Plastic film guiding device of packaging machine

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6457300
  • Patent Number
    6,457,300
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, January 4, 2001
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, October 1, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Rada; Rinaldi I.
    • Truong; Thanh
    Agents
    • Rosenberg, Klein & Lee
Abstract
The present invention proposes a plastic film guiding device of a packaging machine, which comprises a frame, a screw rod, a walking block, a positioning rod, a pair of slanting rods, and a pair of slide bodies. The plastic film guiding device of the present invention is arranged in suspended way to reduce its contact with the surface of a machine table so that the present invention suffers less heat to facilitate the adjustment. Most importantly, the present invention has instant width-adjusting function, and can simultaneously perform identical adjustments to the widths of both sides. The adjustment is fast, and the positions of movement are exact. Moreover, fine adjustment of width can be performed at any time during the operation of the machine.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates to a plastic film guiding device of a packaging machine and, more particularly, to a moving structure of a guiding device, which is capable of simultaneously controlling the widths of both sides.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION





FIG. 1

shows a prior art guiding device of packaging plastic film, wherein a pair of dissymmetrical bottom plates


11


are locked on a machine table, and a width-adjusting rod


12


is locked slantingly on the surface of each of the bottom plates


11


. The width-adjusting rod


12


has a T-shaped cross section. A width-adjusting seat


13


is telescoped on the width-adjusting rod


12


. A corresponding T-shaped groove is formed in the width-adjusting seat


13


. A screw hole


14


penetrating to the T-shaped groove is formed on the side plane of the width-adjusting seat


13


. The width-adjusting seat


13


is locked on the width-adjusting rod


11


through a turn button


15


. Inclined planes are formed at the facing ends of the two width-adjusting seats


13


. An article guiding rod


16


is joined at each of the two inclined planes so that the two article guiding rods


16


are parallel. The outer side of each of the article guiding rods


16


slantingly joins the lower end of a height-adjusting rod


17


with the vertical plane thereof. The height-adjusting rod


17


also has a T-shaped cross section. A height-adjusting seat


18


is telescoped on the height-adjusting rod


17


. The height-adjusting seat


18


is C-shaped. The top plane of each of the height-adjusting seats


18


has a through screw hole


19


. The height-adjusting seat


18


is locked on the height-adjusting rod


17


through a turn button


191


. The inner side plane of each of the height-adjusting seats


18


joins a hooked plastic film guiding plate


192


.




This prior art structure has been used for many years. Although its function is very good, its adjustment is not convenient. This prior art structure is joined against the surface of a machine table. The bottom plane of the machine table has a heating device. Guided-in plastic film is sleeved on an article and the both sides thereof are heated for packaging. For controlling the guiding-in of plastic film, the plastic film guiding device is provided to control the width and height of package. The length of package is also controlled using a cutting device at the rear end.




Because the mechanisms of the prior art are individually fixed, the assembly is not easy after disassembled for maintenance or cleaning so that professional technicians are required. Therefore, the adjustment of the prior art structure is not convenient. All turn buttons must be loosened beforehand when setting each specification to perform the adjustment. Especially, because the installed position thereof is very near the heating device, the machine must be halt when the adjustment is performed. That is, heating must be stopped to facilitate manual adjustment. Moreover, the adjustment is separately performed at both sides, and the control is carried out through the help of scale rules at both sides. However, slight error still exists. Therefore, the run-in time and process are relatively lengthened. The present invention aims to resolve the above problems in the prior art.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




One object of the present invention is to provide a plastic film guiding device of a packaging machine. The guiding device is arranged in suspended way to reduce its contact with the surface of a machine table so that the present invention suffers less heat to facilitate the adjustment. Most importantly, the present invention has instant width-adjusting function, and can simultaneously perform identical adjustments to the widths of both sides. The adjustment is fast, and the positions of movement are exact. Moreover, fine adjustment of width can be performed at any time during the operation of the machine.




