ITMI20101107A1 - GROUP OF FEEDING AND CUTTING OF MATERIAL IN SHEET AND PACKAGING MACHINE OR PACKAGING MACHINE EQUIPPED WITH SUCH A GROUP - Google Patents

Description

FEEDING AND CUTTING GROUP OF MATERIAL IN SHEET AND PACKAGING MACHINE OR WRAPPING MACHINE EQUIPPED WITH

THIS GROUP

The present invention relates to a feeding and cutting unit for sheet material and to a packaging or bagging machine equipped with this unit.

In the advertising sector, a so-called "bus mailing" or "multimailing" direct marketing strategy is known, which consists of bringing together a plurality of advertising messages, catalogs, magazines and / or other promotional paper material in a single packaging to be sent to potential customers . The packaging is usually made up of a plastic package or an envelope designed for postage, usually obtained by means of a film or paper packaging machine or a bagging machine. Bus mailing is particularly effective for:

- identify and contact potential customers interested in the offer of a specific type of product;

- collect names and information relating to people interested in a specific type of product, for the subsequent sending of catalogs or more detailed offers;

- directly sell products of simple illustration and medium / low unit price;

- send invitations for participation in promotional events, fairs and exhibitions;

- carry out economic and quick-reading tests for subsequent direct marketing actions.

In addition to the anonymous promotional documentation, the package can therefore also contain one or more cards, coupons or return receipts that the potential customer should fill in with their data and then return to the sender. These return cards or receipts must be inserted, individually and correctly, inside the respective package during the production phase of the latter.

Currently, the anonymous printing, ie without the pre-filled address of the recipient, of these forms or return receipts is envisaged. This clearly avoids the possibility of errors in the pairing between the anonymous promotional documentation and the related acknowledgment of receipt, but requires the prospect to have to manually fill in the acknowledgment of receipt in order to be able to send it back. It follows that the marketing strategy underlying the "bus mailing" is considerably less effective, as customers, not liking the fact of having to manually transcribe their data, do not normally send back the return receipts.

Packaging or bagging machines have therefore been created that are able to process the return cards or receipts once they have already been pre-printed with all the data of the recipient of the material contained in the package. However, these machines require the printed return receipts to be fed separately on several separate sheet feeder devices, each equipped with its own camera or other optoelectronic reader for the univocal identification of the code present on the return receipt itself. The machine must also feed the promotional material and insert, in a single package or envelope, the correct quantity and type of material for each individual recipient, together with the appropriate return form or receipt.

However, all these operations are rather complex, and can give rise to many more errors, due to the insertion of wrong cards inside the packages, the more promotional material is to be sent to the same recipient and the greater the quantity of packages to be processed. In addition, in the presence of jams and / or misalignments of the packaging or bagging machine, it may be necessary to reprint all the cards containing the addresses and restart the entire procedure to avoid the aforementioned errors, with an evident increase in production costs and material. waste.

The purpose of the present invention is therefore to provide a feeding and cutting unit for sheet material and a packaging or bagging machine equipped with this unit, intended in particular but not exclusively for the preparation of packages containing promotional material, which is able to solve the aforementioned drawbacks of the known art in a simple, economical and particularly functional way.

In detail, it is an object of the invention to provide a feeding and cutting unit for sheet material, as well as a packaging or bagging machine equipped with this unit which allows to simplify the operations of preparing packages containing anonymous promotional material and at least one pre-filled form.

Another object of the invention is that of realizing a feeding and cutting unit for sheet material which allows to reduce the preparation time of the aforementioned packages or envelopes.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a feed and cutting unit for sheet material which can minimize the possibility of jamming and / or misalignments of the relative packaging or bagging machine.

These objects according to the present invention are achieved by realizing a feeding and cutting unit for sheet material, as well as a packaging or bagging machine equipped with this unit, as set out in the independent claims.

Further characteristics of the invention are highlighted by the dependent claims, which are an integral part of the present description.

The characteristics and advantages of a feeding and cutting unit for sheet material and of a packaging or bagging machine equipped with this unit according to the present invention will become more evident from the following description, which is exemplary and not limiting, referring to the attached schematic drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation view of a packaging or bagging machine equipped with a feed and cutting unit for sheet material according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the packaging or bagging machine of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a partial sectional side elevation view of a sheet material feeding and cutting unit according to the invention;

Figure 4 shows the basic operations, on each single set of sheets still solidified and in process, carried out by the various modules of the feeding and cutting unit of sheet material of Figure 3;

Figure 5 shows a first example of operation of the sheet material feeding and cutting unit of Figure 3;

Figures 5A and 5B show one of the sets of sheets being processed, respectively at the entry and exit from the feeding and cutting unit, on the basis of the first example of operation of Figure 5;

Figure 6 shows a second example of operation of the sheet material feeding and cutting unit of Figure 3; And

Figures 6A and 6B show one of the sets of sheets being processed, respectively entering and leaving the feeding and cutting unit, according to the second example of operation of Figure 6.

