Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B23/00—Packaging fragile or shock-sensitive articles other than bottles; Unpacking eggs
  • B65B23/20—Packaging plate glass, tiles, or shingles
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B11/00—Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
  • B65B11/02—Wrapping articles or quantities of material, without changing their position during the wrapping operation, e.g. in moulds with hinged folders
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B11/00—Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
  • B65B11/54—Wrapping by causing the wrapper to embrace one end and all sides of the contents, and closing the wrapper onto the opposite end by forming regular or irregular pleats

Definitions

• the present packaging, transport and unloading procedure and machine for slats and the like, object of the present invention is based on a series of mechanisms that take the ready-made package, package it in cardboard, transport it to the chosen place and unload it, depositing it in pre-existing containers located strategically on the ground, without need for the intervention of workers, with just several buttons for controlling the apparatus, but automatically, without any physical effort.
• This machine consists of a cart which outlines and cuts out sheets of cardboard to an exact fit, so that later it is unloaded into a kind of cradle of the cardboard mould in which the machine (which it is associated with) deposits its final product.
• This product is automatically packaged by the present machine.
• a traction system situated at the end of the outliner makes the cardboard extend along the cradle arms, pushing it to the desired fit, regulated by a sensor, and activates the cutting mechanism.
• the stretch of the base on which the corresponding cardboard outliner and cutter sections can be divided from the rest of the base of the machine in order to facilitate its transport, although it will still hold all of its parts.
• the cardboard outliner section which includes a motor that moves a cart with a blade for cutting the cardboard, can be modified so that there are two blades crossways to the cardboard, of equal or longer length than the width of the same.
• the blade located on the bottom part of the cardboard is fixed and the top one is activated by pneumatic cylinders that on descending cut the cardboard, and also by the action of other small blades activated by the same pneumatic mechanism they make other cuts in order to facilitate the packaging of the ends of the package.
• the cutting section also has a turning pin that makes the cardboard advance, before and after passing through the cutting blades. In this way the supply of cardboard is not interrupted after each cut.
• glue can be applied by way of small drums located on the cradle arms in order to seal the ends of the package, although the machine also includes a glue supply assembly located on the upper part of the machine in order to pressure apply thermoplastic glue to the cardboard flaps of the packages.
• glue supply assembly located on the upper part of the machine in order to pressure apply thermoplastic glue to the cardboard flaps of the packages.
• the transport system can consist of threaded pins pushed by a motor or by a series of high powered pneumatic cylinders that bring about both horizontal movement of the platform and unloading the package lifter.
• the location where the package has to be unloaded within the container is determined by capacitive sensors situated on the bottom of the package lifter.
• the bottom of the platform which holds both the headstock and the package lifter includes dovetail guides, so that the whole assembly slides smoothly.
• the machine of the invention can store packages in a container, and it can also store them in several containers. In the latter case they should be put in lengthways, following the line of the first. When the machine detects that the first container is full, it automatically directs itself towards the second one, and so forth. This multiple storage gives the machine much greater autonomy.
• the machine can wrap packages proceeding from a single slat producing machine.
• a variation of this machine facilitates wrapping packages proceeding from several slat producing machines.
• the necessary extensions for this variation of the wrapping machine to work with two slat producing machines situated in parallel are the following:
• the last cradle arm can also move to modify its position.
• the machine can wrap packages of different lengths, for which the positioning system consists of a set of two threaded pins that by twisting transmitted from one pin to the other by way of pulleys and a notched belt, the arm moves; one of the threaded pins holds a steering wheel for manual use.
• the machine is totally automatic, and the functioning sequence of all of its sections is controlled by a programmable automaton.
• the control panel also includes a selector with two positions: manual / automatic. With the selector in manual position, the machine can be run step by step, when the selector is in automatic position, the automaton takes command of all of the operations of the machine.
• the machine Starting from when said package has been sealed, the machine moves along rails while elevating the package in order to avoid the arms that containers used for storing and transporting this merchandise usually have.
• the machine Upon arriving at the height of the container, the machine with a transport system that situates the package in the centre of the container lowers until, by way of a pass photocell, it detects the location of the last package stored, or otherwise to the bottom of the container and unloads said package into it, after which the machine returns to the position for new packaging and totally automatic transport.
