Improvements Relating to the Packaging of ArticlesThis invention relates to the packaging of articles, and particularly, but not exclusively, relates to the packaging of paint brushes in holders.
The type of holder into which the paint brushes are to be packaged in accordance with the specific aspect of the present invention comprises simply a pair of substantially rectangular sheets being a front sheet and a rear sheet which are secured together usually by welding along adjacent peripheral edges but left unconnected at a bottom end so that the handle of the brush can project through that end, and being open at the top so that the brush can be inserted through the top. The opening at the top extends usually for the full width of the holder, whilst the opening at the bottom is of narrower width so that the head of the brush cannot pass through the opening at the bottom.
The rear sheet is normally longer than the front sheet, and to the portion which projects beyond the front sheet there is a flap which drapes over the front sheet after -the brush has been packaged therein. The flap is secured to the rear sheet, again suitably by welding over the projecting area of the rear sheet so that over said projecting portion of the rear sheet the holders are double thickness, and the double thickness portions have apertures therein whereby the holder may be suspended from a hook, nail or the like. The portion of the flap which drapes over the front sheet is for receiving a label to give indication of the price, manufacturer, or other information.
The holder, which is more commonly known in the trade as a nwalletn is usually of transparent plastics material such as PVC or similar so that the head of the brush which is contained in the wallet is visible through the wallet.
At present, the paint brushes are placed in the holders by hand and the packaging operator in order to package a brush in a holder must execute the following steps.
1. He must lift the front flap so as to reveal the top edge of the front sheet.
2. He must displace the front and rear sheets at the top opening in order to create a space for the insertion of the brush, he must insert the brush into the holder, handle first so that the handle passes through the opening at the bottom and projects from the holder.
3. He must return the flap to the position draped over the front sheet of the holder, and 4. He must finally apply a label to the flap.
The process is therefore time consuming and labour intensive so much so that only relatively slow packaging rates are achieved by a single operator, for example of the order of 3 per minute. This speed of packaging represents a notable fraction of the total cost of the finished product.
The present invention seeks to approach the packaging of articles such as paint brushes in a novel and more efficient manner.
In accordance with the present invention, the method of the packaging comprises providing the holders in strip form and feeding the strip through a machine constructed to move the front and rear sheets apart to create the space for the insertion of the brush or like article, whereby the brush or like articles can be packaged at much higher speeds than in the conventional hand packaging method.
The machine may also include a labelling device which can be of conventional construction, for applying labels either to the flaps after the articles have been packaged in the holder or to the front sheets before the brush or the like is placed in the holder.
The machine may also include the means for severing the individual holders from the strip either before or after insertion of the articles therein.
Where the holders have flaps, there may be means for raising the flaps which may comprise a plough device which simply ploughs up the flaps as the strip or holders is fed into the machine, although in the preferred construction holders without flaps are used.
In the initial versions of the machine, the articles are preferably placed into the open holders by hand, but it is within the scope of the invention to automate the placement of the brushes into the holders automatically.
Any suitable means may be used for moving the strip of holders through the machine such as friction roller drives or movable clamping plates and the like, and the means for moving the front and rear sheets apart may comprise suction pads which are applied to the front and rear sheets in order that they will be held thereto, and then the pads are pulled apart.
The front and rear sheets are preferably sealed after the article (brushes) have been inserted therein, such sealing being in the form of a pair of parallel lines between which are located apertures in the front and rear sheets for the suspension of the articles, or a single line of scaling.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a paint brush contained in a wallet;Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating how conventionally the paint brush and wallet of Fig. 1 are brought together;Figs. 2A and 2B respectively sre sectional views of he wallet taken on the lines AA and BB in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevation illustrating a machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention;Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation illustrating how the machine of Fig. 3 opens up the wallet for the insertion of the brush;Fig. 5 shows a section of a modified strip of wallets;;Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation on th line II-II ofFig. 5; Fig.7 shows a further modified form of wallet; Fig. 8 shows a section of a strip of a further modified form of wallets; Fig. 9 shows a side elevation of a machine for handling strips of wallets as shown in Fig. 8;Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on the line III - III of Fig. 9 to show the cutting means of the machine ofFig. 9; andFig. 11 is a sectional view taken on the line IV - IV of fig. 9 to show how the wallets are opened for insertion of the brushes.
