FR2751299A1 - STRAPPING MACHINE OF MATERIAL TAPES - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a strapping machine for reels (1) of strips of material, in particular metal, held previously wound by at least one finger (12) resting against their end, and comprising a support structure (2) comprising at least an upright (7) supporting at least the end of a telescopic arm (8), the other end (21) of which is disposed at said finger (12); according to the invention, said end (21) comprises a roller capable of coming into tangential contact against the periphery of one of the bands of the reel (1), of rolling or sliding on the latter, of slipping under said finger (12) and to take over from the latter to keep the strip wound.

Description

l

  Strapping machine for reels of material strips.

  The subject of the present invention is strapping machines for reels of strips of material, which can be of any type such as metal (steel, aluminum, etc.), paper, cardboard, plastic or other product.

  flexible or semi-flexible which may exist in plates or in strips.

  The technical sector of the invention is the field of winding such strips of material and their packaging or strapping by a

  strip holding them peripherally wound.

  The main application of the invention is the strapping of metal coils at the outlet of slitting machines, after cutting by them of a metal band having initially the width of said coil into several bands of narrower width, and which must therefore be each independently of the other to be

  easily stored and transported.

  To date, such strapping is carried out essentially manually or automatically by passing a strip under fingers having notches therefor and now resting the ends of each strip: if this is done manually, it is necessary to have two people permanently on each machine, which is not very productive in addition to the waste of time and can be dangerous, while all the other operations of rolling, slitting and winding of such strips are carried out d 'one way

  fully automatic for the most part.

  We are also aware of certain patent applications filed in this area, such as the utility certificate N FR 2,654,956 of German origin from the company ACHENBACH BUSCHUTTEN GmbH on a "Belt winder" or the patent N FR 2,570. 004 also filed under German priority by PAGUAG GmbH and

  describing a winding installation for winding metal strips comprising a "winding mandrel".

  With regard to the "strapping" of such coils, there are also various patent applications, but with packaging of the paper or adhesive tape type, or with ligatures passing through the interior of the coil, thus requiring that the latter does not have a closed support mandrel and does not allow each band to be strapped independently when the coil is made up of several bands arranged side by side, which limits the types of applications: one can cite for example for the holding devices of tails of bands on machines with winding with adhesive tape, the certificate of utility N FR 2.530.596 and the patent N FR 2.480.725 of Mister LESAGE Gaston, for the processes and apparatuses for packaging with paper the patent N FR 2.528 .007 of Japanese origin from KATAOKA HIROSHI and for packaging processes using the center of an open reel, patent application N EP 517 149 from the company LAMIFLEX

VERPACKUNGSTECHNIK GmbH.

  None of these systems allows, especially therefore for the metal strips wound side by side on the same closed mandrel, to be able to hold them securely during transport because it is quite obvious that on the one hand, a device with paper is enough fragile and on the other hand, such packaging or tying from the inside of the bands is not possible when they are side by side and we want to keep them independently of each other. It is moreover for this reason that to date, an external strapping of each strip is carried out by strip arranged at their periphery and slipped into the notches of retaining fingers, but this does not allow, even with machines.

  which are intended to be automatic, but which are in fact only semi

  automatic, to perform the strapping in the best conditions.

  Indeed, when several bands are arranged side by side and are of variable width, while the retaining fingers can only be arranged at standard constant positions, said strips being slid into the notches of the fingers, cannot be exactly30 in the median plane of each strip: the operator or an automatic machine with telescopic arms for this must indeed pass the strip through the notch or the groove placed in the middle of each finger, choosing the one best placed close to the plane median but which is therefore not necessarily following it and even sometimes it may be impossible to slide the strip in the case of strips of

  small width, barely greater than that of a finger for example.

  Thus, even the so-called automatic strappers to date and which are therefore only semi-automatic, require permanent control and presence of an operator to guide them as best as possible in the plane of the best placed finger since there is no no detection system making it possible to optimize the choice thereof according to the

band width.

  The problem is therefore to be able to encircle such strips of material by a strip placed as best as possible in the median plane of each strip, even if several strips are placed side by side along the same axis, and preferably without intervention. human, except of course as a control, at high speed, in a way which can then be truly automatic and without having to modify the lines of

existing production.