• this machine only needs one operator in charge of controlling the system, all other weighty tasks being carried out by the machine, so that considerable physical effort is avoided, gaining in work related health, comfort, etc., while this operator is able to examine the recently finished product that has been manufactured, thus facilitating greater quality control for these products, and longer shifts since the tasks done at work are much less strenuous.
• FIG. 1 Schematic overview of the base (1) on which all of the sections are assembled.
• Figure 3 Schematic view of the container arms of the roll of cardboard and of the barrier of outlining pins of the cardboard outlining section.
• Figure 5. Plan view of the cardboard cutting section.
• Figure 6. Schematic view of the package lifting section.
• Figure 7. Schematic view of the transporter section situated on the package lifting platform.
• Figure 8. Packaging and package lifting section, profile view.
• Figure 9. Package mover and depositor section, profile view.
• Figure 10. Package mover and depositor section, profile view, with the lifting section in elevated position.
• Figure 12. View of figure 11 in position lowered over container.
• Figure 13 Schematic profile view where the transport section is seen in elevated position and the cart at the end of the threaded pin on which it circulates.
• Figure 14 Schematic profile view of figure 13 in lowered position.
• Figure 15. Schematic profile view of figure 14 in cart position at the end of the pin where the package is deposited.
• Figure 16. Profile view of the machine, once the package has been wrapped, with the transport section in higher position and the translation cylinder (46) totally contracted, or in other words, in rest position.
• the main components that can be observed are the following: base (1), cradle arm (2), package (6), threaded rod (19), container (25), hinge (29), lengthways packaging cylinders (27), package pick-up fork (30), backing bar (35), lateral packaging cylinders (43), headstock (44), platform (45), translation cylinder (46) of the package pick-up fork (30), package unloading cylinder (47), lifting platform (22), capacitive sensor (49), glue cart (50).
• Figure 17. Profile view of the machine, once the package has been wrapped, with the transport section in raised position and the translation cylinder (46) totally extended.
• the main components that can be observed are the following: base (1), cradle arms (2), package (6), threaded rod (19), container (25), hinge (29), lateral packaging cylinder (43), package pick-up fork (30), package unloading cylinder (47), lifting platform (22), capacitive sensor (49), glue cart (50).
• Figure 18 Profile view of a section of the machine, once the package has been wrapped (6), with the transporting section in raised position, and the translation cylinder (46) and the package unloading cylinder (47) totally extended, at the moment when the package is being unloaded.
• the main components that can be observed are the following: base (1), cradle arm (2), threaded rod (19), container (25), hinge (29), lateral packaging cylinders (43), headstock (44), platform (45), translation cylinder (46) of the package pick-up fork (30), package (6) unloading cylinder (47), raising platform (22), capacitive sensor (49), glue cart (50).
• FIG 19. Enlarged view of the glue cart (50), in which its main components are seen: glue deposit (51), heating hose (52), glue gun (53), vertical movement cylinder (54), horizontal movement cylinder (55), both of which are for the glue gun (53).
• Figure 20A Plan view of the packaging machine, in which the following components are seen: base (1), cradle arm (2), backing bar (35), glue cart (50), movement motor (56) for the glue cart (50).
• FIG 20B Enlarged view of the structure of the gluing machine, in which can be seen the glue cart (50), the movement motor (56) of the glue cart (50), the chain (57) and the pinion (48).
• Figure 21A Profile view of the position adjuster of the last mobile cradle arm (59), in which can be seen the cradle arm (2), the metal support (60), the base (1), the fixed bolts (62), the cardboard sensor (63), the bearings (64), the notched belt (65) and the movement pins (66).
• Figure 21B Plan view of the mobile cradle arm (59), in which can be seen the lateral packaging cylinders (43), and the fixed bolts (62).
• Figure 22 Plan view of the whole slat manufacturing and wrapping assembly, in which can be seen the slat producing machines (67), the outlining section (3), the cutting section (4), the conveyer belts (68), the packaging machine (69), the lengthways rails (70), the crossways rails (71) and the initial, unwrapped product (72).
• a base (1) can be seen, preferably made of metal, for mounting the different sections of the machine onto, on which are resting a number of cradle arms (2), as well as the cardboard (5) outlining (3) and cutting sections (4); said arms (2) have the function of being used as a cradle in which the packaging of the packages (6) is carried out more comfortably after the cardboard has been outlined and cut out.
