Machine for cutting and tipping shoelaces automatically with continuous rotating functioning

Abstract

 The invention falls into the category of machines designed to tip and cut shoelaces. The invention has a fixed vertical column (1), around which rotates a continuous rotary head (16) supporting a cord guide (17) and an acetone spray nozzle (18). After carrying out the tipping and cuffing operation in a mould (4), the laces (8) are carried to a storage station (25), composed of a feeder (28) and a collection device (29), where the laces are grouped in bunches.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a machine for cutting and tipping shoelaces automatically with continuous rotating functioning.

[0002] Shoelaces are widely-used accessories, especially in the clothing field (those used to close shoes for example), but they are also used widely in various other fields wherever it is necessary to connect, quickly and effectively, two portions of fabric or leather placed together.

[0003] To be positioned, the shoelaces require eyelets or holes through which they can be passed in order to carry out their function. It is understandable that if the end of the cord which constitutes the extended shoelace were not suitably treated the aforementioned passing-through operation would not be easy to carry out especially after various uses, because of the fraying of the laces.

[0004] It is therefore necessary to fit the ends of the laces with a suitable device to provide the said ends with a certain rigidity and to make them impervious to the annoying problem of the fraying of the cord of which it is made up. In practice, a small strip (of a variety materials: plastic or celluloid in general, although sometimes metal) is wrapped around each of the said ends.

[0005] This operation is called, technically, tipping.

[0006] The machines currently used to make laces, called tippers, are built along a straight line.

[0007] A first drawback caused by the straightness of the construction of the commonly-known machines lies in the fact that many of the mechanical movements require an inversion of the direction of the movements (think of the passing of the cord through the relative skein in use, which must be repeated for every single lace to be formed) and such continual inversions of the mechanical movements cause a considerable amount of wear of the mechanisms involved and, consequently, continuous and costly maintenance work.

[0008] A further drawback of the commonly-known machines, still linked to the aforementioned need to invert the movements, is caused by the fact that the longer the lace is required to be, the slower the machine must work.

[0009] A still further drawback may be the fact that, because of the alternating movements just mentioned, various types of problems and damage may be caused to the cords themselves.

[0010] A still further drawback of the commonly-known machines is caused by their overall dimensions.

[0011] The aim of the present invention is to make available a tipping machine with a continuous rotating movement which, because of the said movement, is exempt from the limits which normally generate the problems described above linked to the presence of alternating mechanical movements.

[0012] A further aim of the present invention is to enable the creation of a full casing for the entire tipping machine, obtaining at the same time, a reduction in the overall dimensions.

[0013] In particular, the machine for cutting and tipping shoelaces automatically with continuous rotating functioning which the present invention aims to achieve, is comprised of:

• a fixed vertical column;
• a horizontal arm comprising a portion which is fixed in relation to the fixed vertical column and a portion which is mobile in relation to the fixed vertical column. The mobile portion can be moved along the longitudinal axis of the horizontal arm and there is a mould attached to the fixed portion which can be moved along the longitudinal axis of the aforementioned fixed portion;
• A storage station for a plurality of laces, the said storage station being comprised of a feeder for the laces and a collection devices for the said laces. Both the feeder and the collection device are constrained integrally to a mobile platform which can slide along longitudinal guides parallel to the longitudinal axis of the horizontal arm. The storage station is attached integrally to the mobile portion by means of the feeder. The feeder is fitted with a pinching device designed to clamp both the cord at the beginning of the process and the cut and tipped lace during the aforementioned production process;
• A rotating head, fitted with a continuous rotary means, positioned at the upper end of the fixed vertical axis. The rotating head supports both a cord guide and an acetone spray nozzle;
• A shoelace length adjuster, the said adjuster being extendable widthways on a surface which is perpendicular to the horizontal arm;
• A peripheral casing which is substantially circular in design;
• A suction device positioned above a cover for the peripheral casing, the said cover being shaped like a hood.

[0014] These and other characteristics of the device according to the present invention will better emerge from the detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment that follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings, provided in the form of a non-limiting example in which:

• Figure 1 shows a side view of the machine;
• Figure 2 shows the same machine as shown in figure 1 but from a frontal view;
• Figure 3 shows the rotating head from an orthogonal view in relation to the direction of the movement of the said head;
• Figure 4 shows the same head as in figure 3 from a view parallel to the direction of the movement of the rotating head;
• Figure 5 shows a side view and a cross-section of the connection point between the feeder and the collection device;
• Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the first part of the initial phase of the machine's functioning;
• Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the second part of the initial phase of the machine's functioning;
• Figure 8 shows the items shown in figures 6 and 7 in the form of a three-dimensional sketch;

[0015] With reference to the figures, 1 denotes the fixed vertical column located above a base 2.

