EP0029096B1 - Apparatus and method for the production of packages filled with a liquid - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device and a method for producing packs filled with liquid, with a device for shaping a paper web having a thermoplastic coating to form a tube, which can be pushed vertically from top to bottom in the device, with a longitudinal and a transverse embossing device. furthermore, with sealing jaws which can be moved in the horizontal direction and interact in pairs, for transverse sealing of the tube when it is stationary, at intervals corresponding to a pack length, and with a pair of cutting blades arranged one feed step length below the sealing jaws for separating the package from the tube in the region of a transverse weld seam, a forming station below a feed device and the cross-embossing device are arranged above the same and the molding station has the respective pack encompassing movable metering elements on all sides, which between the cross-sealing jaws and the pair of cutting blades are arranged.

A similar device of the type mentioned above is known from DE-B-1 218 332 (HABRA). The feed device provided below the cross-embossing device in this known device is, however, merely a conveying aid which, by itself, is unsuitable for the paper feed. The actual feed device is located above the cross embossing device.

More important, however, is the arrangement of moving parts within the hose in this known device with the known disadvantages of the risk of contamination and the associated lack of sterility within the hose in the region of the feed device, which cannot work effectively without the inner parts in the known machine.

The most important disadvantage of the known machine lies in the fact that not every type of pack can be processed, although the known shaping station also has movable metering jaws encompassing the respective pack on all sides. However, these have the shape of measuring cups, in which, in the case of a large number of pack types, a seam which protrudes lengthways on the side is disruptive. This protruding side seam is in the way during molding, so that it cannot be properly welded tightly because the measuring cup shape creates a sharp kink at the seam and this kink jeopardizes the tightness. In other words, it is therefore not expedient to provide a measuring cup-like shaping station in which the walls are quite exactly perpendicular to one another while the critical sealing mentioned is taking place.

Certain cuboid packs can be processed with the known device in which the longitudinal sealing seam is not arranged at the edge. With these types of packaging, however, care must again be taken to protect the edges, otherwise liquid can seep into the cut edge area in the overlapping sealing seam and cause it to swell. There are also dangers of leakage at the intersection of the longitudinal and transverse sealing seams.

A better device is probably known from DE-A-2 131 906 (SOBREFINA). In order to protect the fresh cross weld seam, a shut-off device was used to ensure that the liquid column was kept away from the cross weld seam during the feed step down while the paper web was squeezed together. This had the advantage that the cross weld seam could be pulled out of simple, non-cooled sealing jaws immediately and hardened down the step length during the feed because the material to be packed was only allowed to flow in afterwards by opening the shut-off device.

While special attention was paid to the tightness of the packs to be produced with the known device, the delayed inflow of the liquid to be packaged was deliberately accepted.

Exact dosing is also not yet perfectly feasible with the device known hereafter.

Finally, from FR-A-2 227 178 (BOSCH) an arrangement of dosing jaws which are movable with respect to one another and which can be pivoted about axes arranged parallel to one another is known. Exact dosing is not possible for these jaws, which is why these are actually not dosing jaws, but rather plates that only determine the width of a gap between the plates via pneumatic actuating cylinders. Since this is the only way to determine the specific amount of liquid, the inaccuracy of metering can be seen in this known device.

The object of the invention is therefore to improve the device and the method of the type described in more detail above in such a way that all common liquid packs can be filled in a metered manner with transverse and longitudinal sealing seams without there being any particularly critical points during sealing.

This object is achieved in that the mechanically interconnected metering elements have two support plates pivotable about a horizontal axis from a horizontal position into an obliquely downward inclined position, as well as two longitudinal and transverse metering jaws which also move from horizontal to vertical axes are tilted obliquely downward position.

