IES68874B2 - Manufacturing blanks - Google Patents

Abstract

Printed carton blanks are manufactured by leading a web 1 of fold and box board through a splicing unit 3, a festoon and tensioning unit 4 and sequential printing units 5-10. After printing, the web is embossed at 15 by passing the web between embossing rollers having raised and recessed embossing portions. The embossed web is then cut and creased at station 35 and blanks are stacked in magazines. The magazines are rotated to deliver three lanes of stacks to an outfeed conveyor 63 in single file. The stacks are then turned through substantially 180{ before banding at 41 and palletising at 45.

Description

Manufacturing Blanks The invention relates to a method for manufacturing printed carton blanks and in particular to a method for manufacturing cartons which are subsequently folded to form hinged-lid cigarette cartons.

Modern printing technology allows the printing of such cartons at very high speeds while maintaining excellent print quality. There are however problems in handling printed blanks in a manner which will minimise manual intervention and maintain product quality.

One object of this invention is to provide an improved method for manufacturing such printed carton blanks. According to the invention there is provided a method for manufacturing printed carton blanks comprising the steps of : 15 leading a web of fold and box board from a reel, tensioning the web, printing a base colour onto the web at a first printing station of a cylinder printing machine, printing at least two other colours onto the web in second and subsequent printing stations, applying a varnish to the printed web at a varnishing station, cutting and creasing the printed web into individual carton blanks, - 2 stacking the blanks into at least two lanes of blank stacks, stopping at least one lane of the stacks while allowing a leading stack from another lane to pass to an outfeed station onto an outfeed conveyor, delivering the stopped stack to the outfeed conveyor when the leading stack has passed through the outfeed station, banding the stacks, and loading the banded stacks onto a pallet.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the method includes the steps of: detecting the presence of a leading stack at the outfeed station, stopping a following stack in another lane, passing the leading stack through the outfeed station to the outfeed conveyor, and in response to the leading stack clearing the outfeed station, delivering the following stack from the other lane to the outfeed station.

Preferably the following stack from the other lane is delivered to the outfeed station by a pusher operated by a ram means, the ram means being activated to push the following stack into the outfeed station in response to a leading stack clearing the outfeed station.

In a preferred arrangement there are at least three lanes of blank stacks and the method comprises stopping the lanes of following stacks at spaced-apart locations while a leading stack is passed through the outfeed station.

Preferably when the leading stack has passed through the outfeed station, the stacks from the following lanes are moved to the outfeed station in single file.

In one embodiment of the invention there are three lanes of blank stacks, namely a leading stack and a pair of transversely spaced-apart following stacks, the pair of following stacks being stopped at longitudinally spacedapart stop locations as the leading stack is passed through the outfeed station, and, in response to the leading stack clearing the outfeed station, delivering both following stacks to the outfeed station in single file.

In this case preferably both following stacks are delivered to the outfeed station by a ram means carrying two pusher arms, one for each following stack, the ram being activated on the leading stack passing through the outfeed station to push the following stacks into the outfeed station in single file, a first pusher arm engaging one stack on operation of the ram to push the stack into alignment with the other following stack which is then engaged by the second pusher arm and both following stacks are delivered by the ram to the outfeed station in single file.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the method includes the step of turning the stacks of blanks through substantially 180° after passing through the outfeed station so that the stacks are delivered for banding with their printed face uppermost. - 4 In one arrangement banded·stacks are loaded onto a pallet by passing a pallet to a working height, loading a layer of stacks onto the pallet, and lowering the pallet to receive a following layer of banded stacks at a working height.

In one embodiment of the invention the method includes the steps of passing the printed web between mating embossing rollers at an embossing station in the cylinder printing machine to emboss the printed web.

