US 4,454,895 A · Bail attaching apparatus

Abstract

This invention pertains to bail applying mechanism particularly for plastic containers with molded-on ears with access openings to the interior of the ear. These plastic containers are usually provided with wire bails when the container is empty. These plastic containers may have their body formed with a taper. "Shingling" of tapered containers is prevented by a guide rail disposed immediately above the transported containers. This guide rail extends through the bail applying station. A backup is also provided when and where the plastic container is provided with molded-on ears having an access opening. This bail applying mechanism may also be used with metal containers with attached sheet metal ears which may be absent apertures for the wire bail or the apertures may be mispositioned if present. This bail applying mechanism has a pair of curling dies, each pivotally secured, and with each die is formed a receiving and retaining recess and there is a reciprocably moved pin which is caused to enter the recess and engage and fixedly position the curling die prior to moving the wire end of the bail to and through the die and into the ear of the container. A cover member is moved into a position in which a groove in the curling die is covered during the forming and inserting of the wire bail end into the ear.

Claims23

Dependent claims

Bail applying mechanism for transporting wire from a supply source into said mechanism and cutting this wire into a determined length and then between upper and lower die members bending the cut wire into a selected bail shape in a single plane and then applying a wire bail to a container and having two opposed ears attached to the sides of said container with each ear having an outer wall spaced from a side wall of said container, said applying mechanism including:

a support means;
a main plate carried by said support means;
a pair of curling dies pivotally carried by said main plate, the dies arranged as mirror images of each other and with each having a groove with an entering and an exiting end and therebetween a curved portion of more than ninety degrees, said die and its formed groove adapted to receive an end of a wire bail and as the wire end is moved through said curling die the wire is bent into a loop with the loop end of said wire bail exiting at a determined position and then
entering said ear so that the end of the bail penetrates this outer wall of the ear and then continues to curve within the interior of the ear so as to provide a retaining loop end;
cam means engaging said curling die for pivotiing said curling die to a position adjacent the ear prior to moving the wire into and through said curling die a cover member on said plate;
means on said plate connected to said cover member for actuating said cover member so as to provide a confining wall for the groove in said curling die as the wire end is being moved in said groove and to uncover said groove after the wire end has been formed and inserted into an ear;
means on said support for transporting successive containers on their bottoms to and through the bail applying mechanism, and
said means for transporting includes means for rotating each container until an ear of the container is brought into a desired orientation at which orientated position the container is advanced to a delivery position whereat the container is delivered to the bail applying mechanism.

5 more elements

Bail applying mechanism for transporting wire from a supply source into said mechanism and cutting this wire into a determined length and then between upper and lower die members bending the cut wire into a selected bail shape in a single plane and then applying a wire bail to a molded plastic container having two integrally molded-on ears, each ear having an access opening provided between the ear and the sidewall a support means outer wall, said applying mechanism including:

a main plate carried by said support means;
a pair of curling dies pivotally carried by said main plate, the dies arranged as mirror images of each other and with each having a groove with an entering and an exiting end and therebetween a curved portion of more than ninety degrees, said die and its formed groove adapted to receive an end of a wire bail and as the wire end is moved through said curling die the wire is bent into a loop with the loop end of said wire bail exiting at a determined position;
a metal backup member located on said plate and means for moving said backup member into said access opening between said ear and said container as and when the entering end of the bail penetrates the ear and then curves within the interior of the ear to provide a retaining loop end as the bail is moved into the ear;
cam means and engaging said curling die pivoting and change the curling die to a position adjacent the ear prior to moving the wire into and through said curling die;
a cover member on said plate
means on said plate connected to said cover member for actuating said cover member so as to provide a confining wall for the groove in said curling die as the wire end is being moved in said groove and to uncover said groove after the wire end has been formed and inserted into an ear;
means on said support for transporting successive containers on their bottoms to and through the bail applying mechanism, and
said means for transporting including means for rotating each container until an ear of the container is brought into a desired orientation at which orientated position the container is advanced to a delivery position whereat the container is delivered to the bail applying mechanism.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Bail attaching apparatus

Life of this patent

Bail attaching apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23