EP2942187B1 - Rotary press - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a rotary press comprising a press frame and a rotor arranged thereon with a die plate, with an upper punch holder for receiving a plurality of upper punches, with a lower punch holder for receiving a plurality of lower punches, with an upper cam carrier for supporting upper cam elements Guide the upper punch and with a lower cam carrier for supporting lower cam elements for guiding the lower punch, further comprising a rotor drive, with which the rotor is rotatably driven, further comprising at least one dosing, is filled in the material to be pressed in recordings of the die plate, and further comprising at least one upper printing station with at least one upper pressure roller and at least one lower printing station with at least one lower pressure roller.

In rotary presses, for example, it is occasionally necessary for maintenance or to change operating parameters to remove the rotor from the press frame. For this purpose, the rotor must be lifted by the rotor shaft connected to the rotor drive. Then it can be removed laterally from the press frame. For the lifting of the rotor separate hoists (lift trucks) are used in the prior art, which have suitable drives and gearboxes for lifting the rotor. This is time consuming, which impairs the availability of the rotary press. In addition, the provision of additional hoists in terms of cost and space is expensive. There is only a limited cleaning possibility and it is sometimes required additional media that must be provided and maintained, for example, to supply a hydraulic system. The document US-A-2003/042639 discloses a rotary press according to the preamble of claim 1.

Based on the prior art, the invention is therefore an object of the invention to provide a rotary press of the type mentioned above, wherein the rotor should be removed in comparison to the prior art simplified manner from the press frame.

The invention achieves the object by the subject matter of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments can be found in the dependent claims, the description and the figures.

For a rotary press of the type mentioned, the invention solves the problem in that coupling means are provided with which at least one used to operate the rotary press drive the rotary press is coupled to the rotor that used in a method of at least one for operating the rotary press Drive the rotor is lifted from its occupied for producing compacts operating position in a removal position, wherein the rotor from the removal position in the lateral direction of the press frame is removed.

The die plate of the rotor has recordings in a manner known per se, in which powder filled in the dosing station is pressed into compacts, in particular tablets. The die plate may consist of ring segments or be formed in one piece annular. The rotary press comprises in particular a plurality of revolving with the rotor, recorded in the upper punch recording upper punches and a plurality of rotating with the rotor, recorded in the lower punch receiving sub-punches, the upper and lower punches with the recordings in the die plate for producing the compacts interact. The rotary press also includes in particular held on the upper cam carriers upper cam elements for guiding the upper punch and held on the lower cam carriers lower cam elements for guiding the lower punch.

According to the invention, coupling means are provided, via which a drive of the rotary press, which is already available and used for the operation of the rotary press, can be used to lift the rotor into its removal position. The coupling means couple this drive with the rotor. In the removal position, the rotor is lifted by the rotor shaft connected to the rotor drive such that it can be removed from the press frame in the lateral direction, for example with a corresponding removal device. However, lifting forces no longer have to be exerted for lifting the rotor by the removal device. Accordingly, this sampling device requires no lifting drive. Of course, the rotor can also be lowered from its removal position into its operating position by means of the drive of the rotary press, which is already present and used for the operation anyway, via the coupling means. This can be done without or with attachment of additional components to the drive.

For raising and lowering the rotor upper drives of the rotary press and / or lower drives can be used. In a particularly advantageous manner can be used for a lateral removal of the rotor anyway required movements of stations of the rotary press in a parking position, resulting in additional time savings and thus increase the availability of the rotary press results. A setup of a separate lifting device is omitted according to the invention. Cleaning is easier, since no additional drive parts in the baling chamber are required. The maintenance of additional equipment, especially an external lifting device is eliminated. The costs are reduced and the operation is facilitated because moving the rotor to its removal position can be fully automatic without manual intervention.

According to one embodiment, the at least one drive which can be coupled to the rotor via the coupling means can drive at least one drive used for the operation of the rotary press Be Dosierstationsantrieb, which serves to adjust the height of at least one dosing.