Referring to the drawings, in Fig. 1, a paint brush 10 is held in a plastic wallet 12. The wallet 12 is made up of sections of clear plastic sheet material, suitably fusion welded in order to create the wallet structure. Thus, the wallet 12 comprises a rear sheet 14, a front sheet 16 a covering flap 18 and a top portion 20. The top portion 20 is of double thickness, comprising a front section 20A which is integral with flap 18, and a rear section 20B which is integral and forms part of the rear sheet 14. The wallet as shown is of generally rectangular configuration, and the front sheet 16 is of lesser height than the rear sheet 14.
The sections 20A and 20B have apertures 22 and 24 therein which are of the same shape and are in alignment. These apertures permit the insertion there through of.a suspension device such as a nail or hook whereby the wallet can be suspended from a wall or show card of the like.
The brush 10 has a head 26 which is contained in the wallet 12 between the sheets 19 and 16, and a handle 28 which extends out of an opening at the bottom of the wallet and between the lower edges of the sheets 1 LI and 16.
The sheets 14 and 16 are welded together along the edges 30 and 32, and along inclined corner portions 34 and 36 which taper inwardly relative to the edges 30 and 32 and the welded portions. 34 and 36 stop short leaving the opening 38 at the bottom of the wallet through which the handle 10 extends as shown in Fie. 1.
At the top edge of front sheet 16, there is no connection to the rear sheet 14 so that the brush can be inserted into the wallet through the top end thereof.
The sections 20A and 20B are welded around the peripheries thereof as indicated by reference 40 inFig. 1.
Fig. 2 shows clearly how the brush 10 is inserted in the wallet 12 in accordance with the conventional method. As shown, the wallet 12 is gripped at the welds 30 and 32 which are pushed together so that the front and rear sheets ILI, 16 gape apart at the top thereof as shown in Fig. 2. It is to be noticed that the flap 18 is also held in an upwardly inclined position. With the wallet so held, the brush 10 as shown in Fig. 2 is held with the other hand also as shown in Fig. 2, and is inserted handle first into the top of the wallet so that the handle 28 passes through the opening 38 at the bottom of the wallet. The flap 18 is then folded downwardly and by hand a marking label is applied thereto in order to complete the packaging.
In accordance with the present invention, as shown in one embodiment in Fig. 3, a plurality of wallets 12 are supplied in strip form, being joined by lines of weakening 42. The strip of wallets 12 is fed for example as indicated by arrow 44 into a packaging machine 46 and brushes 10 are inserted in the wallets one by one in the machine. The brushes may be inserted by hand, but in a modified arrangement they may be inserted by the machinery.
As the strip of wallets 12 is fed in the direction of arrow 44, the flaps 18 are lifted to present the wallets in a suitable attitude for the insertion of the brushes.
The flaps 18 may be ploughed upwardly by a plough device 48, and drive rollers 50, 52 perform the feeding of the strip of wallets. Guide bars 56 and 58 may serve to keep the wallets in position until they reach an insertion zone 60. At said insertion zone, an opening device 62 is utilised in order to pull the front and rear sheets of the wallet 14 and 16 apart so that the brush 10 can be inserted.
The brush and wallet move from the insertion zone into the region of a label applicator 64 in which a label is applied to the now downwardly turned flap 18, so that packages comprising wallet and brush emerge from the machine as indicated at 66 in Fig. 3. It will be noticed that the wallets 66 are now separated, and this may be done by the machine or by hand as required.
Fig. 4 shows one possible means for opening the sheets 14 and 16, and the means comprises two suction pads 68 and 70 to the interiors of which are connected suitable vacuum sources as indicated by arrows 72 and 74 whereby the sheets trl and 16 are held to the pads 68 and 70.
Fig. 4 shows the pads in the position in which they have been pulled apart as indicated by arrows 76 so that the sheets 14 and 16 open at the top and the brush can be inserted as indicated by arrow 78.
In the modified form of wallet strip as shown in Figs.
