EP0645309A1 - Method and apparatus for adapting the height of a package to the height of its contents and cutting device therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

In order to hold a load in an open package (1C) comprising a base (10) intended to support the load (CH) and sides (11 to 14) having a height (HI) greater than that (HCH) of the load, the height (HCH) of the load (CH) is measured in order to deduce therefrom a lower height (HR) substantially equal to the measured height (HCH) of the load (CH), the sides are cut to the lower height (HR), the excess package (EX) located above the cut sides is removed and the cut package is closed over the cut sides and the load contained in the package. The lower package offers qualities of strength, stacking and presentation which are similar to those of the initial package. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to the packaging of a package comprising a bottom intended to support a load and sides having a predetermined height. The load can be composed of one or more articles, such as boxes, bottles, documents or food products, preconditioned or not, grouped or placed individually at the bottom of the packaging.

More specifically, the invention relates to a packaging by means of which the load is held in place against the bottom so that the load remains substantially immobile inside the packaging when the latter is handled and transported and is capable of '' be subject to shocks, falls, vibrations, tilting and overturning. Maintaining the load practically amounts to subjecting the load to the packaging so that the load is relatively immobile and stable in the packaging.

One of the most commonly used techniques to achieve this load-holding effect is to apply the load against the bottom using two heat-shrinkable plastic sheets. First borders of the sheets are linked, for example by gluing,
either on the internal face of the bottom and / or on the internal faces of the sides of the packaging, or on the internal or external faces of a belt internal to the packaging (FR-A-2506722, EP-A-0151364, FR- A-2426620, FR-A-2564068, EP-B-0225208),
either to external faces of the bottom or of flaps constituting the bottom (GB-A-1321976, FR-A-2590548),
or again on the outer sides of a sleeve, also called a case or belt, constituting the main element of the packaging, the first edges then being sandwiched between the sides of the sleeve and the flaps of a cover or cover constituting the bottom of the packaging (EP-B-0225208, EP-B-0236173, FR-B-2604654).

Second borders of the sheets overlap on the load and are heat-sealed, and the sheets are heat-shrunk in order to apply the load against the bottom and thus keep it stationary on the bottom. In some variants, the two sheets can be replaced by a single sheet.

Such packages are standard packages, that is to say having one size or only a few sizes. As a result, the volume of the load in each package is very often unsuitable for the size of the package. In other words, the volume of the load is less than the interior volume of the package, and more particularly the height of the load is less than the height of the package.

During transport, the packaging thus occupies an overall volume on average which can exceed double the volume of all the packaged loads, which penalizes the transport of the packaging both in cost and in weight.

Furthermore, such packaging with plastic sheets is not reusable and constitutes lost packaging, since they can each be used only once to condition the load. To remove the load from the packaging, the sheets must be torn or cut on the one hand, and very often be separated from the bottom or sides of the packaging by damaging them.

In addition, such a lost packaging is difficult to recycle due to the inhomogeneity of the materials, cardboard and plastic, making up the packaging.

According to FR-A-2560581, a reduction in height of a parallelepiped packaging consists of applying a plate of corresponding section to the bottom of the packaging on the load, cutting edges in the vertical corners of the packaging from the face top of the plate to the upper end of the walls of the packaging by means of four devices with a blade or notching wheel, to laterally groove the external face of the four walls parallel to the bottom and at the level of the plate by means four knurls so as to form four foldable flaps at the top of the walls, and to fold the flaps over the top of the plate applied to the load, the flaps being made integral with each other and with the plate by gluing the flaps.

US-A-3953956 describes an apparatus for forming flaps or flaps in a loaded package with a rectangular cardboard section using a process similar to that according to FR-A-2560581. A conveyor platform supporting the open package is elevated to a horizontal rectangular compression plate which is applied against the top of the load. Then four cutting blades are placed horizontally coplanarly the plate inside the packaging. The four vertical walls of the packaging are pressed respectively between the four cutting blades and four pressing elements which are applied against the external faces of the walls so as to form horizontal creasing lines on the internal faces of the walls. These crease lines delimit above the load the upper flaps which are folded against the load around the crease lines.

Thus, according to FR-A-2560581 and US-A-3953956, the packaging is closed by folding the flaps over a plate covering the load or directly on the load. The formation of flaps in the upper part of the package weakens the rigidity of the walls of the initial package. The recovery of the load by flaps is often curved and unsuitable for a flat presentation of the top of the package required for certain packages and for stacking the packages.

This folding of flaps against the top of the load, after a creasing of the sides of the packaging at the reduced height could be replaced for example by a planing of the excess packaging located above the load so that that the volume of the packaging is substantially of the same order as that of the load or by crushing the excess against the load.

These folding, planing and crushing operations are relatively complex and above all are liable to deform the load, the latter being moreover partly deformable according to FR-A-2560581.

The main object of the present invention is to obviate the drawback relating to transport according to the prior art, that is to say to provide packaging of loads offering, after reduction in height, qualities similar to standard initial packaging. A reduced packaging according to the invention both ensures maintenance of the loads in the packaging against shocks and vibrations and preserves the rigidity and stacking qualities of standard packaging.

To this end, a conditioning method for holding a load in a package comprising a bottom intended to support the load and sides having a height greater than that of the load, is characterized by measuring the height of the load to deduce therefrom reduced height substantially equal to the measured height of the load, a cut of the sides at the reduced height, an evacuation of an excess of packaging located above the cut sides, and a closure of the cut packaging over the sides cut and the charge contained in the packaging.

Cutting the packaging at the reduced height substantially equal to the height of the load uses previously, when packages of different sizes must continuously receive various loads, measuring the height of the load to deduce the reduced height, but also can use the measurement of at least one of the dimensions, such as width or length or diameter, of the bottom of the packaging.

The evacuation of the excess is preferably mechanized in order to avoid jamming or falling of this excess in the packaging.

More precisely after measuring the height of the load in order to deduce the reduced height, the method can comprise positioning the cutting means substantially at the reduced height so that the sides of the package are cut by the positioned cutting means.

According to the invention, in order to maintain the load on the bottom in the reduced packaging, closing the packaging includes applying a cover, or a wrapping film, or at least a strip. strapping, on an opening of the cut package above the load at said reduced height.

According to another aspect of the process, preferably before the sides are cut, the load is placed in the empty packaging and the height of the load is measured in order to deduce the reduced height therefrom. This solution is preferable compared to placing the load on the bottom after the reduction of the packaging, since the upper opening of the packaging can be substantially obstructed by cutting burrs and / or waste excess packaging towards the interior of the packaging.

• un moyen de mesure pour mesurer la hauteur de la charge,
• un moyen de coupe pour couper les côtés de l'emballage à une hauteur réduite,
• un moyen d'évacuation pour évacuer un excédent d'emballage situé au-dessus des côtés coupés, et
• des moyens pour positionner le moyen de coupe, de préférence avec le moyen d'évacuation, à ladite hauteur réduite sensiblement égale à la hauteur mesurée de la charge.

The invention also relates to a device for cutting a package for implementing the method according to the invention, the package comprising a bottom intended to support a load and sides having a height greater than the height of the charge. The device is characterized in that it comprises

• a measuring means for measuring the height of the load,
• a cutting means for cutting the sides of the package to a reduced height,
• an evacuation means for evacuating an excess of packaging situated above the cut sides, and
• means for positioning the cutting means, preferably with the discharge means, at said reduced height substantially equal to the measured height of the load.

The cutting means can comprise as many individual cutting means as there are sides of the package.

• une scie ayant une partie rectiligne développée dans un plan parallèle au fond situé à ladite hauteur réduite; ou
• au moins deux scies circulaires situées sensiblement à ladite hauteur réduite et ayant des arbres de rotation distants d'au moins l'une des dimensions du fond; ou
• des lames coupantes mobiles positionnées en regard des faces externes des côtés d'emballage à ladite hauteur réduite, et une matrice à introduire dans l'emballage au-dessus de la charge de préférence pour offrir des rainures périphériques positionnables en face des lames coupantes et sensiblement contre les côtés de l'emballage respectivement.

Preferably, the cutting means is mechanical although it may comprise at least one thermal cutting head or a fluid jet cutting head. When the cutting means is mechanical, this can be

• a saw having a rectilinear part developed in a plane parallel to the bottom situated at said reduced height; or
• at least two circular saws located substantially at said reduced height and having rotating shafts at least one of the dimensions of the bottom; or
• mobile cutting blades positioned opposite the external faces of the packaging sides at said reduced height, and a matrix to be introduced into the packaging above the load preferably to provide peripheral grooves which can be positioned opposite the cutting blades and substantially against the sides of the package respectively.

According to the invention, the evacuation means is capable of grasping and holding stationary the excess above the packaging during cutting and of transferring this excess to a waste zone, or else sliding the excess onto a tray above the reduced packaging during cutting, or alternatively to divide the excess into excess parts which are deflected or blown during cutting.

In this latter variant, the discharge means can comprise a second cutting means for cutting said excess packaging into at least two excess parts, and means for diverting or blowing said excess parts towards waste zones .

