US3874032A

US3874032A - Method and apparatus for the manufacture of tampons

Info

Publication number: US3874032A
Application number: US270978A
Authority: US
Inventors: Stefan Simon; Wolfgang Johst
Original assignee: Dr Carl Hahn GmbH
Current assignee: Dr Carl Hahn GmbH
Priority date: 1971-07-15
Filing date: 1972-07-12
Publication date: 1975-04-01
Anticipated expiration: 1992-04-01
Also published as: AT333944B; ZA724545B; DE2135495B2; SE410818B; BE786167A; AU475874B2; FI57351C; GB1398632A; AU4426272A; CA961817A; CS178115B2; DE2135495A1; FR2146041A5; BR7204672D0; IT964676B; JPS5744335B1; ATA531472A; AR197873A1; DK132372C; DD98446A5

Abstract

An improvement in a process for the manufacture of tampons wherein a batting is wound into a plurality of rolls, the rolls are transferred to a pressing process wherein they are pressed into tampons and the so-formed tampons are transferred into storage or packing, which improvement comprises intermittently feeding said plurality of rolls to a transfer means, intermittently removing said rolls from said transfer means and feeding them into a presser, intermittently removing them from said presser and intermittently feeding them to a second transfer means and continuously delivering the tampons formed in said presser to storage. An apparatus to perform the above described process which apparatus comprises a winding apparatus to form wound rolls from the fibrous batting, a transfer device to transfer the rolls to a presser, which presser forms said rolls into tampons, the apparatus being improved by a means for intermittently feeding the rolls to the transfer device and regulating means associated with the transfer device permitting continuous transmission of said rolls to said presser while the feed portion of said transfer device is stationary.

Description

O United States Patent 1 [111 3,

Simon et al. Apr. 1, 1975 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE [57] ABSTRACT MANUFACTURE OF TAMPONS An improvement in a process for the manufacture of [75] Inventors; St f Si tampons wherein a batting is wound into a plurality of Moedli /Ni d t i h rolls, the rolls are transferred to a pressing process Austria; W lf j h t, wherein they are pressed into tampons and the so- Gevel be Germany formed tampons are transferred into storage or packing, which improvement comprises intermittently [73 Asslgnee' 3" Carl Hahn GmbH Dusseldorf feeding said plurality of rolls to a transfer means, in-

ermany termittently removing said rolls from said transfer [22] Filed: July 12, 1972 means and feeding them into a presser, intermittently removing them from said presser and intermittently [21] Appl' 270978 feeding them to a second transfer means and continuously delivering the tampons formed in said presser to [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Storage- July 15, 1972 Germany... 2135495 An apparatus to perform the above described process which apparatus comprises a winding apparatus to [52] U.S. Cl. 19/1445 form wound rolls from the fibrous batting, a transfer [51] Int. Cl A61I 15/00 device to transfer the rolls to a presser, which presser [58] Field of Search 19/1445, 149 forms said rolls into tampons, the apparatus being improved by a means for intermittently feeding the [56] References Cited rolls to the transfer device and regulating means UNI STATES PATENTS associated with the transfer device permitting continuous transmission of said rolls to said presser 533221333 35132; fit le'giiiijiijijiii....:::::::::::: 1121"? while the feed eeeien ef eeie eeeefer eeviee e stationar FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS y 829,! I9 2/1960 United Kingdom l9/l44.5

Primary Examiner-Dorsey Newton Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Jason Lipow 24 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEU APR 1 i975

sum

1 or 4 FIG. I.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TAMPONS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to a method of manufacturing tampons from a continuous band of batting, especially tampons made of cylindrical rolls of cotton batting for feminine hygiene, and to an apparatus for the practice of the method.

2. Discussion of Prior Art In the manufacture of cylindrical objects of this kind from soft cotton batting, the latter material has to be worked by a series of different machines one after the other. Owing to the difficult procedures involved in the manufacture of tampons from cotton batting, some of the machines operate continuously and some intermittently, and consequently difficulties are encountered in the transfer of the rolled tampons from one machine to the other, which are an obstacle to the economic manufacture of tampons without loss of quality, especially when an attempt is made to improve output by operating in parallel, and the manufacturing plant is to be designed for a single continuous production line preceding the packaging machine.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is the object of the invention to design a process and an apparatus for the manufacture of tampons such that, in spite of the partially intermittent, partially continuous operation of the machines in the series, a high output will assure the economy of operation of the system, and the relatively easily deformable product will not lose the shape that has been given to it in the manufacturing machines when it is transferred from one to the other. In addition, multi-line production is enabled without difficulty.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Broadly, this invention contemplates an improvement in a process for the manufacture of tampons wherein a band of batting is wound into a plurality of rolls, the rolls are transferred to a pressing process wherein they are pressed into tampons and the tampons are transferred into storage or packaging, the improvement comprising intermittently feeding said plurality of rolls to a transfer means, intermittently removing said rolls from said transfer means and feeding them into a presser, intermittently removing them from said presser and intermittently feeding them to a second transfer I means. Thereafter they may be continuously delivered to storage or packaging.

Broadly, this invention further contemplates an apparatus for carrying out the aforesaid process, which apparatus comprises a winding apparatus to form wound rolls from a fibrous batting, a transfer device to transfer the so-formed rolls to a presser, a presser which forms said rolls into a tampon, means for intermittently feeding said rolls from said winding apparatus to said transfer device and regulating means associated with said transfer device permitting continuous transmission of said rolls to said presser while the feed portion of said transfer device is stationary.

The invention also contemplates a process and apparatus for intermittently removing so-formed tampons from said presser and continuously delivering the same through a plurality of transfer means to storage and/or packaging.

