ITBO990260A1 - PROCEDURE FOR MAKING NETWORK PACKAGES OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES OR SIMILAR PRODUCTS, WITHIN A TUBULAR NETWORK, PERFORMED CONTINUOUSLY AND APPEARS - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a process for making net packs of fruit and vegetables or similar products within a tubular net, carried out continuously, and an apparatus for carrying out this process.

Various packaging machines are known for packaging fruit and vegetable products in nets which generally provide a tube on which a predetermined quantity of tubular net is previously arranged, depending on the length of the tube itself. The net is closed at the lower end so as to form a collection bag for the products entering from the top of the tube. The bag containing the products is then removed from the tube to form the packages which are then closed and separated from each other. These machines cyclically require a stop to allow the replacement of the exhausted net holder tube with another spare one loaded with the tubular net.

The loading of the net tubes is done manually, or with semi-automatic devices, and in any case requires the intervention of an operator who, in addition to filling, must replace the tubes in the machine.

The aim of the present invention is to remedy the aforementioned disadvantages, by providing a packaging method starting from a tubular net wound in a reel and therefore of a length far greater than that of the net that is currently loaded onto tubes of the usual packaging machines, thus to avoid stoppages due to the replacement of empty pipes with full ones, and therefore allowing a high operating autonomy without interruptions due to the change of the mesh holder pipe.

Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for carrying out the aforesaid process.

This task is achieved with a process for making net packs of fruit and vegetable products or the like, within a tubular net carried out continuously, which is characterized in that it comprises the steps of a. unwinding a tubular net from a coil on which it is wound; b. conveying said net through means adapted to give said net a tubular configuration;

c. closing said net at the end of said tubular configuration so as to form a pouch with a closed bottom; d. making a notch in said tubular mesh such as not to interrupt its continuity and at a predetermined distance from said closed bottom;

And. introducing a predetermined quantity of products into said bag through said notch;

f. withdrawing said bag from said tube by a portion substantially corresponding to said distance;

g. effecting two closures of said tubular net upstream and downstream of said cut so as to close above said bag containing the products and form the bottom of a new bag;

h. cutting said tubular net between said two closures in correspondence of said cut to separate the closed bag containing the products from said new bag.

For the implementation of the aforesaid method, the invention proposes an apparatus whose characteristics are defined in the claims.

Further characteristics will become clearer from the following description of an apparatus illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which: fig. 1 shows a front elevation view of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 shows a side elevation view of the apparatus, according to the plane 1I-II of Fig. L;

fig. 3 shows a plan view;

Fig. 4 shows a part of the apparatus on an enlarged scale;

fig. 5 shows. in perspective. a detail of the equipment;

the ig. shows a package obtainable with the apparatus of the previous figures;

fig. 7 schematically shows a variant of the equipment and finally

fig. 8 shows a further variant.

With reference to the aforementioned figures, the apparatus comprises a frame 1 with two opposite sides 2,3 from each of which a pair of upper shelves 4 and a pair of lower shelves 5 project. Each lower shelf 5 is vertically aligned with a respective upper shelf 4.

Two vertical rods 6 are fixed between the mènsole 4 and 5 of the right side in figure 1. Two equal vertical rods 7 are fixed between the brackets 4,5 of the wall 3. The rods 6 and 7 are arranged according to the vertices of a rectangle and toothed pulleys 8 meshing with a chain 9 closed in a ring around them are engaged with respect to them.

The toothed pulleys 8 are rotatably supported at the corners of a rectangular frame 10 which extends around the threaded rods 6,7. The sides of the frame which extend between the walls 2 and 3 are indicated with 10a and 10b, while the two sides perpendicular to them are indicated with 10c and 10d.

on side c a reversible gearmotor unit 11 is mounted

on whose output shaft a pinion 11a is keyed (see

figure 3) which meshes with the chain 9. Therefore, by activating the gearmotor unit 11 in one direction or the other, it is determined

the simultaneous screwing of all the toothed pulleys 8 and la

frame raising or lowering 10.

