US2763899A - Machine for inserting a drawing thread or drawing ribbon in tampons or the like - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 25, 1956 NIEPMANN ETAL 2,763,899

MACHINE FOR INSERTING A DRAWING THREAD OR DRAWING RIBBON IN TAMPONS OR THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 26, 1951 Sept. 25, 1956 F. NIEPMANN EI'AL 2,763,899

MACHINE FOR INSERTING A DRAWING THREAD OR DRAWING RIBBON IN TAMPONS OR THE LIKE Filed Sept. 26, 1951 IS Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 25, 1956 F. NIEPMANN ETAL MACHINE FOR INSERTING A DRAWING THREAD OR DRAWING RIBBON IN TAMPONS OR THE LIKE Filed Sept. 26, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. v' qywuww BY 4 %mn% United States atent O i MACHINE FOR INSERTING A DRAWI NG THREAD o lgpmwmo RIBBON IN TAMPONS OR THE Application September 26, 1951, Serial No. 248,332

7 Claims. (Cl. 19144.5)

This invention relates to a method and machine for inserting a drawing thread or drawing ribbon in tampons or the like. Tampons for womens hygiene are generally provided with a thread or a ribbon which facilitates their removal after use. To provide a tampon with a thread or a ribbon the same may conventionally be sewn together with the wadding or it may be placed about a web of wadding which in turn is rolled about itself.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means for these operations to be carried out automatically. To this end we suggest disposing the thread at a right angle with respect to the wadding web guided through a slot of a winding spindle and to lay it over said spindle by means of two slides or the like, to roll the web and then to press the projecting ends of the thread wound round the spindle against the lower portion ofthe preformed roll by means of a stripping element or the like. In this way the thread or the ribbon is laid round the wadding web, and after rolling and pressing the tampon the thread is so firmly attached to the tampon that practically it can not be drawn out. The two ends of the thread projecting from the tampon may be knotted together so that the tampon is removed by drawing both ends.

In a machine for carrying out the invention the slides serving to lay the thread over the wadding web may be designed as semi-circular stripping elements which, when the preformed piece is rolled, press the ends of the thread against the lower side of the preformed roll, and which then strip the preformed roll off from the winding spindle. Above the operation way or path of said slides there may be provided guide plates holding and guiding the ends of the thread while being laid over the strip. 7 On their inner sides the slides are provided with grooves for the thread to be laid in. In like manner, the winding spindle is provided on its front side with a narrow slot for receiving the thread or ribbon, these being thus reliably guided by said slots and grooves when laid over the strip.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

Figure 1 is a side view,

Figure 2 is a front view,

Figure 3 is a diagrammatical view showing the thread in its position before the winding spindle,

Figure 4 is a front view of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a cross section taken on the line VV of Figure 3,

Figures 6 to 8 show the different positions of the slides when drawing the thread over the spindle.

The wadding web 1 used for the manufacture of a tampon is drawn from a roll 2, passed through two guide rollers 3 and 4, and brought by means of tongs 5 into the position shown in Figure 4. The tongs 5 may be moved and steered in any manner, their operation being not an object of the invention. From the rear side, a winding 2,763,898 Patented Sept. 25, 1956spindle 6, provided with a slot 7 adapted to receive the strip, is then slid over the strip 1 (Figure 3).

The axial movement to and fro of thisspindle 6 is effected by the main shaft 8 of the machine (Figures 1 and 2), which may for example be driven by a gear wheel 9. Mounted on said shaft 8 is acurved drum 10 for the oscillating lever 11 which, through abushing 12, is so connected to the end of thewinding spindle 6 that the latter is capable of rotation.

By means oftongs having jaws 13 and 14, thedrawing thread 15 or a ribbon serving the same purpose is drawn over aguide roller 16 from a feeding roll (not shown) so as to come to the front side of the winding spindle (Figures 3 and 4). The steering elements of these tongs are shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The jaw 13 is rigidly fixed to asupport piece 17 which, by means of a sliding bushing 18, is capable of sliding over a rigidly fixedguide rod 19. Thesupport piece 17 is linked to arod 20 operated by alever 21 so as to move up and down. Saidlever 21 is mounted on ashaft 22 disposed parallel to the main shaft 8.( F igure l) and is steered, through adouble lever 23 with tworollers 24 and 25, by two curved disks or earns 26 and 27 attached to the main shaft 8. For the sake of clearness saidcurved disks 26 and 27 are not illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing.

