mandrel means integral with one of said die means.

Claim 4

Apparatus for forming the inner ejector tube of a telescoping tampon applicator according to claim 1 wherein said means for internally supporting a tubular cylinder comprises mandrel means operable with said second die means and including means for forming abutment means on the outside of a tubular cylinder when it is being formed into an ejector tube.

Claim 5

Apparatus for forming the inner ejector tube of a telescoping tampon applicator according to claim 2 wherein said mandrel means comprises a first part integral with said second die means and a second part connected to said first part, said second part having a central cavity, an axial bore extending from said cavity out of said second part, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures extending from the outer surface of said second part to said central cavity, and means for projecting through said spaced apertures to form abutments on the sidewall of a blank supported by said mandrel means.

Claim 6

Apparatus for forming the inner ejector tube of a telescoping tampon applicator according to claim 3 wherein said abutment forming means includes a pin axially slideable within said cavity and bore and projecting out of said second part, and a plurality of arms spaced around said pin and pivotally connected thereto, said arms extending at an angle to said pin towards said circumferentially spaced apertures, means for biasing said pin to a first position out of said second part wherein said arms are withdrawn within said second part, the arrangement being such that when the distance between the die means is reduced to form an ejector tube said pin strikes the first die means thereby sliding said pin against said biasing means to thereby move said arms out through the circumferentially spaced apertures to form abutments on the outside surface of an ejector tube being formed.

Claim 7

Apparatus for forming the inner ejector tube of a telescoping tampon applicator according to claim 4 wherein said first part of said mandrel means is formed with a conical cam projecting into the central cavity of said second part, and the axial bore of said second part is a wide central aperture, and wherein said abutment forming means includes a plurality of circularly arranged abutment forming members projecting outwardly from the first die means towards the mandrel means in position to pass through said central aperture to be engaged by said conical cam and thereby moved through said circumferential apertures to form abutments on the outside surface of an ejector tube being formed.

Claim 8

Apparatus for forming the inner ejector tube of a telescoping tampon applicator according to claim 1 wherein said means for internally supporting a tubular cylinder comprises mandrel means joined to said second die means, and said means for removing a formed ejector tube being operable to remove the same from said mandrel means.

Claim 9

Apparatus for forming the inner ejector tube of a telescoping tampon applicator according to claim 1 wherein said first heated die means includes at least two die members arranged in side by side relationship, said second heated die means includes at least two die members in side by side relationship, said tubular cylinder supporting means supports at least two tubular cylinders in side by side relationship, said feeding means feeds at least two tubular cylinders at a time in side by side relationship to said supporting means, and said tubular cylinder internal supporting means supports at least two tubular cylinders in side by side relationship whereby a plurality of ejector tubes are simultaneously formed by the apparatus.

Claim 10

Apparatus for forming the inner ejector tube of a telescoping tampon applicator which comprises a downwardly inclined sorting table having a plurality of longitudinal channels for guiding a plurality of rows of tubular blanks downwardly to an ejector tube forming mechanism, an elevator mechanism for carrying tubular blanks to the top of said sorting table, means for directing downwardly falling blanks into the channels of said sorting table, means for restraining tubular blanks in the channels of said sorting table, a first die head means for shaping the forward end of tubular blanks to form an inwardly turned end wall, said first die head having a plurality of die cavities spaced apart a distance corresponding to the separation of the channels of said sorting table, means for said first die head movable out of and into longitudinal alignment with the channels of said sorting table, a second die head having a plurality of die cavities spaced apart a distance corresponding to the separation of the channels of said sorting table and longitudinally aligned therewith, a plurality of mandrels each aligned with a die cavity of said second die head, a tubular cylinder supporting table located between said first and said second die heads, means for simultaneously feeding one tubular cylinder from each channel of said sorting table to said supporting table when said first die head is out of longitudinal alignment with the sorting table channels, means for moving said second die head longitudinally towards said supporting table when said first die head is in longitudinal alignment with the sorting table channels whereby said plurality of mandrels each enter a tubular blank supported on said supporting table and the die cavities of said die heads shape the ends of the tubular blanks to form a plurality of tampon applicator ejector tubes, and means for stripping formed ejector tubes from said mandrels.

Claim 11

Apparatus for forming the inner ejector tube of a telescoping tampon applicator which comprises a downwardly inclined sorting table having a plurality of longitudinal channels for guiding a plurality of rows of tubular blanks downwardly to an ejector tube forming mechanism, an elevator mechanism for carrying tubular blanks to the top of said sorting table, means for directing downwardly falling blanks into the channels of said sorting table, means for restraining tubular blanks in the channels of said sorting table, a first die head means for shaping the forward end of tubular blanks to form an inwardly turned end wall, said first die head having a plurality of die cavities spaced apart a distance corresponding to the separation of the channels of said sorting table, means for said first die head movable out of and into longitudinal alignment with the channels of said sorting table, a second die head having a plurality of die cavities spaced apart a distance corresponding to the separation of the channels of said sorting table and longitudinally aligned therewith, a plurality of mandrels each aligned with a die cavity of said second die head, a tubular cylinder supporting table located between said first and said second die heads, means for simultaneously feeding one tubular cylinder from each channel of said sorting table to said supporting table when said first die head is out of longitudinal alignment with the sorting table channels, means for moving said second die head longitudinally towards said supporting table when said first die head is in longitudinal alignment with the sorting table channels whereby said plurality of mandrels each enter a tubular blank supported on said supporting table and the die cavities of said die heads shape the ends of the tubular blanks to form a plurality of tampon applicator ejector tubes, and means for stripping formed ejector tubes from said mandrels.

Claim 12

A mechanism for forming an ejector tube for a tampon applicator comprising a mandrel for insertion into the ejector tube, first die means on said mandrel against which one end of the ejector tube will abut to form a desired shape thereon, second die means spaced from said mandrel against which the opposite end of the ejector tube will abut to form a desired shape thereon, means to move said first and second die means relative to each other for abutment by the respective ends of the ejector tube to shape the same, said first and second die means each being heated to soften the ejector tube at the respective ends thereof to aid in the desired shaping of the ejector tube, means on said mandrel operable during said relative movement of said die means for projection outward from said mandrel into engagement with the ejector tube to press against the inside of the ejector tube and to produce a projection on the outer surface of the ejector tube, and means for removing a formed ejector tube from said mandrel.

Claim 13

A mechanism for forming an ejector tube for a tampon applicator comprising a mandrel for insertion into the ejector tube, first die means on said mandrel against which one end of the ejector tube will abut to form a desired shape thereon, second die means spaced from said mandrel against which the opposite end of the ejector tube will abut to form a desired shape thereon, means to move said first and second die means relative to each other for abutment by the respective ends of the ejector tube to shape the same, said first and second die means each being heated to soften the ejector tube at the respective ends thereof to aid in the desired shaping of the ejector tube, means on said mandrel operable during said relative movement of said die means for projection outward from said mandrel into engagement with the ejector tube to press against the inside of the ejector tube and to produce a projection on the outer surface of the ejector tube, and means for removing a formed ejector tube from said mandrel.

Claim 14

A mechanism as in claim 10 wherein the ejector tube has a substantially uniform thickness throughout, one of said die means producing a softening of the ejector tube where said operable means engages therewith to enable said operable means to produce a projection on the outer surface of the ejector tube without substantially affecting the thickness of the ejector tube thereat.