EP1369213A2 - Apparatus for separating attachment points connecting piled cardboard sheets - Google Patents

Abstract

The device has a horizontal support chassis and a transportation unit (8,9,34a, 6,30) for moving stacked sheets of cardboard in a longitudinal direction. Another support chassis and transportation unit (16, 19) are included for moving the sheets in a transverse direction. A jack (35) serves to move apart a part of the support chassis and transportation unit, and a clamping unit is provided on both sides of the sheets.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for breaking attachment points connecting two edges of a cut line of cardboard sheets stacked on horizontal support and transport means for moving said sheets in a longitudinal direction, including upper clamping means for clamping the sheets stacked against said support means, first means for longitudinally spacing said support and transport means and said clamping means on the one hand and another of a cross-sectional line of said stacked sheets and second means for transversely spacing said support means and clamping on both sides of a longitudinal section line.

Devices of this type are used in particular during the manufacture of cardboard boxes obtained by folding cardboard blanks precut and ribbed, formed from cardboard sheets.

Such devices for separating stacks of precut sheets by squeezing the piles of leaves on both sides of the pre-cut line and by pulling to break the points of attachment connecting these sheets exist. One of them is described for example in FR 2'372'025. However, this device is limited to cutting stacks of leaves on either side of a cross line. In most cases, especially during manufacturing small packs, a plurality of cardboard blanks are arranged side by side coast, both in the sense of the length and the width of the sheet of cardboard, so that it is necessary to be able to separate the non-stacked cardboard sheets only in the transverse direction, but also in the longitudinal direction of these leaves.

It has already been proposed in CH 646'665 a device allowing to make separations in two perpendicular directions one to the other, in the direction of the length of the cardboard sheets and in the direction transversal, without having to turn the leaves 90 ° after a first cutting. For this purpose, this device comprises four support tables aligned in pairs transversely and longitudinally with respect to the direction of movement of piles of cardboard sheets. These four tables are associated with four pressing members and may be discarded others both longitudinally and transversely to separations between piles of leaves.

This device has certain disadvantages, as well as limitations. Among the disadvantages, there is the fact that the separation according to two lines perpendicular to each other is done by moving tables and organs in a direction forming an angle of 45 ° with respect to the two separation lines. The necessary force is greater than that which would be so it was directed perpendicular to each of the lines of separation. By therefore, batteries should be tightened more tightly with the risk of mark the cardboard sheets at the ends of the piles.

The limitations of the device come from the fact that it does not allow to perform that a separation transversely to the direction of movement of the leaves of cardboard. But it often happens that it is necessary to perform a more large number of separation especially when producing small packages for cigarette packs or perfume bottles for example.

The object of the present invention is to remedy, at least in part, the disadvantages of the aforementioned solutions.

For this purpose, this invention relates to a device for breaking attachment points connecting two edges of a cut line of sheets of stacked cardboard placed on horizontal support and transport means for moving said sheets in a longitudinal direction, according to the claim 1.

The main advantage of this invention lies in the fact that it allows the production of an unlimited number of cardboard blanks in the direction transverse to the direction of main or longitudinal displacement of leaves.

Preferably, the transverse means of transport of the leaves piled up are flexible elements whose two ends are attached to longitudinal conveyor supports and pass on transverse supports after passing around two pulleys attached to the ends of these transverse supports.

Because of this, when the longitudinal conveyor supports are moved laterally in one direction, the portion of the flexible element passing over the transverse supports moves in the opposite direction. Thanks to these displacements in opposite directions, the length of the transverse displacement supports of the longitudinal conveyor is added to that of the displacement of stacked sheets, so that the relative displacement to bring the lines of separation of stacked sheets between the two carriers of the carrier longitudinal to separate them is twice as large as moving of each of them. This makes it possible to reduce the width of the device for break the attachment points between stacked sheets versus a system in which the support of the longitudinal conveyor would be fixed in the direction side, or a system in which the stacked sheets would be fixed in the lateral direction.

