FR2474440A1 - INSTALLATION FOR PACKING A LOAD IN A SHEET STRING IN A FLEXIBLE MATERIAL - Google Patents

Abstract

THE PRESENT INVENTION CONCERNS AN INSTALLATION FOR PACKING A LOAD IN A SHEATH SECTION OF SOFT MATERIAL, INCLUDING A DEVICE FOR PLEASING THIS SHEATH SECTION. THIS INSTALLATION IS CHARACTERIZED IN THAT THE PLISSING DEVICE 7, 8 IS LATERALLY OFFSET WITH THE LOAD TO BE WRAPPED 1 AND MEANS ARE PROVIDED FOR MOVING THE COVERING FRAME 11, 12 HORIZONTALLY AND VERTICALLY BETWEEN THE LOAD 1 AND THE DEVICE OF PLISSAGE 7, 8 SO AS TO TAKE EACH SECTION OF PLEATED SHEATH SHAPED LATERALLY BY THE PLEATED DEVICE, TAKE IT ABOVE THE LOAD THEN LOWER IT AROUND THE LOAD, AND FINALLY RETURN THE EMPTY COVER FRAME TO THE PLISSING DEVICE.

Description

The present invention relates to an installation of

  shifting a load in a sheath section of a material

  flexible, such as plastic film.

  A machine for packaging a load is already known in a section of sheath made of flexible material, in particular a film of plastics material, which comprises a frame of foaming with a section larger than the cross-section of the load to be packaged and a device pleating associated with the hoop frame to gradually fold a section of the sheath engaged on this frame, a store in which is preserved the section of sheath folded and

  means for moving the foaming frame and the magazine vert-

  along the load so as to surround the load with the

  pleated sheath and accumulated in the store and unfolded

  automatically during this movement. Such a machine of

  ballage is described in French Patent No. 73 18 756 filed

May 23, 1973.

  The present invention relates more particularly to improvements made to a machine of this kind with a view to obtaining a packaging plant whose possibilities

  are significantly increased.

  For this purpose, this installation for packing a load in a section of sheath made of flexible material, particularly in

  plastic material, comprising means for providing sections

  flattened, means to open the downstream end

  each sheath section, a pleating device for folding

  progressively in part each section-sheath, this dis-

  positive having rotational members applied in rotation

  against the sheath and against the support ramps

  sheath of a section of greater than the cross section of the load to be packaged and can carry the section of the sheaths folded, and means for moving the

  frame along the load to automatically unfold

  During this movement, the sheath section and deposit it around the load is characterized in that the pleating device is shifted laterally with respect to the load to be packaged and means are provided for moving the frame of the sheath. shading horizontally and vertically between the load and the pleating device so as to take each section of pleated sheath formed laterally by the pleating device, to bring it above the load and then to lower it around the load, and to finally bring back the empty cover frame

to the pleating device.

  This packaging plant according to the invention may comprise, for example, at least two pleating devices arranged on either side of the load to be packaged and using different sized ducts, to be able to package

  loads having two different straight sections. Another disc

  position but with several rolls of films of the same size

  the same load, with super-soft covers

  poses of different natures. This application is particularly

  interesting in the case where the installation is intended to pack items such as cups, jars already grouped under

  a heat-shrinkable film, for example polyethylene, to

  locate sales units. These sales units are in turn stacked on pallets and the stacking of these units is covered by an outer polyethylene cover covering all

  the battery. To avoid sticking the outer polyethylene cover

  on the pre-packaged sales units, one interposes, in one

  the same workstation, by means of the installation of

  according to the invention, a cover made of a plastic material

  higher melting point, for example polypropylene.

  The pleating device or shifters laterally can be placed either at the top or at ground level. In the latter case, the accessibility of the

  pleating has a definite advantage.

  The principle of the pleated sheath can also be used with a forming station of a section of sheath folded

  supplying on demand several positions of constitution of

palletized.

  As will be described below, by way of non-limiting examples,

  Various embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: - Figure 1 is a schematic elevational view

  of a load packing plant with two

  pleating positives laterally offset from the load to be packaged and located at a level above this load; - Figure 2 is a schematic elevational view of a packaging installation according to the invention comprising a pleating device offset laterally with respect to the load to be packaged and located at ground level; FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic elevational view of a packaging installation comprising a pleating device offset laterally, at the top, and feeding

  in sections of sheath pleated three stations of removal of sections

  we have sheaths; The packaging installation shown in Figure 1 is intended to pack a load 1 which may be constituted by a stack of articles placed on a pallet itself moved by a horizontal conveyor. This load can be packaged by means of one or two sections of sheath cut from two sheaths 2 and 3 and reeled flat from