According to another aspect of the invention, when packages of different sizes are to package various loads continuously, the device comprises means for moving the package to be cut relative to the cutting means during cutting of the package. Such a means for moving can be a packaging conveyor and / or actuators, such as cylinders for moving the packaging or cutting means.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective partiellement arrachée d'un emballage connu ;
• la figure 2 est un diagramme montrant schématiquement les principales étapes du procédé de conditionnement selon l'invention dans une chaîne de conditionnement entre la mise en volume d'un emballage vide et la fermeture d'un emballage chargé réduit ;
• la figure 3 est une vue en perspective schématique d'un dispositif de coupe selon une première réalisation de l'invention comprenant quatre moyens de coupe pour couper un emballage en position d'arrêt momentané ;
• les figures 4 et 5 sont respectivement des vues schématiques de dessus et de face aval d'un dispositif de coupe à une scie horizontale sans fin selon une seconde réalisation de l'invention ;
• la figure 6 est une vue en perspective schématique partielle de face aval d'un dispositif de coupe à scie verticale sans fin selon une variante de la seconde réalisation ;
• la figure 7 est une vue schématique en perspective de dessus d'un moyen d'évacuation d'excédent d'emballage à plateau-basculeur pour dispositif de coupe du type notamment montré à la figure 4 ou 6 ;
• la figure 8 est une vue schématique de dessus d'un moyen d'évacuation d'excédent d'emballage à plateau immobile horizontalement pour dispositif de coupe du type notamment montré à la figure 4 ou 6 ;
• les figures 9 et 10 sont respectivement des vues schématiques en coupe de dessus prise le long de la ligne IX-IX dans la figure 10 et de face aval d'un dispositif de coupe à deux scies circulaires horizontales selon une troisième réalisation de l'invention ;
• les figures 11 et 12 sont respectivement des vues schématiques de dessus et de côté longitudinal d'un système de coupe avec deux dispositifs de coupe pour couper successivement des côtés longitudinaux et côtés transversaux d'emballage selon une quatrième réalisation de l'invention ;
• les figures 13 et 14 sont respectivement des vues schématiques de dessus et de côté longitudinal d'un dispositif de coupe à deux petites scies circulaires latérales et à une scie centrale verticale, inclus dans le système de coupe montré aux figures 11 et 12; et
• les figures 15 et 16 sont respectivement des vues schématiques de dessus et en coupe transversale d'un dispositif de coupe d'emballage uniforme à moyen de coupe de type massicot et à moyen d'évacuation de type ventouse.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description of several preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the corresponding appended drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a partially broken away perspective view of a known package;
• Figure 2 is a diagram schematically showing the main steps of the packaging according to the invention in a packaging line between the setting up of an empty package and the closing of a reduced loaded package;
• Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of a cutting device according to a first embodiment of the invention comprising four cutting means for cutting a package in momentary stop position;
• Figures 4 and 5 are respectively schematic views from above and downstream face of a cutting device with an endless horizontal saw according to a second embodiment of the invention;
• Figure 6 is a partial schematic perspective view of the downstream face of an endless vertical saw cutting device according to a variant of the second embodiment;
• FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view from above of a means of evacuating excess packaging with a tilting tray for a cutting device of the type in particular shown in FIG. 4 or 6;
• Figure 8 is a schematic top view of a means of evacuating excess packaging horizontally stationary tray for cutting device of the type shown in particular in Figure 4 or 6;
• Figures 9 and 10 are respectively schematic sectional views from above taken along the line IX-IX in Figure 10 and from the downstream side of a cutting device with two horizontal circular saws according to a third embodiment of the invention ;
• Figures 11 and 12 are respectively schematic top and longitudinal side views of a cutting system with two cutting devices for successively cutting longitudinal sides and transverse packaging sides according to a fourth embodiment of the invention;
• Figures 13 and 14 are respectively schematic views from above and from the longitudinal side of a cutting device with two small lateral circular saws and a vertical central saw, included in the cutting system shown in Figures 11 and 12; and
• Figures 15 and 16 are respectively schematic views from above and in cross section of a uniform packaging cutting device with cutter-type cutting means and suction-type discharge means.

The packaging 1 to which reference will be made by way of example to describe the packaging process and cutting devices according to the invention, is conventionally in the form of a parallelepiped, as shown in FIG. 1. The packaging 1 comprises a bottom 10 for supporting a load CH, as well as erected substantially perpendicular to the bottom, two large longitudinal sides 11 and 12 and two smaller transverse sides 13 and 14. Initially the packaging is open, that is to say its upper side 15 constitutes an opening situated at the initial height HI of the package above the bottom.

• i) une caisse à rabats dite "caisse américaine", dont des rabats constituant tout ou partie du côté supérieur de l'emballage sont rabattus vers l'extérieur vers les faces extérieurs des côtés 11 à 14, ou une caisse sans couvercle ou une demi-caisse, le fond de ces caisses étant monolithique avec les côtés, ou constitué d'un ou plusieurs rabats (Norme AFNOR, 2.1, pages 6, 7 et 8) ; ou
• ii) le corps d'une boîte cloche ou d'une caisse télescope (Norme AFNOR, figures 18 et 19) ; ou
• iii) le manchon, dit également ceinture ou étui, et le fond d'une boîte à double couvercle, l'un des couvercles formant le fond et l'autre le couvercle fermant l'ouverture 15 (Norme AFNOR, figure 20).

Thus, such an open package with a rectangular bottom may in particular be one of the packages, in flat cardboard or corrugated cardboard, or in any other material, such as plastic, wood or metal, defined in the French standard "CARTON PACKAGING ; VOCABULAIRE ", H 13-000, June 1961, published by AFNOR, Paris La Défense:,

• i) a box with flaps known as an "American box", of which flaps constituting all or part of the upper side of the package are folded outwards towards the outside faces of the sides 11 to 14, or a box without cover or a half -casse, the bottom of these boxes being monolithic with the sides, or consisting of one or more flaps (AFNOR standard, 2.1, pages 6, 7 and 8); or
• ii) the body of a bell box or a telescope box (AFNOR standard, Figures 18 and 19); or
• iii) the sleeve, also known as a belt or case, and the bottom of a double-lid box, one of the lids forming the bottom and the other the lid closing the opening 15 (AFNOR standard, FIG. 20).

The packaging can have large dimensions to form a shipping container, for example in corrugated cardboard with double or triple groove.

All of these packages may or may not have shrink sheets to wrap the load in a known manner.

The CH charge is made up of one or more heterogeneous products, or sometimes homogeneous, arranged or in bulk. By way of example, three boxes CH1, CH2 and CH3 resting on the bottom 10 and making up the load CH are illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The height of the highest box CH1 is that HCH of the load which is lower, or very rarely almost equal to the height HI of packaging 1.

Industrially, continuously, several packages 1 are shaped, then partially, or very rarely completely, filled with different charges, and finally closed. These operations are carried out in a packaging line included, for example, in a automated order preparation where each "order" is a list of products, such as books, boxes of medicine or cosmetics, or hardware items, previously selected, to be loaded in an open package.

In general, it will be assumed in the following description that the packages 1 successively passing through the packaging line and particularly a cutting device according to the invention are packages having different sizes. For example, for parallelepipedic packaging 1, the initial height HI as well as the widths l and lengths L of the packaging are included in respective intervals [H _min , H _max ], [l _min , l _max ] and [L _min , L _max ]. Naturally, as a function of these intervals, the respective minimum and maximum lengths of the strokes of movable cutting means are determined according to the height and, where appropriate, according to one and / or the other of the other dimensions in the cutting devices according to l 'invention. It should be noted that for a cylindrical package with a circular bottom, the dimensions l and L are replaced by the diameter of the bottom, and "the" walls 11 to 14 by "a" cylindrical wall.

Furthermore, unless otherwise indicated (Figures 11 and 12 in 7), the packages are presented at the entry of the stations of the chain with their longitudinal sides 11 and 12 parallel to a direction of transport TR, that is to say a direction mobility of the packaging relative to a cutting means, and the short sides 13 and 14 upstream and downstream.

As shown in FIG. 2, the method according to the invention can be implemented along a packaging conveyor defining the direction of transport TR, between a volume setting station MV from which empty 1V packages such as that shown in FIG. 1 emerge successively, and a closing station where the loaded packages are closed. For example, the volume or shaping station is of the type described in FR-B-2 558 792 when the packaging 1 comes from a flat cardboard blank whose central part constitutes the bottom 10 of the packaging and the peripheral parts, the four sides 11 to 14 of the packaging, two of these sides being able to have a height different from that of the other two sides to constitute a tray, or of the type described in FR-B-2 604 654 when the packaging includes the sleeve and the bottom of a double-lid box.

The volume setting station MV preferably follows a PC loading station where a batch of products CH1, CH2 and CH3 constituting the charge CH is placed on the bottom 10 in the 1V package either manually or automatically to form a loaded package 1C . The package 1C then enters a reduction station RH according to the invention where the initial height HI of the package 1C is reduced to a height HR substantially equal to the height HCH of the charge CH determined beforehand, that is to say - say at a height HR equal or somewhat higher by a few tens of millimeters or a few millimeters than the height HCH. When the cutting means practically does not penetrate into the packaging, (FIGS. 3, 13, 15) the height HR can be somewhat lower than the height HCH in order to more effectively maintain the load on the bottom 10 when closing the container. reduced packaging. The reduction of the packaging consists in cutting the packaging to the RH height and evacuating a surplus EX packaging. The excess EX, which has a height HI-HR, is located above the cut sides and the load CH after the cut, and is discharged to a waste zone. Finally, at the outlet of the RH reduction station, the cut and loaded packaging 1R in which the load CH is at least partially flush with the highest product CH3 the upper opening 15R of the packaging thus brought closer to the bottom 10, is closed. As shown in FIG. 2, the closure for obtaining a closed package 1F is preferably carried out by applying a cover CO above the opening 15R and by fixing it to the package 1R. The fixing is for example carried out by gluing or stapling two, three or four flaps RA of the cover CO against the external faces of corresponding sides 11 to 14 of the packaging 1R, just below the level of the opening 15R. A FE closing station for forming and placing a flap cover on a package is for example described in FR-B-2 558 792 (Figures 13 and 14) or FR-B-2 604 654 (Figures 8 and 9) .

