EP0577905A1 - Method and device for aligning packing blanks particularly labels for cigarette packets - Google Patents

Abstract

The method makes it possible to align one or more packing blanks or cigarette-packet labels which are misaligned (21, 22, 23) in a pile (2). In order to do this, the pile is seized by its ends by two reception portions having the shape of a half-shell (30, 31) and then swung through 90 DEG in such a manner that the edges of the labels all bear on a bearing surface (30A, 31A). As a consequence, the two half-shells are moved closer together in such a manner as to realign the labels (21, 23) which project longitudinally from the pile. <??>Detection means (6) incorporated into one of the half-shells make it possible to inspect the correct orientation of the pile and turn it back round, in one direction or the other, depending on its initial orientation. A device has been designed for this purpose. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a method for aligning blanks of packaging, which can be used in particular for aligning labels on cigarette packages, as well as a device used for this purpose and a machine for packaging cigarettes fitted with a such device.

Before being able to be processed by a packaging machine for any product, the packaging blanks are conveyed by batteries to said machine after being removed from a stock, generally from a pallet. The published application EP-A-0.354.873 describes a depalletizer of cigarette packet labels supplying a packaging machine. Due to the handling and transfers to which each stack of blanks or labels is subjected before arriving at the packaging machine, it is possible that one or more of the blanks or labels of the stack shifts slightly compared to the rest of the battery. If no precaution is taken to realign the stack before it is inserted into the packaging machine, the roughly aligned label or blank will not generally be accepted by the machine, it may even be folded or even destroyed by jamming, which usually stops the packaging chain.

In order to remedy this, a method of aligning a stack of blanks for packages or labels of cigarette packets is proposed, by which each stack is individually gripped, and making it possible to realign the misaligned blank (s) or labels; the process as described in claim 1 achieves this goal. It is possible to further facilitate the transverse alignment of the stack by completing the preceding process with an oscillation step as mentioned in claim 2. In addition, since during a step of the previous process the stack is pivoted by 90 ° along its longitudinal axis, it is possible to add a step of detecting the orientation of the stack in order to always restore it in the same orientation, as indicated in claim 3.

A device is also proposed, as described in claims 4 to 10, making it possible to correctly align and orient a stack of blanks or labels.

Finally, there is provided a packaging machine, as indicated in claim 11, capable of correctly aligning and orienting the stacks of blanks or labels which it receives.

The remainder of the description mentions a method and a device for aligning labels in a stack, but it is understood that the method and the device described also apply to blanks of packaging which can be treated from the described way.

• la figure 1 représente une vue par dessus d'une forme d'exécution du dispositif en position ouverte,
• la figure 2 représente une vue en bout selon la ligne II-II d'une portion du dispositif de la figure précédente,
• la figure 3 représente le dispositif vu par dessus en position demi-fermée,
• la figure 4 représente le même dispositif en position demi-fermée après basculement de 90°, et la figure 5 représente le dispositif en position fermée.

The invention is more particularly understandable from the following description, with reference to the drawing comprising the figures where:

• FIG. 1 represents a top view of an embodiment of the device in the open position,
• FIG. 2 represents an end view along line II-II of a portion of the device of the previous figure,
• FIG. 3 represents the device seen from above in half-closed position,
• Figure 4 shows the same device in the half-closed position after tilting 90 °, and Figure 5 shows the device in the closed position.

In Figures 1 and 2 there is a portion of a cigarette packaging machine 1, on which is disposed a plate 10 which can take, under the action of the piston 11, an elevated position as shown in Figure 1 or a low position as in FIG. 2. Feeding means 12, for example a conveyor belt, bring a stack 2 of labels 20 for cigarette packs from, for example, a depalletizer for cigarette pack labels such as described in application EP-A-0.354.873, on the plate 10 when the latter is in the low position. In order to be accepted for the following operations for forming the packet of cigarettes, the labels must be properly aligned, as represented by the bold line corresponding to the label 20 in FIG. 1. In fact, and due to the previous manipulations and transfers , some of them are offset, either longitudinally, as shown in 21, or laterally, as shown in 22, or even having pivoted at a certain angle, as shown in 23, it being understood that for certain labels, these offsets can be cumulated.

