GB2179632A - Carpet wrapping apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An applicator (18) for use in attaching a wrapping material (32) to the trailing end of a cut length of carpet (12) moving to a carpet rolling apparatus is proposed, the applicator including a wrapping material support means (19), including an apertured support bar (21), mounted on a moveable carriage 23 to be reciprocable between a first position adjacent the underside of the said trailing end and a second position remote from the carpet, and an attachment means (20) cooperable with the support (21) in its first position to attach a length of wrapping material (32) supported thereon to the trailing end of the carpet. In its second position the support (21) is in alignment with a wrapping material table (26), and wrapping material (32) is drawn across such table to be draped over and clamped to the support means (19). The attachment of the wrapping material to the carpet may be, for example, by fusion or insertion of fasteners by the action of the attachment means. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Carpet wrapping apparatus The invention concerns carpet wrapping apparatus.

In the production of carpet, and particularlytufted carpets, the manufacturing process operates continuously and thus the need arises to sever predetermined lengths from the continuous length thereof and to package the same for despatch.

It is known in the art to use a rotary cutter which moves transversely of the length carpet, the adv ance ofthe carpet in the region of the time of cut being temporarily interrupted by a dancing rolleror like storage zone upstream of such region.

It is also known to provide a wrapping material in such position as to overly the trailing edge ofthe cut length of carpet and to feed such material in synchronism with such trailing edge into the nip created by the trailing edge and the roll of carpet forthetime being existing on the rolling machine. The leading edge of a precut length of wrapping material is positioned with its leading edge in rollers extending cross-wise to the carpet, by hand, and is advanced by such rollers at an appropriate time relative to the cutting operation and art a speed approximating to the linear speed of the carpet as it moves forward to the rolling machine.

The nature ofthe wrapping material, which material is, typically, a thin gauge polyethylene sheeting, is such that difficultly may well be experienced in maintaining satisfactory alignment between the advancing wrapping material and the moving carpet or in avoiding creases in the material, with the result that the wrapping material iswronglypositionedre- lative to the carpet roll. Furthermore, the manner of introduction of the wrapping material militates against optimum utilisation ofthe output capabilities ofthe rolling machine.

The object ofthe present invention is to provide an arrangement which will allow a more effective presentation ofthe wrapping material to the trailing edge ofthe cut length ofcarpet.

According to the present invention there is proposed carpet rolling apparatus characterised by a wrapping material applicator for applying wrapping material to the trailing end of a cut length of carpet, the said applicator comprising aligned support and attachment means at the respective opposite faces of the carpet and in the region ofthe said trailing end, the support means being movable between a first position adjacent one face of the carpet and a second position remote therefrom and the attachment means being cooperable with the support means in the said first position thereofto secure together the said trailing end of the carpet and the leading end of a length of wrapping material carried bythesupport means.

According to a preferred feature,the support means includes an elongate support bar extending transversely of the carpet in the region of the said trailing end, the said bar being mounted on a reciprocable carriage movable towards and away from the adjacent face of the carpet.

According to a further preferred feature, the attachment means includes a plurality of spaced reciprocable insertion members, and the support bar is apertured in register with said insertion members, there being a fixed support plate intermediate the movable support means and the attachment means to receive the trailing end of the carpet in supporting relationship therewith and said support plate likewise being apertured in register with the inserter members.

According to a still further preferred feature, the support means is disposed below the attachment means and receives the wrapping material in draped relationship thereon.

The invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment thereof and in which Figure lisa diagrammatic side elevation ofthe wrapping material applicator of the present invention, the disposition of parts being consistent with an operative condition thereof; and Figure2 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the cooperable parts ofthe applicator shown in Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings, a carpet rolling and wrapping machine comprises a support platform 11 to receive carpet material 12 in continuous length from a manufacturing source, not shown, the mat erial passing to a conveyor 13 for delivery to a carpet rolling machine. In moving from support platform 11 to conveyor 13 the carpet material 12 passes in succession across the platen 15 of a rotary cross cut 16 and across a fixed support plate 17 of the wrapping material applicator 18 of the present invention, support plate 17 being provided as an extension to platen 15.

The applicator 18 includes a support means 19 at the underside of support plate 17 and an attachment means 20 in alignment with support means 19 and at the opposite face of said plate 17.

Support means 19 com prises an elongate support bar 21 extending transversely of the carpet material 12 and of a length in excess of the transverse dimension ofthe said material, the support bar 21 being mounted on an upstanding frame 22 secured to a carriage 23 itself movable on vertical guides 24 and being adjustable between a frst, or operative, position closely adjacent the underside of support plate 17 and a second, or inoperative, position remote from such plate 17 and wherein the top ofthe bar is in horizontal alignment with the surface 25 of wrapping material table 26.

Support bar 21 is grooved or apertured at that side thereof remote from conveyor 13 for a purpose hereafterto be made apparent.

Attachment means 20 comprises a plurality of inserter members 27 arranged in aligned spaced disposition widthwise ofthe carpet material, the inser ter members 27 being carried by a mounting bar 28, the mounting bar 28 further supporting a presser foot 29 cooperable with platen 15 to clamp carpet material 12 therebetween. Mounting bar 28 is mov abletowards and awayfrom platen 15to clamp or release carpet material 12 supported thereon and, in the former case, to bring inserter members 27 into an operative position relative to such carpet material 12.