La figure 1 est une vue en élévation latérale de cette forme d'exécution;

la figure 2 est une vue en coupe transversale de la figure 1;

la figure 3 est un schéma de principe de la figure 2 montrant la rupture des points d'attache s'étendant selon une ligne essentiellement longitudinale au sens d'avance des feuilles empilées;

la figure 4 est une vue semblable à la figure 3 montrant le déplacement des feuilles empilées transversalement au sens d'avance des feuilles empilées;

la figure 5 est une vue semblable à la figure 3 montrant la rupture des points d'attache selon une ligne essentiellement parallèle à celle de la figure 3;

la figure 6 est un schéma de principe de la figure 1 montrant la rupture des points d'attache s'étendant selon une ligne essentiellement transversale au sens d'avance des feuilles empilées.

Other features and advantages of the device object of the present invention will become apparent from the following description which will be made with the aid of the accompanying drawings which illustrate schematically and by way of example, an embodiment of the device to break attachment points connecting two edges of a cut line of stacked cardboard sheets.

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of this embodiment;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 1;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of FIG. 2 showing the breaking of the attachment points extending along a substantially longitudinal line in the direction of advance of the stacked sheets;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the displacement of sheets stacked transversely to the direction of advance stacked sheets;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the breaking of the attachment points along a line substantially parallel to that of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a block diagram of Figure 1 showing the breaking of the attachment points extending along a line substantially transverse to the direction of advance of the stacked sheets.

The device illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a frame 1 on endless belt conveyors 2, 3 and 4 are mounted. 3 conveyors are arranged side by side in the transverse direction relative to in the direction of movement of the stacked sheets 5, as can be seen on the Figure 1. The conveyor 4 extends over the entire width of the conveyors 3, in downstream of carrier 2.

The conveyor 2 comprises an endless conveyor belt 6, visible in FIG. 1, which is driven by a motor 7. The conveyors 2, 4 each still comprise a support frame 8, respectively 9, which is slidably mounted by rollers 10 engaged with a guide rail and transverse support 11, secured to the frame 1. These two support frames 8, 9 are connected transversely to each other by a jack 12 (see Figure 2). A motor 13 secured to the support frame 8 drives a wheel 14 in engagement with a rack 15 secured to the transverse rail 11, thereby moving the two support frames 8, 9 along this transverse rail 11.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the horizontal parts of conveyor belts 6 carriers 2, 4 forming the support portion and transport stacked sheets 5 are guided by a series of rollers 37, arranged to create a succession of open loops 6a which extend below the upper support surface of the frames 8, 9 and these are also shaped to leave free the spaces inside of these open loops 6a. Support members 16 and transverse transport 3 stacked sheets 5 are housed in these loops 6a. Portions horizontal conveyor belts 6 which extend between the rollers guide 37 rest on support surfaces 38 integral with the chassis 8, 9 carriers 2, 4. With this arrangement, the bearing surface of stacked sheets 5 is greater than that conferred by rollers alone, this which reduces the risk of marking cardboard sheets, after tightening the batteries 5

These support members 16 and transverse transport 3 present the shape of elongated skids that extend across the width of the conveyors 3 side-by-side and both ends of these carriers are secured to two supports 17a, 17b which are connected to jacks 18a, 18b of which only two are visible in Figure 2. Each pad or support member 16 is shaped to guide a flexible transport element 19 constituted, in this for example, by a belt segment of circular section, both of which ends are attached respectively to frames 8 and 9, after this belt is passed around two pulleys 20a, 20b, secured to the supports 17a, respectively 17b.

With this arrangement, the upper part of the belts forming the flexible transport elements 19 is driven by the chassis 8, 9, moved under the action of the motor 13 and the wheel 14 engaged with the rack 15, in the opposite direction of the displacement of these frames 8, 9. fact, the relative displacement between the stacked sheets 5 and the frames 8, 9 which support them is double the actual displacement of these chassis 8, 9 and flexible elements of transport 19.

This doubling between the length of the actual displacement and that of the relative displacement makes it possible to reduce the width of the device according to the invention. Indeed, in a practical example where a race maximum of 160 cm is necessary, the actual displacement is only 80 cm, so that the width of the device is reduced by 80 cm.

The upper part of the device is practically symmetrical to the lower part just described. It comprises two clamping members 21, 22 arranged side by side in the transverse direction of the device, as illustrated by Figure 2 and connected by a cylinder 25. Preferably, the dimensions these clamping members 21, 22 respectively correspond to those of frame 8, 9 to allow them to squeeze the stacked sheets 5 against these chassis 8, 9.

