EP0741096B1 - Transporting device for metallized webs - Google Patents

Abstract

The system consists of a plate press (14) with clamp bars (20) driven by lateral chains (22) to transport the sheet material (1). A support (32) for metallised strip feed rollers. Guide rollers (45,50,51,52) guide the stripe between the press plates. The machine also has parallel advancing rollers (40) grouped directly after the plate press (14) and just above the sheet material transport plane. The machine's frame (10) has at least one port in a side wall above the level of the advancing rollers.

Description

The invention relates to a tape transport device metallized in a metallized image transfer machine on plate elements, such as sheets of cardboard, paper, material plastic, etc. The invention relates more particularly to a machine comprising a platen press between which the sheet is brought, for printing thereon, according to given patterns, of a metallized film from a strip led between this sheet and one of the plates.

Such a printing machine usually comprises first an introduction station in which a stack of sheets is installed, each sheet being successively removed from the top of the pile to be sent to a margin table. On this table, each sheet is put in position against front and side cleats before being caught on its edge front by a series of clamps mounted along a crossbar, of which each end is attached to a side chain train carrying the bar, therefore the sheet, in the following treatment stations. The processing stations can be one or more platen presses printing, possibly followed by a platen cutting press then followed by a waste ejection station. These treatment stations are finally followed by a receiving station in which each sheet released by the clamps falls squarely on top of an accumulating pile on an output pallet.

An independent device for transporting metallic strips parallel comprises successively a support of supply coils of bands, means of intermittent unwinding and advancing of the bands, guide means for guiding these strips parallel to the direction of scrolling of the sheets between the plates, then guide in clearance around of one of the press plates, a tensioning mechanism to put under tension these bands at least along their trajectory between the plates, and a device for discharging used tapes from the machine, usually through a side window. Metallic bands having identical intermittent frame speed go through the same means of advancement and unwinding, while the bands having a speed different go through second, even third, means of unfolding and split in advance, the tensioning mechanism being adjusted, in this case, by function of the highest speed.

Small reels of metallic strips are attached each on an associated lever, these levers being mounted on horizontal crosspieces. The levers can be moved transversely and can be stopped by a desired position by means of fixing screws. Each coil is fixed on its lever by means of a mandrel extendable in diameter and having a adjustable braking system allowing more or less free movement Of the band. Wide coils are held by rigid shafts transverse, the ends of which rest in seats provided with on either side against the lateral internal walls of the machine frame.

Starting from its coil, a metallic strip then passes over part of the circumference of an unwinding and advancing roller intermittent, against which it is more or less strongly pinched to ensure its advance by means of a roller pressed by a spring. The support of roller is also movable transversely along a cross in depending on the position of the strip. There are at least as many pebbles of pressure that there are bands passing on the feed roller. For the wide belt transport, preferably several pressure rollers are used per band. In addition, there may be several feed rollers, one for each desired intermittent frame rate. From the roller in advance, the parallel bands are then guided between the box springs and then around the upper box spring by means of several guide rollers and of reference.

The strip having described a trajectory in the shape of a lying U around the upper bed base is then taken up by a tension roller continuously driven at a speed significantly higher than the speed tape advance. This strip is also more or less pinched strongly against this roller by at least one pressure roller whose pressure is adjustable. The support of this roller can also slide along a cross, and be fixed in the desired position by a locking screw. For a wide strip, preferably several rollers are used.

Leaving this tension roller, the band finally performs a right angle around a crossbar towards a side window of the machine frame where it is ejected by two rotating brushes to fall into a bin or bag. Preferably knives located close of the tension roller cut the strip longitudinally into several strips. For considerations of space, the foundations of the axes crossing large coils and / or graduated sleepers carrying small reels, as well as the intermittent unwinding and advancing rolls of bands, are located in the upper part of the station following the press with plate. The tensioner roller and the deflection bars are often located above the platen press, slightly downstream.

A similar device is described in the document US-A-3,770,175 which specifically presents an invention intended to provide a device for transporting metallic strips enabling deposit a metallized film according to patterns given on a material in leaves worked in a press. This device wants to be able to provide perfect results both during “flat” work and during work embossing while ensuring rational exploitation of surfaces available on metallic bands. To this end, this device comprises at minus a metallic strip reel support, means for tape unwinding and advance, driven to unwind the tape by intermittently, means for guiding the strip unwound around one press bed bases, and a tensioning mechanism to put under tension the strip at least along its trajectory between the plates.

