US3668818A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Semi-automatic closure applicator
Assignee: Kwik Lok Corp
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Filing: 1971-02-08
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Granted: 1972-06-13
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Expires: 1991-02-08
Abstract
Abstract A power-cycled machine triggered by the manual vertical presentation thereto of a bunched bag neck, to apply in confining relation to said neck a ''''Kwik Lok'''' type of bag closure. The machine receives closures in strip form, each closure having a narrow forward opening connecting with a heart-shaped closure aperture forming jaws preventing escape of the bag neck forced through said opening into said aperture. This strip is advanced during the second half of each cycle to feed the foremost closure into a slot in a closure applying rocker with the latter rocked upwardly into horizontal position. As the cycle is concluded, the rocker is rocked 60* downward to thus incline downward the foremost closure. The next cycle is initiated by presenting a vertically bunched bag neck manually to the middle of the rocker, the bag neck engaging a trigger starting the motor which rocks the rocker to swing the foremost closure back up to horizontal position, thus flexing the jaws thereof about the bunched bag neck and trapping the latter in the closure aperture. The motor automatically stops when this occurs, and starts again to complete the cycle when the closed bag is pulled forwardly to separate the foremost closure from the strip. The next following closure then becomes the foremost in the strip and is automatically fed into the rocker and swung downwardly 60* in readiness to be applied to a bag in the next following cycle. An automatic indexer prevents escape rearwardly of the foremost closure while being applied to a bag neck. The indexer also secures the balance of the closure strip against being pulled forwardly by the separation of the closure on the bag from the rest of the closure strip. Provision is also made for optionally feeding through the machine bare closures in strip form or strips of such closures having labels glued on the individual closures. The machine also has a printer for printing dates or code markings on the individual closures or labels as they pass through the machine.
Inventors
- 👤 Jack H Holmes
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 18:08
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65B; B65B51/00; B65B51/04; B65B51/043
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
196 words
In a device for applying to a bunched bag neck, or the like, a closure made of stiff but springy sheet plastic and having a narrow forward opening connecting with an inner aperture to form jaws which resist escape of a bag neck enclosed within said aperture, the combination of: a rocker pivoted on an axis and having a slot parallel with and close to said axis and extending through said rocker transversely of said axis, said slot being adapted to receive and closely confine one of said closures with the forward opening thereof at an end of said slot which is relatively remote from said axis, said rocker having also formed therein, intersecting said slot, a bag neck receiving recess, said recess admitting a bunched bag neck into close proximity with said closure and guiding the bag neck into longitudinal alignment with the opening and aperture of said closure, and means for rocking said rocker toward a bunched bag neck held stationary in said recess, while a closure is trapped in said slot, to cause said rocker to flex the jaws of said closure about said neck thereby applying said closure to said bag neck.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
196 words
In a device for applying to a bunched bag neck, or the like, a closure made of stiff but springy sheet plastic and having a narrow forward opening connecting with an inner aperture to form jaws which resist escape of a bag neck enclosed within said aperture, the combination of: a rocker pivoted on an axis and having a slot parallel with and close to said axis and extending through said rocker transversely of said axis, said slot being adapted to receive and closely confine one of said closures with the forward opening thereof at an end of said slot which is relatively remote from said axis, said rocker having also formed therein, intersecting said slot, a bag neck receiving recess, said recess admitting a bunched bag neck into close proximity with said closure and guiding the bag neck into longitudinal alignment with the opening and aperture of said closure, and means for rocking said rocker toward a bunched bag neck held stationary in said recess, while a closure is trapped in said slot, to cause said rocker to flex the jaws of said closure about said neck thereby applying said closure to said bag neck.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
84 words
The combination recited in claim 1 wherein are provided powered cycle means which successively rocks said rocker from a primary position to a secondary position thereby applying a closure already in said rocker to a bunched bag neck held in said recess, halts operation of said means pending withdrawal of said bag neck and applied closure from said rocker, and then resumes operation to feed another closure into said rocker, reversely rock said rocker to said primary position and halt operation of said means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
The combination recited in claim 2 wherein is provided trigger means responsive to introduction of a bunched bag neck into said rocker recess to start said powered cycle means in the performance of a new bag closing cycle.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
196 words
