EP1914165B1 - Method and device for forming a row of flat objects - Google Patents

Abstract

The packaging process involves forming a row (4) directly on the packaging material web (2) while the objects (1) are separated out by acceleration from a supply stream (3) in which they overlap, and placed directly on the web. This eliminates the additional conveying steps so that the entire conveying line can be reduced.

Description

The invention is in the field of materials handling and relates to a method and a device according to the preambles of the corresponding independent claims. Methods and apparatus are used to create a series of flat objects, for example individual printed products, of stacked groups of printed products or of stacked groups of printed products and other flat objects such as CDs, flat pattern articles or flat sample bags, in particular with a view to later packaging.

It is known to package flat objects of the type mentioned above with the aid of a quasi-endless packaging material web (for example, from the roll fed plastic film or paper web). In this case, such a packaging material web is placed around the objects conveyed in a row behind one another and at a distance from one another, or a packaging material web is fed to both sides of such a row. Then, the packaging material web (or webs) is closed in the longitudinal direction on the top of the row or laterally thereof in longitudinal seams and between each two successive objects transverse to the longitudinal direction in transverse seams. Optionally, the objects enclosed on all sides by the packaging material are separated from one another immediately after the creation of the transverse seams or simultaneously therewith.

When using plastic film as packaging material, the longitudinal and transverse seams are usually produced by welding, wherein the separation of the packaged objects can be carried out simultaneously with the creation of the transverse seams. For example, in the use of paper as packaging material, a heat-activatable adhesive may be applied to the packaging material immediately prior to feeding the packaging material web to the series of objects to be packaged at the locations of the longitudinal and transverse seams, such that the seams are then made by similar means can be like the welded seams on plastic packaging. It is also possible to close the seams by embossing or by other known methods adapted to the packaging material used.

Devices for carrying out said type of packaging are described, for example, in the publications EP-0712782 . DE-3123988 or EP-0018041 ,

As can be seen from the cited publications, the objects in the form of a row, which rests on a conveying surface (eg belt conveyor), are fed to said packaging. In the series, the objects are arranged one behind the other and spaced apart, loosely, the distance between successive objects being adapted to the thickness of the objects and the methods used to create the transverse seams and to separate the packaging material. In order to maintain the exact arrangement of the objects in the row, conveyor cams are used in addition to the conveying surface, through which the flat objects can be fed clocked more accurate than would be the case with the conveying surface as the only funding. To the flat objects conveyed in the row is then supplied from below through a gap in the conveying surface or from above the quasi-endless packaging material web, wherein the packaging material web has the same speed as the row of objects.

To create the series, the objects are usually removed from a stack and placed individually on the conveyor surface.

It turns out in practice that the mentioned packaging method including the creation and the delivery of the object series requires relatively long conveyor lines, which in many cases can be realized only with deflections for reasons of space. In such deflections, acceleration forces act on the flat objects not only in a disorienting manner, but also destabilizing, in particular, objects in the form of a plurality of stacked flat objects. In addition, especially when high capacities are required, high conveying speeds, ie high air resistances, which act in the same way on the objects. In order to be able to counteract such effects on the objects, institutionally complex measures are necessary by which the necessary conveyor lines are usually further extended.

A method and a device according to the preambles of the independent claims is known from WO 03/053831 known. The objects conveyed in a scale formation are separated by acceleration at a head end of the scale flow and conveyed on as a series of individual objects.

The invention now has for its object to provide a method and a device which allow the creation of a series of flat objects, e.g. on a quasi endless packaging material web, serve.

This object is achieved by a method and a device as defined in claims 1 and 8. Advantageous developments are specified in the dependent claims. According to the invention, the series will not be like in known packaging processes of the same kind on a conveying surface lying on the quasi-endless packaging material web supplied, but which is only directly on or under the conveying surface, such as the packaging material web created. In other words, the package is not supplied with a series of objects arranged behind one another and spaced apart in the conveying direction, but a feed stream in which the distances between the objects are smaller than their length in the conveying direction when they are conveyed in the row. The feed stream is a gripper stream in which the objects are held by one gripper, for example individually in an edge region, and conveyed at small distances from one another. From this feed stream, the objects are sequentially separated by acceleration and positioned directly on or under the packaging material web moving in a web direction by, for example, depositing or pushing.

