EP1734840B1

EP1734840B1 - Machine for producing piles of articles for the shoe industry and for wrapping such piles.

Info

Publication number: EP1734840B1
Application number: EP05718361A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mauro Scioli; Filiberto Donati
Original assignee: Mitea SpA
Current assignee: Mitea SpA
Priority date: 2004-04-07
Filing date: 2005-04-05
Publication date: 2008-09-10
Anticipated expiration: 2025-04-05
Also published as: ATE407584T1; DE602005009684D1; EP1734840A1; WO2005096861A1; ITBO20040195A1

Abstract

A machine for producing and wrapping piles of articles includes: take out means (1), which pick up the articles from a magazine (4) and release them onto a conveyor (80b); a station (12) for detecting the orientation of the articles (100) situated on the conveyor and a station (7b) for manipulating the articles, both stations (12) and (7b) are associated to the conveyor; a slide (8a) situated downstream of the conveyor for conveying a pile (22) of articles and moving between two extreme stations, respectively a station (K1) in which the pile is formed by the manipulating means, and a station (K2) where the pile is unloaded; a work unit (9c) operated in step relation with the operation of the slide (8a) and moving vertically between two extreme positions, a lowered position, coinciding with the unloading station (K2), in which the pile of articles (22) is unloaded from the slide, and a raised station (K3); a working assembly (40) operated in step relation with the operation of the work unit (9c) for wrapping, in cooperation with the raising of the latter, the pile (22) with at least one strip strictly adhering to the latter.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the technical field concerning automatic machines for producing compact piles of articles for the footwear industry, and for wrapping thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART

In the footwear production field, a suitable metallic plate, generally known as "cambrione", is introduced between the insole and the heel, in order to improve resistance and elasticity of this part of the shoe, which supports the weight load of the body.
Due to the above mentioned advantages, the technical solution using the metallic plates has been universally adopted on an industrial basis.
The automatic machines, obtaining the coupling between the metallic plate and the insole by means of glues, have loaders, in which the plates must be ordered in a prefixed orientation.
Currently, the loading operation is performed manually, so that the constant presence of an operator, working in harmony with the machine, is required.
Consequently, the machine production rate is considerably limited: actually, the speed, with which the plates are loaded into the magazine is limited in relation to the operator's ability and it is inevitably destined to decrease during the working day.
Thus, a possible increase of the machine production rate would require the supporting action of a second operator with the task of loading plates, and consequently, the production costs would increase. A machine, of the kind in use in heel manufacture, according to the preamble of claim 1 is disclosed for instance by US 1346248 B .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to propose a machine, by which a prefixed number of metallic plates can be piled up with a precise orientation, and then wrapped.
In this way, the loading step would include the introduction of the whole pile, already formed, into the magazine, thus minimizing the time required for this kind of operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The characteristic features of the invention will be described in a more detailed way in the following, in accordance with the contents of the claims and with the help of the enclosed figures, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective, partial view of the machine proposed by the present invention;
Figure 2 shows a portion M of the machine of Figure 1;
Figures 3a, 3b are schematic views of particular A of Figure 1, with reference to two possible operation configurations;
Figure 4 is a schematic, partial, lateral, view of the machine, according to the arrow H of Figure 3b;
Figure 5 is a schematic, top, section view, taken along V-V of Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of particular F of Figure 3b;
Figures 7a, 7b, 7c are schematic, lateral views of three different configurations of the wrapping work assebly;
Figure 8 is an enlarged view of particular L of Figure 7c;
Figure 9 shows a pile of plates, compacted and wrapped with a relevant band.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Having regard to the above Figures, the reference numeral 1 indicates an oscillating system, including a support 2, with a fork 3 hinged thereto and having two pneumatic cylinders 121, integral therewith, at its prongs.
Electromagnets, not shown, mounted on the stems 122 of the cylinders, when suitably excited, can support the weight of a metallic plate 100 taken from a magazine 4.
The oscillating system 1 puts, in a way, which will be described later, the metallic blades taken from the basket 4, onto the slides 5a, 5b, which face the upstream end of respective conveyors 6a, 6b.
Picking up means 7a, 7b, situated on the opposite end and on the same axis of the conveyors, pick up the plate from the relative conveyor and puts it on suitable slides (four in all, only one of which - 8a - is shown, see Figures 3a, 3b), situated on both sides with respect to each of the picking up means and translating horizontally to as many work units 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d. Corresponding chutes 10, situated at the downstream end of the above mentioned conveyors 6a, 6b, make the pieces ignored by the picking up means, move toward a conveyor 11, which conveys them, raising them, up to the magazine 4.
Except for the actuator 120, which operates the conveyor 11, the machine for producing piles of articles and for wrapping thereof, is perfectly symmetrical with respect to the vertical symmetry plane of the conveyor 11, therefore the following description of the machine and of its working will refer to only one portion M of Figure 1, in accordance to what is shown in Figure 2.
Regarding the latter, the reference numeral 12 indicates a video camera 12 ( of the two of them present in all), which supplies, by a central unit (not shown in the Figure), the picking up means with information about the exact position and orientation of the plate 100 on the conveyor.
Also in this case, except for the picking up means 7b, a symmetry is maintained with respect to the vertical symmetry plane of the conveyor 6b, therefore the reference will be made only to Figures 3a and 3b, regarding the technical and functional description of the apparatuses, which convey the plates from the relative conveyors and form the pile of metallic plates 22.
With reference to the above mentioned figures, the slide 8a is operated by an actuator 15 to translate horizontally along a guide 13.
The slide 8a includes an element 123 which matches with the guide, a support 14 and a first assembly 16 carried by the latter, to support and hold a pile of blades 22 of prefixed dimensions.
The first assembly 16 includes a vertical fork 17, a square element 18 and a vertical needle 19, whose lower part ends with an enlargement 20, which is connected to the support 14 by a cylindrical bar 21.
The square element features a horizontal wing 18a and is fastened to the fork with one of its walls, while the needle 19 faces the opposite wall.
It is specified that the square element 18, the inner profile of the fork 17, the needle 19 and the cylindrical enlargement 20 are the elements, which support, hold and stabilize the pile of plates 22 to the slide.
The metallic plates which form the pile 22 are e.g. cambrioni, which have two prongs 23a, 23b at one end, and a hole 24 coupling with the needle 19 at the other end.
A work unit, for example the unit 9a, aimed at receiving the pile of metallic plates by the connected slide, in this case the slide 8a, features, mounted thereon, a second assembly 110 and is capable of translating vertically on suitable guides 25 by an actuator, e.g. a pneumatic jack 26.
The second assembly 110 has a base 29, orthogonal to the movement direction and finishing, on the side facing the slide, with the two prongs 29a, so as to allow the coupling of the latter with the enlargement 20 of the slide 16.
The base 29 supports also an elastic member 27 connected to an abutment element 28, formed by a vertical plate, moving vertically against the elastic member.
A system of mechanical means 30, situated above the base 29, abutment element 28 and elastic member 27, and belonging to the second assembly 110, translates only vertically, against associated elastic means 31, by means of slides which mate with the already mentioned guides.
The system 30 has an abutment 32, rigidly fastened thereto, which forms, together with the prongs of the base 29, first pliers 70, holding the pile of plates 22 in prefixed working configurations.
In case there are no stresses, the system of mechanical means 30 goes in abutment against an end stop 60, shown in Figure 6, due to the action of the relative elastic means 31.
With reference to Figures 7a, 7b, 7c, showing three different working steps performed by the machine on the pile of plates 22, it is obvious that there is a work assembly 40, omitted for sake of simplicity in the previous Figures 3a and 3b.
