FR2499949A1 - DEVICE FOR TRANSPORTING PARALLELIPIPEDIC BOXES OF VARIABLE WIDTH - Google Patents

Abstract

DEVICE FOR TRANSPORTING PARALLELIPIPEDIC BOXES OF VARIABLE WIDTH. IT INCLUDES TWO PARALLEL CONVEYORS 6 WITH ENDLESS BELT, ARRANGED ALONG THE RESPECTIVE SIDES OF A SUPPORT PLAN 2 AND ADVANCE OF THE BOXES; THE GAP BETWEEN THESE CONVEYORS ARE ADJUSTED THANKS TO A ROD 29 COMMANDED IN ROTATION, ARRANGED TRANSVERSALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE DIRECTION OF THE BOXES AND PROVIDED WITH TWO THREADED PARTS 28 WITH OPPOSITE PITCHES, ENGAGED IN RESPECTIVE NUTS 26 WHICH ACT LIKE SCREWS -MERES AND SUPPORT CONVEYORS WITH INTERPOSITION OF SPRINGS 27 WHICH ALLOW THESE CONVEYORS TO ELASTICALLY DELAY IN ORDER TO EXERCISE WORKING PRESSURE ON THE BOX SIDES. APPLICATION ESPECIALLY TO MACHINES FOR TIGHTLY CLOSING PARALLELIPIPEDIC BOXES OF VARIABLE WIDTH.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for transport

  parallelepipedal boots of variable width.

  There are known packaging techniques which provide for the use of parallelepiped cardboard boots which, once filled with the products intended for them, are closed and sealed, for example

  by the application of adhesive tapes along the two longitudinal slots

  dinales which, after folding of the extreme and lateral sides, are formed

above and below the boot.

  For closing and sealing operations we use

  usually more or less automatic machines, the character of which

  common feature is to have a support plan for the boots, along which these are advanced to make them

  through a suitable set of closing and / or sealing means.

  To ensure the advance of the boots, these machines use in many cases two conveyors or conveyors with continuous band, that

  it is worn on both sides of the flanks of the boots.

  Of course, an essential condition to observe is that these conveyors can be moved together or away from each other, in order to adapt the spacing to the variable width of the boots to be submitted

to the proposed transaction.

  In U.S. Patent No. 4,161,138, which is the Applicant of this patent application, the problem was solved by mounting one end of each of the two conveyors on sliders sliding on cross slides and setting these sliders to opposed strands of an endless cat with adequate control means, while the other opposite end of the conveyors is in turn secured, but with possibility of uncoupling,

  a transverse guide member that can yield in the axial direction.

  The adjustment of the distance is effected by conveniently actuating the endless chatter after momentarily releasing the coupling between the other end of the conveyors and the corresponding guide member,

  before restoring this coupling in the new position chosen.

  The fact that the guide member can yield in the axial direction

  allows the conveyors to exert on the flanks of the boot a number of

  working pressure, since the conveyors can be conveniently adjusted to a slightly smaller

of the boot.

  The solution reported above, however, has the disadvantage

  deny a certain complexity of maneuver, and especially not to

  -2- set the adjustment of the spacing, accompanied by the generation of the necessary working pressure, after evacuation of the machine,

  that is to say without a box being introduced between the two

  voyeurs. Indeed, when a boot has been engaged between them, it is actually possible to carry the conveyors against the flanks of the boot, but then it is necessary to give up the generation of the working pressure which is essential to ensure the displacement of the boot and which, moreover, can be obtained only by bringing the two conveyors closer to what is strictly necessary for the

jo actual width of the box.

  The present invention aims to provide a transport device of the kind comprising endless belt conveyors which can bear against the sidewalls of the boot, and wherein the adjustment

  spacing between the conveyors can be achieved by means

  simple work leading to the generation of work pressure

  even when the boot has already been set up in the machine.

  According to the invention, this object is achieved by means of a transport device for parallelepipedal boots, which comprises a support plane and boots advance, two endless belt conveyors arranged along the respective sides of said plane of bearing so as to bear against the corresponding sides of the boots to advance them along said support plane, and means for adjusting the spacing between these conveyors, this device being characterized in that the means of setting of said

  spacing comprise at least one rotary control rod,

  posed transversely to the path followed by the boots during their progression, this rod having two threaded parts, of opposite pitch, engaged respectively in nuts or bolts secured to the conveyors but so as to yield elastically

  in the axial direction with respect to these.

  In the device according to the invention, the adjustment of the

  between the two endless belt conveyors is thus effected by simple rotation of a transverse rod, whose threaded parts with opposite pitch determine opposite transverse movements of the two conveyors so as to bring them closer or further away from the one to another. The elastic coupling between the conveyors

  and the nuts or lead screws also allows the generation of a cer-

  taine working pressure, that the adjustment is carried out in the absence of box (and in this case we proceed as in the US patent -3-

  No. 4 161 138 quoted above), that is by placing the two

  voyeurs at a distance slightly less than the width of the boot, or after engagement of the box (and in this case it is enough to turn the threaded rod slightly beyond the necessary quantity, in order to arm the springs which assure the elastic coupling between conveyors and lead screws). Therefore, a single, quick operation is enough to achieve the desired setting, with the necessary working pressure, whether the boot is inserted or not.

between the conveyors.