  two respective coils 4 and 5. These coils 4 and 5 are dis-

  placed laterally either at ground level or at the top

  of the frame (not shown), of the packaging installation

  lage. The two sleeves 2 and 3 are respectively fed, by means of guide rollers 6 of horizontal axes by two pleating devices respectively designated in their entirety by the references 7 and 8. These pleating devices 7 and 8 are offset laterally. relative to the load 1 and are located at a level higher than this as can be seen in FIG. 1. Above the two pleating devices 7 and 8 are respectively provided welding and cutting devices 9 and 10, of any known type, these devices essentially comprising movable jaws under the control of a jack. These devices are used when

  covers must be placed on load 1, that is,

  say when the funds of the sections of sheath cut out in the

tablecloths 2, 3 are closed.

  Pleating devices 7.8 may be realized in a variety of ways. They generally comprise pleating members, such as rotatably driven rollers which are applied against the sheath section and against bearing ramps located inside the sheath, so as to form a folded sheath section. pleating of this kind are described in the French patent 73 18 756 filed

  May 23, 1973 and no detailed description will be given of

these pleating devices.

  The pleating devices 7 and 8 are associated with respective shroud frames 11 and 12 which comprise templates whose dimensions correspond to the cross section of the load 1 to be packaged. These foaming frames 11, 12 are movably mounted on the frame of the installation both in the horizontal and transverse direction and in the direction

  vertical, as indicated by the arrows.

  The formation of the folds of each section of sheath folds

  can be carried out either on the frames of the heats themselves 11,12, the latter then being located pleating stations,

  on independent supports, such as retractable arms

  each section of sheath is then transferred to the frame of the frame after the latter has been introduced.

in the duct section.

  The operation of the installation will now be described.

  according to the invention shown in FIG.

  the case where the load 1 must be covered by two

  posed, namely, for example, a first inner cover formed from the polypropylene web 2 and a second

  outer cover formed from the ply 3 of polyethylene.

  In the first place, a section of polypropylene pleated sheath is formed on the frame 11 or on independent arms of this frame, after this sheath section has been cut from the ply 2. This section of pleated sheath is formed by the pleating device 7 located on the left After the section of * pleated polypropylene sheath has been formed on the hoop frame 11 or it has been

  transferred to this cadre after being trained on inde-

  pendants, the hoop frame 11 is moved horizontally so as to bring it above the load 1 and then it is lowered around this load as indicated by the arrows. During this downhill movement, the stretch of

  Polypropylene pleated sheath is progressively deposited

  load tower 1 which can include a stack of sales units (groups of pots, cups etc ...) already themselves

  packed in polyethylene sheets.

  Once the polypropylene cover deposited on the load 1, is made to go up the shading frame 11 and moved again to the left to the pleating device 7, to enable it to receive a new section of sheath folded. After this phase, one operates in the same way on the right side of the installation, involving the pleating device 8. The latter then forms on independent arms or directly on the frame 12 a polyethylene sheath section folded , this section being then separated from the

  3. In the same way, the frame of the hous-

  wise 12 carrying the section of pleated sheath polyethylene to bring it above the load 1 then it is lowered so as to deposit well over the polypropylene cover

  already in place, a second outer polyethylene cover.

  When the load 1 is then passed through a heat-shrink oven, for example, the intermediate polypropylene cover, which has a relatively high melting point, prevents any bonding between the outer cover made of polethylene and the stacked units themselves packed in polyethylene sheets. The covers superimposed on the same load 1 can be in materials of different natures or else they

  may have undergone different treatments or have

  different types. The plant according to the invention shown in FIG. 1 can also be used to package pallet loads 1 having different cross-sections (for example).

  example on pallets of 800 x 1,000 and 1,000 x 1,200 mm).

  In this case, the sheath 2 has dimensions corresponding to a type

  pallet and while the other sheath 3 has dimensions corresponding to

  In accordance with an alternative embodiment, the two pleating devices 7 and 8 as well as the respective duct supply devices 2 and 3 can be mounted on a single frame mounted horizontally and transversely on the frame of the installation. In this way, a pleated sheath section having a particular nature or dimensions can be formed by means of one of the pleating devices 7 and 8 offset laterally with respect to the load 1, while the other pleating device is located above the load 1 and the corresponding foaming frame ensures, during its downward movement, the deposit on the load 1, the previously formed pleated sheath section. Once this is done, we can move horizontally

  and transversely the movable frame so as to bring the first

  pleating device above the load, while the second device is laterally shifted to allow the formation thereof by another section of sheath folded, while the pleated sheath section previously formed on the first device of pleating is deposited on the load 1 for

form a cover.

