EA017837B1 - Apparatus by means of which valve bags can be fitted on - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for fitting valve bags, in particular to apparatuses by means of which valve bags can be fitted onto a packing machine. The invention is aimed at designing an apparatus for fitting valve bags onto a packing machine with high speed. The assigned task is characterized in that fit-on device (5) is arranged biased relative to a gripper device (4) in a longitudinal direction (13) to compensate different bags dimensions, wherein a drive (14) for the pivoting of the gripper device (4) and of the pivotable fit-on part (11), the gripper device and the pivotable fit-on part being coupled mechanically via a coupling mechanism (15). There are some other differences from the prototype. The invention provides to fill valve bags with high speed and is adapted for easier refilling for different width valve bags.

Description

The present invention relates to devices for accommodating valve bags, in particular to devices for placing valve bags at filling positions of packaging machines.

Such apparatuses or automatic placement systems are well known in the art. A device for placement on one or more filling ports of a packaging machine, for example, is known from German Patent No. 3525348 [1]. In such a device, two suction cups are made for gripping one bag on both sides of the bag valve on the open side of the bag. An open valve bag is accelerated by means of a guide means and fed in the direction of the filling pipe. The known device is equipped with suction kits for opening the packet valves of the pre-aligned packages in the longitudinal direction using the drive means.

International application XU097 / 22522 also discloses a device for locating valve bags at filling positions of a packaging machine. The suction kit captures the packet valve of the uppermost package from the stack of packages, the valve package is then inserted into the receiving element of the drive or conveyor belt using a slider or using a pressure drive roller with positive joint movement of the suction set and pressure applied by the drive roller for subsequent movement to the drive or conveyor tape.

A disadvantage of the known devices is that the distance between the accommodation device and the packaging machine is usually variable. Since any packaging machine allows the delivery of packets of various sizes, it was determined that the small width of a narrow packet leads to an increase in errors in the placement of packets. It was also found that the disadvantage is the large distance between the end of the drive means of the host device and the edge of the filling position.

Thus, there is a need for a device that allows you to adjust the distance between the end of the drive means and the edge of the filling position. Since moving the contents of the host system is quite difficult, the device is designed so that the suction kit for opening the bag valve is stationary in the direction of movement of the bags, while the drive means allows the bag to be adapted in the longitudinal direction. Thus, valve bags provided with stationary suction cups can take the place of each bag in the same place, as long as the drive means adapts the longitudinal movement depending on the width of the bag, to always ensure the optimum distance from the filling position of the packaging machine, so that substantially optimal placement is always achieved packages.

In this source, the suction cups for gripping the bags are stationary, while the drive means are coordinated in the longitudinal direction. Moreover, the suction cups are mounted practically along the longitudinal axis, while the drive means contains a pair of axial components which, when closed, can accelerate the bag and place it at the filling position.

A well-known analogue is quite reliable in management. However, a drawback was identified, which manifests itself in the fact that the drive means and suction cups require accurate synchronization. From this point of view, the time period should be provided such that considerable time is required to perform these movements. This limitation significantly reduces performance.

The present invention is the ability to provide a device for accommodating valve bags, allowing the placement of packages at high speed.

This problem is solved in that the device has the characteristics specified in claim 1 of the formula. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in the dependent claims. Further features of the present invention will be defined below in the description.

The device according to the present invention is made to accommodate valve packages on one or more filling positions of the packaging machine. The device according to the present invention comprises at least one locating head with one gripping device and one locating device. The gripping device is used for gripping and lifting in the first axial position of the valve packet from a stack of packets located on the lifting surface of the delivery table, and in the second axial position in order to transfer it to the placement device. The accommodation device, in turn, is made in order to open the valves of the valve bags, and in order to accelerate the placement of the valve bags. According to the invention, the accommodation device comprises at least two accommodating elements, at least one of which is adapted, for example, to an axial position, while the second can be located off-axis or also on the axis. According to the invention, one separate drive is made for an axial gripper and for an axial placement element. From this point of view, the suction device is mechanically connected to the accommodating element by means of a linking mechanism.

