GB2089758A

GB2089758A - Transferring items, e.g. paper tubes.

Info

Publication number: GB2089758A
Application number: GB8138406A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Icoma Packtechnik GmbH
Current assignee: Icoma Packtechnik GmbH
Priority date: 1980-12-20
Filing date: 1981-12-21
Publication date: 1982-06-30
Also published as: DE8034071U1; FR2496617B3; IT8125304A0; ES8300624A1; IT1140301B; FR2496617A1; ES507872A0

Abstract

Apparatus for transferring stacks of paper tubes to a receiving station in the form e.g. of a rotary feeder with suction drums, during the manufacture of paper bags comprises at least one endless belt conveyor having two belt zones, a front zone 1a and a rear zone 1b, which are relatively movable to extend or retract the conveyor. The two belt zones are enclosed by at least one common belt and a belt loop is provided between the two belt zones. Upper and lower conveyors are preferably provided to grip the stacks. This apparatus enables reliable positioning of the new stack of tubes at the receiving station since during retraction of the front belt zone, the belt conveyer continues to move. Hence the tendency to pull paper tubes in the stack out of alignment is avoided. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Loading apparatus This invention relates to loading apparatus particularly loading apparatus in which items are fed onto a transfer apparatus for delivering the items to a receiving station.

Such apparatus is used in the manufacture of paper bags and the like, for delivering stacks of flat paper tubes onto a rotary feeding drum which acts to separate and feed on to the next stage in manufacture, individual paper tubes, these being removed in turn, from the bottom of the stack, by suction.

In conventional apparatus, stacks of flat paper tubes are fed by means of a conveyor onto a rack which can be lowered so that it extends downwardly and subsequently retracted. Retaining means disposed behind the stack prevent movement thereof as the rack is withdrawn so that the stack is deposited at the receiving station to replenish the supply on the rotary feeding drum. This conventional arrangement has the disadvantage, particularly when used with stacks of soft materials, that the stacks transferred to the receiving station are not consistently aligned with the front edge of the depleted stack beneath.In order to overcome this problem, it has been proposed to provide retaining or clamping elements at the front of the stack so as to hold the stack firmly in the desired position but such a construction is expensive and, furthermore, takes up space where there is least space available.

One object of this invention is to enable loading of items such as stacks of paper tubes, to replenish a depleting supply such that accurate positioning is possible without the need for complex and expensive clamping or retaining means at the front of the feeder.

According to the present invention, we propose loading apparatus in which items are fed onto a transfer apparatus for delivering the said items to a receiving station, the transfer apparatus comprising an endless belt conveyor having a front and a rear belt zone wherein the front and rear zones are movable relative to each other in the conveying direction between an extended and a retracted position of the conveyor. With such apparatus the belt conveyor can be retracted whilst still feeding items foward to the receiving station preferably into contact with an abutment or stop, so that there is no tendency to pull the items out of alignment with other items underneath, i.e. previously deposited at the receiving station.

Other features of the present invention are set forth in the appendent claims and also in the following description by way of example, of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 18 is a diagrammatic side view of the apparatus; Figure ib is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1a; Figure 2a shows in side elevation the apparatus of Figure 1 in a partially extended and lowered position; Figure 26 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 2a; Figure 3a is a side view of the apparatus of Figure 1 in its fully extended position, and Figure 3b is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 3a.

The apparatus shown in the drawings includes a loading station having a rotary feeder 2 with suction drums. This feeder 2 and associated suction drums may be of any suitable conventional construction and for this reason are shown schematically and are not described in detail. Above the rotary feeder 2 is a vertically adjustable abutment 7.

A feeder belt 9 carries stacks 10 of flat paper tubes for making into paper bags to a conveyor belt 1 (stack 11 is located thereon) above which is an upper belt 5, bearing upon the stack 11. These stacks 11 are transferred by the conveyor belts 1 and 5 onto the rotary feeder 2 to replenish a supply 8 of paper tubes thereon.

The conveyor belt 1, with its frame 13, is pivotable about the axis 12, by a lifting cylinder 14.

As shown in Figures 2a and 2b the conveyor belt 1 and the upper belt 5, which are similar in construction, are each sub-divided into a number of parallel endless belts 3a to 3g, and comprise two mutually staggered belt zones, namely rear belt zone 1 b (5b) and a front belt zone 1 a (5a) which can be extended or retracted relative to the rear belt zone 1 b (5b) by laterally disposed cylinders 15. The endless conveyor belts pass over a belt loop 1 c (5c).

In Figure 2, the lifting cylinder 14 is shown in a lowered position with, the front belt zone 1 a partially extended, the rollers 16 and 17 on which the endless belts run, being displaced forwardly in relation to their original position.

Figures 3a and 3b show the front belt zone 1 a in its fully extended position. In this position, the stack 11 rests against the abutment 7 and on the fingers 16 of the front belt zone 1 a.

As soon as the stack has reached the position shown in Figure 3, the front belt zones 1 a and 5a can be retracted by means of the cylinder 15. The front belt zones 1 a (5a) then returns to the position shown in Figure 1. Since the conveyor belts continue to move as the front belt zones 1 a and 5a are retracted, there is no friction between the belts and the upper and lower paper tubes in the stack, tending to pull them away from the abutment 7. For this reason, a fresh stack can be positioned accurately on top of the depleted stack 8 so avoiding the disadvantage of conventional loading arrangements.