The present invention through the use of laterally mounted buffer rail which adjusts the length of the moving transfer means disposed between the winding apparatus and the presser enables continuous feeding of the presser notwithstanding an intermittent feeding of the said transfer means by the winding apparatus at its feed portion. The buffer rail is mounted on rollers that rest laterally to maintain a constant movement of the transfer means downstream from the feed portion by regulating the length of the moving portion of the transfer means. Thus the various apparatuses are tied together so that they work in unison and the shutdown of one apparatus is not necessitated due to conditions of the other apparatus, hence the entire operation proceeds more smoothly and with a greater productivity in terms of tampons per hour manufactured. Additionally, through the use of the various means more fully described below less operator control is needed for shutdown and startup, as for instance, the compressor, during a working day is minimized.

The invention solves this problem in that rolls produced from the band of batting in an intermittently operating winding apparatus are transported in an uninterrupted series to a pressing apparatus by means of a transfer device, the wound rolls being advanced intermittently at the winding apparatus and continuously at the pressing apparatus, and being intermittently transferred to the intermittently operating pressing apparatus which presses them into tampons, whereupon these tampons are delivered by an additional continuously operating transfer device to a storage and from thence continuously to a packaging apparatus.

By this procedure, especially in the transfer from one processing machine to the next, a virtually continuous process is achieved, by and large, in spite of the intermittent procedures involved and additionally, it is quite economical. The transfer device between the winding apparatus and the pressing apparatus is used as a buffer for the rate of feed of the rolls, so that equalization can be achieved between the number of rolls put out by the winding device, which may include defective rolls which have to be eliminated, and the number that are processed by the pressing apparatus, and thus continuous operation may be sustained.

To this end, it is desirable that, at the winding apparatus, the transfer device between the winding and pressing apparatus be driven intermittently by the winding apparatus, and that this drive be interrupted upon the occurrence of a defective roll, while at the pressing apparatus, the transfer device, driven by the latter, will continue to operate constantly. Through this coupling with the winding apparatus it is possible for a defective roll to be ejected by a succeeding roll and for nothing but perfect rolls to be fed in an uninterrupted series to the pressing apparatus. Since the transfer device is designed to serve as a buffer, operation at the pressing apparatus will not be impaired by these interruptions in the receiving of rolls from the winding apparatus. If a longer interruption should occur at the winding or pressing apparatus, it is desirable that the winding and pressing apparatus be automatically stopped with the transfer device that serves as a buffer being virtually completely full, or virtually empty, as the case may be.

A continuous advancing movement by the transfer device at the intermittently operating pressing apparatus is substantially brought about by the fact that the rolls at this pressing apparatus are introduced into the pressing apparatus by a transverse thrusting action performed while the conveyor system is turning a corner, because the arrangement may be made such that a roll will stand briefly still at the turn and perform nothing but a rotatory movement which can be utilized for the transfer action.

An increase in output is achieved by the fact that two winding apparatus are operated in parallel, each followed by a transfer device, and two rolls are transferred each time from each of these transfer devices to a fourline pressing apparatus, from which the tampons are taken by two transfer devices and then fed in a single line to the storage, from which they are again transported continuously to a packaging machine. The multiple-line operation followed by single-line operation is made possible particularly by the nature of the transfer that is performed as the conveyor chains turn corners. To sustain continuous operation in parallel operations of this kind it is desirable that the degree to which the one transfer device serving as a buffer is filled with rolls or tampons be balanced with the other transfer device running in parallel therewith, when extreme situations occur.

It is desirable that, when a buffer rail is filling, the pressing machine be made first to operate faster and, vice versa, when it is emptying, that it be made to operate 10% slower, before the pressing machine or the winding machine, as the case may be, comes to a stop as the buffer rail reaches one or the other end position.

For the transfer from a multi-line operation to a single-line operation, the tampons in the transfer devices connected to the output of the four-line pressing apparatus are transferred by means of two continuously circulating conveyor chains to a single continuously circulating conveyor chain, which again is made possible by the transfer which occurs at points where the conveyor chains turn corners.

The apparatus for the performance of the process comprises a transfer device between the winding apparatus and the pressing apparatus having an endless conveyor chain with roll cups mounted laterally on the links thereof, the said endless conveyor chain being driven through an intermittently drivable sprocket at the winding apparatus and through a continuously drivable sprocket in the area of the pressing apparatus, and being carried between these apparatus around two loose sprockets which are fastened at a distance from one another on a displaceably mounted rail. The roll cups on the chain links in this case assure the preserva tion of the shape given to the individual rolls in the winding apparatus. By the loose sprockets mounted between the drive sprockets on a common, freely movable rail, a buffer is established in a very simple manner, by which differences in chain speeds caused by the partially intermittent and partially continuous drive within the conveyor chain are compensated.

A device for the ejection of the defective rolls, e.g., rolls with metal inclusions or with a defective removal ribbon which is necessary for the use of the tampon, or with no removal ribbon at all, is constituted according to a further improvement by the fact that, in the area of the winding apparatus, the conveyor chain is carried around a fixedly disposed sleeve which is aligned with an ejection plunger in the winding apparatus in such a manner that, when the conveyor chain is not moving,

one of the roll cups is aligned with this sleeve. In this manner a roll in which a defect has been detected by a control system can be ejected through this sleeve by a succeeding roll, so that only cups containing perfect rolls are advanced in the direction of the pressing apparatus. In order to interrupt the drive of the conveyor chain, the drive sprocket on the winding apparatus is advantageously coupled with an intermittently drivable shaft of the winding apparatus through a claw clutch.