The invention has many advantages. In particular, the advantage is only one separation drive, which is required for rotation with the gripper and for rotation of the element accommodating devices, since each component is connected by a connecting mechanism. A positively controlled mechanical connection of the gripping device with the rotatable accommodating elements of the device will always place the elements at precisely defined spatial positions relative to each other so as to generally eliminate any collisions of the elements with each other. In this way, time is significantly saved, as it should be taken into account in conventional solutions, since there are no safe time intervals necessary for separation between movements. Moreover, it became possible to simultaneously begin various movements in coordinate planes.

Preferably, the accommodating device is installed in the longitudinal direction relative to the gripping device in order to compensate for the different sizes of the packages when they are placed.

In preferred specific embodiments of the invention, the linking mechanism comprises a knee link. This is an advantage, because the lever allows you to transfer the movement, fast at one end, to the other end, where the movement starts slowly, etc.

In another preferred specific embodiment of the invention, the lever engages with a sliding guide, which is fixed stationary in the longitudinal direction.

Preferably, the linking mechanism comprises coupled levers for coupledly moving turns of the gripping device with a pivoting member to further increase efficiency.

This allows you to precisely synchronize movements so as to achieve very high operating speeds. Using only one drive allows you to get significant technical and financial savings.

In other specific embodiments, the accommodating device is mounted loosely along the sliding rail so that the movement of the accommodating device with the stationary gripping device compensates for the different sizes of the feed packages.

The accommodation device comprises, in particular, two rotatable accommodation elements. The accommodating element comprises, in particular, an opening element of an opening device for opening the bag valve when the latter is placed. Moreover, the locating device or each locating element comprises one accelerating device so that two rotatable placing elements, one opening element and one accelerating device are rotated.

A further specific embodiment of the invention is provided for one locating element that pivots around a sliding guide or around a rotating bar attached to it without rotation. It is possible for the grippers to also rotate around a rotating bar, which is rotatably connected to the sliding guide.

In all designs, the gripper preferably comprises a suction cup assembly having several suction cups, where preferably several suction cups can be deactivated depending on the size of the bags so as to provide a different number of suction cups into which the vacuum is applied.

The drive may be provided with a hydraulic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder or a vacuum cylinder for periodic capture and placement of packages.

A motor, and in particular an electric motor, is also preferred as the drive of the isolation device. The control device preferably serves to control the motor. In particular, it is preferable that the control device changes the rotational speed of the motor so that the axis of the drive moves substantially continuously. The engine rotation speed is periodically reduced and increased to allow soft control when the rotation speed is minimal or close to minimum, despite this, the highest packet placement speed is possible.

Preferably, the accommodation device comprises a bag opening device comprising preferably one corner metal sheet at each of the two placement elements. In the opposite position, the two corner sheets form approximately a rectangle, and in particular approximately a square, in cross section with one diagonal extending horizontally between the corners and another diagonal extending approximately vertically between the corners. The length of the horizontal diagonal is less than the width of the batch valve so that the batch valve remains in the center at the top automatically open, since the corner metal sheets are opposite each other.

Preferably, a specific embodiment in which the accommodation device comprises an acceleration device comprising a set of rollers as placement elements. It is also preferred that the acceleration device further comprises a belt drive for another housing element.

Further improvement and application of the present invention provides an embodiment that will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a packaging machine system and an apparatus for bag placement; in FIG. 2 is a general view of a device according to the present invention for accommodating valve packets; in FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a housing head of the device shown in FIG. 2 in the first position; in FIG. 4 - placing the head of the device in the second position; in FIG. 5 - the receiving head of the device shown in FIG. 2, in the third position; in FIG. 6 - the receiving head of the device shown in FIG. 2, in the fourth position; in FIG. 7 is another placement head for the device shown in FIG. 2 in the position corresponding to FIG. 5; in FIG. 8 is a placement head according to FIG. 7 in the position corresponding to FIG. 6.

With reference to the figures of the embodiment of the invention it will now be explained what is the design of the placement system and how the device 10 for placing the valve bags 2 at one or more filling positions of the packaging machine 1, which may be part of the equipment 80, works.

FIG. 1 shows equipment 80 comprising a packaging machine 1 for filling a product into bags 2, an automatic placement system 10 and an unloading belt 70 for withdrawing a filled valve bag 2. In the present invention, the packaging machine 1 is designed for rotary filling and has a plurality of filling positions 27 onto which the accommodation system 10 places the valve bags 2 for filling.

