FR2734801A1 - PACKAGING POSITIONING DEVICE FOR STORAGE. - Google Patents

Abstract

The device is designed to position boxes (1) in columns in order to store them subsequently; the device first receives the boxes (1) which are fed by a conveyor belt (2); inside the device, the arriving boxes are automatically lifted, forming columns, and they are then pushed out each time a column of boxes is formed. The device comprises two vertical walls (5) which can move by approaching one another or by moving away, in order to be able to adapt to all the formats of boxes; these walls (5) are provided to guide the column of stacked boxes during the process of forming this column. These walls (5) have longitudinal grooves (6) in which are located the elements to be pressed (7) which, during the formation of the columns of boxes inside the device, put pressure on the boxes in order to prevent these are poorly stacked.

Description

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

  The present invention, as expressed in the description of this specification, relates to a device for positioning packages, precisely intended to position empty cardboard boxes and form columns to facilitate their storage. The device comprises means for guiding and maintaining column of boxes stacked during the process of forming the column, as well as means preventing gravity from dropping these boxes once they are released to be

  then pushed outside the device.

  This positioning device is an additional element of the machines for forming cardboard boxes, because it receives these shaped boxes and is responsible for stacking them in columns, in order to store them by

the following.

ANTECEDET8 OF THE INVENTION

  The cardboard boxes, which are shaped in the corresponding machines, are entrained on a conveyor belt to a device used to position and stack these boxes, in order to form

  columns to store them later.

  Conventional devices for positioning or stacking have the drawback that adjusting the format or size of the cardboard box to be

  stacking is not easy to perform.

  This drawback is solved by the stacker of cardboard boxes, claimed in the Spanish invention patent ng 9201460 and which includes adjustable vertical guides making it possible to adapt the device to the format

  from the checkout in a simple and efficient way.

  However, although the stacker claimed in the cited invention patent is effective, it is nonetheless true that the stacking of cardboard boxes is not entirely satisfactory from the point of view of the correction

of this stacking.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

  The device of the invention is of the type of

  devices designed to receive, by means of a transport

  tape, boxes and packaging once it has been shaped; this conveyor belt leads them to the interior of the device, where they are automatically elevated to form columns of stacked cardboard boxes, then a pusher leads them

towards the exit.

  The device includes means which allow

  try to adjust the format of the cardboard box in a simple and quick way, as well as counters used so that the columns formed have an equal height; it also ensures the correct stacking of all

boxes constituting the columns.

  These services are obtained on the basis of

  structural features of the inventive device

  tion, the first essential characteristic of which is that it has two vertical walls, intended for guiding the column of boxes stacked during the

  column formation process; these walls fit

  easily tempt to any box format, since the two walls are connected to arms which

slide on pins.

  In addition, these vertical walls have pressing elements which are inserted in longitudinal and vertical grooves provided for this purpose in the walls; these elements to be pressed are retractable and at a certain position, they exert pressure on the cardboard boxes and hold them, which avoids

  let them fall because of gravity.

  Similarly, once the boxes forming each column have been released, to be moved towards the outside of the device by the pusher, and in order to prevent the boxes of this column from falling due to gravity, which would prevent their extraction movement, means have been provided for tilting guides which constitute supports for the

  last cardboard box in the column.

  Other means or other parts have also

  have been planned which constitute a stop allowing

  check that the entry of the cardboard box inside

  laughing of the device is done correctly, so that using the retractable tabs which are also guided in the grooves where the elements to be pressed mentioned above are located, the body is pushed to an upper area where it remains caught between these two elements

to squeeze.

  Detector means have also been provided, both in the conveyor belt which brings the boxes towards the interior of the device and in the exit zone

  in order to detect possible obstructions

  which will immediately interrupt operation

  is lying. Another characteristic which the device of the invention has as a novelty is that the conveyor belt which brings the boxes into the device is a band mounted so that it can slide, so that in the rest position it is housed and hidden inside the device, which facilitates

  transportation and storage thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

  In order to complete the description that will be

  made and to facilitate the understanding of the characteristics

  ques of the invention, one will find in appendix of this

  descriptive memory a set of drawings, by way of illustration

  non-limiting tration, which represent: Figure 1.- Lateral lifting of the device produced in accordance with the invention, as well as the belt or ribbon conveyor which introduces the boxes inside the device. Figure 2.- Front view of the device shown

in the previous figure.

  Figure 3.- Also schematic view of a side lift with the belt or ribbon conveyor intended to introduce the boxes in the rest position,

  housed inside the device.

  Figure 4.- Detail of position and function

  foldaway tabs responsible for pushing

  upwards each box that enters the device

tif.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED XANIERE FOR ITS EXECUTION

  As can be appreciated in the figures described, the device of the invention is provided for positioning and stacking boxes 1 in order to form columns which facilitate storage, as is clearly seen on the left side of the FIG. 1, so that these boxes 1, coming from a machine for shaping the boxes by means of a conveyor belt which brings them, are driven to the device, after having been guided on this

  belt conveyor 2 by means of positioning plates

  initial 3 and lateral rods 4.

  The actual positioning device comprises a pair of plates or side walls 5, provided with longitudinal grooves 6, in which are pressed elements 7, which can move towards or away from one of the other, so that when they are in the first of the two positions described, the walls exert pressure against the boxes 1 housed inside the device, that is to say between the plates or the walls 5, while when they are in the second position, where these pressing elements 7 release the boxes, these can be pushed and moved towards the outside of the device, as we will explain below, and thus form crate columns,

  in order to store them later.