To remove the rotor, the upper printing stations are usually moved upwards and the lower printing stations moved down so that the rotor between the upper and lower pressure rollers can be removed from the press frame. In a particularly advantageous manner can therefore be coupled via the coupling means with the rotor at least one used for the operation of the rotary press drive at least one printing station drive, which serves to adjust the height of at least one upper and / or at least one lower printing station. The press drives of the rotary press are capable of applying the forces required to lift the rotor. The anyway required for the removal of the rotor traversing movement of the printing stations in their respective parking position is advantageously used for raising the rotor in the removal position. In the case of a plurality of upper or a plurality of lower printing station drives, in particular all upper printing station drives and / or all lower printing station drives can be coupled via the coupling means to the rotor for lifting (or lowering) the rotor.

The coupling means may comprise at least one tension element attached to at least one upper pressure station, in particular to at least one fork plate carrying an upper pressure roller, on the one hand and the rotor, in particular the upper cam carrier or the upper punch receptacle of the rotor. In particular, at least one tension element can be attached to each upper pressure station drive, in particular to each upper fork plate. The tension elements are then all attached to the rotor. When moving the upper printing station drives or upper printing stations up into their parking position, they also pull the rotor upwards into its removal position.

The at least one tension element can be fastened to a support lug arranged on the upper cam carrier, wherein in the removal position of the rotor a removal arm of a removal device can engage the support lug for laterally removing the rotor from the press frame. Such a support lug may be formed, for example mushroom-shaped.

The at least one tension member may be releasably attached to the at least one upper pressure station and / or releasably attached to the rotor. The at least one tension element can furthermore be at least one tension rod.

The coupling means may comprise according to a further embodiment, at least one on at least one lower pressure station, in particular on at least one lower pressure roller bearing fork plate, on the one hand and on the rotor, in particular the lower cam carrier or the lower punch holder of the rotor, on the other hand fixed push element. Again, at least one pusher element can be attached to each lower printing station drive, if a plurality of lower printing station drives are provided. The pushers are then in turn all also attached to the rotor. In this case, the lower pressure station drives push the rotor via the pushers in an upward movement also upwards in its removal position. The at least one thrust element can be at least one thrust angle. About such a thrust angle, the high forces can be transmitted safely.

Again, the at least one pusher element may be releasably attached to the at least one lower pressure station and / or releasably attached to the rotor.

Alternatively it can be provided that the rotary press comprises a rotor shaft coupled to the rotor drive on the one hand and the rotor on the other hand, wherein the coupling means comprise a rotor shaft surrounding, rotatably mounted and on the rotor, in particular the lower cam carrier or the lower punch receiving the rotor, fitting Hubmanschette, is provided on the at least one engaging element which by rotation of the lifting sleeve selectively engaged and disengaged at least one lower printing station can be brought, wherein in an engagement between the at least one lower printing station and the at least one engagement element by a method of at least one lower printing station up the lifting sleeve and thus the rotor are raised. By rotating the lifting ring or the lifting sleeve, the engagement element or possibly the plurality of engagement elements can be brought into engagement with all the lower pressure station drives, in particular one of the lower pressure rollers respectively holding fork plate of the lower pressure station drives in several lower pressure station drives.

According to a further embodiment it can be provided that the coupling means comprise a rotatably mounted cam ring on which at least one engagement element is provided, which is selectively engageable by rotation of the cam ring into engagement and out of engagement with the rotor, wherein in an engagement between the rotor and the at least one engagement element by a method of at least one lower pressure station of the lifting ring and thus the rotor are raised.

According to the embodiment of the invention it is provided that the coupling means comprise at least one with at least one lower pressure station drive on the one hand and the rotor, in particular the lower cam carrier or the lower punch receiving the rotor, on the other hand coupled lifting lever, wherein the rotor in a method of at least one lower printing station by the at least one lower pressure station drive is lifted down by the at least one lifting lever. Again, at several lower Druckstationsantrieben with each lower pressure station drive, in particular with one of the lower pressure rollers each holding fork plate of the lower pressure station drives, at least one lifting lever to be coupled. The lifting levers are then in turn all coupled to the rotor. In this embodiment, a lever mechanism in the manner of a rocker is realized via the lifting lever. A process of the lower pressure station drives down to the park position causes a lifting of the rotor in its removal position. By the lever mechanism, a translation can be realized, which realizes short travels and travel times on the print station side. The at least one lifting lever can be coupled to the rotor via at least one suitable element acting on the rotor, in particular on the lower cam carrier or on the lower punch seat of the rotor, for example at least one lifting rod.