The packaging machine 1 rotates in the direction of rotation 48, while the placed package 2 is filled. After filling, the valve bags 2 are placed on the discharge tape 70, through which they are discharged.

These bags 2 are automatically filled, for example, with structural materials such as cement or other powder or granular products. This is done, for example, using a rotary packaging machine 1, as shown in FIG. 1. The use of multiple packaging machines is also acceptable. In this case, rotary packaging machines with a plurality of filling positions 27 are arranged symmetrically according to circumstances. The device 10 shown in FIG. 2, to accommodate the valve bags 2, is consistent with the predetermined angular positions of the packaging machine 1.

Now that the filling position 27 of the packaging machine 1 is installed in the placement position, the placement system 10 places the empty bags 2 at the filling positions 27 by the placement head 20.

Currently, packaging machines 1 have 8, 12, or even 16 or more filling positions 27, showing a huge throughput capacity that allows filling large quantities (from 1 bag per second or more). This means that approximately 3000 to 5000 bags per hour are filled up approximately and this is a major advantage in terms of logistics.

For automatic placement, part of the placement system 10 is well known, including a magazine of empty bags and a dispenser 30 for interim storage of packages 2 for subsequent use by the placement system 10.

The operator is only necessary to place the stack of packets 3 in the compartment 31 of the dispenser 30. The packet of packets 3 is automatically fed to the delivery table 7 and then moves first to the holding surface 28 and subsequently to the lifting surface 6, where they rise one by one. Then, the valves of the valve bag 2 are opened and the bag is inflated at the filling position 27 of the packaging machine 1.

FIG. 3-6 are an enlarged perspective view of the housing head 20 of the invented housing system 10 in four different positions, FIG. 3 and 4 show the accommodating head 20 in the feed position of the wide packets 2; FIG. 5 and 6 show the accommodating head 20 adapted for feeding narrow packets 2.

The accommodating head 20 of the accommodating system 10, shown enlarged in perspective in FIG. 3, comprises a housing 32 for accommodating and securing parts. The housing 32 is provided with a rotary gripping device 4, containing a set of suction cups 19, which in the first rotary position 8 is installed in the position of lifting the package, capture the uppermost valve package 2 from the stack of 3 packages, consisting of valve packages 2, stacked one on top of the other. For this purpose, the suction cup assembly 19 comprises a plurality of suction cups 33, arranged separately in the longitudinal direction 13, which can preferably be individually activated and deactivated in order to adapt the active length of the suction cup assembly 19 to the current bag width 34.

Further, the housing 32 is provided with a housing device 5, which in the present invention consists of a pair of housing elements 11 and 12. The housing element 11 can be rotated to the open and closed position.

The accommodation device 5 comprises accommodation elements 11 and 12 with corner metal sheets 22 or 23 of the bag valve opening device 21 provided for each accommodation element. Further, each locating element 11 is provided with a set of rollers 25 and locating elements 12 with a belt drive 26. A set of rollers 25 and a driving belt 26 form an acceleration device 24. The drive belt 26 is used to drive and accelerate the package 2, located between the set of rollers 25 and the drive belt 26.

- 3 017837

The set of rollers 25 is used to post package 2 to the desired location and opens only in the event of a malfunction. The pressure cylinder 49 pressures the set of rollers 29 to create a back pressure on the drive belt 26.

FIG. 3 shows the accommodating head 20 in a position in which the suction cup assembly 19 is rotated to the first pivoting position in order to lift another packet 2 from the stack of packets 3. The suction cups 33 of the suction cup assemblies 19 capture the packet in the region of the packet valve. In the position shown in FIG. 3, the host device 5 or its host member 11 is shown rotated, i.e. open position. The movements of the accommodating element 11 and the clamping device 4 with the set of suction cups 19 are mechanically positively coordinated by the linking mechanism 15 so that the clamping device 4 moves the placing device 5 and together they will automatically move along. This movement is controlled by the drive 14, which in the present invention is designed as a cylinder-piston assembly so as to allow fast and accurate movements for a long period even in dirty conditions.

