GB2144368A - Adjusting case making machine - Google Patents

Abstract

In a case making machine provided with a blank supplying section (5a) and a plurality of units (4) for folding and gluing blanks (B) including conveyor belts associated with transversely adjustable frames (7), the positions of the frames and hence said belts are controlled by a controlling unit including main and sub-controllers. The sub-controllers are associated with respective folding units. Upon inputting into the controlling unit data representing the distance between an adjustable blank positioning rule (2) and the centre of the blank supplying section (5a), and the widths of the side and end panels of the blank to be processed, adjustment of said frames (7) is effected automatically. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Frame control device for case making machine This invention relates to case making machines in which a number of case blanks are folded and glued into cases, and more particularly to a device for controlling the positions of frame members which are provided in the case making machine, in combination with belts.

Ordinarily a case making machine utilizes up to ten or more frames, for folding and gluing blanks into cases, among which two or three frames are used in a unit, and four or five units are used for executing a series of blank folding and gluing operations.

Heretofore, the frames are laterally shifted in the machine under the control of a control device encased in a console, in which the sizes of the blanks are set by digital switches or keyboard switches. The length of the case making machine is ordinarily in a range of 5 to 24 m, adapted to be controlled by a single control device.

It is assumed that the controller is provided on the blank supplying end of the machine, and the positions of the frames in the last unit spaced apart from the blank supplying end by 20 m are desired to be set.

Firstly the data for the blanks is input, by the digital switches or keyboard switches, into the control device, in accordance with the number of frames in the last unit, and then the operator of the machine goes to the last unit to confirm the present positions of the frames and the measurements of the blanks newly set for the subsequent production lot. The operator then performs a safety check for preventing harmful results tending to be caused by the movement of the frames into new positions, among the frames and various attachments (such as gluing device, blank depressing members and the like attached to the machine). After the safety check, the operator returns to the control device and pushes the start switch to start shifting the frames.

When all the frames are shifted to the newly set positions, a suitable number of blanks are supplied for trial to see the correctness of the frame positions. When some irregularity or deformation is found in the completed cases, the measurement setting operation is resumed for further adjusting the frame positions.

The above described procedure however, requires much time and labor for resetting the frame positions for each new lot, and hence is not suitable for the production of small quantities of various kinds of cases.

An object of this invention is to provide a frame control device for a case making machine wherein the above described difficulties can be substantially eliminated.

Another object of this invention is to provide a frame control device for a case making machine wherein fine adjustment of frame positions can be performed in each unit, and the time required for resetting frames for a new job can be substantially reduced.

According to this invention, there is provided a frame control device for a case making machine of the type comprising a blank supplying portion including a ruler and a blank pressing member, which are movable in said portion perpendicular to a blank feeding direction of the machine, a plurality of blank folding units arranged along the blank feeding direction, each unit including one or more frame members, each frame member having at least one conveyor belt and being movable laterally to a position where said conveyor belt aligns with a folding line of a blank, and a control device for controlling the positions of the frames, wherein said control device comprises a main controller having a plurality of keys for inputting data related to said blank and an automatic start switch for starting the operation of the units simultaneously, and one subcontroller provided for each of said units operable to shift said frame members in said unit, and said main and subcontrollers are connected together so that when values corresponding to the distance between said ruler and the centre of said blank supplying portion, and the widths and of the portions of said blank corresponding to two different side walls of the case to be produced therefrom are input in said controllers, all of said frame members are set to positions adapted to produce the case.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a case making machine which is controlled according to this invention; Figure2 is an elevational view of the case making machine shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 (a) is a diagram showing positional relations between blanks and blank-shifting belts; Figure 3 (b) is a diagram showing positions of belts relative to the blank in respective units of the case making machines; Figure 4 is a front view of a main controller and Figure 5 is a front view of a subcontroller.

In Figures 1 and 2 illustrating a case making machine 1 to be controlled according to this invention, blanks B to be folded and glued into cases are supplied into a blank supplying portion 5a of the machine 1, located at the rightmost end thereof as viewed in the drawing. In the blank supplying portion 5a blank width defining ruler 2 and a blank pressing member 3 are provided, both of which extend parallel to the blank feeding direction (longitudinal direction) of the machine 1, to be movable perpendicularly (or laterally) to the blank feeding direction.

