EP4051494B1 - Pressure roller station for rotary presses with external shaft mounts for pressure roller units - Google Patents

Description

The invention preferably relates to a pressure roller station for rotary presses with a guide profile that can be locked on the rotary press, which comprises two side surfaces on which a pair of upper and lower axle receptacles for pressure roller axes are arranged on the outside, so that two pairs of pressure rollers can be attached to the same guide profile. In preferred embodiments, the axle receptacles have a shape that is laterally open to the outside, particularly preferably a U-shape, and are set up for pivotable mounting of pressure roller axles. In a further aspect, the invention relates to a rotary press comprising such a preferred pressure roller station.

Background and state of the art

The invention relates to the field of rotary presses, which are used in the pharmaceutical, technical or chemical industries or in the food industry to produce tablets or compacts in large quantities from powdery materials.

It is known that rotary presses have a rotor which carries a plurality of pairs of punches, each pair of punches being formed by an upper punch and a lower punch, which are adjustable relative to one another. The rotor comprises a die disk in which die openings are provided at regular intervals on a pitch circle, in which the upper and lower dies either interact directly or have sleeve-shaped inserts, which are referred to as dies. The material to be pressed is filled into these dies or die openings using a filling device.

When a pair of stamps reaches the area of the filled die or die opening due to the rotation of the rotor, the two stamps are moved towards each other by control cams and reach the area of a pressure roller station. In the pressure roller station, the punches are pressed against each other so that the material in the die opening is compressed into a tablet, for example. After the pressing process is completed, both press rams are moved upwards and the tablet is ejected from the die opening or the die. The pressing force is transferred to the pressing tools using pressure rollers. The pressing tools are also referred to as upper and lower punches.

Rotary presses are also known in the prior art in which the pressure rollers are present separately from one another, for example attached to a head piece at the top and to a support plate at the bottom in the base of the rotary press. For example, this is done in the EP 1 627 727 B1 the attachment of an upper pressure roller to an upper crossmember, while a lower pressure roller is attached separately thereto to a lower crossmember of the machine housing.

The disadvantage of a separate arrangement of the two pressure rollers is that the pressing forces generated during the pressing process are transmitted directly to both the upper and lower machine housing. The machine housing of the rotary press can, for example, consist of a machine base on which the support plate for the lower pressure roller is located, as well as a head piece to which the upper pressure roller is attached. The head piece and the machine base must be connected to each other using 2 to 4 corner beams. In order to withstand the pressure forces, the head piece, the corner bars and the machine base must be made very solidly and require a lot of material.

It has also been shown that machine housings emit significant structure-borne sound vibrations in the audible range when the upper and lower pressure rollers are attached separately. At high speeds of the rotors of a rotary press, sound pressure levels of more than 100 dBA can occur.

To avoid these disadvantages, pressure roller stations with guide profiles or guide columns have been proposed in the prior art, which are suitable for receiving a pair of pressure rollers consisting of an upper and a lower pressure roller.

Such printing roller stations are in the prior art, for example from the documents EP 0 856 394 B1 or EP 0 856 394 B1 known.

By EP 0 856 394 B1 a pressure roller station for a rotary press is disclosed, the pressure roller station having a frame which can be locked on the rotary press and which includes two bearing blocks for the pressure rollers. The frame is formed from a guide column and the bearing blocks are arranged on mutually adjustable upper and lower pressure roller receptacles guided by the guide column. It is preferably a cylindrical guide column, with the pressure roller receptacles preferably being designed as circular or conical openings for receiving the bearing blocks or pressure roller axes.

By EP 0 856 394 B1 A rotary press with a pressure roller station is also disclosed, which consists of a solid guide column with a cylindrical cross section. To reduce noise, the rotary press according to the EP 0 856 394 B1 a solid, bending and torsion-resistant base plate to accommodate the rotor, the drive and the pressure roller station. Here, the carrier plate is held by a base frame of the rotary press using elastic bearings, so that the Rotary press can work with low vibration and noise even with high pressing forces.

Modern rotary presses are characterized by the fact that, starting from basic equipment for the production of single-layer tablets, the basic press can be converted by adding additional modules so that two-layer, three-layer or jacket core tablets can also be pressed. These additional modules can be, for example, additional printing stations. It has also been shown that the quality of single-layer tablets can be improved if, before the actual tablet production, the press material is vented in a so-called pre-pressure station, which is also formed by a pair of pressure rollers.

It is therefore desirable to provide rotary presses which integrate several printing stations, for example a preliminary and a main printing station, with a flexible structure being preferred in order to enable different operating states depending on the desired application.

From the WO 2018/109813 A1 a pressure roller station for rotary presses according to the preamble of claim 1 is known. The document relates to a rotary tablet press with a pre-printing and main printing station, each comprising two pairs of pressure rollers, which are attached to a vertical support profile. Also in a rotary press according to JP 2006 263764 A Two pairs of pressure rollers can be installed on a vertical support profile, for example for a pre-printing and main printing station. The rotary press has an upper support and a support plate. The upper support is only supported at the back by the support profile, allowing better access to the rotor at the front.

The support profile for the pressure rollers is characterized by a V-shaped front surface facing the rotor, on which the two pairs of pressure rollers can be arranged next to one another on the rotor circle. When installed, the pressure roller axes are located within the vertical support. This makes easy access to converting the pressure rollers more difficult. In addition, the support profile for installing the two pairs of pressure rollers takes up a relatively large amount of space and is therefore a hindrance to flexible positioning around the rotor.

Out of JP H08 19899 A is a rotary tablet press, with a pre-printing and main printing station, each comprising two pairs of pressure rollers. The rotary tablet press includes a machine frame with an upper support and a lower frame or support plate. The upper support has an angled front surface for attaching the upper pressure rollers, so that the two pairs of pressure rollers can be arranged next to each other on the rotor circle. The pressure rollers are mounted on the pressure roller axes via bearings, with the pressure roller axes aligned frontally to the front surfaces of the upper support. The pressure roller axes are attached at one end via a flange and Bolt. The other end remains open so that the pressure rollers can be pushed on for assembly and disassembly. The lower pressure rollers are attached via a support shaft, which is supported by the lower frame or machine base.

