TAMPONS

摘要

1469972 Packaging tampons in cardboard sleeves MITSUBISHI JUKOGYO KK 6 June 1974 [11 June 1973] 25251/74 Heading B8C [Also in Division A5] Apparatus for producing and packaging tampons comprises a mechanism for supplying an absorbent material from a store at a predetermined rate and for cutting it into bodies 61, Fig. 6, of predetermined length, means 16 for attaching a removal cord 18, compressing means comprising a plurality of lateral press dies 38, Fig. 13, arranged in a rotatable disc-like member (34a), Fig. 10 (not shown), and co-operating with radially slidable lateral compression members 28 to apply lateral compression to said bodies, members 48 for longitudinally compressing said bodies, means for inserting each body 61 into an insert guide pipe 39, see also Fig. 22, and means for inserting each insert guide pipe into an expanded push pipe 47. Push pipe 47 is resilient and has a longitudinal slit so that it may be stored in an expanded state on guide pipe 39. In the apparatus a driving shaft (34), Figs. 9, 10 (not shown), is rotatably journalled in a machine frame (f o ) and rotated by driving means (71), Fig. 14 (not shown). One of the lateral compression members 28 receives a body 61 after it leaves a cord-cutting device 25, 26, Fig. 6, and a spring-loaded cover member 29, controlled by an arcuate guide plate 32, clamps the body. Each member 28 is provided with a roller (35), Figs. 9, 10 (not shown), slidingly received in a cam groove (37a), so that, during the rotation of the disc-like member (34a), member 28 co-operates with a die 38 to laterally compress body 61. When die 38 reaches a predetermined position (k) body 61 is subjected to longitudinal compression by a member 48 acting as a push rod which is supported by a bush 51, and controlled by guides 50, 501. After the compression, a longitudinal press die 52 is rotated through 90 degrees, under the action of a cylindrical cam 56, so that a hole 52a is aligned with member 48, and the body 61 can be pushed by 48 into an insert guide pipe 39, held in a holding member (h o ), Fig. 11 (not shown). The holding member is in the form of a star wheel secured to the driving shaft (34), and is supplied with guide pipes 39 from another star wheel (45), which in turn is supplied from a hopper (40). Insert guide pipe 39 is pushed by a cylindrical member 58, controlled by cams 61, 611, into an expanded push pipe 47 held in a holding member (h 0 1) similar to the insert guide pipe holding member (h 0 ). Push pipe 47 is expanded by a pair of pipe expanding jaws 62, 621 the action of which is to expand one end of push pipe 47, Figs. 19-21 (not shown), and to act as guides, so that guide pipe 39 can be inserted. The product, Fig. 22, is then discharged in conventional manner.