JP2024060314A - Sheet supply machine and filling/packaging device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a slimmer and lighter sheet supply machine, and a filling/packaging device comprising the sheet supply machine.SOLUTION: A support part 4 is formed by arranging a support shaft 40 on its central axis, and a head part 40a of the support shaft 40 is made to loosely penetrate a plate-like first support wall part 51 arranged in a vertical direction. On one surface of the first support wall part 51, a slightly long cylindrical bearing 41 is fixed, and another part to be communicated with the head part 40a of the support shaft 40 is fitted into the cylindrical bearing 41, and the support shaft 40 is supported by the cylindrical bearing 41 to be able to advance/retreat in its longitudinal direction and to be able to rotate around the central axis of the cylindrical bearing 41. An outer peripheral surface of the head part 40a of the support shaft 40 is formed to be a screw part, and a rotating annular body 61 for normally and reversely rotating the support shaft 40 is externally fitted and screwed to the head part 40a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention is applied to a filling and packaging device that forms a strip-shaped sheet into a packaging bag while filling the bag with the packaged item, and relates to a sheet feeder that supports a roll of wound sheet and feeds the sheet from the supported roll, and a filling and packaging device equipped with the sheet feeder.

In the food manufacturing industry, a filling and packaging device is used to form a strip-shaped sheet into a packaging bag while filling it with the packaged item.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing the main components of a filling and packaging device disclosed in Patent Document 1, which will be described later. In the figure, R is a sheet roll made of a wound strip-shaped sheet. The sheet S drawn out from the sheet roll R supported by the sheet feeder 210 is guided to the collar-shaped shaping plate 130 while the required tension is applied via multiple rolls 120, 120, ..., where it is shaped into a collar shape, and then guided to the upper end vicinity of the vertically arranged cylindrical tubular shaping plate 140, where both edges of the strip are butted together by a specified width, and the remaining part of the strip is formed into a cylindrical shape following the outer circumferential surface of the tubular shaping plate 140.

A fusion machine 150 that fuses the butted edges of the sheet S is disposed opposite the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical shaping plate 140 at a predetermined distance near the lower end of the cylindrical shaping plate 140. The fusion machine 150 fuses the butted edges of the sheet S to form a cylindrical body T that is pulled out below the cylindrical shaping plate 140. A liquid or gel-like filling material is injected into the cylindrical body T through an injection tube 200 that passes through the cylindrical shaping plate 140. Below the cylindrical shaping plate 140, there are arranged in this order a pair of feed rolls 121, 121 that clamp the cylindrical body T and send it downstream, a pair of regulating plates 240, 240 that regulate the amount of filling material G injected into the cylindrical body T, a horizontal sealing machine 260 that seals the entire width of the cylindrical body T to form packaging bags H, H, ..., and a cutting machine 270 that cuts between each of the packaging bags H, H, ..., and the packaging bags H, H, ... filled with the filling material are transported out.

In such a filling and packaging device, it is important to control the meandering of the sheet S pulled out from the sheet roll R. In this regard, for example, Patent Document 2 described below discloses a sheet feeder that can maintain a constant central position in the width direction even when sheet rolls R of different widths are attached.

Figure 9 is a front view showing the configuration of the sheet feeder disclosed in Patent Document 2, in which 300 is a roll holding section that holds the sheet roll R. The roll holding section 300 is equipped with a support shaft 400 that supports the sheet roll R. A roll stopper 410 made of a plate material formed into an annular shape is fitted and fixed to the outside of the support shaft 400 at approximately the center position in the axial direction of the support shaft 400, and the hollow core part of the sheet roll R is inserted into the front part 400f on one end side of the roll stopper 410 of the support shaft 400, and one side edge of the sheet roll R is abutted against the roll stopper 410 to hold the sheet roll R.

The rear part 400b of the support shaft 400 passes through a bracket 500 that is approximately L-shaped when viewed from the front, and a gear G1 is fixedly fitted between the bracket 500 at the rear part 400b and the roll stopper 410. This gear G1 is meshed with another gear G2 fixed to one end of the output shaft 510 that passes through the rising part of the bracket 500, and the output shaft 510, the other gear G2, the gear G1, and the support shaft 400 are rotated by a drive motor M that drives the output shaft 510, so that the sheet S is unwound from the sheet roll R supported by the front part 400f of the support shaft 400.

