ITFI20120260A1 - "BAG PACKAGE HANDLING EQUIPMENT" - Google Patents

Description

â € œEQUIPMENT FOR HANDLING PACKS OF SACKSâ €

DESCRIPTION

Technical field

The present invention relates to the field of systems for forming packs of plastic bags or the like having holes along an edge for coupling to respective needles for forming and supporting the packs. More particularly, the object of the present invention is an equipment for handling packs of plastic bags, of the type with needles for supporting the packs.

State of the art

Plants for forming packs of plastic bags, of the type with needles for supporting the packs, have been known for many years. Among these, a type of plant for forming packs of sacks is commonly known as the â € œWicketâ €. It involves the use of a movement device comprising a rotor formed by two rotating drums keyed on a common shaft, which have a plurality of arms which protrude radially from the axis of the drum and which are able to hold in support lots of plastic. On each pair of coplanar arms there are means (for example of the pneumatic type) for holding the plastic bag in position. In practice, the bag, from a welding and cutting area, is moved over a pair of arms of the Wicket rotor, which in turn are rotated by 180 degrees, so that each bag is overturned in the forming position, where it is released. and stacked on a sack below, to form a package.

More specifically, each bag is equipped, at one edge, with a pair of holes which, upon arrival at the pack forming station, are centered at a complementary pair of needles. In this station, the support needles are in pack-forming position, i.e. each needle is vertical. In many configurations, the needle, instead of in a vertical position, is in an almost vertical position, for example with a deviation from the vertical of about 15 °.

When the bag is inserted on the needles, it is bound by an edge to these, while the rest of the bag is dropped downwards, thus assuming a predominantly vertical orientation.

The subsequent bags are fitted onto the same needles, overlapping the previous one, to form a pack â € œ hungâ € from the needles which will then be moved, through a handling line, to a station for unloading the packs formed.

Here the packs are mostly extracted manually by an operator who lifts the packs, making them come out of the needles, and places them, for example, in a trolley, to transport them to a storage area.

In some plants, robots can be provided in place of the operator, which perform substantially the same operations.

Purpose and summary of the invention

The object of the present invention is to provide an equipment for handling packs of plastic bags, of the type with needles for supporting the packs, which allows to facilitate the unloading step of the packs formed with respect to known equipment.

Another important object of the present invention is that of realizing an equipment for handling packs of plastic bags, of the type with needles supporting packs, which allows to reduce the personnel necessary for the control of an entire forming plant.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide an equipment for handling packs of plastic bags which allows a large number of packs to be stored in a simple way.

These and other objects, which will become clearer hereinafter, are achieved with an equipment according to claim 1 presented hereinafter.

According to a first aspect, the invention relates to an equipment for handling packs of plastic bags, of the type with needles for supporting packs, which comprises in its essential components: a) a station for forming packs of bags, in in which each pack is inserted, through at least one corresponding hole, into at least one support needle in pack-forming position, in which said needle is vertical or almost vertical, b) a station for unloading the packs formed, and c) a line for moving said needles from said forming station to said unloading station; typically, the equipment comprises means for overturning the needles from said vertical or almost vertical position, to a horizontal or almost horizontal position to allow the extraction of the packs of bags, and means for extracting the packs from the needles in said horizontal position or almost horizontal.

Preferably, each pack is formed by bags with pairs of holes along one edge, so that the equipment preferably provides pairs of needles inserted into the pairs of holes of the bags of the packs.

According to another aspect, the invention also relates to a method for forming packs of bags which involves threading a plurality of plastic bags onto at least one needle in a vertical or almost vertical position, and then overturning the at least one needle bringing it in a horizontal or almost horizontal position, and subsequently extracting this bag from at least one needle in this horizontal or almost horizontal position.

The invention also relates to a system that implements the above method with the equipment presented above.

According to another aspect, the invention relates to an equipment for handling packs of plastic bags, of the type with needles for supporting packs, which comprises in its essential components: a) a station for forming packs of bags, in in which each pack is inserted, through at least one corresponding hole, into at least one support needle in pack-forming position, in which said needle is vertical or almost vertical, b) a station for unloading the packs formed, and, preferably c) a line for moving said needles from said forming station to said unloading station; typically the equipment includes a module for receiving the packages unloaded from the unloading station, suitable for receiving the packages extracted from said overturned needles, in which in this reception module there is a reception area for the packages coming from the unloading station , a plurality of hanging elements for respective packs, a zone for handling the packs on said hanging elements and a path for moving said hanging elements from the unloading station to the handling station, which comprises a section in which it is defined an accumulation zone of the packs along which the hanging elements are oriented so that the packs are transversal, with reference to the width of the pack, to the direction of advancement in said section with the accumulation zone.