From the succession of the four MV, PC, RH and FE stations, other variants are provided to reduce the height of a package and close it over the load.

The products constituting the load can be assembled beforehand in order to determine its height HC. Then the height HI of the empty package 1V is reduced substantially to the height HC. Before closing the packaging, the empty packaging at reduced height is filled with the load CH, as indicated by the arrow in dotted lines between the RH and FE stations in Figure 2.

In addition, as already mentioned, the 1V empty packaging may include two sheets of heat-shrinkable film, the first edges of which are fixed, preferably by gluing, to the inner face of the bottom and / or to the bottom edges of the inner faces of two sides. opposite 11 and 12, or 13 and 14 (FR-B-2 558 792, and FR-B-2 426 620), or when the packaging includes a sleeve on the lower edges of the external faces of two opposite sides of the sleeve ( EP-B-0 225 208 and EP-B-0 236 173). In this case, before the height reduction station RH or before the closing station FE, the loaded packaging passes through a heat-sealing and heat-shrinking station of the type described in FR-B-2 558 792 where second edges of the sheets folded over the CH load are heat sealed and heat shrunk against the load in the package.

Instead of a lid closure, the reduced packaging 1R can be wrapped by a plastic film which passes over the opening 15R and the external faces of two parallel sides and possibly the bottom, and possibly which is heat-sealed against said faces. external and heat shrunk against the packaging. As a variant, the wrapping by film is replaced by a strapping by parallel and / or crossed metal or plastic strips passing through the opening 15R.

Referring to Figure 3, a cutting device 2 according to the first embodiment is located downstream of a spacer means on a packaging conveyor 20, such as a roller, pallet or belt conveyor. The spacer means can be a movable transverse separation plate 21 which is pushed by a transverse cylinder 210 on the conveyor 20 after the passage of a package 1 to stop the next package during the cutting of the package 1 and which frees the surface of the conveyor after the cut of the package 1. The means spacer may also be a differential speed conveyor, as shown in ESP in Figures 11 and 12.

Two transverse jacks 221 and 222 are located respectively, one 221 at the rear of the device and on one of the sides of the conveyor 20, for example the left side in the direction of transport TR of the latter, and the another 222 at the front of the device and on the right side of the conveyor. The cylinders 221 and 222 respectively move two brackets 223-224 and 225-226, preferably provided with contact probes. The brackets have facing corners and short sides 223 and 225 perpendicular to the direction of transport TR and long sides 224 and 226 parallel to the direction of transport TR. The downstream bracket 225-226 is pushed by the jack 222 to a reference position when the package 1 enters the cutting device 2 so that the front side 14 of the package 1 abuts against the short side of bracket 225 and thus stops the packaging 1 in the cutting device 2. The distance between the short angles 223 and 225 is equal to the maximum length L _max so as to possibly stop a light packaging downstream not pressed sufficiently between the longitudinal angle sides 224 and 226 during the subsequent cutting of one or both longitudinal sides 11 and 12 of the stopped packaging. According to another variant, a longitudinal cylinder (not shown) pushes the cylinder 221 downstream with the bracket 223-224 up to the tightening of the short sides of the packaging 13 and 14 between the short sides of the angle 223 and 225. The rear cylinder 221 then pushes the rear square 223-224 so that its large side 224 pushes the packaging 1 laterally against the large square 226.

As soon as the packaging 1 abuts against the front angle side 225 a photoelectric cell CP2 placed substantially upstream of the side of the angle 225 or any other means of detecting the presence of the packaging in stop, such as a pressure sensor on the bracket 225 triggers a measuring means for measuring the height HCH of the load CH contained in the stopped packaging 1 relative to the bottom 10 of the packaging.

As shown in FIG. 3, the load height measuring means is a three-dimensional digital imaging system comprising a high definition camcorder CA2, which is preferably rotatably mounted above the conveyor 20 so that the field of the camcorder scans the stop zone of a package loaded 1 in the cutting device 2. The camcorder CA2 is connected to an image processing processor in a digital control unit UC2 so as to determine, as a function of the images supplied by the camcorder, the maximum height of the CH load.

Other vision measurement systems can be used: a combination of a slide projector and a CCD camera (Charge Coupled Device) directed towards the packaging by means of which very fine moire fringes are projected. on the top of the load to measure the different heights of the upper surface of the load and represent a three-dimensional map of the packaging with his load; or a stereovision system in which two or more cameras directed towards the loaded package have their images compared in order to determine the “altitude” of the superior products making up the load and to deduce therefrom the height HCH of the load, or any other dimension l , L packaging, by triangulation techniques; or even a 2D camera coupled to an ultrasonic sensor.

According to other variants, the measurement is based on the analysis of the flatness ruptures of the upper surface of the load by means of laser interference. A laser source is oriented towards a rotating mirror so that, thanks to determined orientations of the laser beam received in photoelectric cells, flatness breaks are identified. According to another variant, a layer of laser sources is oriented towards the charge so as to project one or two laser planes and mark on the image the surface discontinuities of the charge in order to deduce therefrom the height HCH.

The digital control unit UC2 of the cutting device controls in particular all the displacement means, such as jacks, mainly for positioning cutting means. According to another variant which is more complex in material and less precise, the camcorder with the image processing processor is replaced by several feelers arranged on a movable frame penetrating the loaded package 1 through the opening 15 so as to detect the most top product.

The control unit UC2 then delivers the measured height HCH of the load, and more precisely a reduced packing height HR as a function of HCH, to four vertical cylinders 241 to 244, the rod ends of which support cylinders respectively. 251 to 254 horizontal. The ends of the rods of the four horizontal cylinders 251 to 254 carry knife blades 261 to 264 oriented respectively towards the vertical faces of the stopped package 1. Each knife blade 261 to 264 is fixed directly to the end of the cylinder rod 251 to 254 or by means of a reciprocating motor, as for a jigsaw. The parallel pairs of jacks 241-251 and 242-252 intended to cut the longitudinal sides 11 and 12 are located respectively upstream and to the left and downstream and to the right. The two parallel pairs of jacks 243-253 and 244-254 intended to cut the small transverse sides 13 and 14 are respectively located upstream and to the right and downstream and to the left.

The horizontal cylinders 251 to 254 are respectively arranged in vertical planes which are parallel to the sides 11 to 14 of the package and at distances from these sides such that the knife blades 261 to 264 have lengths sufficient to pass through said sides 11 to 14 of any package stopped at the reference position, whatever the length L and the width l of this package. In particular, the blades 261 and 263 suitable for cutting the longitudinal side 11 and the rear transverse side 13 opposite the reference position defined by the downstream bracket 225-226 have lengths at least greater than l _max - l _min and L _max - L _min . Thus when the package 1 is framed by the brackets 223-224 and 225-226, the blades 261 to 264 supported by the pairs of jacks 241-251 to 244-254 are respectively located in front of the vertical edges of the package.

The cutting device 2 also comprises a means for evacuating excess packaging 27 comprising a motorized excess gripping means. According to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the gripping means is a motorized gripper 270 whose jaws extend longitudinally to the conveyor 20. The gripper 270 can be replaced by lateral suction cups 85 as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, or by a gripper with two membranes expandable under the action of compressed air enclosing one side of the excess. The clamp 270 is suspended from the lower end of a vertical cylinder 271 itself suspended from a horizontal lateral transfer device 272, such as a motorized endless chain. The length of the clamp 270 is less than the shortest length L _min of the packages, and in top view, the clamp extends upstream almost from the small reference side 225 of the downstream bracket.

Following the measurement of the height HCH of the load CH, the control unit UC2 actuates the discharge means 27 so that the jack 271 lowers the clamp 270 with jaws spaced above the edge of one 11 on the four sides of the packaging, then the jaws of the clamp 270 come together and thus pinch the upper edge of the side 11. Under these conditions, the excess packaging EX to be cut and removed is kept stationary during the step of next cut, and cannot fall or get caught in the packaging.

The four vertical cylinders 241-244 are then actuated by the control unit UC2 so that the knife blades 261 to 264 are positioned substantially at the height HCH of the load above the surface of the conveyor 20, that is to say ie at the reduced height HR. The four horizontal cylinders 252 to 254 are then moved back and forth so that during their travel go the knife blades 261 to 264 simultaneously slice the sides 11 to 14 of the packaging just above the load CH.

As soon as the rods of the longest horizontal cylinders 251 and 252 are at the end of their travel after the cutting of the longitudinal sides 11 and 12, the control unit UC simultaneously activates the cylinder 271 so that the excess packaging EX separated from the the package and taken by the clamp 270 rises above the reduced package, and the lateral transfer device 272 so that the excess EX is completely released from the top of the package and transferred to a waste zone. Finally, the jaws of the gripper 270 are moved apart to drop the EX surplus in the waste zone, for example consisting of a waste bin or a surplus conveyor or a shredder, as indicated by the arrow BD. The lateral transfer device repositions the gripper 270 substantially above the left edge of the conveyor 20.

As soon as the knife blades 253 and 254 having cut the transverse sides 11 and 12 are returned to their rest position laterally to the conveyor 20, the two transverse jacks 221 and 222 remove the brackets 223-224 and 225-226 so that the packaging 1 having a height reduced HR to the height HCH of the load is transported towards the outlet of the cutting device 2. Preferably, in order to avoid friction of the knife blades 261 and 262 suitable for cutting the sides of the packaging parallel to the direction of transport TR, at least the vertical cylinders 241 and 242 slightly raise the blades 261 and 262 above the longitudinal edges of the opening 15R of the package reduced, almost simultaneously with the elevation of the clamp 270 clamping the excess EX.

