GB2244982A

GB2244982A - Loading reels into a buffer magazine of a packaging machine

Info

Publication number: GB2244982A
Application number: GB9111347A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Armando Neri
Original assignee: GD SpA
Current assignee: GD SpA
Priority date: 1990-05-31
Filing date: 1991-05-24
Publication date: 1991-12-18
Anticipated expiration: 2011-05-24
Also published as: DE4116535B4; GB9111347D0; IT9003529A0; JPH04239427A; IT9003529A1; GB2244982B; IT1238967B; BR9102184A; JP3059522B2; DE4116535A1

Description

1 DEVICE FOR LOADING REELS INTO A PACKAGING MACHINE The present invention

relates to a device for loading reels of tape material into a packaging machine.

In particular, the present invention relates to a device for loading reels of wraplying material into the buffer magazine of a machine which uses said tape material for wrapping or packaging.

Packaging machines are known which provide a buffer magazine suitable for supporting a plurality of reels arranged side by side. The reels to be used are removed one at a time from said buffer magazine and are fed to elements or devices which change said reels in the packaging machine.

When the reel being used is finished, the changing elements provide the machine with a subsequent reel. This allows to make the packaging machine independent for relatively long periods of time.

1 A changing device used in said machines is described in U.K. patent application no. 9026306.2 of December 4, 1990 and essentially provides a transfer element which can move between a first position, in which it receives the reel to be transferred to the packaging machine, and a second position for the normal unrolling of the reel in the machine; said transfer element comprises a rotatable arm provided with a reelholder head at one end.

In order to reduce the bulk of the unit, the reel buffer magazine is preferably arranged in a region overlying the packaging machine.

The problem therefore arises of loading into the buffer magazine the reels to be used in the packaging machine.

Automated loading systems are known for this purpose, 2 but they are rather complicated and relatively expensive.

The aim of the present invention is to solve the above problem by means of a device which allows to load, in a simplified manner, the reels into the buffer magazine of a 5 packaging machine.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device which has reduced dimensions, is safely reliable in operation and is versatile in use.

This aim and this object as well as other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, are achieved by the present device for loading reels into a packaging machine, of the type having a buffer magazine for containing a plurality of reels, characterized in that it comprises a post having an upper end locatable adjacent to a buffer magazine of a packaging machine, a lifting element having support means for carrying at least one reel to be loaded into a buffer magazine, said support means being movable longitudinally with respect to said post between a lower position for receiving a reel to be loaded and an upper position for transferring a reel into a buffer magazine; actuation means adapted for causing rotation of said support means about said post between a first angular position, wherein said support means are arranged for receiving a'reel, and a second angular position directed toward a buffer magazine.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the device for loading reels into a packaging machine, illustrated only by way of non-limitative 3 example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

figure 1 is an elevation view of a packaging machine provided with the loading device according to the invention; figure 2 is a perspective view of the loading device according to the invention; figure 3 is a perspective view of a different embodiment of the loading device; and figure 4 is a sectional view of a detail of the device of figure 3.

With reference to figure 1, the reference numeral 1 generally indicates a packaging machine which uses reels 2 of tape material. A buffer magazine 3 is arranged above the packaging machine 1 and is suitable for containing a plurality of reels 2 which are arranged mutually side by side with aligned axes.

The buffer magazine 3 is provided with conventional conveyance means 4 which are suitable for causing the advancement of the reels 2 so as to move a first one of said reels 2 into a removal position 5. The reels 2 are furthermore guided by lateral shoulders which are not illustrated.

The reels 2 are loaded into the buf f er magazine 3 by means of a loading device, generally indicated by the reference numeral 6, which is arranged at the inlet of said magazine 3.

A device 7 for changing the reels 2 is arranged at the outlet of the buffer magazine 3. The device 7 for changing the reels 2 is preferably of the type illustrated in U.K. patent application No. 9026306.2 of December 4, 1990 and has 4 an arm 8 which is provided, at one end, with a reel-holder head and can rotate between a first position, wherein it receives the reel 2 to be transferred to the packaging machine 1, and a second position for the normal unrolling of 5 the reel 2 in said packaging machine 1.

v The loading device 6 essentially provides a post 9 which is adjacent, at the upper end, to the buffer magazine 3, and on which an element 10 for lifting the reels 2 is longitudinally movable. The lifting element 10 is provided with a support 11 which is shaped so as to accommodate a single reel 2 arranged vertically.

The loading device 6 furthermore has actuation means 12 suitable for causing the rotation of the support 11 about the post 9 between a lower position 13 for removing the reel to be loaded and an upper position 14 for transferring said reel into the buffer magazine 3.