Brief description of the drawings

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clearer from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment thereof, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the attached drawings, in which

figure 1 represents an axonometric view from above of a plant with equipment according to the invention;

Figure 2 represents a schematic side view of the station for forming the packs of bags of the equipment in Figure 1, with an incoming bag carried by the arms of a wicket rotor;

figure 3 represents a schematic side view of the overturning station of the needles supporting the packs of the equipment in figure 1, with the initial and intermediate phase of overturning the needles shown in broken lines;

Figure 4 is a schematic side view of the package unloading station and of the package receiving area of a package receiving module, with a package in the initial phase of extraction from respective needles;

figure 5 is an enlargement of figure 4, showing a support needle with package approaching the receiving module;

Figure 6 is an enlargement of Figure 4, showing the package transferred to the receiving module;

Figures 7 to 10 show schematic side sectional views of the steps of extracting, unloading and receiving a pack from a pair of needles (only one needle of the pair is shown) to the receiving module;

Figures 11, 12 and 13 represent schematic axonometric views from above of a portion of the conveyor belt line of the equipment handling line as in the previous figures, with highlighted a position carrying a pair of needles, respectively with needles in pack formation setting, in overturned position for the extraction of packs and a set up with the needles rotated to allow longitudinal adjustment along the station, to adjust the distance between the needles;

figure 14 shows a schematic top view of the receiving module with the equipment unloading station as in the previous figures;

figure 14a shows a diagram, in view from the other, of a variant of the receiving module with respect to that of figure 14;

Figure 15 shows a schematic front view of the development part of the path of the elements for hanging the packs in the receiving module of the equipment as in Figure 14, relating to the movement from the receiving area to the accumulation area;

Figure 16 shows a schematic front view of the development part of the path of the elements for hanging the packs in the receiving module of the equipment as in Figure 14, relating to the movement from the pack handling area to the receiving area;

Figure 17 shows an enlarged portion of Figure 1, highlighting the parts of trolleys for handling the hanging elements of the packs in the receiving module;

figure 18 shows a vertical section of a carriage of figure 17, with the movement of the clutch mechanism that allows the carriage to be locked / unlocked highlighted in broken lines.

Detailed description of an embodiment of the invention

With reference to the aforementioned figures, a plant which includes a device for handling packs of plastic bags, of the type with needles supporting packs, according to the invention, is indicated as a whole with the letter I, while the equipment is indicated as a whole with the number 10.

The plant I comprises for example a station 11 for making each bag S, for example for cutting and welding a continuous film of plastic material, and a Wicket rotor 12, of a per se known type, which from this station realization 11 rotates the bags by 180 ° taking them to the station 13 for forming packs P of the equipment 10.

Among its fundamental components, the equipment 10 therefore includes the forming station 13, in which the bags S arrive by means of the arms 12A of the Wicket rotor 12 (see figure 2) and which are accumulated in packs inserted, to respective pairs of holes, on pairs of needles 14, an unloading station 15 for the packs, and a line 16 for handling the needles with the packs (or without packs if they have not been formed) from the forming station 13 to the unloading station 15.

In this forming station 13, the needles 14 for supporting the packs are in the formation of the packs, i.e. they are almost vertical, preferably with an angle of deviation from the vertical of about 15 ° (it goes without saying that the needles, in other embodiments, can deviate from the vertical even for angles other than 15 ° or also be substantially vertical).

In this example, the handling line 16 is formed by a conveyor belt or belt 16A on which stations 17 carrying pairs of needles 14 are arranged at a timed distance. Preferably the conveyor belt 16A is a belt which has the face lower toothed for its coupling to a toothed movement member (not shown). Preferably the conveyor belt is of the closed-loop type with at least two transmissions (not shown in the figures) of which at least one is motorized; therefore the conveyor belt has two sections, an upper section for moving the stations 17 with the pairs of needles from the forming station 13 to the unloading station 15 and a lower section for returning from the latter to the forming station.

