FR2462348A1 - ARRANGEMENT FOR THE TREATMENT OF MATERIAL IN THE FORM OF BAND OR SHEET - Google Patents

Abstract

ARRANGEMENT FOR PROCESSING MATERIAL IN STRIPE OR SHEET FORM, INCLUDING A PROCESSING JAW WHICH IS MOUNTED IN THE BASE OF THE ARRANGEMENT SO THAT IT CAN BE MANEUVERED BETWEEN AN INACTIVE POSITION AND AN ACTIVE POSITION IN WHICH A WORKING TOOL SUPPORTED THROUGH THE JAW COMES TO BE BASED ON THE MATERIAL. THE WORK TOOL 28 IS MOBILE COUPLED TO THE JAW 15, THE FORCES APPEARING WHEN THE WORK TOOL IS ACTUATED BEING TRANSMITTED TO THE BASE BY TRANSMISSION ELEMENTS 27, 29, WITHOUT AFFECTING THE SUPPORT OF THE JAW. APPLICATION IN PARTICULAR TO THE PACKAGING OF LIQUIDS.

Description

1 2462348

  The present invention relates to an arrangement for the

  processing of material in the form of a strip or sheet,

  carrying a treatment jaw which is mounted in the base of the arrangement so as to be operable between an inactive position and an active position in which a

  tool supported by the jaw comes to rest against the material

  riau. Materials in strip or sheet form, by

  example of paper, plastics or combinations of

  of these materials, are frequently used in the industrial and

  sorting of packaging for the manufacture of differ-

  types such as boxes, bags and containers.

  Normally, the transformation of this initial planar material into packaging of different types is carried out using packaging machines which often not only produce packaging but also fill the desired content. In the packaging machine, the material is driven along a treatment path along which it passes through a number of

  treatment posts in which it is treated differently.

  different ways, for example the material can be perforated,

cut, folded or sealed.

  A known packaging machine manufactures non-returnable packages for liquids, for example milk, from

  a strip of laminated material which comprises a central layer

  paper support tread coated on both sides with

  homogeneous thermoplastic material. The strip of material

  initially flat material is transformed into packaging containers

  the individual lage full thanks to the fact that as it descends substantially vertically in the machine,

  it is successively put into a tubular form in

  nishing and sealing in liquid-tight manner the longitudinal edges of the strip. At the lower end of the filled tube, movable jaws are provided for sealing,

  to shape and cut individual packaging containers

  duels from the tube. More particularly, the tube is sealed at regular intervals in transverse areas

  which divide the tube into a regular series of container containers

  lapping filled with liquid. Sections made in said transverse areas then separate the packaging containers from each other so as to obtain

  individual packing containers. Packing containers

  can also be subjected to a shaping operation in order to give them a particular shape

  hated, for example that of a parallelepiped.

  The transverse seal described, the separation as well

  that eventually the formatting is done with the help of macho-

  processors which are located on either side of the strip of packaging material in tubular form and which are arranged to operate in pairs. The

  jaws are displaced between an active position

  tive and an inactive position. In the active position, the working surfaces of the jaws rest on the tube of the packaging material and, while flattening it, simultaneously perform the desired working phase, for example the

  transverse sealing. Once the desired phase of work

  the jaws are moved to a positive position.

  inactive position located at a distance from the tube of the

  Tackling such as this one can move freely between the jaws. Due to the big difference between space

  required by the tube of filled packing material, which

  With a substantially circular cross section and that required by the flattened portion of the packaging material tube, the movement of the jaws when moved from the active position to the inactive position and vice versa is relatively important. Moreover, since the jaws

  must be resistant because of the constraints that appear

  when the work surfaces are pressed against the

  material, the clutter becomes important, which is a

  because it is generally desired that packaging machines

  as small and compact as possible. The concept

  Moreover, the suspension makes the suspension and the support of the jaws complicated and expensive, since on the one hand they must allow the necessary large movement and on the other hand

  they have to endure the forces that appear and that can

  can be considerable in work phases such as

sealing and cutting.

3 2462348

  As a result, it is generally desirable to avoid

  disadvantages mentioned above, and the present invention

  It is intended to provide an arrangement for treating strip or sheet material in which the processing jaws are so designed that

  choirs and their support are not subject to the

  aunts appearing during the work phases.

  The present invention further proposes to provide an arrangement for the processing of strip or sheet material, in which the processing jaws are of simple and inexpensive design, with small dimensions. Still another object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement for treating strip or sheet material in which the processing jaws

  are easily accessible for maintenance and replacement

  is lying. These objects are achieved according to the invention, by means of an arrangement for the processing of strip or sheet material, comprising a processing jaw which is mounted in the base of the arrangement so as to be able to be operated between a position inactive and a position

  in which a working tool supported by the ma-

  choir comes to rely on the material, which is characterized in that the working tool is coupled movably to the jaw, the forces occurring during the actuation of the work tool being transmitted to the base by the items

  of transmission, without affecting the support of the jaw.

  In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the working tool is provided with a force transmission element mounted in the jaw and which, in the active position of the jaw, couples the working tool mounted in the jaw. front part of the jaw with a training element carried by the base. As a result, the reaction forces appearing

  when the drive element is actuated are trans-

  put directly at the base, which means relief

  extra for the jaw and its support.

  In another embodiment of the arrangement

4 2462348

  according to the invention, the transmission element is a shaft

  who can move axially and who, in the active position

  jaw, extends to the training element.

  axially aligned with it. As a result, the path of the force exerted from the driving element

  on the work tool becomes completely straight and-

  therefore does not affect the jaw.

  In another embodiment of the invention, the shaft is rigidly coupled to the work tool and is

  arranged to push the latter, under the effect of a res-

  recall spell, to the retracted inactive position. This ensures

  re the work tool is returned to the retracted position

  when the training element does not act on it.

  In another embodiment of the invention, the driving element is constituted by a piston cylinder

and cylinder.

  In another embodiment of the invention, in its active position the jaw is disposed straight ahead and

  aligned with a counter-jaw located on the other side of the

terial.

  In another embodiment of the invention, the jaws are pivotally mounted, the axis of rotation being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the strip or sheet material. This orientation of the axis of rotation of the jaw implies that when the jaw pivots from its inactive position to its active position, the

  working surface of the jaw moves in the same di-

  the material in the form of tape or sheet, which allows the jaw work surface to

successively on the material.

  In another embodiment of the invention, in its active position, the jaw rests on the base,

  fixed transmission elements being arranged on the

  back of the jaw. These transmission elements ab-

  completely absorb the reaction forces to which the jaw is subjected during its cooperation with the jaw

  located on the other side of the material.

  The current. invention will be better understood using

2462348

  of the following description of a particular embodiment

  binding given by way of example and shown in the accompanying drawings which illustrate the forming process in a packaging machine comprising the arrangement according to the invention and in which:

  Figure 1 illustrates how a strip of

  packaging material is successively transformed into containers

  in a packaging machine comprising the

  according to the invention; only the details necessary for understanding the process have been represented for clarity;

  FIG. 2 is a side view, partly in section

  eg, the preferred embodiment of the invention which is

  read in the process illustrated in Figure 1; FIG. 3 is a view from above of the arrangement of

Figure 2.

  Figure 1 illustrates a method for transforming a

  wrapping tape in packing containers indi-

  viduals filled with liquid. The arrangement according to the invention can be used in particular in packaging machines

  who manufacture packaging following this process and will be

  therefore written in the case where it is designed and used in such a packaging machine, which however does not exclude the use of the arrangement according to the invention with

  other processes or machines in which a machine

  material in the form of a strip or sheet must be treated

using jaws to work.

  In the method illustrated schematically in Fig. 1, the web-like packaging material 1 is supplied to a packaging machine (not shown) in the form of a roll 2 of packaging material which is suspended in such a manner.

  to be able to freely rotate in the machine. The material of

  The stuffing is of the laminated type and has a central layer

  of support, for example of paper or foam of plastic material,

  tick, which is coated on both sides with a thermo-

  plastic which allows the sealing of the material by means of

  then by pressing the two parts against each other, a process known as thermo-welding. In some cases

6 2462348

  the strip of material may also comprise other layers, for example an aluminum foil, but to allow the

  mentioned above the outer layer of this material

  The material must consist of a thermoplastic material.