5 and 6, it will be noticed that the flap 18 and top strip 20 of the holder of said application have been omitted, and in fact the holders as shown comprise front and rear sheets 10A and 12A, the rear sheet being slightly longer than the front sheet as shown by reference 14A. The holders are formed by feeding two webs of the material to make the fronts and rears of the holders, and then these webs are sealed or welded in any suitable fashion as indicated by reference 16A to form the holders. At the lower ends the seals or welds are bifurcated as indicated at 18A in order to form the lower opening 20A of the holder through which the handle of brush 24A can project as above described.
The top of the holder is open as indicated at 22A so that the brush can be inserted therein as above described.
The front and rear sheets are provided with suspension apertures 10 and 12 which are aligned, and the marginal regions of said apertures may be formed by heating or ultrasonics so as to have reinforcing beads 10B, 12B so that the material in the holder will not tear readily when the holder is used for suspending the brush from a hook or pin in a display area.
In the arrangement of Fig. 5, the seals 18A where they are at right angles to the length section of the web, are common to adjacent holders. In the modification according to Fig. 7 the seals 18A of adjacent holders are spaced by a small distance X to provide a gap which can be sensed by a photoelectric cell or the like for the purposes of registering and synchronising the holders with the brush inserting mechanism above described.
Also, it is not necessary that the front and rear sheets 10A, 12A of each holder should be of different lengths.
The holders of Figs. 5, 6 and 7, are opened and the brushes are inserted as described in relation to Figs.
3 and 4, but after insertion of the brush which is illustrated in dotted lines by reference numeral 2lea, the front and rear sheets at the top end and above the bristles of the brush are sealed together along a line such as line 26A above the suspension apertures 10X and 12X and/or along line 28A which is below the said apertures. Sealing along line 26A or 28A can be effected by a simple sealing device which operates on a continuous basis, if required, whilst the strip of holders is being fed as described above.
Referring now to Figs. 8 to 11, in Fig. 8 is shown a strip of wallets in which the components have the same reference numerals to identify the same parts as in the case of Figs. 1 and 2. The only exception is that the flap 18 is omitted and to insert the brush 10 into a wallet, the top edge 16A of the front sheet 16 has to be lifted away from the rear sheet 14 to create an opening for the insertion of the brush. After the brush is inserted, a seal may be applied along the edge of 16A to seal same to the rear sheet 14 and to trap the brush in the wallet pocket.
The machine for feeding opening and severing the wallets one from another is shown in Figs. 9 and 10, and although Fig. 9 is a side view in fact the plane 100 along which the web of wallets is fed as will be explained, in fact lies at an angle as shown in end view in Fig. 11 so that brushes 10 can be inserted by an operator from the top end of the plane 100, and the completed wallet and brush packages can slide down the plane 100 to a collecting surface 102.
Referring now more particularly to Figs. 9 and 10, a web of wallets tOrl is wound on a spindle 106 at the end of the machine. The strip is threaded over the plane surface 100 until the end of the strip is located in a clamp assembly 108 comprising an upper clamp 110 and a lower clamp 112 which can be brought together or moved apart by means of a hydraulic cylinder 114 in order to clamp the strip as will be explained. The assembly 108 is movable linearly back and forwards as indicated by arrow 116, and to this end it is provided with guide rollers 118 which run on guide tracks 120 forming part of the bed of the machine. The limits of movement or stroke of the clamp asembly 108 are indicated by the reference letters A and B, the means for stroking the clamp assembly 108 comprises a feed cylinder 122.At the opposite end of the machine from the reel 104 is a clamping, cutting and spreading arrangement comprising the clamp plate 126 which is movable up and down as indicated by arrow 128 by means of a control cylinder 130. When the clamp plate 126 is moved downwardly onto a portion 132 of the machine table, the strip which is located between these components is clamped fast to the table.
The hydraulic cylinder 13ill adjacent cylinder 130 carries a cutter plate 136 which is of the configuration shown in Fig. 10 and comprises an upper cutting edge 138 which is of inverted shallow V configuration having an apex ILlO. The cutter blade 136 serves to sever individual wallets one from another along the line of weakening 42 connecting adjacent wallets (see Fig. 8).
For the purposes of opening the wallets'to enable the brushes 10 to be fed into same as illustrated in Fig.