The main object of the invention is therefore to propose a method and a device for realigning the labels in stack 2, so that they are all aligned on a determined position, for example that represented by the label 20. For this, the device according to the invention is composed of a first pivoting portion 3 held by a second portion able to move longitudinally 4.

The portion able to move longitudinally is mainly composed of two carrying arms 40 and 41, preferably arranged horizontally, and capable of moving longitudinally by a certain distance, in order to approach or move away from each other , under the action of means which will be described later.

The pivoting portion 3 is mainly composed of two receiving portions in the form of half-shells 30 and 31, each composed of a support wall 30A, respectively 31A, of an upper wall 30B, respectively 31B, of a wall bottom 30C, respectively 31C and an end wall 30D, respectively 31D. These walls being essentially flat and arranged perpendicularly to each other, each half-shell 30, 31 has the general shape of a rectangular parallelipiped of which two walls of each of the half-shells have been removed, those closest and directly facing the stack 2, thus creating a front opening on each half-shell and two side walls, those which would be opposite the support walls 30A and 31A, thus creating side openings. Each of the half-shells 30, 31 is fixed to a pivoting arm 32, respectively 33, by its end wall 30D or 31D, each of said arms 32.33 being provided with a pivot 34.35, preferably centered on the center of gravity of each of the half-shells 30 and 31 and pivoting in a bearing 42, respectively 43, arranged in each of the carrying arms 40 and 41. The other ends of each of the pivoting arms 32, 33 are preferably connected by a sliding device, consisting for example of a rod 36 sliding inside a tube 37, a portion of which at least is calibrated on the diameter of the rod 36. One of the two pivots, for example the pivot 34, extends on the other side of the bearing 42 and is connected to a rotation drive means 38, preferably a pneumatic actuator, capable of driving the half-shell 30, via the pivot 34, then the half-shell 31 via the rod 36 and the tube 37, according to a sequential rotational movement of 90 ° as explained below. The body of the actuator 38 is fixed to the support arm 40. The actuator 38 has been described as being pneumatically controlled, but it may also be a device with hydraulic or electric drive; just as the second half-shell can be driven by its own actuator, synchronized with the first and which would be arranged symmetrically with the actuator 38 shown, and not by means of the rod 36 and the tube 37.

As has been said previously, each of the support arms 40 and 41 can move longitudinally over a portion of the packaging machine 1, the support arms 40, 41 being able to approach or move away from one another. 'a certain distance. For this, they each rest on a slide 44A moving on a slide 44B between two stops 44C and 44D representing the extreme positions of movement, preferably provided with limit switches. The slide 44B can also be provided with another detector 44E signaling a half-closed position as explained below. Only one slide / slide set has been shown in Figure 1 to facilitate reading, it being understood that the support arm 41 is equipped in the same way. As a variant, it is also possible to have only one slide common to the two support arms 40. In order to actuate the support arms 40 and 41 when moving, these are provided with actuation means which can be, for example example a spring 45, tending to bring the two arms 40 and 41 closer together, which exerts its effect in opposition to a pneumatic or hydraulic device consisting of a cylinder body 46A, fixed to the frame of the machine, in which a piston 46B connected circulates by a rod 46C to the support arm 41. As previously, this device has only been shown in FIG. 1 when applied to the support arm 41, it being understood that a similar device is arranged symmetrically on the support arm 40. D 'other means can be used to bring these movements of approximation / distance of the two support arms, for example the action of the spring 45 and the cylinders 46A, 46B can be opposite to that described, the spring tending to distance the two br as carriers while the jack is arranged to bring them together; another possibility, visible in FIG. 3, is to provide a double-acting pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder 47; it is thus possible to remove the spring. It is also possible to directly motorize the slides 44A, by electro-mechanical means or else, as seen in FIG. 4, to provide a device 48, for rotating a rod 49, the ends thereof ci comprising inverted threads which are screwed in and out respectively in suitable threads provided in the carrying arms 40 and 41.

According to yet another embodiment not shown, one of the support arms is fixed to a strand an endless belt while the other carrying arm is fixed to the other strand of the same belt; by applying a movement of displacement to the belt, one obtains a rapprochement, respectively a separation of the two carrying arms.