Preferably, the handling line develops in a rectilinear way, ie the section between the forming station 13 and the unloading station 15 is rectilinear.

Characteristically, according to the invention, the equipment comprises means 18 for overturning the needles from the position of formation of the packs, or with the needles almost vertical, to a substantially horizontal position (or, in other embodiments, almost horizontal ) to allow the extraction of the packs P, and means 19 for extracting the packs from the needles in the horizontal position, after they have reached the unloading station 15.

Preferably, according to some advantageous embodiments, the means 18 for overturning the needles 14 are arranged in an overturning station 20 comprised between the forming station 13 and the station 15 for unloading the packs. Preferably, the extraction means 19 are arranged in the unloading station 15.

Conveniently, according to a preferred embodiment, the number of stations 17 with pairs of needles 14 present on the handling line (suitably on the upper portion, in the case of a conveyor belt) between the forming station 13 and the unloading station 15 is equal three, i.e. a station with a pair of needles is in the forming station to receive the bags and form the pack, a station is in the overturning station 20, and a station 17 is in the unloading station 15 to unload the pack supported on overturned needles.

In other embodiments, the overturning means and the extraction means can both be arranged in the unloading station (ie the overturning station is integrated in the unloading station). In this case, the stations with pairs of needles present between the forming and unloading station (suitably on the upper section, in the case of a conveyor belt) can be two, one for each station.

Furthermore, it is possible to integrate the forming station, the overturning station and the unloading station in a single station, or to integrate the means for forming the packs, overturning the needles and extracting the packs in a single station. It is therefore possible to have a single pair of needles.

It goes without saying that in other embodiments, the stations for pairs of needles (obviously, in other embodiments the bags can be supported by a single needle or by more than two needles and therefore a consistent number of needles will be present on the stations) they could be more than three, according to the needs.

In some embodiments, the overturning means 18 comprise a rotation axis 21 for the pair of needles 14 and means for setting the needles in rotation around the axis 21, such as for example a movable pusher 22 suitable for striking against the needles in an almost vertical position according to a direction transversal to the axis of rotation of the same, pushing them in the direction of rotation / overturning. In figure 3 the pusher 22 includes a translation actuator in the form of a pneumatic cylinder, whose mobile member is shown with a continuous line, all extracted after the thrust and, with broken lines, in the phases of pushing the needle (also it in hatching).

Preferably, in the forming station 13, the packs are formed substantially in correspondence with a first side 16B of the handling line 16, with the packs hanging from the respective pairs of needles 14 along this first side 16B of the line. In practice, the bags have pairs of holes for the needles in correspondence with their own edge, which is positioned in proximity to said first side 16B, parallel to it. An overturning direction f of the needles is associated with the axis of rotation 21 for the needles so that the overturned needles are directed outwards from the second side 16C of the movement line, opposite to the first side 16B.

More specifically, as shown in figures 11, 12 and 13, the rotation axis 21 is suitably embodied in a shaft which develops near the second side 16C of the handling line, on which arms 17A for respective needles are fixed. 14, each of which develops transversely to line 16, with the respective needle extending from the end of said arm opposite to the one on which it is fixed. The needle rotates integrally with the respective arm. In this embodiment, the shaft 21 is fixed on the station 17 and it is the arm 17A, rotationally hinged to the shaft, which rotates.

Preferably there are means 22 for adjusting the position of the needles along the axis of rotation. In this example, these adjustment means take the form of a cylindrical vise coupling between the end of the arm 17A and the shaft 21, which prevents translation along the shaft but allows rotation on it, therefore by releasing the vice, the arm 17A with the needle can be moved, thus adjusting the position of the needle. In this example, the station 17 includes, for each needle, an L-shaped bracket fixed to the conveyor belt of the line 16, at one end of which is fixed the shaft to which the arm 17A carrying the needle 14 is hinged (L-bracket and shaft 21 form a U-shaped support).

Conveniently, the equipment also comprises a module 23 for receiving the packs P unloaded from the unloading station 15, placed in front of the unloading station itself, which directly receives the packages extracted from the overturned needles.

