EP0469298B1 - Device for the feeding of packing material to packaging machines - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device for supplying packaging machines or the like, with packaging material which is made available as material webs wound in bobbins, wherein the bobbins can be removed one after the other and fed to a working spigot from a bobbin storage device, and the bobbin storage device above the working spigot, is arranged above the packaging machine in particular.

The supply of packaging machines and other comparable consumption devices for wound, web-shaped material is a particular problem of packaging technology. Due to the highly developed performance of the packaging machines, the consumption of packaging material is considerable. The wound bobbins made of tin foil, paper and plastic film have a considerable weight due to the dimensions. This makes manual handling more difficult. The development is therefore towards maintaining a sufficient supply of packaging material in the field of packaging machines and also ensure the handling of the bobbins with the least manual effort.

It is common to store the bobbins on a rotating work pin to pull off the material web. The material web of packaging material is pulled off the rotating bobbin and processed into blanks for the individual packs.

In a known device (EP-A-296 356) two working pins are arranged on a common, pivotable support arm. One of the working pins is in the working position when the material web is running, while the other can be supplied with a new bobbin in a loading station. The support arm can be swiveled through 180 ° in order to move the work pin between the working position and the loading position. In this known proposal, the bobbins are removed one after the other from an upper bobbin store and fed to the working spigot by a conveyor spigot. The transfer takes place with the axial alignment of the working pin and conveyor pin.

This known device does not yet lead to maximum performance in supplying the processing stations of a packaging machine with wrapped packaging material.

The invention is therefore based on the object of proposing a device for supplying packaging machines with web-shaped, wrapped packaging material, with which the packaging material can be fed with high output and without manual use of the point of consumption, in particular the working pin.

• Zur Förderung der Bobinen aus dem Bereich des Bobinen-Speichers zum Arbeitszapfen ist ein Vertikalförderer vorgesehen,
• zur Übergabe der Bobinen aus dem Bobinen-Speicher an den Vertikalförderer ist ein Zwischenförderer vorgesehen, der einen zumindest vertikal und axial bewegbaren Förderzapfen aufweist.

To achieve this object, the device according to the invention is characterized by the following features:

• A vertical conveyor is provided to convey the bobbins from the area of the bobbin storage to the working pin,
• To transfer the bobbins from the bobbin store to the vertical conveyor, an intermediate conveyor is provided, which has an at least vertically and axially movable conveyor pin.

By combining the vertical conveyor with the intermediate conveyor according to the invention, the bobbins can be conveyed from the upper store to a consumption station arranged in the lower region of the packaging machine.This conveying can take place particularly quickly since the intermediate conveyor can remove bobbins from the store while the vertical conveyor is still in the conveying movement .

The invention is particularly advantageous when processing different bobbins, namely with different packaging material, such as tin foil bobbins, paper bobbins and bobbins with plastic films. Several, in particular two bobbin stores are arranged next to one another in the area of an upper level. A vertical conveyor common to all bobbins or bobbin stores transports the bobbins called up to one of several consumption stations. These each consist of working pins to hold one bobbin each. The work stations are arranged one below the other so that they can be reached directly from the vertical conveyor.

The bobbins are fed to the vertical conveyor by a conveyor pin, which takes the retrieved bobbin from the appropriate bobbin storage and feeds it to the vertical conveyor with axial displacement. For this purpose, the conveyor pin can also be moved in the transverse direction, specifically by means of a support arm which is pivotably mounted between the bobbin stores.

According to a further feature of the invention, the bobbins are fed by an overhead conveyor. This runs at a distance above the packaging machines along a mounting rail through the building with the packaging machines. A bobbin conveyor is assigned to each bobbin store to take the bobbins from the overhead conveyor and to transport them until they are stored in the bobbin store.

After a bobbin has been used up in the area of the consumption station (working spigot), the bobbin rest or a bobbin sleeve can be pulled off the working spigot by hand. According to a further proposal of the invention, however, the bobbin sleeve can also be pushed off the working pin automatically. For this purpose, a lateral limitation of the bobbin, namely a bobbin disk is axially displaceable with the entrainment and stripping of the bobbin core from the working pin.