The invention also provides printed carton blanks whenever manufactured by the method of the invention.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description thereof given by way of example only with the reference to the accompanying drawings in which:Fig. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a method for manufacturing printed carton blanks according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a diagram of two preliminary steps in the method of the invention; Fig. 3 is a diagram of embossing, monitoring, cutting and creasing steps of the invention; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of embossing rollers used in the method of the invention; Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the embossing rollers of Fig. 4 in use; - 5 Fig. 6 is a side view of turning and stack arranging steps in the method of· the invention; Fig. 7 is a side view on an enlarged scale of an outfeed station; Fig. 8 is a plan view of the outfeeding station; Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a palletising apparatus used in the method of the invention; and Fig. 10 is a side view of the palletising apparatus of Fig. 9, in use.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Fig. 1 thereof there is illustrated a method for manufacturing printed carton blanks comprising the steps of leading a web 1 of fold and box board from a reel 2. The web 1 is passed through a splicing unit 3 in which the end of one roll is spliced to the start of a following roll of fold and box board material. The web 1 is then led through a festoon and tensioning unit 4 which prepares the web for printing at high speed in six sequential printing units 510. Each of the printing units 5-10 is a cylinder printing unit. In the first printing unit 5 a base colour is printed onto the web 1. In the final printing station 10 a finishing varnish is applied to the printed web. In the intermediate printing station 6-9 different colours are printed onto the web as required.

After printing, the web is passed through an embossing station 15 which is similar to each of the printing stations 6-10 except that instead of printing rollers a pair of metal embossing rollers 20,21 are mounted in the station 15. Referring particularly to Figs. 4 & 5 it will be noted that one of the embossing rollers 20 has raised ·· 6 embossing portions 20a and the other embossing roller 21 has recessed embossing portions 21a which inter-engage to emboss a web 1 as it passes between the rollers 20,21 as will be particularly apparent from Fig. 5.

After embossing, the printed embossed web is inspected automatically at a video inspection station 30 and the speed and register of the printing rollers and embossing rollers in the stations 5, 15 are automatically adjusted as required.

The printed embossed web 1 is then passed through a cutting and creasing station 35 in which the printed embossed web is cut into individual carton-forming blanks. Stacks of blanks are arranged at a stack arranging station 36 as will be described in more detail below and the stacks 40 are visually inspected for quality control prior to banding at a banding station 41. After banding the stacks 40 are delivered along a conveyor 42 to a palletisation station 45 at which a plurality of the stacks 40 of blanks are loaded onto a pallet.

Referring particularly to Figs. 6-8 blanks 50 from the cutting and creasing station 35 are stacked in magazines 51 into stacks of typically one hundred. The magazines are rotated as illustrated in Fig. 6 to deliver in this case three lanes of stacks 60,61,62 to an outfeed station 63. The stack 60 is the leading stack which is in alignment on delivery from its associated magazine 51 with an outfeed conveyor 65. The stacks 61, 62 are first and second following stacks respectively which are transversely spaced-apart and are stopped by longitudinally spaced-apart stop members 66,67 respectively while the leading stack 60 passes through the outfeed station 63 on to the outfeed conveyor 65. When the leading stack 60 has cleared the outfeed station 63 as - Ί detected by infra-red sensors or the like, the following stacks 61,62 are moved sidewardly in the direction of the arrows X in Fig. 8 into the out feed station 63 as illustrated by interrupted lines in Fig. 8. The stacks 61,62 are then delivered in single file to the outfeed conveyor 65.

In more detail the following stacks 61,62 are moved by a pusher means comprising a first pusher arm 70 and a second pusher arm 72 which are carried by a ram 75 which extends transversely across the outfeed station 63. In use, the ram 75 is actuated when the leading stack 60 has passed through the outfeed station 65 and the first pusher arm 70 first engages the stack 62 and pulls it into the position illustrated by dotted lines 62 in Fig. 8. At this position the second pusher arm 72 engages the second following stack 61 and the ram 75 delivers the stacks 61 and 62 to the outfeed station 63 in single file as indicated by interrupted lines 61 and 62 in Fig. 8. The stacks 61,62 are then delivered from the outfeed station 63 onto the outfeed conveyor 65.