For some applications it may be preferred that individual printing stations within the rotary press can be arranged at different positions to enable quick and easy changeover.

At the printing station EP 0 856 394 B1 or EP 0 856 394 B1 With compact cylindrical guide columns, it is known that a carrier plate of the rotary press has a large number of recesses. Each of these recesses is equipped with a clamping device with which a printing station can be attached to the desired position.

In order to use the cost-intensive clamping devices particularly effectively, it has been proposed in the prior art to integrate clamping or holding devices into the individual printing stations themselves ( WO 2016/156306 A1 ). As a result, depending on a desired operating mode, a particularly low-maintenance and simple attachment of pressure roller stations to predetermined positions on a carrier plate can take place.

In addition to a conversion for different applications, with conventional rotary presses it is also necessary to remove the pressure roller station from the interior of the press for maintenance or cleaning. Particularly in the case of pressure roller stations that include closed guide columns, it is necessary to move or pivot the station as a whole on the carrier plates. Due to the high total weight of a single pressure roller station of up to 500 kilograms, this must be partially supported by lifting tools.

In order to ensure improved accessibility of pressure roller station components that require maintenance or replacement, the WO 2015/169852 A1 proposed an open leadership profile. In these cases, too, a change of operation usually requires moving or replacing the entire pressure roller station.

Another disadvantage of the known printing stations is the increased space requirement, especially when using several printing roller stations, for example for the production of two-layer, three-layer or even jacket core tablet presses. When using a pre-press station in addition to a main printing station, it is also necessary to arrange two pressure roller stations next to each other, which increases the footprint.

When using several individual printing stations, independent oscillations or vibrations can also occur. Although the suspension ensures the upper and lower pressure roller in a pressure roller station ensures extremely stable absorption of the pressing forces. Nevertheless, vibrations are transmitted to the individual pressure roller stations, which can increase in opposite directions. This can be counteracted by connecting the individual pressure roller stations using struts. However, the use of the struts involves additional design effort.

In light of the prior art, there is therefore potential for improvement in the provision of rotary presses with one or more pressure roller stations in a compact design, which can preferably also be converted in a simple and quick manner for various applications.

Task of the invention

One object of the invention was therefore to provide a pressure roller station for rotary presses which eliminates the disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, it was an object of the invention to develop a pressure roller station which is characterized by a compact design, multifunctional application options and high stability with low noise.

Summary of the invention

According to the invention the task is solved by the independent claims. The dependent claims represent preferred embodiments of the invention.

The invention relates to a pressure roller station for rotary presses with a guide profile that can be locked on the rotary press, the guide profile being in the form of a free-standing support column and comprising two side surfaces, on each of which a pair of upper and lower axle receptacles for pressure roller axes are arranged on the outside, so that two pairs are arranged on the same guide profile can be attached by pressure rollers.

The pressure roller station is characterized by an extremely compact design that can accommodate up to four pressure rollers. This allows, for example, a main printing station and a pre-printing station to be provided in a very small space. In known pressure roller stations, at least two separate guide profiles or guide columns were usually necessary, which had to be set up next to each other around a rotor circle.

By attaching the axle receptacles to the two side surfaces of a guide profile, two pairs of pressure rollers can be provided, the space requirement of which is only determined by the expansion of the pressure rollers themselves.

However, the construction method according to the invention not only reduces the space requirement, but also significantly increases their stability.

On the one hand, the arrangement of pairs of upper and lower axle mounts ensures a high capacity to absorb pressing forces that are generated by the pressure rollers installed in the axle mounts. Since the pairs are each located on one side surface, they can particularly effectively compensate for the opposing pressing forces. In addition, it has been shown that transverse forces or vibrations are also balanced between the two pairs of pressure rollers attached to the side surfaces of a guide profile.

While undesirable vibrations or vibration interference can occur when using two or more individual printing stations in a rotary press, this is avoided due to the design by attaching both pairs of pressure rollers to a guide profile. Instead, the pressure roller station offers excellent overall stability even during independent pressing operations using pairs of pressure rollers attached to the sides.

With the pressure roller station, it is therefore possible to provide two independently acting pairs of pressure rollers or pressing units in a small space, which are low in oscillation and vibration and only have a low level of noise even with high pressing forces.

In a preferred embodiment, the pressure roller station is characterized in that a first pair of lower and upper pressure rollers are attached to a first side surface of the guide profile, which form a pre-printing station, and a second pair of lower and upper pressure rollers are attached to a second side surface, which form a Form the main printing station.

The terms pre-printing and main printing station have the usual meaning in the prior art and preferably each include pairs of pressure rollers for imparting a pressing force to the pressing tools. Typically, in a so-called pre-pressure station, ventilation of the press material is ensured by pressing the material in the main printing station before the actual tablet production. This allows the quality assurance of the compacts to be increased. As a rule, the pre-pressure station is characterized by low immersion depths and/or pressing forces compared to the main print station.

With the printing roller station according to the invention, the components for a main printing and pre-printing station can be accommodated more advantageously in a very small space, which means that rotary presses can be constructed with extremely small dimensions.

The possibility of integrating two pairs of pressure rollers in a compact printing station represents a special achievement compared to the known prior art, which distinguishes the pressure roller station for a wide variety of applications.

For example, especially in laboratory operations, it is often desirable to carry out different series of tests when space is limited - for example for feasibility studies or screening purposes - to be able to drive. Using a pressure roller station for the flexible integration of up to four pressure rollers, a rotary press with maximum functionality can be provided in a minimal footprint. This makes it possible to integrate the preliminary and main printing stations as well as to provide two printing rollers for multi-shift operation within a printing roller station.

Attaching the axle holders for the pressure rollers to the outer side surfaces also ensures good accessibility. Depending on your needs, various pressure rollers can be mounted or dismantled quickly and easily. It is not necessary to install and remove the entire pressure roller station. Instead, the pressure roller axes can be installed and removed in the axle holder, which is freely accessible on the side. The provision of pivoting pressure roller axes for maintenance or replacement is also made possible by providing the axis holders on the side. The pressure roller station therefore allows a particularly high degree of flexibility for the needs-oriented use of modern rotary presses. For the purposes of the invention, an axle holder preferably refers to a component which is designed to store a pressure roller axle or a bearing axle for other components of a rotary press in the guide profile.