Another contribution to the solution of the stated problem is constituted by the fact that the conveyor chain is guided at the pressing apparatus around at least one loose sprocket, engaging the latter over an arc of in such a manner that in this area of engagement the axis of a roll cup will be substantially in alignment with the axis of the loose sprocket on which axis a plunger is provided which is displaceable perpendicularly to the conveyor chain. The roll cups are designed so as to have a longitudinal aperture, this slot-like opening being larger than the diameter of the plunger, so that the roll cup can be pivoted out of reach of the plunger while the latter is still in the extended position. The saving of time in the operation of the plunger is beneficial to the high production rate of the system. This design of the transfer device is advantageously used also at the output end of the pressing apparatusf To enable the tampons to be continuously transferred to a single conveyor chain from two separate conveyor chains which are operating in parallel, one of these endless conveyor chains is, according to another development, carried around a continuously drivable chain drive shaft with which the second conveyor chain, with laterally mounted tampon holders for receiving the tampons, is in engagement in such a manner that, during a half rotation of this sleeve these tampon holders will be in coaxial alignment with the tampon cups of the first conveyor chain. This chain drive shaft is provided in the area of engagement of the first conveyor chain with bores which align with the tampon cups mounted on this conveyor chain during its rotation and in which displaceable plungers are disposed by which the transfer is performed from the one transport chain to the other while it is turning the corner.

The invention will now be described in further detail with reference to a diagrammatically represented embodiment of a system for the performance of the pro cess of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of the system for the transportation and transfer of tampons between the individual processing stations.

FIG. 2 is a cross section taken along line II-II in FIG. I through a transfer device associated with a winding apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a cross section taken along line IIIIII in FIG. 1 through a first transfer device at the input end of a pressing apparatus and through a second transfer device at the output and of said pressing apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a cross section taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 1 through a third transfer device at the output of the pressing apparatus. It will be understood that when a plurality of similar functions are performed by similar parts, only one such part is shown in detail.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT As represented in FIG. 1, two single-line winding apparatus l disposed one over the other are producing, in an intermittently arranged sequence, rolls which are fed by means of two first transfer devices, shown in detail in FIG. 2, to two

endless conveyor chains

15, 16, and by means of the latter to an intermittently operating, four-line pressing apparatus 2, shown in greater detail in FIG. 3. From the pressing apparatus 2 sets of four tampons are transferred to a heated revolver 3a and thereafter to a heated revolver 3 of this pressing apparatus. From said heated revolver 3 of this pressing apparatus sets of four tampons are transferred to two identical endless conveyor chains 21 coaxially with sprockets 34. The conveyor chains 21 are carried in an additional transfer device 4 around two continuously drivable chain drive shafts at which two transfer points each are provided. At these two transfer points the tampons are transferred to a single endless conveyor chain 22 which is likewise carried around the two chain drive shafts 10 at the transfer points. The conveyor chain 22, filled with tampons, runs into a storage station 5 from which it emerges at the discharge end as chain band 6 and delivers the tampons to a boxing station 7 on a continuously operating packaging machine or transfers them by means of a transfer device 8 to an additional conveyor chain which then leads to a packaging station.

The

endless conveyor chains

15, 16, are provided with roll cups 20, a certain number of which are fastened at equal intervals laterally to the links of these chains (FIG. 2). The two winding apparatus 1 are capable of driving intermittently the two

conveyor chains

15, 16, while they are continuously movable in the area of the pressing apparatus 2 by the sprockets 42, shown in FIG. 1. Between the winding apparatus and the pressing apparatus, these

conveyor chains

15, 16 are furthermore carried around two loose sprockets 17a which are fastened on a buffer rail 17 which can be reciprocated horizontally in the direction of the arrows l8, l9.

As shown in FIG. 2, the conveyor chain is driven by the winding apparatus 1 through a claw clutch (FIG. 2) having a claw clutch half 23 fastened to a shaft 29 of the winding apparatus and a reciprocating claw sleeve 24 by which the rotatory movement is transmitted through a claw clutch half 30 which is fastened to one end of the shaft 29. On the other end of this shaft 29 is mounted a toothed-belt pulley 9 which transmits the rotatory movement by means of a toothed belt 9a (FIG. 1) to two chain sprockets 9b which are engaged with the conveyor chain 15 (FIG. 1). The claw sleeve 24 is provided with a circumferential groove 24a which ejection plunger 31, in such a manner that a roll cup 20' in the receiving position is aligned with this sleeve 11, as shown in FIG. 2.

The ejection plunger 31 pushes a roll 35a prepared by the winding apparatus 1 into the roll cup 20 while the conveyor chain is stopped, after which the conveyor chain 15 is advanced by the intermittent drive of the winding apparatus 1 through the engaged claw clutch. In the case of a defective roll which is pushed by the ejector plunger 31 into the roll cup 20, the solenoid actuator 27 receives an actuating pulse from product quality controldevices disposed in the area of the winding apparatus, so that the claw sleeve 24 is shifted by lever 26 to the right as seen in FIG. 2. While the conveyor chain 15 is stopped the claw sleeve may also be disengaged manually by means of an actuating lever 28. In order to keep the conveyor chain 15 in this stopped position, the claw sleeve 24 engages the fixedly disposed claw clutch half 25. This causes the conveyor chain to remain in the rest position in the area of the winding apparatus during the next working cycle, in the course of which the winding apparatus prepares another roll which then ejects the defective roll out of the roll cup 20 through the sleeve 11. The defective roll falls through a chute 41 into a waste receptacle which is not shown.