Further features of the invention relate to the formation of conveyors for the bobbins and the formation of the working pin with automatic stripping of the bobbin core.

Fig. 1

eine Einrichtung zum Fördern, Speichern und Verarbeiten von unterschiedlichen Bobinen in schematischer Seitenansicht,

Fig. 2

einen Ausschnitt der Vorrichtung gemäß Fig. 1 in vergrößertem Maßstab,

Fig. 3

die Vorrichtung gemäß Fig. 1 in Queransicht,

Fig. 4

einen unteren Bereich der Vorrichtung, nämlich Verbrauchstationen für Bobinen, in einer Ansicht entsprechend Fig. 3, bei vergrößertem Maßstab,

Fig. 5

den oberen Bereich der Einrichtung, nämlich Bobinenspeicher, im Grundriß,

Fig. 6

einen Zapfen (Arbeitszapfen) für eine Bobine im Längsschnitt bei nochmals vergrößertem Maßstab,

Fig. 7

die Einzelheit gemäß Fig. 6 während der selbsttätigen Abschubbewegung einer Bobinen-Hülse.

An embodiment of the invention is explained below with reference to the drawings. It shows:

Fig. 1

a device for conveying, storing and processing different bobbins in a schematic side view,

Fig. 2

2 shows a detail of the device according to FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale,

Fig. 3

1 in a transverse view,

Fig. 4

4 shows a lower area of the device, namely consumption stations for bobbins, in a view corresponding to FIG. 3, on an enlarged scale,

Fig. 5

the upper area of the facility, namely the bobbin store, in the floor plan,

Fig. 6

a pin (working pin) for a bobbin in longitudinal section with a further enlarged scale,

Fig. 7

the detail of FIG. 6 during the automatic push-off movement of a bobbin case.

The present embodiment relates to the manufacture of cigarette packs, e.g. of soft packs or hinge-lid packs. A packaging machine 10 of a suitable, known type is used for this. Due to the design of the packaging to be produced, two different packaging materials are processed, which are available as a continuous material web and are separated from the blanks for the production of the packaging. In the present exemplary embodiment, an upper material web can consist of tinfoil (tinfoil web 11), while a lower material web can consist of paper (paper web 12). The packaging material is delivered in a wound form as a bobbin and made available. The material webs are pulled off the bobbins. According to the present example, tin foil bobbins 13 and paper bobbins 14 are therefore available for processing.

In the present, preferred exemplary embodiment, the reels 13 and 14 are conveyed from a central loading station to the individual consumption locations (packaging machines 10) by an overhead conveyor 15. The overhead conveyor 15 consists of a in the packaging system encircling support rail 16, which is attached, for example, to a building ceiling or to a higher support frame. Roller carriages 17 are movably supported on the mounting rail 16. These are driven by a motor 18 and moved along the mounting rail 16. On the underside of the roller carriage 17, and thus below the support rail 16, there is a bobbin support 19 with two diverging support arms 20 and transverse, ie essentially horizontal bars 21 at the lower end of the support arms 20. A bobbin 13, 14 is located on the bars 21. Preferably, the overhead conveyor 15 and especially the roller carriage 17 and / or the bobbin support 19 are designed in the manner described and shown in EP-A-347 586.

The bobbins 12, 13 are transferred to a transfer station 22 in the area of a packaging machine 10. In the present exemplary embodiment, two bobbin stores 23, 24 are set up on the upper side of the packaging machine 10. One bobbin store 23 - in the present case at the edge of the packaging machine 10 - serves to hold a supply of paper bobbins 14. The adjacent bobbin store 24 is assigned to a store of tinfoil bobbins 13.

In the present case, the bobbin stores 23, 24 essentially consist of two supporting rods 25, 26. These are driven in rotation and slightly diverging in the conveying direction of the bobbins. Essentially, the bobbin stores 23, 24 are designed in accordance with EP-A-296 356, but with the proviso that the two support rods 25, 26 are offset with respect to one another in height. The bobbins 13, 14 rest with the circumferential surface on the support rods 25, 26. The ends of which are rotatably supported in an upright machine cheek 27.