  One solution to the problem posed is a method of strapping reels of strips of material, kept previously wound by at least one finger pressing against their end and comprising a support structure comprising at least one upright supporting at least the end of an arm. telescopic, the other end of which is able to come at the level of said finger and such that - one of said strips of the coil is placed under said telescopic arm disposed perpendicular to the axis XX 'of the coil and in the median plane of said strip to circle, - the end of the arm is brought tangentially to the periphery of said strip and it is slid under said finger which is thus raised, said

  end taking over from the latter to keep the strip wound, and comprising a notch in which a strapping strap is slid directly along the median plane of said strip.

  To ensure strapping by strip in the median plane of each strip when several of them are arranged side by side along the same support axis XX ', in a preferred embodiment according to the present invention, it is identified beforehand and preferably by optical reading of the laser beam type, the edges of each strip from which the width is deduced which is compared to the state and the number of cuts of said strips previously made and recorded, on said same reel; in the event of an error then observed with respect to the optical reading, which can occur for example when two bands are too closely joined and have not made it possible to distinguish their edges, the identified position of each band is corrected for determine the exact coordinates of their median plane, perpendicular to their axis XX ': indeed, optical reading makes it possible to identify the separation spaces beyond 0.5 millimeters between the bands which, on the one hand may have been slightly offset from each other during their movement and transport and on the other hand are often of different dimensions, such as from 20 to 500 millimeters wide on the same reel; the support structure is then moved so that its median plane of strapping by a strip is located along the median plane of one of said bands and we perform

  the strapping operation according to one of the descriptions above or above

  after for each band one after the other.

  If there is a strapping machine having a single vertical upright with a single telescopic arm, this can serve as assistance for the strapping operation then performed manually as can be done to date, even if it doesn is not very productive but according to the present invention, it is certain that the strip is arranged exactly in the median plane of each strip, with better security, in

  better conditions and with optimum results.

  However, in a preferred embodiment, if it is desired to ensure the strapping in a fully automatic manner, a solution to the problem posed is then such that: - one of said bands is placed at the center of an open structure in the shape of a "U" "whose internal axial opening in the direction perpendicular to the plane defined by its" U "shape, is capable of receiving said coils along an axis XX 'of the same direction as that of said opening; - the upper part of the "U" is closed by two telescopic arms integral with one of their ends of the lateral uprights of the support structure in the form of "U" and which is brought beforehand in a plane tangent to said coil, - we slides the other end of one of said arms under said finger, which end taking over from the latter to keep the strip wound, the two ends of said arms coming into contact at the same time to ensure the continuity of the closure of the shape in "U" shape with the rest of the support structure, - a strip is unwound from a strapping head, placed on said support structure, which is guided through closed flaps and situated in the same median plane and over the entire inner periphery of the opening of the support structure and under said telescopic arms, said strip traversing all of said inner periphery in said median plane which is also that of said opening axial closure, - the end of said strip is recovered from said strapping head, after it has completely turned around said opening of the support structure, all of said valves are opened which preferably simultaneously release all of the strip and we resume part of the length of the unwound strip until it is in contact over the entire outer median periphery of the strip in

  bringing the strapping head closer to it.

  The result is a new strapping process and new strapping machines which can be fully automated and as an exemplary embodiment is described below. These processes and machines indeed respond to the problem posed and guarantee an operation of

  strapping in better conditions than those performed to date, such as manually or semi-automatically.

  In fact, in addition to the speed of execution that any suitable automatic machine allows, the particularity of mobility of the telescopic arms combined with a prior optical type marking, makes it possible to adapt to any coil diameter and to position the strapping device exactly at the desired location, either in the median plane of

each strip successively.

  In the present invention, one of the telescopic arm for guiding the strip then slides under the finger or fingers, without taking account of the position of these and replaces them to keep the latter rolled up.

  until the strip is put in place.

  Other advantages of the present invention could be mentioned, 10 but those mentioned above already show enough of them to

  prove novelty and interest.

  The description and the figures below represent an example of

  embodiment of the invention, but are in no way limiting: other embodiments are possible, within the scope and scope of this invention, in particular by using it in fields other than tapes metallic and using other specific devices, but which would have the same functions. The exemplary embodiment according to the figures below describes a fully automated strapping machine and thus comprising all the specific features of the present invention, even if the optical locating device is not shown there. Figure 1 is thus a view of an automatic strapping machine according to

  the invention shown opposite its axial opening plane.

  Figure 2 is a side view of the strapping machine of Figure 1.

  Figure 3 is a partial view of some elements of the part

  lower of the strapping machine according to figure 1.