Preferably, the needles of the pair carrying the pack, during the unloading phase, are overturned and aligned (or, more generally, facing each other), with a corresponding pair of support stems 24, defined on support elements belonging to the receiving module 23, as better explained below. The pack of bags in the unloading phase is able to be inserted, by slipping off the needles, with its own holes in the stems 24. More specifically, each stem 24 has a tube 24A inserted above the central body 24B of the stem, so that couples of tubes are inserted in the respective pairs of holes of the packs, when these are discharged onto the stems. To extract the pack from the stems, the operator will simply remove the pairs of tubes 24A from the bodies 24B, with the pack included. It goes without saying that instead of the tubes 24A, other elements supporting the packs may be present, such as, for example, U-shaped irons of a known type per se in traditional type pack forming plants.

In figures from 4 to 10, the phase of passage of the pack from the needles is shown (in the figures, for simplicity, a single needle of the pair that supports the unloading pack and a corresponding single stem is shown). Note how the needle 14 and the support stem 24 are preferably in contact or in any case are facing each other so as not to leave passages downwards which could cause the package to fall or block in the passage between the needle and the stem (this is clearly visible in the figures from 7 to 10).

According to some embodiments, the extraction means 19 comprise means 25 for pushing the pack from a position close to the base of the needle 14 to a position on the support stem 24 of the receiving module 23. In this configuration (figures from 7 at 10), each needle 14 is preferably formed by an internal rod 14A and by an external sleeve 14B sliding on the internal rod 14A; the pack of formed bags supported by the needle is arranged on the quill 14B. The thrust means 25 comprise a first part 26 for thrusting the tube 14B until it meets the support stem 24 and a second part 27 for thrusting the pack towards the stem 24, according to a programmed sequence. For example, the second part 27 is translated to push the pack P backwards from the base of the sleeve 14B towards the tip of the latter (Figures 5, 7 and 8). Then the first part 26 is translated to push the sleeve 14B on the internal rod 14A (figure 9), until the tip of the needle / sleeve is found on the stem (preferably the needle / sleeve is pointed and the stem is hollow at the front to accommodate the tip of the needle). Then the second part 27 is further translated to push the pack from the tip of the needle / sleeve until the latter translates on the stem 24 (see figures 6 and 10). Then, with a backward motion, the second part 27 interacts with the quill (for example with its base; this phase is not shown in the figures), bringing it back to the initial position (figure 8) with respect to the internal rod 14A. Still moving backwards, the first part 26 returns to its initial position (phase not shown, initial position corresponding to figures 4 or 5 and 7).

In some embodiments (see Figure 4 in particular), the thrust means 25 provide a first translation actuator 28, such as for example a pneumatic cylinder, which carries on its movable member, a second translation actuator 29, such as example another pneumatic cylinder. The first part 26 is associated with the first actuator 28, while the second part 27 is associated with the second actuator 29.

According to preferred embodiments, the receiving module 23 comprises a zone 30 for receiving the packs coming from the unloading station 15, a plurality of pack support elements 31, in which, preferably, the packs are hung, a handling area 32 of the packs on the support elements 31 and a path 33 for moving the support elements 31 from the receiving area to the handling area 32. Pairs of support stems 24 for the packs are defined on the support elements 31, as described above. In the following, the support elements 31 will also be referred to as â € œ hanging elementsâ €, practically defining an apparatus for supporting the packs, on which the packs are constrained with a higher constraint, so that they are hung.

The path 33 comprises a section in which an area 35 for accumulating the packs is defined, along which the hanging elements 31 are oriented so that the packs are transversal, with reference to the width of the pack, to the direction of advancement therein. treatment. More specifically, in this example, the route 33 has a first straight section 33A in which the reception area 30 is provided, and a second section 33B in which the accumulation area 35 is provided. Conveniently, the part of the line of movement in which the unloading station 15 is present is rectilinear and parallel to the first rectilinear portion 33A, with the direction of extraction of the packs from the unloading station 15 to the receiving area 30 which is substantially orthogonal to these portions; preferably the second section 33B is straight and parallel to the first section 33A.

