Claims
- 1. An apparatus for the continuous transfer and delivery of individual flexible products from a product drum to a delivery point comprising:
- means for providing a series of individual flexible products to a transfer point;
- means for transferring said products from said transfer point to a delivery point,
- said transfer means including a rotatable vacuum transfer drum, means for rotating said vacuum transfer drum and a vacuum source,
- said vacuum source including first and second manifolds communicating therewith,
- said vacuum transfer drum adapted to accept said products from said product drum and including vacuum ports in communication with said first manifold for securing the leading edges of said products, and
- said vacuum transfer drum further having a series of indentations on the surface thereof, said indentations further including vacuum ports communicating with said second manifold for securing said flexible products in said indentations.
- 2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising means for urging said flexible products outwardly from said indentations prior to said products reaching said delivery point.
- 3. An apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said transfer means includes a positive air pressure manifold, and
- said means for urging said flexible products outwardly comprises positive air pressure communicated from said positive air pressure manifold to said products by said ports in said indentations.
- 4. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein a close-fitting guide positioned adjacent to the surface of said transfer drum urges said flexible products to flatten outwardly as vacuum is released from the mid-section of said products.
- 5. .The apparatus of claim 1 which includes means located at said delivery point for removing individual products from said transfer drum.
- 6. The transfer and delivery apparatus of claim 1 in which said transfer drum includes a plurality of alternating first and second segments for delivery of individual flexible products to a plurality of delivery points,
- said first segments being movable transverse to the path of movement of said products, said first segments adapted to accept alternating ones of said products from said product drum,
- said second segments adapted to accept alternating ones of said products, and
- means for moving said first segments transverse to said path of movement of said products, whereby said first segments provide individual products to a first delivery point and said second segments provide individual products to a second delivery point.
- 7. The transfer and delivery apparatus of claim 1 which includes means located at said delivery point for removing products from said transfer drum.
- 8. The transfer and delivery apparatus of claim 6 in which said second manifold communicates with the trailing edge vacuum ports on said first segment during the period in which said first segments are being moved transversely.
- 9. The transfer and delivery apparatus of claim 6 in which said second segments include vacuum ports in communication with said second manifold for securing the trailing edges of said products.
- 10. The transfer and delivery apparatus of claim 6 which includes means located at each of said delivery points for removing said individual products from each of said segments of said transfer drum.
- 11. An apparatus for the continuous transfer and delivery of individual flexible products from a product from to a delivery point comprising:
- means for providing a series of individual flexible products to a transfer point;
- means for transferring said products from said transfer point to a delivery point,
- said transfer means including a rotatable vacuum transfer drum, means for rotating said vacuum transfer drum and a vacuum source,
- said vacuum source including first and second manifolds communicating therewith,
- said vacuum transfer drum adapted to accept said products from said product drum and including vacuum ports in communication with said first manifold for securing the leading edges of said products, and
- said vacuum transfer drum further having a series of indentations on the surface thereof, said indentations further including vacuum ports communicating with said second manifold for securing said flexible products in said indentations;
- means to vary the depth of said indentations,
- said means of variation including means for removably receiving inserts and spacer blocks of different discrete sizes, and
- said indentations, inserts and spacer blocks including ports communicating with said second vacuum manifold.
- 12. An apparatus for the continuous transfer and delivery of individual flexible products from a plurality of transfer points on a rotatable vacuum product drum to a plurality of delivery points comprising:
- means for providing a series of individual flexible products sequentially to a plurality of individual flexible products sequentially to a plurality of transfer points,
- means for transferring individual ones of said products from each of said plurality of transfer points to a delivery point,
- said transfer means including a plurality of vacuum transfer drums, means for rotating said vacuum transfer drums and a vacuum source,
- said transfer drums arranged such that the first of said plurality of transfer drums accept individual products from said vacuum product drum at a first transfer point and each succeeding transfer drum accepts individual products from said vacuum product drum at each succeeding transfer point, said first transfer drum delivering at least a portion of said individual products to a first delivery point, and each succeeding transfer drum located at each succeeding transfer point delivering at least a portion of said individual products to succeeding delivery points,
- said vacuum transfer drums further having a series of indentations on the surface thereof for receiving a portion of said products.
- 13. An apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein a close-fitting guide positioned adjacent to the surface of each of said transfer drums urges said flexible products to flatten outwardly.
- 14. An apparatus as recited in claim 12 which includes means located at each of said delivery points for removing individual flexible products from each of said transfer drums.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the means by which the vacuum transfer drums accept individual products include vacuum ports in communication with said vacuum manifold for securing the leading edges of said products.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said vacuum source includes first and second manifolds, and
- said vacuum transfer drum includes vacuum ports in communication with said first manifold for securing the leading edges of said products, and said indentations further including vacuum ports communicating with said second manifold for securing said products in said indentations, and
- means for urging said flexible products outwardly from said indentations prior to said products reaching said delivery point.
- 17. An apparatus as recited in claim 16 in which said indentations, inserts, and spacer blocks include ports communicating with said second vacuum manifold.
- 18. An apparatus as recited in claim 16 wherein said transfer means includes a positive air pressure manifold, and
- said means for urging said flexible products outward comprises positive air pressure communicated from said positive air pressure manifold to said products by said ports in said indentations.
- 19. An apparatus for the continuous transfer and delivery of individual flexible products from a plurality of transfer points on a rotatable vacuum product drum to a plurality of transfer points comprising:
- means for providing a series of individual flexible products sequentially to a plurality of transfer points,
- means for transferring individual ones of said products from each of said plurality of transfer points to a delivery point,
- said transfer means including a plurality of vacuum transfer drums, means for rotating said vacuum transfer drums and a vacuum source,
- said transfer drums arranged such that the first of said plurality of transfer drums accept individual products from said vacuum product drum at a first transfer point and each succeeding transfer drum accepts individual products from said vacuum product drum at each succeeding transfer point, said first transfer drum delivering at least a portion of said individual products to a first delivery point, and each succeeding transfer drum located at each succeeding transfer point delivering at least a portion of said individual products to succeeding delivery points,
- said vacuum transfer drums further having a series of indentations on the surface thereof for receiving a portion of said products,
- means to vary the depth of said indentations on said transfer drums,
- said means of variation including means for removably receiving inserts and spacer blocks of different discrete sizes.
- 20. A method for delivery of continuously produced individual flexible products comprising the steps of:
- providing a continuous source of individual flexible products;
- continuously transferring said products to the surface of a rotating transfer drum having indentations in the surface thereof for receiving a portion of said products;
- securing said products in said indentations by applying a vacuum thereto and, thereafter
- delivering said products to a delivery point.
- 21. A method as claimed in claim 20 further comprising the step of:
- urging said flexible products outwardly from said indentations as said transfer drum rotates by the application of atmospheric or positive air pressure prior to delivering said products to said delivery point.
- 22. A method for delivery of continuously produced individual flexible products comprising the steps of:
- providing a continuous source of individual flexible products to a plurality of transfer points, and
- continuously conveying said products sequentially to a plurality of transfer points, and
- transferring individual ones of said products from each of said plurality of transfer points to one of a plurality of transfer drums there located, each of said transfer drums having indentations in the surfaces thereof for receiving a portion of said products; and, thereafter,
- delivering said products from each of said plurality of transfer drums to related delivery points.
- 23. A method as claimed in claim 22 further comprising the step of:
- urging said flexible products outwardly from said indentations as said transfer drum rotates prior to
- delivering said products to said related delivery points.
Parent Case Info
This is a division of application Ser. No. 353932, filed May 22, 1989.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
353932 |
May 1989 |
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