A film of thermo-retractable material, indicated with 41, is fed by a bobbin not shown in the Figure, an unwinds due to the pulling action of a carriage 43, which translates only horizontally.
The carriage 43 includes stems 55, moved by an actuator 37 and carrying, cantilevered pliers 42, which hold an end of the above film 41, in accordance with what is shown in Figures 7a and 7b.
The carriage 43 is equipped (see Figure 8) with a heating element 35 (including e.g. a resistance) and a counter-blade 34b cooperating with an opposite blade 34a, integral with the machine structure.
The blade and the counter-blade cut the film 41 in prefixed working configurations.
Now, operation of the machine will be described.
The oscillating system 1 performs sequences of operations in a cyclic way, therefore it is possible to describe one cycle beginning from any step of the process in which the plates 100 are taken from the magazine 4.
It is taken into consideration, as example and with reference to Figure 1, that the working configuration includes the shaft of the pneumatic cylinder on the left in its end stop position, with the relative electromagnet excited, so that the latter catches a plate 100 from the magazine 4.
In the meanwhile, the stem of the pneumatic cylinder on the right is in its beginning position and with the related electromagnet not excited.
The step after the above working configuration includes bringing the left stem to its beginning position and causing a clockwise rotation of the fork 3 in order to allow the metallic plate to fall onto the slide 5a, after the disabling the related electromagnet.
In step relation with this sequence, the right stem is brought to its end position and its electromagnet is excited, thus making it catch a further metallic plate from the magazine 4, in which the stem is situated.
Due to the disabling of the left electromagnet and to the exciting of the right one, a step analogous to the one just described occurs, in which the right stem is brought to its initial position in step relation with a counterclockwise rotation of the fork 3, to which corresponds, at the end, the translation of the left stem up to the end position.
The sequence of the above exemplified operations is repeated continuously, and two metallic plates are caught each operation cycle.
With reference only to the portion M shown in Figure 2, the metallic plate 100 slides along the slide 5b and onto the conveyor 6b, which conveys it toward the picking up means 7b.
The latter, in relation to the information sent to the control central unit by the camera 12, picks up the element 100 to put it on one of its slides situated beside the conveyor 6b, or ignores it, allowing it to fall onto the slide 10.
The picking up member taken into consideration is enabled to take over the plate 100 only if the latter is arranged on the conveyor with a prefixed orientation, e.g. with the cavity turned downwards.
The slide 8a slides on the horizontal guide 13 stopping in a region corresponding to a plates loading station K1 and to a plates unloading station K2, as shown in Figures 3a and 3b, respectively.
With reference to the above mentioned Figures, the picking up member 7b loads a prefixed number of plates onto the slide 8a and when the pile 22 is formed, the slide is made translate up to the plates unloading station 9c.
Then, the picking up member loads the slide situated on the right until a prefixed number of plates is reached, as in the previous case.
At the end of this step, the emptied slide 8a will reach the loading station K1 again, and the picking up member will load the plates on the slide again.
Upon reaching the unloading station K2, the pile of plates 22, loaded on the first assembly 16 connected to the slide 8a, goes in abutment against the abutment element 28, which acts as elastic contrast aligning vertically the pile and moreover, it allows matching of the prongs 29a of the base 29 with the enlargement 20; in this configuration, the pile of plates is supported and held by the square element 18, the portion of the inner profile of the fork 17 opposing the abutment 28, the abutment 28, the needle 19 and the enlargement 20.
At this point, the base 29 translates upwards due to the action performed by the pneumatic jack 26.
In the initial part of the raising of the base 29, the pile 22 is kept stable by the first assembly 16 of the slide 8a.
When the pile goes to contact the abutment element 32, the whole work unit 9c translates upwards.
During this working step, the pile 22 of plates is kept together with the unit due to the gripping action, which occurs when the pile touches the abutment element 32, as already said.
The compression action performed by the jaws of the first pliers 70, that is the prongs 29a and the abutment element 32, together with the friction between the jaws and the pile 22 is such as to keep the pile rigidly fastened thereto.
At the end of the upwards vertical stroke of the work unit 9a, the pile of plates 22 reaches the wrapping station K3 and disengages the slide 8a, which, once unloaded, goes from the unloading station K2 back to the loading station K1.
The steps shown in Figures 7a, 7b and 7c occur in relation with the translation of the pile of plates 22 from the unloading station K2 to the wrapping station K3: actually, when the pile 22 is in the station K2, the carriage 43 translates pulling the free end of the film 41 by the pliers 42; thus, the film of thermo-shrinkable material is unwound from a bobbin (not shown) and remains tightened (Figure 7b).
When the pile 22 passes from the station K2 to the station K3, the pile is wrapped, which causes further unwinding of the film 41 from the bobbin. At the end of this operation, the actuator 37 brings the stems 44 back to the initial position, as shown in Figure 7c.
Figure 8 shows how the heating element 35 welds the film 41, while the blade 34a cuts it in a region corresponding to the counter-blade 34b.
A source of heat 36 sends a flow of hot air toward the portion Z of the film wrapping the pile of plates 22, thus making the portion of film shrink and wrap strictly adhering and consequently, compacting the pile of plates 22, which becomes a single body P.
It is possible to substitute the heat-shrinkable film 41 with a film, whose elasticity, when the film 41 is cut by the blade 34a, makes it possible for it to be set in strict adherence, enough to compact the pile 22 according to the desired characteristics.
At the end of the above operation, the work unit 9c begins to translate downwards; the pliers 70 stop their function when the system 30 hits the end stop 60: consequently, the wrapped pile of plates falls into a suitable container (not shown) due to the gravity and the force performed by the abutment 28.
Finally, the work unit 9c reaches again the unloading station K2, awaiting the slide 8a loaded with another pile of plates.
The presence of a conveyor 11 and of the chutes 10, which bring the plates ignored by the picking up means 7a, 7b, back to the magazine 4, save the work of an operator, who otherwise would have to collect the plates and load them into the magazine.
Another advantage of the present invention derives from the high productivity of the proposed machine, which has many apparatuses and thus, it can maximize the generation of the packs of plates, compatibly with the capacity of the oscillating system 1.