As can be seen, preferably, the path 33 for moving the hanging elements 31 has a closed loop (the direction of movement is indicated by the arrow H) and the manipulation area 32 is provided downstream of the accumulation area 35 and upstream of the reception area 30, whereby a hanging element 31, after passing through the handling area 32, returns towards the reception area 30. Preferably, an inspection area 36 is provided downstream of the reception area 30 and upstream of the accumulation area 35. In this inspection area viewing means (not shown in the figures), such as for example a video camera, can be arranged for quality control of the pack. In this inspection area, the hanging elements 31 which pass through are oriented so that the packs are parallel, with reference to the width of the pack, to the direction of advancement along the path in this area.

Similarly, also in the handling area 32, the hanging elements 31 which pass through it are oriented so that the packs are parallel, with reference to the width of the pack, to the direction of advancement along the path in this area, in order to facilitate the manipulation phase by an O operator.

To facilitate the package transfer operations, in the package reception area 32, the hanging element 31 which is to receive a package is oriented so that the package received is parallel to the arrival direction of the needles 14 in the parcel unloading station 15.

Therefore, suitably, there are means for varying the orientation of the hanging elements 33 along the path 33. The hanging elements can in fact rotate with respect to the vertical axes Z and along the path they encounter mechanical traps or suitably shaped bulkheads (not shown in the figures) which force them to rotate around Z by a predetermined angle (for example 90 °) to assume the orientations described above, as will become clearer from the following description.

Figure 14a shows a diagram, seen from above, of the receiving module, which is different from that shown in the other figures. In this diagram, the handling area 32 is located at the end of the side of the path 33 relating to the second section 33B where the accumulation area 35 is provided and the inspection area 36 is not present.

In general, in each version, for a balancing question, it may be advantageous to dimension the lengths of the various sections of the path 33 in such a way that the number of hanging elements that can be arranged in the outward sections from the reception area 30 to the manipulation area 32 is equal to the number of hanging elements that can be arranged in the return portions from the manipulation area 32 to the reception area 30.

Preferably, for example with reference to Figure 14a, the overall length of the path that goes from the reception area 30 to the handling area 32 is of a length substantially equal to the overall length of the path that goes from the handling area 32 to the reception area 30 .

In this example, the path 33 provides for an elevated guide 37, supported by a frame 38, along which the hanging elements 31 slide.

Preferably, each hanging element 31 comprises a carriage 39, sliding on the raised guide 37 and equipped with a toothed wheel 40 coupled to a transmission belt or chain 41 which runs along said guide, in turn operatively connected to transmission toothed wheels 42, of which at least one that acts as an engine.

From the trolley 39 a stem 43 extends downwards, preferably vertical, rotatable with respect to the trolley with respect to its axis Z. A head 44 for receiving the packs from the unloading station 15 is arranged along this stem. two support rods 24 for the pack of bags. Preferably these stems 24 are arranged on a bar 45 which extends from said head; the stems 24 (in the example described, the bodies 24B of the stems carrying the tubes 24A which directly support the pack of bags and which are extracted with the pack from these bodies 24B), if suitably unlocked, have the possibility of moving on bar 45 to allow the adjustment of their mutual distance, thus allowing correct alignment with the needles 14.

Conveniently, an anti-slipping device of the pack from the supporting stems 24 can be provided, which takes the form, for example, of a vertically sliding guillotine 46, preferably automatically controlled, in front of the stems 24, at a suitable distance from them such that the bags of the package cannot slip off.

In preferred embodiments, vertical translation means are present for the hanging elements, such as to facilitate at least the operator's manipulation phase, by moving the hanging packs from top to bottom, or by bringing them closer, for example, to a positioned container in the handling area and suitable for receiving the packs extracted from the hanging elements by the operator in this area.

For example, these vertical translation means comprise a sliding coupling between head 44 and shank 43, with relative locking means of the same head on the shank, not shown in the figures, which can be deactivated on command, and a translation slider 47 associated with a translation actuator vertical 48 which interacts with the head 44, releasing its coupling with the stem and bringing the same head into translation on the stem. Means of this type are present both in the receiving area 30, to lift (arrow K in figure 15) the head 44 with the package with respect to the receiving point, and in the handling area 32 (arrow T in figure 16), to lower the head with the pack downwards, facilitating the manipulation / extraction work of the operator, for example to bring the pack close to a container C).