It is now possible to describe the process used to realign a packet 2 of labels 20,21,22,23. In the starting position, the support arms 40, 41, respectively the two half-shells 30 and 31, are separated from each other as much as possible; the two half-shells 30 and 31 are turned so that their lateral opening is directed from the side, either upwards according to the representation in FIG. 1 and to the left according to the representation in solid lines in FIG. 2. The plate 10 is in the low position, as shown in FIG. 2.

A stack 2, which may include one or more misaligned labels 21, 22, 23, is brought by supply means, for example a conveyor belt 12, placed at a height such that the stack 2 can pass underneath the half shell 31. The conveyor belt 12 stops when the center of the stack 2 has approximately arrived at the center of the plate 10. The latter is then raised, by means of the jack 11, so that the lower surface of the label placed at the very bottom of the stack 2 is very slightly above the plane formed by the two lower walls 30C and 31C of the two half-shells 30 and 31. These are then brought together, by the means of longitudinal displacement of the support arms 40 and 41 described above, to an intermediate or semi-closed position, as shown in FIG. 3.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the horizontal axis along which the stack 2 is transported by the conveyor belt 12 is offset laterally relative to the horizontal axis comprising the center of gravity of the half-shells 30 and 31 , corresponding approximately to the axis connecting the two pivots 34 and 35. This distance between these two horizontal axes corresponds to the maximum allowable extent of a lateral offset of a label 22 in the stack 2. In fact, during movement for bringing the two half-shells 30 and 31 closer together, as described above, preferably no part of the labels placed in the stack 2 should for the moment come into contact with any of the parts of the half-shells 30 and 31. For this, it is obvious that the distance separating the two internal faces of the upper and lower walls 30B and 30C, respectively 31B and 31c is slightly greater than the height of the stack 2. As can be seen in the figures, the edges of the p support arois 30A and 31A may include a flare 30E, 31E respectively, which facilitates the introduction of a label whose misalignment is very close, or even slightly greater than the maximum allowable misalignment.

When the front and rear ends of the stack 2 have been inserted inside the half-shells 30 and 31, of a value sufficient for these ends to be able to bear on the lower walls 30C and 31C, this position possibly being signaled by the detector 44E, the approach movement is stopped; the plate 10 is then lowered in order to free the space remaining between the two half-shells. The stack 2 then rests at its ends on the lower walls 30C and 31C, as shown in FIG. 3.

The pivoting portion 3, respectively the two half-shells 30 and 31 containing the stack 2 then pivots 90 ° around its longitudinal horizontal axis, driven by the actuator 38 as explained above, so that the bearing walls 30A and 31A come to the lower position , as shown in FIG. 4 or as visible by a broken line in FIG. 2. The labels 20, seen from above in FIG. 4 therefore come to press their lower edge, by gravity, on the bearing walls 30A and 31A. Since there is a lateral clearance between the labels, originating between the difference between the height of the stack 2 and the distance between the upper and lower walls of each half-shell 30, 31, said walls now being arranged laterally with respect to stack 2, this downward movement can be carried out very freely. By this operation, the labels 22, 23 which had a transverse misalignment are now realigned correctly with respect to the stack 2.

The movement of longitudinal displacement of the two half-shells 30 and 31, via the support arms 40 and 41, is then resumed, until the closed position as shown in FIG. 5. This movement is carried out without new pivoting half-shells 30 and 31. By this movement of approach, the end walls 30D and 31D support the ends of the labels 21, 23 misaligned longitudinally until they are reintegrated in the stack 2. As explained above, since the labels are not pressed against each other, this realignment is easily done, the misaligned labels sliding inside the stack 2. The above movement of approach is stopped at the moment where the distance between the end walls 30D and 31D is just greater than the length of a label 20, by a distance less than or equal to the maximum longitudinal misalignment allowable in a stack 2 for further processing by the packaging machine. After this operation, each label 20 is now correctly aligned in the stack 2.

It then suffices to tilt the half-shells 30 and 31 again by 90 °, to move them aside to the position shown in FIG. 3, to raise the plate 10 until it comes into contact with the lower surface of the label disposed below the stack 2, to completely separate the two half-shells 30 and 31 so that they are completely disengaged from the stack 2, then to lower the latter by the plate 10 and the piston 11 up to the height of the evacuation means, for example the conveyor belt 13 which can then evacuate the stack 2, correctly aligned, towards the subsequent treatment in the packaging machine 1. We note in FIG. 1 that the conveyor belt 13 serving for the evacuation is offset laterally with respect to the conveyor belt 12 serving for the supply, since, as explained previously, the stack 2 has moved during its alignment on the lower edge of the labels.