The stacks passing along the outfeed conveyor 65 are initially arranged with an inner unprinted face uppermost. For ease of inspection for quality control and to present the stacks in the optimum manner for banding they are turned through substantially 180° at a turning station 80. After turning the stacks with their printed faces uppermost they are visually inspected for quality control and after inspection are passed to the banding station 41.

Referring particularly to Figs. 9 and 10, at the palletisation station 45 a pallet 90 is mounted on a pallet scissors support 91 which is initially raised to arrange the pallet 90 at a convenient working height. A first layer of carton blank stacks 40 are arranged as ~ 8 required on the pallet 90. When the first layer of carton stacks 40 is laid on the pallet 90 the scissors lift apparatus 91 is operated to lower the pallet 90 to a lower working height to receive a following layer of carton stacks 40. This procedure is continued until the pallet 90 is full.

The invention provides a highly optimised process for producing printed carton blanks. In particular, all machinery can be run at optimum speed as there is little or no manual intervention during manufacture.

Because the printed web is embossed in a cylindrical printing machine the register of the web is maintained so that the embossing takes place at high speed without adversely effecting print and embossing quality, Many variations on the specific embodiments of the invention described will be readily apparent and accordingly the invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in detail.

Claims (3)

1. A method for manufacturing printed carton blanks comprising the steps of leading a web of fold and box board from a reel, tensioning the web, printing a base colour onto the web at a first printing station of a cylinder printing machine, printing at least two other colours onto the web in second and subsequent printing stations, applying a varnish to the printed web at a varnishing station, cutting and creasing the printed web into individual carton blanks, stacking the blanks into at least two lanes of blank stacks, stopping at least one lane of the stacks while allowing a leading stack from another lane to pass to an outfeed station onto an outfeed conveyor, delivering the stopped stack to the outfeed conveyor when the leading stack has passed through the outfeed station, banding the stacks, and loading the banded stacks onto a pallet. A method as claimed in claim 1 including the steps of sdetecting the presence of a leading stack at the outfeed station, stopping a following stack in another lane, passing the leading stack through the outfeed station to the outfeed conveyor, and in response to the leading stack clearing the outfeed station, delivering the following stack from the other lane to the outfeed station. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the following stack from the other lane is delivered to the outfeed station by a pusher operated by a ram means, the ram means being activated to push the following stacks into the outfeed station in response to a leading stack clearing the outfeed station, preferably there are at least three lanes of blank stacks and the method comprises stopping the lanes of following stacks at spaced-apart locations while a leading stack is passed through the outfeed station, preferably when the leading stack has passed through the outfeed station, the stacks from the following lanes are moved to the outfeed station in single file, preferably there are three lanes of blank stacks, namely a leading stack and a pair of transversely spaced-apart following stacks, the pair of following stacks being stopped at longitudinally spaced-apart stop locations as the leading stack is passed through the outfeed station, and, in response to the 5 leading stack clearing the outfeed station, delivering both following stacks to the outfeed station in single file, preferably both following stacks are delivered to the outfeed station by a ram means carrying two pusher arms, one for each 10 following stack, the ram being activated on the leading stack passing through the outfeed station to push the following stacks into the outfeed station in single file, a first pusher arm engaging one stack on operation of the ram to push 15 the stack into alignment with the other following stack which is then engaged by the second pusher arm and both following stacks are delivered by the ram to the outfeed station in single file.

2. 4. A method as claimed in any preceding claim 20 including the step of turning the stacks of blanks through substantially 180° after passing through the outfeed station so that the stacks are delivered for banding with their printed face uppermost, preferably banded stacks are loaded 25 onto a pallet by passing a pallet to a working height, loading a layer of stacks onto the pallet, and lowering the pallet to receive a following layer of banded stacks at a working height, preferably the method includes the step of passing 30 the printed web between mating embossing rollers at an embossing station in the cylinder printing machine to emboss the printed web.

3. 5. Printed carton blanks whenever manufactured by a method as claimed in any preceding claim.