A separate bobbin lift 28, 29 is assigned to each bobbin store 23, 24. This consists of two upright guide rods 30, 31 on which a bobbin holder 32 with a slide 33 and transversely projecting support pins 34, 35 is movably mounted.

The bobbin receptacle 32 of the bobbin lift 28, 29 designed in this way corresponds, on the one hand, to the bobbin support 19 and, on the other hand, to the associated bobbin holder 23, 24. The support pins 34, 35 each serve to support a bobbin 13, 14 on its peripheral surface. The support pins 34 can be moved past the bars 21 of the bobbin support 19 in the upward direction, so that the bobbin 13, 14 can be lifted off the bars 21 and taken over. The empty bobbin carrier 19 can now be moved on. The bobbin receptacle 32 is moved downwards with the bobbin 13, 14 into the region of the bobbin store 23 or 24. The support pins 34, 35 are moved downwards so far that the bobbin 13, 14 in question is removed from the support rods 25, 26 can be included. The bobbin is then moved in the axial direction in the region of the bobbin store 23, 24 (from left to right in FIG. 3). As a result, the bobbin holder 32 is released again and can be moved upwards to accommodate a subsequent bobbin.

The support pins 34, 35 of the bobbin receptacle 32 are at a significantly smaller distance from one another than the support rods 25, 26 of the bobbin store 23, 24, so that the relative movement described for transferring the bobbins 13, 14 can take place.

The bobbin stores 23, 24 are arranged transversely on the top of the machine frame of the packaging machine 10, specifically projecting beyond the machine frame (FIG. 3). As a result, a removal side of the bobbin stores 23, 24 is essentially above processing units for the bobbins 13, 14.

In the device shown, two processing units are arranged one above the other, for tin foil bobbins 13 on the one hand and paper bobbins 14 on the other hand. The processing units each consist of two freely projecting working pins 36, 37 and 38, 39. Two working pins 36, 37 are arranged at the ends of a swivel arm 40, 41. This serves as a funding body and carrier for the working pin 36, 37; 38, 39 to move them from a receiving position (on the left in FIGS. 1 and 2) into a working position (on the right in FIGS. 1 and 2). In the working position, the material web, namely tinfoil web 11 and paper web 12, is pulled off the respective bobbin 13, 14. One swivel arm 40, 41 with working pin 36, 37 or 38, 39 and further units are referred to as bobbin units 42, 43.

A track connector 44, 45 is assigned to each bobbin unit 42, 43. These are automatic or semi-automatic devices for connecting the running material web to the start of the new material web. For example, the track connectors 44, 45 can be configured as in EP-A-179 243.

The swivel arms 40, 41 are rotatable about a central bearing 46, 47. With the swivel arms 40, 41 and the working pins 36..39 attached to them, deflection rollers 48 can be moved, which are attached to the ends of holding arms 49 directed transversely to the swivel arms 40, 41. The deflection rollers 48 serve to guide the material webs.

The bobbin units 42, 43 are arranged one above the other in the present case. A common bobbin conveyor 50 serves to supply the bobbin units 42, 43 with bobbins 13, 14, which picks up the bobbins 13, 14 in an upper position and feeds them to one or the other bobbin unit 42, 43 by downward movement.

The bobbin conveyor 50 is intended for the (downward) transport of bobbins 13, 14 of both bobbin stores 23, 24. The bobbin conveyor 50 is arranged in the center in the area or below the bobbin store 23, but offset in the axial direction (FIG. 3).

The bobbins 13, 14 are removed from the two bobbin stores 23, 24 by a transfer conveyor and fed to the bobbin conveyor 50. It is a conveyor pin 51 which - like the working pin 36..39 - enters a central opening 52 of the bobbins 13, 14. The conveyor pin 51 is movable axially and transversely. By inserting into the central opening 52 of a bobbin 13, 14 located in the front of the bobbin store 23 or 24, the bobbin 13, 14 is received. The conveyor pin 51 is raised with the bobbin 13, 14 so that it comes out of the bobbin store 23, 24. The axial movement now takes place down to the level of the bobbin conveyor 50 or a carrying device 53 thereof. If the bobbin is taken from the bobbin storage 23 immediately adjacent to the bobbin conveyor 50, no cross-conveying is required. Rather, the bobbin can be placed directly on the carrying device 53 after carrying out the described conveying movement. If, on the other hand, a tinfoil bobbin 13 is to be removed from the bobbin store 24, the bobbin is moved transversely and axially after the upward movement and axial displacement up to the carrying device 53.

