SEALING MACHINE FOR TEXTILE ARTICLES OF MANUFACTURE

Abstract

In a sealing machine for textile articles of manufacture, a conveying group including a first conveyor member cooperating with a second conveyor member for translating an article of manufacture being processed according to a predetermined feed direction. The first conveyor member includes a first roller acting on the article of manufacture being processed by means of a dragging surface having a diameter of less than 20 mm. The first roller is rotatably engaged to one end of an arm overhanging from a fixed structure, according to a rotation axis parallel to a longitudinal development direction of the arm. The dragging surface of the first conveyor roller has a diameter smaller than, of preferably less than , diametrical dimension of the arm at said end.

Claims

1. A sealing machine for textile articles of manufacture, comprising: a conveying group comprising a first conveyor member cooperating with a second conveyor member for translating an article of manufacture in being processed according to a predetermined feed direction; wherein said first conveyor member comprises a first roller acting on the article of manufacture by means of a dragging surface having a diameter smaller than 20 mm.

2. The machine according to claim 1, wherein the second conveyor member includes a second roller, each of said first and second roller acting on the article of manufacture being processed by means of a respective dragging surface having a diameter of less than 20 mm.

3. The machine according to claim 1, wherein the first roller is rotatably engaged at one end of an arm overhanging from a fixed structure, according to a rotation axis -parallel to a longitudinal development direction of the arm.

4. The machine according to claim 3, wherein the dragging surface of the first roller has a diameter smaller than a diametrical dimension of the arm at said end.

5. The machine according to claim 3, wherein said arm houses a motorized drive shaft, offset parallel to a rotation axis of the first roller and operatively connected with the latter by means of kinematic transmission members.

6. The machine according to claim 3, wherein the first roller is operatively carried by a terminal head cantilevered at the end of the arm.

7. The machine according to claim 1, wherein the terminal head has a concave portion positioned close to the first roller, upstream of the same with reference to a feed direction of the article of manufacture during processing.

8. The machine according to claim 3, wherein a tangency plane common to the first and second conveyor members in their area of mutual contact is substantially tangent or spaced by said arm in the proximity of said end.

9. The machine according to claim 5, wherein a rotation axis of the first conveyor member is disposed between a geometric rotation axis of the drive shaft and a tangency plane common to the first and second conveyor members in an area of mutual contact between them.

10. The machine according to claim 2, further comprising a feeding guide of at least one sealable tape, having an outlet end disposed adjacent to the conveyor members and facing the latter, the outlet end of the feeding guide being positioned at a distance not exceeding 20 mm from a plane containing the rotation axes of the first and second roller.

11. A sealing machine for textile articles of manufacture, comprising: a conveying group comprising a first conveyor member cooperating with a second conveyor member for translating an article of manufacture in being processed according to a predetermined feed direction; wherein said first conveyor member comprises a first roller acting on the article of manufacture by means of a dragging surface; wherein the first roller is rotatably engaged at one end of an arm overhanging from a fixed structure, according to a rotation axis parallel to a longitudinal development direction of the arm; wherein said arm houses a motorized drive shaft, offset parallel to a rotation axis of the first roller and operatively connected with the latter by means of kinematic transmission members.

Description

[0042] Such description will be set forth hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings given only for illustrative purposes and not by way of limitation, in which:

[0043] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a sealing machine for textile articles of manufacture, in accordance with the present invention;

[0044] FIG. 2 shows a detail of the sealing machine, highlighting the conveying group in side view and in enlarged scale relative to FIG. 1.

[0045] With reference to the accompanying figures, number 1 globally indicates a sealing machine for textile articles of manufacture, in accordance with the present invention.

[0046] The sealing machine 1 comprises a base (not shown) bearing a worktop 2. A column 3, supporting an upper beam 4 in a cantilever fashion, rises from worktop 2. The upper beam 4 extends horizontally above the worktop 2.