The present invention comprises a frame, a screw rod, a walking block, a positioning rod, a pair of slanting rods, and a pair of slide bodies. The frame comprises two bottom plates, two side plates, a top plate, a front axle sheet, and a rear axle sheet. The front and rear axle sheets are installed at the centerline of the frame. The front axle sheet has a pivotally-joining hole, and the rear axle sheet has a screw hole. The screw rod penetrates the screw hole with the front end thereof joined in the pivotally-joining hole and the rear end thereof joining an adjuster. A screw hole penetrating from front to rear is formed in the walking block to be passed through by the screw rod so that the walking block can be led to move forwards or backwards by the screw rod. A transverse hole is formed at the bottom of the walking block. The positioning rod is threaded in the transverse hole to be fixed perpendicular to the screw rod. The inner end of the slanting rod is joined at the top plate, and the outer end thereof protrudes out forwards. The positioning rods are symmetrically arranged. Each slide body has a slide block and a guide block. Each slide block is telescoped in the slanting rod via a slide groove. The inner end of the slide block joins downwards the guide block so that the two guide blocks are parallel arranged. The guide block joins one end of a height-adjusting rod. The pair of guide blocks are led to move by the adjuster for controlling the guided-in width of plastic film and for successfully guiding in articles. The height-adjusting rod is joined on the outer side plane of the guide block and is slantingly forward and upward. A fixing block is telescoped on the height-adjusting rod. The fixing block has a slide way therein to be passed through and has a control turn button for adjustment. The outer end of the height-adjusting rod joins a hooked plastic film guiding plate. An adjustable hanging device is provided above the top plate.




The various objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of the prior art.





FIG. 2

is a perspective view of the present invention;





FIG. 3

is an exploded perspective view of the present invention;





FIG. 4

is a top view of the present invention when not moved yet;





FIG. 5

is an action position diagram of the present invention when already moved;





FIG. 6

is a side view of the present invention when performing height adjustment; and





FIG. 7

is a perspective view of the present invention with a hanging device attached thereon.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




As shown in

FIGS. 2

to


6


, a plastic film guiding device


2


of a packaging machine of the present invention comprises a frame


21


, a screw rod


22


, a walking block


23


, a positioning rod


24


, a pair of slanting rods


28


, and a pair of slide bodies


25


. The frame


21


comprises two bottom plates


211


, two side plates


212


, a top plate


213


, a front axle sheet


214


, and a rear axle sheet


216


. The front axle sheet


214


and the rear axle sheet


216


are provided at the centerline of the frame


21


. The front axle sheet


214


has a pivotally-joining hole


215


, and the rear axle sheet


216


has a screw hole


217


.




The screw rod


22


penetrates the screw hole


217


with the front end thereof joined in the pivotally-joining hole


215


and the rear end thereof joining an adjuster


218


(such as a manual wheel shown in the figure). The screw rod


22


is driven by the adjuster


218


.




A screw hole


231


penetrating from front to rear is formed in the walking block


23


to be passed through by the screw rod


22


so that the walking block


23


can be led to move forwards or backwards by the screw rod


22


. A transverse hole


232


and a bottom screw hole


234


are formed at lower part of the bottom of the walking block


23


. The positioning rod


24


is threaded in the transverse hole


232


to be fixed perpendicular to the screw rod


22


.




As shown in the

FIGS. 2

to


6


, the positioning rod


24


can be a circular transverse rod passing through the transverse hole


232


, and is fixed in the walking block


23


by locking a stud


233


in the bottom screw hole


234


of the walking block


23


. The inner end of the slanting rod


28


is joined on the top plate


213


, and the outer end thereof protrudes out forwards. The positioning rods


28


are symmetrically arranged with respect to the centerline of the frame


21


to be approximately A-shaped.




Each of the slide bodies


25


has a slide block


251


and a guide block


254


. Each slide block


251


is telescoped in the slanting rod


28


via a slide groove


252


. As shown in the

FIGS. 2

to


6


, the slanting rods


28


seem to be not connected to the slide groove


252


. There are two ways to resolve this problem. The first way: a slide block of a linear bearing is formed on the periphery of the slanting rod, and the slide track of the linear bearing is fixedly provided in the slide groove


252


, thereby forming a linear slide structure. The second way: the slide groove


252


forms a mouth-shaped passage, and the slide bodies


25


are directly hanged on the slanting rods


28


. The inner end of the slide block


251


joins downwards the guide block


254


so that the two guide blocks


254


of the two slide bodies


25


are parallel arranged. The guide block


254


joins one end of a height-adjusting rod


26


.