The conveyor pin 51 is attached to a transport arm 54 in the present example. This is mounted as a one-armed lever in the middle between the bobbin stores 23, 24. The transport arm 54 with the conveyor pin 51 at the free end can be pivoted through 180 ° to receive a tin foil bobbin from the bobbin store 24 and to transfer it to the carrying device 53.

The transport arm 54 is rotatably (pivotally) and axially displaceably mounted in a bearing 55. The axial movement of the transport arm 54 or a shaft 56 of the same is carried out by a suitable linear drive, e.g. by a rotatable spindle 57, which is mounted here below the shaft 56 and to which the transport arm 54 is connected via a spindle nut 58.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the upright bobbin conveyor 50 consists of a fixed, square column 59. The carrying device 53 can be moved up and down on this by means of a guide 60. Two support arms 61, 62 which are spaced apart from one another are arranged on the guide. These protrude from the guide 60 on one side, specifically on the side facing the bobbin stores 23, 24. One bobbin 13, 14 can be placed with the peripheral surface on the support arms 61, 62 by the conveyor pin 51. For this purpose, the column 59 ends below the range of movement of the conveyor pin 51 (horizontal position of the transport arm 54). By further axial displacement of the conveyor pin 51, this is removed from the center opening 52 of the bobbin.

The bobbin placed on the supporting arms 61, 62 is conveyed downwards by the carrying device 53, alternatively to the upper or lower bobbin unit 42, 43. The transfer to one of the working pins 36..39 takes place directly by moving the relevant bobbin in the axial direction the working spigot 36..39. The arrangement is therefore such that the working pins 36..39 in the receiving position (on the left in FIGS. 1 and 2) are exactly centered on the carrying device 53 and thus on the center opening 52 of the bobbin. The working pins 36..39 are in the receiving position immediately adjacent to the carrying device 53 and thus to the supplied bobbin 13, 14. A slight axial displacement is necessary for the transfer (FIG. 4).

A bobbin 13, 14 is transferred from the carrying device 53 to a working pin 36..39 by a slide member. In the present exemplary embodiment, a slide 63 is attached to the carrying device 53, specifically aligned with the position of the bobbin 13, 14. The slide 63 contains a relatively large-area slide plate 64 which is moved against the free side of the bobbin 13, 14. This is thereby removed from the support arms 61, 62 and pushed onto the working pins 36..39.

The slide plate 64 is shaped in a special way (in particular FIG. 2). The slide plate 64 comes into contact with the bobbin 13, 14 above all in the lower region thereof, so that tilting or tilting of the same when being pushed off is avoided. In the upper region, the slide plate 64 has a recess 65, through which the slide plate 64 can be extended to a little above the central plane of the bobbin 13, 14. The recess 65 permits the entry of the conveyor pin 51 when a bobbin is fed.

The slide 63 is actuated by two cylinders 66, 67 arranged at a distance from one another. These are attached to opposite sides of the guide 60. The two cylinders 66, 67 are each connected to the slide plate 64 via a piston rod 68.

Before the working pin 36..39 of a bobbin unit 42, 43 can be moved from the working position (on the right in FIGS. 1 and 2) into the receiving position for a new bobbin, a bobbin remnant of the bobbin that has been emptied or, for example, one must be removed Cardboard existing bobbin sleeve 69 are pulled off the working pin 36..39. 6 and 7 show the design of a pin (working pin 36..39) for a bobbin 13, 14 with a device for automatic, automatic stripping of the bobbin case 69.