For this purpose, the axle receptacles preferably comprise a receiving section or a receiving surface for locking a pressure roller or bearing axle and a storage section or storage block for guiding the axle receptacle within the guide profile. The storage section is preferably located within the guide column, for example on guide rails. The receiving section or the receiving surface, on the other hand, faces outwards to the side and is therefore easily accessible. The axle mounts are preferably in the form of monoliths in order to withstand the highest loads as solid components, but composite axle mounts are also conceivable. Due to the preferred suitability for holding pressure roller axes, the axle holder can also be referred to as a pressure roller holder. For assembly and disassembly, the axle holders or their receiving section have a laterally open profile, with their cross-section being, for example, U-shaped, arcuate, V-shaped, trapezoidal or may have other open polygonal shapes. The receiving surface can preferably be adapted to the shape of the pressure roller axes or bearing axes to be installed.

A fixing plate with appropriate locking means for installing pressure roller axes is also conceivable.

In preferred embodiments, the axle receptacles are designed to be identical in construction in order to attach a particularly simple, identical bearing axle with possibly different pressure rollers to the different axle receptacles. However, it can also be preferred that the axis mounts differ from one another. For example, the pair of axle mounts on a respective side surface could be identical in construction, but different from the axle mounts on the other side surface. Upper and lower axle mounts on the respective side surfaces could also be identical in construction, but different from their counterparts, or three axle mounts could be identical in construction, while a fourth axle mount has a special function.

The axle receptacles therefore mediate the attachment of the pressure roller axes to the guide profile, with the axle receptacles themselves preferably being mounted in a displaceable manner in the guide profile.

The guide profile preferably represents the basic structure or the support structure of the pressure roller station and is used to store or guide the axle mounts. The guide profile preferably has the shape of a column. The terms leadership profile and leadership pillars are preferably used synonymously.

The guide profile is therefore a free-standing support column with a vertical height which allows the simultaneous attachment of a pair of upper and lower pressure rollers.

By mounting the axle receptacles of a pair of upper and lower pressure rollers within a guide profile or guide column, the pressing forces that occur in the pressing process preferably remain in the guide column. The pressing forces occurring in the pressing process can preferably be absorbed by respective adjustment spindles, which continuously adjust the height of the upper and lower pressure rollers. This means that the effective pressing forces remain within the guide column and do not reach the carrier plate or the machine housing. This prevents the entire frame of the tablet press from being exposed to the pressing forces during the pressing process. This enables a less massive design of the base while saving material. Furthermore, the frame components, such as the head plate, multifunctional column and base, are not caused to vibrate, which, if the frequencies are in the audible range, can lead to noise pollution. To absorb the pressing forces, the guide profile is preferably designed as a solid component. For example, production from metals in a mold is an option. The height of the guide profile is determined by the desired distance between the upper and lower pressure rollers, with the guide profile preferably having lower and upper openings in the side surfaces for receiving the axle mounts. In cross section, the guide profile is preferably characterized by the presence of two side surfaces, which are preferably not parallel or perpendicular to one another stand. Instead, the side surfaces preferably enclose an angle, which is preferably chosen so that pressure roller pairs that can be attached to the side surfaces act on a rotor pitch circle.

The cross section of the guide profile can therefore preferably resemble a circular ring segment in sections, with the two side surfaces forming the legs. The front and back of the guide profile can be designed as a circular arc - like a circular ring segment. The front side facing the rotor will have a smaller radius than the back side facing away from the rotor.

Particularly preferred is the design of the front and back in sections that are straight or rectilinear in cross section and mimic an arc of a circle. The front side of the guide profile facing the rotor can, for example, have two surfaces that are at an angle to one another, while the back side facing away from the rotor is formed by three surfaces. It is also conceivable that the front and back sides are designed in cross section as a straight connecting line between side surfaces, so that the front and back sides each form a flat surface.

In the inner cross section, the guide profile is preferably not solid, but has cavities for guiding the axle holders and possibly other components. The stability of the guide column is therefore largely determined by the side surfaces as well as the front and back and preferably a central bar. Internal stabilizing walls or struts that connect the front, back and/or side surfaces (centre bar) are preferred and lead to a more even distribution of the pressing and bending forces.

The guide profile preferably has a front surface facing the rotor, a rear surface facing away from the rotor and at least two side surfaces on which the axle receptacles are located on the outside.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the at least two side surfaces form legs of an angle which is in the range from 10° to 120°, preferably from 20° to 80°. Intermediate ranges from the aforementioned ranges may also be preferred, such as 10° to 20°, 20° to 30°, 30° to 40°, 40° to 50°, 50° to 60°, 60° to 70°, 70° up to 80°, 80° to 90°, 90° to 100° or 110° to 120°. One skilled in the art will recognize that the aforementioned range limits can also be combined to obtain further preferred ranges, such as 30° to 60°, 20° to 70° or 50° to 80°.

The side surfaces preferably form the legs of an angle, with the side surfaces not having a common contact edge. Instead, the side surfaces can form the legs of an imaginary circular ring segment, with the side surfaces being connected to one another by a front and back. As explained above, The front and back can be angular, multi-surface or round, arched.

The angle is preferably specified by the desired rotor pitch circle and the dimensions of the pressure roller axes and pressure rollers. If pairs of pressure rollers are arranged on both sides on the side surfaces - for example to provide a pre-printing station and a main printing station - these should preferably be arranged in such a way that the pre-pressure and main pressure rollers lie centrally above the rotor pitch circle of the punch or die bores. At very small, i.e. acute angles, it can happen that the pressure rollers do not fit next to each other or would touch each other. At very large, i.e. obtuse, angles, the pressure roller station will cover a large part of the rotor circle.

