ES2362056T3 - DEVICE FOR PLACEMENT OF VALVE SACKS. - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus by means of which valve bags can be fitted onto a filling nozzle (27) of a packing machine (1), having a fit-on head (20) on which are provided a pivotable gripper device (4) and a fit-on device (5), wherein the gripper device is provided and suitable for gripping and accommodating in a first pivoting position a valve bag of a bundle of bags arranged on an accommodating surface of a set-down table (7) and for transferring this valve bag, in a second pivoting position, to a fit-on device, the fit-on device being provided and suitable for opening the valve of the valve bag and accelerating the valve bag in order for it to be fitted on. The fit-on device here comprises two fit-on parts (11, 12), of which one fit-on part (11) is arranged in a pivotable manner. The fit-on device is arranged such that it can be adjusted longitudinally in relation to the gripper device, in order for it to be possible to compensate for different bag dimensions. Also provided is a common drive for the pivoting of the gripper device and of the pivotable fit-on part, the gripper device and the pivotable fit-on part being coupled mechanically via a coupling mechanism.

Description

The invention relates to a device for placing valve bags and especially a device for placing valve bags in a filling nozzle of a bagger.

These devices or automatic positioners are known in the state of the art. From DE3525348C2, for example, a device for placing in the filling nozzle or filling nozzles of a bagger is known, in which two suction strips are provided that hold an individual bag on both sides of the bag valve and open the sack valve. Then, the bag with the open bag valve is accelerated with actuating means and fired in the direction of the filling tube. In the known device, the clamp strips for opening the bag valve are fixedly arranged in the longitudinal direction, as is the actuation means.

From WO97 / 22522A1 there is also known a device for placing valve bags in a filling nozzle of a bagger. In this case, the sack valve of the upper valve bag is collected from a stack of bags by means of a suction pad and the valve bag is inserted laterally into a housing element of a feed or transport belt by means of a slide or a drive roller supported by pressure, the movement of the suction strip and the pressure of the drive roller for lateral transfer to the feed or transport belt being necessarily coupled.

The disadvantage of these known devices is that the distance between the positioning device and the bagger is generally unchanged. Since bags of different sizes can be driven in a bagger, it has been found that in the case of bags of smaller widths failures occur more frequently when placing or firing bags. It has been determined that this is due to the large distance between the end of the actuator means of the automatic setter and the end of the filling nozzle.

Accordingly, a device is desired, in which it is possible to adjust the distance between the end of the actuating means and the filling nozzle. Since the displacement of the entire automatic setter is too expensive, a device was constructed, in which the clamp strip for opening the bag valve is fixedly arranged in the direction of transport of the bag, while the drive device is provided in an adjustable way in the longitudinal direction. In this way, when the valve bags are fixedly available, the clamp strip can always pick up the bags at the same point, while the actuating means is adjusted in the longitudinal direction depending on the width of the bags to maintain always an optimal distance from the filling nozzle of the bagger, thus obtaining in each case an essentially optimal placement.

In this state of the art, the clamp device for securing the bags is fixed in place, while the actuating means is arranged displaceably in the longitudinal direction. In addition, the clamp is provided so that it can pivot about a longitudinal axis, while the actuation means comprises two pivoting components that can accelerate the bag in the closed state and shoot it towards the filling nozzle.

This state of the art has reliable operation. However, it is disadvantageous that the different movements of the actuating means and the clamp device have to synchronize exactly with each other. This makes it necessary to provide for safety times, so a considerable period of time has to be available for carrying out the different movements. This limits a possible increase in capacity.

Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to make available a device for the placement of valve bags that allows a high placement rate.

This objective is achieved by a device with the features of claim 1. Preferred variants of the invention are subject to the secondary claims. Other features of the present invention are defined in the following description.

The device according to the invention is intended for placing valve bags in one or more filling nozzles of a bagger. The device according to the invention comprises at least one positioning head here, in which a pivoting clamp device and a positioning device are provided. The clamp device is provided and is suitable for holding and picking up a valve bag from a group of bags arranged on a housing surface of a receiving table in a first pivoted position and transferring it to a positioning device in a second position of pivoted The positioning device is provided and is in turn suitable for opening the valve of a valve bag and accelerating the valve bag for placement. The positioning device is composed according to the invention of at least two positioning elements, at least one positioning element being arranged, for example, pivotally, while the other positioning element may or may not be pivotally provided. . In accordance with the invention, a common drive is provided for pivoting the clamp device and pivoting the pivoting positioning element. For this purpose, the clamp device is mechanically coupled with the pivoting positioning element by means of a coupling mechanism.

