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US 6,776,074 B1Granted
Apparatus and method for handling flexible tubes
AssigneePhilton Polythene Converters Limited
InventorAntony Luigi Paul Tisi
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AssigneePhilton Polythene Converters Limited
InventorAntony Luigi Paul Tisi
Estimating the term…
Apparatus for and a method of handling flexible tubes, for example in the production of a liner for a cargo container to provide a tubular attachment on the liner. A tube 16 in the form of a web of flexible material is drawn over a support 39 mounted on a carrier 29,30, the support having a greater area than that of the opened-out tube and being tilted to the radial plane (FIG. 2) during the drawing action. The support is then moved to the radial plane (FIG. 4) so as to stretch the tube 16 in the region of the support whereafter the tube is cut from the web, in the vicinity of the support. The support 39 is moved to a further processing station (FIG. 8), carrying the cut off tube 16, whereat the tube is released from the support 39 by tilting the support once more and withdrawing the support from the tube. The support is then returned to its initial position ready for another cycle of operation.
Apparatus for handling a tube of flexible plastics material drawn and then cut from a web thereof, said apparatus comprising a disc-shaped support having an axis and being of a greater diameter than the internal diameter of the tube and over which the material is drawn, and a carrier for the support, said support being mounted on the carrier for movement between a first position where the support lies at an angle to a radial plane of the tube to permit drawing of the tube thereover and a second position where the support lies substantially in a radial plane of the tube within a part thereof, said part of the tube becoming stretched over the support so as to be held thereby on movement of the support to its second position.
A method of handling a tube of flexible plastics material using a disc-shaped support having an axis and being of a greater diameter than the internal diameter of the tube when opened out and being adjustably mounted on a carrier for movement between a first position where the support lies at an angle to a radial plane of the tube and a second position where the support lies substantially in a radial plane of the tube, in which method the support is disposed at its said first position, a length of the tube is drawn over the support from a web thereof, the support is moved to its second position so as to stretch over the support that part of the tube in which is located the support, whereby said part of the tube is held thereby, and the drawn length of the tube is cut from the web adjacent the support.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.