Claims

Machine for producing and wrapping piles of articles for the footwear industry, including take out means (1), which pick up at least one article from a plurality of articles (100) situated in bulk in a magazine (4) and release said article onto at least one conveyor (80b), and characterised in that it includes:
a detecting station (12) for detecting orientation of said articles (100) situated on the conveyor and a station (7b) for manipulating said articles, under control of said detecting station (12), both stations (12) and (7b) being associated to said conveyor;

at least one slide (8a), situated downstream at one side of said conveyor for conveying, by means of a first assembly (16), a pile (22) of said articles; said slide (8a) moving between two extreme stations, namely a station (K1) in which the pile is formed by said manipulating means, and a station (K2) where the pile is unloaded;

a work unit (9c), which carries a second assembly (110) and which is operated in step relation with the operation of said slide (8a) for moving vertically between two extreme positions, namely a lowered position, coinciding with said unloading station (K2), in which said pile of articles (22) is unloaded from said slide, and a raised station (K3);

a work assembly (40), operated in step relation with the operating of said work unit (9c) and wrapping, in cooperation with the raising of the latter, said pile (22) with at least one strip strictly adhering to the latter.
Machine, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said conveyor (80b) includes a slide (5b), adjacent to the magazine (4), which feeds a related endless belt conveyor (6b), to which said detection and manipulation stations are associated.
Machine, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said first assembly (16) includes means for supporting and stabilizing the pile, said means including at least one horizontal wing (18) adjacent base of a fork (17), whose prongs are turned upwards, said prongs defining said stabilizing means.
Machine, as claimed in claim 1, in which each of said articles has at least one through hole (24), characterized in that said first assembly (16) includes means for supporting and stabilizing the pile, said supporting means including at least one horizontal wing (18) and the adjacent base of a fork (17), whose prongs are turned upwards, said prongs defining said stabilizing means, together with at least one needle (19), which mates with a corresponding hole of each article (100) of said pile (22).
Machine, as claimed in claim 1, in which each of said articles has at least one through hole (24), characterized in that said first assembly (16) includes means for supporting and stabilizing the pile, said supporting means including at least one enlargement (20), from which a corresponding needle (19) protrudes, turned upwards, at least one horizontal wing (18) and the adjacent base of a fork (17), whose prongs are turned upwards, said prongs defining said stabilizing means, together with said needle (19), which mates with a corresponding hole of each article (100) of said pile (22).
Machine, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it includes a system for collecting the articles (100) ignored in the manipulation station (7b) and which are sent again to the magazine (4), said system including at least one chute (10), situated downstream of said conveyor (80b) and communicating with at least one conveyor (11), which raises said articles (100) ignored in said manipulation station and which releases them in said magazine (4).
Machine, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said withdrawing means (1) include at least one oscillating arm (3), hinged to the structure of the machine and carrying an actuator, which operates a stem with an electromagnet associated thereto, along the axis of said arm; said electromagnet, stem and arm performing synchronized operations for taking an article (100) out from said magazine (4) and for releasing it onto said conveyor (80b).
Machine, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said second assembly (110) includes gripping means (70) for said pile of articles (22), operated in step relation with the operation of said slide (8a), and means (130) for vertical aligning and stabilizing said pile of articles (22), cooperating with supporting and stabilizing means of said first assembly (16) in a region corresponding to the unloading station of said pile of articles.
Machine, as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that said vertical aligning and stabilizing means (130) include a vertical plate (28), carried by a base (29), moving horizontally against the elastic means (27) and hitting laterally said pile of articles (22), when said slide (8a) reaches the unloading station (K2).
Machine, as claimed in claim 8 or in claim 9, characterized in that said gripping means (70) include two horizontal jaws, the lower of which, coinciding with said base (29), is situated, with said work unit (9c) in lowered position, below said pile of articles (22) situated in said unloading station, and the upper of which, moving vertically against the associated elastic means (31), does not interfere with the positioning of said pile in the unloading station, operating means moving the lower jaw upwards until said pile hits the upper jaw and is consequently clamped between the two jaws.
Machine, as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that said support and stabilizing means of said assembly (16) include at least one horizontal wing (18) and the adjacent base of a fork (17), whose prongs are turned upwards, said prongs defining the stabilizing means together with a needle (19), which mates with a corresponding hole (24) of each article (100) of said pile (22), and in that said gripping means (70) include two horizontal jaws, the lower of which forms two prongs (29a) receiving said needle (19), with said work unit in lowered position.
Machine, as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the base of said needle (19) forms an enlargement (20) and in that said prongs (29a) are formed in such a way, as to mate with said enlargement.
Machine, as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that it includes an abutment (60) to define a lower end stop of the upper jaw (32).
Machine, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said working assembly (40) includes means for feeding a film, a carriage (43), which moves horizontally in step relation with the operation of said work unit (9c) and which carries pliers means (42) for hooking the free end of said film (41), means for sealing said film and means for cutting the film.
Machine, as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that said sealing means include thermo-welding means.
Machine, as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the film (41) is made of heat-shrinkable material and in that it includes a source of heat (36), which heats said film after the latter has wrapped said pile and has been cut, so as to adhere strictly to said pile of articles (22).
Machine, as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the film (41) is made of elastic material, which wraps said pile of articles (22), adhering strictly thereto, when the film is cut by said cutting means.