The preferred orientation of the side surfaces of the guide profile can alternatively also be characterized by the normal vectors which are on the side surfaces.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the guide profile is characterized in that the normals standing on the at least two side surfaces each form tangents to a circle, the diameter of which can preferably be chosen to be larger than a diameter of a rotor of the rotary press. The normals to the side surfaces are usually understood as vectors perpendicular to the surfaces, whose origin lies at the center of the side surfaces.

It should be noted that the circle on which the side surfaces are preferably vertical does not correspond to the rotor pitch circle on which the attached pressure rollers act. Rather, the circle specified by the side surfaces will preferably be larger than the rotor pitch circle, since the pressure rollers are installed from the side surfaces inwards towards the rotor. For example, the circle formed by the normal vectors can have a diameter that is approximately half the length of the pressure roller axis or more (see, among others Figure 2 ).

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the upper and lower axle receptacles are adjustable with one another and/or against one another in the guide profile on the respective side surfaces. For this purpose, for example, guide rails can be present within the guide profile, on which the pairs of axis receptacles can be displaced with one another and/or against one another, for example by means of adjusting spindles and drive motors.

It is particularly preferred that the upper and lower axle mounts of the respective pairs are individually and independently adjustable vertically, ie along the height of the guide profile.

For example, it may be preferred to use an adjusting drive to adjust the respective upper axis holder or upper pressure roller and thus the immersion depth of an upper punch acted upon by the upper pressure roller.

It may also be preferred to adjust the lower axis holder or lower pressure roller relative to the upper axis holder or upper pressure roller in order to determine the web height of the tablets to be produced in accordance with predetermined values.

Furthermore, the upper and lower pressure roller receptacles can advantageously be adjusted not only independently of one another, but also with one another. The parallel adjustment of the two axis mounts at the same distance from one another enables press zone adjustment. This allows the area within a die opening in which the powdery pressing material is pressed to be varied. On the one hand, by adjusting the press zone in this way, different positions on the inside of the die sleeve can be moved through in order to stress and wear it equally. In addition, the vertical adjustability of the pressing zones is advantageous for precise pressing of different layers in a multi-layer tablet.

In a further embodiment of the invention, there are guide rails within the guide profile, on which the upper and lower axle receptacles are vertically displaceable with one another and/or against one another. For this purpose, the guide rails and the axle receptacles (or their storage section) are preferably precisely matched to one another. For example, a dovetail guide may be preferred to minimize lateral play.

Structurally, it may be preferred that the upper and lower axle receptacles are arranged on a common sliding guide plane, which is specified by the guide rails. The axis mounts slide, for example, as slides on the common sliding guide plane. Flat guides can preferably be used as sliding bearings, which are particularly preferably designed to be play-adjustable. By minimizing the guiding play, increased precision can be achieved in guiding the axis mounts and thus in positioning the pressure rollers.

The axis receptacles are adjusted in the guide profile preferably by means of adjustment drives, with adjustment spindles particularly preferably being used.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the pressure roller station comprises adjusting spindles which are used to move the axis receptacles within the guide profile. The adjusting spindle can preferably be threaded spindles, in particular ball screw spindles, with the axis receptacles being mounted on them as sliding carriages. By rotating the adjustment spindles, the vertical position of the axis holders and therefore the pressure rollers can be adjusted particularly precisely.

To implement the rotational movement, for example, a rotary motor can be used together with a gearbox, if necessary. In conventional pressure roller stations, the adjustment spindles are located together with the rotary motors within the pressure roller station itself, so that no connections have to be loosened when the pressure roller station is moved and/or removed. This is advantageously not necessary due to the laterally accessible pressure roller mounts or axle mounts.

Instead, the pressure roller station can be permanently installed on a support plate. In addition to the advantages of simplified maintenance and conversion already described, this also allows motors or their gearboxes to be installed outside of the pressure roller station in a practical manner.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is no motor for adjusting the pressure roller receptacles within the guide profile of the pressure roller station. Instead, the motors and, if necessary, their gearboxes for adjusting the axle mounts can be installed outside the pressure roller station, for example below the carrier plate. By outsourcing the motors, the space required for the pressure roller station itself can be further reduced.

The attachment of the axle holders to the side surfaces of a guide profile already leads to easier access for assembly purposes. In this regard, it has proven particularly advantageous to use axle holders which have a shape that is open to the outside. Laterally open to the outside preferably refers to the guide profile and means that lateral removal and/or pivoting of the mounted pressure roller axis is made possible.

For this purpose, it is preferred that the axle receptacles have an opening laterally outwards (i.e. in the direction away from the side surfaces), through which the pressure roller axles can be inserted or removed laterally.

In order to be able to absorb the pressing forces, the receiving surface preferably has counter surfaces both upwards and downwards. There is also preferably a boundary on the inside (i.e. in the direction facing the guide profile), against which the pressure roller axes can be attached in a force-fitting and/or positive manner.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the axle receptacles have a U-shaped receiving surface in cross section, so that a cuboid pressure roller axle can be locked in the axle receptacles in a force-fitting and/or positive manner. The U-shape is preferably open to the outside laterally in the sense of the description above. Such a U-shape is particularly suitable for receiving and fixing essentially cuboid pressure roller axes or cuboid bearing axes for other components of a tablet press. When locked, the cuboid axes are present on three boundary surfaces: a top, a bottom and an inside (to the guide profile). Top and bottom are particularly preferred The underside is parallel to each other and is at a right angle to the inside of each other. The transitions or corners can be beveled or rounded. The U-shape ensures that pressing forces, particularly upwards and downwards, are stably absorbed in the axle holder. In addition, rotational play of a pressure roller axle in the axle holder can be prevented reliably and with little wear. The term U-shaped preferably also includes a substantially straight U-shape with possibly sloping or rounded corners.

In addition to the preferred U-shape, other profiles that are laterally open to the outside may also be preferred, for example arcuate, semicircular, V-shaped, trapezoidal or other open polygonal shapes.

In a further preferred embodiment, the axle holder has means for mounting a pressure roller axle that can be pivoted laterally outwards. The axle receptacle is preferably designed in such a way that when the pressure roller axle is installed, the pivot point lies in a rear area of the axle receptacle and thus outside the guide profile.

