FR2573029A1 - IMPROVEMENT TO SHEATH INSTALLATION DEVICES ON CONTAINERS - Google Patents

Abstract

THE INVENTION CONCERNS AN IMPROVEMENT OF THE DEVICES FOR LAYING SHEATHS IN HEAT-SHRINKABLE PLASTIC MATERIAL ON CONTAINERS 14 OF SENSITIVELY POLYGONAL CROSS-SECTION. TO ENSURE WITHOUT RISK OF CRUMPING THE CONFORMATION OF THE SHEATH WHEN IT IS TRANSFERED FROM A CYLINDRICAL PART 10AD FROM CHUCK 10 TO A CONFORMATION PART 10B WHOSE CROSS SECTION CORRESPONDS SENSITIVELY TO THAT OF THE CONTAINERS, DRIVE MEANS 20, 22 TRACKS ARE PROVIDED ON THE ONE HAND TO PULL THE SHEATH FROM THE BOTTOM ON THE CONFORMING SHEATH 10B, AND ON THE OTHER HAND TO ACCOMPANY THE SHEATH TRUNK ONCE CUT BY CUTTING MEANS 16, 18 ACTING ON A LARGE PART OF HIS HEIGHT. APPLICATION TO THE SLEEVING OF CONTAINERS FOR DECORATION AND OR PROTECTION PURPOSES.

Description

The present invention relates generally to methods of

  dies and devices for laying ducts on objects such as

  containers to be decorated and / or protected, and

  repair of processes and devices for installing ducts of the so-called floating mandrel type.

  It is already known in the art of packaging, and in particular

  French Patent No. 2,490,590, a device for

  sheaths of the type comprising a shaping mandrel maintained in susten-

  by means of rollers cooperating with each other through a sheath

  keep on going. Cutting means are provided for cutting the continuous sheath

  in sections of sheath and part of the mandrel extending downwardly below the cutting means can guide the sections of

  sheath successively to containers to gain.

  However, it has been found, when the containers on which

  the sheaths must have a non-sectional cross-section

  actually circular, but having on the contrary edges or

  parts of small radius of curvature, which proved difficult to

  form the sheaths, initially cylindrical in the upper part

  of the mandrel, to adapt them on the extension to a transverse section

  angular dirty of this guy. Indeed, conventionally, when the continuous sheath is brought down along the mandrel to reach the level of the cutter and the extender of the mandrel whose cross section gradually adapts to that of the containers,

  said sheath is pushed by suitable drive means to

  firing from the top, and may be wrinkled or "stuffed" during

  downhill, which is obviously a serious disadvantage.

  The present invention aims to overcome this inconvenience.

  deny and propose a method and a device for laying ducts

  on containers of non-circular cross-sections in the-

  which the descent of the sheath anteriorly and after its cutting is carried out in a simple and easy manner, by eliminating the aforementioned risks. For this purpose, the present invention relates, in a first aspect, to a method for laying sheath sections successively on containers of non-circular cross section, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: - pushing downwards a continuous sheath on a mandrel upper portion using first drive means provided above a cutting device located between. said upper mandrel portion and a lower mandrel portion, such that the lower end of said sleeve reaches second drive means provided immediately below said cutter; pulling down said continuous duct with the aid of the second drive means until the length of the duct below

  the cutting device is equal to that of the desired sheath sections

  your; - Cut said sheath using the cutting device; - accompany the duct section thus cut with said second drive means along the lower portion of the mandrel to third drive means, and - eject said duct section with said thirds

training means.

  According to a second aspect, the present invention relates to a device for implementing the above method, characterized in that it comprises, in combination: - a levitating mandrel comprising.an upper part

and a lower part, -

  a cutting device between said two parts,

  first training means located above the device

  cutter and arranged to push down a continuous sheath a short distance behind the cutting device, second drive means located just below the cutting device and arranged to pull down said continuous sheath , and: - third drive means located below the second and arranged to eject a mandrel section previously

  cut with the cutting device.