The two sides 10c and 10d of the frame 10 are connected to each other

by two parallel bars 12a, 12b on which two slide

carriages 13a, 13b. The carriages 13a, 13b carry respective pairs

of sealing jaws 14,15 controlled by actuator means for

be approached or distanced from each other. As shown

also in figure 7 the actuator means comprise a cylinder

16a which activates a lever 16b pivoted to rocker arm in the frame

10 and having the opposite ends connected to the carriages

13a, 13b from tie rods 16c and 16d. Between the jaws of each

pair a blade 14a, 15a of a device is arranged

cut.

In the figures the sealing jaws and the cutting device

they are not represented in detail as they are of construction

traditional, already used in other equipment of

packaging. However, the jaws 14,15 are designed in

so that, approaching each other, the material that

will constitute the wrapping of the package, conducted between them,

is tightened and welded according to two welding lines

superimposed, while the blades 14a, 15a cut the material between the welds made.

The frame 1 forms, at the top, two shoulders 17a, 17b between which two superimposed support bars 18,19 for two plates 20,21 extend. The plates 20,21 are fixed on the bars 18,19 so as to be able to adjust their position with respect to the tube 33.

Respective upper pins 22,23 project from the plates 20,21 on which rollers 24,25 are rotatably supported. Two further rollers 26,27 are arranged under the rollers 24,25. The rollers 26,27 are connected with respective gearmotor assemblies 28,29 mounted on the plates 20,21.

Respective belts 30,31 are wound around the rollers 24,26 and 25,27 and are used to drive the rollers 24-27 when, as will be seen below, the front sections of the belts proceed downwards, advantageously (see fig. 7 ) the gearmotors 28,29 are connected to each other by a telescopic cardan shaft 29a which allows the reciprocal spacing of the gearmotors and ensures that the belts 30,31 move with equal speed.

The pairs of rollers 24,26 and the front portion of the belt 30 wound thereon are partially inserted into an opening 32 of a vertical tube 33 which extends in front of them. The vertical tube 33 conveniently has a square section and has a flange 34 with which it is fixed to the top of the frame.

The opening 32 is obtained on one face of the tube and is opposed to a further same opening 35 obtained on the opposite face.

In this second opening 35 the rollers 25, 27 and the relative front portion of the belt 31 are partially inserted.

On one of the two remaining faces of the tube 33, at a lower height than that of the openings 32.35, there is a further rectangular opening 36 towards which a conveyor 37 for feeding the products to be packaged flows, supported by walls 38 which are protruding from the frame 1. Above the conveyor 37 there is a wall 39 which acts as an accumulation abutment for the products transported by the conveyor 37 and, in any way not illustrated, is commanded to rise to let the products accumulated through opening 36.

Inside the tube 33 there is inserted a second tube 40 with a square section, but smaller in size than that of the tube 33 so that between the latter and the inner tube 40 there is identified a gap 41 sufficiently large to slide through it, from top to bottom, a flexible tubular element, in particular a tubular net 42 constituting the enclosure for containing the products to be packaged.

The inner tube 40 is floating within the tube 33, i.e. I was making small vertical excursions and can go

resting on flange 34 by means of a step

peripheral to which it extends upwards with ^ an ogive

44.

The inner tube 40 has two opposite faces

respective openings 45,46 facing the openings 32,3-5 of

outer tube.

A third opening 47 faces opening 36. Le

the dimensions of the apertures 45,46,47 are substantially the same in shape and dimensions as those of the apertures 32,35 and 36.

Two are supported within the inner tube 40

idle back-up rollers 48,49 parallel to rollers 42-47 che

partially protrude outside through the openings

45,46 of the inner tube and the openings 32,35 of the outer tube

33. The back-up rollers 48,49 engage on stretches of the belts

30,31 included between the upper rollers 22,25 and the lower ones

26,27 so that the belts 30,31, along these stretches are

wrap for a certain angle around the back-up rolls 48,49

acquiring a wavy trend.

A cutting device completes the described apparatus

50 arranged under the outlet of the conveyor 37 and constituted

by a knife 51 operated intermittently by an actuator

pneumatic 52 and oriented so as to pass through the opening

36 and 47.