The invention has many advantages. It is especially advantageous that only a common drive is needed to pivot the clamp device and to pivot the individual elements or components of the positioning device, since the individual components are joined by a coupling mechanism. The mechanical, forcefully controlled coupling of the clamp device and the pivoting elements of the positioning device causes at all times a spatial position, exactly defined, of the different elements from each other, so that in principle a collision is not possible between the individual elements. This suppresses a considerable percentage of time, which should be considered in conventional solutions, because safety times between individual movements have not to be met. Rather, different movements can be initiated at the same time in a coordinated way with each other.

The positioning device is preferably arranged in an adjustable way in a longitudinal direction with respect to the clamp device in order to compensate for different bag dimensions during placement.

In preferred variants of the invention, the coupling mechanism comprises an articulated lever. This is advantageous, because an articulated lever allows to transmit a rapid movement at one end to a slow movement initially at the other end and vice versa.

In another preferred variant of the invention, the articulated lever acts on a slide bar and is fixedly movable here in a longitudinal direction.

In order to pivot by means of a coupled movement the clamp device and the pivoting positioning element, the coupling mechanism preferably has two articulated levers joined together to increase the effect.

This enables the development of coordinated movements exactly between each other, through which a very high working speed can be obtained. Simultaneously, the use of a single drive allows considerable technical and financial cost savings.

In preferred variants, the positioning device is movably arranged along the slide bar, so that in the case of a fixed clamp device a positioning device with a variable position is possible to compensate for different bag dimensions during processing

The positioning device has in particular two pivoting positioning elements and is generally composed of the two pivoting positioning elements. A positioning element especially has an opening element of an opening device for opening the bag valve of a bag to be placed. Likewise, the positioning device or each positioning element has an element of the acceleration device, whereby the two pivoting positioning elements pivot respectively an opening element and an acceleration element.

In variants, in particular, exactly one pivotally positioning element is provided around the slide bar or a swivel bar connected therewith in a rotatable manner. It is also possible that the clamp device is also pivotally provided around the swivel bar which is rotatably connected to the slide bar.

In all configurations, the clamp device preferably comprises a suction cup strip with several suction cups, individual suction cups can preferably be disconnected depending on the dimensions of the bag, so that the amount of the suction cups possible to vacuum undergo is variable.

As a drive, for example, a hydraulic cylinder, a compressed air cylinder or a vacuum cylinder can be provided to periodically hold and place a sack.

A motor is also preferred and especially an electric motor as a common drive. A control device preferably serves to control the motor. The control device controls in particular the speed of rotation of the motor or of a motor device such that the drive shaft of the motor device essentially rotates continuously. The speed of rotation of the motor device increases and decreases periodically to enable careful operation, in which the respective speed of rotation is minimal or almost minimal despite the great possible positioning speed.

The positioning device preferably comprises a bag opening device, the opening device preferably presenting in each case a sheet angled in the two positioning elements. In

the pivoted position towards each other, the two angled sheets generally form a cross section approximately rectangular and even, especially, almost square, with a horizontal diagonal of corner to corner and the other diagonal approximately vertically from corner to corner. In this case, the longitudinal of the horizontal diagonal is smaller than the width of the bag valve, so a bag valve held above, in the center, it opens automatically when the angled plates are pivoted together.

In especially preferred variants, the positioning device comprises an acceleration device that It comprises a roller strip in a positioning element. The acceleration device comprises preferably also a belt drive in the other positioning element.

Other advantages and possibilities of application of the present invention derive from the embodiments that They are described below on the basis of the attached figures.

They show: Fig. 1 a schematic view of an installation with a bagger and a device for placing sacks of valve; Fig. 2 a general view of the device, according to the invention, for the placement of valve bags; Fig. 3 a perspective view of the positioning head of the device according to figure 2 in a first position; Fig. 4 the device placement head in a second position; Fig. 5 the positioning head of the device according to figure 2 in a third position; Fig. 6 the positioning head of the device according to figure 2 in a fourth position; Fig. 7 another positioning head for a device according to figure 2 in a position corresponding to the figure 5 and Fig. 8 the positioning head according to figure 7 in a position in correspondence with figure 6.

On the basis of the figures, an embodiment of the device 10, according to the invention, is explained, which It is configured as an automatic setter, as well as for placing valve bags 2 in the nozzle

or the filling nozzles of a bagger 1 and can be an integral part of an installation 80.

Figure 1 shows an installation 80 which presents a bagger 1 for filling bags 2 with products, an automatic setter 10 and an exit belt 70 for the evacuation of filled valve bags 2. The bagger 1 is made here as a rotary filling installation with several filling nozzles 27, in which the valve bags 2 are placed, which are to be filled, by means of the automatic setter 10.

The bagger 1 rotates in the direction of rotation 48, while the valve bags 2 placed are filled. The filled valve bags 2 are deposited on the outlet belt 70 for evacuation.

These bags 2 are filled automatically, for example, with building materials, such as cement or other powdery or granulated materials. For this, for example, the rotary bagger 1 shown in Figure 1 is used. It is also possible to use a linear bagger. In rotary baggers, filling nozzles 27 are symmetrically distributed in the circumference. The device 10 for the placement of the valve bags 2, which is shown in Figure 2, is arranged in a certain angular position of the bagger 1.

If a filling nozzle 27 of the bagger 1 is in the positioning position, the automatic setter 10 places an empty bag 2 on the filling nozzle 27 with the aid of the positioning head 20.

Modern baggers 1 with eight or twelve or even sixteen or more filling nozzles 27 have enormous throughputs, in which filling rates in the order of magnitude of 1 bag per second and more are possible. This means that approximately 3000 to 5000 bags are filled per hour, which represents a huge logistics requirement.

Therefore, for automatic placement, automatic placers 10 are known, in which an empty bag store 30 temporarily stores the bags 2 for the automatic setter 10.

The operator only has to introduce the bag group 3 into the compartments 31 of the empty bag tank 3. The bag groups 3 are automatically fed to the receiving table 7 and transported first to a waiting surface 28 and then to a surface of accommodation 6, in which they rise separately. The valve of the valve bag 2 is then opened and the valve bag 2 is fired towards the filling nozzle 27 of the bagger 1.

In figures 3 to 6, the positioning head 20 of the automatic setter 10 according to the invention is shown in perspective on an enlarged scale in four different positions, the positioning head 20 in the representations according to figures 3 and 4 being shown position for processing wide bags 2, while in the representations according to figures 5 and 6 the positioning head 20 is adjusted for processing narrower bags 2.

The positioning head 20 of the automatic setter 10, shown on an enlarged scale in the perspective view according to figure 3, comprises a housing 32 for the assembly and arrangement of different components.

In the housing 32, the clamp device 4 is pivotally provided which comprises a suction pad 19 which in a first pivoted position 8 is in the bag collection position and holds the upper valve bag 2 of a group of bags 3 composed of valve bags 2 stacked flat. For this purpose, the suction cup strip 19 has several suction cups 33 that are separated from each other in longitudinal direction 13 and can preferably be connected and disconnected individually to adapt the active length of the suction cup strip to the current bag width 34 .

In the housing 32 there is also a positioning device 5 composed of two positioning elements 11 and 12, the positioning element 11 pivoting during opening or closing respectively.

The positioning device 5 comprises the positioning elements 11 and 12, with each bending element being provided a bent plate 22 or 23 of a bag valve opening device 21. In the positioning element 11 a roller strip 25 is also arranged and in the positioning element 12 a belt drive 26 is arranged. The roller strip 25 and the belt drive 26 form an acceleration device 24. The drive belt 26 serves to drive and accelerate a bag 2 disposed between the roller strip 25 and the belt drive 26.

The roller strip 29 serves to guide the bag 2 during placement and opens only in case of failure. The pressure cylinder 49 presses the roller strip 29 evenly against the belt drive 26.

The positioning head 20 is shown in FIG. 3 in a position, in which the suction pad 19 is pivoted towards the first pivoted position to lift a new bag 2 from the bag group 3. The suction cups 33 of the power strip suction cup 19 hold the bag in the area of the bag valve. In the position according to FIG. 3, the positioning device 5 or its positioning element 11 is represented simultaneously in the pivoted position, that is, in the separated position. The movement of the positioning element 11 and of the clamp device 4 with the suction pad 19 is mechanically coupled by means of the coupling mechanism 15, whereby the movement of the clamp device 4 also automatically moves the positioning device. 5. The movement is controlled by a drive 14 carried out here as a piston and cylinder unit, which enables rapid and precise movement also in dusty environments for long periods of time.

