EP3395734A1

EP3395734A1 - Squaring module in machines for introducing sheets for printing lines or box-forming machines

Info

Publication number: EP3395734A1
Application number: EP18167425.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Eduardo Mas Cano
Original assignee: European Machinery Engineering Projects SL
Current assignee: European Machinery Engineering Projects SL
Priority date: 2017-04-19
Filing date: 2018-04-16
Publication date: 2018-10-31
Also published as: ES1182109Y; ES1182109U

Abstract

It comprises a transversal plate (7) configured for the support of a rear portion of at least one sheet (3). The squaring module further comprises a first squaring device that includes two collateral stops (8) configured to be moved in a transversal direction (25a) in order to adapt to a width delimited by a rear portion of opposite edges of the sheet (3). The first squaring device also includes a pair of spindles (12) configured to rotate; where guide shoes (14) secured to the collateral stops (8) thread into said spindles (12); where the rotation of the spindles (12) transmit the movement thereof to the guide shoes (14) and collateral stops (8).

Description

Object of the invention

The present invention relates to a squaring module in machines for introducing sheets for printing lines or box-forming machines, where the squaring module is intended to square a rear portion of the sheets, which is opposite from a front portion of said sheets, which can be made of cardboard, cellular polypropylene, etc. The squaring module is automated by means of the use of the motors and other elements that adapt to the dimensions of the rear portion of the sheets; both in the dimensions of the width and length of the sheets and in the height of a lower support of the sheets in the rear portion thereof. It is highlighted that the different motors of the squaring module act independently from the rest of the mechanisms of the respective machine for introducing sheets; all of this without taking away power from said mechanisms and thus enabling the control of the different positions thereof to be performed in an easy manner.

Technical problem to be solved and background of the invention

Currently, sheets for printing lines or box-forming machines comprise a rear portion and a front portion by which each sheet is handled by means of a vacuum device in order to transfer the sheet to the printing line or to the box-forming machine, such that said front portion of the sheet is squared by means of adjustable plates only based on the width of the sheets, but there are no known background documents that include squaring modules of the rear portion of the sheets. In this situation the fact that they do not include modules for squaring the rear portion of the sheets hinders and slows down the transfer of the sheets to a printing line or box-forming machine.

Description of the invention

With the aim of reaching the objectives and preventing the drawbacks mentioned in the previous paragraphs, the invention proposes a squaring module in machines for introducing sheets for printing lines or box-forming machines comprising:

A transversal plate configured for supporting a rear portion of at least one sheet.
A first squaring device comprising two collateral stops configured to be moved in a transversal direction in order to adapt to a width delimited by a rear portion of opposite edges of the sheet.
A second squaring device comprising a back stop configured to be adjusted against a rear edge of the sheet.
A lower carriage configured to be moved in a longitudinal direction in order to adjust the back stop against the rear edge of the sheet; where the lower carriage is further configured to be coupled to a rear portion of the introducing machines; and where the mobility of said lower carriage pulls the assembly of the squaring module with it.