• the cardboard outlining section (3) carries a number of preferably nylon rollers (7), with regulators for adapting the cardboard fold. This roller (7) barrier is mounted on a slanted structure (9) from the exit of the cardboard roll to before the start of the cutting section (4); so that these rollers facilitate moulding.
• the roll of cardboard (5) is situated held in an axis resting on two arms (8), of adjustable height depending on the type and size of the roll, which also include a brake. And all of this outlining (3) and cutting (4) section is assembled on the base (1), which in turn rests on wheels (10), which roll along guides or rails (11).
• the cutting section is arranged (4), being made up of a motor (12) that transmits the movement of a threaded rod (13), crossways to the cardboard (5), this rod including a cutting cart (14) with fixed bolts (15) as screws and a blade (16), with end stoppers (17) on each end controlling the edges of the cart movements, and aiding this movement with a rod (18) that prevents the cutting cart (14) from spinning, where the cardboard cutter incorporates nearby several rollers, some lower or underneath and others upper or on top of the outlined cardboard (5) in order to facilitate the work of the cutting cart (14).
• Another section of this machine is the packaging section, which has the function, once the moulded cardboard (5) is in the cradle arms (2) and the package of slats (6) is inserted, this section, by way of a set of horseshoe arms (26) moved by corresponding pistons (27) and including a drum or glue deposit (28) for application on the sides or flaps of the cardboard in order for these ends to stay joined together to create a package wrap (6).
• these arms (26), pistons (27), and glue drums (28) are arranged so that they obtain the creation of this total wrapping of the package, that is, both lengthways and on the sides of the same.
• the lifting section picks up the package (6) of the cradle arms (2), and essentially consists of several threaded metal rods (19), transmissions (20) with incorporated reduction gears, that are connected to a motor (21) which transmits movement to them, also including a lifting platform (22) that moves vertically as an effect of the bolts (23) or nuts that it includes.
• This lifting section adds, in turn, to the assembly a means for detecting the presence of packages (6) such as a photocell (24), which marks by way of a barrier of infrared lights that cross through the container (25) that is being filled at the time, detecting the last package (6) deposited or continues descending to the lowest position.
• Another section of the present machine is the movement section, which is mounted on the lifting platform, and has horizontal action rather than vertical, whose function is to move the packet (6) from where it is resting to over the centre of the container (25), and in the second place has the function of a depositary on this.
• This section includes, as well as the threaded rods (19), angled transmissions (20) similar to those used in the lifting section (30), collecting cart (31) and movement rods (32) with lowered tips (33) and at a slant, these rods (32) being joined to the lifting platform (22) by way of the angled transmissions (20) and by anchored bearings (34).
• a backing bar (35) is included to hold the rod (19) at its upper end by way of a bearing and a connection and holding part (36) thus preventing swinging or a larger turning radius than corresponds to this pin.
• This machine also includes a transporting section, which has the function of moving the whole machine along rails (11) on which the wheels (10) of the different elements situated on the platform of the machine move, which carry a built-in motor gear (37) that fits into a rack or the like (38) affixed to the ground, the movements of which are controlled by their respective end points.
• a transporting section which has the function of moving the whole machine along rails (11) on which the wheels (10) of the different elements situated on the platform of the machine move, which carry a built-in motor gear (37) that fits into a rack or the like (38) affixed to the ground, the movements of which are controlled by their respective end points.
• the cradle arms (2) form an angle of preferably 90° with the metal structure, whose measurements vary in function of the product to be packaged and transported; they include if necessary on the upper part some small nylon rollers (39) so that the product slides better and does not suffer any damage from the corners of the structure.
• the frame of the cardboard (5) outlining section thanks to the roller regulators (7), adapt the fold of the cardboard produced by said rollers, pushing the cardboard by appropriate machines by the action of a drawing-out motor; these rollers mould it until, for example, it achieves a fold in the middle of the cardboard so that an angle is made in which the packaging of the product is made easier.
• the outlining section (3) ends in rollers that are activated by any means, such as a motor, which extend the cardboard (5) along the cradle arms (2) without any need for human intervention.