The second cutting device 3 according to the invention shown in Figures 4 and 5 is based, like the other cutting devices 4, 5 and 6-7 shown in Figures 6, 9 to 14, on a continuous cutting of a package on a conveyor, without requiring the packaging to be stopped to make the cutting and the longitudinal and / or transverse movement of the cutting means, in order to increase the throughput of the packaging line and reduce the cost of the cutting device.

The cutting devices 3 to 6-7 each comprise a digital control unit UC3 to UC67 connected to a camcorder CA3 to CA67 and a photoelectric cell CP3 to CP67 having roles similar to the predefined elements UC2, CA2 and CP2. In particular, the photoelectric cell detects the entry on the downstream side of a loaded package to be cut downstream of the cutting means so that the latter are positioned in particular as a function of the desired height HR. The camcorder is suspended above the conveyor and also downstream of the cutting means so that the field of the camcorder completely embraces the opening of any incoming packaging, without being hidden by the cutting means and other suspended means.

The cutting device 3 comprises a conveyor 30 which includes retractable transverse cleats 301. Each blocking cleat comprises two square lateral arms 302 which are extensible against return springs, so as to frame the rear of '' a package 1 substantially above the transport surface of the conveyor 30. Such a wedge-stopper 301 maintains the packaging 1 at a predetermined position on the conveyor 30, typically so that the central longitudinal symmetry planes XX of the conveyor 30 and packages 1 are confused. In addition, the transverse body of the wedge-stopper acts, like the short square side 223 in the cutting device 2, against the stop when the package 1 will undergo a thrust contrary to its direction of transport TR during cutting. .

In the cutting device 3, the cutting means for separating excess packaging EX from the packaging part 1R containing the load is in the form of an endless horizontal saw 31 extending transversely to the conveyor 30 au- above it. Driven and driven gear wheels 311 and 312 driving the saw 31 have vertical axes of rotation situated completely away from the conveyor 30 so that any package having a width l at most equal to that of the conveyor 30 is cut. According to the illustrated embodiment, a drive motor 313 of the driving wheel 312 is suspended under a transverse beam 314 on which the shaft of the driven wheel 311 is mounted to rotate. The ends of the transverse beam 314 are slidably mounted on two vertical columns 315 arranged on either side of the conveyor 30. One of the ends of the beam is connected to an elevator 316, for example of the toothed chain type, for positioning the saw 31 at the height HR.

Also suspended from the transverse beam 314 is a motor 321 of a vertical circular saw 32 extending in the longitudinal plane central XX of the conveyor 30. The saw 32 is substantially tangent to the cutting plane of the horizontal saw 31, or even less than this plane, so as to cut the excess cardboard EX into two symmetrical half-surpluses EX1 and EX2, like this will be explained later. The axis 322 of the circular saw 32 is preferably located in the vertical plane containing the two axes of the drive wheels 311 and 312 of the saw 31 in order to reduce the spacing between cleats, and more precisely between packages at cut, and thus increase the flow rate of the cutting device 3.

Two vertical deflectors 33 symmetrical with respect to the central longitudinal plane XX of the conveyor 30 are provided for deflecting half excess packaging EX1 and EX2 cut. The deflectors 33 form, in top view, an arrow whose tip 331 is situated substantially vertically from the center of the circular saw 32 and whose ends 332 diverge towards the front and towards the longitudinal sides of the conveyor 30 in the direction transport package TR.

Whatever the width l and the length L of the packaging 1 to be cut, just before the packaging enters the cutting device 3, the packaging is detected by the cell CP3 and the digital control unit UC3 triggers the elevator 316 so that the endless saw 32 is substantially at the height HCH of the load CH contained in the package 1, that is to say at the reduced height HR determined as above thanks to the camcorder CA3. As the packaging 1 advances, the saw 31 first cuts the front side 14 then the longitudinal sides 11 and 12 and finally the rear side 13. When the straight upstream strand 318 of the saw 31 at already started to cut the longitudinal sides 11 and 12, the saw 32 prints a central vertical saw line in the upper part of the front side 14 then another vertical line in the upper part of the rear side 13. Substantially after the central vertical cut of the on the front side 14, the excess EX is gradually divided by the deflectors 33 into two half-surpluses EX1 and EX2, the front vertical edges of which result from the cutting of the front side 14 by the saw 32 sliding against the divergent concave surfaces of the deflectors 33. When finally the circular saw 32 has vertically sawed the upper part of the rear side 13, the excess cardboard EX is definitively divided into two half-surpluses EX1 and EX2 which by gravity fall into waste bins BD1 and BD2 arranged laterally to the conveyor 30. Preferably, the movement of the saw 31 is alternating so that the trepidation generated by this movement contr ibue to the disposal of half surplus.

The cutting device 4 shown in FIG. 6 is a variant of the endless saw cutting device 3 described above. According to FIG. 6, instead of a horizontal saw 31, the cutting device 4 comprises an endless saw 41 rotating in a vertical plane transverse to the conveyor 30 and driven by two driving toothed wheels 412 and driven 411 having parallel horizontal axes to the direction of transport TR. However, the saw 41 retains a horizontal blade above the conveyor 30 so that the lower rectilinear strand 413 of the saw 41 properly attacks the sides of the package, like the upstream strand 318 of the endless saw 31. The space between the strands 413 and 414 of the saw 41, that is to say the diameter of the drive wheels 411 and 412, is chosen at least substantially equal to the maximum height H _max of the packages so that the lower strand 413 can cut all the packages on the conveyor 30 The wheels 411 and 412 are suspended in the device 4 by a structure similar to the gantry formed by the transverse beam 314 slidable vertically, the column-slides 315 and the elevator 316.

The deflectors 33 and the central circular saw 32 provided in particular in the cutting devices 3 and 4 can be replaced by other means for removing excess. In the two variants shown in Figures 7 and 8 and described below, the excess cardboard EX is only cut by the saw 31, 41 in the form of a small rectangular sleeve.

A tipping plate 35 is arranged for upstream part 351 between the two strands 318 and 319 of the horizontal endless saw 31 and for downstream part 352 downstream of this saw in the cutting device 3 according to FIG. 7, or only downstream of the lower strand 413 of the endless saw 41 in the cutting device 4. The two parts or the single part of the tipping plate 35 are rectangular and extend substantially over the entire width of the conveyor 30 and over a length substantially equal to the maximum length L _max of the packages. One of the longitudinal sides of the tipping plate 35 is mounted to pivot horizontally. For example, a hinge 353 with a horizontal axis suspended under the transverse beam 314 is fixed along a longitudinal side of the tilting plate, and means for vertically moving the tilting plate 35 horizontal position to a substantially inclined position by a predetermined angle A is connected to the other longitudinal side of the tilting platform. This plate displacement means can be a jack 354 whose body is mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis fixed to the transverse beam 314 and whose rod is linked to rotation to said other longitudinal side of the tilting plate 35. In these conditions, the tipping plate 35 is kept horizontal and coplanar with the two strands 318 and 319 of the saw 31 or the lower strand 413 of the saw 41 throughout the cutting of the packaging so that the tipping plate is inserted between the 'reduced packaging 1R which is transported by the conveyor 30 and which passes under the tipping tray, and the excess EX which slides on the tipping tray. After the packaging is reduced substantially to the loading height HCH, and generally before the entry of the next packaging into the cutting device 3 or 4, the jack 354 is actuated upwards so that the tipping tray is inclined at an angle A and the excess cardboard EX slides by gravity towards the hinge 351 to fall into a waste container BD disposed laterally to the conveyor 30, substantially under the hinge 351.

According to the other variant shown in FIG. 8, the tilting plate 35 is replaced by a plate 36 which is stationary relative to the saw 31 or 41. For a series 31 illustrated in FIG. 8, the plate 36 is composed of 'an upstream rectangular part 361 held between the two strands 318 and 319 of the saw 31 and another rectangular part 362 downstream of the downstream strand 319 of the saw 31, these two parts being interconnected and coplanar with the saw 31. For a saw 41 shown in FIG. 6, the plate 36 is composed of a single rectangular plate held downstream of the lower strand 413 of the saw 41 and coplanar therewith. The plate 36 is fixedly suspended from the transverse beam 314, and is associated with a pusher 363. According to a preferred embodiment, this pusher 363 has the shape of a square whose long side and short side are respectively longitudinal and transverse to the conveyor 30 and may have lengths substantially of the order of the maximum length L _max and the maximum width l _max of the packages. The corner of the push bracket 363 is linked to the rod of a jack 364 whose body is disposed substantially at 45 ° relative to the axis XX of the conveyor 30 and which is suspended from the transverse beam 314. After sawing of the packaging, the jack 364 is actuated back and forth so that the pusher 363 discharges the excess EX towards the other longitudinal side of the conveyor 30 in a waste container BD, avoiding the drive wheel 312 , 412 from saw 3, 4.

With reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, a cutting device 5 according to the third embodiment comprises two thin horizontal circular saws 511 and 512 symmetrical with respect to the axis XX of the conveyor 50, in place of the endless saw 31, 41 in the cutting device 3, 4. One 512 of the circular saws has its vertical rotation shaft driven by a motor 513 suspended from a horizontal bracket 514 mounted to slide vertically along a column 515. The vertical shaft of the other circular saw 511 is rotated by the motor 513 through a bevel gear train 517. The shaft of the circular saw 511 is also rotatably mounted under a bracket 514 slidably mounted along another column 515 symmetrical to the first bracket and column assembly 514-515 with respect to the central longitudinal plane XX of the packaging conveyor 50. The two brackets 514 are simultaneously raised and lowered along columns 515, from in a similar way to the transverse beam 314 in the cutting device 3, by means of two vertical lifting cylinders 516. These lifting cylinders position the elements 511, 512, 52 and 53 at the desired height HR of each package to be reduced under the control of the UC5 unit, in response to the detection of this packaging by the CP5 cell.