  Figure 4 is a more detailed partial view of the part

  upper of the strapping machine according to figure 1.

  FIG. 5 is a view of the support arm of the strapping machine according to the

  Figure 1 in the plane V / V 'of Figure 3.

  Figure 6 is a sectional view of the end of the arms

  telescopic 8 along VI / VI 'of Figure 4.

  Figure 7 is a sectional view along VII / VII 'of Figure 4

a telescopic arm 8.

  In a known manner, the coils 1 of strips of material which can be of aluminum, paper, steel, plastic, etc. but which here are considered to be metallic and split into strips arranged side by side, and of small width , are held on the same mandrel 28 of diameter d mounted in cantilever at one of its ends and carried by any support structure not shown here: said strips of material are kept wound on said mandrel according to a given external diameter D which is a function of the number of windings of turns of the bands by at least one finger 12 resting on each end of said bands; all of said fingers 12 is mounted on any elastic or telescopic device making it possible to ensure sufficient pressure, is mounted on the same support structure 27 independent of the present strapping machine according to the invention, and which is generally

  integral with that carrying said mandrel 28.

  The automatic strapping machine has a support structure 2 in the form of a "U" having an axial internal opening 25 in the direction perpendicular to the plane defined by the "U" shape which is shown here in the plane of FIGS. 1 and 4, and capable of receiving said coils 1 for a given maximum outside diameter D: these being introduced into opening 25 through the free end of the mandrel

  28 which is cantilevered and free in the space all around the coil.

  In the case of a strapping machine which would not be automatic, the support structure 2 could only include, as mentioned previously, a single upright 7 placed on one side of the coil 1 and supporting at least the end of a telescopic arm 8, the other end 21 of which is disposed at said finger 12: for this, the at least said telescopic arm 8 is mounted perpendicular and sliding along the upright 7 of the support structure 2 and placed almost vertically. The end 21 of the telescopic arm 8 comprises a roller which comes into tangential contact against the periphery of one of the strips of the coil 1, and which is capable of rolling or sliding on said strip, then sliding under said finger 12 and take over from the latter to keep the strip wound: the operator then places himself on the other side of the reel relative to the amount of the support structure 2 and unrolls and threads the strip 13 in the notch of the roller end 21 of arm 8, exactly in the median plane of the

band to be strapped.

  For this, such a simplified strapping machine also comprises an optical locating device, the beam of which is directed towards the center of the coil 1 and makes it possible to position the end 21 of said telescopic arm in the median plane of said wound band, as described below. after in the case of the automatic strapping machine shown in

the attached figures.

  The support structure 2 may consist of a metal frame made of welded and / or bolted beams, which is preferably mounted movably on rollers 6 along rails 16 anchored in the ground, such as in a notch made in that as shown in FIG. 1, and in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the figure, or in fact parallel to the axis of the opening 25 which also corresponds to the direction of axis XX ′ of the coils 1 to be strapped and which can be confused with this one. Such mobility of the strapping machine between two positions defined for example by two stops 151 and 152 limiting its movement according to FIG. 2, due to the bundle of cables 14 ensuring its supply, its control and its commands, makes it possible to deposit strapping straps over the entire width of a coil 1 which would have a dimension of course less than the distance authorized by said stops 151 and 152 and without having to move the latter; in other embodiments, it is obvious that we could have a fixed strapping machine and that we would then move the coils 1 and their mandrel

  support 28 on any suitable trolley.

  In the case of an automatic strapping machine, at the upper part of the "U" shaped opening 25, said strapping machine according to the invention comprises at least two telescopic arms 8 secured to one of their ends by the lateral uprights 7 of the "U" shaped structure and the other ends 21, 22 of which come into contact to ensure the closure of the "U" shape is closed with the rest of the

support structure 2.

  Said telescopic arms 8 are mounted perpendicular and sliding at one of their ends along lateral and parallel uprights 7 of the support structure 2 in the shape of a "U", so as to be positioned in a plane tangent to the outside diameter D of each strip of the coil 1 and thus adapt to different diameters: for this, the ends of said arms 8 are mounted on supports 20, driven by any means of translation 9 along said vertical uprights 7, of the chain drive type or rack-and-pinion, to ensure a large displacement fairly quickly, so as to release said arms in one direction and in the other direction to adapt them in a first rough approach to the correct diameter D of the coil 1; the bundles of cables 10 for supplying, commanding and controlling said telescopic arms 8 form a deformable loop like those 14 of the carriage carrying the strapping machine, in order to follow said movement of

  translation of the arms relative to the support structure 2.