With reference in particular to Figures 1 and 2, a packaging or bagging machine equipped with a feeding and cutting unit for sheet material according to the invention is shown. The feeding and cutting unit, indicated as a whole with the reference number 10, is capable of cutting and therefore separating, rapidly and automatically, a plurality of distinct sets P of pre-printed sheets S, which contain the data of the recipients of the packs that the subsequent stations or modules of the packaging or bagging machine are able to produce.

As shown in Figure 3, the feeding and cutting assembly 10 first of all comprises a first feeding device 12 with conveyor belt, on which the sets P of sheets S to be processed are loaded. The conveyor belt of the first feeding device 12 is preferably horizontally developed and the sets P of sheets S are loaded on it in such a way as to be inclined forward, in the form of a scale, in the direction of advance of the conveyor belt itself. This forward inclination favors the subsequent step of unloading the sets P of sheets S from the first feeder device 12.

Each booklet P comprises a plurality of sheets S printed on one or both sides, joined together and connected in various ways by folding lines. The printing and folding phases, which can be customized according to customer needs, are carried out before the P sets are introduced into the feeding and cutting unit 10. In practice, each set P of sheets S comes from a reel of paper or from uniquely pre-printed and pre-addressed sheets, which are subsequently folded. Each booklet P can therefore comprise several parts (sheets S) each intended to form a pre-filled card (or coupon, or return receipt) to be inserted in each package or envelope that will subsequently be produced in the packaging or bagging machine.

In particular, as shown for example in Figure 5A, at least one sheet S of each file P, conveniently the sheet placed at the base or on the top of the file P itself, comprises a peripheral edge on which one or more identity codes are imprinted. These codes, which can be impressed on the transverse and / or longitudinal edges of the sheet S, are used to uniquely identify each set P and, once read by suitable optoelectronic detection means, determine the selective feeding of inserts by means of a selective feeding device. of paper material 66 and, if necessary, the printing of the address, corresponding to the detected identity, by means of a printing device 70.

The files P of sheets S coming from the conveyor belt of the first feeding device 12 are unloaded onto a second feeding device 14 of the hopper type, in which these files P are superimposed on each other in order to be picked up individually, by means of suitable means pickup 16 with rotating roller and belt, in correspondence with the base portion of this second feeder device 14. The assembly consisting of the first feeder device 12 and the second feeder device 14, also referred to as "module A" in figure 3, allows then to manipulate the sets P of sheets S as indicated by the reference "A" in Figure 4.

The pick-up means 16 with rotating roller and belt of the second feeding device 14 are able to arrange each set P of sheets S on a conveyor belt 18 of the type with pushers or "porters" 20, also referred to as "module B" in the figure 3 and positioned below this second feeding device 14. These pushers 20 are positioned on the conveyor belt 18 in such a way as to space the individual sets P of sheets S according to a predefined and constant pitch. The conveyor belt 18 is driven by independent motorized control means 22.

One or more optoelectronic readers 24 are arranged along the conveyor belt 18, consisting for example of a camera or a barcode reader suitable for reading the identity of the product, capable of reading the identity codes imprinted on the peripheral edges of the upper or lower sheet S of each set P. The optoelectronic reader 24 can be arranged, for example, in correspondence with the rotating roller and belt pick-up means 16 of the second feeder device 14, i.e. upstream of the conveyor belt 18. In alternatively, this optoelectronic reader 24 can be arranged above the conveyor belt 18, preferably in correspondence with its terminal portion. A central control unit 26, which supervises the operation of the entire feeding and cutting unit 10, is able to process the information coming from the optoelectronic reader 24 to control further devices of the packaging or bagging machine, namely the selective feeding of paper material 66 and / or the device 70 for personalized printing on the package or envelope which represents the final means of dispatch.

