GB2181718A - Apparatus for coiling sheet material and ejecting a formed coil - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for coiling-up residual film grating from a thermal moulding or packaging machine and ejecting the formed coil comprises a rigid support tube (2) in which is slidably arranged a piston (7) connected with a tubular piston rod (11). The piston rod is connected with a tubular shank (17), which extends around the support tube (2), of an ejector element. Rotatably mounted on the tube (2) is a chain wheel (21) with a collar (23) to which entraining rods (26) are fastened. The entraining rods project through a plate (20) which is fastened to the shank (17). Activation of motor (24) drives chain wheel (23) and rods (26) to wind-up the film grating. When the wound coil has reached desired size the web is cut, piston (17) is displaced along tube (2), hydraulically or by water drive, carrying with it plate (20) which displaces the coil, to be supported on extending shank (17). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for coiling sheet material and ejecting a formed coil The present invention relates to apparatus for coiling sheet material, for example the residual film grating from a thermal moudling machine or packaging machine, and ejecting a formed coil.

It is known from DE-OS 2248762 to use ejector equipment to draw off a roll of a residual grating coiled up on a mandrel. After withdrawal, the roll rests on a rod. It is advantageous in this device that the withdrawal musttake place manually, which in the case of larger rolls may exceed the physical capabilities of female operators of such devices. The withdrawal is made more difficult by thefact that the coiling takes place on a smooth mandrel and there sidual grating tends to shrink on.

In DE-OS 33 17446 there is shown a device in which the roll coiled up on winding pins 5 can be drawn off by way of a butting ring, but then falls off the pins.

The drawing-offis simpler in terms of force and takes place in the illustrated manner by way of a mechanically moved pivotarm. Duetoguidanceofthebutting ring by means of a rod in a drive shaft, the device has components which project to a substantial extent.

This extent is longer than the displacement travel of the butting ring and the components project far beyond the casing at the rear side ofthe device.

Although displacementofthe butting ring byway of a threaded spindle or a piston-cylinder unit is indicated in principle, this construction ofthe device would be even longer, especially when the drive for coiling-up ofthe roll istotakeplacebymotor,which is invariably necessary in a thermal moulding or packaging machine.

There is thus a need for apparatus with driven coiling rods and with coil ejection equipmentwhich may,forexample, be driven pneumatically,hydraulically or by motor, and in which the projecting components can, in terms of length be shorter than the displacement travel forthe coil ejection. After ejec- tion, the coil should preferably be supported, thus not drop down.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatusforcoiling sheet material and ejecting a formed coil, the apparatus comprising a tubular support member, rotary drive transmission means rotatably mounted on the support member, at least one entraining rod arranged externally of and substantially parallel to the support member and connected to the drive transmission means to be rotat able about the memberfor coil i ng up said sheet material, a coil ejector element comprising a hollow shank extending around and rotatably and axially slidably mounted on the support member and an ejector plate connected to the shank and provided with a respective aperture receiving the or each entraining rod, a piston slidable in the support member, and a piston rod connected at one end to the piston and at the other end to the shank and movable bythe piston to so displace the ejector element axially ofthe supportmemberandoftheentraining rod or rods as to cause the plate to push a formed coil ofthe sheet material off the entraining rod or rods and onto the shank.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be particularly described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa schematic elevation of a thermal moulding machinewith apparatus embodying the invention,the apparatus serving for coiling-up re- sidual film grating from the machine; Figure2 is a cross-section of first apparatus embodying the invention, during operation oftheapparatusforcoiling such grating; Figure 3 is a cross-section, to an enlarged scale, of second apparatus embodying the invention; and Figure4is a viewsimilarto Figure 2, during operation ofthe apparatus for ejection of a formed coil.

Referring now to the drawings there is shown coil forming and ejecting apparatus which is arranged in its own frame 1 orin theframe ofan upstream machine. Afixedly located supporttube 2 sits in self- supporting mannerintheframe 1 and istightly closed off by a plug closure 3 at an end designated as a drive end. A ventilation tube 4 is fastened in the centre ofthe closure 3. The bore of the tube 4 communicates with an air connection 5 in the closure 3. In addition, an air connection 6 is provided eccentrically in the closure 3. Slidably arranged in the bore ofthe supporttube 2 is a piston 7, which has a central bore 8forthe passage ofthe tube 4.Seals 9 and 10 seal the piston relative to the wall of the bore of the tube 2 at both ends of the piston, so that the piston divides the bore into two chambers. Fastened centrally in the piston 7 is a tubular piston rod 11, the internal bore of which is somewhat largerthan the external diameter ofthe tube 4. Arranged at the free end portion ofthe rod and between the rod and the tube 2 is a guide bush 12, the length of which is such that it serves as an abutmentforthe piston 7 (cf Figure 4) but provides good stability of the piston rod 11 in an extended state thereof. The piston rod 11 at its free end has a projection 13 for a ball bearing 14 and the bore ofthe tubular piston rod is closed off by a plug 15.At its outer ci rcumference, the ball bearing 14 sits in a ring 16, which is connected with a tubularshank 17 of an ejector element. The shank 17 surroundsthetube 2 at a spacing therefrom and a guide bush 18 is provided between the shank 17 and the tube 2 atthe drive end ofthe latter. Fastened to the shank 17 in the region of the bush 18 are straps 19 and to these in turn a metal plate 20, the external diameter of which is matched to a given maximum diameter of residual film grating or cutting waste to be coiled up. A chain wheel 21, with a collar 23, is rotatably mounted by bearings 22 on thetube2 adjacentto the shank 17. The chain wheel is rotatably driven byway of a drive chain 25 and a motor24. One or more entraining rods 26 is or are fastened to the collar23, a plurality of such rods being present in the illustrated embodiment. The rods project through the straps 19 and the metal plate 20, which are provided with corresponding bores.