A plurality of units, four in the shown example, designated by numerals 4A, 4B, 4C and 4D, are arranged in this order along the length of the machine 1. Each of the units 4A, 4B, 4C and 4D (hereinafter generally designated by 4) and also the aforementioned blank supplying portion 5a includes a conveyor belt 5, whereas the last stage of the machine 1 delivering cases includes a conveyor belt 6.

Each of the blank folding units 4A, 4B, 4C and 4D includes a plurality of frames 7 extending along the length of the machine 1. Each frame 7 is provided with a pair of upper and lower conveyor belts 10 and 5, so that the blanks B are conveyed leftwardly as viewed in Figures 1 and 2, between the conveyor belts 5 and 10.

A pair of guide rods 8 are provided to extend laterally between two side walls of each unit 4 for guiding the lateral movements of the plurality of frames 7. Each frame 7 is further brought into engagement with respective screw-threaded shafts 9 also extending between the two side walls of the blank folding unit 4.

Upon operation of a shaft driving device 9a provided on one side of the blank folding unit 4, the frames 7 are shifted laterally, together with the conveyor belts 5 and 10, under the guide of the guide rods 8.

Figures 3(a) and 3(b) illustrate positions of the conveyor belts 10 and the status of the blanks B in the blank folding units 4A, 4B, 4C and 4D, respectively. Each blank B is so constructed that the portions 1 1A and 11 B thereof to be formed into two side walls, and portions 1 2A and 1 2B thereof to be formed into other two side walls of a case are arranged alternately and connected together along folding lines 13. Furthermore, a portion 14to which glue is to be applied is connected with the side wall portion 11 B along another folding line 13.

Portions 15 formed into a bottom wall of the case are connected along folding lines 16 to the side wall forming portions 11A, 11B, 12A and 12B.

Likewise, portions 17 to be formed into a top wall are connected along folding lines 18 to the side wall portions 11B, 12Aand 12B.

In the blank folding unit 4A, the conveyor belts 1 0A and 1 0B provided with the two frames 7, respectively, are positioned such that one side edge of the belt 10A is aligned with the folding line 13 to which glue is to be applied, while one side edge of the belt 10B is aligned with the folding line 13 between the side wall portions 11A and 1 2B as shown in Figure 3(b).

In the blankfolding unit 4B, one side edge of each of the conveyor belts 10C, 10D and 10E is aligned with a folding line 13 between the side wall portion 11B and the portion 14, another folding line 13 between two side wall portions 11 B and 12B, and with still another folding line 13 between two side wall portions 11A and 12A, respectively. Furthermore, by means of a blank folding device, not shown, the portions 15 forming the bottom wall are folded along the folding line 16 over the side wall portions 1 1A and 11 B.

In the blank folding unit 4C, one side edge of each of the belts 10F, 10G and 10H is brought into alignment with the folding lines 13 between the side wall portions 11B and 12Bm between the side wall portions 11 A and 12B, and between the side wall portions 1 1A and 12A, respectively, while the other bottom wall forming portions 15 are folded back along the folding line 16, and the portion 14 is brought into a position opposite to a glue storing vessel 19 and glue is applied to it.Before the blank B is sent into unit 4D, the side wall portions 11 B and 12A are folded over the corresponding portions, and in the unit 4D, one side edge of each of the belts 101 and 1 0J is brought into alignment with the folding lines 13 between the side wall portions 11 B and 12B and between the side wall portions 1 1A and 12A respectively, so that the side wall portion 12A is bonded with the glued portion 14, thus completing the case making operation for a blank B.

In order to control the positions of the conveyor belts 10Athrough 10J and the glue storing vessel 19, a main controller 20 as shown in Figure 4 is placed on one side of the blank supplying portion 5 a located at the upstream end of the case folding and glueing machine 1. In addition, subcontrollers 21 as shown in Figure 5, which are electrically connected with the main controller 20, are provided on one side of each of the blank folding units 4, respectively. The subcontroller shown in Figure 5 is for controlling the blank folding unit 4C having frames and glue storing vessel 19.

