DE4219910A1 - Automatic, joining appts. for two material strip ends - comprises horizontally movable strip carriers with shear edges, vertical shearing knives, joining tape applicator and feed clamp to form strip loop - Google Patents

Abstract

Appts. for automatically connecting the ends of two material strips without stopping the take-off of the strip, where the rear end of the 1st. strip and the front end of the 2nd. strip extend over the opposing shear edges of two strip carriers. Vertically moving shearing cutters remove the short overlapping sections and the carriers, together with the two strips, move horizontally together to form a butt joint. When in contact the two strip ends are connected by adhesive tape applied by a vertically moving carrier above the joint. A material strip feeding clamp behind the strip carriers operates in response to a sensor which detects the end of the 1st. strip, and rapidly builds up a storage loop of excess material. The excess material can be continuously drawn off while both strip ends stop briefly for the shearing and joining operation. USE/ADVANTAGE - The appts. joins the two ends of successive roll of material strip, e.g. packaging strip and eliminates the need to stop take-off of the strip during strip end connection.

Description

The innovation relates to a device according to the Preamble of claim 1.

Industrial production knows a lot of jobs processes, for example continuous packaging pharmaceutical products using so-called blisters packs in which one made of plastic film, paper and similar existing material web running the work process must be supplied. Since the tracks that can be used for this in Rolls must be delivered, a reserve track kept ready and so quickly following the previous one processed web are connected, that only a short one, ideally none at all The work process is interrupted.

In a known device of this type (DE-OS 36 14 221) the front end of one to closing second web over a first separating edge of their Support overlapped and put on hold held a terminal block there. The corresponding first Web is also guided over a lower knife that at Reaching their end section this over the separating edge of the lower knife hangs overlapping. Both end sections are fixed with respect to the separating edges, once using the said terminal strip, on the other hand via a train Running direction next to the lower knife pair of rollers.  

The web end sections are butted against each other, and there will be an adhesive tape on the transition area of this Applied web ends. Then the glued web can white be moved.

From functional and the working speed The limiting disadvantage of this known device is that the movement of the support relative to the lower knife on a curved track. It is also for that Achieving precise path control adversely that in a continuous reserve in front of the outgoing material web must be given.

It is the task of innovation, a constructively possible The most simply designed device of the beginning nated kind that allows the two Thus, web ends during the ongoing work process to join others that no delay in this process occurs.

This task is carried out by the in the mark of protection Claim 1 defined features solved. Further executions Examples depend on the dependent protection claims.

The device according to the innovation combines one Combination of the following advantages:

• - Both ends of the web are separated automatically and exactly right angle separated and connected.
• - The web ends are butted against each other and connected by means of a thin adhesive strip that is always applied on the same side of the web surfaces becomes.
• - An overlap of the web ends in the connection area will definitely be avoided.
• - A rail reserve is created by increasing the feed rate movement of the end of the web formed.  
• - Thanks to the reserve formation, the work process can take place during the connection of the lanes in different continue timable clocks.
• - The rollers carrying the webs can always be in the same position on fixed axes.
• - The separated web end sections fall freely away below and therefore do not interfere with other work procedure.

An embodiment of the innovation is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the device according to the innovation in different phases of the material web connection, and in Fig. 7 an application of an adhesive strip to the United connecting portion of both web ends.

Referring to FIG. 1, a first path A from a stationary reel 1 over guide rollers 2 to a lying in the direction of arrow P working process, for example a continuously operating packaging machine, is supplied. A first optical sensor 3 is located approximately at the level of the deflection roller 2 .

Below the plane of movement of the web A there are two separating edge supports 4 and 5 with sharp separating edges 6 and 7 . The separating edge supports 4 and 5 are mounted and connected to a controlled drive that they can move together from the distance position shown in FIG. 1 into the position according to FIG. 4, in which the separating edges 6 and 7 touch.

Above the separating edge beams 4 and 5 are two counter-holder 4 a and 5 a, which are vertically horizon tal movable and and its horizontal movement is adapted to the one who the separation edge beams 4, 5, so that this counter-holder respectively synchronously move along horizontal with the parting edges carriers. Also above the separating edge supports 4 and 5 are two separating knives 8 and 9 , the cutting edges of which are located in the vertical planes of the separating edges 6 and 7 in the spacing position according to FIG. 1. The separating knives 8 and 9 are mounted vertically movably and are also connected to a drive which is precisely controlled in time by the central control unit.

In the area between the two separating knives 8 and 9 there is a vertically movable adhesive strip carrier 10 which holds on its underside a removable adhesive strip K (see also FIG. 7). The last res can be done, for example, by a suction nozzle, mechanically, or in another manner known to those skilled in the art. The condition is in any case that the adhesive strip K can be detached from its carrier 10 at the appropriate moment.

The parts 4 to 9 described so far form a device designated T in its entirety.

Between the separating device T and the machine not shown ge there is a pair of drivers 11 , 12 , which can be pressed from both sides against the web A if necessary and this takes in the direction of arrow M ( Fig. 2). At least one of the two driver elements 11 and 12 is movable in the direction of the path A and both can be moved in the direction of the path feed (arrow P) by a controlled drive.