The endless conveyor chain 15 is carried around the two sprocket wheels 17a fastened to the displaceable buffer rail 17 in such a manner that they can be appropriately advanced to the pressing apparatus 2. Due to the intermittent drive at the winding apparatus and the continuous drive of the chain 15 in the area of the pressing apparatus through sprocket 42 there are different speeds within the conveyor chain which are compensated by the freely movable buffer rail 17. The buffer rail 17 is guided by four rollers 33 (FIG. 2). Drive stoppages caused by defective rolls at the winding apparatus cause the rail to be displaced in the discharging direction 18. Thus the conveyor chain 15 may be considered as a buffer in the direction of movement towards the pressing apparatus 2, because the roll cups 20 on the conveyor chain are filled without interruption in spite of defective rolls, and in spite of diminished output from the winding apparatus the pressing apparatus 2 is able to continue to operate and accept rolls from the conveyor chain 15. Vice versa, it is likewise possible to let the winding apparatus 1 continue to run while the pressing apparatus 2 is briefly stopped, in which case the empty side of the conveyor chain 15 fills up in direction 19.

While the chain is filling in direction 19, the pressing machine is first driven 10% faster and, vice versa, while the chain is emptying in direction 18 it is driven 10% slower, before the pressing machine or the winding machine comes to a stop as the buffer rail 17 reaches the end of its stroke. The endless conveyor chain 16 of the parallel transfer device operates in the same manner.

If defective rolls cause chain drive stoppages having opposite effects on the chain in the upper and in the lower winding apparatus 1 and in the area of the pressing apparatus 2, the rails 17 may assume opposite positions, the one rail, in the extreme case, being stopped in the farthermost position in direction 18 and the other rail being stopped in the farthermost position in direction 19. In this case a signal is transmitted by a limit switch to the solenoid actuator 27 for the conveyor chain on the buffer rail 17 that is stopped in the filling position 19, so that the rolls will be ejected until the conveyor chain has emptied to such an extent that the same position as the other buffer rail 17.

The end positions of the buffer rails 17 in filling direction 19 and in emptying direction 18 are detected by limit switches which give the signals to stop the winding or pressing apparatus, as the case may be.

As seen in FIG. 3, the transfer of the roll from the conveyor chains and 16 to the pressing apparatus 2 is performed by a plunger 32 which is centrally disposed in a sprocket so as to be displaceable transversely of the conveyor chain 15. Each of the

conveyor chains

15 and 16 is guided at the pressing apparatus 2 around two such sprockets 12 engaging them on about 90 of their perimeter. The arrangement is such that the axis of the roll cup mounted on the conveyor chains is in alignment with the axis of sprocket 12 and plunger 32 throughout this arc of engagement. In this position one winding cup 20 is also aligned with a lifter 2a of the pressing apparatus 2 which lifts the total of four rolls. which are simultaneously inserted, to the plane of insertion into a preliminary press 50, the rolls being already pressed flat. The flat rolls are pushed into a cavity 51 at the pressing apparatus 2 by an ejected mandrel 52, which is movable to and from by means of a rod controlled by a cam plate in a well known manner (not shown). The individual roll cups 20, as best seen in FIG. 1, are open on one longitudinal side, this elongated opening being larger than the diameter of the plunger 32. In this manner, a roll cup can be pivoted out of reach of the plunger even if the latter should still be in the extended position. The intermittent step-drive for the two

endless conveyor chains

15 and 16 in the winding machine area is induced over a switching curve 101, the shaft 102, the driving chain and the motor 109. The continuous drive of the conveyor chains in the presser area is induced over the

chain wheels

105 and 106 and the chain 107 and 108 and the motor 109. The tampons are presented in crosshatching in the roll cups 20 of the

chains

15 and 16.

In the FIGS. 1 and 2 there is described a transportation element 100 of the winding apparatus. From these transporting elements 100 the rolls 35a are pushed in the transporting cups 20 (roll cups) of the

chains

15 and 16 by means of the ejection plunger 31.

Groups of four rolls are transported in front (before) of the lifting device of the pressing device 2 by means of two transporting cups each (FIG. 3). During the quasi-stationary instant (turning of the roll cups 20 only around their own axle center). The four rolls are pushed out of the roll cups 20 on the lifter 20 by means of the plunger 32. The lifter 2a presses the 4 rolls against the upper evaluation angle 110, which is fixed to the press (separate patent application). Then four flat plungers 111 push the pressed flat rolls in the press. After the pressing procedure, the pressed rolls are pushed by round plungers (Ser. No. 235,770, filed Mar. 17, 1972 entitled Apparatus for Pressing Absorbent Cotton Articles, Particularly Tampons for Feminine Hygiene", FIG. 3, Pos. 9) out ofthe press into the pushing of the revolver 3a. The FIG. 3 represents in a clear way the arrangement of the two revolvers 3a and 3 with the joint step drive over the

sprockets

112, 113 and 114. It can be seen in FIG. 1 as well. The conveyor elements for conveying the tampons from the lower to the upper revolver as well as the pushing out of the upper revolver in the tampon cups 13 of both chains 21 can be seen from FIG. 3. During the pushing-outprocedure of the total of four tampons, the continuous driven roll cups 13 are turning round their own axle center around the sprocket wheel 34 of FIG. 4 and reach at a quasi-stationary position.

The intermittent drive of the conveyor chains exists only in the area of the winding machine for the

chains

15 and 16 and can be seen from FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 and explained above.

In FIG. 1, one common drive motor 104 is represented for the drive of the both winding devices 1 as well as for the intermittent drive of the

chains

15 and 16. FIG. 1 shows the drive of the step-switched revolvers 3 and 311 over the switching gear 115, the continuous drive of the

conveyor chains

15 and 16 in the area of the presser as well as the continuous drive of both chains 21 with the tampon cups 13 and the continuous drive of the conveyor chain 22 of the joint (common) drive motor 109.