For example, the axle holder can have opposite bores in a rear area, so that a pressure roller axle or bearing axle can be rotatably or pivotally mounted by means of a rotating pin. The pressure roller axis or bearing axis preferably has corresponding bores for the rotary pin. The pivot point of the pressure roller axis is preferably determined by the holes for receiving the pin. Other design variants for swivel joints are also conceivable, with their pivot point also preferably being arranged in a rear area of the axle holder in order to enable the pressure rollers to be easily pivoted out of a rotor pitch circle.

The axis holder can preferably also include releasable locking means, so that play around the pivot axis is prevented during operation of the rotary press.

For example, it is preferable to firmly lock a pressure roller axle in a front area of the axle holder by means of a clamping bolt. By using a wedge, which is inserted into the pressure roller axis from behind, for example, additional play-free attachment can be ensured. In the swung-in operating state, there is a force-fitting and/or positive connection, particularly when using a clamping bolt and wedge, which has the necessary stability to absorb the pressing forces.

To release the lock and swing out, the clamping bolt can be loosened so that the pressure roller axle is only attached to the axle holder via a swivel joint in the rear area. Tool-free ones are particularly preferred Fasteners are used which can be easily and safely released or closed manually without the use of (special) tools.

The pivotable mounting on the guide profile allows particularly easy maintenance, replacement or conversion of pressure rollers or other components stored in the axle mounts, e.g. a rotor removal arm.

Instead of having to laboriously and arduously lift the entire printing station out of the rotary press, the pressure rollers mounted laterally on the guide profile can be individually pivoted outwards for assembly or disassembly. The conversion or maintenance of the individual pressure rollers can be carried out quickly and quickly by one person in an exemplary ergonomic position. Personnel and cost expenses can be reduced significantly.

Such printing roller stations are characterized by maximum flexibility for needs-oriented use. For example, for applications with different required pressing forces, pressure roller axes with optimized sensitivity can be easily introduced.

The provision of pivotability leads to a particularly wide application potential for the axle mounts. For example, it may also be preferred to use the pivotable bearing in the axle holders in order to realize a pivotable removal of a rotor. For this purpose, it is only necessary that the support or lifting arms for the rotor have, at least in sections, the same dimensions as a pressure roller axis. As a result, the support or lifting arms for the rotor can be pivotally locked in the axle receptacles in a force-fitting and/or positive manner. Additional pivoting or lifting equipment is not required. Instead, the axis holders of the pressure roller station can be used multifunctionally not to store various pressure rollers, but rather other components such as pressure holding rails or even an entire rotor.

The at least two, preferably at least four axle mounts with means for pivoting storage thus open up a variety of design variants and the provision of highly flexible rotary presses. The rotary presses according to the invention can therefore not only cover the entire spectrum of pressing variants, but are also characterized by a user-friendly, compact structure.

This is particularly the case for the pressure roller station described with at least two side surfaces on which a pair of upper and lower axle receptacles for pressure roller axes are arranged on the outside. Also for providing a guide profile with at least one side surface and a pair of axle mounts For accommodating pressure roller axles, the preferred laterally open axle mounts offer a number of advantages.

In a further aspect, the invention therefore also relates to a pressure roller station for rotary presses with a guide profile that can be locked on the rotary press and which comprises at least one side surface on which a pair of upper and lower axle receptacles for pressure roller axes are arranged on the outside, the axle receptacles having a laterally open profile and preferably include means for pivotally mounting a pressure roller axle. Such a pressure roller station with at least two axis holders does not necessarily offer the possibility of integrating up to four pressure rollers. With regard to flexible replacement, maintenance or conversion options, the provision of the external, laterally open profiles of the axle mounts, as described, already offers a number of advantages. This is particularly the case for particularly preferred embodiments of the axle receptacles, such as a U-shaped cross section for receiving cuboid pressure roller axes or the use of a swivel joint or pivot pin in a rear area of the axle receptacle.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the pressure roller station can be provided together with at least two, preferably at least four, six, eight or more pressure roller units and/or one or more pressure rail units. For the purposes of the invention, a pressure roller unit preferably refers to a unit consisting of a pressure roller and a pressure roller axis. For the purposes of the invention, a pressure rail unit preferably refers to a unit consisting of a pressure retaining rail and a bearing axle for the pressure retaining rail. The axes of the pressure roller units or pressure rail units preferably have identical dimensions at least in sections, which are designed to fit the axis holders precisely.

However, the pressure roller axes can differ, for example, in their sensitivity or the pressure roller installed on them. Pressure retaining rails with different lengths or shapes can also be provided on identical bearing axles. Depending on the application, two, preferably four, of the pressure roller units and/or pressure rail units are selected and installed on the guide profile.

In further preferred embodiments of the invention, the pressure roller station is additionally provided together with at least one bearing axle for a rotor or maintenance equipment, which is preferably designed to fit one of the axle receptacles at least in sections. Preferably, the bearing axle can, for example, have a section which is dimensioned identically to the section of the pressure roller axles, which is designed to fit the axle holder.

If, for example, the axle holder is U-shaped and the pressure roller axes are cuboid, it will be preferred to have a bearing axle that is also cuboid and identical Provide sizing. The bearing axle can preferably be a support arm or lifting arm, which is also configured at one end for attachment to a rotor or maintenance equipment.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the pressure roller station includes sensors for measuring the pressing force. The pressure roller axes are preferably equipped with strain gauges (DMS) to determine the pressing force. For the purposes of the invention, strain gauges are preferably measuring devices for detecting expanding and/or compressing deformations. It is preferred that they change their electrical resistance even with small deformations, which is why they are particularly suitable as strain sensors. It is preferred that they be applied in a suitable manner known to those of ordinary skill in the art to components that deform minimally under load. This deformation or expansion advantageously leads to a change in the resistance of the strain gauge bridge. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the lower pressure roller axis is provided with such a strain gauge. However, it can also be preferred that the upper pressure roller axis or both pressure roller axes are provided with strain gauges. The strain gauges preferably cover a force range of 20 to 200 kN in stages.