The operation of the equipment is as follows.

first of all unwinds the tubular net 42, from a reel 53 through a series of return rollers 54 and arranges it around the internal tube 40, making it pass along the gap 41 between the internal tube 40 and the external one 33 and between the counter-rollers 48, 49 and straps 30,31. Conveniently to facilitate this step of applying the net on the tube 40, the belts 30,31 are moved away from the counter-rollers 48,49 by moving the plates 20,21 supporting the gearmotors 28,29 along the bars 18,19.

When the end of the mesh 42 has passed under the lower end of the outer tube 33 and is positioned between the sealing jaws 14,15, the plates 20,21 approach each other again so that the backing rollers 48,49 engage between the rollers 22-27 and the net 42 remains caught between the back-up rollers 48,49 and the belts 30,31. This engagement also ensures the detachment of the step 43 from the flange 34 and the floating support of the inner tube 40. Once these preliminary preparatory operations have been completed, the jaws 14,15 approach each other and close the tubular mesh with a welding line. which thus forms the bottom S of a bag for containing the products constituted by the lower portion of the tubular net 42.

At this point the cutting device 50 is activated, the blade 51 of which, passing through the openings 36, 47 of the tubes 33 and 40 respectively, cuts into the mesh, making a cut 54a v and fig. 5) transversal through which, after having commanded the lifting of the wall 39, a predetermined quantity of products is conveyed inside the inner tube 40 which stops on the closed bottom of the net bag 42 and rests on the plane formed by the jaws 14.15. By spacing the jaws 14,15 by means of the reciprocal distancing of the trolleys 13a, 13b operated by the jack 16a, the bag containing the products and still wrapped around the inner tube 40 remains suspended between the rollers 48, 49 and the belts 30,31. The next step is then begun, consisting in activating the gearmotor assemblies 28,29 which motorize the rollers 22-27, so as to allow the bottom S to descend to form a bag containing the products under the jaws 14,15. The downward stroke of the bag is interrupted with the stop of the gearmotors 28,29 and the blocking of the net between the rollers 22-27 and the rollers 48,49.

As soon as the descent stroke of the bag has stopped, the approach stroke of the jaws 14,15 is commanded so that with the lower sealing line the upper closure of the bag is determined and with the upper sealing line the net is closed. tubular to form the bottom of a new bag. The descent stroke is of such an extent that the notch 54a is positioned between the two upper and lower welding lines.

At the same time between the two sealing lines and on the notch 54a a sectioning cut is made by the blades 14a, 15a in the tubular net 42 which allows, with the spacing of the trolleys, to unload the molded package 55. The equipment can thus resume the production cycle according to the aforementioned phases.

It should be noted that, by intervening on the gearmotor 11, it is possible to raise or lower the height of the frame 10 and therefore of the welding jaws 14,15. At the same time, by adjusting the intervention times of the gearmotors 28,29, it is possible to increase or decrease the length of the bag which is removed from the tube 40 to obtain packages of the desired length and consequently of the desired capacity.

As can be recognized, the described apparatus perfectly achieves the intended purposes. In particular, it should be noted that it is no longer necessary to prepare the tubular packaging net on a netting tube, but the tubular net can be fed by a reel, so as to guarantee a comparatively much higher operating autonomy than that obtainable with traditional packaging machines.

The described apparatus is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations.

A variant provides for replacing the gearmotors 28,29 with clutch units and for carrying out the descent of the bag containing the products by reciprocating the frame and using the jaws 14,15 as a gripper.

In this variant, the closure of the net 42 is carried out when the jaws 14,15 are in the raised position.

then begins the next phase consisting in activating the gearmotor 11 which, by means of the chain 9, controls the screwing of the toothed pulleys 8 onto the threaded rods -6 and the extension of the frame 10. Since the jaws 14,15 are still in clamping position there is the descent of the bag for a predetermined length.

It should be noted that the lowering stroke of the bag is braked by the rollers 22,27 and counter-rollers 48,49 so that the traction force exerted on the net, acting on the step 43, allows the lifting of the internal tube 40 and the controlled descent. of the bag.

