CN102700765A - Folding device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a folding device for upwardly folding outer packaging webs for articles (20), said folding device comprising at least one conveyor chain (3, 3 ^* ) and at least one pivotally movable means of folding ^{fingers (1, 11) mounted on and guided by the conveyor chain (3, 3* )} and a The coupling means (12, 13) of the folding fingers (1, 11) are pivoted in relation to the change of direction and deflection of the conveyor chain (3, 3 ^* ). In this case it is provided that the coupling device (12, 13) has guides for lifting the objects out of the transport plane. The folding device according to the invention prevents jamming of fallen objects, in particular bottles, and consequent failure thereof.

Description

folding device

technical field

The invention relates to a folding device for folding upwards a web for an outer packaging of goods according to the features of the preamble of claim 1 . the

Background technique

In the packaging industry it is common for several identical products to be combined and packaged in a carton, arranged in palletized equipment or the like. For this, corresponding pre-series-produced cardboard blanks are used. The product is put together, for example, in the desired manner, positioned on the cardboard blank, and the cardboard blank is then folded and fastened around the product, for example by gluing cardboard panels overlapping each other or the like. the

In order to fold upwards the front and rear lower plates of the pallet, for example US 4642967A discloses holding fingers and folding fingers that are arranged together on a surrounding conveyor chain. the

Furthermore, US 3555776 shows a machine for constructing a tray around a group of items. The machine has a leading folding finger for turning up a front web of cardboard and a subsequent folding finger for turning up a rear web of cardboard, said folding fingers being arranged on a surrounding conveyor chain. the

Typically, the bottles are put together in cartons or on pallet-like equipment by means of the above-mentioned equipment. In this case, the problem can arise that, for example, due to missing or incorrect cardboard blanks, etc., individual bottles fall over and are thus conveyed individually on the conveyor belt. The folding fingers penetrate the conveying surface from below and disappear under the conveying surface again after the folding process. Individual overturned bottles can get caught between the folding fingers and the conveyor chain on which they are arranged and thus cause extensive damage to the machine. the

The folding device with folding fingers 1 known from the prior art and the described problems are illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 . the

The folding fingers 1 and the coupling device 2 (cf. FIG. 1 ) are arranged between two conveyor chains 3 , 3 ^* running adjacent to each other, forming a conveyor surface for blank blanks of cardboard and bottles 20 positioned thereon, And only fixed on one of the two conveyor chains 3, 3 ^* . The movement of the second conveyor chain 3 ^* can be independent of the movement of the first conveyor chain 3 . In particular, the second conveyor chain is not connected to the coupling mechanism of the first conveyor chain 3 .

Arranged on the conveyor chains 3 , 3 ^* are flat cardboard sheets (so-called mats) or flat cardboard sheets with a circumferential edge (so-called trays), on which the bottles 20 are also placed. The spacing width W between two chains 3 running next to each other can be smaller than the diameter D of the bottles 20 conveyed on the cardboard, so that the bottles 20 falling off the cardboard and onto the pair of conveyor chains 3, 3 ^* It can partially remain on and/or between the two conveyor chains 3 , 3 ^* ( FIG. 2 ). The bottles 20 are then conveyed together up to the end of the folding and bonding section 3, 3 ^* .

At the end of the chain 3, 3 ^* , the folding finger 1 is pivoted forward (figure 3). When the bottle 20 is particularly thin or the bottle neck 22 faces the folding finger 1 , then the folding finger 1 will press against the bottle 20 . In this case, the bottle 20 is pressed against the adjacent member of the folding device (output transition piece) and prevents the movement of the fingers 1 and thus also of the chains 3, 3 ^* .