In a further preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a rotary press comprising a pressure roller station as described.

The rotary press according to the invention is of the type of rotary presses as described at the beginning and are well known in the prior art. The rotary press is therefore characterized by a rotor, comprising an upper and lower punch guide for receiving punches and a die disk with die openings for holding the powdery material. After the die openings have been filled by a filling device, the material can be pressed into a compact or a tablet through the interaction of upper and lower punches. In order to impart a pressing force to the upper and lower punches, upper and lower pressure rollers are particularly preferably provided, which are installed in the pressure roller station described.

The rotary press thus comprises a pressure roller station according to the invention or preferred embodiments thereof for acting on the stamps. The person skilled in the art will recognize that preferred embodiments and advantages disclosed in connection with the pressure roller station apply equally to the claimed rotary press.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the rotary press comprises a pre-printing station and a main printing station, the upper and lower pressure rollers of the pre-printing station being attached to a first side surface of the guide profile and the upper and lower pressure rollers of the main printing station attached to a second side surface of the guide profile. For this purpose, the upper and lower pressure rollers are preferably installed on pressure roller axes, which can be inserted into the axis holders as described. Particularly preferably, the pressure roller axes are pivotally mounted, so that the pressure roller units can be pivoted laterally out of the press interior for maintenance or conversion purposes or for changing the rotor.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the rotary press is characterized by a rotor which includes a receptacle for a support arm, which can be inserted into one of the axis receptacles, so that the rotor can be pivotally attached to the guide profile via the support arm. As explained above, the axis holders of the pressure roller station can also advantageously be used for the pivotable locking of other components of the rotary press. Particularly preferred is a multifunctional use for the removal, repair, cleaning and/or maintenance of the rotor.

From the EP 2 110 231 A2 For example, it is known to pivot a rotor out of the press room using a separate support arm. In its operating position, the rotor is non-positively connected to the drive or the counter bearing at the front. For dismantling, the rotor is connected to a support arm and pivoted outwards around a column of the press that is fixed to the frame. To raise or lower the rotor, a lifting device is preferably provided, which can be integrated in the support arm or in the column.

By providing the multifunctional pressure roller station described, both a frame-fixed column and a lifting device for changing the rotor can be dispensed with. Instead, a simple bearing axle or a support arm can be connected to the rotor on one side, preferably on the front side, and pivotably mounted in the axle holder on the other side. A suitable swivel joint, for example, is a swivel pin, which, as described above, is preferably guided through holes in the rear area of an axle mount. The adjusting drives of the axis mount can be used to raise or lower the rotor.

The multifunctional usability of the printing roller station allows a particularly slim design without sacrificing desirable features. This not only reduces the weight and costs of manufacturing the rotary presses, but also their maintenance and repair requirements.

Due to the multifunctional usability of the axle holders, a large number of design variants are conceivable. For example, it may be preferred to replace a pressure roller unit in the area of a form with a combined press and pressure holding rail.

In a further preferred embodiment, the rotary press therefore comprises a main printing station, with upper and lower pressure rollers of the main printing station attached to a second side surface and with a pressure retaining rail attached to one of the axis receptacles of the first side surface of the guide profile. The first side surface preferably designates that side surface which is passed through first in the direction of rotation of the rotor (area of the form), while the second side surface accommodates components downstream in the direction of rotation (area of the main printing station).

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the pressure roller station is mounted on a carrier plate. In the sense of the invention, the carrier plate preferably refers to a solid, bending and torsion-resistant plate on which the components of the rotary press are stored. In particular, the carrier plate can represent the upper end of a drive base of the rotary press, while the lower end of a drive base towards the floor is referred to as the base plate.

Particularly preferably, the pressure roller station is connected via a fastening flange to a central clamping unit and/or to connecting means, preferably screws, along the circumference of the guide profile of the carrier plate.

In known pressure roller stations, it is necessary to move the pressure roller station on the carrier plate when servicing to convert to another application. For this reason, it could be preferred to mount the pressure roller station so that it can be moved or pivoted about a pivot point. The provision of air cushions to reduce the frictional force between a guide column and a support plate to support shifting or pivoting is also included WO 2016/156306 A1 known in the art. Such a pivotable or displaceable mounting can also be preferred for the pressure roller station according to the invention.

Advantageously, this can also be dispensed with, since the pressure roller station does not have to be moved as a whole out of the rotor space for maintenance, repair or conversion. Instead, the pressure rollers attached to the side are easily accessible from the side and can also be easily pivoted individually in a preferred embodiment.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the pressure roller station is therefore permanently installed on a support plate, with the fixed installation meaning in particular that no tool-free displacement or pivoting is possible.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the rotary press comprises a motor and/or gearbox for axially adjusting the axle receptacles in the guide profile, wherein the motor is not installed within the pressure roller station, but is preferably located below a support plate on which the pressure roller station is mounted.

The outsourcing of a motor for the adjustment drives of the axis holder leads to a particularly compact pressure roller station, in which, for example, there are only adjustment spindles that are connected to the motor via appropriate connections. The motor itself can preferably be located in the drive base below the carrier plate. In the prior art, pressure roller stations are typically designed as self-sufficient elements whose connection to the carrier plate is designed to be quickly detachable for removal, pivoting or moving. This is not necessary for the pressure roller station according to the invention, so that connections between adjusting spindles and a motor or gearbox that are difficult to solve can also be dispensed with. This leads to greater design flexibility, meaning that space-consuming components can be moved from the pressure roller station to the drive base.

The invention will be explained in more detail below using examples, without being limited to them.

Short description of the images

Fig. 1

Schematic representation of a preferred printing roller station. Left: without pressure roller units. Right: with pressure roller units

Fig. 2

Schematic representation of a cross section of a preferred pressure roller station with external pressure roller units on both sides

Fig. 3

Schematic representation of a cross section through a preferred guide profile

Fig. 4

Schematic representation of a detailed view of a preferred axis mount. A: Perspective view, B: Longitudinal section.

Fig. 5

Schematic representation to illustrate the swinging out of a pressure roller unit from an axle mount. A: Top view, B: Perspective view.