Since there is usually more space than floor space available in the industry and the liquid filling material tends to flow from top to bottom in the prefilled paper tube, the device for the invention is built vertically so that the tube of the Paper web provided with longitudinal embossing lines from above initially runs into the cross-embossing device, in which it receives the embossing lines arranged transversely to the direction of movement of the running paper web as well as the obliquely arranged embossing lines. The tube of the paper web then runs through the feed device and, downstream, the forming station. The transverse embossing device creates the conditions for the novel shaping station to reliably ensure that the liquid pack to be formed is perfectly formed at a high work cycle. What is special about the new shaping station is the fact that the dosing jaws encompassing the respective pack are stored and movable in a special way.

In order to increase the performance, the shut-off device of the device known from DE-A-21 31 906 has been dispensed with, so that the liquid stands above the fresh transverse weld seam earlier, but only with a thin liquid column, the closed state of which is ensured according to the invention, that the dosing jaws are moved towards one another at their respective lower edges and are held in such a position that the only partially preformed package remains in a precisely defined, stretched state. This advantageously prevents an undefined bulging of the parts of the paper tube which give the later side walls.

Due to the movable longitudinal dosing jaws and the narrow dosing jaws that can be rotated transversely to it, the hose is practically supported from four sides, whereby the size of the surfaces can be set up by appropriate arrangement of the dosing jaws so that the later dimensions of e.g. parallelepipedic pack can result. The pivoting of flat jaws about axes of rotation is a simple measure, so that this results in reliably controllable and reliable partial structures of the device according to the invention.

As a result of the advantageous support of the paper surfaces by the dosing jaws, the liquid slowly filling the pack and pushing it apart in the upper region can adapt to the desired stretched state of the partially preformed pack. This in turn eliminates the undesired, lateral and undefined bulging of the paper web. This advantageously results in the pair of cutting blades always meeting and cutting the transverse sealing seam at the desired height, preferably in the middle, at the bottom. The sealing seam located at the bottom of the pack separates the bottom pack, which is finished at the bottom closure, from the top pack, which is only partially preformed in the upper area, so it has to be severed in such a way that after separation, both the lower and the upper pack are still absolutely liquid-tight . It is therefore important to have the correct height at which the transverse sealing seam is pushed into the engagement area of the pair of cutting blades. If one did not have the dosing jaws, an irregular bulging would also result in the transverse sealing seam being severed at different heights, which leads to rejects. According to the invention, this danger is advantageously eliminated.

Due to the new arrangement and movement of the dosing jaws according to the invention, the liquid pack being manufactured can be kept stretched during sealing in such a way that the sealing seams are arranged in perfectly flat cardboard levels. On the other hand, much more precise dosing is possible because the longitudinal and transverse dosing jaws compress a pack that has fallen to the exact height into the desired final shape. These advantages are offered in the device according to the invention in all common liquid packs, including those in cuboid form.

According to the invention, it is particularly advantageous if an adjustable pressure stamp is arranged in at least one dosing jaw. So that with regard to the cutting lines, the embossing lines also take into account the applied pressure are always exactly in the right place, it is also advantageous if the embossing lines along which the package is folded in the shaping station and later finished in the final shaping station are brought to the desired location by the correct means. With the longitudinal embossing lines, this poses no difficulties. The cross embossing lines, on the other hand, can shift disadvantageously if the setting or feed is inaccurate.

In particular, it has been found that when embossing grooves into a single or double layer paper web with jaws converging in the horizontal direction, which simultaneously form several grooves, undesirable paper tensions within the tool are obtained from one groove to another. It has therefore already started to use roller-shaped embossing tools. This allows paper to be drawn from all sides of the embossing point, e.g. are formed by groove and web of opposing rollers, are produced so that there are not too large tensions in the punch in the paper.

However, it has been shown in the known devices that the paper flowing in from the outside, for example from a feed station, has a different speed than on the discharge side has, and one has also found different shifts, in other words also changes in the web speed of the paper, so that a certain point of a printed image is displaced with disadvantage. The synchronization between the embossing tools and the feed is therefore particularly important. For this purpose, complicated electronic controls have already been used to provide a correspondence between two separate drives, namely the drive for the punching rollers on the one hand and the drive for the feed on the other.