As described above, the bracket 500 through which the rear part 400b of the support shaft 400 passes supports the roll holding part 300, and the bracket 500 is supported on a pair of rails 610 arranged parallel to the rear part 400b so that it can move in its longitudinal direction. Between the rails 610 and the bracket 500, a cylinder 620 is interposed in a position parallel to the rails 610, and the tip of the rod 625 of the cylinder 620 is fixed to a connecting piece 630 suspended from the bracket 500.

In this type of sheet feeder, the rod 625 of the cylinder 620 is extended and retracted so that the central position in the width direction of the sheet roll R is located at a predetermined position based on the width dimension of the sheet roll R held by the roll holding unit 300. This makes it possible to keep the central position in the width direction of the sheet roll R held by the roll holding unit 300 constant even when sheet rolls R of different width dimensions are attached.

JP 2009-91002 A

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-314604

Although such a conventional sheet feeder can be applied to a mechanism for controlling the meandering of the sheet S unwound from the sheet roll R supported by the support shaft 400, as described above, the roll holding part 300 is driven forward and backward in the axial direction of the support shaft 400 together with the bracket 500 that supports it, so the spatial area occupied by the sheet feeder is very large and it cannot be installed in a relatively narrow area. In addition, the support shaft 400 is a redundant member consisting of a front part 400f that supports the sheet roll R and a rear part 400b that is supported by the bracket 500, so its own weight is large, and the support shaft 400 and the bracket 500 that supports the sheet roll R supported by the support shaft 400 also need to have a correspondingly large weight, so the weight of the sheet feeder was excessive.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and provides a slimmer and lighter sheet feeder, and a filling and packaging device equipped with the sheet feeder.

(1) The sheet feeder according to the present invention is a sheet feeder that includes a support section that rotatably supports a sheet roll formed by winding a strip-shaped sheet, a brake section that stops the rotation of the support section, and a plurality of rolls that are arranged at a distance from each other downstream of the support section and that feed sheets downstream from the sheet roll supported by the support section, and that feeds sheets downstream of the rolls, and is characterized in that the support section is supported by a support wall section in a manner in which one end of the support section penetrates the support wall section, and that the sheet feeder is configured to detect meandering of the sheet fed by each of the rolls, and to move the support section forward and backward relative to the support wall section based on the detection result, thereby controlling the meandering of the sheet.

The sheet feeder of the present invention includes a support section that rotatably supports a sheet roll formed by winding a strip-shaped sheet, a brake section that stops the rotation of the support section, and a plurality of rolls that are arranged at a distance from each other downstream of the support section and feed the sheet downstream from the sheet roll supported by the support section, and the support section is supported by a support wall section in a manner in which one end of the support section penetrates the support wall section. The sheet feeder detects the meandering of the sheet fed by each roll, and based on the detection result, moves the support section forward and backward relative to the support wall section to control the meandering of the sheet.

For example, if the sheet being sent downstream by each roll meanders in a positive direction in the width direction, the sheet feeder detects the meandering and moves the support section back and forth relative to the support wall section so that the sheet being sent by each roll becomes negative in the width direction. On the other hand, if the sheet being sent by each roll meanders in a negative direction in the width direction, the sheet feeder detects the meandering and moves the support section back and forth relative to the support wall section so that the sheet being sent by each roll becomes positive in the width direction. This controls the sheet to eliminate meandering.

In this way, the sheet feeder of the present invention is configured to control the meandering of the sheets fed by each roll by moving the support part that supports the sheet rolls back and forth relative to the support wall part, making it possible to make the sheet feeder as slim as possible and to make the entire device lightweight.

(2) The sheet feeder according to the present invention is a sheet feeder that includes a support section that rotatably supports a sheet roll formed by winding a strip-shaped sheet, a brake section that stops the rotation of the support section, and a plurality of rolls that are arranged at a distance from each other downstream of the support section and that feed the sheet downstream from the sheet roll supported by the support section, and that feeds the sheet downstream of the rolls, and is characterized in that it includes a support wall section that supports the support section with one end thereof penetrated, a detection means that detects the meandering of the sheet fed by each of the rolls, an advance/retract section that moves the support section forward and backward relative to the support wall section, an advance/retract drive section that applies a driving force to the advance/retract section, and a meander control means that drives the advance/retract drive section forward and backward based on the detection result of the detection means to control the meandering of the sheet.