In use, a residual film grating 27 (Figure 1) advanced by an upstream machine is deflected app ropriately and guided over a compensating roller28.

This, in accordance with its position, switches the motor on or off. When the motor 24 is switched on, it sets the chain wheel 21 into rotation by way ofthe drive chain 25, whereby the ejector element is rotated by way ofthe entraining rods 26. Thereby,the residual film grating is coiled up on the entraining rods 26 oron the shank 17. The piston rod 11 and parts connected therewith standstill.

When a certain coil diameter has been reached, the operator severs the grating 27 by hand or by way of a transverse cutting blade (not shown). When this has taken place, the operator applies compressed airto the air connection 6 by switching over a pneumatic valve (not shown) so that the piston 7 is displaced in a direction of movement of the piston rod 11 outofthe tube 2. The piston rod 11 entrains, by way ofthe ball bearing 14, the shank 17 inclusive ofthe metal plate 20 connected therewith. Thereby, the coiled-up roll 29 is pushed offthe entraining rods 26 and in the ejected state lies on the shank 17 so that it can be easily removed bythe operatorwithout risk of soiling.

After the coil ejection, the operatorswitches over the compressed air supply so that compressed air is now supplied through the air connection 5 and the air connection 6 is ventilated. The compressed airflows through the tube 4 and then between this and the internal diameter ofthe piston rod 11 as far as a trans- verse bore 30 and from there into the space between the external diameter of the rod 11 and the internal diameter ofthe tube 2. The piston 7 is thus acted on in the other direction and the ejector element travels back into the initial position. The operator then loops the start ofthe next residual film grating 27 around the entraining rods 26 and gives the start command for the motor 24.

Figure 3 shows an embodiment in which displacement ofthe piston in the tube 2 is effected by motor drive. In this case, a motor 31 is flange onto the end ofthe tube 2 and is connected with a rotatablethreaded spindle 32 which it drives. Threadedly engaged with the spindle 32 is a piston 33, which is connected with the tubular piston rod 11. The remaining construction is as for the pneumatic drive of Figure 2. To prevent rotation ofthe piston 33 and piston rod 11, pins 34 can be provided in the piston rod 11 and corresponding slots in the guide bush 12, other methods of preventing such rotation being equally possible.

Claims (8)

1. Apparatus for coiling sheet material and ejecting a formed coil, the apparatus comprising a tubular support member, rotary drive transmission means rotatably mounted on the support member, at least one entraining rod arranged externally of and substantially parallel to the support member and connected to the drive transmission means to be rotatable aboutthe member for coiling up said sheet material,a coil ejectorelementcomprising a hollow shank extending around and rotatablyand axially slidably mounted on the support memberand an ejector plate connected to the shank and provided with a respective aperture receiving the or each entraining rod, a piston slidable in the support member, and a piston rod connected at one end to the piston and at the other end to the shank and movabie bythe piston to so displace the ejector element axialy ofthe support member and of the entraining rod or rods as to cause the plate to push a formed coil ofthe sheet material offthe entraining rod or rods and onto the shank.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 ,the drive transmission means comprising a chain wheel providedwith a collar and the or each entraining rod being fixed to the collar.

3. Apparatus as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the piston rod is hollow and is provided in its wall with a connecting passage connecting the interior of the rod with a space between the rod and the support member, and the interior of the support member is closed off from the ambient atmosphere and divided bythe piston into two pressurecham- bers, the support member being provided with first feed means for the feed of pressure fluid to one ofthe chambers to act on one side ofthe piston and with second feed means for the feed of pressure fluid to the interiorofthe piston rod and thence by way ofthe connecting passageto the otherchamberto acton the other side ofthe piston.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, the second feed means comprising a tube extending from an end closure ofthe support memberthrough the piston and intothe interiorofthe hollow rod.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, the second feed means further comprising a first bore extending in the end closure and communicating with the interior of the tube and the second feed means comprising a second bore extending in the end closure and communicating directly with the interiorofthe support member.

6. Apparatus as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, comprising a motor arranged at one end ofthe support member and a spindle threadedly engaged in the piston and rotatable by the motor to displace the piston in the support rod.

7. Apparatus substantially as herein before des- cribed with reference to Figures 1,2 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

8. Apparatus substantially as h erei nbefore des- cribed with reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.