  Once the telescopic arms 8 are roughly positioned in the plane tangent to the correct diameter D, other means of adjustment in translation 19, and driven with the arms during large displacements 9 in translation, such as jacks make it possible to ensure a given support force and very precise adjustment of the end of said arms 8 against the bands 1, without being influenced by all the mechanics of

  translation and translation drive 9.

  Beforehand, the support structure 2 is positioned in the desired median plane of the strip considered, by virtue of any optical locating device whose laser type beam is directed towards the center of the opening 25 of this structure, according to the method described above. ; once the telescopic arms are positioned at the right dimension according to the diameter D of the coil 1 which can also be measured exactly for this by the same optical device, these can advance towards each other: they comprise each at their end 21, 22 a roller capable of rolling on said strip 1 to be strapped, and having a circular peripheral groove 29 in the form of a sheave whose shape is suitable for letting through and guiding said strip 13 such that

shown in figure 6.

  One of the telescopic arms 81 further comprises at its end 21 a beveled needle pointing upwards, making it possible to raise, by sliding under the finger 12 now bearing the end of the strip 1 to be strapped, said telescopic needle ensuring

  then continuity with the end 22 of the other telescopic arm 82.

  The automatic strapping machine according to the invention also comprises a set of guide valves 17, 18 opening, located in the same median plane and over the entire inner periphery of the opening 25 of the "U" shape of the structure 2, and under the telescopic arms 8; said valves 17, 18 delimit in the closed position a space capable of receiving and guiding the strip 13 as shown in FIG. 7 and delivered from the strapping head 3, and traversing said inner periphery

  in the same median plane of the opening 25.

  Said strapping head 3 is integral and preferably located on one side of the base of the support structure 2 in a "U" shape, which is then inclined towards the side opposite to this strapping head, thus giving

  at the bottom of the "U" a "V" shape.

  Said strapping head is of any known type and is associated with a reel 4 of said strip 13, as well as with a tensioner 5 for on the one hand ensuring a given tension in the strip during strapping and on the other hand before quickly resuming the extra length thereof during the strap fitting operation; all of this equipment associated with the strapping head is mounted on the support structure 2 laterally in the "U" shape and moving with it, said strapping head 3 having to be positioned in the defined strapping plane which must be that of each band and coinciding with that of the valves 17, 18: in addition, the strapping head 3 is slidably mounted along an axis directed towards the center of the interior opening of the support structure 2, to come into contact with the outside diameter 11l D of the reel 1 to be strapped, when the strip 13 is released by the valves 17, 18, taken up by the tensioner 5 to come to bear on the outer turn of the strip of the reel 1; said strapping head 3 having recovered the free end 26 of the strip, can then fix and secure it in any known manner, and therefore not described here, on the other

  end of the strip which it will have cut.

  To maintain the strip 13 in the median strapping plane, especially for the coils 1 of small diameter and when it is released by the guide valves 17, 18 since it is then only held by the ends 21, 22 of the telescopic arms 8 and by said strapping head 3, the automatic strapping machine according to the invention also comprises, to ensure a third guide point, an articulated arm 11 having one end secured to the base of the structure 2, and the another movable end towards the inside of the opening 25 of the support structure "U": this arm 11 then forms, with the two other support points (21, 22) and 3, a guide triangulation distributed over the

  better according to three roughly identical sectors around the coil 1.

  The inclination and the maintenance of said arm 11 in a given position in abutment against the outer periphery of the coil 1, can be ensured by a jack 24; said articulated arm 11 carries at its free end two inclined guide flaps 23, leaving between them a passage space at least equal to the width of the strip 13, which will therefore be housed there and be held there in the correct position against the banding

  when it has been released from the valves 17.

Claims (11)