In a device for applying to a bunched bag neck, or the like, a closure made of stiff but springy sheet plastic and having a narrow forward opening connecting with an inner aperture to form jaws which resist escape of a bag neck enclosed within said aperture, the combination of: a rocker pivoted on an axis, said rocker being shaped to receive one of said closures to support the same in a plane parallel with and close to said axis, said support being applied to said closure along the side edges thereof but leaving a free space beneath said jaws, said rocker also being shaped to leave a free space in axial alignment with and directly above said closure to accommodate a bunched bag neck aligned with said closure and held stationary in juxtaposition therewith, and means for rocking said rocker while said space above said closure is occupied by such a stationary bunched bag neck to rotate said closure about said axis and towards said bunched bag neck to apply said jaws to opposite sides of the latter whereby said jaws are flexed around said bunched bag neck to trap the latter in said aperture.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
196 words
In a device for applying to a bunched bag neck, or the like, a closure made of stiff but springy sheet plastic and having a narrow forward opening connecting with an inner aperture to form jaws which resist escape of a bag neck enclosed within said aperture, the combination of: a rocker pivoted on an axis, said rocker being shaped to receive one of said closures to support the same in a plane parallel with and close to said axis, said support being applied to said closure along the side edges thereof but leaving a free space beneath said jaws, said rocker also being shaped to leave a free space in axial alignment with and directly above said closure to accommodate a bunched bag neck aligned with said closure and held stationary in juxtaposition therewith, and means for rocking said rocker while said space above said closure is occupied by such a stationary bunched bag neck to rotate said closure about said axis and towards said bunched bag neck to apply said jaws to opposite sides of the latter whereby said jaws are flexed around said bunched bag neck to trap the latter in said aperture.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
The combination recited in claim 4 wherein are provided means responsive to the juxtaposing of a bunched bag neck in overlying relation with said closure to set in motion said means for rocking said rocker to apply said closure to said bunched bag neck.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
44 words
The combination recited in claim 5 wherein are provided means for automatically delivering another closure into said supported relation with said rocker at the close of each cycle in which said rocker has been rocked to apply a closure to a bunched bag neck.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
The combination recited in claim 4 wherein said rocker is adapted to receive and support a closure haVing a label glued thereon and apply said closure to a bunched bag neck as recited without disturbing the connection between said closure and label.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
52 words
The combination recited in claim 6 wherein printing means is associated with said closure feed means whereby said closures are automatically printed on as they are fed towards said rocker so that each said closure has an indicia printed thereon by said means when it is applied to a bunched bag neck.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
65 words
The combination recited in claim 4 wherein said rocker is provided with slot means in the plane in which said rocker supports said closure along the side edges thereof, said slot means extending transversely through said rocker, a closure receiving end of said slot means being located close to said axis, said slot means having a lengthwise dimension approximately equal to that of said closure.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
110 words
The combination recited in claim 9 wherein said rocker is positioned to incline said slot means and a closure confined therein downwardly at the start of a closure applying cycle, and is positioned with said slot means approximately horizontal at the point in said cycle where said closure has been applied to said bag neck, means for feeding a closure into said slot means, and means automatically causing said closure feed means to function immediately following the withdrawal from said slot means of a closure applied to a bag neck to feed another closure into said rocker and to do this while said slot means is still approximately horizontally disposed.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
73 words
The combination recited in claim 10 wherein said closure feed means embraces a horizontal guide means having a guide channel for guiding a strip of said closures, united end to end by frangible webs, on the same level as the receiving end of said slot means when the latter is approximately horizontally disposed, whereby a foremost closure of said strip is fed directly from said channel into said slot means of said rocker.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
56 words
The combination recited in claim 11 wherein automatic indexing means is provided to hold the next closure in said strip from forward movement while the foremost closure, just applied to a bag neck, is being withdrawn from said rocker by pulling on said bag neck and thus parting the webs connecting it to said next closure.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
69 words
The combination recited in claim 12 wherein a strip guide plate yieldably overlies said strip guide channel to confine said strip therein, said strip yielding to slidably admit labels glued on upper faces of the closures of said strip and substantially wider than said closures, said slot means in said rocker providing a central, closure accommodating guide way, therebeing laterally extending slots in said rocker for accommodating said labels.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
64 words
The combination recited in claim 13 wherein said indexing means includes a lug extended by said means into a void in said closure strip, when a strip of bare closures occupies said guide channel, and a smooth braking surface pressurally applied by said indexing means to a label carried by a next-to-the-foremost closure of a strip of label carrying closures occupying said guide channel.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3163970A
Cited
US3190053A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-06-13 | 1975-12-13 | 1976-06-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-06-13 | 1979-12-13 | 1980-06-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-06-13 | 1983-12-13 | 1984-06-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |