GB2023548A

GB2023548A - Feeding Sheets in Apparatus for Producing Trays

Info

Publication number: GB2023548A
Application number: GB7916660A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Nutro Patentverwertungs Und Maschinen Handels GmbH
Current assignee: Nutro Patentverwertungs Und Maschinen Handels GmbH
Priority date: 1978-05-13
Filing date: 1979-05-14
Publication date: 1980-01-03
Also published as: GB2023548B; FR2425322A1; FR2425322B3; DE7814557U1

Abstract

An apparatus for producing trays from flat cardboard elements includes reciprocatable gripper devices, e.g. suction heads 10, which separate cardboard elements from a pile 4 of such elements and transfer them to a shifter device 16 comprising a shifter part e.g. grippers or pushers 29, which moves back and forth to a reciprocatable folding plunger 15 which cooperates with a former frame 12 to form a tray. The tray is held on a support 13 whilst glue applied thereto sets. The edges are then held by grippers which can selectively turn the trays over before they are applied to layers of bottles. The pile may, be on- edge in which case escapement devices are provided. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION improvements in or Relating to Apparatuses for Producing Trays The invention relates to apparatuses for producing trays from flat cardboard elements.

Such a tray may be in the form of a flat box, whose wall height is small relative to the remaining dimensions of the tray. Such trays are for example used for stacking bottles, a tray being placed on a layer of bottles being placed on this tray. Such a tray may have dimensions of for example up to 1 050x 1 250x200 mm. In practice. these large trays are today still made by hand, and this is an expensive procedure.

According to the invention, there is provided an apparatus for producing trays from flat cardboard elements, comprising reciprocatably arranged gripper devices arranged to grip a cardboard element of a batch of cardboard elements, a flat support associated with the gripper devices and arranged to receive a batch of cardboard elements, and a shifter device for receiving a cardboard element the shifter device comprising a shifter part which is movable back and forth from the support to a reciprocatable folding plunger, a folding frame being associated with the plunger.

It is thus possible to provide a mechanically functioning apparatus for the production of trays, which apparatus operates, in a space-saving manner, away from the batch of cardboard elements and in a reliable fashion.

Thus trays, such as very large boxes, can be mechanically treated from flat cardboard elements which have previously been subjected to an edging or embossing process; the cardboard elements can be treated both in the horizontal position or in an edge-wise or upright position.

The gripper devices take a cardboard element from the batch of such elements. The shifter, which may be in the form of a conveyor belt or some other conveyor means, which thrusts the cardboard element through the folding frame, thus bending the walls of the tray to be formed away from the remainder of the tray.

Two nozzles for hot glue can be provided, beside the path of movement of the shifter device, in front of the folding plunger. When the cardboard element is moved past them, the nozzles apply hot glue to the areas of the cardboard element after the process of bending the walls of the tray to the required position.

However, the stacked cardboard elements can be stapled or stuck.

The gripper devices may be stationarily mounted, and the shifter device may comprise a support for the cardboard element. The gripper devices bring the cardboard element only from the support to the shifter device, thereby simplyfying the construction of the apparatus. The support is constituted, e.g. on a carriage for cardboard elements whose edges have been bent over, by a frame which has a small angle of inclination relative to the vertical, and by a horizontal sheet-metal element on the underside of the frame, the cardboard element lying with its lower edge on the sheet metal element.

The shifter part may be movable horizontally.

In comparison with a form of construction in which the shifter part can travel vertically, this simplifies the construction of the apparatus and improves the sequence of operations entailed.

A holding frame may be provided after the folding frame in the direction of travel of the folding plunger. By means of the provision of this holding frame the working speed of the apparatus is increased, as a tray, whose walls have been formed, does not require any dwell period in the folding frame for the setting of the glue.

Preferably, the flat support is suitably formed for setting down the batch of cardboard elements, the gripper devices are laterally reciprocatable, the shifter device is suitably constituted for receiving the cardboard element in edgewise, i.e.

approximately upright, position, and the folding plunger is laterally reciprocatable. In the case of this embodiment, the cardboard elements are processed in their edgewise position.

Separators with removable arms may be provided in the vicinity of the support. These separators hold the batch and release a flat cardboard element when the latter is received by the gripper devices.

The folding frame may be positioned on the shifter carriage. In the case of this modification the cardboard element is, when it has been brought onto the shifter carriage, at the same time fed to the folding frame, so that transfer from the shifter carriage to the folding frame is dispensed with.