[0016] A horizontal arm 3, at a right angle to the fixed vertical column 1 is comprised of a portion 3a which is fixed in relation to fixed vertical column 1 and a portion 3b which is mobile in relation to the aforementioned fixed vertical column.

[0017] A mould 4 is positioned on the fixed portion 3a. The said mould is movable along the longitudinal axis of the horizontal arm 3 and can be held in place using a control operated by a clamping element 5.

[0018] Inside the mould 4 are some commonly-known cutting and tipping devices.

[0019] On the corners of the front side of the mould 4 are some extractors 6 which move vertically, are driven pneumatically and are synchronised with the machine's functioning cycle. The said extractors have a groove into which a cord 7 can be placed which will then create laces 8 as a result of the action of the aforementioned mould.

[0020] A length adjuster 9 for the cord 7, and therefore for the laces 8, has a pantograph device 10 which extends widthways. The said adjuster 9 is attached to the fixed vertical column 1 in such a way as to allow it to slide along the aid fixed vertical column and it has ends to which vertical rods 11 are attached. The said vertical rods can be moved both closer to and farther from the fixed vertical column 1 at the same time, along a surface positioned at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of the horizontal arm 3. A specially-designed clamping means 12 allows the adjuster 9 to be fixed at the height required.

[0021] In the upper part of the fixed vertical column 1 is an arm 13 hinged to a shaft (not shown) and rotating inside the vertical column 1 with continuous motion, the aforementioned rotation being driven by a gear motor 14.

[0022] On the lower end of the shaft that rotates inside the vertical column 1 with continuous motion there is a plurality of eccentricities 15 used to control the timing of the various movements of the machine in question in the present invention.

[0023] At one end of the arm 13, there is a rotating head 16, to which is attached a cord guide 17 shaped like a cylindrical cable.

[0024] The cord guide 17 has an acetone spray nozzle 18 attached to it, which is supplied with acetone by a specially-designed duct (not shown), from a tank 19 positioned inside the base 2. The inside of the cord guide 17 is connected to the spray nozzle 18 by a hole 20.

[0025] A container 21, attached to the cord guide 17, collects any acetone which leaks out of the aforementioned cord guide because of the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the rotating head 16.

[0026] In the upper part of the mould 4 is a linear cam 22, whose height and inclination can be adjusted and whose upper profile is designed to be travelled over by a feeler point element 23 of a squirt 24 attached integrally to the rotating head 16.

[0027] A storage station 25 for the laces 8 is attached integrally to a mobile platform 26, along which it is moved by means of longitudinal guides 27.

[0028] The aforementioned storage station 25 is composed of a feeder 28 and a collection device 29.

[0029] Both the feeder 28 and the collection device 29 are attached integrally to the mobile platform 26.

[0030] The upper part of the feeder 28 has a sloping surface 30 in position with which there is a first plurality of belts 31, the upper part of which follows the profile of the sloping surface 30.

[0031] The collection device 29 has an protruding portion 32 located over the sloping surface 30, whose inclination it copies. Inside this protruding portion 32 is a second plurality of motorised belts 33.

[0032] The two pluralities of belts 31 and 33 are in mutual contact.

[0033] The collection device 29 is fitted with a plurality of hooks 34, all of which are attached to a commonly-known and autonomous motorised rotating device 35.

[0034] In position with the highest side of the sloping surface 30 of the feeder 28, attached integrally to this latter, there is a pinching device 36 for the cord 7.

[0035] A peripheral casing 37 contains everything just described, the said casing being fitted with transparent, accident prevention surfaces.

[0036] The peripheral casing 37 is sealed at the top, completely, by a cover 38, shaped like a hood.

[0037] Outside the cover 38 there is a suction device 39 for the acetone vapours, and a control panel 40.

[0038] A support 41, inside the peripheral casing, supports a spindle 42 holding a strip of the material to be used to tip the laces 8.

[0039] In the cover 38 there is an entrance 43 for the cord 7 to be made into shoelaces 8.

[0040] The functioning modes of the machine in question in the present invention will now be described using the references indicated in the figures.

[0041] With the machine switched off, after unwinding a certain section of the cord 7 from the relative container (not shown) and after winding the said section in a cord feeder device (said device not shown either), pass the end of the cord 7 through the entrance 45 in order to make it penetrate the inside of the peripheral casing 39.

[0042] Slide the aforementioned cord into the cord guide 17, stopping the end of the cord 7 in the pinching device 38.

[0043] At this point, still before starting the machine, the length of the laces required must be decided so that the necessary adjustments can be made to the various mechanical parts. The height of the adjuster 9 is adjusted with the relative clamping means 12 and the opening of the pantograph device 10, which extends widthways, is adjusted in order to adjust the distance between the two vertical rods 11 in relation to the external surface on which the cord 7 is resting while the machine is functioning.