  From the roll 2 of packaging material which can rotate freely, the wrapping material web 1 rises towards a guide roller 3 on which it passes so as to then descend into the machine. On the road

  descending from the guide roller 3, the strip of material

  packaging material 1 is converted into a tube by means of rollers.

  shaping webs, which can rotate freely and are arranged annularly, bringing the two longitudinal edges of the packaging material web 1 together

  that they eventually overlap, forming a longitudinal joint

  dinal extending along the strip of packaging material.

  The sealing of the two overlapping edges of the strip is

  by means of a sealing tool placed below the

  forming rollers 4 which heat the outer layers

  Thermoplastics in the sealing areas along the edges of the strip and press the heated edges together until softened so as to obtain a liquid-tight seal. Once the lower end of the packaging material tube is sealed and is therefore liquid tight, it is filled with the desired content

  (A condition for this, of course, is that the lower end

  the tube of packaging material has been sealed

  versally, which is the case when the machine is running, as is supposed here>. The contents, for example milk, are introduced into the tube of packaging material from a tank 6, via a filling line 7 which engages in the upper end of the tube of material

  packaging that is not yet complete or sealed. A provision

  level control device (not shown) controls the supply of the product so that the product level remains

  some distance below the sealing tool.5.

  The arrangement according to the invention is below the sealing tool 5. The arrangement, designated by reference 8, therefore acts at a portion of the tube of packaging material.

7 2462348

  which is below the level of the product and which is

  kept continuously filled with product. The wrapping material tube is advanced downwardly through the arrangement by means of feed elements (not shown) in the form of reciprocating levers with skids. suction arranged above the arrangement,

  the arrangement pressing the walls of the tube of packaging material

  against each other at regular intervals, in transverse areas in which these walls are sealed with each other in a liquid-tight manner, so that containers having substantially the shape of cushions and filled with product. The arrangement according to the invention also separates the connectors 9 from each other by cutting at said transverse sealing zones, after which the containers are finished and are removed from the machine.

  using a conventional belt conveyor 10.

  After schematically describing a process for

  bribing packaging containers by means of the arrangement according to the invention in a known packaging machine, we will

  now describe in detail the operation and constitution

  a preferred embodiment of the invention, with particular reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 which respectively show the arrangement in side view and partly in

  section (Figure 2) and in plan view (Figure 3).

  FIG. 2 shows two parts 11 and 12 of the base of the arrangement which are coupled together and

  with the rest of the layout via a third

  Part 13 of the base. Parts 11 and 12 are located at a distance from each other and between them passes the tube of packaging material 1 partially compressed to

  the upper end of which is the lower extremity

  7. Between the two parts 11 and 12 are two movable treatment jaws 14 and these jaws being pivotally mounted by means of shafts 16 and 17 respectively mounted in the portion 13 of FIG.

  the base. The shafts 16 and 17 are coupled with elements of

  trailing (not shown) and they actuate the sealing jaws 14 and 15 between the working position or position

8 2462348

  active, shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and the inactive position

  shown in phantom in Figure 2.

  The processing jaws 14 and 15 both have working surfaces which, in the active position of the jaws, are located opposite each other on the other hand.

  other than the tube of compressed packaging material.

  these work jaws have a width (perpendicular

  the direction of movement of the tube of material) which is slightly greater than the width of the tube of flattened material. The working surface of the treatment jaw 14 comprises working tools, namely a cutting tool 18

  centrally and extending the full width of the cheek.

  re, and elongated heating tools 19 mounted fixed from

  and other tool 18 and being in the form of ele-

  electrical resistive devices which also extend over

  the width of the jaw. The heating tools 19 are

  connected by means of electrical conductors 20 to a current source. The conductors 20 leave the heating tool 19, passing through the treatment jaw 14, and passing through

  the shaft 16 supporting the jaw and a device 21 collecting

  current, to arrive at a current source located

on the machine or next to it.