Preferably the flat support is suitably constituted for receiving the batch of cardboard elements, the gripper devices can be moved up and down, the shifter device suitably constituted for receiving the horizontally positioned cardboard element, and the folding plunger can move up and down. In the case of this embodiment, the cardboard elements are treated in their horizontal position.

The shifter device may comprise two slide rail elements, which can be moved back and forth transversely of the shifter device and also, as shifter part, a gripper which is movable, between the slider rail elements, to the area of the folding plunger, the folding frame being stationarily arranged. This is a particularly simple shifter device, particularly for treating the cardboard elements in their horizontal position.

The finished trays may be taken from the frame holding them and then stacked on a pallet, each upwardly-open tray being loaded with bottles and a further tray being placed on this layer of bottles.

It is very frequently required to initially place a tray, turned through 1 800, on a layer of bottles, this tray will then be downwardly open. This has hitherto been carried out by hand, and this is an expensive and complicated matter.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus with grips trays, after the latter have been made, and alternatively delivers these trays with upwardly-directed opening and downwardly-directed opening.

According to a further aspect of the invention under a frame which receives the completed tray grippers are upwardly movable to the heightwise level of the frame and then downwardly movable, the grippers being positioned on a shifter part which is horizontally reciprocatable on a slide rail; and parts, present on the shifter part, and serving to hold a tray are arranged for pivotal movement, through 1 800, downwards and then upwards.

The grippers take each finished tray from the frame. The tray is then either held, with upwardly directed opening, on the shifter part, or is initially turned through 1 800. The tray is then horizontally moved, by means of the shifter part, to the point at which the trays are stacked with other objects.

Preferably, the finished trays, whose parts are fastened together, are removed from the folding frame by means of grippers which engage in the tray in the manner of needles; the tray is downwardly moved, and set down on a support, where the grippers release the tray. Gripping devices provided on the support secure the tray on the latter. The support is mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis which passes along a centre line of the tray. The support is mounted on a carriage which can travel, on rails and by means of a piston/cylinder unit, to a stacking station.At this stacking station the support can either be laterally removed from under the tray or turned through 1 800. The stack already in position is, in each case, raised to the smallest possible distance under the tray, so that the latter only has to fall through a small distance when it is released by the support or by the gripping devices.

The parts for holding the tray may be constituted by the upwardly and downwardly movable grippers. This embodiment is a particularly simple one, as the tray is held, when taken out of the frame, when being horizontally moved, and when being turned through 1800, by one and the same devices, viz. the giippers.

Preferably, the grippers can move horizontally 'back and forth relative to the shifter part, are constituted as suction grippers, and, in one position, engage in a recess of the frame. In the case of this embodiment, the tray is reliably moved downwardly from the frame without wedging or damaging ocurring.

Further, the shifter part may comprise a rotary piston/cylinder unit. This is a simple means for pivoting the grippers back and forth through 1 800 and mounting them, in pivotable manner, on the shifter part.

The slide rail of the shifter part may be mounted for up and down movement. By virtue of this provision the tray, after it has travelled to the stacking station, can be accommodated, in heightwise position, to the stack, whose height is variable, so that the distance through which the tray, released at the stacking station, has to fall is only small.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which, Figure 1 is a plan view of an apparatus for making trays; Figure 2 is a cross section taken along line II II of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side elevation of the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a rear view of the apparatus shown in Figures 1 to 3; Figure 5 is a cross elevation of a further apparatus for making trays; Figure 6 is a cross section taken along line VI--VI of Figure 5; Figure 7 is a side elevation of an apparatus for conveying, turning and stacking completed trays; Figure 8 is a cross section taken along line VIlI-VIlI of Figure 7; and Figure 9 is a cross section along line IX-IX of Figure 7.

The apparatus shown in Figures 1 to 4 has a horizontal baseplate 1 on which a stacking device 2 and a folding device 3 are arranged side by side.

A batch 4 of juxtaposed cardboard elements are arranged in the stacking device 2 and are edged or milled along a line corresponding to the intended fold. The batch of cardboard elements 4 is upright, the elements 4 forming an angle smaller than 300 with the vertical. A small angle relative to the vertical enables the cardboard elements to be stood on end without the necessity of special means for this.

At its lower end the stacking apparatus 2 has a smooth support 5, on which the batch of elements or trays resets. Four separators 6 are arranged at the rear of the batch of trays. Each separator 6 carries two arms 8, 9 which are rotatable about a fulcrum or pivot 7. The arms 8, 9 include an angle of 900 with one another.

Positioned behind the batch 4 are four suction grippers 10 which can be moved, by means of a piston and cylinder unit 11, up to and away from the batch 4.