In the pressing apparatus 2 the rolls are formed into tampons 35. After this procedure, the tampons are pushed into a cylindrical bushing 53 of a first revolver 3a by means of the ejector mandrel 52. This first revolver 3a is intermittently turned about 270 to a transfer station, so that the bushing 53 with the tampon is positioned in opposition to a bushing 62 ofa second revolver 3 the axis of it being parallel to the axis of the first revolver 3a. The bushings of both revolvers 3a, 3 are heated. The second revolver 3 is intermittently turned with the same rate as the first revolver about 270 to an ejection station, in which the bushing is coaxially in alignment with the tampon cups 13, which are fastened laterally to the links of the two conveyor chains 21 (FIG. 4).

In said transfer station of the first revolver 3a a transfer plunger 55 is movable to and fro in a U-shaped guide 54 within a plane through the main axis of both

revolvers

31, 3 and coaxially to the

bushings

53 and 62 of the second revolver 3. The rear end of this plunger forms a toothed rack 56, which mates with a toothed rim 57 of a lever 59 which is pivotably connected to a pivot 58. The other end of the lever is hinged at 60 to a control rod 61, which is movable through a cam in a well known manner (not shown).

A discharge plunger 64 operates in the same manner as the plunger 55 and is provided at the ejection station and movably guided in a U-shaped guide 63 radially to the axis of the second revolver 3 and coaxially to the bushing 62. The rear end of said plunger 64 forms with a lever 68 a rack-and-pinion-

gear

65, 67. The lever 68 is pivotable about a pivot 66 and the free end of the lever is hinged to a control rod 70 at 69.

It will be seen that the two buffer rails 17 have the following functions:

1. the balance between the intermittent drive of the

chains

15, 16 at the transfer station from the winding apparatus to the

chains

15 and 16 respectively and the continuous movement of the

chains

15, 16 at the transfer point to the presser and 2. the balance during the ejection of defective rolls by another roll prepared by the winding apparatus in a manner to fill the roll-cups of the

chains

15, 16 without any gap only with perfect rolls.

During the standstill ofthe

chain

15 or 16 in the area of the sprocket 12 and during the continuous movement of the chain about the sprocket 12 in the proximity of the presser, the buffer rail 17 is moved about the difference of this displacement in the direction of the arrow 18. With the next index operation of the intermittently driven sprockets 9b the

chain

15 or 16 is moved about one pitch of the distance of the roll-cups with a higher rate than the chain is continuously driven by the sprockets 12 and 42 respectively at the same time. At this time the buffer rail is moving in the previous initial or normal position in direction of the arrow 19.

The balance of failures is the second function of the buffer rail 17 and the

chain

15 or 16. If a defective roll is pushed into a roll-cup of the

chain

15 or 16, the continuous drive of the chain is automatically stopped and the roll-cup with the defective roll in it is maintained in the transfer range one cycle of the machine. The following perfect roll pushes the defective roll out of the roll-cup and only thereafter the chain will be moved about one further pitch. During the standstill of the chain about one cycle of the machine, the buffer rail is shifted about the half distance of the distance of two roll-cups of the chain in the direction of the arrow 18.

If the both buffer rails 17 are moved in extremely different positions by the ejection of a plurality of defective rolls, that means, that one of the both buffer rails is shifted much more in for instance the direction of discharge 18 than the other buffer rail, the other chain system will receive an electronic signal for the ejection of perfect rolls until that time at which both buffer rails will reach again the same position. The index number of the presser is slowed down about for a short time by an electric control to bring both buffer rails again in their middle position (in FIG. 1 the full charge position is shown). Both winding apparatuses will be operated until the buffer rails 17 have reached their middle position and thereafter the electric control will be operated in such a way that the presser operates with a normal rate.

For instance, ifin FIG. 1 the upper winding apparatus delivers defective rolls. the buffer rail 17 would be shifted more and more into the direction of the discharge (arrow 18), because of the fact that the chain system at the transfer station from the winding apparatus to the transfer chain will come to a standstill during each machine cycle. During this time each roll in a roll-cup at the transfer point will be pushed out by the following defective roll. If the buffer rail 17 is in its extreme position at the left side of FIG. 1, this position will be electronically scanned and the electronic control will give a signal ejection to the other winding apparatus below. With this signal perfect rolls will be ejected at the transfer point of the winding apparatus below to approach also the extreme left position with the buffer rail 17 as it does the upper buffer rail. If now both buffer rails are moved in a position very narrow to the empty position", then the presser is driven 10% slower and both buffer rails will be moved slowly to their middle position.

If defective rolls will be ejected at the transfer station of the winding apparatus for a longer time, so that the buffer rail will be moved completely to its extremely left position and if also the buffer rail below is moved to the left side and the winding apparatus below has received the signal ejection of perfect rolls, and if in spite of the fact that the rate of the machine cycle of the presser is slowed down about 10%, a balance will be not possible because of the fact that only defective rolls will be ejected, then the presser machine will be stopped until the winding apparatus has filled with rolls the chain so much that both buffer rails will move to their middle position between their extreme left and right position.