The bobbin 13, 14 or the bobbin sleeve 69 sits on a central pin 70 of the working pin 36..39. The central pin 70 is mounted so that it cannot rotate in the axial direction. In the present example (FIGS. 6, 7), the central pin 70 is rotatably mounted in a hollow pin 71. The hollow pin 71 in turn is connected to a machine part or to the swivel arm 40, 41. In the hollow pin 71 there is a recess 72 in which the central pin 70 is supported and guided by a collar 73.

The remaining bobbin or the bobbin sleeve 69 is removed from the central pin 70 by axial displacement of a stripping element. In the present exemplary embodiment, a disk 74 is the stripping element. This correspondingly dimensioned disk 74 also serves as a system for the bobbin 13/14 during the removal of the material web. In order to strip off the bobbin sleeve 69, the disk 74 can be displaced in the axial direction on the central pin 70, specifically from the starting position according to FIG. 6 to the free end of the central pin 70. FIG. 7 shows a stripping position.

On the side facing away from the reel sleeve 69, an actuating element for axial displacement is attached to the disk 74. It is an actuating cylinder 75 which surrounds the central pin 70. The free end of the actuating cylinder 75 is provided with a cross-sectional widening or an inward bend 76. This acts as an annular piston in a cylinder chamber 77 of the central pin 70. The cylinder chamber 77 extends in the region of the collar 73 within the cross section of the central pin 70. The cylinder chamber 77 is preferably annular in cross section, that is to say cylindrical. On the side facing the disk 74, the actuating cylinder 75 emerges from the cylinder chamber 77 as a thrust member.

The cylinder chamber 74 can be supplied with a pressure medium, in particular compressed air. In the present exemplary embodiment, a main line 78 leads into an annular collecting chamber 79 in the hollow pin 71. On the side of the cylinder chamber 77 opposite the angled section 76, a plurality of channels 80 arranged along the circumference enter the cylinder chamber 77 from the collecting chamber 79. The cylinder chamber 77 is supplied with compressed air via these channels 80 in such a way that the actuating cylinder 75 is moved in the axial direction by pressurizing the bend 76 from the initial position according to FIG. 6 to the free end of the central pin 70. As a result, the bobbin case 69 is pushed off the central pin 70. To return the disk 74 to the starting position, the cylinder chamber 77 is vented so that it can be moved by hand or when a new bobbin 13, 14 is pushed on automatically.

In the area where the bobbin 13, 14 or the bobbin sleeve 69 rests on the central pin 70, clamping members, namely clamping jaws 81, are mounted in the central pin 70. These are extended in the radial direction in order to fix the bobbin 13, 14 or the bobbin sleeve 69 by clamping onto the free end of the central pin 70.

In the present case, the clamping jaws 81 are also actuated by pressure medium, in particular with compressed air. Compressed air is conveyed into a ring line 83 at the end of the central pin 70 via a central line 82 in the swivel arm 40, 41. Pressure lines 84, 85 and 86 lead from the ring line 83 to pressure chambers 87, in which the clamping jaws 81 are mounted. To actuate the same, the pressure chambers 87 are pressurized with compressed air. As a result, the clamping jaws 81 are moved radially outward against the inside of the bobbin sleeve 89. The pressure chambers 87 are vented to strip them off and push on a new bobbin. so that the jaws 81 can be moved inwards.

Claims (13)

1. Apparatus for supplying packaging machines or the like with packaging material, which is made available as material webs which are wound up into bobbins, having the following features:

   a) the bobbins (13, 14) can be removed one after the other from a bobbin store (23, 24) and fed to an operating spindle (36..39),

   b) the bobbin store (23, 24) is arranged above the operating spindle (36..39), in particular above the packaging machine,

   characterized by the following features:

   c) a vertical conveyor (50) is provided in order to convey the bobbins (13, 14) from the region of the bobbin store (23, 24) to the operating spindle (36..39),

