US 4,543,768 AGranted

Automatic method and apparatus for packing stockings or the like

AssigneeTakatori Machinery Works, Ltd.

InventorsMasao Nishikawa, Takahiro Ashida

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Fully automatic, swift and reliable packing of stockings or the like is carried out by combination of an upstream stockings folder assembly and a downstream stockings encloser assembly, the folder assembly folds each pair of stockings for required times each time by cooperation of a reciprocal inserter plate and a nip formed by a pair of circulating suffaces for catching the stockings, and the encloser assembly inserts the folded stockings into plastic unit envelopes, either separate or combined in a continuous band, by cooperation of an insertion guide provisionaly enterable into each unit envelope and an inserter plate for assigning the folded stockings from the insertion guide to the unit envelope.

Claims9

Dependent claims

Automatic stocking packing apparatus, comprising:

first means for intermittently feeding a band of stocking envelopes along a first direction from a point upstream of a stocking insertion position to a point downstream of said stocking insertion position such that each successive stocking envelope of said band is stationed at said stocking insertion position for a respective dwell period, the envelope located at said insertion position at any given instant being referred to as the active envelope, each said stocking envelope having a mouth which faces in a direction perpendicular to said first direction and through which stockings may be inserted into said envelope;
second means for opening said mouth of said active envelope located at said stocking insertion position;
a feeder plate extending in a second direction generally perpendicular to said first direction and having a smooth surface on which a pair of stockings or the like can smoothly slide;
third means for reciprocating said feeder plate along said second direction between a first position in which a front end of said feeder plate is located outside of said active envelope to a second position in which said front end of said feeder plate is located inside said active envelope during each said dwell period of said first means;
fourth means for placing a respective, folded pair of stockings or the like onto said smooth surface of said feeder plate during each said dwell period;
fifth means for pressing said folded pair of stockings located on said feeder plate against said smooth surface of said feeder plate including means for moving said pressing means in said second direction relative to said feeder plate and for sliding said pressed folded pair of stockings across said smooth surface and into said active envelope during each said dwell period by movement of said pressing means in said second direction relative to said feeder plate while said pressing means is pressing said folded pair of stockings against said smooth surface, the timing of fifth means being such that said pair of stockings or the like are not entirely inserted into said active envelope until said feeder plate is located in said second position;
and
sixth means for maintaining said folded pair of stockings or the like in said envelope while said feeder plate is being removed from said active envelope.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

Automatic stocking packing apparatus, comprising:

first means for intermittently feeding a band of stocking envelopes along a first direction from a point upstream of a stocking insertion position to a point downstream of said stocking insertion position such that each successive stocking envelope of said band is stationed at said stocking insertion position for a respective dwell period, the envelope located at said insertion position at any given instant being referred to as the active envelope, each said stocking envelope having a mouth which faces in a direction perpendicular to said first direction and through which stockings may be inserted into said envelope;
second means for opening said mouth of said active envelope located at said stocking insertion position;
a feeder plate extending in a second direction generally perpendicular to said first direction and having a smooth surface on which a pair of stockings or the like can smoothly slide;
third means for reciprocating said feeder plate along said second direction between a first position in which a front end of said feeder plate is located outside of said active envelope to a second position in which said front end of said feeder plate is located inside said active envelope during each said dwell period of said first means;
fourth means for placing a respective, folded pair of stockings or the like onto said smooth surface of said feeder plate during each said dwell period;
fifth means for pressing said folded pair of stockings located on said feeder plate against said smooth surface of said feeder plate including means for moving said pressing means in said second direction relative to said feeder plate and for sliding said pressed folded pair of stockings across said smooth surface and into said active envelope during each said dwell period by movement of said pressing means in said second direction relative to said feeder plate while said pressing means is pressing said folded pair of stockings against said smooth surface, the timing of fifth means being such that said pair of stockings or the like are not entirely inserted into said active envelope until said feeder plate is located in said second position;
and
sixth means for maintaining said folded pair of stockings or the like in said envelope while said feeder plate is being removed from said active envelope.

5 more elements