• the rollers push the edges of the cardboard towards the cradle arms, which include plates (41) as guides that prevent the edges of the outlined cardboard from banging into the arms, since this would interfere with said function.
• a stopper device made up of a length regulator, a threaded rod, a steering wheel and with a photoelectric sensor located on the pin, so that, depending on how the steering wheel is turned, the sensor moves forward or back, lengthening or shortening, respectively, the length of the already cut cardboard (5).
• This sensor is situated on a cradle arm, specifically the last one.
• the package (6) container (25) includes on the rear of its side, a catadioptric panel on which a barrier of infrared beams sent out by the photocell (24) of the lifting section are reflected, these beams crossing through the container that is being filled, while the beams are not interrupted, the lifting section descends to its lowest position in order to deposit the package (6) it is carrying, but when the beams are interrupted by an previously deposited package, the cell makes the descending movement of the lifter and begins unloading the package onto the previous one.
• the pick-up fork (30) consists of a part that picks up the already wrapped package (6) from the cradle arms (2).
• the forks (30) approach the tip of the rod (32) lead by the cart (31), that thanks to the slant on this tip (33), the tip is inclined with the forward movement and due to the weight of the package (6) it is carrying, until this package is deposited in the container (25); for the stage of returning to the initial position, the cart (31) starts its route in the opposite direction, the fork being freed from the effect of the tip (33), as well as the hinge (29) with the recuperation springs return this apparatus to its original position.
• the pick-up cart (31) is preferably a threaded rod, similar to those of the lifting platform (19), with the particularity of including metal support bases that hold hinges (29) and, therefore, the pick-up forks (30), the cart (31) moving in the same way when the threaded rods (32) turn, which are held to the lifting platform (22) by transmissions at 90° (20) with reduction gear, as well as the bearings (34) affixed to the lifting platform.
• the sealers of the packaging section are arranged to the left or right of the cradle arms (2), affixed to the base (1).
• the arms (26) that seal the ends of the package (6) consist of two pistons (27) and two drums (28) for each end of the package, of adaptable length. The movement of the arms (26) moved by the pistons (27) is used to inject the glue ration into one of the cardboard flaps (5), it is instantly dried sealing the package (6), this adhesive substance being the one which best meets these demands.
• the cardboard (5) is unrolled from its roll held by the cardboard container arms (8) and it is sent through the outlining section (3), in which the rollers (7), as the cardboard advances, and strategically positioned for the specific shape, mould and create folds in the cardboard (5), which reaches the cutting section (4).
• the machine after stretching the already outlined cardboard situated on the cutter, is activated so that the motor (12) acts on the threaded rod (13) which provokes the movement of the cutting cart (14) along its axis, which, as it carries the blade (16), cuts the cardboard to the desired measure during this movement.
• the turning of the cart (14) is prevented by the action of the bolts (15) affixed to the cart and the rod (18) that maintains the cart on the same level.
• the steering wheel of the stretching section In order to determine the size of the cardboard, the steering wheel of the stretching section is used, which moves the sensor located on the pin situated adjacent to the steering wheel, specifying the point at which once the cardboard (5) arrives, it obstructs the beams sent out by the sensor and stops the stretching motor (42).
• the cradle arm (2) In order to facilitate this step, the cradle arm (2) carries sheeting (41) on its sides that guides the cardboard so that it does not collide with the arm.
• This measure of already cut cardboard (5) is deposited on the cradles (2) to await having a package of slats (6) put on top of it, proceeding from the machine. Then one of the packages is deposited, which can be helped by a roller (39) as it passes to the cradle from the belt (40).
• the packaging system is activated, where the arms (26) moved by the corresponding pistons (27), are articulated provoking the closing of the cardboard around the package (6), during whose closing the drums (28) inject a quantity of adhesive on the corners and joining flaps of the cardboard, the fast drying of which creates a wrapping for said package that will be deposited on the bottom of these cradle arms (2) by gravity.
• the pick-up forks (30) are just underneath these packages.
• the lifting platform (22) goes up to the shifting section together with the package (6) deposited on its forks (30) up to a height slightly over the highest point of the container (25). Meanwhile, when the threaded rods (32) of the shifting section have passed the height of the cradle arms (2), this section will situate the transporter cart (31), by the turning of the rods (32), to the intermediate point.