If there is any failure within the presser so that the presser is stopped. then one or both winding apparatuses will work for such a time, until both buffer rails will reach their extreme right position in FIG. 1, that means the direction of filling. In this end position again an end switch will be closed by the buffer rail, by which the winding apparatus is stopped. Therefore, in the case of an extreme left or right end-positions of the buffer rail the latter will operate an end switch as to stop the winding-apparatus at the extreme right endposition of the buffer rail 17 or to stop the presser machine at the extreme left endposition of the buffer rail in FIG. 1. So it is possible to balance the degree of admission of rolls to the chain 15 with a degree of admission of rolls to the parallel controlled chain 16, if one of both chains has been extremely filled with or emptied of rolls. And after this procedure they are pushed in revolver 3 into the tampon cups 13 which are fastened laterally to the links of the two conveyor chains 21 (FIG. 4). Thus the transfer of the tampons from the revolver 3 into these tampon cups 13 is performed in the same manner as the feeding of the rolls into the pressing apparatus 2, while a total of four tampon cups 13 are passing around sprockets 34 and while, as a result, the tampon cup 13, the revolver bore of the bushing 62, and the revolver plunger 64 are in coaxial alignment with one another.

The tampons 35 (FIG. 4) are pushed from the two continuously running conveyor chains 21 into tampon containers 14 on the continuously circulating conveyor chain 22 at two transfer points. Each of the conveyor chains 21 is driven in common with the conveyor chain 22 by a

chain sprocket

10a, 10b, through the hollow chain drive shaft 10 which is connected to a driving motor through a drive pinion at the end of the shaft, in a manner which is not shown. This system is so arranged that, during one half revolution of the chain drive shaft 10, a sleeve-like tampon cup 13 on conveyor chain 21 will be in alignment, in the sprocket engagement area, with one of the tampon containers 14 whose shape matches that of a tampon and which are carried on the second conveyor chain. The transfer of the tampon 35 takes place while the

conveyor chains

21 and 22 are rotating around the chain drive shaft 10 and is performed by means of two plungers 40 which are mounted for rotation about the chain drive shaft 10 in walls of the chassis of the transfer device 4 and are guided by bores in the chain drive shaft 10. Four plungers 40 are disposed for axial displacement in each of the two chain drive shafts, being displaceable by means of rollers 39a which are fastened to blocks 39 which are engaged by a fixed control cam 36 of drumlike construction. The blocks 39 are displaceably disposed on guide rods which are mounted in

disks

37 and 38. The cam 36 is affixed to the machine frame, and the machined cam track is of such shape that, when the chain drive shaft 10 rotates by 180, a plunger 40 performs a sinusoidal reciprocating movement in the course of which the transfer takes place.

Since in the represented embodiment the tampons 35 are transferred from two conveyor chains to one, at the first transfer point approached by conveyor chain 22 every other tampon holder 14 must be filled, and the alternate tampon holders 14 must be filled at the second transfer point. For this reason the conveyor chain 22 in this embodiment has a l-inch division, each chain division being associated with one tampon holder 14. Conveyor chain 21 has a division of five-eighths inch and carries one tampon cup every six links. Through coordination of the dimensions from the roll center of chain 21 and the center of the bore of tampon cup 13 in conjunction with the different diameters of the gears on chain drive shaft a coaxial alignment of the bores in tampon cups 13 and 14 is achieved. However, only one tampon cup 13 is associated with every other tampon holder 14 located on the periphery of each of the two chain drive shafts 10. The filled conveyor chain 22 then passes into the storage station 5 from which the tampons are fed to a packaging machine. e.g., a blister packaging machine. This may be realized in a manner which is described in the co-pending U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 216,624 dated Jan. 10, I972. The chain conveyor belt 6 running from the storage 5, which serves as a buffer, takes the tampons ejected from the buffer chain and carries them to the drum of the blister packager. A paddle wheel presses the tampons out of the recesses of the sprocket into the recesses in a blister material running on the blister drum, whereupon the packaging of the tampons may be performed in a conventional manner. With the manufacturing installation described, an output of 240 tampons per minute can be achieved.

Especially due to the manner in which the rolls or tampons are transferred from one working process to the next a high output of the product is achieved without harm to the shape thereof, in an installation which, by and large, operates virtually continuously.

What is claimed is:

1. In a process for the manufacture of tampons wherein a band of batting is wound into a plurality of rolls; the rolls are transferred to a pressing process wherein they are pressed into tampons and the tampons are transferred into storage or packaging, the improvement which comprises intermittently feeding a plurality of rolls along a first path to a continuously moving first transfer means, intermittently feeding a plurality of rolls along a second path to a continuously moving second transfer means, intermittently removing said rolls from said first transfer means and feeding them along a third path to a pressing apparatus, intermittently removing said rolls from said second transfer means and feeding them along a fourth path to said pressing apparatus, intermittently removing a plurality of the rolls from said pressing apparatus and feeding them along a fifth path to a third transfer means, and intermittently removing additional rolls from said pressing apparatus and feeding them along a sixth path to a fourth transfer means, the feed to said first transfer means, the removal therefrom and feed to said pressing apparatus and the removal therefrom and feed to said third transfer apparatus being synchronous with the feed to said second transfer means, the removal therefrom and the feed from said second transfer means to said pressing apparatus and the removal therefrom and the feed to said fourth transfer apparatus.

2. An improvement according to claim 1 further comprising continuously feeding the rolls from said third and fourth transfer means in parallel to a single continuously moving receiving means and passing said rolls along a common path to a downstream work station.

3. An improvement according to claim 2 additionally comprising removing the rolls from the first and second transfer means by directing a transverse thrust against them.

4. An improvement according to claim 3 further comprising continuously transporting thereafter tampons along a common path to a packaging apparatus.

5. An improvement according to claim 2further comprising pressing the rolls into tampons in said pressing apparatus and injecting some of the so-formed tampons into said third transfer means and some of said tampons into said fourth transfer means, the rate at which said rolls are pressed being at a greater rate upon the feeding of rolls upstream thereof to respective first and second transfer means than upon the transfer of rolls from said first and second transfer means to said pressing apparatus.