The relationship between the web speed and the feed speed, and thus the necessary acceleration of the objects for singulation from the feed stream and positioning on the packaging material web are determined by the object distances in the feed stream and by the object length and object distances in the packaging material web creating series.

The web direction is substantially horizontal, such that flat objects resting on the web of packaging material, when pressed by gravity against the packaging material web, remain in the position on the web in which they are positioned during acceleration. If the flat objects are supplied in a scale flow, it is advantageous to place the feed direction in the same vertical plane as the web direction and also to orient approximately horizontally and to deflect the packaging material web at the acceleration point from below or from above into the web direction. When the flat objects in a gripper stream, it is advantageous to direct it from above or below against the moving in the web direction packaging material web and deflect immediately above or below the packaging material web in the web direction.

It turns out that with the method according to the invention relatively unstable, flat objects, such as stacks of a plurality of printed products with different formats, with conveying capacities of over 40,000 pieces per hour without the use of additional stabilizing agents are wrapped in a plastic film and fed to seam formation can be. The distance between singulation and positioning and stitching is determined solely by the way in which the film is handled, and can be even further reduced when using two film webs.

Figuren 1 und 2

ein Schema einer beispielhaften Ausführungsform einer nicht erfindungsgemässen Einrichtung, bei der die Objekte aus einem Zuführungsstrom in Form eines Schuppenstroms vereinzelt werden (Fig. 1: Seitenansicht, Fig. 2: Draufsicht);

Figur 3

die Vereinzelung der im Zuführungsstrom zugeführten Objekte durch Beschleunigung und deren Positionierung auf der VerpackungsmaterialBahn gemäss Figuren 1 und 2 in etwas grösserem Massstab;

Figuren 4 und 5

Vereinzelung und Positionierung wie gemäss Figur 3 aber unter Verwendung anderer Positiönierungs-Hilfsmittel;

Figur 6

eine erfindungsgemässe Ausführungsform der Vereinzelung der im Zuführungsstrom in Form eines Greiferstroms zugeführten Objekte durch Beschleunigung und deren Positionierung auf der VerpackungsmaterialBahn;

Figur 7

eine weitere nicht erfindungsgemässe Ausführungsform der Vereinzelung der im Zuführungsstrom zugeführten Objekte durch Beschleunigung und deren Positionierung unter die in diesem Falle von oben zugeführte Verpackungsmaterial-Bahn.

Method and device according to the invention will be described in detail with reference to the following figures. Showing:

Figures 1 and 2

3 shows a diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention, in which the objects are separated from a feed stream in the form of a scale flow ( Fig. 1 : Side view, Fig. 2 : Top view);

FIG. 3

the separation of the objects fed in the feed stream by acceleration and their positioning on the packaging material web according to Figures 1 and 2 on a somewhat larger scale;

FIGS. 4 and 5

Separation and positioning as per FIG. 3 but using other Positioning Tools;

FIG. 6

an embodiment according to the invention of the separation of the objects supplied in the feed stream in the form of a gripper stream by acceleration and their positioning on the packaging material web;

FIG. 7

a further non-inventive embodiment of the separation of the supplied in the feed stream objects by acceleration and their positioning under the in this case supplied from the top packaging material web.

Figures 1 and 2 show a method and device for packaging flat objects 1 by means of a quasi-endless packaging material web 2. The objects are fed in a feed stream 3 (here a scale flow) and positioned one after the other on the packaging material web 2 so that they rest on the Packing material web to form a series 4. In the feed stream 3, the objects are conveyed at distances d from each other, where d is smaller than the object length 1 in the conveying direction. Between the objects 1 conveyed one behind the other in row 4, one distance q each has to be created for the creation of the transverse seams.

The device essentially comprises the following four cooperating devices: A first device 5 for generating the row 4, that is to say according to the invention for separating the objects 1 supplied in the supply stream 3 by acceleration and for their direct positioning on (or under, see FIG. 7 ) of the packaging material web 2, a second device 6 for feeding the packaging material web 2 and for conveying the packaging material web 2 together with the virgin 4, a third device 7 for transferring the packaging material web 2 around the row 4 (or Feeding another packaging material web, see FIG. 6 ) and a fourth device 8 for seam formation and optionally for separating the packaged objects 1 'from each other.

The first device 5 for the preparation of the row 4 has an acceleration means 51, accelerated by the succession objects from the top of the feed stream 3 and thereby separated from this head end, so singled, and simultaneously positioned on the packaging material web. The acceleration means 51 is, for example, a pair of upper and lower acceleration rollers 51.1 and 51.2, or a plurality of such pairs. Instead of the acceleration rollers 51.1 and 51.2, correspondingly arranged circumferential acceleration belts or cam wheels can also be used.

The second device 6 for feeding the packaging material web 2 and for conveying the packaging material web 2 together with the row 4 has a traction means 60 with the aid of which the packaging material web 2 is continuously withdrawn from a supply roll 61 and moved in the web direction, and a tensioning means 62, by means of which the packaging material web is kept under a constant tension. The traction means 60 is advantageously arranged where the packaging material web 2 is already placed around the row 4, ie downstream of the third device 7. So that the traction means 60 can develop its pulling effect without having to divert the packaging material web is it is formed, for example, as a cooperating pair of upper and lower drawstrings 60.1 and 60.2, the two drawstrings being pressed from above and below onto the row 3 wrapped by the packaging material web and at least one of the drawstrings being driven at web speed. Instead of the drawstrings 60.1 and 60.2 and corresponding pull rollers can be used. The tensioning means 62 is located upstream of the location where the objects to be packaged are positioned on or below the packaging material web and consists, for example, of a pair of tension rollers. Furthermore, the second device 6 for the embodiment according to Figures 1 and 2 a deflection means 64 (eg a deflection bar), by means of which the packaging material web is deflected in the area of action of the acceleration means 51 in the web direction.

The third device 7 for transferring the packaging material web 2 around the row 4, which may also be designed to supply a further packaging material web (see FIG. 6 ), acts upstream of the traction means 60, between this and the deflection means 64, wherein the deflection means itself can already have a converting effect on the packaging material web 2, that is, for example, designed as a curved deflection bar. The third device 7 has, for example, in a conventional manner, a sequence of pairs of transfer rollers 70 arranged above the row 4, wherein the distance between the transfer rollers 70 of the pairs in the web direction becomes smaller, so that the two longitudinal edges of the packaging material web 2 over the row 4 are merged. Also known are corresponding devices with which the longitudinal edges of a packaging material web arranged above the row are brought together under the row (see FIG. 7 ). It is of course also possible not to place the row 4 in the middle of the packaging material web 2 but to lay it on one side thereof and the packaging material web only from one side around the row.

The fourth seaming device 8 comprises a means 80 for creating the longitudinal seams and a means 81 for producing the transverse seams. The means 80 for creating the longitudinal seams is advantageously arranged upstream of the traction means 60, the means 81 for creating the transverse seams downstream thereof, as shown in FIGS Figures 1 and 2 is shown. As means 80 and 81 of any known means are suitable which are suitable for connecting the packaging material used in seams. In particular, appropriately designed and arranged welding heads are used in the use of plastic film as packaging material. As a means 81 for the preparation of the transverse seams, in particular a rotating arrangement 82 of welding heads 83, which cooperates with a counterpressure belt 84 is suitable. Such an arrangement is described in detail in a patent application having the same filing date as the present application.

To create the feed stream 3, a variety of methods known per se can be used, for example, depositing a scale flow on a feed belt 30 by a feeder 32 from the stack, by a winding station from winding or by a gripper transporter 33 directly from rotary printing machine. In the latter case, in which a high-performance stream is to be processed, the gripper stream is advantageously guided in such a looped manner that two or more parallel imbricated streams can be deposited. In such, parallel scale flows deposited objects can optionally be separated and positioned according to the inventive method on the same packaging material web and then packaged as parallel rows. For this purpose, only a sufficiently wide packaging material web is to be used and are to provide means for creating additional longitudinal seams between the parallel rows.

FIG. 3 shows on a slightly larger scale than Figures 1 and 2 again the separation of the supplied in the feed stream objects 1 by acceleration and their direct positioning on the packaging material web 2. The same elements are designated by the same reference numerals as in the Figures 1 and 2 ,

The feed stream 3 consists in the case shown of three shingled streams which are positioned on each other and in each of which an object type (indicated by different hatching) is supplied. The three scale flows are coordinated and synchronized with one another such that the objects in all scale flows are conveyed away from one another at the same distances d and that the leading edges of the objects of the scale flows are aligned with one another. In this way, flat objects 1 are preformed in the superimposed scale flows, which consist of three objects, the leading edges are aligned and one of which belongs to one of the scale flows. The objects 1 are left in the FIG. 3 on the packaging material web 2 lying in the row 4 shown. Without influence on the method according to the invention or on the device, the flat objects 1 in the feed stream 3 could also be arranged simply overlapping one another.

The feed stream 3 is fed by means of a feed belt 30 at a feed speed v.1. The feed belt 30 may be supported by a support surface 31. At the head end of the feed belt 30, the acceleration means 51 adjoins, which has an upper and a lower acceleration roller 51.1 and 51.2. Of the acceleration rollers, for example, the lower driven at a peripheral speed v.2, while the upper freely rotating, for example, on a pivotable (double arrow A) lever 51.3 is arranged such that it by their weight or by the force of a spring arranged accordingly against the lower acceleration roller 51.2 is pressed. It is also possible to drive both acceleration rollers with the peripheral speed v.2.

Downstream of the acceleration means 51, the deflection means 64 adjoins, by means of which the packaging material web is deflected in the web direction which follows the feed direction in a substantially rectilinear manner. The packaging material web 2 moves through the traction means (in FIG. 3 not shown) at a speed v.3 (web speed) away from the accelerator 51, being assisted by a support conveyor 65 and / or by a support pad 66.

The speed ratio v.3: v.1 (web speed to feed speed) behaves like d: (1 + q). The speed v.2 (peripheral speed of the acceleration rollers) is at least as large as v.3. This will ensure that a foremost object in the feed stream is completely out of this is separated before a following object comes within the effective range of the acceleration means 51, and it is also ensured that the accelerated object can be securely positioned on the packaging material web. Positioning in the illustrated case is assisted by the force of gravity pushing the objects against the web of packaging material. It may additionally be assisted by a positioning tool 55 acting on each repositioned object 1 by pressing it against the web of packaging material. The positioning aid 55 is, for example, an auxiliary roller 55.1, which is arranged on a pivotable (double arrow B) lever 55.2 freely rotating so that it rolls on the packaging material web or on the objects positioned thereon and thereby at least by their weight or by the force of a correspondingly arranged spring is pressed against the bottom. The auxiliary roller 55.1 can also be driven at the web speed v.3.

The distance r between the acceleration means 51 and the positioning aid 55 is approximately the same size as the length 1 of the objects. Advantageously, the distance r for adjusting the device to different object lengths 1 is adjustable, for example by shifting the pivot lever 55.2 (double arrow C).

Both the acceleration rollers 51.1. and 51.2 as well as the auxiliary roller 55.1 may each be formed as a roll, wherein they have axial lengths which are about as large as the width of the objects to be packaged 1. Advantageously, however, they are each as a plurality of coaxial, transversely displaceable to the web direction Partial roles designed such that they can be positioned adapted to different formats and shapes of objects to be packaged. This can be prevented, for example, that the rollers act on folding edges of such objects and damage them. Such a configuration of the acceleration and auxiliary roles is from the FIG. 2 can be seen, in each of which two acceleration sub-rollers and three auxiliary sub-rollers are shown.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show two further embodiments of the separation of the objects 1 from the top of the feed stream 3 and their positioning on the packaging material web 2 to create the series 4 on this path. These embodiments differ from the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 3 in particular by differently configured positioning aids 55.

FIG. 4 shows a positioning means 55 in the form of an advantageously at the speed v.3 (web speed) driven auxiliary belt 55.3, which like the auxiliary roller 55.1 of FIG. 3 , Can also be configured as a plurality of transversely movable to the web direction subbands. FIG. 5 shows as a positioning aid 55 acting from above on the positioned objects 1 cam conveyor 55.4 with cam 55.5. The cams are spaced from each other on a conveying member, wherein the distance of the cams from each other is the same size as 1 + q. They are driven at web speed v.3 and are synchronized with the feed stream 3 so as to act in an aligning manner on the leading edge of the objects 1 positioned on the web of packaging material. The cams 55.5 are advantageously in the same way as the auxiliary role according to FIG. 3 and the auxiliary band according to FIG. 4 designed as parallel-acting part cam.

Another difference between those in the FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrated embodiments of the inventive method consists in the feed stream 3. During the feed stream 3 according to FIG. 4 is a simple scale flow of individual, flat objects, there is the supply current according FIG. 5 again from superimposed partial streams. These are not like in FIG. 3 everything Schuppenströme but partly consist of successively promoted, flat objects, which obviously have a length in the conveying direction, which is not as large as the distances of the objects (groups of one object from each partial flow) from each other. Obviously, it is not relevant to the method according to the invention how the feed stream 3 and the objects to be packaged are provided, as long as the distances of the objects from one another are smaller than the length of the longest object in each object in the feed stream and thus the feed speed v.1 is smaller as the web speed v.3.

FIG. 6 shows very schematically an inventive embodiment of the separation of the packaging to be packaged, fed in the feed stream 3 objects 1 by acceleration and their positioning on the packaging material web 2. The feed stream 3 is a gripper stream, which moves from above against the moving in the web direction packaging material web guided and redirected over this. In this gripper stream, each object 1 is conveyed by a gripper 90 and the distances between the grippers 90 are smaller than the object lengths in the case of a straight conveying path. The grippers 90 are arranged on a conveying member, for example on a gripper chain (dash-dotted line 91) such that they are accelerated in the provided as acceleration 51 deflection such that they reach the web speed v.3, and their distance to 1 + q enlarged. This means that the grippers 90 and the objects 1 held by them in the deflection are accelerated one after the other from v.1 to v.3 and thus separated, in which state they pass by controlled, serial opening of the grippers 90 on the under the deflection Packaging material web 2 are stored.

The grippers 90 may be arranged instead of on a conveying member also to corresponding, independently conveyable conveying elements, in which case the dotted line 91 of FIG. 6 as a rail for the conveyor elements and the Redirection, for example, as a clock wheel to understand. In this case, the grippers 90 are arranged in the same way by the conveying elements, as is the case for a corresponding conveying member.

For the adaptation of the device according to FIG. 6 At different object lengths 1, the projection of the gripper and / or the deflection geometry (deflection radius, deflection angle) is set up adjustable.

FIG. 6 shows that it is possible with the shown feeding, singulation and positioning to make the device even more compact than according to FIGS. 1 to 5 , Especially when instead of the distribution of the packaging material web 2 from above another such web 2 'from a further supply roll 61' is supplied. In this case, a deflecting roller deflecting the additional packaging material web in the web direction can simultaneously function as a positioning aid 55.

FIG. 7 shows a further non-inventive embodiment of the singulation of flat objects to be packaged 1 and their positioning, in which case the packaging material web 2 deflected in the region of action of the accelerator 51 from above in the web direction and the objects 1 under the packaging material web 2, that is, between the packaging material web 2 and the support conveyor 65 are positioned. Also in this case, a positioning tool 55 can be used. The transfer of the packaging material web 2 arranged above the row 4 about the row 4 is known from the prior art and will therefore not be further described here.

