Bead-forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9409323-B2
Application number	US-201313800909-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2013
Priority date	Feb 18, 2011
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

A bead-forming apparatus and method for its use are described. The bead-forming apparatus includes a base with a pair of legs extending from a top surface. First ends of the legs couple to respective eccentric elements. The eccentric elements removeably and rotatably couple to a platen. Second ends of the legs are rotatably and slideably mated with a gear train disposed within the base. The legs are slideably translatable into the base and the gear train maintains a rotational orientation of the legs and the eccentric elements coupled thereto. The platen is thus moveable through a circular path defined by the rotation of the eccentric elements and legs. As such, a plug of moldable material placed between the base and the platen and in contact with the platen, is formed into a double-cone shape by movement of the platen through the circular path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bead-forming apparatus comprising:
a base having a pair of side supports;
a pivoting arm coupled to at least a portion of the pair of side supports;
a first roller coupled to the pair of side supports and to a first end of the pivoting arm;
a second roller coupled to the pair of side supports;
a third roller coupled to a second end of the pivoting arm; and
a plurality of gears coupled to the first, second, and third rollers, wherein rotation of the plurality of gears causes rotation of the first and third gears in a first direction and rotation of the third gear in a second direction.

2. The bead-forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pivoting arm is moveable between a first position and a second position relative to the base unit.

3. The bead-forming apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first position comprises a locking position with respect to the base such that one or more features on at least one surface of the pivoting arm couples directly to the base.

4. The bead-forming apparatus of claim 3 , wherein an amount of modeling material advanced between the first and second rollers is coiled into a bead based on contacting the third roller with the pivoting arm in the first position.

5. The bead-forming apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the second position comprises a raised position with respect to the base such that the third roller is in a raised position.

6. The bead-forming apparatus of claim 5 , wherein an amount of modeling material advanced between the first and second rollers is flattened into a continuous piece of modeling material with the pivoting arm in the second position.

7. The bead-forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the base comprises a lead-in edge on a surface of the base adjoining an exterior surface of the second roller.

8. The bead-forming apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the lead-in edge is a curved edge.

9. The bead-forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second roller has a textured surface on at least a portion of a curved outer surface of the second roller.

10. The bead-forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the first, second, and third rollers has a cylindrical shape oriented around a horizontal axis of rotation with respect to the base.

11. The bead-forming apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more gears coupled to at least a portion of the pivoting arm, wherein at least one of the one or more gears is configured to synchronize rotation of the third roller with at least one of the first and second rollers.

12. The bead-forming apparatus of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the one or more gears is disposed internal to the pivoting arm.

13. The bead-forming apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of gears coupled to at least a portion of the base, wherein rotation of one or more of the plurality of gears coupled to the base causes rotation of one or more of the first, second, and third rollers.

14. The bead-forming apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of gears coupled to at least a portion of the base comprises a first gear, a second gear, and a third gear, wherein rotation of the first gear in a first direction causes rotation of the first roller in the first direction, rotation of the second gear in a second direction causes rotation of the second roller in the second direction, and rotation of the third gear in a second direction causes rotation of the third roller in the second direction.

15. A bead-forming apparatus comprising:
a base;
a plurality of gears;
a first roller configured to rotate in a first direction;
a second roller configured to rotate in a second direction;
a third roller configured to rotate in the second direction; and
a pivoting arm coupled to the first and third rollers.

16. The bead-forming apparatus of claim 15 , wherein rotation of the first, second, and third rollers is based on rotation of one or more of the plurality of gears.

17. The bead-forming apparatus of claim 16 , wherein rotation of one or more of the plurality of gears comprises rotation of the first roller in the first direction based on rotation of a first gear in the first direction, rotation of the second roller in the second direction based on rotation of a second gear in the second direction, and rotation of the third roller in the second direction based on rotation of the third gear in the second direction.

18. The bead-forming apparatus of claim 15 , wherein an amount of modeling material advanced between the first and second rollers is coiled into a bead based on contacting the third roller with the pivoting arm in a locked position with respect to the base.

19. A method for producing a coiled bead from a moldable material, the method comprising:
providing a bead-forming apparatus that includes a base;
a pivoting arm;
a plurality of first gears disposed internal to the pivoting arm;
a plurality of second gears coupled to the base;
a first roller configured to rotate in a first direction;
a second roller configured to rotate in a second direction; and
a third roller configured to rotate in the second direction;
compressing an amount of moldable material between the first and second rollers to provide a flattened amount of moldable material based on rotation of the first and second rollers; and
forming a coiled bead from the amount of moldable material based on rotation of the third roller against at least a portion of the flattened amount of moldable material.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
releasing the coiled bead from the bead-forming apparatus.

Assignees

• Crayola Llc
• Crayola Llc

Inventors

• Weikel Jennifer
• Fallis Jr Jeremy M
• Rau Thomas R
• Castle Eden

Classifications

• B28B3/126

  on material passing directly between the co-operating rollers · CPC title

• B28B1/02 Primary

  by turning or jiggering {in moulds or moulding surfaces on rotatable supports} · CPC title

• A21C3/06

  Machines for coiling sheets of dough, e.g. for producing rolls · CPC title

• A21C3/065

  the coil axis of the produced rolls being in parallel or oblique position relative to the transport direction; with coiling elements, e.g. rollers, being placed in parallel or oblique position relative to the transport direction · CPC title

• B29C43/04 Primary

  using movable moulds · CPC title