In the gear train 517 is provided a horizontal intermediate shaft 518 perpendicular to the shafts of the two saws 511 and 512. Around the shaft 518 is fixed a vertical circular saw 52 having a function similar to the saw 32 in the cutting device 3. The vertical circular saw 52 is flush with the cutting plane of the horizontal saws 511 and 512.

More precisely, as shown in the center of FIGS. 9 and 10, on the one hand, the diameter DS of the horizontal saws 511 and 512 is at least as large as the maximum width l _max of the packages and, in practice, at least as large as the width of the conveyor 50. At the vertical longitudinal plane of symmetry XX of the conveyor 50, the horizontal circular saws 511-512 overlap by a few millimeters and one 511 is flush with the top of the other 512 so as to completely cut the full width packaging. On the other hand, the vertical circular saw 52 is flush with the horizontal upper saw 511 so as to cut excess packaging EX in the form of a sleeve in half. surpluses EX1 and EX2 symmetrical with respect to the plane XX.

Alternatively, by means of a suitable gear, the shaft 518 of the vertical saw 52 is arranged upstream or downstream of the transverse alignment of the rotation shafts of the horizontal saws so that the vertical saw 52 is flush with the cutting plane common between the saws 511 and 512, or substantially a plane lower than this common cutting plane so that the excess packaging EX is cut clearly into two half-surpluses EX1 and EX2.

The cutting device 5 also comprises two vertical deflectors 53 which extend on either side of the vertical saw 52, that is to say on either side of the vertical plane of symmetry XX of the conveyor 50, and starting substantially from the common horizontal plane of sawing of circular saws 511 and 512. The deflectors 53 are arranged at the downstream periphery of saws 511 and 512, or substantially above these towards the centers of the saws, and form the arms of a hug. The tip 531 of the brace is crossed by the vertical saw 52 and located substantially in front of the downstream peripheral crossing of the saws 511 and 512. The lateral ends 532 of the deflectors 53 extend beyond the longitudinal edges of the conveyor 50. The half -excess of packaging EX1 and EX2 shared by the saw 52 are separated by the brace tip 531, slide along the deflectors and tilt by gravity towards waste bins BD1 and BD2 arranged laterally to the conveyor 50, under the ends 532 deflectors.

Preferably, the horizontal circular saws 511 and 512 rotate in opposite directions so that their rotation above the surface of the conveyor 50 is directed downstream, as indicated by the arrows R1 and R2 in FIG. 9, so that the half excess cardboard EX1 and EX2 are driven towards the ends of the deflector 532 and the longitudinal sides of the conveyor 50 respectively.

According to other variants, the deflectors 53 and the vertical circular saw 52 are replaced by a plate 55 indicated in short broken lines in FIG. 9. The plate 55 is arranged downstream of the horizontal circular saws 511 and 512 and offers an upstream edge having a brace-shaped profile like the deflectors 53 so as to extend the saws 511 and 512 horizontally. According to a first variant, the plate 55 is a tilting plate, similar to the tilting plate 35 shown in FIG. 7 so to pour excess cardboard EX delivered by circular saws 511 and 512 towards a waste bin lateral to the plate 55. According to a second variant, the plate 55 is kept stationary and horizontal relative to the cutting plane of the saws 511 and 512 and is associated with an excess thrust means similar to the pusher 363 and jack 364 shown in FIG. 8.

According to yet other variants, the evacuation elements 27, 33, 35 and 36 are replaced or combined with lateral blowing means or nozzles which evacuate by excess air pressure EX or the semi-surpluses EX1 and EX2, laterally to the conveyor, as soon as they are released from the reduced packaging.

Figures 11 and 12 show a cutting system 6-7 having a high throughput thanks to the separation of the cuts from the longitudinal sides and the transverse sides of a package in two cutting devices 6 and 7. The first cutting device section 6 is crossed by a conveyor 60 which follows, for example, a spacing conveyor ESP having a differential speed ESP relative to an upstream conveyor TA of the packaging line. The ESP conveyor space the packages 1 at a predetermined distance allowing in the cutting devices 6 and 7, prior to cutting, the automatic positioning in particular of cutting means and of excess discharge means according to the dimensions, in particular height , of each of the packages under the order of the UC67 unit. The second cutting device 7 is also crossed by a conveyor 70 which is wider than the conveyor 60 since it receives packages with longitudinal sides 11 and 12 perpendicular to the direction of transport TR by means of a pivoting means at 90 °. disposed between carriers 60 and 70.

The pivoting means is in the form of a conveyor 9 on one of the sides of which a stopper 91 is provided substantially in the extension of a rod 92 which inclines along the corresponding side of the conveyor 60 and is located opposite of a deflection plate 93. The plate 93 is biased towards the center of the conveyor 60 and is pivotable at the end of the other longitudinal side of the conveyor 60. A package 1 whose longitudinal sides 11 and 12 have been cut substantially at the loading height HCH in the cutting device 6 is deflected against the rod 92 by the plate 93 so that the vertical front corner of the packaging between the sides 11 and 14, opposite the stop 91, is stopped by the stop 91 so that the packaging pivots about 90 ° on the conveyor 9 and the small vertical sides 13 and 14 of the packaging are parallel to the transport direction TR at the input of the second cutting device 7.

According to another variant, the pivoting means is produced by a 90 ° rotating transport table controlled by the UC67 unit, or by a 90 ° transport direction change elbow.

As illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14, the second cutting device 7 has an arrangement of parts substantially similar to the cutting device 5. Thus the cutting device 7 comprises two horizontal circular saws 711 and 712, a central circular saw 72 rotating in the vertical plane of symmetry XX of the conveyor 70, and two deflectors 73 symmetrical with respect to the plane of symmetry XX. The aforementioned parts 711, 712 and 72 are rotated by individual motors 721 and 71M and are suspended from a support structure, not shown.

The supporting structure can be analogous to the gantry 314-315-316 shown in Figures 4 and 5, or to the brackets 514-515-516 shown in Figures 9 and 10. In particular the elevator of the supporting structure is controlled by the unit UC67 as a function of the HCH load height for each package analyzed by the CA67 camcorder located upstream of the inlet of the cutting device 6 (Figure 11).

However, although the circular saws 711 and 712 are arranged in the same horizontal plane and laterally to the conveyor 70, these have a much smaller diameter than the circular saws 511 and 512. In fact, the rotation shafts of the saws 711 and 712 are suspended from said support structure by means of pairs of horizontal jacks 713 and 714 orthogonal to the transport direction TR and controlled by the UC67 unit.

The two jacks in each pair 713, 714 are arranged on either side of the vertical alignment plane of the shafts of the saws 711 and 712. The pairs of jacks 713 and 714 have rods arranged opposite, the ends of which support the ends of movable longitudinal "endless" alignment jaws 715 and 716. The jaws are small motorized vertical "conveyors" with belt or rollers 715, 716 rotating in opposite directions so that the facing faces of the jaws move in the direction of transport TR. The jaws are arranged between the transport surface of the packaging conveyor 70 and the common horizontal cutting plane of the saws 711 and 712. Before the entry of a packaging 1 into the cutting device 7, that is to say say during the pivoting thereof on the conveyor 9, the alignment jaws 715 and 716 are brought closer or apart by the jacks 713 and 714 at a distance substantially equal to the length L of the incoming package to be cut. The upstream ends of the jaws 715 and 716 of the jaws are provided with guides 717 and 718 converging downstream to correct, if necessary, the alignment of the pivoted packages relative to the axis XX. The length L as well as the width l of the packaging bottom useful for the device 6 are signaled to the control unit UC67 at the input of the system 6-7 either by electronic reading of coded words, for example in bar code, registered at a predetermined location on a vertical side of the package, either by known measurement by feelers or photoelectric cells of the dimensions of the package. However, the dimensions l and L are preferably determined by the processor connected to the CA67 camcorder.

According to a variant, one of the pairs of jacks 713 and 714 is eliminated, and the other pair of jacks brings the corresponding jaw closer or apart from the other stationary jaw.

The jaws 715 and 716 frame each package at the same speed as the conveyor 70 so as to maintain the small transverse plane of symmetry of the package to be cut coincident with the vertical plane of symmetry XX of the conveyor 70, and therefore with the plane of section of the vertical central saw 72. The conveyor 70 as well as the conveyor 60 and all the other conveyors in the system 6-7 preferably do not include cleats 301 or 501 shown in FIGS. 4 and 9.

As illustrated in plan view in FIG. 13, the circular saws 711 and 712 preferably rotate in opposite directions R1 and R2 like the saws 511 and 512, and have facing peripheries which project substantially between the faces of the movable jaws 715 and 716, towards the transport surface of the conveyor 70, so that the saws 711 and 712 scia at least the thickness of the short sides 13 and 14 of each package.

As shown diagrammatically in FIGS. 11 and 12, the first cutting device 6 in the cutting system 6-7 is in all points analogous to the second cutting device 7 and does not include any means for removing excess packaging such as that the vertical circular saw assembly 72 and deflectors 73. Thus the first cutting device 6 comprises two horizontal circular saws 611 and 612, and two pairs of lateral jacks 613 and 614 for moving vertical movable jaws 615 and 616 and the circular saws 711 and 712 at a distance corresponding to the width 1 of each package to be cut.