Each inserter member 27 is in axial register with a respective groove 30 in support bar 21, and with a corresponding slot 31 in support plate 17, and is accordingly reciprocablethrough the carpet material existing on the support plate 17.

In applying a wrapping material 32 to the trailing end of a cut-length of carpet material 12, assuming presserfoot29 and inserter member27 to be in the raised condition and carriage 23 to be in the lowered, or loading, condition, a predetermined length of such wrapping material is readied on table 26 and the leading edge 33 of such material 32 is draped over the support bar21, being held by clamping block34.

When a requisite length of carpet material has been delivered, the further advance of such material towards the rolling machine is interrupted, the presser foot 29 is lowered and the rotary cross cut 16 is utilised to cut offthat length of carpet material from the incoming supply.

Carriage 23 is raised thus bringing support bar 21, togetherwith the wrapping material draped thereon, into position at the underside of the support plate 17, and the inserter members 27 are activated to pen etratethecarpetmaterial 12 and adjacent wrapping material 32 and to introduce fastening means, not shown, to attach thewrapping material to thetrailing end ofthe carpet material.

On completion ofthewithdrawal strokeofthe inserter members 27 presserfoot 29, together with inserter members 27, is raised, clamping block 34 is released, and the drive to the rolling machine is reapplied.

The cut length ofwrapping material is accordingly drawn into the roll of carpet existing on the carpet rolling machine, and forms a wrapping about such carpet.

The mechanical nature ofthe delivery ofthe wrapping material to and the offering up of the same to the trailing end ofthe carpet material does allow of the accurate alignment of such wrapping material with the trailing end, and thus obviates the problems inherent in conventional equipment. Furthermore, the form of support utilised forthe wrapping material and the manner in which the same is positioned relative to the trailing end, does allow ofthefeeding of the wrapping material in a like direction to that of carpet material movement, and this much facilitates the accurate handling of the wrapping material.The leading end ofthe wrapping material can be clamped relative to the support bar before severance of a requisite length of such material from a roll thereof, thus ensuring thatthe wrapping material remains underclosecontrol asto position andalignmentat all times, again offering advantages over con- ventional arrangements.

A particularly advantageous feature, however, is that the rotary cross-cut machine can operate simu ltaneouslywiththe attachment ofthe wrapping material to the trailing edge ofthe cut length of carpet material,thus giving rise to an appreciable reduction in the time taken forcarpet length separation/ wrapping material attachment operations.

The invention is not restricted to the exactfeatures ofthe embodiment hereinbefore described, since aiternatives will readily present themselves to one skilled in the art.

Thus, for example, whilst it is preferred that the wrapping material be supplied from below, as in the case of the embodiment shown in the drawings, it may be found satisfactory, in some instances,forthe positions ofthe support means 19 and the attachment means 20 to be interchanged.

Furthermore, whilst in the embodiment described and illustrated the fastening means introduced by the inserterswill comprise double-headed plastics tags orthe like, alternative fastening means may be preferred in some instances. Forexample,the inserters may be replaced by heater elements which serve to fuse a thermoplastics wrapping material to be carpet material or may be used to apply localised pressure to activate a pressure sensitive adhesive present on the wrapping material, the form ofthe inserters/support bar being modified accordingly.

Claims (11)

1. In orforcarpet rolling apparatus, a wrapping material applicatorfor applying wrapping material to the trailing end of a cut length of carpet, the said applicatorcomprising aligned support and attachment means at the respective opposite faces of the carpet and in the region of the said trailing end, the support means being movable between a first position adjacent one face of the carpet and a second position remotetherefrom and the attachment means being cooperable with the support means in the said first position thereof to secure togetherthe said trailing end of the carpet and the leading end of a length of wrapping material carried by the support means.

2. A wrapping material applicator as claimed in claim 1,wherein thesupport means includes an elongate support bar extending transversely ofthe carpet in the region ofthe said trailing end,the said bar being reciprocabletowards and away from the adjacentface of the carpet.

3. Awrapping material applicator as claimed in claim 2, wherein the elongate support bar is mounted on a reciprocable carriage.

4. A wrapping material applicator as claimed in claim 3,furtherincluding clamping means actuable to secure the wrapping material relative to the support means.

5. A wrapping material applicator as claimed in any one ofthe preceding claims,wherein the support means is disposed below the attachment means and receives the wrapping material in draped relationship thereon.

6. Awrapping material applicator as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the attachment means includes a plurality of spaced reciprocable insertion members, and the support means is apertured in registerwith said inserter members.

7. Awrapping material applicator as claimed in claim 6,further including a fixed support plate intermediate the movable support means and the attachment means to receive the trailing end of the carpet in supporting relationship therewith and said support plate likewise being apertured in registerwith the inserter members, the apertures extending to the leading edge of said fixed support plate.

8. Awrapping material applicator as claimed in claim 7, further including a presserfoot cooperable with the fixed support plate to secure the trailing end therebetween.

9. Awrapping material applicator as claimed in anyone ofthe preceding claims,furtherincluding a wrapping material table in alignmentwiththesup- port means in the second position thereof.

10. Awrapping material applicator substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

11. Carpet rolling apparatus including a wrapping material applicator as claimed in any one ofthe preceding claims.