Claims
- 1. A method of folding a tubular length of hose material to form a package with superposed annular layers, said method comprising the steps of feeding a first length of tubular hose material longitudinally past a pulling device onto a retaining guide such that the tubular hose is held open and said first length extends annularly, said device being longitudinally and transversely movable and being in an initial position when the hose material is fed therepast, clamping the material to said guide, displacing said pulling device to pull a further length of tubular hose material and fold the same as an annular layer onto the first length of tubular material clamped to said guide, releasing the clamping of the material to said guide, withdrawing the retaining guide from between said first length of material and said annular layer and positioning the guide adjacent the outer surface of the annular layer, withdrawing the pulling device by longitudinally displacing the same in reverse direction to its initial position and repeating the above steps to form successive annular folds of material to constitute the superposed annular layers of the package.
- 2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pulling device has opposite sides and the retaining guide is positioned on a first side of the pulling device when the material is clamped to the retaining guide, said retainer guide upon withdrawal being laterally displaced to a position on the opposite side of the pulling device before being placed adjacent the folded material.
- 3. A method as claimed in claim 2 comprising laterally displacing the retaining guide after withdrawal of the pulling device to laterally displace the folded material, the lateral displacement of the retainer guide being of a magnitude to move the retainer guide to a position corresponding to placement of the retainer guide on said first side of the pulling device.
- 4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the package has inner and outer annular surfaces and the successive folding of the material is effected from the outer surface of the package towards the inner surface of the package.
- 5. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the retaining guide and the pulling device form corners in the superposed annular folds of the material of the package such that the package has a polygonal outer configuration and a hollow interior configuration of star shape with a plurality of points corresponding to said corners and wherein the folds of the material are stretched over the points.
- 6. A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the longitudinal lengths of material are formed into annular folds which are all of equal circumferential extent whereby the folds are progressively expanded from the inner surface to the outer surface of the package.
- 7. Apparatuus for folding a tubular length of hose material to form a package with superposed annular folds, said hose material having inner and outer surfaces, said apparatus comprising reciprocably movable pulling means having opposite sides and positioned to permit passage of one of the surfaces of the hose material in open annular formation on one side of the pulling means, retaining means movable in reciprocation in first and second mutually perpendicular directions adjacent the other of the surfaces of said openn annular material, means for moving said retaining means in a first direction of reciprocation from a first position on a first side of the pulling means to a second position on an opposite side of said pulling means, locking means for clamping the hose material against the retaining means in said first position , means for moving said locking means between a first position in which the hose material is clamped against the retainer means and a second position in which the hose material is released from the retainer means, and means for moving said pulling means from a first release position to a second operative position to form an annular fold in the hose material when the material is clamped by the locking means and retainer means.
- 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said pulling means and retaining means successively overlap one another to form a succession of superposed annular folds.
- 9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said means which moves said retaining means acts to move said retaining means in a reciprocal stroke in the second direction of reciprocation in the course of reciprocal movement of said retaining means in going from said first to said second positions thereof.
- 10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said retaining means acts to displace the formed fold in traveling from the second position to the first position.
- 11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said second direction of reciprocation of the retaining means is parallel to the direction of reciprocation of the pulling means.
- 12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 comprising means for adjusting the stroke in reciprocation of said pulling means for adjusting the height of the folds of the material in the package.
- 13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said retaining means and pulling means are shaped to form corners in the annular folds of the material of the package, such that the package has a polygonal outer configuration and a hollow interior configuration of star shape with a plurality of points aligned with said corners, said annular folds of material being stretched by said pulling means over the retaining means at said points.
Parent Case Info
This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 776,652 filed Mar. 11, 1977 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,892.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
776652 |
Mar 1977 |
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