This leads, inter alia, to damages in which adjacent components, in particular the output transition piece, are bent. Furthermore, the coupling mechanism 2 of the finger 1 can also be overloaded and bent. The drive motor of the chain drive will overload and report a fault. the

All three conditions require machine operator intervention. The first two situations have previously resulted in mechanical damage which meant machine downtime, as damaged elements had to be replaced. Corresponding replacement parts and specialized personnel must also be available for this, or expensive procurement procedures must be carried out. Furthermore, the factory adjustment of the transition piece was missing at the time of said damage, which occasionally led to subsequent failures in which the bottle also fell over. the

Contents of the invention

The object of the present invention is to prevent the jamming of fallen objects, in particular bottles, and subsequent failures resulting therefrom. the

The object of the invention is solved by a folding device comprising the features of claim 1 . Further advantageous refinements are described in the subclaims. the

The invention relates to a folding device for the manufacture of outer packaging for articles, in particular of cardboard around containers, bottles or the like brought together. Such a folding device comprises at least one conveyor chain, preferably at least one pair of conveyor chains, for conveying outer packagings, for example cardboard blanks or the like, and the grouped articles arranged thereon. the

For folding the opposite sides of the outer packaging upwards, the folding device also includes at least one front and rear folding finger in each case. Such folding fingers are guided by at least one of the conveyor chains of the conveyor chain pair by means of coupling means, such as coupling rods. The coupling means cause the folding fingers to remain in the desired (vertical) orientation between the beginning and the end of the folding and bonding process. The coupling rods of the front folding fingers are located (facing away from the outer packaging) in front of the front folding fingers. The coupling bars of the rear folding fingers are located behind the rear folding fingers (facing away from the outer packaging), so that they never collide with the outer packaging to be folded. the

所述导向件/凸起倾斜部在下方接触到位于传送链上的物品并将其向上抬升。根据优选的实施方式，用于向前移行的凸起倾斜部安装在前面的折叠指的联接杆上，并且用于向后移行的凸起倾斜部安装在后面的折叠指的联接杆上。导向件或者说凸起倾斜部优选以以下方式设计，即，使得不仅接纳瓶、容器或其它物品，还接纳所有类型的物体、异物、纸板残留等。这可能例如也是应包含于包装但由于故障而与包装分开的数据载体或者类 似物。为了阻止这样的物体例如数据载体(例如CD-ROM)落到传送面中并在该处卡住或者可能导致其它故障，导向件设置有超出传送平面的抬升部。  According to the invention, the coupling device is designed in such a way that it protrudes from the transport plane at least partially on the side of the folding fingers opposite the bundle to be folded. In particular, the coupling means connected to the fingers are enlarged upwards. This results in guides which can be configured, for example, as raised bevels

The guides/raised slopes contact the items on the conveyor chain from below and lift them upwards. According to a preferred embodiment, the raised bevel for forward travel is mounted on the coupling rod of the front folding finger and the raised bevel for backward travel is mounted on the coupling rod of the rear folding finger. The guide or raised bevel is preferably designed in such a way that not only bottles, containers or other objects are received, but also all types of objects, foreign bodies, cardboard residues and the like. This may, for example, also be a data carrier or similar that should be included in the packaging but has been separated from the packaging due to a fault. In order to prevent such objects such as data carriers (eg CD-ROMs) from falling into the conveying plane and getting stuck there or possibly causing other malfunctions, the guide is provided with a rise above the conveying plane.

Preferably, the raised slope forms an acute angle with the conveying plane. As a result, individual objects such as eg an overturned bottle are at least partially lifted and can roll away. Then, there is no obstacle on the track for the folding fingers. the

If the article is still positioned at the end of the conveying plane on one or more surrounding conveyor chains, the article is lifted to such an extent that the article can no longer be clamped between the folding fingers and the adjacent members ( output transition piece) because the item is lifted higher by the raised slope of the attachment device than is reached by the folding fingers. The case of crushing is thus excluded. the

According to an alternative embodiment, the folding fingers used can themselves have raised bevels and be designed as guides. Here, too, the advantages according to the invention, in particular the prevention of pinching of fallen objects or bottles or other objects or foreign objects, can be achieved. the

According to other alternative embodiments, the raised bevel forming an acute angle with respect to the conveying plane is independently fixed on the surrounding chain of fingers. the

Folding devices with raised bevels can be used in all packaging folding machines, in particular in cardboard folding machines with folding fingers driven by means of coupling rods. The device also comprises a coupling mechanism, the coupling rod of which is not fastened to the chain carrying at least one finger, but is guided, for example, by means of a sliding rod. the

According to other embodiments, the folding device is fastened to a surrounding conveyor chain. Instead of the second circumferential conveyor chain, a stationary component is provided, for example a guide element such as a base plate or a guide rail or the like, on which the outer packaging is guided along the guide. the