1. Loading apparatus in which items are fed onto a transfer apparatus for delivering the said items to a receiving station, the transfer apparatus comprising an endless belt conveyor having a front and a rear belt zone wherein the front and rear zones are movable relative to each other in the conveying direction between an extended and a retracted position of the conveyor.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Loading apparatus This invention relates to loading apparatus particularly loading apparatus in which items are fed onto a transfer apparatus for delivering the items to a receiving station. Such apparatus is used in the manufacture of paper bags and the like, for delivering stacks of flat paper tubes onto a rotary feeding drum which acts to separate and feed on to the next stage in manufacture, individual paper tubes, these being removed in turn, from the bottom of the stack, by suction. In conventional apparatus, stacks of flat paper tubes are fed by means of a conveyor onto a rack which can be lowered so that it extends downwardly and subsequently retracted. Retaining means disposed behind the stack prevent movement thereof as the rack is withdrawn so that the stack is deposited at the receiving station to replenish the supply on the rotary feeding drum. This conventional arrangement has the disadvantage, particularly when used with stacks of soft materials, that the stacks transferred to the receiving station are not consistently aligned with the front edge of the depleted stack beneath.In order to overcome this problem, it has been proposed to provide retaining or clamping elements at the front of the stack so as to hold the stack firmly in the desired position but such a construction is expensive and, furthermore, takes up space where there is least space available. One object of this invention is to enable loading of items such as stacks of paper tubes, to replenish a depleting supply such that accurate positioning is possible without the need for complex and expensive clamping or retaining means at the front of the feeder. According to the present invention, we propose loading apparatus in which items are fed onto a transfer apparatus for delivering the said items to a receiving station, the transfer apparatus comprising an endless belt conveyor having a front and a rear belt zone wherein the front and rear zones are movable relative to each other in the conveying direction between an extended and a retracted position of the conveyor. With such apparatus the belt conveyor can be retracted whilst still feeding items foward to the receiving station preferably into contact with an abutment or stop, so that there is no tendency to pull the items out of alignment with other items underneath, i.e. previously deposited at the receiving station. Other features of the present invention are set forth in the appendent claims and also in the following description by way of example, of a preferred embodiment of the invention. Reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 18 is a diagrammatic side view of the apparatus; Figure ib is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1a; Figure 2a shows in side elevation the apparatus of Figure 1 in a partially extended and lowered position; Figure 26 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 2a; Figure 3a is a side view of the apparatus of Figure 1 in its fully extended position, and Figure 3b is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 3a. The apparatus shown in the drawings includes a loading station having a rotary feeder 2 with suction drums. This feeder 2 and associated suction drums may be of any suitable conventional construction and for this reason are shown schematically and are not described in detail. Above the rotary feeder 2 is a vertically adjustable abutment 7. A feeder belt 9 carries stacks 10 of flat paper tubes for making into paper bags to a conveyor belt 1 (stack 11 is located thereon) above which is an upper belt 5, bearing upon the stack 11. These stacks 11 are transferred by the conveyor belts 1 and 5 onto the rotary feeder 2 to replenish a supply 8 of paper tubes thereon. The conveyor belt 1, with its frame 13, is pivotable about the axis 12, by a lifting cylinder 14. As shown in Figures 2a and 2b the conveyor belt 1 and the upper belt 5, which are similar in construction, are each sub-divided into a number of parallel endless belts 3a to 3g, and comprise two mutually staggered belt zones, namely rear belt zone 1 b (5b) and a front belt zone 1 a (5a) which can be extended or retracted relative to the rear belt zone 1 b (5b) by laterally disposed cylinders 15. The endless conveyor belts pass over a belt loop 1 c (5c). In Figure 2, the lifting cylinder 14 is shown in a lowered position with, the front belt zone 1 a partially extended, the rollers 16 and 17 on which the endless belts run, being displaced forwardly in relation to their original position. Figures 3a and 3b show the front belt zone 1 a in its fully extended position. In this position, the stack 11 rests against the abutment 7 and on the fingers 16 of the front belt zone 1 a. As soon as the stack has reached the position shown in Figure 3, the front belt zones 1 a and 5a can be retracted by means of the cylinder 15. The front belt zones 1 a (5a) then returns to the position shown in Figure 1. Since the conveyor belts continue to move as the front belt zones 1 a and 5a are retracted, there is no friction between the belts and the upper and lower paper tubes in the stack, tending to pull them away from the abutment 7. For this reason, a fresh stack can be positioned accurately on top of the depleted stack 8 so avoiding the disadvantage of conventional loading arrangements. CLAIMS

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the front belt zone and the rear belt zone are enclosed by at least one common belt, a belt loop being provided beteen the two belt zones.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the front belt zone is guided to be displaceable parallel with the rear belt zone.

4. Apparatus according to one or more of claims 1 to 3, wherein any comprising a positioning cylinder for displacement of the front belt zone.

5. Apparatus according to one or more of claims 1 to 4, wherein the endless belt conveyor comprises an upper and lower conveyor belt spaced apart such that the upper conveyor belt bears upon items carried by the lower conveyor belt, both the upper and the lower belts having relatively movable front and rear belt zones.

6. Loading apparatus constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference and as illustrated in the accompanying draw ings.