  The plates or walls 5 constitute a means for guiding each column of boxes 1 to be stacked during the process of forming the column; these walls or these plates 5 can be easily adapted to any body format, since they are each mounted on an external lateral arm 8; these arms 8 slide on two pins 10 located on the same horizontal plane and on a pin 11 located on a higher plane. The device further comprises a pair of cylinders 12 and 13, the first of which is connected to the elements to be pressed 7 by means of a simple articulation 14. The purpose of this cylinder 12 is to roll back, or retract the elements to be pressed 9, to release the boxes 1 and allow the pusher 15 activated by a long-stroke cylinder 16, to push and move the stack or the column of boxes towards the outside of the zone

stacking.

  To avoid that once released, the boxes do not fall due to gravity, which would prevent their extraction movement, the cylinder 13, the tail of which is secured to a rod 17, causes tilting guides 18 to tilt towards the 'interior of the device, which form two supports for the last box 1 of the column. At the entrance to the device, parts 19 have been provided as stops to regulate the entry of the boxes 1; they adapt to the height format of the body, all in such a way that these parts 19 are mounted so as to slide on a profile, the ends of which are integral with a vertical rack 20, guided, on

  which acts an adjusting pinion 21, with the particular

  rity that the objective of these stop pieces 19 is to check that the introduction of the body 1 into the device is done correctly, so that it penetrates completely & flat, and that the retractable tabs 22, also guided in the grooves 6, push the box to the upper zone, where it remains caught between

the elements to be pressed 7.

  These retractable tabs 22 are connected to a mobile structure 23 which moves on guides 24,

following the action of a cylinder 25.

  The device also includes a pin 26 which regulates the front stop 27 where there is a microphone 28 which detects the positioning of the cardboard box and triggers the lifting process; this front stop 27 is also provided with a pair of tabs 29 which

  support and maintain the body.

  These retractable tabs 22, previously cited, make it possible to dispense with the lifting platform usually used, and the result is that the device is more simply structured and allows better adaptation of the formats for the boxes. The device is provided with photocells 30 and 31, located both at the outlet and above the conveyor belt 2, which have been provided to detect possible obstructions which would cause the shutdown

  immediate operation of the device.

  Finally, the belt or ribbon conveyor which drives the boxes 1 from the shaping machine

  up to the device, is mounted on rolling means

  ment 32 and guide means 33; thus, when the conveyor & band or & ribbon 2 is in the rest position or else is not used, it can be housed inside the device itself, which makes it easier to

transport of the whole.

Claims (7)

CLAIM8   1.- PACKAGING POSITIONING DEVICE FOR   STORAGE, intended to form columns of cardboard boxes in order to store them later; these boxes come from a machine where they are shaped and they are brought inside the device by a belt or ribbon conveyor, the device being based on means for receiving each box, as well as on means for raising the boxes to form columns; it also includes a pusher element which pushes the cardboard boxes stacked in columns towards the outside of the device and which is essentially characterized in that it comprises a pair of plates or vertical walls (5) capable of moving as they approach or by moving away from one another to allow the size of the box to be adjusted; these movements are carried out by means of two pins (10 and 11) on which slide two arms (8 and 9) connected to these plates or to these walls (5), which have longitudinal grooves (6), in which are placed pressing elements (7), retractable, so that they are flush inside these plates or walls (5) and that they hold the boxes (1) during the stacking process, or else they move in the opposite direction towards the outside of the walls (5) to release the column of stacked boxes and allow the displacement of this column towards the outside by means of the pusher (16); with the particularity that these pressing elements (7) are activated by cylinders (12), while the pusher (15) is activated by a long-stroke cylinder (16).   2.- PACKAGING POSITIONING DEVICE FOR   STORAGE, according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises tilting guides (18) provided internally to the inner part of the plates or vertical walls (5), the guides of which are connected to a rod (17) which is activated by a cylinder (13); these guides (18) constitute support means for the last box of the column formed inside the device, so as to prevent the boxes from falling due to gravity when they are released by the elements to be pressed (7) and displaced in their   extraction movement by the pusher (15).   3.- PACKAGING POSITIONING DEVICE8 FOR   EKKAGASINAGE, according to the preceding claims,   characterized in that stop pieces (19) have been provided, and have been placed at the entrance to the device in order to allow the format of the box to be adjusted in height; these parts are mounted so that they slide on a profile, the ends of which are connected to a vertical rack (20), on which an adjusting pinion (21) acts, the parts (19) of which constitute a means of controlling that the entry of the boxes inside the device is done correctly; retractable tabs (22) guided in the grooves (6) of the vertical walls (5) have also been provided and these tabs (22) push the box (1) to the upper zone where it remains caught between the elements to press (7).   4.- PACKAGING POSITIONING DEVICE8 FOR   STORAGE, according to claim 3, characterized in that the retractable tabs (22) are mounted on a mobile structure (23) capable of moving on   guides (24), when a cylinder (25) is actuated.   5.- PACKAGING POSITIONING DEVICE FOR   EMMNAGA8INAGE, according to the preceding claims,   characterized in that it includes a pin (26) which regulates a front stop (27) which carries a microphone (28) responsible for detecting the positioning of the body and activating the means that raise the fund.   6.- PACKAGING POSITIONING DEVICE FOR   STORAGE, according to the preceding claims,   characterized in that it comprises photocells (30 and 31) placed so as to target the exit zone and also the conveyor belt (2) which brings the boxes (1) to the device; these photocells detect possible obstructions that would cause the shutdown immediate of the whole.   7.- PACKAGING POSITIONING DEVICE FOR   STORAGE, according to the preceding claims,   characterized in that the belt conveyor (2) is mounted on rolling means (30) and guide means (31) which make it possible to move this belt conveyor (2) towards the interior of the device, where there remains   hidden, which facilitates the transport of the whole.