The entire device and the various movements described above are controlled by a control unit 5, (see FIG. 1) comprising a central unit 50, itself controlled by the general control of the packaging machine, and acting sequentially on the different drives of the device. In order to limit the amplitude of said movements and to control them, sensors may be available, for example on the stops 44C and 44D, as well as one or more sensors 38A on the actuator 38, as well as a position sensor 44E on the slide 44B.

Generally the labels 20 have one printed side while the other side is devoid of printing. It is possible that, during the manipulations intervening earlier in the process, some stacks of labels are completely turned over, that is to say that, if for example the stacks should normally appear with the printed side of the labels facing the high to be properly processed by the cigarette packer, a stack may present from time to time with the label side facing down. Since a pivoting movement of 90 ° of the stack along its longitudinal axis is in any case imposed on the stack during the process described above, it is possible to incorporate on the internal face of any of the upper walls or lower of one of the half-shells, for example the upper wall 31B of the half-shell 31, a detector device 6, preferably composed of a transmitter 60 and a receiver 61, preferably arranged in the same housing (see Figures 1 and 2). The transmitter 60 will preferably be a transmitter of light radiation, directed towards the battery 2, the receiver 61 being adapted; the light ray which has been emitted by the emitter 60 and then reflected by a surface of the label arranged nearby to return to the detector 61 will have a different intensity depending on whether said surface is printed or white. This signal is then sent to the central control unit 50 which, when the labels 20 have all been aligned as described above, will control the pivoting of the pivoting portion 3 according to the intensity of the signal received, ie for a return to its initial position, in case the stack is correctly oriented, or for an additional 90 ° pivoting in order to present it in an inverted position from that in which the battery 2 was presented at the input of the device, so that the battery 2 is oriented appropriately for further processing of the labels.

The above description has been made in relation to labels having a particular shape, as shown in the figures. It is obvious that the method and the device according to the invention can also be applied to labels of different shapes and / or dimensions; it is nevertheless necessary that at least one edge of the labels is rectilinear, respectively one face of the stack consisting of the edge of said labels is planar in order to be able to be aligned as described. Similarly, it may not be absolutely necessary that the stack should be aligned in the two perpendicular directions indicated, in this case, and depending on the configuration of the stack, it will be aligned only by gravitation after pivoting or by pressing walls on two sides of said stack.

The alignment device has been described according to a preferred embodiment, but it is obvious that other modes of construction can be envisaged; in particular, it is not necessary for the carrying arms 40 and 41 to be horizontal, they can also be arranged obliquely or then vertically. A person skilled in the art will know how to design the slides and slides 44A and 44B so that the device does not tip over. It is also not absolutely necessary that the walls of the half-shells are full as shown in the figures, they can also be perforated. On the other hand, the means of transport stacks have been described as consisting in particular of two conveyor belts bringing, respectively discharging, the stacks of labels in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stacks; we can just as easily design a device where the batteries are brought and / or evacuated in a direction perpendicular to this axis. A similar operation of the device can also be envisaged with other means of transport, for example a clamp gripping the stack to be aligned.

The method and the device according to the invention make it possible to easily reach the set goals, that is to quickly and efficiently realign drafts or misaligned labels as well as to reorient a misaligned stack. Another advantage of the device is that, given its relatively simple design and small footprint, it is entirely possible to integrate it on an existing packaging machine in order to considerably improve its performance by reducing downtime. due to stuck label.