  The invention will be better understood on reading the description

  following of a preferred embodiment thereof, given by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation in schematic section of a duct laying device according to FIGS. 2a and 2b are cross-sectional views of part of the device of FIG. 1, along the lines AA and BB respectively, and

  Figures 3a and 3d are diagrammatic side views illus-

  the operation of the device shown in FIG.

  With reference to the drawing, and in particular to Figure 1, there is shown schematically a device for laying sleeves or sheaths of heat-shrinkable plastic material around containers for decoration and / or protection purposes. A mandrel, generally indicated at 10, is maintained in vertical lift with the aid of roller means

  conventional, schematically indicated in 12, which take the place of

  first drive means for a continuous sheath from

  from which sections of sheath intended to be indi-

  and successively placed on containers 14 conveyed by suitable conveying means (not shown). As will be seen

  in detail below, the containers 14 have a transverse section

dirty- polygonal.

  The sleeve 10 comprises an upper part O10a and a lower part 10b separated by a cutting device in the form of blades 16 that can penetrate into a peripheral groove 18 at the junction

  between said two parts 10a, 10b.

  Along the lower part lob of the mandrel are further provided second drive means in the form of two track assemblies 20, 22 driven by upper and lower rollers 24, themselves driven by appropriate transmission means, such as belts, chains, etc. (not shown) connected to a power source (also not shown). The tracks 20, 22 are in the present example made of a flexible material such as rubber, so as not to damage / during the training action / part of the sheath

  with which they are in contact.

  Finally, in the region of the lower end of the second part 10b of the mandrel, third drive means are provided in the form of simple rollers 26 which are also selectively driven by

  rotation by appropriate means (not shown).

  As shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b, the upper portion a of the mandrel has a cross-section of substantially circular shape, and the lower portion lob of the mandrel has a transverse section which progressively changes, from top to bottom in FIG. from a circular shape to the polygonal shape shown in Figure 2b. This polygonal cross section is shaped

  to correspond substantially to the cross-section of the reci-

  14, and it is clear that its purpose is to facilitate the transfer of a duct section from the free lower end of the mandrel to the periphery of a container 14 during the actual laying operation. As we have said above, it is often difficult

  to conform a sheath down to the mandrel of a circular section.

  towards a polygonal section as illustrated by pushing

  This is because the resistance to progress imparted by the lower part b of the mandrel 10 is such that between the rollers 12 and the latter, the sheath is at risk. wrinkles, thus becoming unusable and causing a disadvantageous interruption of the operation of the unit

entire treatment.

  In this respect, the device for laying duct sections such as:

  described above overcomes this disadvantage by operating from the

  next, described with reference to FIGS. 3a to 3d.

  First, in the state illustrated in Figure 3a, the

  inferior sheath of a continuous sheath 28 is located at the level of the

  cutting device 16, 18, after a previous section of sheath has been cut by the latter. From this state, the sheath 28 is pushed downwards by the rollers 12 constituting the first drive means for a very short time until its free lower end 28a reaches the upper part of the second drive means. caterpillar 20, 22 (Figure 3b). The tracks 20, 22 are then started by means of their rollers 24, in the direction of the arrows, thereby pulling down the sheath 28, the rollers 12 then being simultaneously brought into the disengaged position. It can be noted here that the

  sheath is no longer pushed but advantageously pulled on the

  lower conformation lob of the mandrel. In addition, the sheath is accompanied by

  driven by caterpillars not in one or more point contact points, as would be the case with pebbles, but over a substantial part of its height, to further reduce the risks

deterioration thereof.

  Once the sheath 28 has been drawn to extend below the cutting device 16, 18 over a length corresponding to the desired length of cladding section (FIG. 3c), then the tracks 20, 22 are immobilized and said cutting device is triggered to thereby cut the section (indicated at 28 '). The tracks 20, 22 are then again driven to bring the lower end of the section 28 'into contact with the rollers 26, which take the place of

  means of ejection of the section, then in waiting position, on the recess

  14 partner when the latter was brought into place by the means

aforementioned conveyors.

  The cycle as described above can then start again for

  fit and cut the next duct section (Figures 3a and

your).