An overturning device 28 can also be positioned along the conveyor belt 18, equipped with transport belts 30 and also referred to as "module C" in figure 3, capable of picking up and overturning each set P of sheets S in transit on this belt conveyor 18 if the sheet S provided with the peripheral edges on which the codes are imprinted faces downwards (figure 6A) or, in other words, cannot be read by the optoelectronic reader 24. Alternatively or in addition, the overturning device 28 is capable of picking up and overturning each set P of sheets S also to arrange, according to requirements, the folding line of the set P itself in front or behind the direction of advancement of the conveyor belt 18. For example, Figure 5 shows shown sets P of sheets S fed onto the conveyor belt 18 with the folding line facing forward: the overturning device 28 picks up these bundles coli P of sheets S one at a time, overturns them and repositions them on the conveyor belt 18 in such a way that, downstream of the overturning device 28 itself, the folding line faces backwards.

Once suitably positioned on the conveyor belt 18, the sets P of sheets S are fed to a cutting device 32, located downstream of said conveyor belt 18 and provided with its own means of transporting the sets P of sheets S. The cutting device 32 comprises a first longitudinal cutting station 34 (also referred to as "module D" in Figure 3), capable of cutting the longitudinal edges of each set P of sheets S, and a second transversal cutting station 36 (also referred to as "module E" in figure 3), that is capable of cutting the transverse edges in front and / or behind of each set P of sheets S. The aforementioned cutting operations allow to obtain, at the output from the feeding and cutting unit 10, a plurality of single sheets S, folded or not, starting from the corresponding set P. These single sheets S, uniquely identified by the respective codes, will be subsequently matched, one by one, to the packages or envelopes made by the modules of the packaging or bagging machine located downstream of the feeding and cutting unit 10.

In particular, the transport means of the cutting device 32 can advantageously comprise a first lower conveyor belt 38, on which the sets P of sheets S rest during the cutting operations, and a second upper conveyor belt 40, facing the first conveyor belt 38 in a "sandwich" configuration, in such a way as to keep the cut sheets S compact until they exit the feeding and cutting unit 10. Numerous roller return means 42 allow both conveyor belts, the lower one 38 and the upper one 40, to extend along the entire length of the cutting device 32 without hindering the operations of the first longitudinal cutting station 34 and of the second transversal cutting station 36.

Both conveyor belts, the lower one 38 and the upper one 40, are driven by independent motorized control means 44. These motorized control means 44 are adjustable to vary the speed of movement of the lower 38 and upper 40 conveyor belts, in order to obtain a predefined variation of the distance (pitch) between sets P of contiguous sheets S.

The first longitudinal cutting station 34 comprises two pairs of circular blades 46 and 48 arranged on each side of the transport means of the cutting device 32. A first circular blade 46 of each pair is placed under the transport means of the cutting device. cut 32, while the other circular blade 48 of each pair is arranged above said transport means. The two circular blades 46 and 48 of each pair are in mutual contact to remove, as a result of their rotation, the longitudinal edges of each set P of sheets S. The two pairs of circular blades 46 and 48, which can be operated only from one side of the means of transport of the cutting device 32 or from both sides, are controlled by its own gearmotor group 50. In correspondence with these pairs of circular blades 46 and 48 there is a first suction device 52 for collecting the scraps obtained from the sheets S following the longitudinal cutting operations.

The second transversal cutting station 36 therefore comprises one or two rectilinear blades 54 which extend in a direction orthogonal to the direction of advancement of the transport means of the cutting device 32. The blade or blades 54 move vertically with reciprocating motion to remove the edge or transverse edges of each set P of sheets S. Also in this case the blade or blades 54 are controlled by their own gearmotor assembly 56 by means of an eccentric 58. In correspondence with said blade or blades 54, a second suction device 60 for collecting the scraps obtained from the sheets S following the transversal cutting operations.

To avoid damage or accidental cutting of the means of transport of the cutting device 32, consisting of the lower 38 and upper 40 conveyor belts, these means of transport are immediately interrupted upstream of the blade or blades 54, which otherwise would intersect the means of transport themselves. Thanks to the respective roller return means 42, in fact, the two lower 38 and upper 40 conveyor belts are respectively able to pass under and above the blade or blades 54, and then rejoin immediately downstream of said blade. or blades 54 and continue to transport the sets P of sheets S, now cut both longitudinally and transversely, towards the exit from the feeding and cutting unit 10.

As shown in Figures 5B and 6B, the cut in the transverse direction can involve both the edge provided with a folding line of the sets P of sheets S, and the edge in which this folding line is absent. In case of presence of two rectilinear blades 54, parallel to each other, it is in fact possible to obtain at the same time the transversal cut both of the rear edge of one of the sets P of sheets S, and of the front edge of the immediately following set P. The type of cutting of the sets P of sheets S, both in the longitudinal direction and in the transverse direction, is in any case dependent on the original folding that the sheets S of each set P undergo before being introduced into the feeding and cutting unit 10.