In other embodiments, the vertical translation means can be present only in the manipulation area 32, to facilitate the operator. For example, it is possible to provide that the hanging elements with the packs are always at the height of the unloading from the unloading station 15, i.e. at the height in the receiving area 30 and, once they have reached the handling area 32, the operator, if necessary, can lift the hanging element with the pack, center it on the container C and eventually lower it to the desired height to facilitate the extraction of the pack with the tubes 24A.

The toothed wheel 40 of the carriage 39 of each hanging element is coupled to a clutch mechanism 50 so that with this mechanism 50 activated, the wheel 40 is substantially integral with the carriage and a movement of the belt or chain 41 involves a dragging of the carriage 39, or of the whole hanging element, along the guide 37, while with the mechanism 50 deactivated, the toothed wheel 40 is substantially free to rotate with respect to the trolley so this (and therefore the whole hanging element ) remains stationary on the guide also during the movement of the belt or chain 41.

Preferably, each carriage 39 is equipped with a command 51A-51B for activating / deactivating the clutch mechanism 50 belonging to a carriage 39 that precedes it, so that when the carriages are arranged close to each other, in a row one behind the ™ other, in the accumulation area, the activation / deactivation command 51A-51B of a trolley interacts, deactivating it, with the friction mechanism of the preceding trolley (51B indicates for example a strut that interacts with a button 51A of the trolley above, designed to deactivate the clutch mechanism); At the beginning of the accumulation area, there is a stop (not shown in the figures) for the first trolley of the accumulated row, which can be activated and deactivated on command, so that the last trolley that arrives in the accumulation area must be abuts on the penultimate carriage of the row, stopping but being subject to the traction force of the chain 41 as it lacks a rear command for activating / deactivating its own clutch mechanism; suitably, the friction mechanism 50 is calibrated so that the traction force of the chain 41 is such as to overcome the friction force of the mechanism, thus causing the toothed wheel of the last carriage to rotate, with consequent movement of the same chain.

The operator, according to needs, activates the command that blocks the first trolley in the row, allowing it to move around the handling area. Here too, there is a stop (not shown in the figures), which can be activated and deactivated on command, for the trolley that has reached the handling station, so that the operator can optimally manage the handling and unloading phases of the pack.

The equipment according to the invention may have a receiving module 23 different from the one described, or at least not have any receiving module, directly using an operator on the parcel unloading station 13 or a robot.

Similarly, the receiving module described above, although synergistically optimal for an equipment such as the one presented above, can also be conveniently used in other equipment for handling packets, different from the one described.

It is clear that the invention also relates to a method or system for the formation of packs of bags which involves threading a plurality of plastic bags on at least one needle in a vertical or almost vertical position, and then overturning the at least one needle bringing it in a horizontal or almost horizontal position, and subsequently extracting this bag from at least one needle in this horizontal or almost horizontal position.

The functionality of the technical solution underlying the invention relates to the fact that the needles have the ability to rotate from the sub position. vertical (for example 15 ° from the vertical) or rather described, to a practically horizontal position (90 ° 15 °) in the stations following the forming ones, so that the pack of bags is essentially vertical, supported by the needles (now horizontal). In this position it is extremely easy to transfer the pack of bags from the pair of needles on which the individual bags have been collected to a pair of receiving stems (arranged with the same distance between the holes on the bags) on storage elements, such as for example the hanging elements, sliding on conveyors however configured.

An embodiment of the aforementioned needles, which facilitates and makes the transfer of the packs safer, is the one described, where in each needle there is a sliding sleeve that allows the needle to lengthen in the unloading phase (transfer to the hanging elements ), ensuring correct alignment between the delivery needle and the receiver stem.

From an operational point of view, it is also envisaged that the pack extraction organ, once the active stroke is finished, returns to the starting position by engaging the rotating needles, which from the horizontal position are pushed into the starting position (90 ° 15 °) where for example, suitable magnetic pads (not shown in the figures) are considered to be medium doors.

The operation of transferring the packs from the needles in the forming position (vertical or almost vertical) to another suspension system with horizontal support rods, makes it possible to significantly simplify the Wicket or similar production plant, reducing the length of the collection chain, where it is also possible to group in a single station the functions of tipping the needles and transferring the packs.