6. In an apparatus for making tampons comprising a winding apparatus to form wound rolls from a fibrous batting, a pressing apparatus which forms said rolls into tampons, a transfer device to transfer the rolls to said pressing apparatus, means for intermittently feeding rolls to said transfer device, the improvement which comprises regulating means associated with said transfer device permitting continuous transmission of said rolls to said pressing apparatus while the portion of said transfer device positioned at said means for feeding said transfer device is maintained stationary, said transfer device comprising an endless conveyor, said regulating means comprising means for changing the path of said endless conveyor to lengthen or shorten the distance of travel between the means for feeding said' transfer device and said pressing apparatus, and means for continuously moving said conveyor at said pressing apparatus when said conveyor is at its stopped position at said means for feeding said transfer device.

7. An improvement according to claim 6 wherein said transfer device comprises a buffer rail, an endless conveyor chain having links, which chain carries over said buffer rail roll cups sized to receive said rolls from said winding apparatus, said cups mounted laterally on said links of said chain, said chain carried at said winding apparatus over an intermittently drivable sprocket and proximate said pressing over a continuously drivable sprocket, means for driving said intermittently drivable sprocket and means for driving said continuously drivable sprocket said intermittently drivable sprocket carrying said chain proximate said pressing apparatus, over said continuously drivable sprocket, means for displacing said buffer rail laterally to permit continuous movement of a portion of said chain away from said winding apparatus while the portion of the chain at said winding apparatus is stationary.

8. An improvement according to claim 7 wherein said buffer rail is mounted to permit reciprocal lateral movement, said rail is disposed on at least one roller, said apparatus further comprising two buffer rail sprocketed wheels, one of which is connected to one end of said buffer rail, the other of which is connected to the other end of said buffer rail and said sprocketed wheels engage said chain.

9. An improvement according to claim 8 wherein said apparatus further comprises a stationarily disposed sleeve and an ejection plunger of said winding apparatus said conveyor chain proximate said winding apparatus is carried into alignment with said stationarily disposed sleeve, said sleeve is in alignment with said ejection plunger of said winding apparatus, which plunger, upon actuation, ejects a formed roll from the transfer device disposed between the winding apparatus and the presser, such that when the conveyor chain is at a standstill, a roll cup of a size to recieve a roll is aligned with said sleeve.

10. An improvement according to claim 9 wherein said conveyor chain at the winding apparatus is connected to a drive sprocket, said apparatus comprises a claw coupling, an intermittently drivable shaft of the winding apparatus and means for intermittently driving said shaft, said claw coupling said drive sprocket with said intermittently drivable shaft and means for disengaging said claw coupling.

ll. An improvement according to claim 10 wherein said means for disengaging said claw comprises an electromagnet and a shifting lever, said shifting lever connected and responsive to said electromagnet.

12. An improvement according to claim 10 wherein a lock is provided on the claw coupling for the stopped position of the conveyor chain.

13. An improvement according to claim 9 wherein said conveyor chain is disposed at said presser in an transfer area of 90 such that the axis of a roll cup is substantially in alignment in the transfer area with a plunger which is disposed in alignment with said roll cup, which plunger is displaceable transversely of the conveyor chain and said apparatus further comprises means for displacing said plunger transversely of said conveyor therein.

14. An improvement according to claim 13 wherein each roll cup is constructed open on one side over the longitudinal dimension in the form of a slot-like opening which is larger than said plunger.

15. An improvement according to claim 6 wherein there is provided a second transfer means connected to the output of said pressing apparatus comprising at least one endless conveyor chain with tampon cups sized to receive a tampon which cups are mounted laterally on the links of said endless conveyor chain, said chain mounted at said pressing apparatus on at leastone loose sprocket, a tampon receiving revolver in said pressing apparatus having at least one bore therein and means for revolving said revolver, said loose sprocket being in an transfer area of 90 such that the axis of a tampon cup is in substantial alignment in this transfer area with the axis of said bore.

16. An improvement according to claim 15 wherein said endless conveyor chain is carried around a continuously drivable chain drive shaft, said apparatus comprises means for continuously driving said chain drive shaft and a second conveyor chain having laterally mounted tampon holders engaging said drive shaft such that, during a rotation of the chain drive shaft, a tampon holder is coaxially aligned with a tampon cup of the endless conveyor chain in an engagement of 90C.

17. An improvement according to claim 15 wherein the chain drive shaft is provided in the transfer range of the first conveyor chain with axial bores which are in alignment with said tampon cups mounted on the conveyor chain within the transfer range and in which displaceable plungers are disposed and said apparatus comprises means for displacing said plungers transversely.

18. An improvement according to claim 17 wherein said means for displacing said plungers transversely comprises a fixedly disposed control cam and a roller engaged by said cam.

19. An improvement according to claim 15 wherein the tampon cups are sized to match said roll cups.

20. In a process for the manufacture of tampons wherein a band of batting is wound into a plurality of rolls, the rolls are transferred to a pressing process wherein they are pressed into tampons and the tampons are transferred into storage or packaging, the improvement which comprises intermittently feeding a plurality of rolls along a first path of a continuously moving first transfer means, intermittently feeding a plurality of rolls along a second path to a continuously moving second transfer means, maintaining the continuous movement of each of said first and second transfer means independent of the feed thereto by lengthening and shortening the path of travel of said first and second transfer means so that the movement is continuous regardless of the intermittent feed to said first and second transfer means, intermittently removing said rolls from said first transfer means and feeding them along a third path to a pressing apparatus, intermittently removing said rolls from said second transfer means and feeding them along a fourth path to said pressing apparatus, intermittently removing a plurality of rolls from said pressing apparatus and feeding them along a fifth path to a third transfer means, and intermittently removing additional rolls from said pressing apparatus and feeding them along a sixth path to a fourth transfer means, the feed to said first transfer means, the removal therefrom and the feed to said pressing apparatus and the removal therefrom and the feed to the third transfer apparatus being synchronous with the feed to said second transfer means, the removal therefrom and feed from said second transfer means to said pressing apparatus and the removal therefrom and the feed to said fourth transfer apparatus.