[0047] A conveying group 5 comprises a first conveyor member 6 and a second conveyor member 7, preferably cooperating with each other in a thrust relationship, for translating an article of manufacture M being processed according to a predetermined feed direction A.

[0048] More particularly, the first conveyor member includes a first roller 6. Preferably, the second conveyor member includes in turn a second roller 7.

[0049] Preferably, the first roller 6 is rotatably carried by an arm 8 overhanging from column 3 or another fixed structure. Alternatively, the first roller 6 may e.g. be engaged to an arm 8 rising from worktop 2.

[0050] More particularly, the first roller 6 overhangs from and is rotatably engaged at one end 8a of arm 8, opposite to column 3, according to a rotation axis (X1) parallel to a longitudinal development direction of arm 8 itself.

[0051] The first roller 6, and preferably also the second roller 7, work against the article of manufacture M by its dragging surface 6a, 7a having a diameter d smaller than a diametrical dimension of the arm 8 at said end 8a. In a preferred example the dragging surface 6a of the first roller 6 has a diameter d smaller than of diametrical dimension E of the arm 8 at said end 8a.

[0052] More particularly, it is preferable that diameter d of the dragging surface 6a of the first roller 6, and preferably also that of roller 7, does not exceed 20 mm. In a preferred embodiment, diameter d of dragging surface 6a and/or 7a of the first roller 6 and/or the second roller 7 is less than 15 mm, for example 12 mm.

[0053] The dragging surface 6a and/or 7a of the first roller 6 and/or the second roller 7 can be made of metallic material, possibly knurled in order to improve gripping on the article of manufacture M. Alternatively, the dragging surface 6a and/or 7a of the first roller 6 and/or the second roller 7 can be made of or coated with elastomeric material, such as silicone rubber. In a preferred embodiment, the dragging surface 6a of the first roller 6 is made of a metallic, knurled material, and the dragging surface 7a of the second roller 7 is coated with a silicone rubber-based material.

[0054] The first roller 6 overhangs from the end 8a of arm 8, and may be coaxially keyed on a transmission shaft 9 projecting externally with respect to the arm 8 itself. In a preferred embodiment, the transmission shaft 9 is engaged with and overhangs from a terminal head 10, rigidly engaged to the end 8a of the arm 8 on the continuation of the latter.

[0055] Kinematic transmission members 11 connect the transmission shaft 9 to a drive shaft 12, coaxially housed along the arm 8 in offset position parallel to a rotation axis X1 of the first roller 6.

[0056] The kinematic transmission members 11 can, for example, comprise toothed wheels 13, and are preferably housed in the terminal head 10, removably attached to the arm 8.

[0057] The invention is therefore suitable to be advantageously made also fitting already existing machines, replacing the usual upper and lower conveyor members, respectively the second roller 7 and the terminal head 10 carrying the first roller 6.

[0058] An electric motor 14, which can be attached to column 3, drives in rotation the drive shaft 12, for example through a reversing linkage, not shown.

[0059] In absence of the article of manufacture M in processing, the second roller 7 is suitable to be put into contact and in a thrust relationship with the first roller 6 so as to define, in their mutual contact area, a substantially horizontal common tangency plane T. The size and placing the first roller 6 are chosen such that a common tangency plane T is substantially tangential or spaced from arm 8, at least in the vicinity of said end 8a. In other words, the common tangency plane T is only slightly external or internal to the arm 8, so that the latter does not significantly interfere with the advancement of the article of manufacture M during processing.

[0060] The rotation axis X1 of the first roller 6 is arranged between the geometric rotation axis X of the control shaft 12 and the common tangency plane T.

[0061] The machine 1 further comprises a feed guide 15, not shown in FIG. 1, for example attached to the arm 8, operating near the conveying group 5. The feed guide 15 is suitable to slidably engage a sealable tape N through its inlet end 15a, for example facing column 3, for dispensing through an outlet end 15b, located behind the conveying group 5 and facing the first and second rollers 6, 7.