It would now be useful if you could control the paper web with simpler means and yet with synchronous movement between feed and embossing roller so that only the feed needs to be changed by small sizes to insert the printing in the right place, while at the same time the transverse embossing of the Paper web is done automatically in the right places.

This is advantageously achieved according to the invention in that the transverse embossing device is fixed in a stationary manner on the machine frame and has two shells which are rotatable synchronously with one another and which have the packing web between them, circular in cross-section and have grooves and webs on the circumference, one of which has a belt or a chain is driven, on which a part attached to the feed device is attached. It is easy to drive the other embossing tray not driven by the belt with the first one, e.g. in that both shells are arranged on shafts provided with gear wheels. With a packaging machine running at the high cycle speed according to the invention, this simple and robust coupling between feed and embossing device is surprising, because despite the direct mechanical attachment of the belt or chain to a rigid metal rod, for example, which is attached to the feed, one nevertheless succeeds all conditions of perfectly disconnected coupling with the effect of absolutely reliable synchronization between embossing roller and feed. The feed is to be thought of as oscillating, moving up and down. The control of the print image or its use at the right place on the paper web is done by small stroke variations on the feed.

It is also expedient according to the invention if one of the shells is mounted eccentrically and the eccentric is controlled pneumatically. When pushing back, it is expedient if the rotary shafts of the two embossing rollers are separated from one another so that they can move back in the opposite direction to the embossing direction, while the paper web remains between them. Here too, according to the invention, a particularly simple, robust and therefore reliable construction is selected, in which an eccentric is connected to a pneumatic drive on the drive embossing roller via a lever, in which an increase in the roll gap takes place via compressed air control from the outside at the moment of bottom dead center, which continues until the end of the return stroke until top dead center. Then the distance is reduced to the working size, so that the paper web can be provided with embossing lines in the desired manner during feed.

It is also advantageous according to the invention if the shells are designed as half shells. As a result, the embossing rollers e.g. completely out of engagement with the paper web on the return stroke.

A device for rotating processing of conveyed paper webs by punching or printing is already known, in which the work rolls, one of which has a flattening, are stopped, so that when the flattening is arranged next to the paper web, it is at least disengaged from the one work roll. In this known device, the work roll is, however, provided to oscillate freely about its axis and is caused to rotate uncontrollably by a weight after the locking is released. As a result, this device cannot work synchronously. In addition, the known device has the disadvantage that the engagement of the punch rollers is actuated by the paper web itself. These uncertainties are advantageously eliminated according to the invention, and reliable synchronization is achieved with simple, mechanical and therefore particularly robust means.

With regard to a method, in an advantageous further embodiment of the invention, the parts of the shaping station are controlled in relation to one another in the working cycle of the device such that, after cutting through the transverse sealing seam, the bottom closure of the package formed above is held by the support plates, which pivot upwards into the horizontal while shaping the bottom closure , while the dosing jaws move apart in synchronized movement, then the sealing jaws of the transverse sealing device then close and weld, after which they move apart, that while the closed package is pushed down between the downwardly pivoted support plates, the dosing jaws swivel towards one another and liquid into the stretched, partially formed package flows against the side walls of the pack supported by the metering jaws, and that the transverse sealing seam is then cut again. From this workflow of the device according to the invention one can see the appropriate measures for increasing the performance, ie increasing the work cycle of the machine. In contrast to the known device, the time during the feed is down by one pack length for the start of the inflow of the pack liquid used. So you make sure that you have a partially pre-filled package when cutting the cross seal. On the other hand, the dosing jaws ensure that this pack is kept in a defined, namely stretched, state. The fresh cross seal seam is loaded by an overlying liquid column after the sealing jaws have been moved apart, but is only very weakly loaded by the measures according to the invention, because there is only a very flat or thin liquid column, ie provided with a small cross section, over the new cross seal seam. The paper tube is pulled down by the feed device, so that the liquid slowly begins to fill and expand the tube. However, the dosing jaws, which converge obliquely downwards, prevent transverse pressure from tearing apart the transverse sealing seam. Nevertheless, the liquid can flow more and more into the freshly formed package.