Claims (11)

Method for aligning blanks of packaging, in particular labels for cigarette packages placed in a stack,
characterized in that it comprises the following stages:
brought from the stack (2) comprising one or more misaligned blanks (21,22,23) by means of transport (10,12), said blanks being arranged in horizontal planes, so as to have each of the front and rear ends said blanks facing a front opening of a receiving portion in the form of a half-shell (30, 31), the spacing between the two front openings being greater than the length of the stack,
bringing the two half-shells (30,31) closer to a position where a portion of each end of the lower surface of the blank disposed at the bottom of the stack is supported by a surface portion of a lower wall (30C , 31C) of each half-shell,
removal of said means of transport,
first 90 ° pivoting of the two half-shells, respectively of the stack of blanks, around a longitudinal horizontal axis, all the blanks of the stack coming to rest by a portion of their edge on a support wall ( 30A, 31A) arranged in the lower position of each half-shell, thus aligning the blanks having a transverse misalignment (22, 23), portions of the upper and lower faces of the stack having laterally pivoted being held by portions of the upper and lower walls (30B, 30C, 31B, 31C) of the half-shells,
approximation of the two half-shells, the end walls (30D, 31D) of these pressing on the ends of the blanks not longitudinally aligned (21,23) in order to insert them completely into the stack,
second 90 ° pivoting of the two half-shells, respectively of the stack of blanks, about the longitudinal horizontal axis,
spacing of the two half-shells to a position where the stack is accessible to be gripped by the means of transport (10),
bringing the means of transport together until they grab the stack of blanks,
complete separation of the two half-shells in order to free the front and rear ends of the stack,
evacuation of the stack of aligned blanks by the means of transport (10,13), for further processing. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that an oscillating movement is applied to the half-shells, respectively to the stack of blanks when these are pressed on their edge. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a detection of the orientation of the stack of blanks takes place and that, according to the signal resulting from this detection, the second 90 ° rotation occurs in one direction or the other so that the batteries are always oriented in the same way. Device for aligning blanks of packaging, in particular for cigarette pack labels for the application of the method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises
two carrying arms (40,41) arranged in parallel, one end of each of them being provided with means (44A, 44B, 45,46A, 46B; 47; 48,49) allowing a longitudinal movement of approach or spacing said arms, the other end of each of them being provided with a bearing (42,43), the two bearings being aligned along a longitudinal horizontal axis perpendicular to the two support arms,
two receiving portions in the form of a half-shell (30,31), each of them comprising an end wall (30D, 31D), a support wall (30A, 31A), an upper wall (30B, 31B) and a bottom wall (30C, 31C), said walls being of generally rectangular shape, the end walls being arranged perpendicular to said longitudinal horizontal axis, the other walls of each half-shell being fixed perpendicularly to three edges of the wall end and defining on each half-shell a front opening and a lateral opening, the two front openings facing each other and the two lateral openings being oriented in the same direction, a pivot (34,35) being connected perpendicularly to an approximately central position to the end wall of each half-shell outside of them,
said pivots being engaged in said bearings,
means for rotating actuation (38, 36, 37) being provided in order to pivot the two half-shells in synchronism around said horizontal axis,
means of transport (10,12,13) allowing to bring, respectively to evacuate a stack of blanks, to be seized, respectively removed by or half-shells. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the longitudinal axis of displacement of the pile on the supply transport means (12) is offset transversely with respect to the longitudinal horizontal axis of pivoting, in the direction of the lateral opening of each half-shell, of a value at least equal to that of the greatest permissible lateral misalignment of a blank in a stack of non-aligned blanks. Device according to one of claims 4 or 5, characterized in that at least one wall of each half-shell comprises a flare (30E, 31E) oriented towards the outside of the half-shell, arranged on the outer edge of said wall. Device according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the rotary actuation means consist of a single actuator (38) driving the pivot (34) connected to a first half-shell (30), the second half-shell (31) being driven by means of a first pivoting arm (32) fixed to the end wall (30D) of the first half-shell, and of a second pivoting arm (33) connected to the end wall (31D) of the second half-shell (31), both swivel arms being connected by an outlet (36,37) capable of elongating or retracting. Device according to one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the rotary actuation means (38) are capable of applying an oscillating movement to the stack of blanks when the latter rests on its edge. Device according to one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that it further comprises detection means (60, 61) of the orientation of the stack of blanks, said detection means supplying a signal capable of controlling the direction in which the second 90 ° pivoting of the stack of blanks takes place. Device according to one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that it comprises a control unit (50) capable of receiving signals from sensors (38A, 44C, 44D, 44E) and capable of sequentially controlling the movements longitudinal displacement or pivoting of the half-shells. Cigarette packaging machine, characterized in that it is equipped with a device according to one of claims 4 to 10.

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