The at least one printing station drive may be a spindle drive. Spindle drives can transmit high forces in a precise manner. They usually each have a spindle and a spindle nut, wherein the spindle or the spindle nut are driven in rotation usually by an electric motor. As a result, the spindle or the spindle nut is moved axially. The lifting lever is then coupled to the respectively axially moving component, that is to say the spindle or the spindle nut. For example, the spindle, for example, each of the lower pressure station drives then actuates the lever mechanism via the lifting lever, which acts on the rotor and raises or lowers it.

• Fig. 1 einen Teil einer nicht-erfindungsgemäßen Rundläuferpresse nach einem ersten Ausführungsbeispiel in einer perspektivischen Ansicht,
• Fig. 2 einen Teil einer nichterfindungsgemäßen Rundläuferpresse nach einem zweiten Ausführungsbeispiel in einer teiltransparenten perspektivischen Ansicht,
• Fig. 3 einen Teil einer nichterfindungsgemäßen Rundläuferpresse nach einem dritten Ausführungsbeispiel in einer perspektivischen Ansicht,
• Fig. 4 einen Teil einer nichterfindungsgemäßen Rundläuferpresse nach einem vierten Ausführungsbeispiel in einer perspektivischen Ansicht nebst einer vergrößerten Ausschnittsdarstellung,
• Fig. 5 einen Teil einer nichterfindungsgemäßen Rundläuferpresse nach einem fünften Ausführungsbeispiel in einer perspektivischen Ansicht nebst einer vergrößerten Ausschnittsdarstellung, und
• Fig. 6 einen Teil der erfindungsgemäßen Rundläuferpresse nach einem Ausführungsbeispiel in einer teiltransparenten perspektivischen Darstellung.

Embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to figures. They show schematically:

• Fig. 1 a part of a non-inventive rotary press according to a first embodiment in a perspective view,
• Fig. 2 a part of a non-inventive rotary press according to a second embodiment in a semi-transparent perspective view,
• Fig. 3 a part of a non-inventive rotary press according to a third embodiment in a perspective view,
• Fig. 4 a part of a non-inventive rotary press according to a fourth embodiment in a perspective view and an enlarged detail view,
• Fig. 5 a part of a non-inventive rotary press according to a fifth embodiment in a perspective view along with an enlarged detail view, and
• Fig. 6 a part of the rotary press according to the invention according to an embodiment in a semi-transparent perspective view.

Unless otherwise indicated, like reference characters designate like items throughout the figures. In Fig. 1 For example, an upper support plate 10 and a lower support plate 12 of a press frame of a rotary press are shown. A rotor 16 of the rotary press is arranged on a rotor shaft 14 connected to a rotor drive. The rotor 16 comprises a die plate 18 and an upper punch holder 20 for receiving a plurality of upper punches, not shown, and a lower punch holder 22 for receiving a plurality of lower punches also not shown. In addition, the rotor 16 includes an upper cam carrier 24 for supporting upper cam elements, not shown, for guiding the upper punches and a lower cam carrier 26 for supporting lower cam elements, not shown, for guiding the lower punches.

The rotary press also includes two pairs of upper printing stations and two pairs of lower printing stations. The two upper printing stations each comprise an upper pre-printing station with an upper pre-pressure guide housing 28. The two lower printing stations each include a lower pre-printing station with a lower pre-pressure guide housing 30. In addition, the upper printing stations each have an upper main printing station with an upper main printing guide housing 32. The two lower printing stations comprise The upper printing stations each further comprise an upper pre-pressure roller 35 and an upper main pressure roller 36. The lower pressure stations respectively comprise a lower pre-pressure roller 37 and a lower main pressure roller 38. The pressure rollers 35, 36, 37 , 38 are each held by an upper fork plate 40 and a lower fork plate 42. This structure of a rotary press is known per se.