The needles with the possibility of rotating can be advantageously mounted on a conveyor belt with three stations, anchored on a station with a U-shaped mechanical structure, in which one of the long sides assumes the function of axis on which the arms of the needles rotate, while the opposite long side will have the function of supporting the arm (held in position where required by a magnetic system) while the connecting side is made integral with the conveyor belt. With this configuration, the portions of the axes of rotation of the needles in the active area of the three stations are coaxial and allow the longitudinal displacement of the needles from one plate station to the other. This solution allows a quick adjustment of the needle pitch when it is necessary for the size of the bags to be produced.

From the point of view of equipment management, there is the possibility of accumulating in a receipt module, in practice a variable capacity warehouse, the packages produced and ready to be packaged for shipment in the proposed configuration, allowing operators to carry out these activities with times practically independent from the production rhythms of the welding machine, making the operation relating to the packaging of the packages themselves ergonomic and less tiring, and allowing quality control also in the form of television memorization of the processing phases.

The rotation of the hanging elements on the guide makes it possible to approach the packs in the direction of thickness in the accumulation area, with very limited dimensions and therefore with a very high load capacity for each meter of length of the suspension guide.

In the unloading station each trolley is positioned frontally to allow the operator to close the sealing means (tubes / ferretti) of the packs.

From the point of view of the vertical position of the trolley with the package, it is possible to vary its height to optimize the placing in the boxes.

It is understood that what has been illustrated represents only possible non-limiting embodiments of the invention, which may vary in forms and arrangements without departing from the scope of the concept underlying the invention. The possible presence of reference numbers in the attached claims has the sole purpose of facilitating the reading in the light of the above description and the attached drawings and does not in any way limit the scope of protection.

Claims (6)