A reserve web B is in a waiting position on a second roll 13 . It is also guided over a steering roller 14 and passes an optical sensor 5 . The end section b of this reserve web B overlaps the separating edge 6 in a waiting position.

All parts of the device described so far are connected to a central control unit and with means of this via drive elements, not shown, so be does that the automatic described below Workflow results.

First of all, it is assumed that the web A, for example a plastic web serving for packaging purposes, is withdrawn from the roll 1 and passes over the deflection roll 2 to the machine, where it is processed continuously. The reserve web B located on the roll 13 protrudes with its overlapping end section b over the separating edge 6 and, as already mentioned, is in the waiting position.

As soon as the end of the work process feed the web A passes the optical sensor 3 , this gives the central control unit a signal, whereupon the driver 11 , 12 detects the web and moves in the direction of arrow P at a speed that the required for the work process feed Speed exceeds so far that the material reserve R bil det in Fig. 2 det. The example, which can be modified in many respects by a person skilled in the art, shows three deflection rollers 16 , 17 , 18 , wherein the deflection roller 18 can be loaded in the direction of arrow 19 by a tension spring, not shown, so that excess web material between the deflection rollers 16 , 17 and 18 is stored and available for the work process.

As soon as the path reserve R required for the connection process is stored, the driver 11 and 12 is stopped so that there is also an overlapping end section a on the separating edge 7 . Both Endabschnit te a and b are now, as shown in Fig. 3, separated by the moving down knife 8 and 9 and fall down, while the two web ends to be connected by the downward moving counter-holder 4 a and 5 a against Separating edge supports 4 and 5 are pressed and are thus fixed. While this is happening, the working process continues undisturbed, the rail reserve R gradually being used up.

Now the two separating edge carriers 4 and 5 are brought together ( FIG. 4) and then by a downward movement of the adhesive tape carrier 10 the adhesive strip K is pressed in such a way that it covers both ends of the web and thus connects the strips ( FIG. 7). The adhesive tape K can be chosen so thin that its thickness is hardly significant in comparison to an overlap connection and practically does not interfere with the work process and also remains invisible.

Only now is the web reserve R practically needed, the web is released by pulling up the driver 11 , 12 , the counter-holder 4 a, 5 a and the adhesive tape carrier 10 and can now be removed from the roll 13 by the machine ( FIG. 6 ) the empty roll 1 is produced by a new reserve roll 1a is replaced, the end of which, in turn, the cutting edge 6, remains overlapping in waiting position until the optical sensor 15, the end of the web logs B. The end section of the new reserve track A 'is on the running track B.

The device described can be used for everyone use possible web-shaped, rollable materials. The adhesive strip X can be a polypropylene, for example strips with a sticky surface or a commercial label ches Skotchband. Can also be caused by heat strips made of a thermoplastic melted use plastic.

Claims (6)

1. Apparatus for automatically connecting the end section of a moving, first material web fed to a downstream work process (A) with the beginning section of a second, waiting material web (B), while avoiding an interruption of the work process by forming a material web reserve (R) from the end section of the first material web (A) with two supports ( 4 , 5 ) supporting the two material webs and holding them in place temporarily, which in a position butting the material web ends form a counter-holder for an adhesive tape carrier ( 10 ), a vertically movable separating arrangement ( 8 , 9 ) for the ends of the material web, the cutting surfaces of which cooperate with separating edges ( 6 , 7 ) formed on the carriers ( 4 , 5 ), the two sections of the material webs being held on the carriers and attached to the adhesive tape carrier ( 10 ) connected to each other on a track surface characterized in that the supports ( 4 , 5 ) lie in a common plane parallel to the plane of movement of the tracks (A, B) and within this plane between one with their separating edges ( 6 , 7 ) abutting and one with the cutting surfaces of the separating arrangement ( 8 , 9 ) separatingly meeting position can be pushed back and forth so that the adhesive tape carrier ( 10 ) is vertically displaceable with respect to the material webs above the position at which the separating edges ( 6 , 7 ) of the carriers ( 4 , 5 ) abut one another and that in the outflow direction of the first material web (A) behind the carriers ( 4 , 5 ) and in front of a subsequent processing station, a web transport driver arrangement ( 11 , 12 ) to form the reserve (R) from the outgoing web end of the first web (A) is seen, the end of the web being determined via a sensor ( 3 ) lying in the outflow direction and after feedback from this sensor v on the driver arrangement ( 11 , 12 ) with an increased feed speed is drawn into the reserve (R). 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that above the carrier ( 4 , 5 ) two vertically and horizontally movably driven counterholders ( 4 a, 5 a) are arranged, the horizontal feed synchronously to the movements of the carrier ( 4 , 5 ) is coordinated. 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the web transport driver arrangement has a hori zontally movable pair of jaws ( 11 , 12 ) arranged on both sides of the plane of movement of the first web (A), the lower jaw ( 11 ) as a stationary counter-holder for the upper, vertically movable jaw ( 12 ). 4. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the rail transport driver arrangement as a bilateral provided, driven the plane of motion of the web Pair of roles is executed. 5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that an elastically biased roller deflection arrangement ( 16 to 19 ) is provided to form the material web reserve (R). 6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the sensors ( 3 , 15 ) are photocells.