Once out of the feeding and cutting assembly 10, the pre-printed and cut sheets S are conveyed onto a conveyor belt 62 to be sent to the subsequent stations of the packaging or bagging machine. A first of these stations can comprise a further overturning device 64, which definitively orients the pre-printed and cut sheets S on the conveyor belt 62 before the final packaging steps. Downstream of the further overturning device 64, when present, there is provided a plurality of selective feeding devices for paper material 66, or sheet feeder devices. Each sheet feeder device 66 is capable of feeding paper inserts or documents, in this case promotional material, selectively or unambiguously based on the code detected on the sheets S by the optoelectronic readers 24 and processed by the central control unit 26 of the power supply unit and cut 10. Each of the stacks of paper documents thus formed will then be combined with one of the pre-printed and cut sheets S coming from the feeding and cutting unit 10.

Once the operation of preparing the groups of material to be sent, each comprising a stack of paper documents and at least one pre-printed and cut sheet S, has been completed, these groups of material are sent to a packaging device 68 located downstream of the sheet feeder devices 66. packaging device 68 is capable of introducing each group of material into a suitable package. This package can be constituted, for example, by a wrapping in paper or in a film of thermoplastic material, or by an envelope with or without a window. The packages thus formed can be sent to a printing unit 70 for the application of the shipping address, which is the same as the basic paper documents, on the envelope or on the wrapping.

It has thus been seen that the group for feeding and cutting sheet material, as well as the packaging or bagging machine equipped with such a group, according to the present invention achieve the purposes outlined above. The possibility of processing single sets of customized sheets already printed, each of which forming a single coupon or return receipt, allows to reduce the preparation time of the packages, as well as to reduce the complexity of the collection machine that precedes the bagging machine or the packaging machine, whose sheet feeder devices operate solely for the manipulation of the anonymous documentation of each package.

The sheet material feeding and cutting unit of the present invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations in any case, all of which are within the scope of the same inventive concept; furthermore, all the details can be replaced by technically equivalent elements. In practice, the materials used, as well as the shapes and dimensions, may be any according to the technical requirements.

The scope of protection of the invention is therefore defined by the attached claims.

Claims (21)