Difficult access, usually through the ceiling, to the different parts of the machine, such as the tension roller or the pressure rollers, makes the replacement of tapes during production or the change tape configuration from one production to another particularly tedious, which increases the idle time of the machine and the risk of accident.

The object of the present invention is a device for transporting bands arranged in such a way as to allow the bands to be put in place and / or effective interventions, that is to say easy, quick and safe, and at all strategic points along their route. The design of component parts of this device should be kept as simple as possible to better reliability over time and a reasonable cost of production, everything taking into account ergonomic considerations facilitating their operation and that of the bands.

These goals are achieved through a device in which the parallel feed rollers are grouped directly downstream of the press platinum and little above the leaf transport plane, and the fact that at at least one window is provided in at least one of the side walls of the machine frame above this group of feed rollers.

According to a preferred embodiment, the feed rollers are arranged in a parallel plane and one behind the other with respect to the plane and in the sense of advance of the leaves.

Advantageously, the lower edge of the window is located little above the plane of the feed rollers, and the upper edge is at least above the tension roller installed above the downstream edge of the press and close to the upstream upright of the window, or the coils installed in the upper downstream part of the machine, for example in the station next and close to the downstream amount of the window.

Thus, the grouping of the feed rollers in a plane horizontal near the press, and the opening of a window at this level, makes these rollers and their associated rollers particularly accessible. A operator standing in the window frame can easily pull the strips coils arriving on the downstream side, pass them on the roller in advance concerned by leaning towards the lower edge, then in the press. Once the bands are wrapped around the upper base of the press, the operator can easily recover them at the upstream amount for pass around the tension roller. The establishment of supports for different rollers then their implementation is fast due to their accessibility.

Usefully, the departure and arrival of the return loop of the train chains returning the gripper bars from the downstream part of the machine to the upstream part is done with an angle of incidence greater than 45 degrees, by example 60 degrees, so that the chain train passes over the upper edge of the window.

Advantageously, the intermittent drive of each roller in advance is effected by an associated electric motor mounted immediately under the roller against one of the downstream walls of the machine frame, this motor being connected directly by a belt to a drive wheel mounted in the corresponding end of the roller.

Usually, the feed roller roller support comprises a carriage sliding along a crossmember on which it can be fixed in one any point, a lever mounted on the carriage for pivoting in a first end and carrying in its middle part the roller, as well as a spring acting between the carriage and the second end of the lever to push this roller against the feed roller opposite. According to a preferred embodiment, the support further comprises a hook which can be advanced or retracted by a handle, this hook being intended to grip the second end of the lever and pull the roller out of the roller against the compression of the spring. We can thus quickly implement or deactivate a given roller.

Advantageously, the support slides freely along a first cross member and can be wedged against a second cross member parallel to the first by means of a hook which can be advanced to pass behind the second cross member then retracted for tightening, by action on a handle. It does not matter if the first support beam is inaccessible, therefore that the hook and the second cross are. Preferably, the first crosspiece, of circular section, crosses the carriage in its lower part, and the second cross member, of rectangular section, is engaged in a notch formed in the upper part of the carriage, the height of this notch being a little higher than that of the second crosspiece. When the hook of setting is released, the carriage falls slightly in pivoting while being retained by the underside of the notch abutting the face bottom of the second crosspiece. By manually lifting this carriage, can slide it along the first cross very easily, in particular by its circular section which avoids any jamming.

Preferably, the hook at the end of the lever and the timing hook against the second crosspiece are the same hook mounted on a movable pin rotating on the carriage.

Usefully, the tension roller roller support and a support knife blade have a trapezoidal passage in correspondence with a cross member of identical section, so that the screws fixing and adjustment knob for the support force of the roller or the position of the knife must be on a predetermined side, for example in direction of the amount of the access window.

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique en coupe longitudinale de l'implantation du dispositif de transport de bandes selon l'invention au sein d'une machine de transfert d'images métallisées,
• la figure 2 est une vue en perspective d'un support de galet de rouleau d'avance spécialement conçu pour le dispositif selon la figure 1,
• la figure 3 est une vue en perspective d'un support de galet de rouleau tendeur spécialement conçu pour le dispositif selon la figure 1, et
• la figure 4 est une vue en perspective d'un support de couteau spécialement conçu pour le dispositif selon la figure 1.