[0044] A further adjustment that must be made during this preparatory phase is the setting of the data required in a control panel 42. In particular, set the number of laces 8 required to make up each bunch that will fill each hook 34 of the collection device 29 at the end of the work process.

[0045] During this machine-setting phase, take care to adjust the reach of the mobile portion 3b of the horizontal arm 3. When you do this, you will adjust the position of the storage station 25 at the same time.

[0046] All the aforementioned adjustments must be carried out by rotating the arm 13 slowly, either manually or using a potentiometer set at the minimum speed. At the end of the said arm 13 there is a cord guide 17 which will drag the cord 7, positioning it in contact with one of the two vertical rods 11 adjusted widthways earlier to make the cord 7 arrive at the mould 4. The portion of the cord 7 just stretched between the pinching device 38 and the mould 4 is indicated with the letter A in figures 6, 7 and 8. In the same figures a C denotes the excess part of the first portion A of the cord 7 positioned manually.

[0047] After positioning the aforementioned cord in the mould 4, the rotating head 16 is made to move along its circular route. The cord 7, although cut and tipped inside the mould 4, is held by the mould itself and so the rotating head 16, in moving along its circular route, continues to unwind the cord 7, taking it to the second vertical rod 11.

[0048] The portion of the cord 7, which, at this point, is stretched between the mould 4 and the pinching device 38, is indicated with the letter B in figures 6, 7 and 8.

[0049] When the rotating head 16 arrives in position with the aforementioned pinching device 38, the front end of the portion B of the cord 7 is held by the pinching device itself and this happens at the same time as the rear end of the previous portion A is held.

[0050] After portion B has been held by the pinching device 38, the mould 4 opens so both portions A and B of the cord 7 held therein are released. Portion A is taken in by the two pluralities of belts 31 and 33 and transported by these latter to a hook 34 on the collection device 29. Portion A must now be considered waste because it has only one tipped end.

[0051] At this point, the machine can be started running at the speed required since portion B of the cord 7 is held by the pinching device 38 and the cord guide 17 can wind the cord itself while the rotating head 16 rotates continuously.

[0052] Subsequently, portion B will have to be caught by the two pluralities of belts 31 and 33 and the uncoiling operations of the cord 7, and the cutting and tipping of the said cord 7, the storage of the laces 8 created in this way will take place as described earlier with the only difference being that the speed of the rotation of the rotating head 16 will be the production speed.

[0053] When the rotating head 16 is near the mould 4, a synchronism activated by the contact of the feeler pin 23 with the linear cam 22, sends the enabling signal to the squirt 24 to activate the spray nozzle 18, which will spray the acetone into the cord guide 17 through the hole 20. In this way the cord 7 is only sprayed with acetone at the right moments while it is moving forwards and with the right quantities, regardless of the rotation speed of the rotating head 16.

[0054] Naturally, small amounts of acetone may well be dragged out of the cord guide 17 because of the wet cord 7 brushing against the internal surface of the cord guide itself. This part of the acetone runs into the container 21, where it is collected and from which it is removed by suction from the specially-designed tank 19. This suction is carried out by means of a Venturi meter (not shown) in order to obtain the necessary head for the suction required using a simple and cheap means.

[0055] After the rotating head 16 has passed over the mould 4, this latter is activated by a control driven by another of the eccentricities 15. The action of the aforementioned mould 4 is commonly known and consists in the cutting of the cord 7 in position with the section of cord 7 sprayed with acetone earlier and in the wrapping of the two ends created in this way with a suitable material (either plastic or celluloid in the case of the machine in question in the present invention), which comes from a spindle 42.

[0056] The acetone vapours released during the working process are removed from the workplace by means of the suction device 39.

[0057] The shoelaces 8 are then taken up by the two pluralities of belts 31 and 33. The individual laces 8 are caught by the mutual contact between the aforementioned two pluralities of belts and these latter then force them along the route towards the bottom of the sloping surface 30.

[0058] At the end of the said sloping surface, after being released from the hold of the two pluralities of belts 31 and 33, the individual shoelaces 8 fall, because of the force of gravity, onto one of the hooks 34 of the collection device 29 (a commonly-known type) and remain hung there.

[0059] A first advantage of the procedure in question in the present invention is that the machine offers the possibility to save a considerable amount of space because of its substantially circular build.

[0060] No less important is the advantage constituted by the fact that the machine's operators are not exposed to any harm from inhalation of the acetone vapours since the machine is completely wrapped in panels fixed to the peripheral casing 37, but above all, because the aforementioned vapours are extracted by the suction device 39, which removes them from the workplace.

[0061] A further advantage of the present invention is that the machine needs very little maintenance, which has a positive effect on the management costs.