The control according to the work process described above enables a faster work cycle because the liquid can flow in during the feed and therefore takes less time to finally fill the package, while the fresh cross seal is not loaded and is instead held by the support plates.

This creates a powerful machine that is able to reliably produce liquid packs.

• Fig. 1 eine Verpackungsmaschine im Gesamtaufbau,
• Fig. 2 perspektivisch die Darstellung einer Verpackung nach Verlassen der automatischen Ausformstation,
• Fig. 3 eine teilweise im Querschnitt dargestellte vergrößerte Einzelansicht der Ausformstation,
• Fig. 4 eine abgebrochen und teilweise ebenfalls im Schnitt gezeigte Ansicht eines Längsdosierbakkens der Ausformstation, wobei hier der Schnitt zu dem gemäß Figur 3 um 90° gedreht war,
• Fig. 5 eine ähnliche Ansicht wie bei den Figuren 3 und 4, jedoch bei einer anderen Ausführungsform mit Druckstempel, und
• Fig. 6 schematisch die Querprägeeinrichtung mit zwei halbschalenförmigen Prägewalzen.

Further advantages, features and possible uses of the present invention result from the following description of preferred embodiments in conjunction with the drawings. Show it:

• 1 is a packaging machine in the overall structure,
• 2 is a perspective view of a package after leaving the automatic molding station,
• 3 shows an enlarged individual view of the shaping station, partially shown in cross section,
• 4 shows a broken-off and partly also in section view of a longitudinal dosing jaw of the shaping station, the section here having been rotated by 90 ° according to FIG. 3,
• Fig. 5 is a similar view as in Figures 3 and 4, but in another embodiment with a stamp, and
• Fig. 6 shows schematically the cross embossing device with two half-shell shaped embossing rollers.

The packaging machine shown partially schematically in FIG. 1 consists of the vertical main part in the left half and the conveyor chain with the end forming stations, which is or are shown at the bottom right. The Katte are designated with a total of 1 and their drive with 2.

The vertical part is driven by the motor 3 via the gear 4 and a vertical drive shaft 5 which extends into the upper area of the machine and is mounted at 6.

In the frame 7, behind the motor 3, the shaft 8 of the material roll 9 of the paper web 10 is mounted, which is shown with a dash-dot line in a U-shape from the material roll 9 via the deflection bend 11 on the other side until it is pulled down shortly over the conveyor chain 1. The deflection bend 11 is pivoted about the pivot point 14 with the aid of the push rod 13 via a transmission linkage attached to the frame 7 and designated with a total of 12 above. Under the latter, the cross-embossing device, generally designated 15, the longitudinal welding station 16, the paper feed device 17, the cross-welding device 18 and the automatic shaping station 19 with the movable dosing jaws are shown in sequence.