Returning to FIGS. 13 and 14, the means for evacuating excess packaging in the cutting device 7 is composed in particular of two deflectors 73 whose shape makes it possible to evacuate two half-surpluses EX1 and EX2 separated by the saw. vertical circular 72. Indeed, the horizontal circular saws 611 and 612 in the cutting device 6 first cut the longitudinal sides 11 and 12 of a package 1 substantially at the loading height HCH, as indicated in TS in the figure 14; then, after vertical pivoting on the conveyor 9, this partially cut package 1 has its small transverse sides 13 and 14 which are cut by circular saws 711 and 712 in the second cutting device 7, also located substantially at the loading height HCH , simultaneously with the central vertical sawing of the long sides of the excess cardboard EX of the packaging to be reduced 1.

Each deflector 73 comprises two inclined planes 731 and 732 which forms, with the horizontal sawing plane common to the saws 711 and 712, the sides of a trihedron similar to that at the level of a pyramid edge. Thus the deflector portion 731 is inclined upwardly downward by about ten degrees relative to the horizontal plane and is arranged substantially facing upstream of the conveyor 70, downstream of the alignment of the axes of rotation of the saws 711 and 712. The other parts of the deflector 732 are also inclined by about ten degrees relative to the horizontal plane and diverge towards the longitudinal sides of the conveyor 70, directly above the waste bins BD1 and BD2 under the conveyor 70. Preferably, each of the deflectors 73 comprises a thin horizontal upstream flat part 733 under which the reduced packages pass and which extends the transverse lower edge of the first inclined part 731. The upstream edge of the flat part 733 is substantially aligned with the axes of rotation of the saws 711 and 712. in other words, the upstream edge of the flat part 733 can be set back substantially downstream from the transverse section line of the saws 711 and 712 in the lateral sides 14 and 13, so that half excess packaging EX1 and EX2 slide on the horizontal deflector parts 733 as soon as the saws 711 and 712 attack the vertical edges downstream of the package to be cut 1 framing the saw cut TS previously ent executed in the front longitudinal side 12 of the packaging by the corresponding circular saw 612 in the first cutting device 6. The downstream sides of the cardboard half surpluses EX1 and EX2 thus naturally slide first while climbing on the first parts of inclined deflector 731 so that the central vertical edges progressively deviate opposite the surpluses EX1 and EX2, sliding on the downstream inclined deflector parts 732 progressively towards the longitudinal sides of the conveyor 70, and finally the half surpluses EX1 and EX2 fall into waste bins BD1 and BD2 after the central cut on the upstream side 11 of the surplus EX.

According to other variants, the means for evacuating excess packaging may comprise, in place of all the parts 72 and 73, a tilting plate such as that shown in FIG. 7 or by a plate horizontal and a push cylinder such as those 36 and 363-364 shown in Figure 8; in this case, the plate in the horizontal position is coplanar with the saws 711 and 712 and at its upstream edge positioned in a manner analogous to the downstream edges of the horizontal thin parts 733 of the deflectors 73.

Cutting means 261 to 264, 31, 41, 511-512-52, 611-612, and 711-712-72 are mechanical means which can be combined with one another or which can be replaced by other cutting means known, and have been described by way of nonlimiting example within the scope of the subject of the invention defined below. Thus the knives 261-262 and 263-264 can be replaced by small horizontal circular saws similar to the four saws 611-612 and 711-712 fixed to the ends of the jacks 251 to 254, or to the two saws 511 and 512 fixed to the ends of two parallel cylinders 251 and 252, or 253 and 254, only used and able to act in the same direction. A cutting means, instead of being mechanical, can be a thermal cutting means constituted by a laser head; for example, four laser heads can be provided arranged, like the knife blades 261 to 264, in a horizontal plane substantially at the loading height HCH to separate the excess packaging EX from the packaging to be reduced and, if necessary , a vertical laser head movable in a vertical plane to separate the excess packaging EX into half surplus EX1 and EX2. When the packaging is metallic, the laser heads are replaced by flame or plasma cutting torches. The laser heads can be replaced by water generators to perform cutting by fluid jet, such as water jet.

In the same spirit, the positioning brackets 223-224 and 225-226 with the jacks 221 and 222 in FIG. 3 can be replaced by vertical jaws facing each other that are movable simultaneously or relative to each other such as 715 and 716, by adding two jacks to the ends of the rods of jacks 243 and 244 to translate the two lateral knife blade jacks 253 and 254 in the direction TR and at the same speed as that of the conveyor 20 and the jaws; in this case, the packaging is continuously cut during transport and the cylinders 251 and 252 are eliminated. In FIGS. 4, 6 and 9, the cleats 301, 501 can be omitted, and movable jaws, such as 715 and 716, are then provided under the saw cutting means 31, 41, 511-512.

Instead of the deflectors with vertical circular saw 32-33, 72-73 in FIG. 4, 13, or of the plate 35, 36 in FIG. 7, 8, a means of evacuation with clamps or with suction cups can be provided. that that 27 shown in FIG. 3 and animated with a longitudinal back-and-forth movement to the conveyor in order to maintain a surplus EX above each package transported during the cutting thereof, without the excess falling or gets stuck in the packaging.

The cutting devices which have been described previously comprise cutting means arranged on the outside of the packaging to be cut. By way of example, FIGS. 15 and 16 show another cutting device 8 of which part of the cutting means as well as the load height measuring means can penetrate inside a package to be cut. The packages to be cut by the device 8 are assumed to be identical standard packages, having predetermined dimensions.

The packaging 1 to be cut illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16 is transported by a conveyor 80, for example comprising lateral guides distant from the width of the packaging and retractable central tabs, and is stopped in the cutting device 8 for example by means similar to those 223-224 and 225-226 shown in FIG. 3 or simply by temporarily stopping the transporter 80.

The cutting device 8 comprises on the one hand, a rectangular die 81 substantially smaller than the internal section of the bottom 10 of the packaging, on the other hand outside the packaging four cutting blades 821 to 824. The matrix is suspended from a gantry (not shown) by means of two vertical cylinders 810 preferably with blockers. The cutting blades 821 to 824 extend in a horizontal plane parallel to the bottom 10 of the stopped packaging. Sharp edges of the blades, preferably of the shark-tooth type, are respectively arranged parallel and facing the external faces of the sides 11 to 14 of the stopped packaging, but also facing, through the sides of the packaging of four peripheral grooves 811 to 814 formed in the sides of the matrix 81 and communicating with each other at the four corners of the matrix. Each blade 821 to 824 is mounted in a support which is translatable back and forth perpendicular to the corresponding side to be cut 11 to 14 thanks to two small end jacks 831 to 834 which are suspended from the gantry by means of two vertical jacks 841 to 844 used for positioning the cutting blade 821 to 824 in height. According to another variant, the support of each cutting blade 821 to 824 is fixed to the ends of the rods of the small cylinders 831 to 834 by means of a small reciprocating motor to animate the blade with a small longitudinal displacement or alternating vibration or transverse to the blade.

The blades of one of the longitudinal and transverse pairs, for example the longitudinal blades 821 and 822, are substantially longer than the corresponding sides to be cut 11 and 12, while the blades of the other pair, such as the transverse blades 823 and 824 according to FIG. 15, are shorter than the corresponding sides to be cut 13 and 14 and substantially longer than the corresponding grooves 813 and 814 in the die 81. These length characteristics contribute to completely cutting the sides of the package 1, including at the vertical corners of the packaging.

The cutting device 8 also includes a measuring means for measuring the height of the load CH, in the form of a feeler plate 815, or of several rows of feelers, suspended under the die 81. The sensors can be pneumatic sensors , inductive, capacitive or even laser probes or ultrasonic probes. Although a means of excess discharge of the gripper type 270 or of expandable membranes can be used, the device 8 illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16 comprises two suction cups 85 at the ends of two horizontal jacks 86 situated perpendicular to one 11 longitudinal sides of the package to be cut. The cylinders 86 are preferably suspended from a device (not shown) which rotates the seized surplus by 90 ° or 180 °, as indicated by the arrow 87, if necessary after a short ascent, so as to evacuate the excess towards a BD waste zone above which the excess seized by the suction cups is released.

The operation of the device 8 is as follows. After stopping a package to be cut on the conveyor 80 at a reference position, the jacks 841 to 844 and 810 simultaneously lower the cutting blades 821 to 824 and the die 81 until the feeler means 815 comes into operation. contact with the highest part CH1 of the load CH. The cutting blades 821 to 824 and the matrix grooves 811 to 814 are then positioned at the reduced height HR.

The digital control unit of the device 8 then orders the cutting of the packaging. The cylinders 86 press the suction cups 85 against the upper part of the side 11. Simultaneously the small cylinders 831 and 832 push the blades 821 to 822 towards each other so as to cut the longitudinal sides 11 and 12 by penetrating the grooves longitudinal 811 and 812 of the matrix as in a cutter. After the blades 821 and 822 are returned away from the packaging, the small cylinders 823 and 824 move the small transverse blades 823 and 824 back and forth so that they cut through the short sides 13 and 14 and enter the transverse grooves 813 and 814 of the die 81. As the blades 821 and 822 are longer than the sides 11 and 12 and the blades 823 and 824 are longer than the grooves 813 and 814, the packaging is completely cut at the level of these four vertical corners in a reduced 1R packaging and an EX surplus in the form of a rectangular sleeve. In addition, thanks to the rectangular profile of the matrix 81 substantially lower than that of the bottom 10 of the packaging, the sides of the matrix can come into contact with the internal faces 11 to 14 of the packaging and exert a counter-thrust to against the blades 821 to 824 approaching during the cutting operation, which prevents any flexing of the excess or of the sides towards the inside of the packaging. As a variant, the cut begins with that of the short sides 13 and 14 and ends with that of the long sides 11 and 12.

