EP1037843A1

EP1037843A1 - Method for cutting out streamers and implementing device

Info

Publication number: EP1037843A1
Application number: EP98962132A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Philippe Louis Gilbert Peron; Raymond Jacques Schlumpf
Original assignee: Spotising
Current assignee: Spotising
Priority date: 1997-12-09
Filing date: 1998-12-08
Publication date: 2000-09-27
Anticipated expiration: 2018-12-08
Also published as: DE69816117D1; ES2202921T3; BE1011594A3; AU1744199A; WO1999029606A1; ATE244190T1; EP1037843B1

Abstract

The invention concerns a method for cutting out streamers in strips, consisting in moving forward a streamer (2) step by step in a plane along a direction (F), cutting (5) out the streamer in parallel strips, transversely to the forward motion direction, unwinding an adhesive tape, and winding the cut out streamer strips, on one face of which the tape is glued. Said method further consists, after cutting out each strip, in transferring the latter in (7) at some distance from the streamer forward motion plane, and gluing the adhesive tape to the cut out strip, for said winding, said streamer forward motion by a step for cutting the next strip being carried out during said transfer, and optionally during said gluing.

Description

"Poster cutting process and device for its implementation"

The present invention relates to a method of cutting posters into strips, comprising - step-by-step advancement of a poster in a plane in a direction,

- cutting the poster into parallel strips, transverse to the direction of travel,

- An unwinding of an adhesive tape, and - a winding of cut poster strips, on one side of which adheres said tape, as well as to a device for implementing such a method.

A device is known which implements a device of this type (see patent FR-B-2631577). This device is designed to cut into strips posters for advertising panels with prisms rotating around vertical axes, which allow the support of 3 posters on the same panel.

This device comprises means for advancing step by step from the poster to the edge of which an adhesive tape is made to adhere. The poster edge is then cut out. After cutting, the cut strip, laminated with a ribbon, can then be transferred laterally and wound on a reel.

A similar device is also described in WO-A-

91/13424. Such a device is a first attempt to prepare the poster strips to stick on the prisms of advertising panels. However, it has the disadvantage of being relatively slow. It is necessary to wait until a cut out strip, provided with its adhesive tape, is completely ready to be able to spread it and advance the poster a new step.

In addition, the adhesive tape must, to be applied to the poster, be spread between two distant rolls of more than one poster width, that is to say over + 3 m. This causes problems because, as a result of temperature, humidity or static electricity problems, the adhesive tape tends to bend in cross section. Despite heating the adhesive tape, it does not remain stable.

The present invention aims to improve the device and the method as described at the beginning, in particular by increasing their rate and therefore their yield, by making operations simultaneous.

To solve this problem, provision is made, according to the invention, for a method of cutting posters as indicated at the beginning, further comprising

- after each cutting of a strip, a transfer of the strip away from the poster progress plan, and

- an adhesion between the adhesive tape and the cut strip, for said winding,

- Said advancement of the poster by one step to cut a next strip taking place during the aforementioned transfer of the strip which has just been cut, and possibly during the abovementioned adhesion.

This process thus allows advancement of the poster to be cut while the cut strip has not yet completely left the mechanism in which the posters are brought and cut. According to one embodiment of the invention, the transfer comprises a lowering of the strip cut in a plane parallel to the advancement plane of the poster, and a displacement of the strip thus lowered transversely to the direction of advancement of the poster. The cut strip is thus lowered by a certain distance below the advancement plane of the poster, freeing up the space required in advance for a new strip to be cut.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the adhesion between the unrolled adhesive tape and the cut strip takes place during the movement transverse to the direction of advancement of the poster. Here, the adhesion is made laterally, next to the frame which supports the means for advancing the poster, and the transfer of the cut strip therefore takes place particularly quickly.

Other embodiments of the method according to the invention are indicated in the appended claims.

There has also been provided according to the invention, a device for cutting posters, for implementing the method according to the invention, comprising means for advancing step by step a poster in a plane, in a direction, means for cutting the poster into parallel strips, transversely to the direction of advance, means for unwinding an adhesive tape, means for winding up the cut poster strips, on one face of which the said tape adheres, means for transferring each cut strip away from the advancement plane of the poster, and adhesion means for adhering the adhesive tape and the cut strip, transferred, for said winding, the means for advancing the poster advancing it by one step to cut a strip while the transfer means transfer a previously cut strip, and possibly while the adhesion means adhere the adhesive tape and this previously cut strip.

Other embodiments of the device according to the invention are indicated in the appended claims.

Other details and particularities of the invention will emerge from the description of nonlimiting exemplary embodiments of the invention, given below with reference to the appended drawings.

Figures 1 and 2 show a side view of a device according to the invention in two successive positions.

3 shows a sectional view along line III-III of Figure 1, in an intermediate position. FIG. 4 represents a view of the adhesion and winding means of an alternative embodiment of the device according to the invention.

In the various figures, identical or analogous elements are indicated by the same references. The installation shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 comprises means for advancing step by step of a poster in a plane, in the direction of the arrow F. In the example of embodiment illustrated, these means comprise lower conveyor belts 1 on the upper strands of which the poster sections 2 are placed, the image upwards, and are connected in a known manner by an operator. Advantageously, it is possible to envisage upper conveyor belts 3 which slide the poster section 2 to be cut onto a support table 4. The support table 4 is itself fixedly supported on a frame 8. At the front edge of the support table, the poster section is at the level of a knife 5, which in the example illustrated is represented schematically by a simple vertical line. This knife 5 can be any form of knife suitable for cutting sheets of paper, for example a blade or cutting wheel moved horizontally through the poster or a guillotine system passed vertically through the poster.

In a plane below the plane of the support table 4 is arranged a receiving table 6 whose upper wall 7 is parallel to the poster. As can be seen from FIG. 3, this table is a housing having an internal cavity 10 which is in communication via a conduit 9 with a source of vacuum not shown, which preferably operates continuously. The wall 7 is perforated, at least in part of its surface, and it therefore allows suction of the objects placed on this part having perforations.

A supply reel 11 of adhesive tape 12 is arranged on one side of the cutting device so as to unwind the tape transversely to the direction F of advancement of the poster. This ribbon. This tape can be formed of an adhesive support of any suitable material, for example paper, a synthetic material, such as polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, etc. and of an applied adhesive material. on this support, before or at the time of the passage of the ribbon in the device according to the invention. This tape is preferably a double-sided adhesive tape, one side of which is protected by a detachable covering strip. The ribbon 12 is unwound from the reel 11 towards the upper wall 7 of the receiving table 6 by means of a set of tension rollers 13, 13 ′ so that its face provided with a covering strip is arranged towards the bottom. The tape is perfectly applied flat against the wall 7 by the permanent suction created by the arrangement of the receiving table 6, and it presents upwards its adhesive side, not provided with a covering strip. Above the receiving table 6, one can observe, in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, a guide element 14. This guide element 14 is supported on an angle 15 connected to a piston rod 16 a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder 17. The cylinder 17 is supported on the chassis 8 by support blocks 18 and 19 between which is also arranged a sliding rod 20. The free end of the piston rod 16 is equipped with 'an eccentric ring 21 capable of sliding axially on the sliding rod 20, preventing rotation of the piston rod 16 about its axis, and therefore maintaining the horizontal wing of the angle 15 in its plane. On the side opposite the knife, the guide element 14 is slightly bevelled to receive the strip to be cut 22, which has just left the support table 4 and which is therefore overhanging. As the strip to be cut advances, it is straightened in a substantially horizontal plane.

The strip to be cut is then located below a vacuum housing 23 having a cavity 24 in communication, through the conduit 25, with a source of vacuum not shown. The bottom wall 26 of this housing is perforated. When a depression is created inside the cavity 24, the cut strip 22 can be sucked against the wall 26.

The housing 23 is supported on a fixed support 27 shown diagrammatically by means of, for example, a lever 28 represented by a dashed line. By an appropriate control, not shown, the lever 28 can be raised or lowered and drive the vacuum housing in rotation between a high position shown in Figure 1 and a low position shown in Figure 2. In Figure 3, the housing 23 is in the intermediate position.

The cutting device, as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, operates as follows. Poster sections 2 are interconnected on the conveyor belts 1 so as to form a complete poster. This is advanced in the direction of arrow F with a front edge corresponding to the height side of the poster. A poster height may for example be around 3 m, but this dimension is not critical for the invention. A drive motor, not shown, drives the conveyor belts 1 and 3 step by step, in a synchronized manner. The formed poster 2 also advances step by step, supported first on the strip 1 and then on the support table 4. Each step has a value equivalent to the width of the fins forming the prisms of the poster support provided for the poster to cut out. The pitch can for example be around 130 mm.

When the poster is advanced by one step, while its front edge is at the front edge of the support table 4, the cutting strip 22 is no longer supported and is overhanging, having tendency to hang slightly. As the pitch progresses, the front edge of the cutting strip 22 meets the bevel of the guide element 14 which is in the advanced position by the jack 17. The front edge is thus straightened so that the strip cut 22 is located near the perforated bottom wall 26 of the vacuum housing 23 which extends over the entire length of the strip 22. The latter is thus sucked up while it is cut by the knife 5. The cut strip remains suspended by suction from the housing 23.

The jack 17 then actuates a withdrawal of the piston rod 16 and therefore of the guide element 14, which allows an unobstructed lowering of the vacuum housing 23, under the action of control means not shown acting on the lever 28. At the end of the lowering of the housing 23, the various elements of the device are in the position shown in FIG. 2. In this position, the lower wall 26 of the vacuum housing 23 is applied to the reception table 6, and the strip has thus been transferred at a distance from the progress plan of the poster.

As shown in FIG. 3, the double-sided adhesive tape is unwound transversely on the receiving table 6 with an adhesive side up and an adhesive side protected by a covering strip down. The ribbon is applied flat on the face 7 of the table 6, by the permanent suction created through the perforations on this face.

When the vacuum housing 23 is in the low position, it therefore applies uniformly, on a completely flat adhesive tape, the poster strip already cut.

Control means not shown then interrupt the operation of the vacuum source which is in communication with the cavity of the vacuum housing 23. Then the vacuum housing is raised to its high position, without the poster strip cut out which has remained adhere to the adhesive tape. Simultaneously the guide element 14 is advanced by the jack 17.

As soon as these elements have returned to their initial position, shown in FIG. 1, the poster can be advanced a new step. During this time, the adhesive tape provided with the cut strip 31 is transferred laterally by a distance at least greater than the length of the cut strip, to be wound up in a reel 29, passing for example through a set of tension rollers 30, 30 '.

In this exemplary embodiment, the poster can therefore already be advanced by a following step, while the lateral displacement of the previously cut strip is not yet complete. This gives an increase in the rate of the device compared to the prior art.

FIG. 4 represents an improved variant embodiment of the cutting device according to the invention, in a view similar to FIG. 3. The means for advancing the poster, for cutting it into strips and for lowering the cut strips are identical to those represented in FIGS. 1 to 3 and therefore they have not not shown again in this figure 4, for reasons of ease of reading.

Here the reception table 32 can be a suction table similar to the reception table 6, the upper face 33 of which is parallel to the advancement plane of the poster. On this upper face can slide the upper strand of a perforated endless conveyor belt 34 which rotates around the two return rollers 35 and 36. One of these rollers is rotated by a motor not shown. Thanks to the perforations of the carpet 34 and to the evacuation of the table 32, the cut poster strip moves perfectly and at the same time as the carpet. In the embodiment according to FIG. 4, the means for unwinding the adhesive tape 37 are formed by a supply reel 38 and a set of deflection rollers 39 to 41 which bring the tape to the periphery of an adhesion roller 42.

The adhesion means comprise this adhesion roller 42 and a pressure roller 43 applied to the roller 42. Between these two rolls each strip of cut paper 47 and the adhesive tape 37 are brought and glued to each other.

The winding means comprise a receiving coil 44 on which the adhesive tape provided with successive cut poster strips 48 is wound, as well as a set of return rollers 45 and 46.

This device illustrated in FIG. 4 operates in the same way as the device illustrated in FIG. 3 with the important difference that there is no adhesion between the tape and the strip. cut at the end of the lowering thereof on the plane of the reception table 32.

As soon as the vacuum housing 23 begins its ascent to its high position, the endless belt transfers transversely, in the direction of arrow f, the cut strip. It is only during this lateral transfer that the cut strip is caused to adhere to the adhesive tape.

It follows that the cutting of the next poster strip can already take place during the step of joining the previous strip and that the movement of the vacuum housing 23 can be expected to be much faster, since this element does not plus the function of applying and sticking the cut strip on adhesive tape. A risk of bending of the adhesive tape in cross section over the short distance between the deflection roller 41 and the adhesion roller 42 is almost excluded.

It should be understood that the present invention is in no way limited to the embodiments and embodiments indicated above and that many modifications can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the appended claims. For example, it is necessary to understand adhesive tape in its broadest sense, the adhesion being able to be made not only by a binder, but also by means of attachment, for example of the Velcro type.

The control and drive means and the motors have not been shown because they are part of the knowledge of a person skilled in the art. One can easily imagine a synchronization of the different movements by a central computer.