In the main controller 20, there are provided various keys, such as pattern keys 22a for setting particular patterns of the blanks, ten keys 22b, F, x andy setting keys 22C and the like, a memory device (not shown) for memorizing shape and size of newly set blanks, a switch 23 for simultaneously starting operation of various parts of the machine 1, and an indicator 24 for indicating the operating status of the same.

On the other hand, the subcontroller 21 includes a pulse generator, rotary encoder or a magnet-scale for use in reading out signals and comparing set values, memory devices for memorizing the shape and size of the blanks B, and a discriminating device for automatic calibration of a zero point and calculating shifts in opposite directions with respect to the zero point, all not shown in the drawing, which are controlled by a microcomputer also not shown.

On the surface of the subcontroller 21, there are provided indicating portions 25 for the frames 7 and the glue storing vessel 19. Each indicating portion 25 includes a digital indicator 24, a digital switch 26, manual operation switch 27, and an automatic-manual change-over switch 28. Furthermore, on one side of each of the indicating portions 25, there are provided collision alarm lamps 29, a collision time automatic stop snap switch 30, a full-stop switch 31, a unit stop switch 32, and a power source indicating lamp 33.

In a microcomputer (not shown) provided in the main controller 20, the following equations related to the positions of the conveyor belts 10 and the glue storing vessel 19 relative to the centre line of the blank suppling portion are stored.

10A: F - (2x+2y) + A12 10B: F - (x + y) - B/2 10C: F - (2x+2y) - C/2 10D: F - (2x+y) + C/2 10E: F - x+ C/2 19: F - (2x+2y) - 3 10F: F - (2x+y) + G/2 10G : F - (x + y) + D/2 10H :F + G/2 101: F - (2x+y) + H/2 10J : F - x- H/2 wherein A : width of belt 1 or, B : width of belt 10B, C : width of belts 1 0C, 1 0D and 10E, G : width of belts 1 OF and 1 or, D : width of belt 10G, H : width of belts 101 and 10J, x : width of side wall portion 12 of the blank B, y : width of side wall portion 11 of the blank B, F: position of blank defining ruler 2.

Among the above described values the widths A, B, C, D and H are constant regardless of the measurements of the blanks B, and hence these values are beforehand memorized in the microcomputer utilizing ten keys 22b of the main controller 20. Accordingly, when new blanks B are desired to be processed by the case making machine 1, the values of the widths x andy of the portions 1 1A and 12A of the new blanks B corresponding to the two side walls of the products, and value F representing the position of the ruler 2 measured from a reference point, specifically the centre, of the blank supplying portion 5 a are input into the microcomputer utilizing the ten keys 22b of the main controller 20.The microcomputer thus calculates the above equations to find out the positions of the glue storing vessel 19 and the conveyor belts 5 and 10, that is the positions of the frames 7, and shifts these members to the calculated positions. The halved terms (n/2) in the aforementioned equations (where n = width of a belt to be operated) are provided for controlling the positions of the belts 5 and 10 so that the side edges, instead of the centre lines, of the belts are aligned with the folding lines 13 of the blanks B.

In order to control the positions of the frames 7, three different control methods may be considered. In one of the methods, termed a central control method, the data x, y and F are set on the main controller 20, while in another method, a memory address number is set on the main controller 20 for designating the size and shape of the blank B beforehand memorized in the memory, and in another method, termed a separate control method, the aforementioned data are set on the subcontrollers 21 provided respectively for the blank folding units by manipulating the digital switches 26 on the subcontrollers 21.

As a modification of the memorizing method, only the values themselves of the data to set in the central and separate control methods may be memorized in the microcomputer.

The operation and effect of the above described embodiment of this invention will now be described.

In case where the positions of the frames 7 are set separately on the subcontrollers 21 by use of the digital switches 26, the operator goes to the blank folding unit 4, in which the setting of the blank data is required, and sets the positions of the frames 7 after confirming the safety of the frames 7 and attachments nearby the frames 7. Fine adjustment in this case of the frames 7 is carried out manually by manipulating the manual control switch 27 while observing the indicator 24 on the subcontroller 21.