On thesupport piece 17 of the jaw 13 is mounted thejaw 14 so as to hinge on the bolt 28 (Figure 2). Moreover thesupport piece 17 carries ashort lever 29 which, through two parallel levers 30, is connected to themovable jaw 14, said levers having between them a roller 31. Beside theguide rod 19 there is arranged a'movablesteering rod 32 having a short travel up and down and being provided with two curved pieces orcam portions 33 and 34 the latter piece being disposed at the upper end of saidsteering rod 32. At its lower end, said steering rod is rigidly connected to alifting piece 35 which is guided on thesteering rod 19 by means of a bushing 36. Thelifting piece 35 engages with a lever 37 which is steered, through thesteering lever 38 having rollers39 and 40, by means of the curved piece orcam 41 mounted on the main shaft 8. Thesteeringlever 38 is mounted on the shaft'42. This steering mechanism is not shown in Figure 1.

The tongs operate as follows:

, In Figure 2 the tongs are in the lowermost position, the roller 31 has run on thecurved piece 33 and drawn thejaw 14 from the jaw 13. When the main shaft 8 is set to rotation thewhole support piece 17 is lifted through thecurved disks 26 and 27, the roller 31 sliding from thecurved piece 33 so that the tongs close under the pressure of a spring .(not shown). As thesupport piece 17 approaches its uppermost position the roller 31 runs on thecurved piece 34 thus causing the tongs to open again. Thedrawing thread 15 to be grasped is led through aguide 43 and a bush 44, a short piece of it extending down freely. To ensure that the opened tongs may slide over said free thread end thecurved piece 34 is by means of thesteering rod 32 lifted a little together with thesupport piece 17. Such lifting operation is effected by means of thecurved disk 41 as described. After reaching the upper limit thesupport piece 17 is brought down whereas thecurved piece 34 remains in its uppermost position so as to enable the tongs to close and to grasp the end of the thread. Near the lower limit the tongs open, and thesteering rod 32 is also led down again so that thethread 15 now hangs down vertically before the a ure. 1). At the front side oftheslides 45 .and46there areguide pieces 51 and 52, which at their opposite ends are provided with semi-circular cut-outs 53 corresponding to the diameter of thewinding spindle 6. On theirside directed toward the machine frame, theseguide pieces 51 and 52 are provided withnarrow keygrooves 54 and in the cusp of thecut-outs 53 with grooves .55 Figure 3).

Above the travel way or path of the: slide-45 and :below thetravel wayof theslide 46 there are disposedspring guide plates 56 serving to guidethe thread ends as described later. Said guide plates are attached to thevertical part 58 of the machine frame bymeans of 'angle -pieces:57.

Theslides 45 and 46 are connected with bushes'59 capable of sliding onrods 60 and 61. Theserods 60, 61 are connected witha pair of levers-62-and63which are mountedonshafts 64 and 65 between themachine frame Walls 58 and- 66. Thetwo levers ofeachpair oflevers 62 are connected with each other by ashaft 67 which engages with the double lever-69 through asteer ing rod 68. A pivot-bearingof saidlever 69 is mounted on ashaft 70. The free end of'said double lever-69 engages with a'rod 71 whichisstcered' by a-curved'-disk orcam 76 through alever 72, ashaft 73 and anotherlever 74 with aroller 75. In this way there isachieved a parallel displacement ofthe twoguide pieces 51 and 52 in the direction of theWinding spindle 6. I

When the slides-45 and 46 and"consequently theguidepieces 51 and 52 are in-their-advanced' position (Figure 3'), the thread is drawnto come before thewinding mechanism. The slides are then moved toward the machine frame after the twoknives 77 and 78 have cut ofi the thread. Theguide pieces 51 and 52 now put the thread-on the windingspindle 6 which is provided von-its front side with agroove 79 for receiving the thread, said groove being made at right angles with respect to the slot 7. When somoved, thethread 15 is caused to lieinthe grooves 54 of the guide pieces. During the'movement of the slide, the ends of the thread are guided by means of the guide plates'56- as indicated in Figures 6 and 7.

