US 6,602,173 B2Granted

Apparatus and method for automatically forming an article

AssigneeSouthpac Trust Int'l, Inc.

InventorsDonald E. Weder, Joseph G. Straeter, William F. Straeter, Frank Craig, Michael J. King, William C. Funk

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Abstract

An apparatus and method for automatically forming at least two sheets of material into an article, such as a flower pot cover, is provided. The apparatus includes a first roll of sheet material, a second roll of sheet material, a female die and a male die. A first sheet of material and a second sheet of material are automatically formed from the first and second rolls of sheet material, respectively, and the first and second sheets of material are positioned between the male die and the female die. The male and female dies are shaped such that at least a portion of the male die is receivable in the opening of the female die to form the article. The formed articles are automatically stacked.

Claims17

Dependent claims

An apparatus for forming an article, the apparatus comprising:

a female die having an opening intersecting one end thereof;
a male die shaped such that at least a portion of the male die is receivable in the opening of the female die;
a first cutting member;
a second cutting member;
means for passing a portion of a first web of sheet material a predetermined distance beyond the first cutting member to provide a first sheet of material with a predetermined length upon the first web of material being cut by the first cutting member;
means for passing a portion of a second web of sheet material a predetermined distance beyond the second cutting member to provide a second sheet of material with a predetermined length upon the second web of material being cut by the second cutting member;
and
a conveyor for passing the first sheet of material and the second sheet of material between the male die and the female die with the male and female dies in an article discharge position wherein the male die is removed from the opening of the female die,
wherein the male die is movable between the discharge position and a forming position where at least a portion of the male die is disposed in the opening of the female die so as to form an article from the first and second sheets of material.

6 more elements

A method for forming a plurality of articles, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a first web of sheet material and a second web of sheet material;
(b) passing the first web of sheet material a predetermined distance beyond a first cutting assembly;
(c) passing the second web of sheet material a predetermined distance beyond a second cutting assembly;
(d) cutting the first web of sheet material with the first cutting assembly to provide a first sheet of material having a predetermined length;
(e) cutting the second web of sheet material with the second cutting assembly to provide a second sheet of material having a predetermined length;
(f) positioning the first sheet of material on the second sheet of material;
(g) passing the first sheet of material and the second sheet of material between a female die and a male die, the female die having an opening intersecting one end thereof, the male die shaped such that at least a portion of the male die is receivable in the opening of the female die;
(h) positioning the male die and the female die in a forming position wherein at least a portion of the male die is inserted into the opening of the female die so as to form an article from the first and second sheets of material;
(i) removing the male die from the female die along with the formed article;
and
(j) repeating steps (b)-(i) to form a subsequent article.

8 more elements

A method for forming an article, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a first web of sheet material and a second web of sheet material;
passing the first web of sheet material a predetermined distance beyond a first cutting assembly;
passing simultaneously the first web of sheet material and the second web of sheet material such that the first web of sheet material is advanced a predetermined distance beyond the first cutting assembly and such that the second web of sheet material is advanced a predetermined distance beyond a second cutting assembly;
cutting the second web of sheet material with the second cutting assembly to provide a second sheet of material having a predetermined length;
passing simultaneously the first web of sheet material and the second sheet of material such that the first web of sheet material is advanced a predetermined distance beyond the first cutting means;
cutting the first web of sheet material with the first cutting assembly to provide a first sheet of material having a predetermined length;
passing the first sheet of material and the second sheet of material between a female die and a male die, the female die having an opening intersecting one end thereof, the male die shaped such that at least a portion of the male die is receivable in the opening of the female die;
and
positioning the male die and the female die in a forming position wherein at least a portion of the male die is inserted into the opening of the female die so as to form the article from the first and second sheets of material.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/140,509Filed 2 May 2002 · continuation
Priority: 17 Jul 1996
Published: US 2002/0132717 A119 Sep 2002
Granted: 5 Aug 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

B31B 70/001
Making flexible containers, e.g. envelopes or bags: shaping, other than by folding, sheet material under pressure
B31B 70/00
Making flexible containers
B31B 50/44
Folding sheets, blanks or webs: by plungers moving through folding dies
B31B 50/592
Shaping sheet material under pressure: using punches or dies

Family

Application08/680,348Parent of this continuation · filed 17 Jul 1996
Application09/009,632Parent of this continuation · filed 20 Jan 1998
Application09/293,568Parent of this continuation · filed 15 Apr 1999
Application09/519,059Parent of this continuation · filed 3 Mar 2000
Application09/815,365Parent of this continuation · filed 22 Mar 2001
US 2002/0132717 A1Pre-grant publication · published 19 Sep 2002
US 6,419,617 B2Parent of this continuation
US 6,213,926 B1Parent of this continuation
US 6,056,679 AParent of this continuation
US 5,944,646 AParent of this continuation
US 5,795,281 AParent of this continuation
US 2001/0036891 A1Published application
US 6,602,173 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.