The sheet feeder of the present invention comprises a support section that rotatably supports a sheet roll formed by winding a strip-shaped sheet, a brake section that stops the rotation of the support section, and a plurality of rolls that are arranged at a distance from each other downstream of the support section and feed the sheet downstream from the sheet roll supported by the support section. The sheet feeder further comprises a support wall section that supports the support section with one end thereof penetrated, and the support section is advanced and retreated relative to the support wall section by an advance/retract section. The advance/retract section is driven forward and backward by an advance/retract drive section.

The meandering of the sheet fed by each roll is detected by a detection means, and the meandering control means drives the forward and backward drive unit forward and backward based on the detection result of the detection means to control the meandering of the sheet.

This sheet feeder is configured in this way, and as before, the support parts that support the sheet rolls are moved forward and backward relative to the support wall parts to control the meandering of the sheets fed by each roll, making it possible to make the sheet feeder as slim as possible and to make the entire device lighter.

(3) In the sheet feeder according to the present invention, the support section includes a cylindrical bearing fixed to one surface of the support wall section, a support shaft having one end penetrating the cylindrical bearing and the support wall section, which is supported so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical bearing and rotatable about the central axis of the cylindrical bearing, and a cylindrical member rotatably fitted to the other end side of the support shaft from the cylindrical bearing, and the advancing/retracting section is screwed to one end of the support shaft protruding from the support wall section. The device is characterized in that it comprises a rotating ring for rotating the support shaft forward and backward, an advancing/retreating sprocket fitted and fixed to the rotating ring, and a bearing fixed concentrically to the other surface of the support wall with the central axis of the support shaft and fitted to the forward and backward sprocket, and the forward and backward drive unit comprises a drive motor, and an annular member is looped around the forward and backward sprocket and the forward and backward drive unit to transmit the forward and reverse rotation of the drive motor to the forward and backward sprocket.

In the sheet feeder of the present invention, the support section includes a cylindrical bearing fixed to one surface of the support wall section, and the support shaft, one end of which passes through the cylindrical bearing and the support wall section, is supported by the cylindrical bearing so that it can move back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical bearing and can rotate around the central axis of the cylindrical bearing. A cylindrical member is rotatably fitted onto the other end of the support shaft from the cylindrical bearing, and the portion of the sheet roll supported by the support section that faces the cylindrical member is supported by the cylindrical member so that it can rotate around the support shaft.

The aforementioned forward and backward movement part is screwed to one end of the support shaft protruding from the support wall, and is equipped with a rotation ring for rotating the support shaft forward and backward, and a forward and backward movement sprocket fitted and fixed to the outside of the rotation ring, and the forward and backward movement sprocket is rotatably supported by a bearing fixed to the other surface of the support wall, concentrically with the central axis of the support shaft.

As a result, when the rotating ring is rotated forward or backward via the forward/backward sprocket, one end of the support shaft advances and retreats in its longitudinal direction, and the other end of the support shaft, including the portion that passes through the cylindrical bearing, also advances and retreats in the longitudinal direction of the support shaft.

The aforementioned forward/reverse drive unit is equipped with a drive motor, and the forward/reverse rotation of the drive motor is transmitted to the forward/reverse sprocket by an annular member that is wrapped around the forward/reverse sprocket and the forward/reverse drive unit, so that the rotating ring rotates forward and backward as described above, and the support shaft advances and retreats in its longitudinal direction.

(4) The sheet feeder according to the present invention is characterized in that a brake sprocket that is linked to the brake unit is fitted and fixed to the cylindrical bearing, and a contact part formed of a plate material in an annular shape is arranged concentrically with the central axis of the support shaft and facing the brake sprocket so as to contact one side edge of the sheet roll supported by the support part, the contact part is held by a cylindrical holding member that is fitted and fixed to the end of the cylindrical member on the support wall side, the contact part has a plurality of through holes, and a communication bar is protruded parallel to the support shaft at a position facing each of the through holes of the brake sprocket, and each communication bar is inserted into the through hole of the opposing contact part so as to be able to advance and retreat.