Coincidentallywithsaid horizontal movement of the slides and- 46 caused by thecurveddrum 50, there is another movement of the'slides toward'the windingspindle 6 which latter movement is caused by thecurved disk 76; The semi-circular cut-outs 53 of theguide-pieces come nearer and nearer to the winding spindle, the thread being laid into the horizontal groovesfS S. When the guide pieces have reached the opposed=terrninal position (Figure 8), the cut-outs 53 lie on" thespindle 6 The spindle is now driven by means of agear wheel 81 through a pinion 80' capable of being displaced tngether with said spindle,the gear wheel 81in turn being intermittently set to rotation by means -of another gelar wheel 82 (Figure 1). a resultithe wadding Web is wound on the spindle to form: a preformedroll- 83jthe thread ends also winding on the spindle (Figure 8); i The.

guidepieces 51 and-52 are then advancedagainlsothat they press the thread ends against the front side ofithe Pr fo me r011 nd r m a lfr ni h f pi'itd s to a conveyor band 4 ,or the likecpnveyingit'to a press ing and packing machine.

The method according to the invention above; all otters the advantage that the thrcador the ribbon is connected to the web mechanically andautomaticallyi The thread ends being as a result of this rncthod disposed 'onfthe front side of the tampon may thus be held conveniently when the tampon .is to be used; V

What we claim is: l. A machine for inserting a drawing thread Q11 ribbQtl inatampon or the .likecomprising awindingspindlga slot provided at one end of said spindle, means for guiding and positioning a wadding web, means for moving said spindle along its axis until the web is received in the slot of said spindle, two slides rneans for positioning a thread substantially at right angles to said web and between the web andtheinitial position of said slides,.means for'displacingsaid slidesfrom said initial positionalong a path substantially parallel to the axis of said spindle until the thread is positioned on said spindle, means for rotating Sfiitlspindle. about its axis to wind-a'waddingroll Qfi'th web, and to wind the free ends of the threadaboutsaid spindle, and means for pressing the ends of the thread wound about said spindle againsta face ofsaid roll and for simultaneously stripping off saidroll and thread from said spindle.

2. A machine as defined in claim 1 comprising semicircular-guide pieces-attached to-said slides for-positioning the thread on said spindle and stripping off said rolls.

3. A machine'as defined in claim 2 comprisingplates disposed adjacent the path ofsaid slides for guiding the free-ends ofthe thread.

4.- A machine as defined in claim 3 wherein the surfaces of said guidepieces facing said spindle are pro,- vided with grooves, and wherein afurther groove is provided on the end of said spindle facing said thread, said grooves in said guidepieces and in said spindle serving to receive the thread.

5. A machine for providing a tampon or the like with athread comprising a main shaft, means for rotating said-shaft, a curved drum on'said shaft, a lever controlled by Said drum, a-winding spindle, one end of said spindle being coupled to-said'lever for reciprocating said spindle alongits axis upon rotation of said shaft, means for rotating. said spindle intermittently about its axis, means for guiding and positioning awadding web, a slot provided inthe other end of said'spindle for receiving said 'wadding: web, slides, means for positioning a thread substantially at aright angle to said Web and between said web and said slides, means for moving said slides along a. path substantially parallel to the axis of. said spindle until the threadextends along said spindle, and semicircularfguide pieces attached to said slides for positioning-the thread along saidv spindle. 6. A machine asdefined'in claim 5 comprisingv tongs for grasping the thread and: pulling it into thepath of Said spindle, -cam-means onsaid shaft, lever means con: trolled byr-said cammeans:and coupled to; said tongs for lifting and lowering the-same, aguiding rod for guiding said tongsduring their. lifting and lowering, motions, a control 1 od,'cam means carried at the ends'of said'control rodtorropening the-tongs-held bya springin the dlosure position; and meansfor lifting and lowering; said oontrolrbd to open said'tongs upon displapement-ofsaid cam means in response to the movement of said control rod:

7. A- machine-asdefinedin claim 6 comprising-means for causing: said: semi-circular guide pieces to approach said spindleassaid slides movein. an axial direction along said spindle to facilitate stripping of said roll.

References Cited in the fileof th-is patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Images