The invention will be better understood from the study of an embodiment taken without any limitation being implied and illustrated in the appended figures in which:

• FIG. 1 is a schematic view in longitudinal section of the installation of the tape transport device according to the invention within a machine for transferring metallized images,
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a feed roller roller support specially designed for the device according to FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a tension roller roller support specially designed for the device according to FIG. 1, and
• FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a knife support specially designed for the device according to FIG. 1.

In Figure 1 is illustrated a transfer machine 10 comprising a platen press 14 comprising an upper base on the underside of which are fixed plates, as well as a lower base vertically movable and on the upper face of which are fixed cons-shots. Clamp bars 20 each pinch the front edge of a sheet 1 previously teased in a margin table not shown located upstream of the platen press 14, ie on the right side of the drawing. These gripper bars 20 take each sheet first under the platen press 14, then in the last station called "receiving station" 12 in which the leaves are released properly squared on top of a pile of exit.

These clamp bars 20 are held on each side by a pair of chain trains 22, each chain train traversing a loop along the inner face of the side wall in correspondence with the machine 10. More precisely, these gripper bars carry out a forward journey in a horizontal passage plane, and that of an upstream drive wheel 26 to a downstream return wheel 24, then a return path guided by casters 28 in the upper part of the machine allowing to bring back these gripper bars at the upstream drive wheel 26 ready to enter a new sheet 1.

More particularly according to the invention, the return journey of the train of chains 22 forms a fairly high loop in order to pass over a side window 16 formed substantially in the middle of the upper half of each side wall of the machine. As illustrated, this loop of back, in the shape of a turtle shell, has an angle very important incidence at the start close to the return wheel 24 and is at the close arrival of the drive wheel 26, an angle greater than 45 degrees and rather of the order of 60 degrees. More specifically, the edge bottom of window 16 is roughly level with the size of a operator and the upper edge is located substantially at the level of his head, the width of this window being slightly greater than that of the shoulders. This transfer machine is specially designed to allow the deposit of special pigments, such as metallic pigments, from a strip 37 unwound from a reel 30. This tape is advanced sequentially by rollers 40, then guided between the sheet 1 and the upper base of the press 14 by deflection rollers and guide 45-50, then recirculated by rollers 51-52 to a roller energized 60 before being evacuated laterally by passing around deflection bars 70.

Preferably according to the invention, the supply coils 30 are arranged in the upper part of the last station of the machine, know the receiving station 12, in particular between the start of the return journey of the chain train 22 and the downstream amount of the window 16. In particular, the support pins of these coils 30 are held on both sides by a pair loading arms 32 parallel and identical, each being movable about an axis of rotation 34 in a plane parallel to the internal face of the side wall of the machine. So, by a rotation of the order of 130 degrees downstream, either counterclockwise as shown in the figure, these loading arms can bring these coils to outside the downstream side of the machine passing through a window 18 composed of vertical telescopic plates raised upwards. For ce, the axis 34 of one of the loading arms 32 is integral with a wheel can be driven by a device 36 comprising an electric motor and a double train of chains, one connecting the engine to a wheel and pinion reduction gears, the other connecting the intermediate gear to the arm wheel 34.

The metallized strips 37 intended to be consumed at a identical rhythm are directed towards the same roll of unwinding and in advance 40 belonging to a triplet of which each of the other rollers can print a lead at a different rate to other tapes. More particularly according to the invention, this triplet of parallel rollers in them is grouped in a horizontal plane, one behind the other, this plane being located little above the sheet passage plane 1 with which it is parallel. In addition, this plane of rollers 40 is located directly at the outlet of the press. with plate 14 and slightly below the lower edge of the side window 16. The first advantage of this original arrangement is that these rollers 40 are directly accessible from above by simply leaning through the side window 16. Another advantage is that it is possible to have a group of three electric motors 43 respectively driving each roller 40 by means of a chain or belt 39 engaged with a wheel drive 41 secured to the end of the corresponding roller, this group being arranged along a horizontal line located just below the plane for the passage of the sheets 1 and between the platen press 14 and the station reception 12. We can then take advantage of the use of electric motors "brushless" which have a very precise step-by-step advance.