As shown in the

FIGS. 2

to


6


, the slide block is slightly triangular. The top end of the guide block


254


is joined on the side plane of the slide block


251


by means of a triangular block


253


. The inner side of the lower end of the guide block


254


joins an L-shaped guide plate


255


. The outer end of the L-shaped guide plate


255


protrudes out forwards. The L-shaped guide plate


255


is used for controlling the guided-in width of the plastic film


4


and for successfully guiding in articles.




The height-adjusting rod


26


is joined on the outer side plane of the guide block


254


and is slantingly forward and upward. A fixing block


27


is telescoped on the height-adjusting rod


26


. The fixing block


27


has a slide way


271


therein to be passed through and has a control turn button


273


for locking and adjusting. The fixing block


27


is covered by a cover plate


272


, which is locked on the fixing block


27


with a plurality of small screws screwed in holes of the cover plate


272


. The control turn button


273


also passes through a central hole of the cover plate


272


to be locked on the surface of the height-adjusting rod


26


. The outer end of each height-adjusting rod


26


joins a hooked plastic film guiding plate


275


. The plastic film guiding plate


275


is used for guiding in the plastic film


4


.




Each height-adjusting rod


26


has scales


261


thereon. The fixing block


27


moves upwards and downwards on the height-adjusting rod


26


to set the guided-in height of the plastic film


4


. A scale ruler


210


is provided on the side plane of the front section of the top plate


213


for controlling the to and fro motion and the expanded size of the slide bodies


25


so as to become the control scales for width adjustment.




As shown in

FIG. 6

, when the fixing block


27


is moved upwards (outwards) from a distance of length e to a distance of length f away from the bottom of the bottom plate


211


, and also from a distance of length c to a distance of length d away from the front end of the bottom plate


211


, the height adjustment of the guided-in plastic film is completed.




The present invention can also be hanging type. As shown in

FIG. 7

, a hanging device


29


is provided above the top plate and is joined at the centerline of the frame. The top plate


213


has a slide groove


219


. The two sides of a horizontal part


291


of an L-shaped plate


290


are joined in the slide groove


219


. The relationship between the slide groove


219


and the L-shaped plate


290


can be the relationship between a T-shaped groove and a raised edge or the relationship between similar structures. At least a fixing screw


292


is provided above the L-shaped plate


290


to pass from a long hole of the horizontal part


291


to the screw hole of the top plate


213


so that not only the L-shaped plate


290


can join the guiding device


2


, but also the for and aft position of the guiding device


2


can be adjusted.




The front end of a vertical part


293


of the L-shaped plate


290


joins an adjusting block


296


. The vertical part


293


has a long hole


294


. An adjusting screw


295


passes through the long hole


294


to lock the L-shaped plate


290


on the surface of the adjusting block


296


. The adjusting screw


295


can be loosened for adjusting the height of the adjusting block


296


so that the up and down height of the guiding device


2


of the present invention can be adjusted. A scale ruler


35


can be provided on the side surface of the vertical part


293


of the L-shaped plate


290


for adjusting the height of the hanging device


29


.




A through groove


297


is formed in the adjusting block


296


to be penetrated by a rod


298


(a circular rod or a square rod). A positioning screw


30


on the top plane of the adjusting block


296


is locked in the screw hole


299


of the adjusting block


296


for adjusting the left and right position of the guiding device


2


of the present invention. A scale ruler


37


can be provided on the rod


298


, and a scale ruler


36


can be provided on the top side surface of the vertical part of the L-shaped plate


290


for adjusting the horizontal position of the hanging device


29


.




The other end of the rod


298


is joined on a side plane


3


of a machine table through an eared fixing seat


33


. The rod


298


is locked on the machine table with a pair of screws


32


passing through holes of the eared fixing seat


33


. Thereby, the present invention can be hanged above the surface of the machine table, showing a structure different from the prior art.




The present invention utilizes the turn of an adjuster to lead a pair of slide bodies


25


. Because a pair of slanting rods


28


is arranged as A-shape, the slide bodies will generate synchronous left and right motion, i.e., simultaneous motion toward or away from each other. As shown in

FIG. 5

, solid lines show the position before adjustment, while dashed lines show the position after adjustment. The distance between the two L-shaped guiding plates


255


is b before adjustment, and the distance between them becomes a after adjustment. As shown in

FIG. 5

, the outer ends of the L-shaped guide plates


255


shrink from outer site to inner site. Thereby, the width control of the guiding device


2


becomes synchronous shrinkage or enlargement, and the adjustment can be performed whenever and wherever. In other words, instant adjustment can also be performed during the process. This is totally different from the prior art. Moreover, it is not necessary to adjust a pair of turn buttons as the prior art, and it is not necessary to halt the machine for adjustment.