The squaring module further comprises a third squaring device configured to regulate the height of an upper carriage that includes the back stop and the transversal plate on which the sheet rests; where the upper carriage is located above the lower carriage; and where the upper carriage is coupled to the lower carriage. By means of the vertical mobility of the upper carriage the height of the transversal plate and thus of the support of the rear portion of the sheet is regulated.
The first squaring device comprises a pair of spindles configured to rotate; where guide shoes secured to the collateral stops thread into said spindles; and where the rotation of the spindles transmits the movement thereof to the guide shoes and collateral stops in order to be able to adjust said collateral stops to the width of the opposite edges of the sheet.
The second squaring device comprises a transversal axle coupled to the lower carriage; where in said transversal axle the end gears are embedded which are configured to be coupled to longitudinal toothed racks located in the rear portion of the introducing machine; and where the rotation of said transversal axle mobilizes the assembly of the squaring module in the longitudinal direction in order to adjust the back stop against the rear edge of the sheet.
The third squaring device comprises toothed racks secured to said upper carriage; where said toothed racks are coupled to vertical guides secured to the lower carriage; and where said toothed racks engage with toothed gears embedded in a transversal shaft configured to rotate and transmit the movement thereof to the upper carriage by means of the toothed gears and toothed racks.
The squaring module includes a fixed separator located in a central portion of the upper carriage; where said fixed separator is configured to separate at least two sheets that rest by the rear portions thereof on the transversal plate; and where said sheets have opposite edges adjacent to respective collateral stops.
The collateral stops and the fixed separator include upper angular portions converging upwards that help the sheets fit when they are received by the squaring module mounted in the introducing machine.
The squaring module of the invention reinforces the squaring or guiding of the sheets during the introduction thereof to the printing lines or box-forming machines; where said sheets are transferred by means of a vacuum device and by means of rotating rollers that are located in a front portion of the introducing machine. Thus the problems increased by long sheets or the double-feeding module are reduced.
The fact that the squaring module is included in the rear portion of the sheets reduces problems increased by long sheets and/or the feeding of double sheets in the transfer of said sheets to the printing line or box-forming machine.
For the purpose of helping to make this specification more readily understandable, a set of drawings constituting an integral part of the same has been included below, wherein by way of illustration and not limitation the object of the invention has been represented.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 .- Shows an elevation view of a machine for introducing sheets that includes the squaring module in machines for introducing sheets for printing lines or box-forming machines, object of the invention. In this figure 1, the arrangement of a stack of sheets is highlighted which rests by a rear area and by a front area on a rear portion and on a front area of the introducing machine, respectively.
Figure 2 .- Shows an elevation view of the squaring module of the invention.
Figure 3 . Shows a front view of the assembly of the squaring module.
Figure 4 .- Shows a lower view of the squaring module.
Figure 5 .- Shows a widened view of a detail of figure 4.
Figure 6 .- Shows a plan view of the module of the invention together with two parallel sheets.
Figure 7 .- Shows a perspective view of the squaring module.
Figure 8 .- Shows a view similar to the one shown in figure 7; where two parallel sheets situated in position are further highlighted.
Figure 9 .- Shows a lower perspective view of the squaring module.
Figure 10 .- Shows a schematic plan view of the module of the invention together with two parallel sheets.

Description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention

Considering the numbering adopted in the figures, the squaring module 1 in machines 2 for introducing sheets 3 for printing lines or box-forming machines is located in a rear portion 4 of the introducing machine 2.
In a front portion 5 of the introducing machine 2, a vacuum device 6 is coupled to transfer the stacked sheets 3 to the printing line or box-forming machine in an individual manner; where the front portion 5 and the rear portion 4 are located in opposite end areas of the introducing machine 2.
As shown in figure 1, at least one group of sheets 3 is stacked successively, one on top of the other; where said group of sheets 3 is supported by a rear portion on a transversal plate 7 of the squaring module 1, and by a front portion the group of stacked sheets 3 sits and rests on the vacuum device 6.
The squaring module comprises a first squaring device that includes collateral stops 8 for adapting them to opposite edges of the stack of sheets 3 that correspond with the width of said stack of sheets 3; a second squaring device that includes a back stop 9 in order to adapt it to rear edges 3b of the stack of sheets 3; and a third squaring device for being able to regulate the height of an upper carriage 10 that includes the transversal plate 7 on which the stack of sheets 3 rests.
Said upper carriage 10 can be moved in the vertical direction in order to regulate the height of the support of the stack of sheets 3 by the back portion thereof. In turn, the collateral stops 8 can be moved in opposition in a transversal direction 25a in order to adjust the distance between them to the width of the opposite edges of the stack of sheets 3.
The upper carriage 10 is coupled to a lower carriage 11 that can be moved in a longitudinal direction in order to adjust the back stop 9 against the rear edges 3b of the stack of sheets 3. The lower carriage 11 is coupled to the rear position 4 of the introducing machine 2, such that the mobility of said lower carriage 11 pulls the upper carriage 10 with it; where the movement of said lower carriage 11 mobilizes all the assembly of the squaring module 1.
The first squaring device for positioning the collateral stops 8 comprises a pair of spindles 12 that rotate separately by means of a first group of geared motors 13; where guide shoes 14 secured to the collateral stops 8 thread in said spindles 12; such that when the first group of geared motors 13 rotate they transmit the movement thereof to the guide shoes 14 and collateral stops 8 by means of the spindles 12.
In one embodiment of the invention, the squaring module 1 of the invention includes a fixed separator 8' located in a central portion of the upper carriage 10 for separating two areas in order to be able to simultaneously handle and feed two groups of stacks of sheets 3 that can have an equal or different width.
Both the collateral stops 8 and the fixed separator 8' include upper angular portions 15 converging upwards that help the sheets 3 fit when they are received by the squaring module 1 mounted in the introducing machine 2.
The third squaring device that regulates the height of the upper carriage 10 comprises toothed racks 16 secured to said upper carriage 10; where said toothed racks 16 are coupled to vertical guides 17 secured to the lower carriage 11; where toothed gears 18 embedded in a transversal shaft 19 engage with said toothed racks 16, that in one embodiment can rotate by means of a third group of synchronized geared motors 20 that transmit the rotating movement thereof to said transversal shaft 19 by means of belts 21; where said third group of motors is fastened to the lower carriage 11.
The second squaring device that regulates the positioning of the back stop 9 comprises a transversal axle 22 coupled to the lower carriage 11; where in said transversal axle end gears 23 coupled to longitudinal toothed racks 24 are embedded, such that when said transversal axle 22 rotates, the assembly of the squaring module 1 is mobilized in a longitudinal direction 25b in order to adjust the back stop 9 against the rear edges 3b of the stack of sheets 3.
The individual transfer of the sheets 3 to the printing line or box-forming machine is performed by the vacuum device 6 in combination with a pair of rotating rollers 26 that introduce them definitively in the printing line or box-forming machine.
Moreover, each of the spindles 12 is associated to a measurement device 27 in order to provide feedback on the position of the respective first geared motor 13 and be able to thus calibrate the position of each of the collateral stops 8 exactly.
The module of the invention also includes detectors 28 for marking the maximum and minimum limits of the two collateral stops 8.