• the transporter section situates the machine on the rails (11) parallel to the container (25) of packages.
• the ENGRANE (37) fixed to the structure with the rack (38) affixed to the floor is activated, these gears being what sets the structure and the machine in movement along the rail (11) to the desired position parallel to the container.
• the lifting section starts the descent until the photocell (24) detects the first level of packages, or if there were no package (6) it would be stopped at zero level (this is the lowest level that the lifting section can reach).
• the pins (19) are made to turn in an inverse direction.
• the shifting section locates the transporter cart (31), which contains the pick-up forks (30) and the package on top (figure 13), at a point where the cart is in a position to descend freeing the arms of the container (25). With the machine parallel to the container and the cart (31) situated at the intermediate point in the container, it starts to descend until the photocell detects the first level of packages (6).
• the transporter cart (31) is located nearer to the end of the threaded rod (32), and since this rod has a slanted tip (33), as it approaches the end of the pick-up forks (30), by the action of gravity and the hinge (29) mechanism that it includes, it is inclined until the package (6) is gently unloaded into the bottom of the container (25) or if there should be more packages in the container, it would rest on top of them. Therefore, the care with which the package is put down also depends on the inclination of the slant on the tip (33) of the rods (32).
• the machine After carrying out this task the machine returns through each of its stages until reaching its initial position that would be parallel to the conveyer belt (40) of the slat producing machine, prepared to transport another package (6).
• the package sealing section and the transporter section have modified in configuration and functioning with respect to embodiment 1.
• Embodiment 2 will be described below only in the aforementioned parts that are modified with respect to Embodiment 1, therefore without repeating what refers to the cardboard outlining and cutting section, which remain unchanged.
• the position of the mobile cradle arm (59) that holds it must be modified first, by action of the steering wheel (58) that turns the shifting rods (66) resting on the bearings (64), by way of the notched belt (65).
• the assembly of all of these parts is mounted on the base (1).
• the penultimate cradle arm (2) can also be observed.
• the package sealing section (6) includes additional gluing equipment, that as well as being able to apply glue by way of drums located on the cradle arms (2) in order to seal the flaps of the package (6), also includes a glue cart (50) located on the upper part of the machine in order to apply the thermoplastic glue to the flaps of the cardboard of the packages (6).
• This glue cart (50) that moves to apply the glue along the flap of the package (6) is activated by the shifting motor (56) the chain (57) and the pinion (48).
• the glue cart (50) includes a glue deposit (51) connected to an isothermal heating hose (52) that by means of an electrical resistance supplies thermoplastic glue in liquid form to a glue gun (53) with pneumatic action capable of expulsing thermoplastic glue several centimetres by pulsation or continuously.
• the glue gun (53) is situated in its exact application position due to a vertical shifting cylinder (54) and a horizontal shifting cylinder (55).
• a set of photoelectric sensors and end points are responsible for the glue being applied in the appropriate places and automate the whole assembly.
• the shifting section starts up, which by means of the motorised system of the threaded rod (19), lifts the lifting platform (22) to its maximum height. Later, the machine moves to the container (25) position. Once the machine is in unloading position, the translation cylinder (46) of the package pick-up fork (30) is activated, which shifts the package (6) until it comes to an appropriate place determined by the capacitive sensor (49), with the objective of the container (25) being correctly filled and making the most of its volume. At that moment the package pick-up fork (30) articulated by the hinge (29), turns, pushed by the package (6) unloading cylinder (47), unloading the package (6) in the optimum place within the container (25).
• the variation of the packaging machine (69) that facilitates working for several slats producing machines (67), can be seen schematically in Figure 22, in which are noteworthy the lengthways rails (70) and the crossways rails (71) along which the packaging machine (69) travels.
• the outlining section (3) and the cutting section (4) of each of the packaging machines (69), the conveyer belts (68) and the initial unwrapped product (72) can also be seen in this figure.
• All of the movements of the packaging machine are controlled by a programmable automaton, which, by means of a computer program, determines the working sequence of all of its sections and the working time for each one of them.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Closing Of Containers (AREA)
• Package Closures (AREA)

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Publications (3)

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• 2002
  • 2002-11-22 EP EP20020380240 patent/EP1319594A3/de not_active Withdrawn

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