  1. Strapping machine for reels (1) of strips of material, held previously wound by at least one finger (12) bearing against their end, and comprising a support structure (2) comprising at least one upright (7) supporting at least l end of a telescopic arm (8), the other end (21) of which is disposed at the level of said finger (12), characterized in that said end (21) comprises a roller coming into contact tangentially against the periphery of a strips of the coil (1), and which is capable of rolling or sliding on the latter, of sliding under said finger (12) and taking over from the latter for keep the tape wound.   2. Coil strapping machine (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises an optical locating device whose beam is directed towards the center of the coil (1) and which makes it possible to position the end (21) of said telescopic arm (8) in the plane median of said wound band.   3. Strapping machine according to any one of claims 1 or   2, characterized in that the at least said telescopic arm (8) is mounted perpendicular and sliding along the upright (7) of the structure   support (2) placed almost vertically.   4. Strapping machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3,   characterized in that the support structure (2) is mounted mobile, at   less along an axis of direction parallel to that of the coil (1).   5. Strapping machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4,   and such that said support structure (2) is in the form of a "U" having an axial internal opening in the direction perpendicular to the plane defined by the "U" shape and capable of receiving said coils (1) and comprises at least two arms telescopic (8) integral at one of their ends with these two lateral uprights (7) and a set of 30 opening guide valves (17, 18) situated in the median plane and over the entire inner periphery of the opening (25) of the " U "and under the telescopic arms (8), said valves (17, 18) each delimiting in the closed position a space capable of receiving a strip (13) delivered from a strapping head (3) and traversing said inner periphery in the same median plane of the opening (25), characterized in that the other ends (21, 22) of said telescopic arms (8) come into contact to ensure the continuity of the closure of the "U" shape with the rest of suppo structure rt (2). 6. Strapping machine according to claim 5, characterized in that the strapping head (3) is integral and located on one side of the base of the support structure (2) in the shape of a "U", which is inclined towards the opposite side at the strapping head (3), the bottom of the "U" then having a shape in "V".   7. Strapping machine according to any one of claims 5 or   6, characterized in that the strapping head (3) is slidably mounted along an axis directed towards the center of the internal axial opening (25) of the support structure (2).   8. Strapping machine according to any one of claims 5 to 7,   characterized in that it comprises an articulated arm (11) at one end secured to the base of the support structure (2), the other end being movable towards the inside of the opening (25) of the "U" and bearing two inclined guide flaps (23) leaving a space of   passage at least equal to the width of the strip (13).   9. Method for strapping coils (1) of strips of material held previously wound by at least one finger (12) bearing against their end and using a support structure (2) comprising at least one upright (7) supporting at least 1 end of a telescopic arm (8), the other end (21) of which is capable of coming at the level of said finger (12), characterized in that: - one of said strips of the coil (1) is placed under said arm telescopic (8) disposed perpendicular to the axis XX 'of the coil (1) and in the median plane of said band to be strapped, - the end (21) of the arm is brought tangentially to the periphery of said band and it is slides under said finger (12) which is thus raised, said end (21) taking over from the latter to keep the strip wound, and comprising a notch in which a strapping strip (13) is directly slid along median plane of said strip.   10. strapping method according to claim 9, for reels having several bands side by side and wound according to the A / TO I   same support axis XX ′, characterized in that: - the edges of each strip are identified by optical reading beforehand from which the width is deduced, which is compared to the state and number of the strip cuts previously made and recorded on said strip same coil (1), - in the event of an error during optical reading, the identified position of each strip is corrected to determine the exact coordinates of their median plane perpendicular to their said axis XX ', - the support structure is moved ( 2), so that its median strapping plane is located along one of the median planes of said bands.   11. Method for strapping reels (1) of strips of material   according to any one of claims 9 or 10, and as placed   one of said bands at the center of a structure (2) open in the shape of a "U" whose internal axial opening (25) in the direction perpendicular to the plane defined by its shape in "U", is capable of receiving said coils ( 1) along an axis XX 'of the same direction as that of said opening (25), the upper part of the "U" is closed by two telescopic arms (8) integral with one of their ends of the lateral uprights (7) of the structure support in the shape of a "U" and which is brought beforehand in a plane tangent to said coil (1), characterized in that: - the other end of one of said arms (81) is slid under said finger ( 12), which end (21) taking over from the latter to keep the strip wound, the two ends (21, 22) of said arms A coming at the same time into contact to ensure the continuity of the closure of the "U" shape "with the rest of the support structure (2), - it is unwound from a strapping head (3) placed on said support structure (2) a strip (13) which is guided through flaps (17, 18) closed and located in the same median plane and over the entire inner periphery of the opening (25) of the support structure (2) and under said telescopic arms (8), said strip (13) traversing all of said inner periphery in said median plane, s - the end (26) of said strip ( 13), after it has completely turned around said opening (25) of the support structure (2), the set of said valves (17, 18) which releases the strip (13) is opened and a part is resumed the length of the strip unwound until it is in contact over the entire outer median periphery of the strip (1) by bringing the head closer strapping (3) against it.