  The features of the present invention will be better

  understood during the reading of the following detailed description

  of a practical mode of realization given by way of non-limiting example

  FIG. 1 shows in plan a transport device according to the invention, used in a machine for hermetically sealing parallelepipedal boots;

  FIG. 2 shows the same device seen in section made

  1 to II-II of FIG. 1, the conveyors being shown in continuous lines in their position of maximum relative spacing and in phantom lines in minimum relative approach position;

  FIGURE 3 shows a detail in section on a sensitive scale.

  the elastic coupling made between a conveyor and the corresponding lead screw, and FIGURE 4 shows the same detail but seen in section

  along line IV-IV of Figure 3.

  If we first look at Figure 1, we see that a rectangular frame 1, provided with support feet of appropriate type, supports in rotation a plurality of parallel rollers 2 which rotate idly and define between them a plane of support and in advance 3 for the boots to be treated (in this case, by hermetic closure using a

tape).

  Two lateral uprights 4 support at an adjustable height an upper hermetic sealing head (not shown), while a similar lower sealing head is intended to occupy a central cavity 5 formed in the series of rollers.

crazy 2.

  To ensure the advance of the boots there are two conveyors.

  endless belts 6 which extend along the two longitudinal sides

  of the support plane 3, so that it can be worn with -4

  look against the flanks of the boots.

  Each conveyor comprises an endless belt 7 passing through

  turn of two pulleys 8 and 9 arranged at the ends of a series of

  holding pulleys 10 all mounted free to rotate on a platform

  longitudinal pillar 11 and protected by a housing element 12

(Figure 3).

  The pulleys 8 of the two conveyors, which are those located furthest downstream in the direction of progression of the boots (from right to left, looking at FIG. 1), are integral with respective vertical axes 13 supported in rotation by rectangular plates. 14 fixed by stirrups 15 to respective sleeves 16 mounted so as to slide freely on respective rails 17 parallel to the rollers 2 (Figure 1). To these axes 13 are furthermore fixed respective gear wheels 19 which are rotated

  in opposite directions by motor 20, via a system

  of endless catkins 21 and 22, as shown in

  US Patent No. 4,161,138 to which reference should be made for further

  details regarding this drive system.

  The pulleys 9, which are situated on the contrary more upstream with respect to the direction of progression of the boots, are mounted in turn so as to be able to rotate freely on respective axes 23 (FIG. 3), each axis 23 being secured to not only of the underlying plate 11 but also of a system comprising two

  coaxial bodies with a square section, inserted into each other and

  signed at 24 and 25 (Figures 2 to 4); each body 24, 25 is slidably mounted on a nut 26 of square section and elastically biased

  by a spring 27 to the rest position shown in Figure 3.

  The threaded nut 26 plays the role of lead screw relative to a corresponding rod 29 having two threaded portions with opposite pitch 28 and rotatably mounted on the frame 1 parallel to the rollers 2; a crank 30 makes it possible to turn this rod 29 manually. It is clear that by rotating the rod 29 in one direction or the other, the two nuts 26 are brought together or, on the contrary, the two nuts 26 produces the same displacement of the conveyors 6 which are respectively integral and which, at their opposite end, as we have already seen, are supported so as to

  ability to slide freely. Thus, in a particular way

  simple and fast, ensure the adjustment of the spacing between

  two conveyors, that is to say between the two extreme positions

  respectively marked in solid lines and in phantom lines on the

Figure 2

  The sliding assembly provided between the bodies 24 and 25 of square section and the nuts 26, or between the conveyors 6 and the threaded rod

  29, as well as the elastic reaction produced by the springs 27,

  also generate a working pressure as well when a boot is engaged between the conveyors 6 (and in this case it extends the rotation of the rod 29 beyond what is strictly necessary to arm the springs 27) that when no boot is present between the conveyors (in which case the latter are placed at a spacing slightly less than the width of the boot, after which the springs 27 are armed to the extent necessary, by forcing the boot between the two conveyors, possibly using organs

  appropriate entry or entry).

-6 -

Claims (2)

R E V E N D I C A T I 0 N S   1. A transport device for parallelepipedal boots of variable width, comprising a support plane (2) and forward of the boots, two conveyors (6) endless belt arranged along the sides of said support plane so as to carry boxes against the corresponding flanks to ensure the advance thereof along said   plan, as well as ways to adjust the spacing between the convoys   characterized in that these adjustment means comprise at least one   minus a rotatably mounted control rod (29) disposed transversely   dirty with respect to the forward movement of the boots and provided with threaded portions of contrary pitch, engaged in nuts (26)   each acting as a lead screw and elastically supporting the   so-called conveyors so that they can yield elastically in the axial direction of said rod.   2. Transport device according to Claim 1, characterized   in that each nut is constituted by a block (26) slidably received in at least one tubular body with a square section (24,   ) which extends along the axis of the stem and supports one of the   voyeurs, elastic means (27) being interposed between the block (26) and said tubular body (24, 25) in order to solicit the latter   towards the middle of the bearing plane (2) with respect to said block.