  Of course, although it has been indicated, in previously described examples, that the installation comprises two pleating devices 7,8 located on either side of the load 1, it is obvious that it is possible to plan further to increase the possibilities of using the facility to cap palletized loads 1 of covers having

  natures and / or different dimensions.

  Figure 2 illustrates a packaging installation of a

  load 1 on a pallet comprising a pleating device 13 deca

  Laterally with respect to the load 1 and located at ground level. Again, the transfer of each section of sheathed sheath which is formed from a flat sheath 14, is achieved by means of a shading frame 15 which follows the path indicated by the arrows. This frame 15 engages vertically from below upwards in the pleating device 13 to receive the section of shirred sheath formed by the latter, then it is moved laterally towards the load 1 and then raised to a level above the load, brought over it, after which it descends along the load by depositing on this last section of sheath folded. Arrived at the end of the downward stroke, substantially at ground level, the hooping frame 15 is then offset horizontally and laterally so as to be brought back

  below the pleating device 13.

  The installation which is shown in FIG. 2 makes it possible to increase the operating speed because the foaming frame 15 rises to the outside of the actual stuffing station, while a similar frame 15 comes down from this station. to put a cover on a load 1 therein. FIG. 3 illustrates another variant embodiment

  of the packaging installation which includes only one

  pleating head 16 for the production of sheath sections folded

  intended to be deposited on several loads 1 located respectively at separate depositing stations 17,18,19 As in the embodiments described above, the removal of the folded sheath sections formed by the device 16 is performed by frames of 20 are mounted movable horizontally and vertically. Each foaming frame 20 is engaged in the pleating device 16 where it supports a section

  previously formed pleated sheath. Then, this frame 20 is de-

  placed horizontally up to be placed above one of the loads 1 to be packaged, after which means are provided to support the frame 20 and make it down around the load 1, resulting in the removal of the section of

  folded sheath as in the previous cases.

  According to the invention, the installation shown in FIG. 3 may comprise only one covering frame 20 feeding the various stations 17, 18, 19 where the covers are deposited.

on charges 1.

  Naturally, in all the embodiments of the invention which have been described, the frame of the installation carries rolling or guiding tracks for the hoop frames as well as drive members of these frames, such as of the

  fingers worn by endless chains driven by motors.

  For the displacement of the foaming frames 15, any well-known drive mechanism used in

handling facilities.

Claims (8)

CLAIMS _______________   1. Packing installation of a load in a section of sheath of flexible material, in particular plastic material, comprising means for providing sections of duct flat, means for opening the downstream end of each section of sheath, a pleating device for pleating   gradually in part each section of sheath, this   having rotating rotational members   against the sheath and against the support ramps located inside the sheath, a frame of sectioning greater than the cross section of the load to be packaged and capable of carrying the section of sheath folded, and means for moving the frame along the load to automatically unfold, during this movement, the   section of the sheath and place it around the load,   in that the pleating device (7,8,13,16) is offset laterally with respect to the load to be packaged (1) and means are provided for moving the frame   (11,12,15,20) horizontally and vertically between the   ge (1) and the pleating device (7,8,13,16) so as to take each section of pleated sheath formed laterally by the pleating device, to bring it above the load and then to lower it around the load, and finally bring the empty frame back to the pleating device.   2. Packing plant according to claim 1, characterized   in at least two folding devices   wise (7,8) arranged on either side of the load 1 to be packaged.   3. Packing plant according to claim 2, characterized   in that the pleating devices (7,8) are   on either side of the load to be packed 1 are   respectively in different sheaths (2,3) in their   natures, the treatments they have undergone or their thicknesses.   4. Packing plant according to claim 2, characterized in that the pleating devices (7,8) arranged on either side of the load-to-be packed 1 are respectively fed   in sheaths (2,3) having different dimensions. -   5. Packaging installation according to any one of the   1 to 4, characterized in that the pleating device or devices (7, 8) are located at a level higher than that from the load 1 to be packaged.   Packing plant according to any one of the claims   1 to 5, characterized in that the folding devices   (7.8) and the sheath supply devices (2.3) which   associated with them are mounted on the same horizontal mobile frame   zontal and transversely above the load.   7. Packaging installation according to any one of the claims   1 to 4, characterized in that the device or devices   pleating (13) are located near the ground.   8. Packing plant according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a pleating device (16) and several stations (17,18,19) for removing sections of sheath folded around several loads located at these positions. , the one or more foaming frames (20) being movably mounted between each of the   depositing (17,18,19) and the single pleating device (16).