One can also imagine on the device illustrated in Figure 4 that only the right part in the drawing of the table 32 has a suction. The endless conveyor belt 34 could be removed and the adhesive tape from the reel 38 could be fed in the center or in the left part of the table 32. This would allow partial adhesion of the cut strip, a drive of the latter in the direction f by the adhesive tape and the application of the latter over the entire strip during this drive.

Claims

1. Method for cutting posters into strips, comprising

- a step-by-step advancement of a poster in a plane following a direction,

- an unwinding of an adherent tape, and

- A winding of cut poster strips, on one side of which adheres said ribbon, characterized in that it further comprises

- an adhesion between the adhesive tape and the cut strip, for said winding,

- Said advancement of the poster by one step to cut a next strip taking place during the above transfer, and possibly during the above membership.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the transfer comprises a lowering of the strip cut in a plane parallel to the advancement plane of the poster, and a displacement of the strip thus lowered, transverse to the direction of advancement of the poster.

3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the adhesion between the unwound adhesive tape and the cut strip takes place during the movement transverse to the direction of advancement of the poster.

4. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the adhesion between the unwound adhesive tape and the cut strip takes place in said parallel plane in which the cut strip is lowered, before said transverse movement.

5. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that the adhesion comprises an application of the cut strip during lowering on the adhesive tape fed flat in the above parallel plane.

6. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises maintaining the strip to be cut in the advancement plane of the poster before and during cutting.

7. Device for cutting posters, for the implementation of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising means for advancing step by step (1, 3) of a poster (2) in a plane, in a direction (F), of means for cutting (5) the poster into parallel strips, transverse to the direction of advance, means of unwinding (11, 38) of an adhesive tape (12, 37 ), winding means (29, 44) of the cut poster strips (31, 48), on one face of which adheres said ribbon, transfer means (23, 27, 28; 11, 29; 38, 42 -44) of each strip cut away from the advancement plane of the poster, adhesion means (6, 23; 42, 43) for adhering the adhesive tape and the cut strip, transferred, for said winding , the advance means (1, 3) of the poster advancing it by one step to cut a strip while the transfer means (11, 29; 38, 42-44) transfer a preceeded strip how to cut, and possibly while the adhesion means (42, 43) adhere the adhesive tape and this previously cut strip.

8. Cutting device according to claim 7, characterized in that the transfer means comprise lowering means (23, 27, 28) of the strip cut in a plane parallel (7, 33) to the advancement plane of the poster (2) and displacement means (11, 29; 38, 42-44) capable of moving the lowered strip transversely to the direction of advance (F) of the poster.

9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the lowering means comprise a vacuum housing (23) capable of moving between a high position and a low position and comprising a flat wall (26) located above the cutting strip (22), in the high position of the housing and substantially in said parallel plane, in the low position, as well as control means (25, 27, 28) which drive the vacuum housing in its movement and which control a vacuum in a cavity (24) of the housing where openings provided in the flat wall (26) open, in its high position and during its downward movement, and interrupt this vacuum in the low position of the housing, and in that the advance means (1, 3) of the poster advance it one step, as soon as the housing (23) is in the high position.

10. Device according to either of claims 8 and 9, characterized in that said transverse displacement means comprise at least one conveyor belt (47) have an upper strand arranged in said parallel plane (33), and means for driving said at least one conveyor belt, which start the latter as soon as the vacuum housing (23) has left its low position and which stop it when the cut belt has been moved a distance from the less than its length.

11. Device according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that the abovementioned adhesion means comprise two rotary rollers (42, 43) applied one on the other, one of which receives on its periphery the adhesive tape (37) unwound by the unwinding means (38), and between which each cut strip (47), guided by the transfer means, is applied to the adhesive tape (37).

12. Device according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the adhesion means comprise placement means (6, 13 ', 30') of the adhesive tape unwound (12) in said plane parallel to the plane advancement of the poster and in that the lowering means (23) apply the cut strip on the adhesive tape thus placed.

13. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that the aforementioned placement means comprise a receiving table (6) in the form of a vacuum housing which is permanently under vacuum and which has a perforated upper wall (7) in said plane parallel, on which is sucked flat the adhesive tape from the unwinding means (11).

14. Device according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that the means for advancing the poster comprise at least one conveyor belt (1) which supports the poster to be cut (2) in said plane d advancing and advancing step by step towards the cutting means (5), the cutting strip (22) no longer being supported by the conveyor belt during the advancing step, and in that the device comprises an element guide (14) which guides the strip to be cut, during its advancement step, under the perforated wall (26) of the vacuum housing (23) and which is retractable at the end of the step advancement to allow the displacement of the vacuum housing (23) between its high position and its low position and vice versa.