As in Fig. 1 can be seen, at each of the upper pressure rollers 36 supporting fork plates 40 tie rods 44 are fixed with one end, which are secured with its other end to the upper cam carrier 24 of the rotor 16. So there are a total of four tie rods 44 are provided, of which in Fig. 1 only two are visible. The upper and lower printing stations of the rotary press each comprise an upper or lower printing station drive, each comprising an in Fig. 2 to be recognized upper and lower drive motor 46, 48, wherein the drive motors 46, 48 via gear 50, 52 act on the upper and lower pressure stations. The printing station drives are in the interests of clarity in the FIGS. 1 and 3 to 5 not shown. About the upper and lower printing station drives, the upper and lower printing stations can be moved up and down, as is well known. In Fig. 1 the rotor 16 is shown in its operating position, which it occupies for the production of compacts. The rotor 16 can now be raised above the tie rods 44 by moving the upper printing station drives, and thus the upper printing stations be in its removal position in which it can be removed laterally from the press frame, for example by means of a removal device. In order to have sufficient space for the removal of the rotor available, at the same time the lower printing stations can be moved by means of their printing station drives down to a parking position. It is thus used in a simple manner, the method in this case, the upper pressure station drives in their parking position up to simultaneously raise the rotor 16 in its removal position.

Fig. 2 shows a further embodiment of a non-inventive rotary press, wherein the in Fig. 2 shown rotary press largely in Fig. 1 shown rotary press corresponds. In the Fig. 2 rotary press shown differs from the in Fig. 1 shown merely in that instead of the attached to the upper cam carrier 24 tie rods 44 tie rods 54 are provided, which are fastened on the one hand to the upper fork plates 40 of the upper pressure stations and on the other hand to a central support lug 56 on the upper cam carrier 24. This support lug 56 may for example be configured mushroom-shaped and serves for engaging a removal device for lateral removal of the rotor in its removal position from the press frame. Such a mushroom-shaped projection 56 is for example in Fig. 3 to recognize. It can be provided in all embodiments. Incidentally, the rotor 16 in the in Fig. 2 example shown by a method of the upper pressure station drives raised to its removal position, as already Fig. 1 were explained.

In Fig. 3 a further embodiment of a non-inventive rotary press is shown, in which case, for illustrative reasons, the upper support plate 10 and the upper printing stations are not shown. Again, this corresponds to Fig. 3 embodiment shown largely the embodiment of Fig. 1 , Instead of in Fig. 1 Tie rods 44 connected to the upper pressure stations are in the embodiment of FIG Fig. 3 a total of four thrust angles 58 are provided, one of which is fixed on the one hand on the Vordruckführungsgehäusen 30 and the main pressure guide housings 34 of the lower printing stations and on the other hand on the underside of the rotor 16, in particular the lower punch seat 22 engages. About the thrust angle 58 can be moved from its operating position to its removal position by a process of the lower pressure stations, in particular the Vordruckführungsgehäuse 30 and the main pressure guide housing 34 of the rotor 16.

In Fig. 4 is a further embodiment of a non-inventive rotary press shown, which in turn largely from the embodiment Fig. 3 equivalent. Like in Fig. 3 For illustrative purposes, the upper support plate 10 and the upper printing stations are not shown. At the in Fig. 4 As shown, a rotatably mounted on the lower support plate 12 cam ring 60 is provided which engages over a plurality of lifting rods 62 on the lower cam carrier 26 of the rotor 16. On the lifting ring 60 four engaging rods 64 are pivotally mounted in the illustrated example, which project from the surface of the cam ring 60 upwards and are angled at its free end to the outside. As particularly in the enlarged view 66 in FIG Fig. 4 can recognize, the engagement bars 64 can be brought by suitable pivoting into engagement with the fork plates 42 of the lower pressure stations, in particular pivoted over the top of the fork plates 42. Be moved in this engaged position, the lower pressure stations by means of the lower pressure station drives up, they take mediated by the engaging rods 64 with the cam 60, which in turn via the lifting rods 62, the rotor 16 moves up into its removal position. By corresponding pivoting back the engagement rods 64 can be brought out of engagement with the fork plates 42 of the lower printing stations again.