• Während die Backen oder später beschriebenen Walzen der Querprägeeinrichtung 15 geschlossen sind, sorgt die Schubstange 13 für ein Hochschwenken des Umlenkbogens, so daß die Papierbahn 10 von der Materialrolle 9 nach oben durch das Walzenpaar 22 für die Längsrillung umgefaltet und längs der strichpunktiert gezeigten Mittellinie unter Doppellegen der Papierbahn 10 umgefaltet wird. Die Papierbahn 10 liegt außen über dem Umlenkbogen 11 1 auf und wird in dem Augenblick gegenüber dem Umlenkbogen 11 gleitend auf der rechten Seite vertikal nach unten gezogen, wenn die Arbeitswerkzeuge der Prägeeinrichtung 15 auseinanderfahren, während der Vorschub 17 sich nach unten bewegt und gleichzeitig die Schubstange 13 ein entsprechend durch die Walzenkurve 21 gesteuertes Herunterschwenken des Umlenkbogens 11 um die Drehstelle 14 in Gegenuhrzeigerrichtung besorgt. Hierdurch ist es möglich, die Abzugsgeschwindigkeit der Papierbahn 10 mit der Bewegung des Umlenkbogens 11 so zu erhalten, daß die Papierbahn immer gleichmäßig vorgeschoben werden kann, ohne daß die träge Masse der grossen Materialrolle 9 eine nachteilige Rolle spielt. Nach dem Abzug hinter der Drehstelle 14 gelangt die Papierbahn 10 zunächst in die Querprägeeinrichtung 15, wo die notwendigen, zur Bahnrichtung schrägen oder quer verlaufenden Rillungen bzw. Prägungen eingebracht werden. Die Längsnaht wird in der Einrichtung 16 geschweißt, wonach die Papierbahn 10 die Vorschubeinrichtung 17 nach unten durchläuft und in die Quersiegelstation 18 gelangt, unter der in der Ausformstation 19 eine Packung vorgeformt und schließlich vereinzelt wird.

The vertical drive shaft 5 is arranged with various cam disks, not specified, and the cup 20 with the roller cam 21. The deflection bend 11 and the work stations 15 to 19 are driven by these elements in a manner as described as follows:

• While the jaws or rollers of the cross-embossing device 15, which are described later, are closed, the push rod 13 ensures that the deflection sheet is pivoted upward, so that the paper web 10 is folded upwards from the material roll 9 by the pair of rollers 22 for the longitudinal creasing and along the center line shown in phantom under double layers the paper web 10 is folded over. The paper web 10 lies on the outside over the deflection bend 11 1 and is slidingly pulled vertically downward on the right-hand side opposite the deflection bend 11 when the working tools of the embossing device 15 move apart while the feed 17 moves downward and at the same time the push rod 13 a correspondingly controlled by the roller cam 21 pivoting down the deflection 11 about the pivot 14 in the counterclockwise direction. This makes it possible to obtain the withdrawal speed of the paper web 10 with the movement of the deflection sheet 11 so that the paper web can always be advanced evenly without the inertial mass of the large roll of material 9 playing a disadvantageous role. After the take-off behind the turning point 14, the paper web 10 first arrives in the transverse embossing device 15, where the necessary creases or embossings which are oblique or transverse to the web direction are introduced. The longitudinal seam is welded in the device 16, after which the paper web 10 passes down the feed device 17 and into the cross sealing station 18, under which in FIG the molding station 19 is preformed and finally separated.

The separated package 30 falling down after leaving the molding station 19 is shown in perspective in FIG. 2. Your bottom closure 31 is fully formed except for the protruding tabs 32, while the upper closure 33 is still stretched. This later forms the rectangular box that is used for packaging milk. Also on the upper closure 33 there are the double triangular flaps 32 at the front and rear, the transverse sealing seam 34 can also be seen at the top and at the bottom and the longitudinal sealing seam 35 at the rear right. With the aid of this pack, shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5 from the front narrow side 36 and seen from the wide side wall 37 in the illustration in FIG. 4, the improved shaping station 19 is first explained below.

This is to be understood in broken-off and partially sectioned views with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. In the upper part one can see the transverse sealing station, generally designated 18, and underneath, the molding station 19. The sealing jaws 43 are held on a carrier 41, which is arranged on both sides of the paper web 10 and can be moved back and forth in the direction of the double arrow 42, by means of unspecified ones Screws connected to the carrier 41 so that they move in the direction of the double arrow 42 just like the carrier. To create the transverse sealing seam 34, they move towards the paper web 10 and press it between them in the manner shown in FIG. 3. When the sealing jaws 43 move apart, a transverse sealing seam is created which has a double width, namely for the upper transverse sealing seam 34 of the lower package 30 and also for the lower transverse sealing seam 34 of the upper pack 30 or above. This pair of transverse sealing seams is represented by the bottom The blades 50 shown are severed in the middle to form the two transverse sealing seams 34 mentioned.