For this purpose, these clamping members 21, 22 are slidably mounted by means of rollers 24, on two transverse rails 23a, 23b mounted respectively on two opposite sides of the frame 1. Each transverse rail 23a, 23b is itself mounted vertically sliding and controlled by two cylinders 26a, 26b.

Like the frames 8, 9, the clamping members 21, 22 are integral with a motor 27 for driving a toothed wheel 28, engaged with racks 29 secured respectively to the transverse rails 23a, 23b. The motors 13 and 27 are slaved to each other so that each displacement chassis 8, 9 corresponds to a displacement of the same value and likewise direction of the clamping members 21, 22.

Carrier 4 located at the exit of carriers 2, comprises also an endless conveyor belt 30, extending over the entire width of carriers 2, 3. This conveyor belt 30 is driven by an engine 31. This transporter 4 also comprises a clamping member 32. The whole is secured to a frame 34a, 34b hinged about a transverse axis 33 integral of the guide rail 23a. A jack 35 serves to rotate the frame 34a, 34b around the transverse axis 33.

To allow the displacement of the clamping member 32 by relative to the upper horizontal part of the conveyor belt 30, the frame 34a, 34b consists of two parts, a lower part 34a, carrier 4 and an upper portion 34b carrying the 32. The lower part 34a has, on each side of the conveyor 4, four guide rollers 36, defining a vertical slide, between which the upper portion 34b is slidably mounted, allowing a on the upper part 34b of sliding relative to the lower part 34a, when the clamping member 32 is to clamp stacked sheets 5 against the conveyor belt 30 and on the other hand, the tilting of the lower parts and upper frame 34a, 34b about the transverse axis 33 under the action of the cylinder 35.

The operation of the device which has just been described will be now explained using Figures 1 and 2. As for the different possibilities offered by the mechanism described in detail with reference to the figures 1 and 2, they will be explained using the simplified diagrams of Figures 3 to 6 it being understood that reference can always be made to Figures 1 and 2 for details of realization of the device.

When a stack of pre-cut sheets 5 to be separated is brought on carriers 2 and 3, these are in the position illustrated by the 2, centered in the direction of the width of the frame 1. If the stack 5 is all first be separated into two equal parts in the width direction, it is sufficient to tighten it between the conveyors 2, 4 and the clamping members 21, 22 to using the four jacks 26a, 26b. Once a proper clamping force is exerted, it actuates the cylinders 12 and 25 to separate the chassis 8 and 9 of the carriers 2, 4 and the clamping members 21 and 22. The force thus exerted on stack 5 allows to break the attachment points left during pre-cutting stacked cardboard sheets, as shown in Figure 3.

When each pile half 5a, 5b must itself be divided into two or more parts, the procedure is as follows. First of all, the clamping members 21, 22 are lifted by means of the jacks 26 a, 26b. Then we raise the pads 16 secured to the support bars 17a, 17b to using the jacks 18a, 18b (Figure 2), so as to separate the batteries 5a, 5b from longitudinal carriers 2, 4. The batteries 5a, 5b then rest on the transport belts 19 supported by the skids 16.

The chassis 8, 9 are then moved using the motor 13 and the wheel 14 in engagement with the rack 15, as well as the clamping members 21, 22 with the motor 27 and the wheel 28 in engagement with the rack 29. two displacements have the same meaning and the same length. This length corresponds to half the transversal distance between the line of cut the along which we just separated the stack 5 and the line of cut along which one must make the following separation. Indeed, given that the ends of the conveyor belts 19 are integral with the frames 8, 9 and pass on the pulleys 20a, 20b, the displacement of the chassis 8, 9 in a direction causes the opposite movement of the upper parts of the belts 19 on which the batteries 5a, 5b rest, so that these batteries are move in the opposite direction to that of chassis 8, 9. relative transversal between the batteries 5a, 5b and the chassis 8, 9 is twice greater than the actual displacement of each of them.

This position is for example that which is illustrated in Figure 4. A new separation of the stack 5a can then be performed as described previously, the stack 5b not being separated, as illustrated by the figure 5.