Another advantage of this arrangement of the rollers 40 under the window 16 just downstream from the platen press 14 is the use of supports particular support rollers 42 better visible in perspective in FIG. 2. According to the invention, each support is based on a carriage 46 sliding on a first circular support cross member 47 on which it is engaged by a circular orifice 146 formed in its lower part. This sliding takes place along a second rectangular crosspiece 48 engaged in a notch 145 with a double flat formed in the upper upstream corner of the carriage. The dimensions of this carriage 46 are such that the lower flat horizontal is 1 to 3 millimeters apart from the underside of the sleeper 48, the vertical upper flat being in correspondence with the face vertical downstream of this same cross. The lower downstream edge of this carriage 46 carries a lever 44 composed of two side plates held, in their part lower, by an axis of rotation 143 of the carriage, these plates being joined in their upper part by a crosspiece 142. The middle parts of these side plates of levers 44 hold between them the axis of rotation of the roller 42. Furthermore, the cross-member 142 constitutes a stop for the first ends of a pair of thrust springs 140 of which the others ends bear against the upper part of the carriage 46, these springs thus pushing the roller 42 in abutment against the unwinding cylinder and in advance 40 located opposite.

More particularly according to the invention, the upper face of the carriage 46 is completed with a journal 148 movable in rotation in a plane horizontal, this pin carrying a hook 49 which can be advanced or moved back resiliently by action on a handle 149.

This hook first makes it possible to lock the carriage 46 in one desired position along the first crosspiece 47 by tightening the vertical face of the notch 145 against the second crosspiece 48. For this, and as illustrated in FIG. 2, this hook 49 is passed from behind the downstream vertical face of this crosspiece 48 then tightened by folding the handle 149 over the hook.

This same hook 49 then makes it possible to deactivate the roller 42 by pulling the cross member 142 towards the carriage body 46 against the compression of the springs 140. For this, the hook 49 in the extended position is engaged in a hooking groove 144 formed in the cross member 142 which it pulls after folding of the handle 149. At this time, this carriage 46 rocks slightly forward until the lower flat of notch 145 comes into contact with the crosspiece 48. An operator passing the arm through side window 16 can then easily manually enter the carriage 46 to, after having raised it slightly, slide it freely along the circular cross member 47 in an unused position or in a new position position of use. In the latter case, the operator need only raise the handle 149 to release the hook 49 out of the groove 144, turn this half-turn hook to re-engage it behind cross-member 48 and fold down the handle 149.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the deflection and guide 45, 50, 51 and 52 return the metallic strip 37 to the roller tensioner 60 located, with its corresponding support rollers 64, close to the upper part of the upstream upright of the side window 16. Like micux illustrated in Figure 3, the support roller 64 is mounted at the lower end a lever 65 itself rotatably mounted in its upper part to a carriage support 66 fixed on a cross member 68. This lever is pushed back by a means internal elastic, such as a spring, the position of the stopper within the body 66 is adjustable by means of a dial 167 to modify the force support. This support carriage 66 is fixed in a predetermined position on along the cross-member 68 by a latch 166 tightened by means of a fixing screw ending with a handle 67.

More particularly according to the invention, the cross section of the cross member 68 and the corresponding internal passage 168 of the carriage 66 is not symmetrical, namely trapezoidal, to impose a mounting direction of these trolleys, in particular so that the handle 67 and the adjustment wheel 167 are directed towards the side window 16.

In parallel with the roller 64, can also be mounted on this same cross member 68 of knife blades 178 making it possible to split longitudinally the metallized strips 37 before ejection out of the machine. As illustrated in Figure 4, the knife blade holder includes a carriage 170 having an internal housing 172 for the blade whose vertical position can be fixed with a clamping screw ending by a wheel 174 sliding along a groove of the housing. As previously, this carriage 170 can be fixed in a predetermined position by tightening a latch 176 by means of a fixing screw and handle 67. The passage 168 of the carriage 170 in which the cross member 68 passes is also trapezoidal to obligatorily orient the handle 67 and the wheel 174 of the side of side window 16.

As we have seen from this presentation, the arrangement of the unwinding and advancing rollers 40 in a plane above the sheet passage plane directly at the exit of the plate 14, as well as the opening of side windows 16 just above these rollers in advance, causing the arrangement close to the upstream amount of this same window of the tensioner roller 60, allows remarkable accessibility to all the strategic points of this tape transport device, therefore a easy and rapid implementation thereof.