Below the cross-welding device 18 is the shaping station 19, which, in addition to the device with the pair of cutting blades 50, consists essentially of longitudinal metering jaws 51 and transverse metering jaws 52 and two support plates 53. 3 shows the two longitudinal metering jaws 51 which can be pivoted about the axes 54 and which abut against the longitudinal side walls 37 of the pack 30 shown in FIG. 2, while around axes 55 arranged transversely to the axes 54, a transverse metering jaw 52 on each side against the narrow side walls of FIG Pack 36 comes into contact, of which only the left transverse metering jaw 52 is shown in FIG.

The metering jaws 51 "52 are driven mechanically via tie rods, lever gears, etc., of which only the tie rod 56 is shown in FIG. 3, which is attached to the left metering jaw 51 so that it moves in the direction of the curved double arrow 57 around the axis 54. The slide block 58 fastened to the axle 54 and the left longitudinal metering jaw 51, which is movably arranged in a fork 59 fastened to the right longitudinal metering jaw 51, at the same time also moves the latter right longitudinal metering jaw 51 in the direction of the curved double arrow 57.

The support plates 53, which rotate about the axes 60, are driven in a similarly pivotable manner, specifically from the horizontal position shown in solid lines in FIG. 3 to the position shown in broken lines, that is to say corresponding to the curved double arrow 61.

These pivoting or translationally moving parts are driven by the various cam or. Cam discs according to Figure 1. The execution of these rotary movements, even so that they are synchronized with each other in the desired manner, can be carried out by a person skilled in the art after appropriate task and instructions, so that a complicated representation of these drives can be dispensed with here in detail. This also applies to the illustration in FIG. 4, in which control lever 62 ensures the pivoting movement of the transverse metering jaw 52 in the direction of the curved double arrow 63.

• Aus der in Figur 3 gezeigten Stellung fahren zunächst die Siegelbacken 43 in Richtung des Pfeiles 42 nach rechts bzw. links auseinander, während der Vorschub von oben die Papierbahn weiter nach unten so fördert, daß die Siegelstelle, d.h. die zwei direkt aneinander angeordneten Querschweißnähte 34 aus der in Figur 3 gezeigten Position nach unten in Höhe des Schneidklingenpaares 50 fahren, wo sie durchtrennt werden, so daß nach dem Vorformen durch die auseinanderfahrenden Dosierbacken 51, 52 und Herunterfördern dann die unten gezeigte vorgeformte Packung 30 vereinzelt ist und auf die in Figur 1 gezeigte Förderkette 1 fallengelassen werden kann. Man erkennt bei der die Ausformstation 19 verlassenden Packung 30 die untere sowie die obere Querschweißnaht 34, den unteren vollständig ausgeformten Verschluß 31, während die Oberseite der Packung nur erst schwach vorgeformt ist.

The paper web or partially preformed package is shown in the forming station 19 with solid or dashed lines. Based on this, the function should be briefly explained:

• From the position shown in FIG. 3, the sealing jaws 43 first move apart to the right or left in the direction of the arrow 42, while the feed from above conveys the paper web further downward in such a way that the sealing point, ie the two cross weld seams 34 arranged directly next to one another, extend out 3 downward at the level of the cutting blade pair 50, where they are severed, so that after the preforming by the diverging metering jaws 51, 52 and conveying downwards, the preformed package 30 shown below is isolated and onto the one shown in FIG Conveyor chain 1 can be dropped. In the case of the package 30 leaving the molding station 19, one can see the lower and the upper transverse weld seam 34, the lower, fully molded closure 31, while the upper side of the package is only slightly preformed.