The drive 14 is immediately engaged by the pivoting arm 37 of the accommodating device 5, which transmits the torque via the pivot axis 41 to the lever 36, which in rotation transmits rotation around the center of rotation 42 to the lever 39 and, finally, to the lever 40. Two articulated levers 16 and 17 also form the motion control of the clamping device 4 and the accommodating device 5 so as to prevent a collision. This allows you to achieve maximum operational speed and operational security. In the present invention, this means that in moving from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the second pivot position 9 shown in FIG. 4, the set of suction cups 19 first turns upward at high speed, while the closing speed of the rotary element remains almost constant and the process of turning from the inside is quite reliable, since it avoids the risk of collisions. In FIG. 4 a set of suction cups 19 and a clamping device 4 are located in the position of movement of the valve package 2 to the accommodating device 5.

At the same time, a positively controlled mechanism for coupling two rotary parts, i.e. the gripping device 4 and the accommodating device 5, requires only one drive 14, which significantly saves energy.

The pivot movement is transmitted to the clamping device 4 by means of a lever 40, which rotates around the center of rotation 46 so that the first connecting lever 44 rotates around the center of rotation 43 and the second connecting lever 45 and the lever 47. The first connecting lever 44 is designed by means of an elastic devices 38 made in the form of a pneumatic cylinder in order to compensate for the different heights of the packages. The second connecting lever 45, mounted parallel to the lever 47, forms a parallelogram connection, which ensures a constant orientation of the set of suction cups so that the position of the region of the packet valve 35 relative to the horizontal does not change during movement.

Following the movement from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. 4, the bag valve opens by closing the angle formed by the metal sheets 22 and 23 of the opening device 21 while the bag is pulled down between the roller set and the drive belt 26. When the valve is fully opened, the drive belt 26 is activated and the bag is put on at the filling position 27 of the packaging machine or filling system 1 in the longitudinal direction. A set of suction cups 19 is shown in the second pivot position 9.

The steps of the accommodating head 20 are shown in FIG. 5 and 6 and basically correspond to the stages shown in FIG. 3 and 4, however with a housing head 20 adapted for feeding narrow packets

2.

To maintain a constant and least possible distance that must be traveled from the end of the placement device 5 to the edge of the filling port, even with a narrow bag 2, the placement device 5 is installed in the longitudinal direction 13. Thus, the transition from the state shown in FIG. 3 by means of a longitudinal arrangement leads to the state shown in FIG. 5.

At the same time, the gripping device 4 remains stationary in its position, since the lifting surface 6 of the delivery table 7 remains stationary. In this implementation, the linking mechanism 15 allows highly comfortable and reliable control of the accommodation system 10, since the accommodation device 5 is supported by a sliding guide 18 located relative to the clamping device 4. The connecting mechanism 15 engages the sliding guide 18 and ensures that in the position for narrow bags 2 shown in FIG. 5, the actuator 14 will reliably coordinate the pivoting movement of the gripper 4 and the accommodating device 5.

FIG. 6 shows the closed state of the accommodating device 5, in which a packet valve of a bag (not shown) would be opened by the opening device 21 so that the bag 2 can be tensioned to the filling position 27.

FIG. 6 and 7 show another embodiment of the accommodating head 20, in which the compressed air cylinder, which in the previous embodiment serves as the separation drive 14, was replaced

- 4 017837 not an electric motor 50 with an eccentric cam 51, made in the form of a crank disk.

The design of the accommodating head 20 according to FIG. 7 and 8, in addition to the drive 14, is substantially similar to the locating head 20 from the previous embodiment, so that, as a rule, it allows the replacement of the locating head 20 on existing machines. For ease of understanding, the accommodating head 20 is shown in FIG. 7 and 8 in a position corresponding to that shown in FIG. 5 and 6.

The accommodating head 20 is shown in FIG. 7 in a position corresponding to the third position of the accommodating head 20 in FIG. 5, and in FIG. 8, the accommodating head 20 is shown in a fourth position in which the accommodating head 20 is shown in FIG. 6.

The rotation of the motor shaft 50 will rotate the crank disk 51 located on the shaft on which the connecting rod disk 52 is mounted eccentrically rotatably. The rotation of the shaft of the engine 50 will cause the connecting rod 52 to move and thus transmit a driving moment so as to guarantee the sequence of movements described above.