The folding apparatus 3 has a shifter unit 18, which is in the form of a shifter carriage which carries a folding frame 1 2 and is reciprocatable in the direction indicated by atrow 14 so as to travel to a position behind the batch 4. There is further provided a folding punch 15, which can be pushed, by means of a piston and cylinder unit (not shown) through the folding frame 12 and which can also be withdrawn from this position. A holding frame 13 is stationarily arranged parallel with the folding punch 1 5. An upper nozzle 1 6 and a lower nozzle 17, both intended for hot glue, are located approximately between the batch 4 and the folding punch 1 5.

All the parts of the apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 4 are obliquely positioned, so that they correspond to the obliquely positioned, so that they correspond to the oblique positioning of the batch 4. The batch 4 is initially held by the arms 8 of the four separators 6. The four suction grippers 10 then grip the rearmost cardboard element in the batch at its rear. The separators then turn, so that the arms 8 release the rearmost cardboard element, and the arms 9 are inserted between the rearmost cardboard element and the remainder of the elements of the batch 4, and thus support this rearmost cardboard element. The suction grippers 10 then bring the separated cardboard element to the shifter carriage which has travelled to a position in which it lies parallel to the batch of cardboard elements.The suction grippers release the cardboard element, and the shifter carriage moves the cardboard element to a point in front of the folding punch 1 5. At this time the cardboard element abuts the folding frame 12. During this journey the nozzle 16, 17 squirt hot glue onto the points of the cardboard element which are to be glued after folding. The folding punch 1 5 then presses the cardboard element through the folding frame 12, so that the walls of the tray to be formed stand out and are glued. Thus, a tray is formed downstream of the folding frame 1 2. The folding punch 1 5 presses the tray further out of the folding frame 12 into the holding frame 13, where the glue of the tray can set for one working cycle, until this tray is thrust by the next tray out of the holding frame 13.

The apparatus illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 comprises a frame 21 with vertical columns 22, which contain a stacking device 2 and a folding device 3. A batch of superposed cardboard elements 4 lies in the stacking device 2, and the elements are formed with a preliminary edging, whose outline corresponds to the line of the required fold. The cardboard elements or batch 4 lie horizontally on a pallet 23, which carries, at its side, a striker plate 24 for aligning the cardboard elements. Above the batch 4 are four suction grippers 10 which lie on a carrier frame 25, which can be moved to and away from the batch 4 by means of piston and cylinder units 11.

The folding apparatus 3 has a shifter assembly 18, which comprises two slide rail elements 26, which are reciprocatable, by means of devices 27 whose details are not illustrated, in the direction of an arrow 28. There is further provided a downwardly-extending gripper lug 29, which is reciprocatable, by means of a piston and cylinder assembly 30, in the direction of arrow 1 4. There is further provided a stationarily mounted folding frame 12, and a folding plunger 15 which can be slid back and fourth by means of a piston/cylinder assembly 31, through the folding frame 12. Two nozzles 16, 1 7 for hot glue lie side by side approximately between the batch 4 of cardboard elements and the folding frame 12.

All parts of the apparatus shown in Figures 5 and 6 are constituted and arranged in a manner corresponding to the horizontal positioning of the batch 4. The four suction grippers 10 seize the uppermost cardboard element in the batch 4 at its front portion. The suction grippers 10 then lift the cardboard element, the slider rail element 26 being retracted to the side. When the cardboard element has been thus raised, the slider rail elements 26 are pulled back towards each other.

The suction grippers 10 then release the cardboard element, and the gripper lug 29 exerts pressure against an edge (the right-hand edge, as viewed in Figure 5) of the cardboard element, which rests on the slide rail elements 26. The gripper lug 29 pushes the card-board element along the slide rail element 26 and, from the latter, onto the folding frame 12. During this journey the nozzles 1 6, 1 7 squirt hot glue onto the points of the cardboard element which are to be glued after folding. The tray is then formed, as previously described with reference to Figures 1 to 5.

As illustrated in Figures 7 to 9, there adjoins the apparatus illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 an apparatus which comprises four grippers 32, which are arranged in a common horizontal plane and are constituted as suction grippers, this further apparatus being positioned under a folding plunger 15, which is carried by a piston/cylinder unit 31, and also under a folding frame 12 and under a holding frame 1 3. The suction grippers 32, which are disposed in a rectangular arrangement, are interconnected, in pairs, by way of a rod 33, each of the two rods 33 being reciprocatable horizontally by means of a piston/cylinder unit 34. In this way the two pairs of grippers can be moved towards each other and away from each other.When the grippers 32 engage the tray. more specifically the edge strip, which has been folded away, of the tray, these grippers 32 each engage in a respective recess 35 of the holding frame 13, this recess being downwardly open.