Furthermore, a hanging device is added in the present invention to hang the guiding device


2


high. This is totally different from the prior art, wherein the guiding device can only be installed on the surface of a machine table. Therefore, the heat suffered by the whole guiding device can be reduced so that width and height adjustment can be performed more conveniently. The present invention utilizes a pair of fixing blocks for height adjustment. Therefore, the present invention has better effects of guiding and adjustment for plastic film than the prior art.




Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details thereof. Various substitutions and modifications have been suggested in the foregoing description, and others will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, all such substitutions and modifications are intended to be embraced within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.



Claims
  • 1. A plastic film guiding device of a packaging machine, comprising:a frame comprising two bottom plates, two side plates, a top plate, a front axle sheet, and a rear axle sheet, said front and rear sheets being respectively provided at the front and rear centerlines of said frame, said front axle sheet having a pivotally-joining hole, said rear axle having a screw hole; a screw rod penetrating through said screw hole of said rear axle sheet with the front end thereof joined in said pivotally-joining hole and the rear end thereof joining an adjuster, said screw rod being driven by said adjuster; a walking block having a screw hole penetrating from front to rear, said screw hole of said walking block being penetrated by said screw rod, said walking block being driven to move forwards and backwards by said screw rod, said walking block having a transverse hole below said screw hole of said walking block; a positioning rod penetrating through said transverse hole of said walking block, said positioning rod being fixed perpendicular to said screw rod; a pair of slanting rods with the inner end thereof joined on said top plate of said frame and the outer end thereof protruding out forwards; and a pair of slide bodies each having a slide block and a guide block, each said slide block being telescoped on said slanting rod via a slide groove, the inner end of each said slide block joining downwards said guide block so that said two guide blocks are parallel arranged, said slide bodies being driven by said adjuster to let said two guide blocks move toward or away from each other.
  • 2. The plastic film guiding device of a packaging machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the periphery of said slanting rod forms a linear bearing, and a slide track of said linear bearing is fixedly provided in said slide groove of said slide block of said slide body.
  • 3. The plastic film guiding device of a packaging machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper end of said guide block is joined on the side plane of said slide block by means of a triangular block, and the inner side of the lower end of said guide block joins an L-shaped guide plate, said L-shaped guide plate being used for controlling the guided-in width of plastic film and for successfully guiding in articles.
  • 4. The plastic film guiding device of a packaging machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said guide block joins one end of a height-adjusting rod.
  • 5. The plastic film guiding device of a packaging machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein said height-adjusting rod is joined on the outer side plane of said guide block and is slantingly forward and upward, and a fixing block is telescoped on said adjusting rod, said fixing block having a slide way to be passed through and having a control turn button for adjustment, the outer end of said adjusting rod joining a hooked plastic film guiding plate used for guiding in plastic film.
  • 6. The plastic film guiding device of a packaging machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein a hanging device is joined above said top plate.
  • 7. The plastic film guiding device of a packaging machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein said hanging device is joined at the centerline of said guiding device, said top plate having a slide groove, the two sides of a horizontal part of an L-shaped plate being joined in said slide groove, a fixing screw being provided above said L-shaped plate for adjusting the fore and aft position of said guiding device.
  • 8. The plastic film guiding device of a packaging machine as claimed in claim 7, wherein the front end of a vertical part of said L-shaped plate joins an adjusting block, said vertical part having a long hole, an adjusting screw passing through said long hole to be locked in said adjusting block for adjusting the height of said adjusting block so that the up and down position of said guiding device can be adjusted.
  • 9. The plastic film guiding device of a packaging machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein a through groove is formed in said adjusting block to be penetrated by a rod, a positioning screw on the top plane of said adjusting block being joined on the surface of said rod for adjusting the left and right position of said guiding device.
  • 10. The plastic film guiding device of a packaging machine as claimed in claim 9, wherein the other end of said rod is joined on the side plane of a machine
US Referenced Citations (4)
Number Name Date Kind
4519185 Horn et al. May 1985 A
4671047 Mugnai Jun 1987 A
5799467 Nankervis et al. Sep 1998 A
5987860 Yang Nov 1999 A