The drive 14 acts in this case directly on the pivoting arm 37 of the positioning device 5 which transmits the torque through the pivot shaft 41 to the lever 36 which in turn transmits the torque through the pivot point 42 a the lever 39 and finally the lever 40. The two articulated levers 16 and 17, formed in this way, control the development of the movement of the clamp device 4 and the positioning device 5 so that collisions are avoided and a at the same time, an essentially maximum working speed and operating safety. This means that when moving from the position shown in Figure 3 to the second pivot position 9 represented in Figure 4, the suction pad 19 is first pivoted upwards at high speed, while the closing speed of the pivoting movement of the Positioning element 11 remains almost constant throughout the pivoting process, so that the danger of a collision is reliably avoided. The suction pad 19 and the clamp device 4 are in figure 4 in the transfer position of the bag to transfer the valve bag 2 to the positioning device 5.

The mechanically controlled coupling of both pivoting components, namely the clamp device 4 and the positioning device 5, simultaneously makes it necessary to use a single drive 14, thus saving a considerable additional cost.

The transmission of the pivoting movement to the clamp device 4 is carried out here by the lever 40 which pivots around the pivot point 46 and causes a movement of the first coupling bar 44, pivoting around the pivot point 43, and of the second coupling bar 45, as well as of the lever 47. The first coupling bar 44 is configured here by means of a spring device 38 in the form of a pneumatic cylinder to compensate for different thicknesses of the bag group. By means of the second coupling bar 45, arranged in parallel to the lever 47, a parallelogram guide is formed which causes a constant orientation of the suction pad, so that during the movement the position of the sack valve area does not change 35 with respect to horizontal orientation.

When moving from the position shown in Figure 3 to the position represented in Figure 4, the bag valve opens due to the closing process of the bent sheets 22 and 23 of the bag opening device 21, while the bag is extends down between the roller strip and the belt drive 26. After opening the valve the belt drive 26 is activated and the bag is fired in the longitudinal direction 13 towards a nozzle 27 of a bagger or filling installation 1. The suction pad 19 is in the second pivoted position 9.

The states of the positioning head 20, which are represented in Figures 5 and 6, are basically in correspondence with the states represented in Figures 3 and 4, although the positioning head 20 is adjusted for the processing of narrower bags 2.

To maintain the distance, which is to be overcome, between the end of the positioning device 5 and the end of the filling nozzle at a constant value and as small as possible also in case of narrower bags 2, the positioning device 5 it moves in the longitudinal direction 13. In this way the state represented in figure 3 is passed to the state represented in figure 5 due to the longitudinal displacement.

The clamp device 4 has simultaneously maintained its fixed position, since the housing surface 6 of the receiving table 7 remains fixed in place. The coupling mechanism 15 allows here a very comfortable and reliable operation of the automatic setter 10, since the positioning device 5 is movably mounted with respect to the clamp device 4 on the slide bar 18. The coupling mechanism 15, which acting on the slide bar 18, it ensures that the drive 14 causes reliably coordinated pivoting movements of the clamp device 4 and the positioning device 5 also in the position for narrower bags 2, which is shown in Figure 5.

In FIG. 6 the state is shown with the placement device 5 closed, in which a bag valve would be opened from a bag not represented by the opening device 21 and the bag 2 could then be fired towards a filling nozzle 27 .

In FIGS. 7 and 8, another embodiment of a positioning head 20 is shown, in which the compressed air cylinder, which was used as a common drive 14 in the previous embodiments, was replaced by an electric motor 50 and an eccentric disk 51 made as a crank disk.

The positioning head 20 according to figures 7 and 8, except for the drive 14, is constructed essentially in the same way as the positioning head 20 of the previous embodiment example, so that it is generally possible to replace the positioning heads 20 in existing machines . For simplicity, the positioning head 20 was represented in Figures 7 and 8 in positions that correspond to those shown in Figures 5 and 6.

The positioning head 20 is shown in figure 7 in a position that corresponds to the third position of the positioning head 20 of figure 5 and the positioning head 20 is shown in figure 8 in the fourth position, in the that the positioning head 20 of figure 6 is also shown.

Turning the motor shaft 50 rotates the crank disk 51 which is arranged on the shaft and in which an articulated arm 52 is mounted eccentrically. By rotating the motor shaft 50, the transmission arm 52 that transmits the torque is moved and guarantees the development of the movement described above.

Unlike the previous embodiment, the motor 50 rotates as continuously as possible. This means that the speed of the motor 50 increases and decreases periodically again in order to guarantee a continuous movement of the clamp device 4 and the positioning device 5 with the positioning elements 11 and 12. In this way they can be avoided in large or even completely strong accelerations and strong braking due to start / stop processes during the development of the movement. This reduces the load on used components and can increase the life and reliability.