Unlike the previous embodiment, the motor 50 rotates continuously as possible. This means that the speed of the motor 50 periodically increases and decreases in order to ensure constant movement of the gripper 4 and the placement device 5 with the accommodating elements 11 and 12. This allows in most cases or even completely avoids significant accelerations or braking due to the absence of stops during movements. This reduces the load on the parts used and can increase the service life and reliability.

Under ideal conditions, motor 50 never stops during operations, but operates at high and low speeds depending on the stage of the process. To overcome latent time, the speed is reduced, for example, in proportion to the remaining angle of rotation. The speed may vary continuously or in steps.

List of reference numbers.

- packing machine

- valve package

- stack of packages

- gripping device

- accommodation device

- lifting surface

- delivery table

- first pivot position

- second rotary position

- placement system

- placement element

- placement element

- longitudinal direction 14-drive

- 16-link linking mechanism

- lever arm

- guide

- set of suction cups

- placement head

- device for opening the package

- corner metal sheet

- corner metal sheet

- acceleration device

- set of rollers

- drive belt

- filling position

- holding surface

- set of rollers

- packet dispenser

- compartment for packages

- housing

- suction cup

- bag width

- batch valve area

- lever arm

- swivel arm

- elastic device

- lever arm

- lever arm

- 5 017837

- center of rotation

- center of rotation

- center of rotation

- first linking lever

- second linking lever

- center of rotation

- lever arm

- direction of rotation

- clamping cylinder

- motor

- cam disc

- connecting rod

- unloading belt

- installation.

Claims (15)

1. Device (10) for accommodating valve packets (2) in the filling position (27) of the packaging machine (1), having at least one locating head (20), provided with a rotary gripping device (4) and locating device (5), in which the gripping device (4) is provided and adapted for clamping and lifting the packages to the first rotary position (8) of the valve package (2) from the stack (3) of packages (2) located on the surface of the lifting (6) of the delivery table (7), and in the second rotary position (9) in order to transfer it to a holding device (5) that is provided and adapted to open the valve of the valve pack (2) and accelerate the valve pack for placement, and which contains at least two accommodating elements (11, 12), while one accommodating element (11) is installed rotatable, characterized in that the accommodating device (5) is displaced relative to the gripping device (4) in the longitudinal direction (13) in order to compensate for different sizes of packets, while a common drive (14) is provided for rotating the gripping device devices (4), and the gripping device (4) and the rotary accommodating element (11) are mechanically connected by means of a linking mechanism (15). 2. The device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the accommodating elements (11, 12) are made rotatable around the guide (18). 3. The device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the connecting mechanism (15) contains two levers (16, 17), while one lever (16) is engaged with the guide (18) to which it is attached with the ability to move in the longitudinal direction (13). 4. Device (10) according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that the common drive is made in the form of a drive cylinder. 5. Device (10) according to any one of the two preceding paragraphs, characterized in that the coupling mechanism (15) comprises two levers (16, 17) connected by a pivoting movement of the gripping device (4) and a pivoting positioning element (11). 6. Device (10) according to any one of the preceding paragraphs 2-5, characterized in that the accommodating device (5) is fixed with the possibility of movement along the guide (18). 7. Device (10) according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that the accommodating device (5) comprises two rotatable accommodating elements (11, 12). 8. Device (10) according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that the gripping device is made rotatable relative to the sliding rod. 9. The device (10) according to claims 1-3 and 5-8, characterized in that the common drive comprises a motor device having an eccentric device (51). 10. The device (10) according to claim 9, characterized in that it is equipped with a control device for controlling the speed of the motor (50) to allow the eccentric device (51) to rotate substantially constantly. 11. Device (10) according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that the accommodating device (5) comprises a device for opening the bag (21) having one angular metal sheet (22, 23) on each of the two accommodating elements (11, 12). 12. Device (10) according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that the accommodating device (5) comprises an acceleration device (24), which comprises a set of rollers (25) at one of the accommodating elements (11). 13. The device (10) according to the preceding paragraph, characterized in that the acceleration device (24) comprises a drive belt (26) at another accommodating element (12). 14. Device (10) according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that the lifting device (6) is installed to a holding surface (28), to which a new stack of packages can - 6 017837 to be moved while the current stack of packages is being processed on a lifting surface. 15. Filling system (1) having at least one filling position (27) for filling valve bags (2), characterized in that it contains at least one device for placing the valve package at the filling position (34) according to any of the preceding points.