The grippers 32 can be moved up and down by virtue of the fact that each of the rods 33 is fixed to the upper end of a piston rod on a piston/cylinder unit 36, acting in the vertical direction. The upper end of the cylinder of this piston/cylinder unit 36 is mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis 37, more specifically at the rotary part of a rotary piston/cylinder unit 38. This unit or assembly 38 is integral with the shifter part 39, which is constituted as a carriage. When the grippers 32 have pulled the tray downwardly out of the holding frame 13, these grippers 32 can remain in this heightwise position.However, the two rotary piston/cylinder units 38 can be set in operation for turning the two piston/cylinder units 36 through 1 800 in anticlockwise direction, as a result of which the grippers 32 and, hence, the tray will be downwardly pivoted through 1800.

Each of the two shifter parts 39 lies on an elongate, raii-like shifter track 40; the two shifter tracks 40 extend, mutually paralleiy, towards a stacking station 41. A endless conveyor chain 42, guided over guide rollors, extends along this shifter track 40, one section of this chain 42 being connected to the shifter part 39 or to the rotary piston/cylinder units 38. The conveyor chain is drivable by means of a reversible motor (not shown); according to the particular driving direction selected this conveyor chain either pulls the associated shifter part 38 from under the frame 38 towards the stacking station 41 or back away from the latter in the direction of the frame 13.

In the vicinity of the stacking station 41 the grippers 32 release the tray, the grippers having been initially brought to a height which corresponds to the required stacking height. For this purpose the shifter tracks 40 are mounted so that they can be raised or lowered on columns of a frame 43, the ends of these tracks 40 being fixed to endless conveyor chains 44 guided round guide rollers. These conveyor chains 44 are synchronously driven by means of a reversible motor (not shown); according to the selected driving direction the shifter tracks moves upwardly or downwardly.

Claims

1. An apparatus for producing trays from flat cardboard elements, comprising reciprocatably arranged gripper devices arranged to grip a cardboard element of a batch of cardboard elements, a flat support associated with the gripper devices and arranged to receive a batch of cardboard elements, and a shifter device for receiving a cardboard element the shifter device comprising a shifter part which is movable back and forth from the support to a reciprocatable folding plunger, a folding frame being associated with the plunger.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the gripper devices are stationarily mounted and the shifter device comprises a support for the cardboard element.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the shifter part is movable horizontally.

4. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, in which a holding frame is arranged after the folding frame in the direction of movement of the folding plunger.

5. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the flat support is arranged to support the batch of cardboard elements, the gripper devices are movable laterally back and forth, the shifter device is arranged to receive the cardboard element in an upright position, and the folding plunger is movable laterally back and forth.

6. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which separators with movable arms are provided adjacent the support.

7. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the folding frame is arranged on the shifter device.

8. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, 6 and 7, in which the flat support is arranged so that the batch of cardboard elements can be placed on it, the gripper devices are movable up and down, the shifter device is arranged to receive the cardboard element in the horizontal position thereof, and the folding plunger is movable up and down.

9. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the shifter device comprises two slide rail elements which are arranged to be slid back and forth transversely of the direction of sliding movement, the shifter device further comprising a gripper constituting a slider part and movable, between the slide rail elements to the region of the folding plunger, the folding frame being stationary.

10. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the gripper devices are suction grippers.

11. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which there is provided under the folding frame grippers which are movable upwards to the level of the frame and then down again, the grippers being arranged on a shifter part which is horizontally reciprocatable on a slide track, there being provided on the shifter part means for holding a tray arranged to be swivelled downwards through 1800 and then back up again.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, in which the means for holding the tray are constituted by the upwardly and downwardly movable grippers.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12, in which the grippers are horizontally reciprocatable relative to the shifter part are constituted as suction grippers arranged, when in one position, to engage in a recess of the frame.

14. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 13, in which the shifter part comprises a rotary piston/cylinder unit.

1 5. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 14, in which the slide or shifter rail of the shifter part is mounted for upward and downward movement.

1 6. An apparatus for producing trays from flat cardboard elements, subståntially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

1 7. An apparatus for producing trays from flat cardboard elements, including, under a frame for upwards to the level of the frame and then down which is horizontally reciprocatable on a slide track, there being provided on the shifter part means for holding a tray arranged to be swivelled downwards through 1 800 and then back up again.