11, a section 1all2 of the table surface is provided with a pair of suction pads Irlrl, 1all6 as shown in Fig. 10, and an upper movable clamping and opening plate 1all8 is provided with a single suction pad 150 again as shown in Fig. 11. The plate 148 is carried by a bracket 152 which is movable as indicated by arrow 15ill by means of a hydraulic cylinder 156. The plate 1 148 is mounted on the bracket 152 so as to be freely swingable about an axis 158. A screw adjustment ring 160 enables adjustment of the position of plate 1all8 along the direction of the axis 158 so that the plate 148 can be accurately registered in relation to table portion 142.
Associated with section 162 of the table is a labelling apparatus 16ill of conventional design which is adapted to carry a reel 168 of carrier and release paper of which are adhered pressure sensitive labels. The carrier web is in fact fed through the labelling apparatus 16ill so as to turn over the feed bar 170 causing the labels to separate from the carrier web and to be attached to the individual wallets of the strip of wallets 104. A roller 172 presses the labels to the wallets as they pass thereunder, and the roller and feed bar 170 and 172 are carried on pivoting assembly so that they can be pivoted into the operational position as shown in Fig. 9, or to a raised position clear of the table surface section 162.The labeller is operated in sequence in order accurately to position the labels on the wallets depending upon the width of the wallets, and this can be achieved despite the fact that the labels on the carrier web are pitched by the same amount regardless of the pitching between the wallets on the strip 104, because in fact the wallets will be of different widths depending upon the sizes of paint brushes.
The clamp assembly 108 feeds the strip towards the cutting and opening station so that brushes can be inserted into the wallets as shown in Fig. 11. The strip is clamped by the clamp assembly 108 which is then moved to the left in Fig. 9 feeding the strip of wallets by an appropriate amount, the clamp 108 releases and returns to the initial position, again clamps and again feeds whereby the strip of wallets is fed along the table surface 100 until the first wallet registers with the plate section 142 when clamp plate 1all8 and plate section 1all2 are brought together to clamp the flat wallet, the vacuum supplied to suction pads 146, 144 and 150, the plate section 1all2 and plate 1all8 are moved apart thereby opening the wallet as shown inFig. 11, and in this connection Fig. 11 shows how the plate 148 can in fact pivot so that the table section 142 and plate 148 lie at an angle and spread the wallet in the best condition for receipt of the brush 10. This pivoting of the plate 1all8 takes place because in fact that the wallet at its end having the opening 38 can only be opened to a lesser extent than the other end.
For obtaining the accurate registration of each wallet in relation to the table portion 1all2 and plate ILlS, there is a detection switch (not shown) which detects the leading edge of the first wallet, which indicates that the first wallet is in the correct position in relation to plate 1all2 and indeed to cutter plate 136.
It is to be mentioned that the detection means will be positioned dependent upon the wallet width and if a different wallet width is used, then the sensing means will have to be adjusted in position to give the register required. When the first wallet is in this position, the clamp plate 126 is lowered to clamp the strip of wallets and prevent further progression, the plate 148 is moved to the lower position to clamp the wallet between the plate 148 and table section 142, and then the cutter blade 136 is moved upwardly in order to sever the first wallet from the remainder of the strip.
Following this operation, the vacuum is applied to the pads 144, 146 and 150 and the plate 148 is moved away from table section 1all2 opening up the wallet as shown in Fig. 11. The brush 10 is now propelled by hand or by machinery into the open wallet, the vacuum is released, and the package comprising wallet and brush assembly slide onto table portion 102 for further processing and/or packaging into transportation boxes or the like.
The operation of the feed assembly 108 is sequenced with the clamping cutting and opening operation described so that the packaging of the brushes can take place on a repeating basis, and in this connection it should be mentioned that the assembly 108 strokes from position A until the detection means detects the arrival of the leading edge of the strip of wallets, at which point the clamping effect exercised by the assembly 108 is released by opening of the clamp plates 110 and 112, although the movement of the clamping assembly continues until position B. The clamp assembly returns to position A, and does not clamp the strip again until the first wallet has been severed from the strip and has had the brush 10 placed therein and has been allowed to fall to the surface 102. By this arrangement it can be seen that the assembly 108 can be used for the feeding of wallets of any width within the range of stroke A to B.
The invention provides a means for the rapid packaging of articles such as paint brushes, although it may be utilised for repackaging of other articles which are to be contained in packages similar to the wallets illustrated.