As soon as the descent stroke of the bag has stopped, the jaws 14,15 are again spaced apart and the frame brought back up to allow the jaws to move back above the bag which, at this moment, is held between the rollers 22- 27 and the back-up rolls 48,49.

The lifting of the frame 10 is obtained by inverting the direction of rotation of the gearmotor 11 and therefore of the toothed pulleys 8. The cycle is completed by closing the jaws on the mesh above the bag so that the closure of the bag is determined with the lower welding line and with the upper sealing line the formation of the bottom of a new bag. at the same time between the two sealings a sectioning cut is made by the blades 14a, 15a which allows, by spacing the trolleys, to unload the formed package 55 (see Fig. 1).

The apparatus can thus resume the production cycle according to the aforementioned phases.

Figures 1 and 6 illustrate the possibility of combining the opposite sides of the package 55 with two bands 56,57 taken from respective coils 58,59 and conveyed by deflection rollers 60,61 between the sealing jaws so as to be welded to the mesh for strengthen the package and provide areas for the application of writings for various purposes. In particular, figure 6 shows a package in which the jaws carry out three welding lines of which 62 closes the bottom of the overlying bag, while the other two 63,64 delimit a bundle in which slots 65 are obtained by punching, defining a handle. Figure 7 illustrates a variant which provides for the removal of the bands 56,57 from the reels 58,59 by means of dragging units 66,67. Figure 8 shows a further variant in which two rings 68,69 are provided instead of the internal tube, housed in internal grooves 70,71 of the external tube 33 so as to perform an effective retention action by friction on the tubular net 42, conducted between the rings and the outer tube. In this version the opening 72 for introducing the products is formed between the rings 68,69

Claims (9)