Fig. 6

Schematic representation to illustrate the removal of a pressure roller unit from an axle holder.

Fig. 7

Schematic representation of a pressure roller station with a combined press and pressure holding rail in the area of the form

Fig. 8

Schematic diagram to illustrate the use of an upper axis mount of the pressure roller station for swinging out the rotor.

Detailed description of the images

Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a preferred embodiment of the pressure roller station 1. The pressure roller station 1 is through a guide profile 3 characterized, which comprises two side surfaces 5 , on each of which a pair of upper and lower axle receptacles 7 for pressure roller axes 13 are arranged on the outside, so that two pairs of pressure rollers 11 or pressure roller units 14 can be attached to the same guide profile 3 . The guide profile 3 is designed as a free-standing support element or column and is used to support or guide the axle holders 7. As a result, the pressing forces that occur in the pressing process are absorbed by the guide profile 3 and the adjusting spindles themselves. On the left, the pressure roller station 1 is shown without pressure roller units 14 ; on the right with pressure roller units 14, which are installed in the axle holders 7 .

By attaching the axle receptacles 7 to the two side surfaces 5 of a guide profile 3 , two pairs of pressure rollers 11 can be provided, the space required on the rotor circle being essentially determined by the expansion of the pressure rollers 11 themselves. The printing roller station 1 is therefore characterized by an extremely compact design, whereby, for example, a main printing station and pre-printing station can be provided in a very small space

Figure 2 shows a schematic representation of a cross section of a preferred printing roller station 1 with pressure roller units 14 on both sides, as is desirable, among other things, for providing a pre-printing station and main printing station.

The axle holder 7 is designed to store or guide a pressure roller axle 13 or a bearing axle for other components in the guide profile 3 . For this purpose, the axle receptacles 7 include a receiving section 9 for locking a pressure roller or bearing axle 11 and a storage section 8 for guiding the axle receptacle 7 within the guide profile 3. As in the example shown, the storage section 8 is preferably present within the guide profile 3 on guide rails 21 , while the receiving section 9 points laterally outwards and is therefore easily accessible. By designing the axle receptacles 7 as solid, preferably monolithic components, they are designed to absorb high pressing forces. A vertical adjustment of the axle receptacles 7 is carried out in the guide profile 3 preferably by means of adjusting drives or the preferably illustrated adjusting spindles 23. In the illustrated embodiment there are four adjusting spindles 23 with which the upper and lower axle receptacles 7 of the respective pairs are individually and independently of one another vertically, ie can be moved along the height of the guide profile 3 .

For example, it may be preferred to use an adjusting drive to adjust the respective upper axis holder or upper pressure roller and thus the immersion depth of an upper punch acted upon by the upper pressure roller. Likewise, a lower axis holder or lower pressure roller can preferably be adjusted relative to the upper axis holder or upper pressure roller by means of a further adjustment spindle in order to determine the web height of the tablets to be produced. Furthermore, the upper and lower ones can also be used Pressure roller receptacles can be adjusted with one another, for example to effect a press zone adjustment.

Figure 3 shows a schematic representation of a cross section through a preferred guide profile 3. In cross section, the guide profile 3 is preferably characterized by the presence of two side surfaces 5 , which are preferably not parallel or perpendicular to one another. Instead, the side surfaces 5 preferably enclose an angle 27, which is preferably chosen so that pairs of pressure rollers that can be attached to the side surfaces act on a rotor pitch circle.

The cross section of the preferred guide profile 3 resembles a circular ring segment in sections, with the two side surfaces 5 forming the legs. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the front 19 and back 17 can be designed to be straight in cross section in sections and mimic the arc shape of the circular arc. The front side 19 facing the rotor has a smaller radius than the back side 17 facing away from the rotor. Accordingly, the front side 19 of the guide profile 3 shown is characterized by two surfaces, while the back 17 has three surfaces. Inside, the guide profile 3 is not solid, but has cavities for guiding the axle holders 7 as well as the integration of other components, such as the adjustment drives (cf. Figure 2 ).

Figure 4 is a schematic representation of a detailed view of a preferred axle holder 7. As can be seen, the axle holder 7 is characterized by a laterally open profile, which is U-shaped in cross section, so that a cuboid pressure roller axle 13 can be installed in a force-fitting and/or positive manner. In addition, the axle holder 7 has means for mounting the pressure roller axle 11 which can be pivoted laterally outwards, the pivot point being in a rear area of the axle holder 7 and thus outside the guide profile 3 . For this purpose, there are 7 opposite bores in a rear area of the axle holder, through which a pivot pin 29 can be guided for pivotally mounting the pressure roller axle 13 .

In a front area of the axle holder 7 , the pressure roller axle is firmly locked in the swung-in state by means of a clamping bolt 33 . By using a wedge 31, which is inserted into the pressure roller axis 11 from behind, a play-free fixation can also be ensured. In the swung-in operating state, there is therefore a force-fitting and/or positive connection, which has the necessary stability to absorb the pressing forces. To release the lock and swing out, the wedge 31 and clamping bolt 33 can be loosened so that the pressure roller axle 11 is only attached to the axle holder 7 via the swivel joint or the swivel pin 29 in the rear area.

Figure 5 is a schematic representation to illustrate the swinging out of the pressure roller unit 14 from an axle holder 7. While the upper pressure roller unit 14 is firmly installed in the upper axle holder 7 by means of a wedge 31 and clamping bolt 33 , the lower pressure roller unit 14 was made from the side open profile of the axle holder 7 pivoted. The Figure 5A shows a top view while Figure 5B shows a perspective view.

To remove and, if necessary, replace a pressure roller unit 14 , you can continue to do so, as in Figure 6 shown, the pivot pin 29 can be removed.

The laterally pivotable attachment allows pressure roller units to be assembled or dismantled as needed quickly and easily. It is not necessary to install or remove the entire pressure roller station 1 .

Advantageously, the axle holder 7 of the pressure roller station 1 can also be used for the pivotable locking of other components of a rotary press.

