EP0879763B1 - Arrangement of flat sample bags for their feeding for further treatment - Google Patents

Abstract

The system is used for handling sample bags. A discrete length of a chain (1) of bags is gripped, with a head (A) and tail (E) end, to be placed in a container (13). The head end is gripped, whatever the level of container contents, to pull out the chain of bags, to insert the head end into the onwards feed. The container is cube-shaped, and the discrete lengths of chains of bags are in a number of folded stacks next to or over each other.

Description

The invention relates to an arrangement of flat sample bags according to the preamble of the first independent Claim. The arrangement serves to feed the flat Sample bags for further processing.

Flat sample bags are to be understood to mean, for example, bags or from two pieces of a foil material that are welded on all sides a folded piece of this kind, welded on three sides and mostly with a liquid, pasty, granular or powdery content are filled, but also a solid, more or less flat object can contain. Such sample bags are usually made from two quasi-endless webs of a sheet-like material, the webs essentially continuously guided against each other and along their Longitudinal edges are welded together. At the same time, the railways welded crosswise at regular intervals and the resulting are Bag filled between the cross-sealing steps. It it is also possible to use only one sheet of a sheet-like material, the folded lengthways and their long edges on the opposite side of the fold Side are welded together. In both cases arises a strand of sample bags, which is then cut into individual sample bags becomes.

Flat sample bags of the type described above are often processed further, by stirring a continuous processing of other objects and be added to it in some way. The sample bag are inserted or glued into printed products, for example, or they packaging of other items is added or with printed matter put in envelopes.

For automated feeding of the sample bags described to one The sample bags are, for example, further processing with high performance filled in appropriate boxes in which they lie in the form of a Stack are ordered. In publication EP-0706967 (or US-5601396), the same applicant describes a method with which such upstream sample bags are manipulated. But it turns out that more Measures are necessary if feed speeds of 40,000 to 60,000 bags per hour should be reached, i.e. speeds, such as in the processing of printed products, into which the sample bags are to be glued, are common.

Such further measures are described in the publications EP-739822 proposed by the same applicant. These measures are based on the finding that the problems with handling sample bags very quickly occur due to the fact that the pouch is not a have a stable shape and are therefore difficult to grasp. It is mentioned in the Publication therefore suggested the shape of the sample bag to change in such a way that this is a more precisely defined and easier have a stackable shape.

It is also known that the sample bags are not made from each other during manufacture to separate and in the form of a sample bag strand for further processing supply. For this purpose, discrete lengths of a sample bag strand between manufacturing and further processing, for example, to form winding rolled up which coils for feeding on appropriate unwinding devices be positioned, or the sample bag strand becomes quasi fed on-line by transporting it to the feeder in hanging loops and in this form between production and further processing can also be buffered. Because with such methods the bags are not high feed rates can be achieved individually, but which are paid for with considerable additional equipment have to. Feeding methods in which strands are fed are, for example described in publications EP-0292891 (or US-4901935), and EP-0253959 (or US-4841714) by the same applicant.

EP-A2-0372688 describes a device for filling bags, which Device the empty bags are fed in the form of a string of bags. This The strand of bags is placed in a container by placing it between two bags folded folded stack-like is arranged.

The invention now has the task of an arrangement of filled, flat To create sample bags with which it should be possible to use the sample bags simplest equipment even with very high feed rates in one To supply further processing.

This problem is solved by the sample bag arrangement, as in the Claims is defined.

The basic idea of the method according to the invention is one each to accommodate the discrete length of a string of bags in a container in an orderly manner, that a head end of the strand is independent of the degree of filling at all times is tangible and that the strand by pulling on without further aids this head end in an orderly manner continuously pulled out of the container can be. So that the discrete strand lengths of several containers together connected and can be provided for a feed it is advantageous if the tail end of the strand is also in each container regardless of the degree of filling and without changing the strand arrangement in the Container is always at hand.

It turns out that with bag strands acting as a plurality of folding stacks or of folding-stack-like arrangements are arranged in a container, let the requirements listed above be met in the simplest way. Containers that are particularly suitable for this are, for example, cuboid Cardboard boxes.

A first container is placed in the area for feeding to processing positioned the feed point. Then the head of the strand pulled out of the container and fed into the feeder. This feed has guides and a drive with the help of which the string of bags is moved, and it has release agents, with the help of which the foremost Bag of the supplied strand of bags is separated from the strand (it can a group of bags can be separated and processed together). Guides and drive, for example, grip the long edges of the Bag strand.

To avoid an insertion process for inserting the head end everyone discrete length of strand into the feeder, the tail end becomes one Stranges, which for such a case, as already mentioned above, also in full container is still within easy reach for a continuation of the feed connected to the head end of the strand of a subsequent container. This process step can be done with the simplest of means (e.g. with adhesive tape), for example be done by hand at any time during feeding from the first container. In the same way created a series of containers, one of which is in front during processing empty containers are removed and reconnected to the full containers at the rear become.