21. An apparatus for making tampons and transferring said tampons to packaging or storage which comprises a first winding apparatus and a second winding apparatus, each of which form round rolls from a fibrous batting, a first transfer device, a second transfer device and a common pressing apparatus, said first transfer device operable to transfer the rolls from said first winding apparatus to said common presser, said second transfer device operable to transfer the rollers from said second winding apparatus to said common presser, said presser applicable to form the rolls fed thereto into tampons, means for intermittently feeding wound rolls to said first transfer device, means for intermittently feeding wound rolls to said second transfer device, means for continuously moving said first transfer device independent of said second transfer device and for maintaining said continuous movement toward said common pressing apparatus while a portion of said first transfer device is maintained stationary, means for continuously moving said second transfer device independent of said first transfer device and maintaining said continuous movement toward said common pressing apparatus while a portion of said second transfer device is maintained stationary.

22. An apparatus according to claim 21 further comprising means for lengthening and shortening the path of travel of said first transfer device independent of the path of travel of said second transfer device in response to feed by wound roll thereto and means for lengthening and shortening the path of travel of said second transfer device independent of the path of travel of said first transfer device in response to feed of a wound roll thereto.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22 wherein each of said means for lengthening and shortening the path of travel of said first and second transfer devices com prises a buffer rail and said transfer device comprises mit continuous movement of said chain away from said winding apparatus while the portion of the chain at said winding apparatus is stationary.

24. An apparatus according to claim 21 further comprising balancing means responsive to each of said means for lengthening and shortening the path of travel of said first and second transfer devices, said balancing means balancing the degree of feed to the first and second transfer devices so that neither transfer device is overfilled with or emptied of rolls. l

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK O-FFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. 3,87L ,o32

DATED April 1,1975 oms Stefan Simon and Wolfgang Johst It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In Claim 7, iine 38, "px essing over" should read pressing apparatus over In Column 1 line "path of" should read path to Signed and Scaled this twenty-fifth D3) Of November 1975 [SEAL] Attest:

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer Commissioner oj'larents and Trademarks

Claims

6. In an apparatus for making tampons comprising a winding apparatus to form wound rolls from a fibrous batting, a pressing apparatus which forms said rolls into tampons, a transfer device to transfer the rolls to said pressing apparatus, means for intermittently feeding rolls to said transfer device, the improvement which comprises regulating means associated with said transfer device permitting continuous transmission of said rolls to said pressing apparatus while the portion of said transfer device positioned at said means for feeding said transfer device is maintained stationary, said transfer device comprising an endless conveyor, said regulating means comprising means for changing the path of said endless conveyor to lengthen or shorten the distance of travel between the means for feeding said transfer device and said pressing apparatus, and means for continuously moving said conveyor at said pressing apparatus when said conveyor is at its stopped position at said means for feeding said transfer device.

11. An improvement according to claim 10 wherein said means for disengaging said claw comprises an electromagnet and a shifting lever, said shifting lever connected and responsive to said electromagnet.

13. An improvement according to claim 9 wherein said conveyor chain is disposed at said presser in an transfer area of 90* such that the axis of a roll cup is substantially in alignment in the transfer area with a plunger which is disposed in alignment with said roll cup, which plunger is displaceable transversely of the conveyor chain and said apparatus further comprises means for displacing said plunger transversely of said conveyor therein.

15. An improvement according to claim 6 wherein there is provided a second transfer means connected to the output of said pressing apparatus comprising at least one endless conveyor chain with tampon cups sized to receive a tampon which cups are mounted laterally on the links of said endless conveyor chain, said chain mounted at said pressing apparatus on at least one loose sprocket, a tampon receiving revolver in said pressing apparatus having at least one bore therein and means for revolving said revolver, said loose sprocket being in an transfer area of 90* such that the axis of a tampon cup is in substantial alignment in this transfer area with the axis of said bore.

16. An improvement according to claim 15 wherein said endless conveyor chain is carried around a continuously drivable chain drive shaft, said apparatus comprises means for continuously driving said chain drive shaft and a second conveyor chain having laterally mounted tampon holders engaging said drive shaft such that, during a rotation of the chain drive shaft, a tampon holder is coaxially aligned with a tampon cup of the endless conveyor chain in an engagement of 90*C.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22 wherein each of said means for lengthening and shortening the path of travel of said first and second transfer devices comprises a buffer rail and said transfer device comprises an endless conveyor chain having links, which chain carries roll cups sized to receive said rolls from said winding apparatus, said cups mounted laterally on said links of said chain, said chain carried at said winding apparatus over an intermittently drivable sprocket and proximate said pressing apparatus over a continuously drivable sprocket, means for driving said intermittently drivable sprocket and means for driving said continuously drivable sprocket while said intermittently drivable sprocket carries said chain proximate said pressing apparatus, means for displacing said buffer rail to permit continuous movement of said chain away from said winding apparatus while the portion of the chain at said winding apparatus is stationary.

24. An apparatus according to claim 21 further comprising balancing means responsive to each of said means for lengthening and shortening the path of travel of said first and second transfer devices, said balancing means balancing the degree of feed to the first and second transfer devices so that neither transfer device is overfilled with or emptied of rolls.