For example, it may be preferred to replace a pressure roller unit in the area of a form with a combined press and pressure holding rail. In the Figure 7 The pressure roller station 1 shown therefore comprises, in the lower axle receptacle 7 of the first side surface of the guide profile 3 , a pressure rail unit 39, comprising a pressure holding rail 37 and a bearing axis or pressure roller axis 11.

Particularly preferred is a multifunctional use of the pressure roller station 1 for the removal, repair, cleaning and/or maintenance of a rotor 25.

Figure 8 represents a schematic representation to illustrate the use of an upper axle holder 7 of the pressure roller station 1 for swinging out a rotor 25 .

For this purpose, the rotor 25 includes a receptacle 47 or fastening means for a support arm 45, which can be inserted into one of the axle receptacles 7 , so that the rotor can be pivotally attached to the guide profile 3 via the support arm 45 . Analogous to the pivotable mounting of the pressure roller axes, a pivot pin is used as a swivel joint, which is guided in the rear area through holes in the support arm 45 of the axle holder 7 .

Figure 8A shows the swung-in state while Fig. 8B shows the swung-out state, for example for cleaning or maintenance purposes. Advantageously, the adjusting drives of the axle mount 7 can be used to raise or lower the rotor 25 . A separate column fixed to the frame or separate lifting device is no longer necessary.

It is noted that various alternatives to the described embodiments of the invention can be used to carry out the invention and arrive at the solution according to the invention. The invention The designs of the pressure roller station and rotary press are therefore not limited to the above preferred embodiments. Rather, a large number of design variants are conceivable, which can deviate from the solution presented. The aim of the claims is to define the scope of the invention. The scope of protection of the claims is aimed at covering the pressure roller station and rotary press according to the invention

Reference symbol list

1

Print roller station

3

Leadership profile

5

Side surfaces of the guide profile

7

Axle mount

8th

Storage section for guiding the axle holder within the guide profile

9

Receiving section for locking the pressure roller axes

11

Pressure rollers

13

Pressure roller axis

14

Pressure roller unit

15

carrier plate

17

Back of the guide profile

19

Front of the guide profile

21

Guide rails

23

Adjusting drives, especially adjusting spindles

25

rotor

27

Angle enclosed by the side surfaces

29

Swivel joint, especially pivot pin

31

wedge

33

clamping bolt

35

Strain measurement sensor

37

Pressure retaining rail

39

Pressure rail unit

41

matrix disc

43

Bottom punch guide

44

Upper punch guide

45

Beam

47

Mounting for support arm, especially on the front side of the rotor

Claims (15)

1. A pressure roller station (1) for rotary presses having a guide profile (3) which is lockable at the rotary press, wherein the guide profile (3) is in the form of a freestanding support column and comprises two side faces (5), on each of which a pair of upper and lower shaft mounts (7) for pressure roller shafts (13) are arranged, so that on the same guide profile (3) two pairs of pressure rollers (11) can be attached, wherein the pressure roller station (1) is characterized in that the shaft mounts (7) are arranged on the outside of the side surfaces (5).
2. The pressure roller station (1) according to the preceding claim,
   characterized in that
   a first pair of lower and upper pressure rollers (11) is provided and attached on a first side surface (5), which forms a pre-pressure station, and a second pair of lower and upper pressure rollers (11) is provided and attached on a second side surface (5), which forms a main pressure station.
3. The pressure roller station (1) according to any one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the at least two side surfaces (5) are connected to each other by a front and a rear side (19, 17) and form legs of an angle (27), which is in the range from 10° to 120°, preferably from 20° and 80°.
4. The pressure roller station (1) according to any one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   upper and lower shaft mounts (7) of a side surface (5) are mounted in the guide profile (3) as to be vertically adjustable with and/or relative to one another.
5. The pressure roller station (1) according to any one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the pressure roller station (1) comprises guide rails (21) within the guide profile (3), on which guide rails the upper and lower shaft mounts (7) are mounted as to be adjustable with and/or relative to one another.
6. The pressure roller station (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
   the pressure roller station (1) has adjusting drives (23), preferably adjusting spindles, for displacing the shaft mounts (7) within the guide profile (3).
7. The pressure roller station (1) according to any one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the pressure roller station (1) comprises a motor for adjusting the shaft mounts (7), which is not provided inside the guide profile (3).
8. The pressure roller station (1) according to any one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that

   the shaft mounts (7) have a laterally outwardly open shape,

   wherein preferably the shaft mounts (7) have a U-shaped mount surface in cross-section, so that a cuboidal pressure roller shaft (13) can be locked in a force-fitting and/or form-fitting manner in one of the shaft mounts (7).
9. The pressure roller station (1) according to any one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the shaft mounts (7) have means for a pivotable mounting of a pressure roller shaft (13).
10. A rotary press with a rotor (25), comprising a pressure roller station (1) according to any of the preceding claims.
11. The rotary press according to the preceding claim, characterized in that
    the rotary press comprises a pre-pressure station and a main pressure station, wherein the upper and lower pressure rollers (11) of the pre-pressure station are provided and attached on a first side surface (5) of the guide profile (3) and the upper and lower pressure rollers (11) of the main pressure station are provided and attached on a second side surface (5) of the guide profile (3).
12. The rotary press according to claim 10,
    characterized in that
    the rotary press comprises a support arm (45) and the rotor (25) comprises a mount for the support arm (45), which is insertable into one of the shaft mounts (7), so that the rotor (25) can be pivotably attached to the guide profile (3) via the support arm (45).
13. The rotary press according to claim 10,
    characterized in that
    the rotary press comprises a main pressure station, wherein upper and lower pressure rollers (11) of the main pressure station are attached to a second side surface (5) and wherein a pressure retaining rail (37) is attached to one of the shaft mounts (7) of the first side surface of the guide profile (3).
14. The rotary press according to any one of the preceding claims 10-13,
    characterized in that
    the pressure roller station (1) is provided and attached on a carrier plate (15).
15. The rotary press according to any one of the preceding claims 10-14, characterized in that
    the rotary press comprises a motor for the adjustment of the shaft mounts (7) in the guide profile (3), wherein the motor is not installed within the pressure roller station (1), but preferably mounted below a carrier plate (15).

Images