On the other hand, when the size and shape of the blanks B to be newly processes are similar to those of the blanks so far processed, and therefore no dangerous troubles are expected, the central control method or the memorizing method can be utilized, and by inputting the two values x andy for the blanks and the distance F corresponding to the position of the ruler 2 through the keys 22, all the frames 7 in the machine 1 can be operated simultaneously upon depression of the start switch 23 on the main controller 20.

In the case of utilizing the central control or memorizing method where some trouble is expected between the frames 7 or between the frames 7 and the attachments, the data set on the main controller 20 is sent to the subcontrollers 21 located on the side of the blank folding units 4 before the movements of the frames 7 are started. Thus the operator of the machine goes to the unit 4 for checking the present positions of the frames 7 against the newly set values indicated on the indicator 24. After troubles have been removed manually, the operator returns to the position of the main controller 20 and operates the start switch 23 for simultaneously starting operation of all the frames. After the frames 7 have moved to the newly set positions, a suitable number of blanks B are supplied for trial of the machine operation.When some deviation is found on the products, the subcontroller 21 is further operated to execute fine adjustment for the positions of the frames 7.

An advantage off the device is that since the frames can be reset by simply inputting three items of data x, y and F or memory address of the blank B to the main controller 20, there is no necessity to input data related to each of the units successively.

Furthermore, the fine adjustment can be carried out for every unit 4 through subcontrollers 21, there is no necessity for the operator to go around several times between the main controller 20 and the respective units 4, thus economizing on the time required for adjusting the frame positions. Since the subcontrollers 21 are provided respectively for the blank folding units 4, any one of the units having trouble can be repaired without adversely affecting the entire operation of the case making machine 1. With the use of the subcontrollers, the control of the frames 7 can be carried out while confirming the status of the entire machine 1, and hence the occurrence of any trouble tending to cause damages of the entire machine can be prevented.

As described before in detail, the control device of frames in the case forming and gluing machine of this invention comprises a main controller having ten keys for inputting data related to the blanks, as well as a start switch for starting all the frames simultaneously, and a subcontroller provided for each unit for shifting frames in the unit separately. By supplying input data related to the widths x andy of two side walls of the case and the position F of the ruler in the blank supplying of the machine to the main or subcontroller, the positions of the entire frames can be controlled as described. With this arrangement, the resetting of the frame positions at the time of blank change can be simplified, the time required for the resetting can be reduced substantially (to approximately 1/20), and the productivity of the machine can be substantially improved.

Claims (7)

1. A frame control device for a case making machine of the type comprising a blank supplying portion including a ruler and a blank pressing member, which are movable in said portion perpendicular to a blank feeding direction of the machine, a plurality of blank folding units arranged along the blank feeding direction, each unit including one or more frame members, each frame member having at least one conveyor belt and being movable laterally to a position where said conveyor belt aligns with a folding line of a blank, and a control device for controlling the positions of the frames, wherein said control device comprises a main controller having a plurality of keys for inputting data related to said blank and an automatic start switch for starting the operating of the units simultaneously, and one subcontroller provided for each of said units operable to shift said frame members in said unit, and said main and subcontrollers are connected together so that when values corresponding to the distance between said ruler and the centre of said blank supplying portion, and the widths and of the portions of said blank corresponding to two different side walls of the case to be produced therefrom are input in said controllers, all of said frame members are set to positions adapted to produce the case.

2. A frame control device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said main controller further comprises pattern keys for setting patterns of blanks, setting keys for setting the values, and an indicator for indicating the operating status of the main controller.

3. A frame control device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said main controller further includes a memory device for memorizing input data related to a blank, and a microcomputer for calculating the required positions of the frames from said memorised input data.

4. A frame control device claimed in any preceding claim wherein at least one of said units further comprises a glue storing vessel for applying glue to a selected portion of said blank.

5. A frame control device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein each subcontroller provided for a particular unit comprises an indicating portion for indicating set positions of the frames in said unit and, if appropriate, said glue storing vessel.

6. A frame control device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein each said subcontroller comprises digital switches for inputting data related to a blank for determining the positions of said frames and, where appropriate, said glue storing vessel in said unit.

7. A frame control device for a case making machine substantially as herein described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.