CLAIMS 1. Feeding and cutting unit (10) of sets (P) of pre-printed sheets (S), joined together and variously connected by folding lines, at least one sheet (S) of each set (P) comprising one or more codes univocal identification of each booklet (P), imprinted on the transverse and / or longitudinal edges of said sheet (S), the feeding and cutting unit (10) comprising: - a first feeding device (12) with conveyor belt, onto which the sets (P) of sheets (S) to be processed are loaded; - a second hopper feeder (14), located downstream of said first conveyor belt feeder (12) and capable of individually arranging each set (P) of sheets (S) on a conveyor belt (18) positioned at the below said second feeding device (14); one or more optoelectronic readers (24), arranged along said conveyor belt (18) and capable of reading the codes impressed on the transverse and / or longitudinal edges of said at least one sheet (S) of each booklet (P); a cutting device (32), placed downstream of said conveyor belt (18) and provided with its own means of transport (38, 40) of the sets (P) of sheets (S), said cutting device (32) being in able to perform cutting operations of the longitudinal and / or transversal edges of each set (P) of sheets (S), said cutting operations allowing to obtain, at the output from the feeding and cutting unit (10), a plurality of sheets ( S) single, folded or not, starting from the corresponding file (P). 2. Feeding and cutting unit (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises an overturning device (28), positioned along said conveyor belt (18) and provided with transport belts (30), capable of picking up each set (P) of sheets (S) in transit on said conveyor belt (18), overturn it and reposition it on said conveyor belt (18). 3. Feeding and cutting unit (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a central control unit (26), capable of processing the information coming from said one or more optoelectronic readers (24) for control additional devices located downstream of the feeding and cutting unit (10). 4. Feeding and cutting unit (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said cutting device (32) comprises a first longitudinal cutting station (34), capable of cutting the longitudinal edges of each set (P) of sheets (S), and a second transversal cutting station (36), capable of cutting the transverse edges in front and / or behind each set (P) of sheets (S). 5. Feeding and cutting unit (10) according to claim 4, characterized in that said first longitudinal cutting station (34) comprises two pairs of circular blades (46, 48) arranged on each side of the transport means (38, 40) of the cutting device (32), a first circular blade (46) of each pair being placed under said transport means (38, 40) and the other circular blade (48) of each pair being arranged at the above said transport means (38, 40), the two circular blades (46, 48) of each pair being in mutual contact to remove, following their rotation, the longitudinal edges of each set (P) of sheets ( S). 6. Feeding and cutting unit (10) according to claim 5, characterized in that in correspondence with said two pairs of circular blades (46, 48) a first suction device (52) is provided for collecting the scraps obtained from sheets (S) following the longitudinal cutting operations. 7. Feeding and cutting unit (10) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that said two pairs of circular blades (46, 48) are controlled by their own gearmotor unit (50) and can be operated only from one side of said transport means (38, 40) or on both sides of said transport means (38, 40). 8. Feeding and cutting unit (10) according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that said second transversal cutting station (36) comprises one or two rectilinear blades (54) which extend in an orthogonal direction with respect to the direction of advancement of the transport means (38, 40) of the cutting device (32), said one or two rectilinear blades (54) moving vertically with reciprocating motion to remove the edge or the transverse edges of each set (P) of sheets ( S). 9. Feeding and cutting unit (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that in correspondence with said one or two straight blades (54) a second suction device (60) is provided for collecting the scraps obtained from the sheets ( S) following the transversal cutting operations. 10. Feeding and cutting unit (10) according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that said one or two rectilinear blades (54) are controlled by their own geared motor unit (56) by means of an eccentric (58). 11. Feeding and cutting unit (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transport means (38, 40) of the cutting device (32) comprise a first lower conveyor belt (38), on which they rest the sets (P) of sheets (S) during the cutting operations, and a second upper conveyor belt (40), facing the first lower conveyor belt (38) in a "sandwich" configuration, in such a way as to keep compact sheets (S) cut up to the exit from the feeding and cutting unit (10). 12. Feeding and cutting unit (10) according to claim 11, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of roller return means (42) which allow said lower (38) and upper (40) conveyor belts to extend along the whole the length of the cutting device (32) without hindering the cutting operations. 13. Feeding and cutting unit (10) according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that said lower (38) and upper (40) conveyor belts are operated by independent and adjustable motorized control means (44) to vary the speed of movement of said lower (38) and upper (40) conveyor belts, in order to obtain a predefined variation of the distance (pitch) between sets (P) of contiguous sheets (S). 14. Feeding and cutting unit (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that said one or more optoelectronic readers (24) are arranged in correspondence with the second feeding device (14), upstream of the conveyor belt (18). 15. Feeding and cutting unit (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that said one or more optoelectronic readers (24) are arranged above the conveyor belt (18), in correspondence with its portion terminal. 16. Feeding and cutting unit (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said one or more optoelectronic readers (24) consist of cameras or bar code readers suitable for reading the identity of the product. Feeding and cutting unit (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said second hopper feeder device (14) comprises, in correspondence with its base portion, pick-up means (16) with rotating roller and belt, capable of individually picking up each set (P) of sheets (S) to arrange it on said conveyor belt (18). 18. Feeding and cutting unit (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said conveyor belt (18) is of the type with pushers (20), said pushers (20) being positioned in such a way as to distance the individual sets (P) of sheets (S) according to a predefined and constant pitch. 19. Packaging or bagging machine comprising: - a feeding and cutting unit (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 18; - a conveyor belt (62) capable of sending the pre-printed and cut sheets (S), once they leave the feeding and cutting unit (10), to the subsequent stations of the packaging or bagging machine; - a plurality of devices (66) for the selective feeding of paper material, located downstream of the feeding and cutting unit (10) and each capable of forming a stack of paper documents based on the code detected on the sheets (S) by the readers optoelectronic (24) and processed by the central control unit (26) of the feeding and cutting unit (10), each of said stacks of paper documents being combined with one of the pre-printed and cut sheets (S) coming from said feeding unit and cutting (10); - at least one packaging device (68), located downstream of the selective feeding devices (66) of paper material and capable of introducing each group of material, consisting of a stack of paper documents and at least one pre-printed sheet (S) and cut, in a special package or envelope. 20. Packaging or bagging machine according to claim 19, further comprising a further overturning device (64), placed between the feeding and cutting unit (10) and the devices (66) for the selective feeding of paper material, able to definitively orient the sheets (S) pre-printed and cut on the conveyor belt (62) before the final packaging stages. 21. Packaging or bagging machine according to claim 19 or 20, further comprising a printing unit (70) for applying the shipping address, which is the same as the basic paper material, on the packages formed by the packaging device ( 68).