US3777632A — Sleeve making apparatus and method

Claim 1

Independent Claim 182 words

Apparatus for making individual sleeves each having a longitudinally extending tear strip for use in effecting sleeve rupture, said apparatus including means for longitudinally advancing a continuous web having attached to one side thereof a continuous tear strip which is spaced from and substantially parallel to the longitudinal edges of the web, a mandrel, means supporting said mandrel at only one end thereof, means between said mandrel supporting means and the free end of said mandrel for enveloping the combined web and tear strip about said mandrel with the longitudinal edges of the web in substantially parallel overlapping relationship, means between said enveloping means and the free end of said mandrel for sealing the overlapping longitudinal edges of the web to each other to thereby provide a continuous tube, means for simultaneously slitting the web along opposite sides of the tear strip at intervals spaced longitudinally of the continuous tube, and means beyond the free end of said mandrel for severing the continuous tube transversely thereof at locations extending across and between the ends of the web slits to provide individual sleeves.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 182 words

Apparatus for making individual sleeves each having a longitudinally extending tear strip for use in effecting sleeve rupture, said apparatus including means for longitudinally advancing a continuous web having attached to one side thereof a continuous tear strip which is spaced from and substantially parallel to the longitudinal edges of the web, a mandrel, means supporting said mandrel at only one end thereof, means between said mandrel supporting means and the free end of said mandrel for enveloping the combined web and tear strip about said mandrel with the longitudinal edges of the web in substantially parallel overlapping relationship, means between said enveloping means and the free end of said mandrel for sealing the overlapping longitudinal edges of the web to each other to thereby provide a continuous tube, means for simultaneously slitting the web along opposite sides of the tear strip at intervals spaced longitudinally of the continuous tube, and means beyond the free end of said mandrel for severing the continuous tube transversely thereof at locations extending across and between the ends of the web slits to provide individual sleeves.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 90 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said enveloping means includes a series of idler rolls each having a peripheral groove within which said mandrel is positioned, each roll of said series of idler rolls being of greater diameter than the adjacent preceding roll with the roll nearest to said mandrel support means being smallest in diameter, the axes of said series of rolls and the innermost portions of said roll peripheral grooves lying in planes which are substantially parallel to each other and to the axis of said mandrel.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 48 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said web advancing means includes a positively driven pair of nip rollers one of said nip rollers being driven and the other of said nip rollers being an idler roller mounted for selective movement toward and away from said driven roller.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 74 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said mandrel is substantially round in cross-section, and further including a flat blade-like member fixed only at one end thereof to the free end of said mandrel, said member terminating between said slitting and web advancing means and having its longitudinal edges arranged in diverging relationship so as to urge the continuous tube into a flattened condition as it is advanced toward and beyond said slitting means.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 51 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said slitting means includes a positively driven rotor, and at least one pair of like parallel blades projecting from the periphery of said rotor, said blades beinG spaced longitudinally of said rotor a distance at least equal to the width of the tear strip.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 31 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 further including separate means for supplying the continuous web and continuous tear strip, and further including means for sealing the tear strip to the web.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 63 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said severing means includes a pair of positively driven rotors, one of said rotors having a longitudinally extending blade projecting from its outermost surface, the other of said rotors having a longitudinally extending anvil, and means for positively driving said rotors in synchronism so that said blade and anvil together nip and sever the continuous tube.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 90 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said enveloping means includes a series of idler rolls each having a peripheral groove within which said mandrel is positioned, each roll of said series of idler rolls being of greater diameter than the adjacent preceding roll with the roll nearest to said mandrel support means being smallest in diameter, the axes of said series of rolls and the innermost portions of said roll peripheral grooves lying in planes which are substantially parallel to each other and to the axis of said mandrel.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 90 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said enveloping means includes a series of idler rolls each having a peripheral groove within which said mandrel is positioned, each roll of said series of idler rolls being of greater diameter than the adjacent preceding roll with the roll nearest to said mandrel support means being smallest in diameter, the axes of said series of rolls and the innermost portions of said roll peripheral grooves lying in planes which are substantially parallel to each other and to the axis of said mandrel.

Claim 11

Independent Claim 169 words

A method of making individual sleeves each having a longitudinally extending tear strip for use in effecting sleeve rupture including the steps of longitudinally advancing a continuous web having attached to one side thereof a continuous tear strip which is spaced from and substantially parallel to the longitudinal edges of the web, progressively deflecting successive longitudinal portions of the continuously advancing web first into a U-shaped configuration and then into a tubular form in which the longitudinal edges of the web are in overlapped relationship, sealing the overlapped longitudinal edges of the continuously advancing web to each other to provide a continuous tube, progressively urging successive portions of the continuous tube into a flattened condition without wrinkling the same, slitting the advancing tube simultaneously along opposite sides of the tear strip at intervals spaced longitudinally of the tube, and concomitantly with the advancement thereof intermittently severing the continuous tube in a transverse direction at locations extending across and between the ends of the slits therein to provide individual sleeves.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 169 words

A method of making individual sleeves each having a longitudinally extending tear strip for use in effecting sleeve rupture including the steps of longitudinally advancing a continuous web having attached to one side thereof a continuous tear strip which is spaced from and substantially parallel to the longitudinal edges of the web, progressively deflecting successive longitudinal portions of the continuously advancing web first into a U-shaped configuration and then into a tubular form in which the longitudinal edges of the web are in overlapped relationship, sealing the overlapped longitudinal edges of the continuously advancing web to each other to provide a continuous tube, progressively urging successive portions of the continuous tube into a flattened condition without wrinkling the same, slitting the advancing tube simultaneously along opposite sides of the tear strip at intervals spaced longitudinally of the tube, and concomitantly with the advancement thereof intermittently severing the continuous tube in a transverse direction at locations extending across and between the ends of the slits therein to provide individual sleeves.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 18 words

A method as defined in claim 10 wherein the continuous tube is slit concomitantly with the flattening thereof.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 34 words

A method as defined in claim 10 wherein the tube is severed while in a collapsed condition and the individual sleeves are permitted to relax immediately after their formation to assume a tubular configuration.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-12-10	1977-06-11	1977-12-11	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-12-10	1981-06-11	1981-12-11	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-12-10	1985-06-11	1985-12-11	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Sleeve making apparatus and method

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag