Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H11/00—Feed tables
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H3/00—Separating articles from piles
  • B65H3/08—Separating articles from piles using pneumatic force
  • B65H3/0808—Suction grippers
  • B65H3/0816—Suction grippers separating from the top of pile
  • B65H3/0825—Suction grippers separating from the top of pile and acting on the rear part of the articles relatively to the final separating direction
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H11/00—Feed tables
  • B65H11/002—Feed tables incorporating transport belts
  • B65H11/005—Suction belts
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H3/00—Separating articles from piles
  • B65H3/08—Separating articles from piles using pneumatic force
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H3/00—Separating articles from piles
  • B65H3/08—Separating articles from piles using pneumatic force
  • B65H3/12—Suction bands, belts, or tables moving relatively to the pile
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H3/00—Separating articles from piles
  • B65H3/08—Separating articles from piles using pneumatic force
  • B65H3/12—Suction bands, belts, or tables moving relatively to the pile
  • B65H3/124—Suction bands or belts
  • B65H3/126—Suction bands or belts separating from the bottom of pile
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H3/00—Separating articles from piles
  • B65H3/24—Separating articles from piles by pushers engaging the edges of the articles
  • B65H3/242—Separating articles from piles by pushers engaging the edges of the articles for separating a part of the pile, i.e. several articles at once
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H5/00—Feeding articles separated from piles; Feeding articles to machines
  • B65H5/22—Feeding articles separated from piles; Feeding articles to machines by air-blast or suction device
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H5/00—Feeding articles separated from piles; Feeding articles to machines
  • B65H5/24—Feeding articles in overlapping streams, i.e. by separation of articles from a pile
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H83/00—Combinations of piling and depiling operations, e.g. performed simultaneously, of interest apart from the single operation of piling or depiling as such
  • B65H83/02—Combinations of piling and depiling operations, e.g. performed simultaneously, of interest apart from the single operation of piling or depiling as such performed on the same pile or stack
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
  • B65H2301/40—Type of handling process
  • B65H2301/42—Piling, depiling, handling piles
  • B65H2301/421—Forming a pile
  • B65H2301/4213—Forming a pile of a limited number of articles, e.g. buffering, forming bundles
  • B65H2301/42134—Feeder loader, i.e. picking up articles from a main stack for maintaining continuously enough articles in a machine feeder

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a loading station for plate elements.
• the invention also relates to a machine for processing these elements integrating such a loading station.
• a processing machine for example a printing machine, is used especially in the packaging industry, for example for making cardboard boxes from plate elements such as cardboard sheets.
• the processing machine generally comprises several stations or workstation, each intended to perform a specific operation.
• the plate elements are introduced at the entrance of the machine by the feed station or introduction station or introducer installed upstream. These plate elements are recovered at the exit of the machine in the downstream receiving station in the form of treated elements, poses or boxes ready for use.
• the introducer automatically returns the elements one after the other in the machine.
• the introducer firstly comprises a lower vacuum transport, which sends the elements into the machine successively one after the other. At this level, the elements are well separated and do not overlap in the form of a web. The elements are then driven and processed one after the other in the machine.
• the introducer also includes a vertical gauge.
• the gauge is used for frontal jogging of the elements. This gauge is also used to extract the elements one after the other from the underside of the package.
• the gauge is also movable vertically, so as to adjust the gap under the nose of the gauge, depending on the thickness of the elements.
• a first drawback is that the package exerts a significant pressure force, especially on the bottom element of the package placed on the transport. This pressure is even higher than the carton has a heavy weight and that the height of the package is important. This pressure tends to crush these elements from below
• COFFEE OF CGftFIRFrôATBON succeeding and exerting a constraint, disrupting the transport of the element by the introducer, decreasing the quality of the introduction and consequently the sending of the elements in the machine.
• the register of introduced elements is lost.
• the introducer brings back in one fell swoop two elements instead of one, which is undesirable.
• Such pressure also increases the friction between the bottom element of the stack and the element immediately above which it is in contact, when sending the bottom element.
• Surfaces that can be pre-printed or coated, for example white or other colors, will be damaged by marking.
• an operator To power a machine, an operator continually places small packets of stacked items in the feed station. The operator seizes and carries these packages by hand. This makes the work of the operator particularly difficult, for example in the case of treatment of corrugated sheets of large dimensions. In addition, such manual loading limits the capacity in terms of processing speeds.
• the loading station includes a stack of plate elements.
• CH-639.045 and EP-0,451,592 disclose a method and a charger for forming packets from the top of a stack of elements.
• the last upper elements of the stack, intended to form a package are separated from the same stack by means of a separator engaged with the edge of the elements of the packet.
• a pusher moves the top of the stack, and thus the package, towards and onto a conveyor.
• the successive packets are transported and then tabled in the direction of the machine introduction station.
• the separator fork can not fit precisely under a single sheet.
• the elements are micro-corrugated corrugated sheets, the trailing edge of one of the sheets will be damaged by the fork.
• the pusher crushes the front and back edges of the leaves.
• the lower face of the bottom sheet of each package is marked, passing over a flap located between the holding wall of the stack and the carrier.
• the web is systematically reinitiate each new package at the tablecloth. The web is always interrupted, which interferes with the quality of the margin.
• EP-1,528,021 a machine for the processing of plate elements incorporating a margin table and a loading station.
• the station comprises means for gripping the elements present in a stack placed in a store.
• the margin table comprises positioning means in the form of a front stop, and a device for transporting the sheet elements against the stop.
• the store will empty very quickly and will require immediate replenishment.
• the interval between a passage of a first stack and the next stack will generate a discontinuous supply of elements.
• Non-stop is not possible.
• the configuration of the web is that the front edge of each bonded corrugated cardboard element is damaged. Indeed, the front edge of the laminated lower sheet is cantilevered with respect to the corrugations and the topsheet. This bottom sheet continually rubs on the margin table. The passage of such a carton causes the lower sheet to be damaged at its front edge and / or folds downward or upward against the front edge of the carton.
• a main object of the present invention is to develop a loading station for a machine for processing plate elements.
• a second objective is to provide a loading station, operating at high rates and to prevent any damage to the elements, regardless of their profiles, their thickness, their rigidities or their materials, and thus pass including thin cartons and light weight.
• a third goal is to successfully load and send laminated, without marking and without damaging the skirt.
• a fourth objective is to make the web of elements continuous and to obtain a constant load at the introduction station. Another objective is to equip a machine with a loading station generating an excellent arrival of elements, allowing at subsequent stations to grasp the well-aligned elements and take them to the machine for effective processing.
• a plate element loading station from an initial stack of elements disposed in a magazine to an insertion station for an element processing machine comprises:
• Unloading means discharging elements from the initial stack, - intermediate storage means, storing the unloaded elements in the form of an intermediate package, and positioned downstream of the unloading means,
• transport means transport means transporting the elements from the storage means to the introduction station
• the sheet or sheet element is defined, by way of non-exhaustive example, as being of a material such as paper, cardboard, corrugated cardboard, laminated corrugated cardboard, flexible plastic, eg polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), biaxially oriented polypropylene
• a material such as paper, cardboard, corrugated cardboard, laminated corrugated cardboard, flexible plastic, eg polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), biaxially oriented polypropylene
• the processing machine is defined, by way of non-exhaustive example, as a platen cutting machine, a printing machine, with at least one printing unit, for example in flexography, in heliography, in offset, or embossing group, or a crimping group, or hot stamping group, a digital or inkjet printing machine, a folder-gluer machine or others.
• the longitudinal direction is defined by referring to the direction of movement of the element in the machine along its median longitudinal axis.
• the upstream and downstream directions are defined with reference to the direction of movement of the element, along the longitudinal direction in the loading station, in the introduction station and in the whole of the processing machine.
• the intermediate storage means the web is formed in continuous, even if the supply of the magazine is temporarily interrupted, for example when loading a new battery. With this storage, the sheet is obtained with a regular spacing between the elements.
• the pitch of the sheet remains constant, i.e. without irregularities in the overlap. There is no longer a critical phase of web reboot.
• a processing machine for plate elements is characterized in that it comprises a loading station having one or more technical features described below and claimed.
• FIGURE represents a synoptic side view of a loading station according to the invention.
• a processing machine (not shown) of a plate member for example a flexographic printing machine, comprises different printing stations.
• the plate elements i.e. the cardboard sheets to be processed (1), for example by printing them, are captured and transported through the printing machine.
• a loading station (2) is mounted upstream of the printing machine, upstream of its insertion station.
• the median longitudinal axis of the station (2) is aligned with the median longitudinal axis of the machine.
• the sheets (1) arrive in the loading station (2) in a main initial vertical stack (3) placed in a main storage magazine (4) located upstream.
• the leaves (1) leave the station (2) downstream.
• the magazine (4), and thus the station (2) may comprise a battery charger (not visible) for the stack (3) of sheets (1), in the form of a battery lift mechanism.
• the charger is a battery lift, which comprises a substantially horizontal lifting platform supporting the stack (3) of sheets (1).
• the lifting platform can be driven vertically by the lift mechanism.
• the lifting mechanism has an electric motor device, raising or lowering the lifting plate vertically.
• the engine also allows to know and ensure the precise positioning of the plate. Thanks to the lifting mechanism, a new stack of sheets (1) is reloaded on the plate, to feed the station (2).
• the magazine (4) with its battery charger, and thus the station (2), may include a stack top sensor.
• the stack top sensor can be connected to an input of a computer.
• the computer can act on the elevator mechanism, to maintain the successive upper leaves (la) at a constant level after each start of a top sheet (la).
• the computer is programmed so that the signal appearing at its output is characteristic of the difference between the level of the top of the stack (3) measured and a setpoint calculated on the basis of the thickness of the stacked poses and the starting frequency of the leaves.
• a charger is for example substantially similar to that described in EP-1.170.228.
• the station (2) then comprises a set of automatic introduction (6) of the sheets (1) in the station (2), which is arranged above and after the magazine (4).
• the introduction assembly (6) has unloading means (7).
• the unloading means (7) consist of a sheet-fed gripper for the successive upper sheets (1a), found on the top of the stack (3).
• This introductory set (6) introduces the sheets sequentially into the rest of the station (2).
• the upper sheet (1a) is taken from the stack (3) of sheets (1). Due to the constant level horizontal maintenance of the successive upper sheets (la) through the battery charger, the unloading means (7) work at a constant height substantially horizontal. The detection by the stack top sensor makes it possible to control that the upper sheet (1a) of the stack (3) is always at a predetermined level so that it can be taken by the unloading means (7).
• the discharge means (7) may have a suction device (8), with one or more suction cups (9 and 1 1).
• the suction cups (9 and 11) are connected to a vacuum pump or vacuum generator (not shown), generating the depression needed to lift the upper sheets (la).
• the position and number of suckers (9 and 11) is adjustable by the operator, depending on the size and type of sheet (1).
• Upstream suction cups (9) are driven by a mechanism and reciprocate from top to bottom and vice versa (Arrow H).
• the suction cups (9 and 11) are pneumatically driven.
• the suction cups (9 and 11) can also possibly be associated with a jack.
• the whole of the introduction assembly (6) can pivot upstream upwards or upwards. This movement (H) is useful in case of tiling of the leaves, their rear edge may be at a lower level than their front edge.
• these upstream suction cups (9) pick up and take off the top sheet (1a) from the stack (3), then return to the next top sheet which is at the top of stack (3). This movement is associated with an activation and a cut-off of the suction of these upstream suction cups (9).
• Downstream suction cups (11) are driven by a mechanism and reciprocate from upstream to downstream and vice versa (Arrow A). By their movement (A), these downstream suction cups (11) grip, transport the upper sheet (1a) from its level obtained by the upstream suction cups (9), and then return for the next upper sheet (1a) which is being brought by the upstream suction cups (9). At the moment when the downstream suction cups (11) grip the upper sheet (1a), the suction of the upstream suction cups (9) is cut off.
• the unloading means (7) can also have a crank-crank assembly.
• the connecting rod-crank assembly is able to move the suction member (8) on a slide.
• the crank-handle assembly makes a back-and-forth movement horizontal, so as to be able to seize the successive sheets (la) on the top of the stack (3), then to be able to release these same successive sheets (the).
• the suction device (8) is at its most upstream position.
• the station (2) may comprise transfer means (12) for the sheets, which are arranged downstream of the insertion assembly (6). These transfer means (12) are associated with the unloading means (7) of the insertion assembly (6). Sheets are sent sequentially by the unloading means (7) to the transfer means (12). At the moment when the transfer means (12) grip the upper sheet (1a), the suction of the downstream cups (11) is cut off. The speed is synchronized between the capture of the sheets through the unloading means (7) and the transfer means (12).
• transfer means (12) introduce the sheets sequentially in the rest of the station (2).
• the sheets (1) are separated from each other and do not overlap each other, that is, they do not form a web.
• the transfer means (12) comprise an endless belt conveyor (13).
• the vacuum conveyor (13) grasps the sheet by its leading edge.
• An optional brush (14) may be mounted while being retractable.
• the station (2) comprises means for intermediate storage (16) of the sheets (1), which are arranged downstream of the transfer means (12).
• these storage means (16) may have a positioning member before sheets, for example in the form of a front gauge (17).
• the station (2) comprises means of transport (18) of the sheets (1) to the introduction station, which are arranged downstream of the storage means (16) and the gauge (17).
• the transport means (18) has a downstream conveyor belt, and a vacuum belt under the conveyor at the upstream position of the gauge (17). If the speed of the transfer means (12) is uniform, the sheets (1) abut against the gauge (17). The sheets (1) can bounce back, especially when it comes to corrugated cardboard or compact cardboard of a certain thickness.
• the transfer means (12) can have a speed profile, to accelerate, then immediately decelerate the sheets.
• the first advantage of the acceleration is that the sheets (1a) leave the introducer assembly (6) by being evacuated as quickly as possible. With this acceleration of the sheets (la), the unloading means (7) have time to make their round trip to bring the next top sheet (la).
• the second advantage of this is to allow to significantly reduce the speed of the sheets (1) arriving against the gauge (17), while ensuring a regular rate regardless of the selected speed profile, depending on the rate of the machine and mechanical characteristics of the leaves to be treated.
• Such transfer means (12) are for example substantially similar to those described in EP-1,528,021.
• the unloading means (7) may consist of a pusher member, simultaneously pushing several sheets (1) of the stack (3).
• the pusher member thus constitutes initial packets of sheets (1).
• the successive upper leaves (1a) are maintained at constant horizontal level by the battery charger, and thereby the pusher member forms initial packets having a constant number of sheets (1).
• This pusher member introduces the initial packet sheets directly into the intermediate storage means (16) against the gauge (17).
• the storage means (16) can advantageously integrate both the positioning member, ie the gauge (17) and the transport means (18), so as to be able to obtain blocking and intermediate packing (19) of the leaves (1).
• the longitudinal position of the gauge (17) is adjustable (arrow L) according to the dimensions of the sheets (1).
• the storage means (16) are obtained by a level difference between the transfer means (12) and the transport means (18).
• the intermediate packet (19) is created as and when the leaves (1) and their blocking by the gauge (17).
• the intermediate packet (19) is created by the arrival of successive initial packets.
• the storage means (16) may very well have an arrangement (not shown) to be able to vary (Arrow V) the intermediate storage capacity of the sheets (1).
• the arrangement may be able to vary (V) the height of the transport means (18) relative to the transfer means (12).
• the transport means (18) can be positioned at a height less than that of the transfer means (12). This difference in height makes it possible to obtain a second intermediate store with volume or variable capacity.
• the intermediate package obtained (19) is a function of the thickness of the sheets (1), stored there temporarily, the change time of the stack (3) and the rate of the downstream processing machine. Overcapacity of the introduction assembly (6) and transfer means (12) for filling the intermediate magazine is determined according to the rate of the downstream processing machine.
• the station (2) further comprises sheet forming means (21) positioned downstream of the storage means (16).
• the tableting means (21) can favorably integrate both the positioning member, ie the gauge (17), and the transport means (18), so as to obtain a gradual start and a transport of the sheets. in the form of a web (22).
• the lower sheets (Ib) are removed one by one from the bottom of the intermediate pack (19) thanks to the transport means (18).
• the interval under the gauge (17) is adjustable (arrow T) according to the thickness of the sheets (1) and the desired pitch for the sheet (22). The pitch is also adjusted by the speed of the transport means (18).

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Sheets, Magazines, And Separation Thereof (AREA)
• Pile Receivers (AREA)
• Making Paper Articles (AREA)
• Feeding Of Articles By Means Other Than Belts Or Rollers (AREA)
• Separation, Sorting, Adjustment, Or Bending Of Sheets To Be Conveyed (AREA)
• Conveyance By Endless Belt Conveyors (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

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Family Applications (1)

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Family Cites Families (22)

• 2010
  • 2010-03-11 CN CN201080019301.9A patent/CN102414099B/zh active Active
  • 2010-03-11 ES ES10709417.9T patent/ES2557432T3/es active Active
  • 2010-03-11 JP JP2012500116A patent/JP5401599B2/ja active Active
  • 2010-03-11 WO PCT/EP2010/001520 patent/WO2010105762A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2010-03-11 BR BRPI1009298 patent/BRPI1009298B1/pt active IP Right Grant
  • 2010-03-11 US US13/256,768 patent/US8608151B2/en active Active
  • 2010-03-11 KR KR1020117024270A patent/KR101331702B1/ko active IP Right Grant
  • 2010-03-11 EP EP10709417.9A patent/EP2408698B1/de active Active
  • 2010-03-15 TW TW099107416A patent/TWI419827B/zh active

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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