The support 11 of the lifting element 10 is fed, in the removal position 13, by means of a trolley 15 on which the reels 2 are arranged side by side. The truck 15 defines a fork-like member adapted for abutment engagement with the - post 9, so as to deposit the first reel of the row, indicated by 2a, on the support 11. More particularly, as illustrated in figure 2, the post 9 has a tubular, preferably cylindrical shape. 25 A threaded shaft 16 is rotatably mounted inside the post 9 and is coaxial thereto; said shaft is rotatable by a drive unit 17 arranged at the upper end of the post 9. A female thread element 18 is coupled to the threaded shaft 16 and is provided with a radial arm 19 which is guided through an opening 20 defined longitudinally with respect to the post 9. Said arm 19 supports, at its end, outside the post 9, the chair-shaped support 11.

Proximate to the upper end of the post 9, the opening 20 continues with a circumferential portion 21 which in practice extends through a 1800 arc;, _ said circumferential portion 21 of the guiding opening continues with a further longitudinal portion 22 which extends downward for a limited length and is diametrically opposite to the guiding opening 20.

A collar 23 is mounted on the post 9 above the circumferential portion 21 of the guiding opening and is axially slideable under the action of an actuator 24 which is rigidly associated with said post 9. Said collar 23 has, in a downward position, a pair of protrusions 25, 26 which are suitable for obstructing, in the lowered position of the collar 23, the circumferential guide 21 so as to give continuity to the longitudinal guides 20, 22.

The collar 23 defines, together with the circumferential guide 21, said actuation means 12 which are suitable for causing the rotation of the support 11 about the post 9.

The operation of the device according to the invention is now described starting from the moment in which the support 11 is in the removal position 13, at the base of the post 9. In this position, the trolley 15 which carries the reels 2 is arranged adjacent to the post 9 so that the first reel 2a is superimposed on the support 11.

The lif ting element 10 is then actuated in order to move the support 11 upward, so as to remove the reel 2a from the trolley 15. The support 11 is moved by means of the 6 rotation of the threaded shaft 16, which causes the translatory motion of the female thread element 18, which is guided vertically along the opening 20.

At the upper end of the guide 20, the arm 19, which bears the support 11 occupied by the reel 2a, rotates angularly along the circumferential portion 21 of the guide, rigidly with the screw 16. In this manner the support 11 is rotated through an angle of 1800, so as to orientate the reel toward the buffer magazine 3.

It should be noted that at that moment the support 11 is in a position which overlies the transfer position 14, and the descent of the support 11 to the transfer position 14 is achieved by reversing the direction of rotation of the threaded shaft 16. For this purpose, the collar 23 is moved axially to a lowered position by the actuator 24, and the protrusion 26 of the collar 23 engages the circumferential guide 21, restoring the continuity of the longitudinal guide 22 which guides the arm 19 of the support 11 in its descent.

After the reel loaded in the buffer magazine 3 has been removed by the related conveyor elements 4, the above described operations are repeated in reverse.

Thus, known control means (not illustrated) activate the reversal of the direction of rotation of the screw 16, with the consequent lifting of the empty support 11 above the transfer position 14.

The lif ting of the collar 23 by means of the actuator 24 then allows the support 11 to rotate through 180 degrees along the circumferential guide 21.

The support 11 is finally actuated so as to descend along the guide 20, after reversal, by virtue of the 7 intervention of said means (not illustrated) for controlling the direction of rotation of the screw 16 and after the lowering of the collar 23, which by means of the protrusion 25 restores the continuity of said guide 20. 5 The lifting of the support 117-- above the transfer position 14 avoids interference with the reels 2 present in the buffer magazine 3. Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a different embodiment of the loading device, wherein the shoulder 11a of the support 11 is rigidly associated with the periphery of a plate 27 shaped like a circular drum; said plate 27 has a central opening 27a through which it is inserted on the post 9 so as to be axially slideable thereon. In the illustrated case, the post 9 has a tubular shape with a square crosssection.

The plate 27 has, in a downward position, a cavity 28 wherein a disk 29 is accommodated; said disk has external teeth 29a, and the plate 27 is closed downward by a ring 30. Appropriate rolling elements or bearings 31, 32 are interposed between the plate 27, the disk 29 and the ring 30.