  It should be noted further that this process of operation is

  in that, while the duct section 28 'is waiting at

  level of the ejector rollers 28, and that it is therefore immediately

  As soon as a container 14 is in place to receive it, the first step of the described process can be carried out simultaneously, by pushing the continuous sheath 28 to the level of the upper part.

  caterpillars 20, 22 which allows a significant time saving.

  Of course, the second crawler drive means

  , 22 may be arranged to be selectively excluded from the

  lower part of the mandrel conformation 10b, either by their region

  their lower region, or as a whole, in order to

  on the one hand to allow the unobstructed insertion of the

  28a of the sheath 28 uncut between the mandrel and said tracks during the initial step, and secondly to allow the waiting sleeve section 28 'to be ejected at high speed by the rollers 26 while the upper part of the caterpillars starts to pull

  down (second stage of the process) the continuous sheath 28 for

  This will be advantageously achieved by providing

  means (not shown) for individually moving the rollers

  later and later 24 drive the caterpillars laterally by

  relative to the lower part 10b of the mandrel.

  In addition, the sequencing and synchronization of the described operations can be carried out appropriately by a control unit.

electronic control.

  Of course, the present invention is not limited to the form

  described, but includes any variant that may be

  ter the man of the art with the help of his knowledge. In particular, the

  number of rollers 12, 24, 26 and caterpillars 20, 22 around the perimeter

  the chuck will be chosen according to the requirements, as well as

  the resistance opposed by the lower part 10b of the mandrel to the movement

  descending of the sheath. Similarly, the pressure with which the tracks will be applied against the mandrel can be chosen from

  suitably, for example by means of adjustable elastic means.

  Finally, the shape of the cross section of the inferior part

  The lob of the mandrel may be arbitrary, polygonal or otherwise.

R E V E N D I CATIONS

  1. A method for laying sections of sheath successively on containers (14) of non-circular cross section, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: - pushing down a continuous sheath (28) on an upper part mandrel (10Oa) with first drive means (12) provided above a cutting device (16, 18) between said upper part of the mandrel (10a) and a mandrel lower part (lob) ), so that the lower end (28a) of said sheath reaches second drive means (20, 22) provided just below said cutting device; pulling said continuous duct (28) downwards with the aid of the second drive means until the length of the duct below the cutting device is equal to that of the desired duct sections; cutting said sheath using the cutting device (16, 18); accompanying the section of sheath thus cut by means of said second drive means (20, 22) along the lower part of the mandrel towards third drive means (26), and: - ejecting said duct section to the help of said thirds

driving means (26).

  2. Apparatus for laying sections of ducts for carrying out the method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises, in combination:

  a levitating mandrel (10) comprising an upper part

  a lower part (10a) and a lower part (10b), - a cutting device (16, 18) between said two parts, - first drive means (12) located above the

  cutting device and arranged to push down a sheath

  for a short distance below the cutting device, a second drive means (20, 22) located just below the cutting device and arranged to pull down said

continuous sheath, and: -

  third drive means (26) located below

  second and arranged to eject a chuck section (28 ') previously

  cut with the aid of the cutting device.

  3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower part (10b) of the mandrel takes the form of conforming means of the sheath (28) to adapt to the shape of the cross section

containers (14).

  4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the

  the lower part (10b) of the mandrel (10) has a cross-section

  the shape of which evolves progressively from top to bottom between a

circle and a polygon.

  5. Device according to any one of claims 2 to 4,

  characterized in that the second drive means (20, 22) comprises

  caterpillars driven around rollers (24) and being able to extend substantially parallel to the adjacent walls of the lower part

(lob) of the mandrel.

  6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that

  the tracks (20, 22) are made of rubber.

  7. Device according to one of claims 5 and 6, characterized

  in that the tracks (20, 22) each run between two rollers

  (24) which can be individually reconciled and removed from the

lower part (10b) of the mandrel.

  - 8. Device according to any one of claims 2 to 7,

  characterized in that the first drive means (12) consist of

  also in the levitation means of the mandrel (10).

  9. Device..according to any one of claims 2 to 8,

  characterized in that the third training means consist

in rollers {26).