  The cutting tool 18 can move in the plane of

  the jaw by moving closer to or away from the tube of material

  tablet 1 and is operated for this purpose by means of a

  bre 23 which is provided with a flange 22 and which can move

  axially. Around the shaft 23 is mounted a helical spring

  dal compression 24 acting axially on this shaft 23 of

  away from the tube of material. In the current position

  the jaw 14 shown, the free end of the armature

  bre 23 rests against the end of a piston rod 26 of a piston cylinder 25 cylinder. In addition, on the back of the jaw treatment are provided two elements of

  stationary transmission 27 which, in the active position of the

  choir, lean against the part he of the base.

  The treatment jaw 15 includes a tool for

  in the form of an elongated compression tool 28, which extends substantially perpendicular to

9 2462348

  the longitudinal axis of the tube of material 1 and whose width is slightly greater than the width of the tube of compressed material. In other words, the compression tool 28 is oriented

  in the same way as the cutting tool 18 located in the machine

  opposite, and is operated similarly by means of a force transmitting element 29 which is mounted so

  to be able to move axially in the jaw of treatment-

  15. It has a collar 30 and is loaded elastically

  In this case, a compression coil spring 31 extends in a direction away from the packaging material tube. It

  As a result, in the active position of the jaw

  the rear end of the force transmitting member 29 abuts against the forward end of a piston rod 32 which can move back and forth under

  the action of a jack 33 piston and double-acting cylinder.

  The compression tool 28 also includes a channel for a coolant, for example air or

  water, which passes through this compression tool according to its direc-

  longitudinal The channel 34 passes through the jaw of

  15 and passes through its shaft 17 and a transmission element

  35 mounted on the shaft to finally end up in a

  appropriate cooling agent.

  During the use of the machine and the arrangement according to the invention, a strip of packaging material is

  sent, in known manner, in the machine o, as and when

  sure it advances, it is transformed into a tube and filled with product. Using the feed elements provided with the suction pads mentioned above (not shown) the filled tube

  descended intermittently to the arrangement

  vention, each displacement corresponding to the length of a finished packaging container. During a large part of each displacement the treatment jaws 14 and 15 are

  in their inactive position, ie the parallel position

  the to the tube of packing material which is shown in outline

  shown in Figure 2. When in the course of an advance movement

  this the tube of material has come down from a distance which corresponds

  substantially at half the length of the package, the movement of the processing jaws 14, 15 of the position

2462348

  inactive to the active position begins. More specifically

  the two shafts 16, 17 are actuated by means of

  (not shown) for pivoting the jaws to the active position, in which the jaw working tools are opposite one another

  on both sides of the tube of flattened packaging material.

  Since during the pivoting from the inactive position to the active position, the working surfaces or work tools of the processing jaws 14, 15 are brought closer together.

  progressively from each other, the walls of the tube of

  are pressed against each other-during the last

  part of the race in advance. The initial application of

  kings against each other takes place substantially without

  between the working surfaces of the processing jaws

  14, 15 on the one hand and the outer surface of the tube of material

  on the other hand, since the slewing speed

  jaws is adapted to the speed of advance of the tube.

  When the treatment jaws 14 and 15 have

  reached this active position, the working tools of the

  The choirs are located opposite each other on both sides of the tube when the jaws are aligned with each other.

  the other as well as cylinders 25, 33 with piston and cylinder.

  In this position, the jaws compressed the tube of

  so that the contents have been moved and the interior walls

  tube rests against each other. The working tools of the two processing jaws, that is to say the cutting tool 18 and the compression tool 28 are retained, throughout the described process, in their inactive rear position, by the two coil springs 24, 30 which, via the force transmission elements 23, 29 provided with a flange and respectively coupled to the cutting tool and the compression tool, push the tools of

  work towards their inactive position.

  When the two processing jaws 14, 15 are in their active position, aligned with each other as well as with both piston and cylinder cylinders, the sealing of the compressed portion of the tube begins. More particularly, the jack 33 is actuated so that, through the force-transmitting member or shaft 29, it moves the compression tool 28 so that it bears against the flattened material which is in turn pressed against the

  surface of the jaw provided with heating tools.