The advantage of the method according to the invention over known methods, in which separate sample bags are processed in that it is not necessary in the method according to the invention, individual To take bags that eliminates that process step in which the not clearly defined shape of the bag is the feeding performance limited. The effort to classify the string of bags in the Containers are about as expensive as organizing separate ones Bags to stack.

The advantage of the method according to the invention over known feed methods, in which bag strands are fed is that according to the invention, except for the containers, which are preferably simple cardboard boxes are, no devices are necessary by which the method would become more expensive. For this reason, the method according to the invention without any adjustment for both a feeder to be highly complex Devices for high-performance processing as well as for feeders simplest devices with significantly lower processing power advantageous.

Figur 1

ein Strang von Musterbeuteln, wie er im erfindungsgemässen Verfahren zur Anwendung kommt;

Figur 2

ein Schema einer Einrichtung mit Zuführung von Musterbeuteln zur Erläuterung des Funktionsprinzips des erfindungsgemässen Verfahrens;

Figuren 3 und 4

zwei Behälter mit miteinander verbundenen Beutelsträngen, die in Form einer Mehrzahl von Faltstapeln im Behälter geordnet sind, als Draufsicht (Figur 3) und senkrecht, parallel zu den Faltstapeln geschnitten (Figur 4);

Figuren 5 bis 9

eine erste, beispielhafte Ausführungsform einer Faltstapel-Anordnung eines Beutelstranges in einem Behälter zur Anwendung im erfindungsgemässen Verfahren;

Figuren 10 und 11

eine weitere, beispielhafte Stranganordnung in einem Behälter;

Figuren 12 und 13

zwei weitere Stranganordnungen als Prinzipskizzen.

The method according to the invention will be described in more detail in connection with the following figures. Show:

Figure 1

a strand of sample bags as used in the method according to the invention;

Figure 2

a diagram of a device with supply of sample bags to explain the functional principle of the inventive method;

Figures 3 and 4

two containers with interconnected bag strands, which are arranged in the form of a plurality of folding stacks in the container, as a top view (FIG. 3) and cut perpendicular to the folding stacks (FIG. 4);

Figures 5 to 9

a first, exemplary embodiment of a folding stack arrangement of a strand of bags in a container for use in the inventive method;

Figures 10 and 11

another exemplary strand arrangement in a container;

Figures 12 and 13

two further strand arrangements as schematic diagrams.

FIG. 1 shows a bag strand 1 as it is handled in the method according to the invention. This strand is a flat tube divided by transverse welds 2 into individual bags 3. The individual bags created by the transverse welding are filled with any content, which content has a flat shape or can be brought into a flat shape. Such a bag strand 1 is fed to further processing, each bag to be processed being separated from the head end of the strand immediately before processing.

Figure 2 shows a plan view of a corresponding, very schematically illustrated device to explain the inventive method. The device has a processing station 10, for example a processing drum or a linear processing device, in which, for example, stapled, multi-sheet printed products are produced from printed partial products. The processing station is supplied with sample bags in the form of bag strands 1 at, for example, two feed points 11 and 12.

The two strands of bags 1 have the shape of a series of containers 13.1 to 13.3, each containing a discrete length of the bag string. The headboards A and the tail ends E of the discrete strand lengths protrude from the Containers. The head end A of the string of bags in the foremost container 13.1 the row is led into the processing station 10 and the tail end E each bag strand is with the head end A of the bag strand from the Subsequent container connected. The containers 13.1 to 13.3 are the same or (for example for regionalized production) with different Bags filled.

During processing, the two strands of bag that are fed are added With the help of guides and drives (not shown) in the processing stations promoted and from the first and then from the subsequent containers drawn.

The rows of containers 13.1 to 13.3, for example, are not on one shown conveyor belt, which after removing an empty Container 13 'is moved such that another container to the rear Row can be connected. Behind the rows of containers, which advantageously can consist of at least two or more containers, one Container distribution station 14 may be provided, for example with a hand crane is equipped and which is shown schematically with rings and arrows is. Full containers 13 are, for example, from pallets 15 in the distribution station loaded and fed to one of the rows of containers via the distribution station.

With a container content of 6,000 bags, for example, one size of 6 x 10cm and a weight of approx. 5g results in a container size of for example about 80x40x50cm and a container weight of about 30kg (plus weight of the empty container), a container with the simplest Funds is manageable.

With a feed rate of, for example, 40,000 bags per hour a container as described above is sufficient for 9 minutes. This means, that in the device shown in Figure 2, in that of three feeders two are in operation, on average between 13 and 14 per hour Containers connected to the rows and as many empty containers from the Rows need to be removed. This represents a workload that can be comfortably handled by one person.

Figures 3 and 4 show two rectangular containers 13, which are filled with a bag strand 1 in the form of a folded stack (six folded stacks arranged next to one another) and are connected to one another by a row of containers by connecting the tail end E of the strand in one container to the head end A of the strand in the other container , Figure 3 shows the containers from a bird's eye view, Figure 4 cut perpendicular to the folding stacks.