Claims

A squaring module (1) in machines (2) for introducing sheets (3) for printing lines or box-forming machines, which includes a transversal plate (7) configured for supporting a rear portion of at least one sheet (3); characterized in that:
- it comprises a first squaring device comprising two collateral stops (8) configured to be moved in a transversal direction (25a) in order to adapt to a width delimited by a rear portion of opposite edges of the sheet (3);

- the first squaring device comprises a pair of spindles (12) configured to rotate;
where guide shoes (14) secured to the collateral stops (8) thread into said spindles (12); where the rotation of the spindles (12) transmit the movement thereof to the guide shoes (14) and collateral stops (8).
The squaring module (1) in machines (2) for introducing sheets (3) for printing lines or box-forming machines, according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes a second squaring device which comprises:
- a back stop (9) configured to be adjusted against a rear edge (3b) of the sheet (3);

- a transversal axle (22) coupled to the lower carriage (11); where in said transversal axle the end gears (23) are embedded which are configured to be coupled to longitudinal toothed racks (24) located in the rear portion (4) of the introducing machine (2); and where the rotation of said transversal axle (22) mobilizes the assembly of the squaring module (1) in the longitudinal direction (25b).
The squaring module (1) in machines (2) for introducing sheets (3) for printing lines or box-forming machines, according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises:
- a third squaring device configured to regulate the height of an upper carriage (10) that includes the back stop (9) and the transversal plate (7) on which the plate (3) rests; where the upper carriage (10) is located above the lower carriage (11); and where the upper carriage (10) is coupled to the lower carriage (11);

- a lower carriage (11) configured to be moved in a longitudinal direction (25b) in order to adjust the back stop (9) against the rear edge (3b) of the sheet (3); where the lower carriage (11) is further configured to be coupled to a rear portion (4) of the introducing machine (2); and where the mobility of said lower carriage (11) pulls the assembly of the squaring module (1) with it.
The squaring module (1) in machines (2) for introducing sheets (3) for printing lines or box-forming machines, according to claim 3, characterized in that the third squaring device comprises toothed racks (16) secured to said upper carriage (10); where said toothed racks (16) are coupled to vertical guides (17) secured to the lower carriage (11); and where said toothed racks (16) engage with toothed gears (18) embedded in a transversal shaft (19) configured to rotate and transmit the movement thereof to the upper carriage (10) by means of the toothed gears (18) and toothed racks (16).
The squaring module (1) in machines (2) for introducing sheets (3) for printing lines or box-forming machines, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it includes a fixed separator (8') configured to separate at least two sheets (3) that rest by the rear portions thereof on the transversal plate (7); where said sheets (3) have opposite edges adjacent to respective collateral stops (8).
The squaring module (1) in machines (2) for introducing sheets (3) for printing lines or box-forming machines, according to preceding claims 3 and 5 characterized in that the fixed separator (8') is located in a central portion of the upper carriage (10).
The squaring module (1) in machines (2) for introducing sheets (3) for printing lines or box-forming machines, according to any one of the preceding claims 5 or 6, characterized in that the collateral stops (8) and the fixed separator (8') include upper angular portions (15) converging upwards that are configured to help the sheets (3) fit when they are received by the squaring module (1).