BAG HANDLING EQUIPMENT OF SACKSâ € CLAIMS 1) Equipment for handling packs of bags, of the type with needles supporting packs, comprising - a station for forming (13) the packs (P) of bags (S), in which each pack is inserted, through at least one corresponding hole, in at least one support needle (14) in pack formation, in which said needle (14) is vertical or almost vertical, - an unloading station (15) for the formed packs, - means for overturning (18) said needles (14) from said vertical or almost vertical position, to a horizontal or almost horizontal position to allow the extraction of the packs of bags, and means (19) for extracting said packs from said needles (14) in said horizontal or almost horizontal position, characterized in that it comprises a module (23) for receiving the packs unloaded from said unloading station (15), placed in front of said unloading station (15), able to directly receive the packages extracted from said overturned needles (14). 2) Equipment according to claim 1, comprising a line for moving (16) of said needles (14) from said forming station (13) to said unloading station (15). 3) Equipment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said overturning means (18) are arranged in an overturning station (20) comprised between said forming station (13) and said pack unloading station (15); preferably said extraction means (19) being arranged in said unloading station (15). 4) Equipment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said overturning means and said extraction means are both arranged in said unloading station. 5) Equipment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said forming station also has said overturning means and said extraction means. 6) Equipment according to one or more of claims 1 to 5, wherein said receiving module (23) comprises - a reception area (30) for the parcels coming from said unloading station (15), - a plurality of hanging elements (31) for respective packs (P), - a zone (32) for handling the packs on said hanging elements (31) e - a path (33) for moving said hanging elements (31) from said receiving station (30) to said handling station (32), which comprises a section (33B) in which an accumulation area is defined (35) of the packs along which said hanging elements (31) are oriented so that the packs associated with them are transversal, with reference to the width of the pack, to the direction of advancement (H) in said section (33B) with zone accumulation; preferably said path (33) providing a guide (37) along which said hanging elements (31) slide <.> 7) Equipment according to claim 6, wherein in said area (30) for receiving packs in said module (23), said hanging element (31) adapted to receive a pack is oriented so that said pack (P ) received is parallel to the arrival direction of the needles (14) in said unloading station (15) of the packs. 8) Equipment according to claim 6 or 7, in which the movement path of said hanging elements (31) is closed loop and in which said manipulation area (32) is provided downstream of said accumulation area ( 35) and upstream of said receiving area (30), whereby a hanging element (31), after passing through said handling area (32) returns towards the receiving area (30); preferably an inspection area (36) being provided downstream of said receiving area (30) and upstream of said accumulation area (35), 9) Equipment according to claims 7 and 8, wherein said module (23) has at least a first straight section (33A) of path (33) in which said reception area (30) and at least a second section (33) are provided B) of course in which said accumulation area (35) is foreseen, and in which the part of said handling line (16) in which said unloading station (35) is present is straight and parallel to said first straight section (33A), with the direction of extraction of the packs from said unloading station (15) to said receiving area (30) substantially orthogonal to said section (33A); preferably said second section (33B) of path with accumulation area (35) being straight and parallel to said first section (33A), 10) Equipment according to one or more of claims 6 to 9, wherein said receiving module (23) comprises vertical translation means (47, 48) for at least part of said hanging elements (31) at least in correspondence with said zone (32) and / or of said receiving area (30), 11) Equipment according to one or more of claims 6 to 10, wherein said receiving module (23) comprises means for changing the orientation of said elements hanging in one or more areas of said path. 12) Equipment according to one or more of claims 6 to 11, wherein each hanging element (31) comprises a carriage (39) sliding on a guide (37) and equipped with a kinematic transmission wheel (40) coupled to a transmission belt or chain (41) running along said guide (37), in turn operatively connected to a motor drive, said wheel (40) being coupled to a clutch mechanism (50) so that with said mechanism (50) activated , said wheel (40) is substantially integral with said carriage (39) and a movement of said belt or chain (41) involves dragging said carriage (39) along said guide (37), while with said mechanism (50) deactivated said wheel (40) is substantially free to rotate with respect to said carriage (39) so that the carriage is stationary on said guide (37) even during the movement of said belt or chain (41); each carriage (39) being equipped with an activation / deactivation control (51 A, 51 B) of the said clutch mechanism (50) belonging to a carriage (39) that precedes it, so that when said carriages (39) are arranged close in a row one behind the other in said accumulation area (35), said command (51 A, 51 B) for activating / deactivating a trolley interacts, deactivating it, with the clutch mechanism (50) of the trolley which is There is, at the beginning of said accumulation area (35), a stop for the first trolley of the accumulated row, which can be activated and deactivated so that the last trolley that arrives in the accumulation area, comes to abut on the penultimate trolley of the row, stopping but being subject to the traction force of the belt or chain as it lacks a rear command for activating / deactivating its own friction mechanism, said friction mechanism being calibrated so that said traction force of the chain is such as to overcome and the friction force of the mechanism, thus causing the toothed wheel of said last carriage to rotate, with consequent movement of said belt or chain. 13) Equipment according to one or more of the preceding claims, in which, in said forming station (13), said packs being formed substantially in correspondence with a first side (16A) of said handling line (16), with said packs hanging from the respective needles along said first side of the line, said overturning means (18) comprising an axis of rotation (21) for said at least one needle (14) to which a direction (f) of overturning of said needle is associated whereby said overturned needle is directed outwards from the second side (16B) of said movement line, opposite to said first side (16A); preferably there are means for adjusting the position of said needle along said axis of rotation. 14) Equipment according to claim 13, wherein said overturning means (18) comprise a rotation shaft (21) which develops in proximity to said second side (16B) of the handling line (16), on which it is fixed an arm (17A) for said needle (14) which extends transversely to said line (16), said needle developing from the end of said arm opposite to the fastening one and rotating integrally with said arm. 15) Equipment according to one or more of the preceding claims, in which said overturning means (18) comprise a pusher (22), adapted to impact against said at least one needle (14) according to a direction transverse to the axis of rotation (21) of the same, forcing said needle (14) to rotate from the vertical or almost vertical position to a horizontal or almost horizontal position, 16) Equipment according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one needle (14) carrying said pack, when overturned and during the unloading phase, is overturned and aligned, or facing, to a corresponding support stem (24) , belonging to said receipt form (23), in which said package is able to be inserted; preferably said needle and said support stem being substantially in contact during the transfer of the package from the needle to the stem. 17) Equipment according to claim 16, wherein said extraction means (19) comprise means (26, 27, 28, 29) for pushing said pack from a position close to the base of said needle to a position on said stem supporting the receipt form, 18) Equipment according to claim 17, wherein each needle (14) is formed by an internal rod (14A) and by an external sleeve (14B) sliding on said external rod, the pack of bags formed by said needle (14 ) being arranged on said sleeve (14B); said thrust means of said pack comprising a first part (26) for thrusting said tube (14B) until it meets said support stem (24) and a second part (27) for thrusting said pack towards said stem (24) .