Claims

1. A machine for cutting and tipping shoelaces automatically with continuous rotating functioning, characterised by the fact that it comprises:

- a fixed vertical column (1);

- a horizontal arm (3) composed of a portion (3a) which is fixed in relation to the fixed vertical column (1) and a portion (3b) which is mobile in relation to the fixed vertical column (1). The mobile portion (3b) can be moved along the longitudinal axis of the horizontal arm (3) and on the fixed portion (3a) there is a mould (4) which can be moved along the longitudinal axis of the aforementioned fixed portion (3a);

- a storage station (25) for a plurality of shoelaces (8), the said storage station (25) being composed of a feeder (28) for the shoelaces (8) and a collection device (29) for the same laces (8). Both the feeder (28) and the collection device (29) are attached integrally to a mobile platform (26) which can slide along longitudinal guides (27) parallel to the longitudinal axis of the horizontal arm (3). The storage station (25) is attached integrally to the mobile portion (3b) by means of the feeder (28). The feeder (28) is fitted with a pinching device (38) designed to hold a cord (7) in place at the beginning of the process of the production of the cut and tipped shoelaces and during the said production process;

- a rotating head (16) with continuous rotary motion, positioned at the upper end of the fixed vertical column (1). The rotating head (16) supports both a cord guide (17) and an acetone spray nozzle (18);

- a length adjuster (9) for the shoelaces (8), the said adjuster being extendable widthways along a surface which is perpendicular to the horizontal arm (3);

- a peripheral casing (39) which is substantially circular in design;

- a suction device (14) positioned at the top of a cover (40) for the said peripheral casing (39), the aforementioned casing being shaped like a hood;

2. A machine according to claim 1, characterised by the fact that the mould (4) is fitted with two extractors (6) for the shoelaces (8) which have just been made. Each one of the said extractors is positioned at the corner of the front side of the aforementioned mould (4) and makes an intermittent vertical movement synchronised with the machine's operating cycle. The said extractors (6) are designed to both centre a cord (7) on the aforementioned mould (4) and facilitate the separation of each individual shoelaces just formed on the said mould.

3. A machine according to claim 1, characterised by the fact that the length adjuster (9) for the shoelaces (8) is attached integrally to the fixed vertical column (1) and can be slid along this latter, and it is composed of two vertical rods (11) which can be extended widthways at the same time in relation to the aforementioned fixed vertical column. The external surface of both the said vertical rods (11) constitute the resting surface for the cord (7) during the process carried out by the cord guide (17) while the rotating (16) head is rotating. The vertical rods (11) are extended widthways by means of a pantograph extending device (10).

4. A machine according to claim 1, characterised by the fact that the feeder (28) is fitted with a sloping surface (30) whose highest side is directed towards the mobile portion (3b) of the horizontal arm (3) to which the aforementioned sloping surface is attached integrally. In position with the sloping surface (30) there is a plurality of belts (31) the upper part of which follows the profile of the aforementioned sloping surface.

5. A machine according to claims 1 and 4, characterised by the fact that the collection device (29) is fined with an protruding portion (32) containing a second plurality of belts (33) with continuous movement. The lower part of the second plurality of belts (33) has an inclination matching that of the sloping surface (30). The feeder (28) and the collection device (29) are positioned next to each other so that upper part of the first plurality of belts (31) and the lower part of the second plurality of belts (33) are in mutual contact in order to facilitate the forwarding of the shoelaces (8) towards the aforementioned collection device (29).

6. A machine according to claim 1, characterised by the fact that the acetone spray nozzle (18) is attached to the cord guide (17) in such a way that the acetone leaking out of the aforementioned spray nozzle, by passing through a hole (20) made in the thickness of the cord guide (17), dampens the cord (7) at the point at which the cut will be made in the said cord (7) by the blade situated in the cuffing and tipping station (4).

7. A machine according to claims 1 and 6, characterised by the fact that the control to operate the spray nozzle (18) works due to the contact, made once per full rotation carried out by the rotating head (16), between the feeler pin (23) of the squirt (24) and the linear cam (22). The linear cam (22) is attached integrally to the upper part of the cuffing and tipping station (4). The profile of the linear cam (22) is shaped to ensure the quantity of acetone dispensed is always the same each time, regardless of the machine's functioning speed. The aforementioned linear cam (22) can be adjusted in height and inclination.

8. A machine according to claims 1 and 6, characterised by the fact that a container (21) is attached integrally to a cord guide (17), the said container being positioned at the opposite end of the cord guide (17) to the end which the rotating head (16) is directed towards, in order to collect the drops of excess acetone which may leak out from the aforementioned cord guide because of the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the rotating head (16).

9. A machine according to claims 1 and 8, characterised by the fact a Venturi meter is positioned in the circuit of the flow of acetone in position with the section of the aforementioned circuit which connects the container (21) to a tank (19) positioned inside a base (2). The said Venturi meter is designed to determine the suction pressure needed to remove the acetone from the container (21).

Drawing