An alternative embodiment shows this Fig. 5 , This Ausfrührungsbeispiel largely corresponds to the in Fig. 4 shown embodiment. In distinction too Fig. 4 However, no lifting ring 60 is provided with lifting rods 62 and engaging rods 64, but a surrounding the rotor shaft 14 manually or by means of a suitable drive rotatable lifting sleeve 68. The lifting sleeve 68 has in the example shown four pressure angle 70, starting from the top of the lifting sleeve 68th extend to the outside. As in Fig. 5 can be seen again in the enlarged section 66, the pressure angles 70 can be brought by suitable rotation of the lifting sleeve 68 into engagement with the fork plates 42 of the lower printing stations, in particular such that they are similar to the top of the fork plates 42 as in the embodiment of Fig. 4 cover provided engaging rods. Analogous to the embodiment in FIG Fig. 4 take the lower pressure stations in a process above the pressure angle 70, the lifting sleeve 68 and thus the rotor 16 with in the removal position.

An inventive embodiment is in Fig. 6 shown, which in turn largely the embodiment of Fig. 4 equivalent. In contrast to the embodiment of Fig. 4 In this embodiment, a rotatable cam ring 71 is provided. The cam ring 71 may be both manually rotatable and by means of a suitable drive. In the embodiment of the Fig. 6 are coupled to the lower pressure stations on the one hand and the rotor 16 on the other hand coupled lifting lever 72 is provided. In the example shown, a respective spindle 73 of a lower printing station spindle drive engages at one end of one of the lifting levers 72, wherein the spindle 73 and the lifting lever 72 are articulated to one another. The other end of the lifting lever 72 is also connected in each case with an attacking on the rotatable cam ring 71 lifting rod 74 hingedly. By turning the cam ring 71, it can be selectively engaged with the rotor 16 or disengaged from the rotor 16. In the embodiment of the Fig. 6 is in a process of lower pressure station drives, in particular the spindles 73 down over the lifting lever 72 and the lifting rods 74 of the cam ring 71 and with appropriate engagement with the rotor 16 of the rotor 16 moved upward in its removal position.

It is understood that in all embodiments, the rotor can be raised both from its operating position to its removal position and lowered from its removal position to its operating position. All of the above-described coupling means between the printing station drives and the rotor can be permanently provided on the rotary press or temporarily, so dismountable, so that they are mounted only for raising or lowering of the rotor on the rotary press.

Claims (5)

1. A rotary press, comprising a press frame and a rotor (16) arranged thereon having a die plate (18), having an upper punch receiver (20) for receiving a plurality of upper punches, having a lower punch receiver (22) for receiving a plurality of lower punches, having an upper cam (24) for carrying upper cam elements for guiding the upper punches and having a lower cam (26) for carrying lower cam elements for guiding the lower punches, further comprising a rotor drive, with which the rotor (16) can be driven rotationally, further comprising at least one dosing station, in which material to be pressed is filled into receivers in the die plate (18), and further comprising at least one upper compression station having at least one upper pressing roller (35, 36) and at least one lower compression station having at least one lower pressing roller (37, 38), wherein coupling means are provided with which at least one drive of the rotary press used for operating the rotary press can be coupled to the rotor (16) in such a manner that with a movement of the at least one drive used for operating the rotary press the rotor (16) is raised out of its operating position occupied for producing pressing, into a removal position, wherein the rotor (16) can be removed from the removal position out of the press frame in a lateral direction, characterized in that the at least one drive which can be coupled to the rotor (16) via the coupling means, used for operating the rotary press, is at least one lower compression station drive which serves for adjusting the height of the at least one lower compression station, and the coupling means comprise at least one lift lever (72) coupled on the one hand to the at least one lower compression station drive and on the other hand to the rotor (16), wherein the rotor (16) is raised by the at least one lift lever (72) upon a downward movement of the at least one lower compression station by the at least one lower press station drive.
2. The rotary press according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling means comprise a rotatably mounted lift ring (71) on which at least one engagement element is provided that can be brought selectively into and out of engagement with the rotor (16) through rotation of the lift ring (71), wherein with the engagement between the rotor (16) and the at least one engagement element, the lift ring (71) and thus the rotor (16) are raised by a movement of the at least one lower compression station.
3. The rotary press according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one lift lever (72) is coupled to the rotor (16) via the at least one element engaging with the rotor (16).
4. The rotary press according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one compression station drive is a spindle drive.
5. The rotary press according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a spindle (73) or a spindle nut of the at least one lower compression station drive is coupled to the at least one lift lever (72).

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