Other separations are possible. In the case illustrated, the battery 5b could also be split in two. It would then be enough to move the frame 8, 9 in the opposite direction to bring the middle of the stack 5b between the two 8, 9 and between the two clamping members 21, 22. With this device, it is possible to make small piles of boxes from a stack of leaves large width since it is enough to divide the battery into as many more batteries small as there are cut lines in the width of the initial sheet.

To divide the piles thus formed according to the cutting lines essentially transverse to the direction of longitudinal advance of the cells 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d ..., just advance these batteries to bring a line of cut between longitudinal conveyors 2, 4 and the transverse conveyor 3. We proceed then as before, by lowering the clamping members 21, 22 and 32 using the cylinders 26a, 26b. Actuator 35 is then actuated to rotate the frame 34a, 34b about the axis 33 to bring it into the position illustrated by Figure 6 and thus cause the breaking of the points of attachment to form a new battery 5'a from the stack 5a. At the same time, 5'b, 5'c, 5'd (no represented) are formed. The following separations are obtained in bringing the conveyor 4 into a horizontal position by retracting the rod of the cylinder 35 in its piston and lifting the clamping members 21, 22, 32 and discharging the batteries 5'a, 5'b, 5'c, 5'd and advancing the remaining batteries located on carriers 2, 4 to the next cut line and in repeating the same operation.

Claims (6)

Device for breaking attachment points connecting two edges of a cutting line of stacked cardboard sheets (5) placed on horizontal support and transport means (8, 9, 34a, 6, 30) for moving said sheets in a longitudinal direction, comprising upper clamping means (21, 22, 32) for clamping the stacked sheets (5) against said support means (8, 9, 34), first means (35) for longitudinally spacing said means support and transport means (8, 9, 34a, 6, 30) and said clamping means (21, 22, 23) on either side of a cross-sectional line of said stacked sheets and second means (12 , 25) for transversely spreading a portion of said support and clamping means (8, 9, 21, 22) on either side of a longitudinal section line, characterized in that it comprises second support means and horizontal conveyors (16, 19) for moving said stacked sheets (5) in a direction cross-section. Device according to claim 1, wherein said second horizontal support and transport means (16, 19) are attached to means (17a, 17b, 18a, 18b) to move them vertically between at least two positions, one in which they are at a lower level than the first horizontal support and transport means (8, 9, 34a, 6, 30) for moving said stacked sheets (5) in a longitudinal direction, the other in which they are at a level higher than said first means of support and horizontal transport (8, 9, 34a, 6, 30), the latter being integral with lateral displacement means (13, 14, 15) to enable place the place where said first means of support and transport horizontal (8, 9, 34a, 6, 30) are called to separate, vis-à-vis said line longitudinal section of stacked sheets (5). Device according to one of the preceding claims, in which said second horizontal transport means (16, 19) comprise at least one at least one flexible element (19) extending the entire length of said second support means (16) passing around two pulleys (20a, 20b) extending laterally to the respective ends of said second means of support (16), the respective ends of said flexible member (19) being integral with said first horizontal support means (8, 9), so that when they move laterally in one direction, the part of said element flexible (19) extending on said second support means (16) moves laterally in the other direction. Device according to one of the preceding claims, in which said first horizontal transport means (6) comprise at least one minus two endless conveyor belts located on both sides of where said first horizontal support means (8, 9) is called to separate and that the upper parts of these conveyor belts (6) extending over said first support means (8, 9) form at least two open transverse loops (6a) extending below the level of said first support means (8, 9), said second support means and transport (16, 19) being disposed in said open transverse loops (6a). Device according to claim 4, in which the portions horizontal of said conveyor belts (6) extending between two of said open transverse loops (6a) rest on flat bearing surfaces, integral with said first support means. Device according to claim 1, wherein said means of support and horizontal transport (8, 9, 34a, 6, 30) for moving said sheets stacked in a longitudinal direction and said clamping means 21, 22, 32) comprise two horizontal support and transport means (8, 9, 6) and two clamping means (21, 22) arranged side by side on each side and else of a longitudinal separation and a means of support and transport (34a, 30) and clamping means (32) extending across the width said support and transport means (8, 9, 6) arranged side by side and are arranged downstream of the latter with respect to the direction of movement of said sheets stacked by said support means and horizontal transport (8, 9, 34a, 6, 30) to move these sheets in a longitudinal direction.

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