Ideally, the engine 50 does not stop during operation, but turns sometimes faster and sometimes slower depending on the moment. To cover waiting times, the speed of rotation is reduced, for example, proportionally to the angle of rotation to be covered. It is possible here not only a gradual adaptation of the turning speed, but also a gradual variation.

List of reference numbers 1 Bagger 2 Valve bag 3 Bag group 4 Clamp device 5 Positioning device 6 Housing surface 7 Receiving table 8 First pivot position 9 Second pivot position

Device, automatic positioner 11 Positioning element 12 Positioning element 13 Longitudinal direction 14 Drive 15 Coupling mechanism 16 Articulated lever 17 Articulated lever 18 Sliding bar 19 Suction pad

Positioning head 21 Bag opening device 22 Bent plate 23 Bent plate 24 Acceleration device 25 Roller strip 26 Belt drive 27 Filling nozzle 28 Waiting surface 29 Roller strip

Empty bag tank 31 Compartment 32 Housing 33 Suction cup 34 Bag width 35 Bag valve area 36 Lever 37 Pivot arm 38 Spring device 39 Lever

 Lever 41 Pivot point 42 Pivot point 43 Pivot point 44 First coupling bar 45 Second coupling bar 46 Pivot point 47 Lever 48 Direction of rotation 49 Pressure cylinder

Motor 51 Crank disk 52 Transmission arm 70 Output belt 80 Installation

DOCUMENTS CITED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of documents cited by the applicant was included exclusively to inform the reader and is not an integral part of the European patent. This was made with the utmost care, but the European Patent Office does not, however, assume any responsibility for possible errors or omissions.

Patents cited in the description  DE 3525348 C2 0002  WO 9722522 A1 0003

Claims (15)

1. Device (10) for placing valve bags (2), especially for placing valve bags (2) in a filling nozzle (27) of a bagger (1), with at least one positioning head (20), in which a pivoting clamp device (4) and a positioning device (5) are provided, the clamp device (4) being provided and being suitable for holding and collecting a valve bag (2) of a group of bags (3) disposed on a housing surface (6) of a receiving table (7) in a first pivot position (8) and transfer it to a positioning device (5) in a second pivot position (9 ), the positioning device (5) being provided and being suitable for opening the valve of a valve bag (2) and accelerating the valve bag (2) for placement, the positioning device (5) being composed of at least two positioning elements (11, 12), of which at least one positioning element (11) is pivotally arranged, characterized in that the positioning device (5) is arranged in an adjustable way in the longitudinal direction (13) with respect to the clamp device (4) in order to compensate for different bag dimensions and because a common drive (14) is provided to pivot the clamp device (4) ) and the pivoting positioning element (11) when the clamp device (4) and the pivoting positioning element (11) are mechanically coupled by means of a coupling mechanism (15).

2.

Device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the positioning element (11, 12) can pivot around a slide bar (18).

3.

Device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the coupling mechanism (15) comprises an articulated lever (16, 17) and the articulated lever (16) acts on the slide bar (18) and is fixed here in a movable direction in the longitudinal direction (13).

Four.

Device (10) according to the preceding claim, wherein a drive cylinder is provided as a common drive (14).

5.

Device (10) according to one of the two preceding claims, wherein the coupling mechanism (15) for pivoting by coupled movement of the clamp device (4) and the pivoting positioning element (11) comprises two articulated levers (16, 17) joined together.

6.

Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims 2 to 5, wherein the positioning device (5) can be moved along the slide bar (18).

7.

Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the positioning device (5) comprises two pivoting positioning elements (11, 12).

8.

Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the clamp device (4) is pivotally provided around the slide bar.

9.

Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the common drive comprises a motor device with an eccentric device (51).

10.

Device (10) according to the preceding claim, wherein a control device is provided that controls the direction of rotation of the motor device (50) to essentially enable a continuous rotation of the eccentric device (51).

eleven.

Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the positioning device (5) comprises a bag opening device (21) which in each case has an angled sheet (22, 23) in the two elements of placement (11, 12).

12.

Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the positioning device (5) comprises an acceleration device (24) comprising a roller strip (25) in a positioning element (11).

13.

Device (10) according to the preceding claim, wherein the acceleration device (24) comprises a belt drive (26) in the other positioning element (12).

14.

Device (10) according to the preceding claim, wherein a waiting surface (28) is connected to the housing surface (6), to which a new group of bags can be transported, while processing the current group of bags arranged on the housing surface.

fifteen.

Filling installation (1) with at least one filling nozzle (34) for filling valve bags (2), comprising at least one device for placing the valve bags on the filling nozzle (34) according to one of the preceding claims.