[0062] The tape N, coming for example from a feed coil, is adapted to be suitably shaped and oriented through the feed guide 15 before being coupled to the article of manufacture M being processed at the outlet end 15b. More particularly, in the illustrated example, the geometric configuration of the feed guide 15 is such as to impose to tape N a U-shape, applying it across the edge of the article of manufacture M that progresses to the conveying group 5. To this end, in a per se known manner, the outlet end 15b can define a recess suitable to accommodate the edge of the article of manufacture M being processed, while the latter progresses to the conveying group 5.

[0063] The outlet end 15b of feeding guide members 15 is located behind the conveyor members 6, preferably brushing against the dragging surface 6a, 7a of at least one of the same, and in any case at a distance approximately not exceeding 5 mm.

[0064] To ease the placement of the feed guide 15 behind the first and second rollers 6, 7 as much as possible, the terminal head 10 of the arm 8 may have, along its extension perimeter around the rotational geometric axis X of the control shaft 12, a concave portion 16 located behind the first roller 6, upstream thereof with respect to feed direction A of the article of manufacture M during processing. When necessary, this concave portion 16 is also suitable to receive the fingers of the operator to facilitate the handling and the guiding precision of the article of manufacture M at the rollers 6, 7, during processing.

[0065] The heating unit 17 is suitable to operate on the feed guide 15, preferably near its outlet end 15b, to determine the activation of at least one heat-sealable element carried by tape N, to be coupled to the article of manufacture M being processed at the conveying group 5.

[0066] During processing the article of manufacture M is engaged, for example at its perimeter edge, between the first roller 6, rotatably driven by the motor, and the second roller 7, operating in an elastic thrust relationship towards the first roller 6. Consequently, the article of manufacture M driven by rollers 6, 7 advances at a controlled rate through the outlet end 15b of the feed guide 15 and the conveying group 5. At the outlet end 15b, the tape N, activated by heating unit 17, is applied to the article of manufacture M that progresses towards the conveying group 5, to be subsequently intimately attached to the same upon passage between the first and the second rollers 6, 7.

[0067] The operator provides for properly guiding the article of manufacture M, for example by allowing the edges of the same to translate correctly through the conveying group 5 for the application of the tape N. In this case, when the edges of the article of manufacture M have a curvilinear development, the operator should follow the progress orientating adequately the article of manufacture M during the advancement, so that the edges of the same remain continuously engaged between the rollers 6, 7 and properly positioned relative to the outlet end 15b of feed guide 15.

[0068] The reduced diametrical dimension of rollers 6, 7 remarkably facilitates this task of the operator, because the article of manufacture M is suitable to be readily rotated in a horizontal plane and/or refolded around the rotation axis of one or the other roller, without encountering any significant resistance. Further, the reduced diameter d of rollers 6, 7 causes the feed guide 15 to be placed with its outlet end 15b immediately behind the rollers themselves, indicatively no more than 20 mm from a plane containing their mutual tangency line and/or their rotation axes X1, X2.

[0069] The reduced space between the outlet end 15b and the mutual tangency area of rollers 6, 7 further facilitates the orientation of the article of manufacture M, facilitating the application of tape N also along tortuous paths with many loops and close-radius curves, preventing the stretch of tape N extending between the outlet end 15b of the feed guide 15 and the mutual tangency area of rollers 6, 7, which tends to maintain a straight course, from significantly hindering the operation.

[0070] Further, the proximity of the feed guide 15 to conveying group 5 prevents undue cooling of tape N and an undesired neutralization of the activation of the heatfix agent prior to its transition between rollers 6, 7 of the conveying group 5. Therefore, it is not necessary to impose an excessive heating to the tape N from the heating unit 17, thus it is also possible to operate at moderate speeds when paths are particularly tortuous, without the risk of compromising the proper application of tape N.