A system of synchronizing the drive of a plurality of machines comprising means for sensing when the machines are running out of synchronism and valve means operative in response thereto for controlling the flow of hydraulic medium to which the drive of at least one of the machines responds to restore synchronism, more particularly applied to the flow treatment of articles, such as containers, through successive machines. One machine, however driven may be treated as the master machine and the other or others, hydraulically driven as a slave machine or slave machines. The sensing means, which may be fluid operated, electrical or mechanical, may respond to relative motion between rotary monitoring components driven by the respective machines or to the articles themselves.
Method of and apparatus for wrapping articles, in particular for wrapping reams of paper in a sheet of wrapping material such as paper or the like. The method comprises coupling the wrapping apparatus to the sheeter which produces the reams so as to automatically, continuously synchronize their operation, automatically adjusting the machine position of the wrapping apparatus relative to the position of the sheeter to ensure synchronization of the wrapping apparatus with the sheeter, monitoring the reams randomly received by the wrapping apparatus from the sheeter and delaying select reams so as to effect desired spacing therebetween, feeding delayed reams to the wrapping means of the wrapping apparatus at predetermined points during the cycle of the wrapping means, coupling the drive of the wrapping apparatus to the drives for the web positioning and wrapper sheet transfer means for precisely advancing the web and wrapper sheets to the cutting and draping positions, respectively, in a gradually accelerating, constant, gradually decelerating manner keyed to the wrapping means' cycle.
A control device comprises a clutch having two parts which are respectively coupled with an input shaft and an output shaft. The input shaft carries a torque limiter having a rotating pulley coupled with a central axle by a friction member. The rotating pulley is connected to the output shaft, and the central axis is connected to the input shaft. In case of disengagemnt of the output shaft, with the input shaft always being in rotation, a limited couple is transmitted to the part of the clutch coupled to the output shaft through the torque limiter in order to cause the part to attain a given position on abutment.
A bottle filling and closing machine and a bottle labeling machine are mounted on opposite sides of a bottle conveyor line close enough together so that both machines can be operated by a single operator. The filling and closing machine, the labeling machine, and the conveyor means extending therebetween are normally driven in synchronism by a common motor. A clutch is included in the drive means for the labeling machine to enable it to be disconnected from the filling and closing machine, and an auxiliary drive motor is coupled to the labeling machine to enable it to be driven independently of the filling and closing machine. The conveyor means extending between the two machines can comprise conveyor star wheels or conveyor worms.