R I V E N D I C A Z I O N I 1. rocement to make net packs of fruit and vegetables or similar products, within a tubular net carried out continuously, which is characterized by the fact that it includes the phases of to. unwinding a tubular net from a coil on which it is wound; b. conveying said net through means adapted to give said net a tubular configuration; c. closing said net at the end of said tubular configuration so as to form a pouch with a closed bottom; d. making a notch in said tubular mesh such as not to interrupt its continuity and at a predetermined distance from said closed bottom; And. introducing a predetermined quantity of products into said bag through said notch; f. withdrawing said bag from said tube by a portion substantially corresponding to said distance; g. effecting two closures of said tubular net upstream and downstream of said cut so as to close above said bag containing the products and form the bottom of a new bag; h. cutting said tubular net between said two closures in correspondence of said cut to separate the closed bag containing the products from said new bag. 2. Apparatus for carrying out the process according to claim 1 characterized in that it comprises a frame, a first external tube fixed in said frame, a second internal tube supported inside said first tube and defining with the latter a interspace through which a tubular mesh taken from a reel on which it is wound is conducted, means for controlling the sliding of said mesh along said interspace, said pipes being provided with openings facing each other and located at the outlet of a feeder of products, a cutting device able to make a notch in the tubular net through said openings so as to allow the discharge of products through said notch inside an end section of said net, said control means being controlled so as to allow after the loading of the products, the controlled extraction of said section of net from said tube thus to be defined as a bag containing the products, means being also provided for carrying out two adjacent closures defining the closure of said bag to complete the package and the formation of the bottom of a new bag. 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that it comprises a frame, a tube fixed in said frame and having two internal annular grooves between which an opening located in correspondence with a product feeder, a pair of housed rings is made in said grooves and defining passages through which a tubular net taken from a needle on which it is wound is conducted, a cutting device able to make a notch in the tubular net through said opening, so as to allow the discharge of products through said notch inside an end section of said net, said rings being adapted to control the slipping of said section of net from said tube so as to define a bag containing the products, means being also provided for carrying out two adjacent closures defining the closure of said bag and the completion of the package and the formation of the bottom of a new bag to. 4. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that it comprises a frame, a first external tube fixed vertically in said frame, a second internal tube supported inside said first tube and defining with the latter an interspace through which conducted a tubular net taken from a reel on which it is wound, means for controlling the sliding of said net along said interspace, said tubes being equipped with openings facing each other and located at the outlet of a product feeder, a device cutting device adapted to make a notch in the tubular net through said openings so as to allow the unloading of products through said notch inside an end section of said net, said control means being controlled in such a way as to allow after loading of the products , the controlled extraction of said section of net from said tube so as to define a s acca containing the products, means being also provided for carrying out two superimposed closures defining the closure of said sabea to complete the package and the formation of the bottom of a new bag. 5. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that it comprises a frame, a tube fixed vertically in said frame and having two internal annular grooves between which an opening located in correspondence with a product feeder is made, a pair of rings housed in said grooves and defining passages through which a tubular net taken from a reel on which it is wound is conducted, a cutting device able to make a notch in the tubular net through said opening, so as to allow the discharge of products through said notch inside an end section of said net, said rings being adapted to control the extraction of said section of net from said tube so as to define a bag containing the products, means being also provided for carrying out two superimposed closures defining the closure of said bag and the completion of the packaging and the formation of the bottom of a new bag. 6. Apparatus according to one of claims 2 to 5 characterized in that it comprises sectioning means for cutting said net between said closures. 7. Apparatus according to one of claims 4,5,6 characterized in that said control means comprise at least one pair of superimposed external rollers, mounted to the side of said external tube, a belt wound around said pair of rollers, actuation means of said pair of rollers, at least one internal roller mounted on said internal tube, said rollers being positioned in correspondence with facing openings made in said external and internal tubes so that the internal roller engages the belt between the external rollers, said tubular net being conducted between said belt and said internal roller. 8. Apparatus according to one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that said inner tube has a supporting flange on the top of the outer tube and has an ogival upper end. 9. Apparatus according to one of claims 2 to 8 characterized in that said closing means comprise two sealing jaws and cutting blades, said jaws being controlled between a spaced apart position and an adjacent one in correspondence with which said jaws perform two superimposed welds of closing of said tubular net conducted between them, while said blades cut the said tubular net between said welds. . Paring according to claim 9 characterized in that said jaws are mounted on a frame which can be adjusted vertically between a raised position and a lowered position for spacing said jaws from said tubular net. 11. Apparatus according to claim 10 characterized in that said frame is adjustable by means comprising a plurality of toothed pulleys rotatably supported on said frame and engaged on respective threaded rods fixed vertically on the frame, on said toothed pulleys being wound a chain driven by a gearmotor member mounted on said frame. 12. Apparatus according to one of claims 4 to 9 characterized in that said control means comprise at least one pair of superimposed external rollers, mounted to the side of said external tube, a belt wound around said pair of external rollers, friction means for said pair of rollers, at least one internal roller mounted on said internal tube, said rollers being positioned in correspondence with facing openings made in said external and internal tubes so that the internal roller engages the belt between said external rollers, said tubular net being conducted between said belt and said internal roller, and further characterized by the fact that said jaws are mounted on a vertically movable frame between a raised position in which said jaws are approached in a clamping position on said tubular net and a lowered position <1> distance of said jaws from said tubular net, said jaws being able to drag said net through before the descent of said frame, said frame being operated vertically by means comprising a plurality of toothed pulleys rotatably supported on said frame and engaged on respective threaded rods fixed vertically on the frame, on said toothed pulleys a chain driven by a geared motor being wound mounted on said frame. 13. Process according to claim 1 characterized in that it comprises the steps of to. unwinding a tubular net from a coil on which it is wound; b. conveying said net through means adapted to give said net a substantially vertical tubular configuration; c. closing said net at the lower end of said tubular configuration so as to form a lower pouch with a closed bottom; d. making a notch in said tubular mesh such as not to interrupt its continuity above and at a predetermined distance from said closed bottom; And. introducing a predetermined quantity of products into said bag through said notch; f. causing said bag to descend from said tube by a length substantially corresponding to said distance; g. effecting two closures of said tubular net above and below said cut so as to close above said lower bag containing the products and form the bottom of a new overlying bag; h. cutting said tubular net between said two closures in correspondence with said notch to separate the lower closed bag containing the products from said overlying bag. 14. Process for making net packs of similar fruit and vegetable products, within a tubular net, carried out continuously and equipment for carrying out this process according to what can be inferred from the description and the attached drawings.