Claims (9)

1. A method for arranging a row (4) of flat objects (1), wherein the flat objects (1) are conveyed one after the other and distanced from one another in a row (4) on a conveying surface (2) in a web direction, wherein the objects (1) are supplied in a supply stream (3) in which the object distances (d) are smaller than the object lengths (1) in the web direction of the objects (1) when conveyed in the row (4), and wherein the objects (1) are successively separated from a head end of the supply stream (3) by acceleration, characterized in that the supply stream (3) is a gripper stream in which each object (1) is held by a gripper (90) and conveyed from above toward the conveying surface (2), and that the objects (1) are positioned individually and successively by means of acceleration directly upon the conveying surface (2), wherein the gripper stream is deflected above the conveying surface (2) in web direction and the objects (1) are thus accelerated, wherein the objects (1) are deposited upon the conveying surface (2) in the diversion by the grippers (90) opening, so that the row (4) is established directly on the conveying surface (2).
2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the conveying surface (2) is a quasi endless web of packaging material and that the packaging material web (2) is folded around the row (4) or a further packaging material web (2') is laid upon or below the row (4), wherein at least one longitudinal seam is established along the conveyed row (4) covered on either side by packaging material, and transverse seams are established between all successive objects in the row, wherein each object becomes enveloped by packaging material on all sides.
3. The method according to any one of the previous claims, characterized in that the objects (1) are conveyed in the gripper stream overlapping one another.
4. The method according to any one of the previous claims, characterized in that the grippers (90) are arranged on a conveying organ or on individual conveying elements independent of each other in such a projecting manner that they are accelerated in the deflection in such a manner that their distance is increased to 1 + q, wherein 1 is the length in the web direction of the objects conveyed in the row (4).
5. The method according to any one of the previous claims, characterized in that the objects are deposited on the conveying surface (2) passing beneath the deflection through the controlled serial opening of the grippers (90).
6. The method according to any one of the previous claims, characterized in that the distance between the grippers (90) is shorter than the object length (1) in a first part of the conveying path and greater than the object length (1) in a second part of the conveying path.
7. The method according to any one of the previous claims, characterized in that each object (1) is a printed product or a stack-like arrangement of a plurality of flat objects, of which at least some are printed products.
8. An installation for conveying flat objects (1), which installation comprises a first device for establishing a row (4) of objects (1), in which row the objects are arranged one after the other and distanced from one another, as well as a second device for supplying a conveying surface (2) and for conveying the conveying surface (2) together with the row (4) in a web direction, wherein the first device is preceded by a means of supply wherewith a supply stream can be supplied, in which the distances (d) between the objects are shorter than their lengths (1) in web direction, and wherein the objects (1) are successively individualized from the head of the supply stream through acceleration, characterized in that is the means of supply is a gripper conveyor with grippers (90) arranged on a conveying organ (91) or on conveying elements, which can be conveyed independently of each other, and that the first device comprises a means of acceleration (51), wherein the acceleration means (51) is equipped and arranged for an acceleration of the object of the supply stream (3), and that the acceleration means (51) is further equipped and arranged for the direct positioning of each accelerated object (1) upon the conveying surface (2), wherein the acceleration means (51) is a deflection of the gripper conveyor, wherein each gripper is equipped for the gripped conveying of an object (1), and wherein the gripper conveyor is arranged guiding from above toward the conveying surface (2) moving in web direction and the deflection is arranged above the material web (2), and wherein a means of control is provided, which is equipped for the serial opening of the grippers (90) in the region of the deflection.
9. The installation according to claim 8, characterized in that the grippers (90) on the conveying organ or on the conveyor elements are arranged at such projections that they are accelerated in the deflection in such a way that the distance between them increases to 1 + q, wherein 1 is the length in web direction of the objects conveyed in the row (4).

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