   d) provided in order to transfer the bobbins (13, 14) from the bobbin store (23, 24) onto the vertical conveyor (50) is an intermediate conveyor which exhibits an at least vertically and axially movable conveying spindle (51).
2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, characterized in that there are arranged, one beside the other, bobbin stores (23, 24) which receive a plurality of, in particular two, various types of bobbins, for example tin foil bobbins (13) and paper bobbins (14), and to which the bobbin conveyor (50) is assigned as common vertical conveyor for the bobbins, it being possible for bobbins (13, 14) to be removed from in each case one of the bobbin stores (23, 24) by the conveying spindle (51) and fed to the bobbin conveyor (50).
3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the conveying spindle (51) for transporting the bobbins (13, 14) from the bobbin store (23, 24) to the bobbin conveyor (50) is fitted on a transporting arm (54), by means of which the conveying spindle (51) can be moved centrally in front of the bobbins (13, 14) of the bobbin stores (23, 24) and which can be moved back and forth in the axial direction of the conveying spindle (51).
4. Apparatus according to Claim 3, characterized in that a respectively front bobbin (13, 14) of the bobbin store (23, 24) can first of all be moved upwards by the conveying spindle (51) and can then be conveyed in the axial direction and if required, for the bobbin store (24), in the transverse direction for positioning on an upwardly and downwardly movable carrying device (53) of the bobbin conveyor (50).
5. Apparatus according to Claim 1 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that the bobbins (13, 14) can be fed to the bobbin stores (23, 24) by a floor-mounted conveyor (15) via conveyors (bobbin lifts 28, 29) assigned to each bobbin store (23, 24), the bobbin lifts (28, 29) being arranged in the rear region of the packaging machine (10), on the upper side thereof.
6. Apparatus according to Claim 5 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that the bobbin stores (23, 24) essentially comprise two spaced-apart carrying rods (25, 26) on which the bobbins (13, 14) bear by means of their circumferential surfaces, the bobbin lifts (28, 29) being arranged between the carrying rods (25, 26) such that a bobbin-receiving means (32) of the bobbin lift (28, 29) with carrying spindles (34, 35) can be lowered into a region beneath the bearing plane which is formed by the carrying rods (25, 26) and is intended for the bobbins (13, 14).
7. Apparatus according to Claim 1 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that, for the processing of different bobbins, for example a tin foil bobbin (13) and a paper bobbin (14), two bobbin units (42, 43) are arranged one above the other, each bobbin unit (42, 43) exhibiting two operating spindles (36..39), of which one is located in the operating position for the outgoing material web and the other is located in a receiving position in the region of the bobbin conveyor (50).
8. Apparatus according to Claim 7 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that the operating spindle (36, 38) in the receiving position for a bobbin (13, 14) is located in the vertical conveying plane of the bobbin conveyor (50), such that the bobbins (13, 14) can be conveyed by said conveyor directly into a position adjacent to an operating spindle (36, 38).
9. Apparatus according to Claim 4 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that the bobbins (13, 14) can be pushed off the carrying device (53) of the bobbin conveyor (50) and onto an operating spindle (36, 38) by axially directed displacement of the bobbin.
10. Apparatus according to Claim 9, characterized in that the carrying device (53) of the bobbin conveyor (50) is provided with a pusher (63) which exhibits a large-surface-area pusher plate (64) for picking up a bobbin, bearing on the carrying device (53), on a side surface.
11. Apparatus according to Claim 1 and one or more of the further claims, characterized by a configuration of the operating spindles (36..39) for automatic pushing-off of residual bobbins or bobbin cores (69), it being possible for a lateral stop, in particular a disc (74), arranged on a fixed central spindle (70) to be moved in the axial direction to the free end of the central spindle (70), in doing so taking along the residual bobbin or the bobbin core (69) with it.
12. Apparatus according to Claim 11, characterized in that the stop or the disc (74) is fitted on a member which can be activated by a pressure medium, in particular on an actuating cylinder (75) enclosing the central spindle (70), of which a part which can be activated by a pressure medium, in particular an angled-off portion (76), can be displaced in a cylinder chamber (77) formed in the central spindle (70) and can be activated by pressure medium.
13. Apparatus according to Claim 1 and one or more of the further claims, characterized by clamping jaws, which can be activated by pressure medium, of the operating spindles (36..39) in the bearing region of the bobbins (13, 14), it being possible for clamping jaws (81) to be moved radially in pressure chambers (87) of the central spindle (70) and to be activated by compressed air.

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