The toothed disk 29, which is equally axially bored, is fixed to a bracket 33 slidingly guided inside an opening 34 defined longitudinally in'the post 9. The bracket 33 is actuated with a reciprocating motion along the guide 34 by means of an appropriate drive element which is not illustrated in the drawings. The toothed disk 29 engages a gearwheel 35 which is actuated about a vertical axis by a motor 36 which is supported above the plate 27. 30 The reel to be loaded is removed from the trolley 15, 8 as already described, and is raised along the post 9 by means of the sliding of the disk 29, which is guided along the guide 34.

Af ter the support has been raised to the upper end of the post 9, at a level higher than the.,,transfer position 14, the rotation of the plate 27 which bears the support 11 is activated by means of the related motor 36 so as to rotate said support 11 toward the buffer magazine 3; the motor 36 in fact turns the gearwheel 35, which engages the fixed teeth 29a of the disk 29, so as to turn the plate 27.

The reel is then lowered into the transfer position 14 by means of the corresponding descent of the disk 29. The rotation of the plate 27 which bears the support 11 is equal to 1800. It is obviously possible to make provisions so that the rotation of the plate 27 is produced during the upward motion of the lifting element. The descent of the lifting element is provided in the reverse manner, so as to return the empty support 11 to the lowered removal position 13. 20 In the embodiment illustrated in figures 3 and 4, it is evident that said actuation means 12 suitable for causing the rotation of the support 11 obviously comprise the plate 27 and the motor 36. To conclude, the device according to'the present invention allows to load the reels of tape material into the buffer magazine of a packaging machine in a simplified manner, limiting the intervention of the assigned personnel exclusively to the movement of the trolley which carries the reels to be loaded.

The device furthermore has very small dimensions, which 9 are in practice limited to those of a post on which the reel lifting element can slide.

In the practical embodiment of the present invention, the materials employed, as well as the shapes and 7, dimensions, can vary according to the requirements.

1 2 3

Claims

1 1. Device for loading reels into a packaging machine of 2 the type having a buffer magazine for containing a plurality 3 of reels, characterized in that it comprises a post having 4 an upper end locatable adjacent to a-.buffer magazine of a 5 packaging machine, a lifting element having support means 6 for carrying at least one reel to be loaded into a buffer 7 magazine, said support means being movable longitudinally 8 with respect to said post between a lower position for 9 receiving a reel to be loaded and an upper position for 10 transferring a reel into a buffer magazine; actuation means 11 adapted for causing rotation of said support means about 12 said post between a first angular position, wherein said 13 support means are arranged for receiving a reel, and a 14 second angular position directed toward a buffer magazine.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said lifting element comprises a female thread element coupled to a threaded shaft rotatably mounted inside said 4 post, said shaft being rotated by a drive element and 5 provided with a radial arm guided through an opening, 6 extending longitudinally with respect to the post, said 7 support means being provided at an end of said arm located 8 outside said post.

1

3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that 2 proximate to the upper end of said post said opening has a 3 circumferential portion which in turn continues with a

4 further longitudinal portion which extends downward for a limited extent and is diametrically opposite to said guiding 6 opening.

1 4. Device according to the preceding claims, 1 11 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 2 characterized in that said actuation means for causing 3 rotation of the support comprise a collar mounted so as to 4 be axially slidable on the post, above said circumferential 5 portion of the guiding opening, under the control of an 6 actuator, and has a pair of protrusions for obstructing, in 7 a lowered position of said collar, said circumferential 8 guide so as to give continuity to said longitudinal guides.

5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that said collar is suitable for being moved into a lowered position upon the reversal of the direction of rotation of said threaded shaft, so as to allow the descent of said support along said longitudinal guides.

6. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said lifting element is suitable for lifting said support above said transfer position for the angular rotation of 4 said support about said post.

1

7. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that 2 said support is rigidly associated with a plate which is 3 mounted so that it can slide axially on said post and is 4 rotatably supported on a disk which is guided along a guiding opening which is longitudinal to said post upon the 6 actuation of an appropriate drive element.

1

8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that 2 said disk has external teeth which engage a gdarwheel which 3 is actuated, about a vertical axis, by a motor which is 4 supported above said plate.

1

9. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that 2 said disk is axially bored for mounting on the post and is 3 fixed above a bracket which is slidingly guided inside said 4 guiding opening.

12

10. Device for loading reels into a packaging machine arranged and adapted to operate substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

v 4 Published 1991 at The Patent Office, Concept House, Cardiff Road. Newport, Gwent NP9 I RH. Further copies may be obtained fmm Sales Branch. Unit 6. Nine Mile Point. CwinfeWach. Cross Keys. Newport. NPI 7HZ. Printed by Multiplex techniques lid. St Mary Cray. Kent.