Before the pair of cutting blades 50, however, cuts through the transverse weld seams 34 in the center, the dashed position of the pack is reached between the metering jaws 51, 52. When the transverse welding seams 34 are moved down from the sealing jaws 43 to the height of the pair of cutting blades 50, the longitudinal and transverse metering jaws 51 and 52 move inwards from the position shown, around the position with To support and hold liquid-filled, thin tube of paper web 10. It goes without saying that the support plates 53 pivot downward at the same time, so that finally the positions of the pack and dosing jaws shown in broken lines are adopted. The weight of the liquid causes the pack walls to be pushed apart, although the lower transverse sealing seam is hardly loaded. After being cut by the pair of cutting blades 50, it is immediately clamped and held between the two support plates 53. Now the actual shaping begins by raising the support plates 53 according to the double arrow 61 upwards, while at the same time the longitudinal metering jaws 51 pivot in the direction of the double arrows 57 to the right outside. Finally, the position of the pack 30 shown in solid lines in FIG. 3 is reached again. The measure starts again.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the longitudinal metering jaws 51 'are again shown, the left of which are controlled by the ball joint head 65 via sliding block 58 and fork 59 in the manner described above. The difference between the embodiment of FIG. 5 and that of FIG. 3 is that here a pressure ram 66 is arranged adjustable in a recess 68 by means of a dosing screw 67 by the volume of the package 30 shown in FIG. 3 in a certain manner to increase or decrease small values. If necessary, both longitudinal metering jaws 51 'could also be provided with such a pressure stamp 66.

The cross-embossing device 15 shown schematically in FIG. 6 has two half-shell-shaped embossing rollers 70 and 71, the roller 70 being provided with webs 72 and the roller 71 having grooves 73 at certain points spaced apart from one another in order to provide the customary transverse and oblique folds or creases. The embossing shells 70, 71 can be rotated about the axes 74, in an oscillating or reciprocating movement. The right half-shell 74 is connected directly to the left half-shell 70 via a gear, not shown, so that when the left is driven, the right half-shell automatically runs synchronously.

In contrast to the right embossing shell 71, the left shell 70 can be pivoted via a schematically illustrated eccentric 75 such that the distance b between the axes 74 is adjustable. The eccentric 75 is mechanically displaced by a lever 76 which is driven by a compressed air cylinder 77. The latter is pressurized with compressed air, which is controlled via the feed 17 schematically indicated below.

The left embossing bowl 70 is driven by a belt 78, which is placed over sprockets or pulleys 79, which are freely rotatable. A rod 80 is fixedly attached to the feed, which is firmly connected at 81 to the belt or chain 78 in such a way that when the feed is ramped up during the return stroke, the belt 78 makes a movement such that the left embossing shell 70 is pivoted counterclockwise and vice versa.

Finally, the arrow 82 at the top indicates a specific location on a printed image, which e.g. can be scanned by a photocell 83.

The operation of the transverse embossing device 15 according to FIG. 6 now takes place in such a way that the two half-shells 70 and 71 are rotated out of engagement from one another even further than in the illustration in FIG. 6, while the center distance b had the greater value. Now the pneumatic cylinder 77 is actuated and moves the eccentric 75 to the right so that the distance b between the axes 74 takes on the small value. The feed 17 begins with the downward stroke and pulls down the right run of the belt 78 via the connection point 81. As a result, the two embossing trays 70 and 71 are rotated in such a way that the single-layer or double-layer paper 10 passing therebetween is punched at the desired locations. After reaching the bottom dead center, the pneumatic cylinder 77 increases the center distance b, the feed moves upwards, the half-shells 70, 71 rotate again in the starting position, and the game can start again.