Preferably, the supply coils are arranged in the upper part of the last station of machine 10, namely the station 12, to allow them to be loaded through a window 18 formed in the downstream face of the machine. The presence of these windows lateral 16 allows, by leaning against the downstream upright, to pull very easily the strips 37 out of their reel, at most using a gripping cane to pass beyond an intermediate station possible. The systematic orientation towards window 16 of the handles clamping roller carriages 42 of feed rollers or 64 of rollers tensioners make the operator's work easier, thus significantly reducing machine downtime.

Many improvements can be made to this tape transport device within the scope of the claims.

Claims (10)

1. Metallized belt transport device (37) in a machine (10) for transferring metallized images onto sheet elements, such as sheets of cardboard, of paper, of plastic material, said machine (10) comprising a platen press (14) having an upper fixed platen and a lower movable platen, between which platens the cardboard sheet is led so that a metallized film coming from a belt (37) conducted between said sheet and one of the platens of the platen press (14) can be printed onto the sheet according to given patterns, the sheets (1) being moved by gripper bars (20) being driven by lateral chain trains (22), said device successively comprising a belt supply spool (30) support (32), advance rollers (40) for the intermittent unrolling and advance of the belts, guide rollers (45, 50, 51, 52) for guiding said belts (37) between the platens and then guiding them in a disengaged state around one of the platens of the press, a tension roller (60) for placing the belts under tension and a device (70) for the removal of the worn belts from the machine, characterized in that the advance rollers (40) are grouped directly downstream from the platen press (14) and slightly above the transport plane of the sheets (1), and in that at least one window (16) is provided in at least one of the lateral walls of the frame (10) of the machine above said groupe of advance rollers (40).
2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the advance rollers (40) are arranged one after the other in a plane parallel to the transport plane of the sheets (1).
3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the lower edge of the window (16) is situated slightly above the plane of the advance rollers (40), and the upper edge is situated at least above the tension roller (60) installed above the downstream edge of the press (14) and close to the upstream vertical edge of the window, or above the spools (30) installed in the upper downstream part of the machine in the following station and close to the downstream vertical edge of the window.
4. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the start and the arrival of the return bend of the chain train (22) that send the gripper bars (20) from the downstream part of the machine toward the upstream part form an angle of incidence greater than 45°.
5. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the intermittent driving of each advance roller (40) is obtained by an associated electric motor (43) mounted under the roller against one of the downstream walls of the frame (10) of the machine, said motor being connected by a belt (39) to a driving wheel (41) mounted at the corresponding end of the advance roller (40).
6. Support of the idler (42) of the advance roller (40) for a metallized belt transport device according to any of the preceding claims, said support comprising a carriage (46) which slides along a crossbar (47), on which it can be fixed at any point, a lever (44) being pivotally mounted (143) on the carriage at a first end and carrying in its central part the idler (42), as well as a spring (140) acting between the carriage (46) and the second end of the lever (44) in order to urge said idler against the advance roller facing it, characterized in that the support also comprises a hook (49) which can be advanced or drawn back by a handle (149), said hook being provided in order to grasp the second end (144) of the lever and pull the idler (42) away from the roller (40), against the compression of the spring (140).
7. Advance roller idler support according to claim 6, characterized in that the carriage (46) slides freely along a first crossbar (47) and can be fixed against a second crossbar (48) extending parallel to the first crossbar by means of a hook (49) which, by means of a handle (149), can be advanced so as to pass behind the second crossbar, then drawn back for clamping.
8. Advance roller idler support according to claim 6, characterized in that the first crossbar (47), having a circular cross section, traverses the carriage (46) in its lower part,and the second crossbar (48), having a rectangular section, is engaged in a notch (145) provided in the upper part of the carriage, with the height of the notch being slightly greater than that of the second crossbar.
9. Advance roller idler support according to claim 7, characterized in that the grasping hook (49) at the end of the lever and the hook for fixing against the second crossbar (48) are one and the same hook (49) mounted by a rotatable mobile journal (148) on the carriage (46).
10. Support (65, 66) for the idler (64) for the tension roller, or support (170) for the cutting blade (178), for a belt transport device according to any of claims 1 to 5, said support (65, 66; 170) present a trapezoidal passage (168) that corresponds with a support crossbar (68) having an identical cross section, so that fixing screws (67) and control knob (167; 174) for the force of the support of the idler (64), respectively the position of the cutter (178), are on a same predetermined side.

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