As soon as all the blades 821 to 824 are returned to the rest position away from the packaging, the jacks 810, 843 and 844 raise the matrix 81 and the small transverse blades 823 and 824 so as to release the packaging in the direction of transport TR on the conveyor 80. Then, at the same time as the packaging is released on the conveyor 80, the jacks 86 remove the excess packaging EX thus obtained above the reduced packaging, and the medium 87 transfers this surplus to the BD waste zone.

Finally, to be complete, the invention does not only relate to parallelepipedic packaging, in particular of cardboard.

An empty 1V package used by the invention, such as the CO closure cover, can be made of any rigid or semi-rigid material identical or analogous to one of the following materials: compact cardboard, corrugated cardboard, for example simple, doubled or tripled ; rubber or other material coated with rubber; molded and / or machined plastic material, whether or not reinforced with glass or carbon fibers, partially or completely opaque, transparent or translucent, such as for example polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene, polyester, expoxy resin, etc. ; metallic, for example sheet metal, aluminum, or a metal alloy; wood. The elements, such as sides and bottom, of the packaging can be of the same material when it is fully recyclable, or of different materials.

Knowing that there are an infinity of known packages comprising a bottom and sides, distinct by the shapes, dimensions and profiles of packaging, and by the arrangements, shapes, dimensions and profiles of the external and internal elements (bottom, sleeve, envelope, flaps, partitions, etc ...) constituting as well as by the connections between the elements, it is impossible to describe and illustrate all the packaging to which the invention applies. By way of nonlimiting example, the reader may refer to the various packaging models and to the various possible combinations of elements of these packaging models described and illustrated in the "International Code for Cardboard Boxes" established by FEFCO and ASSCO, December 1979, Paris; in the French standard "EMBALLAGES EN CARTON; VOCABULAIRE", H 13-000, June 1961, published by AFNOR, Paris La Défense; in the extract "EMBALLAGES DE TRANSPORT" in "TECHNIQUES DE L'ENGENIEUR", pages A 1022-1 / 15 and pages A 1023-1 / 5, November 1984, Paris; as well as in various and numerous patent documents relating to packaging, in particular of cardboard or plastic, for example those described in patents cited in the preamble to this description. All the packaging described and / or illustrated in the aforementioned documents or resulting from various combinations of the elements of these packaging are considered to be contained in the present description.

• le fond 10 peut présenter un contour triangulaire, rectangulaire, polygonal ou circulaire ou elliptique ; être composé d'un unique panneau, fixé aux côtés, attenant à au moins l'un des côtés ; être composé par deux, trois ou quatre rabats attenant aux côtés ; constituer lui-même un couvercle inférieur (dit également coiffe) ayant des rabats fixés aux faces externes ou internes des côtés ; être conçu à partir d'une même pièce de matière, flan ou plaque, que les côtés par pliage, refoulage ; ou bien venir de moulage avec les côtés ; pour constituer un emballage par exemple du type caisse, bac ou plateau qui est ouvert, ou qui peut être fermé initialement au-dessus du fond par tout moyen supérieur de fermeture ou d'obturation tel que rabats, coiffe ou couvercle attenant ou non à au moins un côté, ou fixé par des rabats ou côtés à des côtés de l'emballage;
• chaque côté, tel que l'un des côtés 11 à 14, de l'emballage peut être, un panneau simple ou composite pouvant être perforé, ajouré, et/ou comporté, au moins une anse ou une lumière servant de poignée ; être attenant au fond formant la fermeture inférieure de l'emballage et/ou à un couvercle de fermeture supérieure de l'emballage, ou fixé à un rabat du fond et/ou un rabat du couvercle ; avoir une ou des dimensions égales, supérieures ou inférieures à celles des autres côtés de l'emballage (barquette par exemple) et de rabats ou côtés attenant au fond ou couvercle supérieur, notamment en hauteur ; être constitué par une double paroi, par exemple composée d'un simple côté d'emballage et d'un élément de renfort accoté ou accolé à celui-ci, tel que rabat, élément de fixation rapporté, rembordement ou débord prolongeant un côté adjacent, côté d'un manchon ou étui en tant que doublure interne ou ceinture interne ; lorsque les côtés de l'emballage sont en carton ondulé, les cannelures du carton dans les côtés s'étendent de préférence verticalement, c'est-à-dire perpendiculairement au fond 10 de manière à accroître la résistance au gerbage de l'emballage ;
• les liaisons entre des éléments de l'emballage peuvent être effectuées par collage, thermocollage, soudure, agrafage, vissage, rivetage, cloutage, bande gommée, ou par ces procédés avec des pattes, cornières, débords ou prolongements d'éléments, ou être des liaisons venues de moulage, emboutissage, pliage, ou refoulage (rainage);
• l'emballage complet ou l'intérieur de celui-ci peut avoir une forme générale parallélélipédique, prismatique, polyédrique ou bien à bases (fond et ouverture supérieure et couvercle) circulaires ou elliptiques ; dans ce dernier cas, les "côtés" 11 à 14 de l'emballage sont considérés comme des "portions de côté" de la paroi de l'emballage cylindrique ou elliptique ; ainsi l'emballage peut comporter trois, quatre ou plusieurs côtés et constituer par exemple une caisse, une barquette, un plateau, un bac ou récipient ouvert ou fermé partiellement ou totalement en partie supérieure et/ou sur des côtés, présenter certains éléments ajourés et/ou partiellement ou totalement transparents, translucides, opaques avoir des côtés munis d'anses ou de lumières de préhension, d'entablements ou tenons pour couvercle ; etc...

Thus by way of nonlimiting example:

• the bottom 10 may have a triangular, rectangular, polygonal or circular or elliptical outline; be composed of a single panel, attached to the sides, adjoining at least one of the sides; be made up of two, three or four flaps adjoining the sides; itself constitute a lower cover (also called cover) having flaps fixed to the external or internal faces of the sides; be designed from the same piece of material, blank or plate, as the sides by folding, upsetting; or else come from molding with the sides; to constitute a package for example of the box, tray or tray type which is open, or which can be closed initially above the bottom by any upper means of closing or closing such as flaps, cover or cover attached or not to the at least one side, or attached by flaps or sides to sides of the package;
• each side, such as one of the sides 11 to 14, of the packaging can be a simple or composite panel that can be perforated, perforated, and / or have, at least one handle or a light serving as a handle; be attached to the bottom forming the lower closure of the packaging and / or to an upper closure closure of the packaging, or fixed to a flap of the bottom and / or a flap of the lid; have one or more dimensions equal, greater or less than those of the other sides of the packaging (tray for example) and flaps or sides adjoining the bottom or upper cover, especially in height; be constituted by a double wall, for example composed of a single packaging side and of a reinforcing element leaning against or adjoining it, such as a flap, attached fixing element, ledge or overhang extending an adjacent side, side of a sleeve or case as an inner lining or an inner belt; when the sides of the packaging are made of corrugated cardboard, the grooves of the cardboard in the sides preferably extend vertically, that is to say perpendicular to the bottom 10 so as to increase the resistance to stacking of the packaging;
• the connections between elements of the packaging can be made by gluing, heat sealing, welding, stapling, screwing, riveting, nailing, gummed tape, or by these methods with tabs, angles, overhangs or extensions of elements, or be connections coming from molding, stamping, folding, or upsetting (creasing);
• the complete package or the interior thereof may have a general parallelepiped, prismatic, polyhedral shape or else with circular or elliptical bases (bottom and upper opening and cover); in the latter case, the "sides" 11 to 14 of the package are considered to be "side portions" of the wall of the cylindrical or elliptical package; thus the packaging can have three, four or more sides and constitute, for example, a box, a tray, a tray, a container or container open or closed partially or totally in the upper part and / or on the sides, presenting certain perforated elements and / or partially or completely transparent, translucent, opaque, having sides provided with handles or grip, entablatures or tenons for cover; etc ...

Claims (42)