Description of drawings

Embodiments of the invention and their advantages are explained in more detail below with the aid of the drawings. The dimensional proportions of the various elements in the drawings relative to each other do not always correspond to true dimensional proportions, as some shapes are simplified and other shapes are shown exaggerated relative to other elements for better illustration. the

1 to 3 show folding fingers and their arrangement on a coupling device on a conveyor chain according to the known prior art. the

4 to 6 show the arrangement of the folding device according to the invention on the conveyor chain. the

Detailed ways

Corresponding reference numbers are used for identical or identically acting elements of the invention. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity, in the individual figures only the reference signs which are necessary for describing the corresponding figure are shown. The illustrated embodiments are only examples of how the device according to the invention or the method according to the invention may be designed, without being a closed limitation. the

Figure 4 shows a folding device 10 according to the invention for use in a cardboard folding machine (not shown), in particular for carton overpacks, so-called pallets or the like, in the direction of transport The upward fold of the front cardboard splice as seen on TR. The folding device 10 is formed by folding fingers 11 which are arranged on a coupling device 12 . The coupling device 12 is also called a coupling rod 13 and drives the coupling finger 11 . According to the invention, the coupling device 12 expands upwards and in the conveying direction TR of the chain 3 . Thereby, a raised bevel A or wedge is formed. Said raised slope A touches from below a bottle 20 (not shown, see Figures 5 and 6 ) located on the conveyor chain 3 , 3 ^* and lifts said bottle.

FIG. 5 shows the lifting ^of a bottle 20 located between the conveyor chains 3, 3 ^* by the coupling device 12 constructed according to the invention, and FIG. The case of the end of the chain 3, 3 ^* .

Only a small part of the bottle 20 is still located between the conveyor chains 3, 3 ^* and is rolled laterally off the chain pair 3, 3 ^* at the end 3, 3 ^* of the chain. If the bottle 20 should not be rolled down, it would still not be able to be pressed down by the folding fingers 11 from above to the adjacent component on the outlet transition, since the bottle 20 is lifted higher than the fingers 11 reach upwards. This excludes crushing as in the known prior art (cf. FIGS. 1 to 3 ).

The invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments. However, it is conceivable for a person skilled in the art that modifications or changes can be made to the invention without departing here from the scope of protection of the following claims. the

List of reference signs

1 folding finger

2 Connection device/connection equipment

3. 3 ^* Conveyor chain

10 folding device

11 Folding fingers

12 coupling device

13 connecting rod

20 bottles

22 Bottleneck

A raised slope part

D diameter

TR conveying direction

W Width. the

Claims (10)

1. A folding device for folding upwards a web for an outer packaging of articles (20), said folding device comprising at least one conveyor chain (3, 3 ^* ) and at least one pivotally movable Folding fingers (1, 11) installed on the conveyor chain (3, 3 ^* ) and guided by the conveyor chain and between the folding fingers (1, 11) and the conveyor chain (3, 3 ^* ) coupling means (12, 13) for pivoting the folding fingers (1, 11) in relation to a change in direction and/or deflection of the conveyor chain (3, 3 ^* ), characterized in that the folding The device has guides for lifting the objects out of the conveying plane. 2. Folding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guides are configured for lifting articles and/or objects out of the conveying plane. 3. Folding device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the guides are configured as raised slopes (A) which lift articles and/or objects out of the conveying plane. 4. The folding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the guide or the raised bevel (A) is assigned to the folding fingers (1, 11) and/or to the Described coupling device (12,13). 5. Folding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the guide or the raised bevel (A) is arranged in the region of the coupling means (12, 13), And independent of said coupling device. 6. Folding device according to claim 5, wherein the raised bevel (A) is arranged at the coupling device (12, 13) in the conveying direction in the case of the front folding fingers (1, 11) Before. 7. Folding device according to claim 5, wherein the raised bevel (A) is arranged in the conveying direction after the coupling means in the case of the rear folding fingers. 8. Folding device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the raised bevel (A) is configured at an acute angle to the longitudinal direction of the conveying plane. 9. The folding device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the article (20) can be lifted by the guide or the raised slope (A) beyond the folding fingers ( 1, 11). 10. Folding apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the folding fingers (1, 11) and the coupling means (12) form a unit.

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