  At the same time, or possibly a little before, the heating tool 19 is energized, so that the walls of the tube pressed against each other between the working tools of the jaws are heated to a temperature such that

  the thermoplastic outer layers of the material soften

  while the high simultaneous compression caused by the compression tool 28 causes the inner thermoplastic layers of the material that press against each other to merge with one another to form a watertight seal. liquids. The pressure exerted by the tool

  of compression 28 is transmitted through the material

  compressed packaging material, to the treatment jaw 14, then, through the two transmission elements 27, to the portion 11 of the base, without the two shafts 16, 17, which support the treatment jaws, be subject to

  any constraint, since the tools of

  18, 28 as well as the force transmission elements 23, 29 can move freely in the direction

  axial to the jaws of treatment and are simple-

  mounted on and supported by them.

When the sealing is completed, or at the same time as it takes place, the cylinder 25 is also actuated so as to push the cutting tool 18 through the transmission element or shaft 23, and against the force of the return spring, to press against the working surface of the compression tool 28. The cutting tool then performs

  a transversal cut in the center of the sealed area of material

  so that the packaging container 9 in the form of

  sin which is located below the jaws is separated from the portion of the tube of material located above the jaws. The

  compression force exerted by the cutting tool 18 is transmitted

  putting, through the compression tool 28 and the force transmission element 29, to the piston rod 32 of the cylinder 33, so that in this case also the suspension

12 22462348

  of the treatment jaw, that is to say the support of

  the drive shaft, is not affected by the

cylinder.

  As can be seen from the foregoing, according to the invention

  An arrangement is obtained for the treatment of strip or sheet material with the aid of jaws.

  treatment, in which the movable jaws and their suspension

  are completely isolated from the important forces that are

  necessary to seal and cut the material properly.

  Since the sealing jaws simply serve to initially press the walls of the tube together and to support and control the work tools properly

  said jaws and their suspension can be very light

  very simple, which significantly reduces the cost of the whole and helps to

  easily accessible system with easily

  placeable. This is also strongly favored in a

  the measure of the fact that the two working tools,

  that is to say the two cylinders, are located in the frame of the machine and are coupled rigidly without real mechanical coupling

with the treatment jaws. From the foregoing, it will also be understood that

  the term "strip or sheet material" means

  not only a material in plane form, but also a material in the different "development phases",

  for example in the form of a tube, a cushion or an em-

  more or less finished balling. Although the arrangement according to the invention has been described as particularly suitable for the treatment of a tubular packaging material, this arrangement is also naturally suitable for any other type of web-like material, particularly where working tools must be separated from each other

  to allow the material to advance.

  Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments of the example described and shown, it is capable of numerous variants accessible to humans

  of art, according to the intended applications and without

  ter for that of the scope of the invention.

13 2462348

Claims (8)

  1. Arrangement for the treatment of material under   strip or sheet form, having a jaw of   15) which is mounted in the base (13) of the arrangement so as to be operable between an inactive position and an active position in which a work tool (28) supported by the jaw is supported by on the material (1), characterized in that the working tool (28) is movably coupled to the jaw (15), the forces occurring during actuation of the work tool being transmitted   at the base by transmission elements (27, 29), without fetch the jaw support.   2. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized   in that the working tool (28) is provided with a transmission element   power supply (29) mounted in the jaw and which, in the active position of the jaw (15), couples the working tool (28) mounted in the front part of the jaw with an element   drive (33) carried by the base.   Arrangement according to Claim 2, characterized in that the transmission element is a shaft which can   move axially and which, in the active position of the   choir, extends opposite the driving element (33),   being axially aligned therewith.   4. Arrangement according to Claim 3, characterized   in that the shaft (29) is rigidly coupled to the working tool   vail (28), and is arranged to push the latter, under the effect of a return spring (31), to the retracted inactive position.   5. Arrangement according to any one of the claims   2 to 4, characterized in that the drive element   (33) is constituted by a piston cylinder and cylinder.   6. Arrangement according to any one of the claims   1 to 5, characterized in that, in its active position, the jaw (15) is disposed straight ahead and aligned with a   counterjaw (14) located on the other side of the material (1). 14 2462348   7. Arrangement according to any one of the claims   1 to 6, characterized in that the jaws (14, 15) are   pivotally mounted, the axis of rotation being perpendicular   longitudinal direction of the material (1) in strip or sheet form.   8. Arrangement according to any one of the claims   1 to 7, characterized in that in its active position   the jaw (14) is based on the base, elements of trans-   stationary missions (27) being arranged on the rear part of the jaw.