Instead of introducing the longitudinal embossing into the material web before the transverse embossing, as described above, the entire embossing, i.e. longitudinally and transversely, made by the embossing device 15 described. In other words, the longitudinal embossing is also carried out immediately with the transverse embossing. This has various advantages. With regard to the liquid pack to be created, it can be very important, cheap and advantageous if the longitudinal embossing is only carried out at certain, desired locations. For example, it may be desirable to interrupt the longitudinal embossing at certain points in order not to endanger the tightness of the liquid pack later there. Furthermore, it is possible in this way not only the transverse embossing lines but also the longitudinal embossing lines in a defined manner, i. H. some weaker and some stronger to provide. It can namely be expedient and advantageous for the pack to be produced to make a deep groove in some places for the purpose of sharp bending and in other places only shallow or shallow grooves for less sharp folding in the material web. This applies to the longitudinal embossing as well as the transverse embossing.

These advantages, which result from the two embossing shells 70 and 71 which are driven synchronously with one another, allow the production of reliable with great performance liquid, correctly folded and tight liquid packs.

Claims (6)

1. Apparatus for producing fluid-filled packs, comprising a means for converting a paper web having a thermoplastic coating into a tube which can be advanced in the apparatus with a stepwise motion in a vertically downward direction, a longitudinal and a transverse embossing means (15), sealing jaws (43) which are movable in a horizontal direction and which cooperate in pairs for transversely sealing the tube when it is stationary at respective spacings corresponding to the length of a pack, and a pair of cutting blades (50) which are arranged beneath the sealing jaws (43) by the length of a feed step motion, for severing the pack from the tube in the region of a transverse welded seam (34), wherein a forming-out station (19) is arranged beneath a feed means (17) and the transverse embossing means (15) is arranged thereabove, and the station (19) has movable metering elements (51, 52) which engage around the respective pack (30) on all sides and which are disposed between the transverse sealing jaws (43) and the pair of cutting blades (50) characterised in that the mechanically interconnected metering elements comprise two support plates (53) which are each pivotal about a horizontal axis (60) from a horizontal position (along the double-headed arrow 61) into an obliquely downwardly inclined position, and two longitudinal (51) and transverse metering jaws (52) which are pivotal about axes (54, 55) that are also horizontal, from a vertical position (along double-headed arrows 57 and 63 respectively) into an obliquely downwardly inclined position.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterised in that an adjustable pressure-applying member (66) is disposed in at least one metering jaw (51').

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 characterised in that the transverse embossing means (15) is stationarily secured t6 the machine frame (7) and has two shell members (70, 71) which are rotatable synchronously relative to each other and which receive the web of pack material (10) between them and which are of circular cross-section and which have grooves (73) and limb portions (72) at their periphery, of which one shell member (70) is driven by a belt or a chain (78) on which is mounted a member (80) which is secured to the feed means (17).

4. Apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 3 characterised in that one of the shell members (70) is mounted eccentrically and the eccentric (75) is pneumatically controlled.

5. Apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 4 characterised in that the shell members (70, 71) are in the form of half-shells.

6. A process for producing fluid-filled packs by an apparatus having longitudinal and transverse embossing means (15), horizontally movable sealing jaws (43), cutting blades (50) for severing the pack from the tube and a forming-out station (19) with support plates (53) that are pivotal about horizontal axes (60, 54, 55), and longitudinal (51) and transverse metering jaws (52), characterised in that the parts (50-53) of the station (19) are controlled relative to each other in the operating cycle of the apparatus in such a way that after the transverse sealing seam (34) has been cut through, the bottom closure (31) of the pack (30) which is being formed thereabove is held by the support plates (53) which pivot upwardly into the horizontal position, forming out the bottom closure (31 while the metering jaws (51, 52) move apart in a synchronised motion, that thereafter the sealing jaws (43) of the transverse sealing means (18) close and weld, whereafter they move apart, that while the closed pack (30) is fed downwardly between the downwardly pivoted support plates (53), the metering jaws (51, 52) pivot towards each other and fluid flows into the pack (30) which is partially formed in a stretched condition, against the side walls (36, 37) of the pack (30), the side walls being supported by the metering jaws (51, 52), and that thereafter the transverse sealing seam (34) is again cut through.

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