FIGS. 5 to 9 show in more detail how the plurality of folding stacks, as has already been shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, is advantageously arranged in a container 13.

Figure 5 shows the filled container from a bird's eye view. The bag strand 1 forms six collapsible stacks 20 to 25 arranged next to each other the top layer of the stack 20 connects the head end A of the strand that is shown in a folded-out state from the container. The Tail end E of the strand connects to the lowest layer of the folding stack 25 is pulled up laterally from this folded stack at point 30 in the container and also shown in the folded state from the container. Between the bottom layer of each stack and the top layer of the next stack the strand forms a connecting loop V. These loops V are at positions 31, next to the stacks in the container, and lie down loose on the folded stacks or, as shown in Figure 5, from the Container folded.

FIG. 5 shows the container 13 in a state in which it is for a Connection with other containers in a row of containers can. For this purpose, the container does not have a lid and is the two Strand ends A and E and the connecting loops V from the container collapsed.

Figures 6 to 9 show the container 13 of Figure 5 cut vertically according to the cutting lines entered in FIG. 5. Figure 6 shows the folding stack 20 and the head end A of the strand folded out of the container 13. FIG. 7 shows the folded stack 25 with the folded out of the container Tail end E of the strand and also unfolded connecting loop V. Figure 8 shows the same section as Figure 7, but with the tail end E and the connecting loop V lie on the folding stack and the Container 13 is closed with a lid 16. In this state the Containers, for example, transported and stored.

Figure 9 shows the container 13 of Figure 5 cut perpendicular to the folding stacks. To prevent the string of bags from being pulled out the container or from one of the folded stacks that moved by pulling out Area of the strand in conflict with the layers of the neighboring pile comes, there are partition walls 17 in the container according to FIG. 9 between the folding stacks arranged. These partitions can be simple pieces of cardboard.

An arrangement of a discrete length of a strand of bags 1 in a container 13, as illustrated by FIGS. 5 to 9, can be simply from Be created by hand, starting with the tail end E of the strand becomes. The tail end E is located at point 30 (FIG. 5) over the container wall hung and the strand at this point on the bottom of the container out from where the folding stack 25 is built.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show a further variant of an arrangement of a bag strand in a cuboid container for use in the method according to the invention. The strand is again folded like a folding stack, but here not to form upright folding stacks but to form layers, each of which covers the plan of the container. The strand of bags fills the container in the form of layers of this type, each covering the entire surface. FIG. 10 shows a top view of an uppermost layer of this type, which is connected to the top end A of the strand at the front left. Diagonally opposite is also the tail end E of the strand, which is pulled up from the container bottom at this point. Figure 11 shows the container cut vertically section line XI-XI in Figure X).

FIGS. 12 and 13 show, as schematic diagrams, two further variants of arrangements of a bag strand in a container. In each of the two figures, two adjacent folding stacks, that is to say one on top of the other or one next to one another in the container, are shown, with a view of a longitudinal edge of the strand of bags, which is represented by a simple line. In both cases, the layers of the adjacent folding stacks are arranged perpendicular to one another (the embodiment according to FIGS. 5 to 9 shows parallel layers in neighboring folding stacks). With such an arrangement it can be largely prevented that the strand region moved by the pulling out comes into conflict with the adjacent stack, as a result of which an orderly dismantling of the stack is achieved even without partition walls.

The folding stacks of FIG. 12 are parallel to the container walls or container bottom, the folding stack of Figure 13 arranged diagonally.

It may be advantageous for the dismantling of arrangements according to FIGS. 12 and 13 be to hold the container in an inclined position such that the stacks to be dismantled later or layers of stacks compared to those to be dismantled earlier lie lower.

Of course, the size and shape of the containers can be varied as required the arrangements of the bag string can also be different be combined.

Claims (3)

1. Arrangement of a discreet length of a web (1) of flat, filled sample bags (3) in a container (13) the arrangement serving for feeding the sample bags (3) into further processing, wherein the web of sample bags is fed into the processing and each sample bag or group of sample bags is separated from the web of bags directly before being processed, in which arrangement the web of bags is folded in the manner of a folded stack and a head-end (A) and tail-end (B) of the discrete length of the folded web (1) are grippable in independence of the fullness of the container (13) and the web (1) is removable from the container by pulling drawing on its head-end (A) characterized in that the discrete length of the web (1) of bags is arranged as a plurality of folded stacks (20 to 25) or of layers arranged in the manner of a folded stack, wherein the folded stacks are arranged in an adjacent or superposed manner and wherein layers of adjacent folded stacks are orientated to be in parallel or perpendicular to each other.
2. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that between adjacent folded stacks separating walls are provided.
3. Arrangement according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that between adjacent folded stacks connection loops (V) are provided which lie on the folded stacks and are foldable to the outside of the container.

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