1 - Packaging method for maintaining a load in an open package (1) comprising a bottom (10) intended to support the load (CH) and sides (11 to 14) having a height (HI) greater than that (HCH) load, characterized by measuring the height (HCH) of the load (CH) to deduce a reduced height (HR) substantially equal to the measured height (HCH) of the load (CH), a section (RH) sides at reduced height (HR), an evacuation of excess packaging (EX) located above the cut sides, and a closure (FE) of the cut packaging over the cut sides and the load contained in the packaging. 2 - Method according to claim 2, comprising after or simultaneously with the measurement of the height (HCH) of the load (CH) to deduce the reduced height (HR), the positioning of cutting means (261-264, 31 , 41, 611-612, 711-712) substantially at the reduced height (HR), so that the sides (11 to 14) of the package are cut by the positioned cutting means. 3 - Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises, before cutting (RH) of the sides, the measurement of at least one of the dimensions (L, l, diameter) of the bottom (10 ) from the packaging. 4 - Process according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, when the packaging (1) has a polyhedral bottom, the cut comprises as many individual cuts (261 to 264) as packing sides to cut the sides respectively (11 to 14). 5 - Process according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, when the packaging (1) has a regular polyhedral bottom, the cutting of the sides comprises successive individual cuts (6,7) of sides simultaneously in groups of two (11, 12; 13, 14) or more than two. 6 - Method according to any one of claims 4 or 5, characterized by a pivoting (9) of the packaging on the bottom (10) after each individual cut (6) according to an angle (90 °) between the sides (11, 12; 13, 14) respectively cut by said each individual cut (6) and to be cut by an individual cut (7) succeeding said each individual cut. 7 - Process according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the cutting of the sides is carried out first by an individual cutting of a front side (14) of the package (1) and is completed by an individual cut on a rear side (13) of the packaging opposite the front side. 8 - Process according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, during the cutting of the sides, the excess packaging (EX) is cut, preferably along or parallel to an axis of symmetry (XX) of the packaging, in at least two excess parts (EX1, EX2) which are deflected or blown from the top of the packaging (1R). 9 - Process according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, during the cutting of the sides (11 to 14), an upper part of the packaging (1) corresponding to the excess (EX) is seizure, and in that the disposal includes the transfer of the surplus (EX) confused with the seized part, away from the cut package (1R) to a waste zone (BD), and the release of the surplus transferred to the waste zone. 10 - Process according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the excess (EX) slides on a plate (35, 36) as and when cutting, and after cutting, is discharged by tilting the plate (35) or is pushed or blown out of the plate (36). 11 - Method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the closure (FE) of the package (1) comprises the application of a cover (CO), or a wrapping film , or at least a strapping strip, on an opening (15R) of the cut package (1R) above the load (CH) at said reduced height (HR). 12 - Process according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, before the cutting (RH) of the sides, the load (CH) is placed in the empty packaging (1V) and the height (HCH) load is measured to deduce the reduced height (RH). 13 - Device for cutting a package (1) comprising a bottom (10) intended to support a load (CH) and sides (11 to 14) having a height (HI) greater than the height (HCH) of the load (CH), characterized in that it comprises - a measuring means (CA; 815) for measuring the height (HCH) of the load, - a cutting means (261 to 264; 31; 41; 611-612; 711-713; 821 to 824) for cutting the sides (11 to 14) of the packaging at a reduced height (HR), - an evacuation means (27; 32.33; 35; 36; 72.73; 85, 86) for evacuating a surplus (EX; EX1, EX2) of packaging located above the cut sides, and - means (241-244; 314, 315, 316; 514, 515, 516; 831-834, 810) for positioning the cutting means (31; 511, 512; 821-824), preferably with the means of evacuation (32, 33; 41, 35, 36; 72, 73; 85, 86), at said reduced height (HR) substantially equal to the measured height (HCH) of the load. 14 - Device according to claim 13, characterized in that the cutting means comprises as many individual cutting means (261 to 264, 251 to 254; 821-831 to 824-834) as sides (11 to 14) of packaging (1). 15 - Device according to claim 13, characterized in that the cutting means comprises a saw (31; 41) having a rectilinear part (318; 413) developed in a plane parallel to the bottom (10) located at said reduced height ( HR). 16 - Device according to claim 15, characterized in that the saw is an endless saw (31) developed in said plane parallel to the bottom (10) at the ends of which means drive (311, 312) are distant from at least one of the dimensions (L, l, diameter) of the bottom. 17 - Device according to claim 15, characterized in that the saw is an endless saw (41) developed in a plane perpendicular to the bottom (10) and having two straight strands (413, 414) spaced at least the height (HE) of the excess (EX), the drive means (411, 412) of the endless saw being at least one of the dimensions (L, l, diameter) from the bottom. 18 - Device according to claim 13, characterized in that the cutting means comprises two circular saws (511, 512; 611, 612; 711, 712) located substantially at said reduced height (HR) and having distant rotation shafts at least one of the dimensions (L, W, diameter) of the bottom. 19 - Device according to claim 18, characterized in that the two circular saws (511, 512) have a diameter (D5) greater than said one of the dimensions (l, L, diameter) of the bottom (10). 20 - Device according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that the two circular saws (511, 512) have substantially overlapping peripheries along an axis of symmetry (XX) of the bottom (10) of the package (1). 21 - Device according to claim 18, characterized in that the cutting means comprises two successive pairs of circular saws (611, 612; 711, 712) along a direction of mobility (TR) of the package (1 ) to be cut relatively by means of section, and rotation shafts of the two saws (611, 612) of one of said pairs are spaced by a smaller dimension (1) from the bottom while rotation shafts of the two saws (711, 712) of the 'other of said pairs are distant by a larger dimension (L) from the bottom (10). 22 - Device according to claim 21, characterized in that peripheral parts facing the saws (611, 612; 711, 712) of each of the pairs are intended to penetrate into the packaging (1) to be cut to a depth at less equal to the thickness of the sides of the package. 23 - Device according to claim 21 or 25, characterized in that it comprises means (9) disposed between the two pairs of saws (611, 612; 711, 712) for pivoting the packaging having two parallel sides (11 , 12) cut by said one of said pairs of saws (611, 612) at an angle (90 °) equal to that between said two parallel cut sides (11, 12) and two other packaging sides (13, 14) to be cut by said other pair of saws (711, 712). 24 - Device according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the cutting means comprises movable cutting blades (821 to 824) positioned opposite the external faces of the packaging sides (11 to 14) at said reduced height ( HR), and a die (81) to be introduced into the packaging above the load, preferably to provide peripheral grooves (811 to 814) which can be positioned in front of the cutting blades and preferably substantially against the sides of the packaging. respectively. 25 - Device according to claim 24, wherein two adjacent cutting blades (821, 823) are respectively longer and smaller than the corresponding peripheral grooves (811,813) of the matrix (81). 26 - Device according to claim 24 or 28, comprises feeler means (815) under the matrix (81) for measuring the height (HCH) of the load (CH). 27 - Device according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the cutting means comprises at least one thermal cutting head or a fluid jet cutting head. 28 - Device according to any one of claims 13 to 27, characterized in that the discharge means comprises means (270, 85) for gripping and holding stationary an upper part of the packaging corresponding to said excess (EX) above said reduced height (HR) during cutting of said sides (11 to 14) of the package, and means (271, 272; 86, 87) for transferring the seized surplus (EX) cut from above from reduced packaging (1R) to a waste zone (BD). 29 - Device according to any one of claims 13 to 27, characterized in that the discharge means comprises a plate (35, 351, 352) which is located in a cutting plane parallel to the bottom (10) to said reduced height (RH) during cutting so as to gradually support the excess packaging (EX), and means (353, 354) for tilt said tray so that the excess (EX) slides by gravity to a waste zone (BD). 30 - Device according to any one of claims 13 to 27, characterized in that the discharge means comprises a plate (36, 361, 362) which is located in a cutting plane parallel to said bottom (10) to said reduced height (HR) and which is stationary relative to the cutting means (31, 41), and a means for pushing the excess packaging (EX) from the tray (36, 361, 362) towards a waste zone (BD). 31 - Device according to any one of claims 13 to 27, characterized in that the discharge means comprises a second cutting means (32, 52, 72) for cutting said excess packaging (EX) into at least two excess parts (EX1, EX2), and means (33, 53, 73) for deflecting or blowing said excess parts towards waste zones (BD1, BD2). 32 - Device according to claim 31, characterized in that the second cutting means is a circular saw (32, 52, 72) which rotates in a plane perpendicular to said bottom (10) between two opposite sides (11, 12; 13, 14) of the packaging and the periphery of which passes substantially through a cutting plane parallel to said bottom situated at said reduced height (HR). 33 - Device according to claim 31 or 32, characterized in that the means for deflecting comprises two divergent deflectors (33, 53) in the form of an arrow or brace located above a cutting plane parallel to said bottom (10) at said reduced height (HR), said arrow or brace having a point directed towards the package (1) to be cut. 34 - Device according to claim 31 or 32, characterized in that the means for deflecting comprises two divergent deflectors (73), each of the deflectors having two parts (731, 732) which are inclined relative to a cutting plane parallel to said bottom located at said reduced height (HR) and which form with said cutting plane a trihedron, one (731) of said inclined parts being oriented towards the package to be cut (1), and the other inclined parts (732) of deflectors being inclined towards opposite directions substantially perpendicular to a direction of mobility (TR) of the package (1) to be cut relative to the cutting means. 35 - Device according to any one of claims 13 to 34, characterized in that the discharge means comprises blowing means for pushing the excess (EX). 36 - Device according to any one of claims 13 to 35, characterized in that it comprises means (251 to 254; 30; 50; 60, 615-616; 70, 715-716) for moving the packaging to be cut (1) relative to the cutting means (261 to 264; 31; 41; 511-512; 611-612; 711-712) during cutting of the package. 37 - Device according to claim 36, characterized in that the means for moving comprises two pushers (223-224, 225-226), means (221, 222) for displacing said pushers substantially in opposition in order to enclose the packaging during the cutting thereof by the cutting means, and means (251 to 254) for relatively moving the cutting means relative to the packaging clamped during cutting. 38 - Device according to claim 36, characterized in that the means for moving comprises means (30, 301; 50, 501) for transporting the packaging (1) in a transport direction (TR) passing through the cutting means (31; 51) and keep the packaging parallel to the direction of transport during cutting. 39 - Device according to claim 36, characterized in that the means for moving comprises means (60; 70) for transporting the packaging in a direction of transport (TR) passing through the cutting means (611-612; 711- 712), and means (615, 616; 715, 716) for laterally guiding the package (1) parallel to the direction of transport (TR). 40 - Device according to claim 39, characterized in that the means for guiding comprises two jaws (615, 616; 715, 716) having faces which are opposite parallel to the direction of transport (TR) and in contact with sides parallel (11, 12; 13, 14) of the packaging and run parallel to the direction of transport. 41 - Device according to claim 39, characterized in that it comprises means (613, 614; 713, 714) for moving at least one of said jaws (615, 616; 715, 716) perpendicular to said direction of transport (TR) to the other jaw. 42 - Device according to any one of claims 13 to 41, characterized in that the measuring means is of one of the following types comprising at least one camera (CA), and / or a laser source, and / or an ultrasonic sensor and / or a feeler means (815) movable above the load.

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