In the sheet feeder of the present invention, a brake sprocket that works in conjunction with the brake unit described above is fitted and fixed to the cylindrical bearing, and a contact portion made of a plate material shaped into an annular shape is arranged concentrically with the central axis of the support shaft and facing the brake sprocket so that one side edge of the sheet roll supported by the support unit can contact it. This contact portion is held by a cylindrical holding member that is fitted and fixed to the end of the cylindrical member on the support wall side, and the sheet roll with one side edge abutting against the contact portion is supported by this holding member so as to be freely rotatable around the support shaft.

The abutment portion has multiple through holes. On the other hand, a communication bar protrudes parallel to the support shaft at a position facing each through hole of the brake sprocket that faces the abutment portion, and each communication bar is inserted into the through hole of the opposing abutment portion so that it can move forward and backward.

As a result, when the braking sprocket can rotate freely, the abutment portion and the holding member can also rotate freely around the support shaft via each connecting bar and each through hole, while when the rotation of the braking sprocket is stopped by the brake portion, the abutment portion and the holding member are also stopped from rotating around the support shaft via each connecting bar and each through hole.

As the support shaft advances and retreats in its axial direction, the retaining member and the abutment portion also advance and retreat in the axial direction of the support shaft, while the cylindrical bearing fixed to the support wall portion and the brake sprocket fixed to the cylindrical bearing do not advance or retreat. However, since each communication bar fixed to the brake sprocket is inserted into the corresponding through-hole of the abutment portion so that it can advance and retreat, the support shaft advances and retreats smoothly.

(5) The sheet feeder according to the present invention is characterized in that a ring member having an outer diameter larger than that of the contact portion is attached to the contact portion concentrically with the central axis of the contact portion, and a pair of proximity sensors for detecting the approach of the ring member are disposed on the outside of the ring member at an appropriate distance in the axial direction of the support shaft so as to face the ring member, and when either of the proximity sensors detects the approach of the ring member, the forward/backward drive unit is stopped.

In the sheet feeder of the present invention, a ring member with an outer diameter larger than that of the abutment portion is attached concentrically to the central axis of the abutment portion at the abutment portion where one side edge of the sheet roll abuts. A pair of proximity sensors that detect the approach of the ring member are arranged on the outside of the ring member at an appropriate distance in the axial direction of the support shaft, facing the ring member. When either of the proximity sensors detects the approach of the ring member, the forward/backward drive unit stops operating. This prevents the support shaft from falling off and ensures safety.

(6) The sheet feeder according to the present invention is characterized in that the support section further includes a carrying section that carries the other end of the support shaft so that the other end can move back and forth in the axial direction, and the carrying section is configured to be removable.

In the sheet feeder of the present invention, the aforementioned support section further includes a support section that supports the other end of the support shaft so that it can move back and forth in the axial direction. As a result, the support shaft is supported at both ends, so that it can fully withstand the load of the sheet roll and can be smoothly fed out regardless of the load of the sheet roll.

On the other hand, because the support part is removable, the support part does not get in the way when attaching and detaching the sheet roll to and from the support part, allowing the sheet roll to be attached and detached smoothly.

(7) The sheet feeder according to the present invention is characterized in that the detection means includes a pair of detectors for detecting the sheet, and both detectors are disposed at a predetermined distance in the longitudinal direction and width direction of the sheet on one side of the sheet fed between the rolls.

In the sheet feeder of the present invention, the detection means described above includes a pair of detectors, such as optical sensors, that detect the sheet. Both detectors are disposed at a predetermined distance on one side of the sheet fed between the rolls in the longitudinal and width directions of the sheet, respectively, making it possible to detect meandering that occurs on one side edge of the sheet. In this way, since both detectors detect meandering that occurs on one side edge of the sheet, it is relatively easy to adjust the positions of both detectors even when supporting sheet rolls of different widths.

(8) The filling and packaging device according to the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a support section that rotatably supports a sheet roll formed by winding a strip-shaped sheet, a brake section that stops the rotation of the support section, and a plurality of rolls that are arranged at a distance from each other downstream of the support section and feed the sheet downstream from the sheet roll supported by the support section, a sheet feeder that feeds the sheet downstream of the rolls, a fusion machine that melts both edge portions of the fed sheet and presses the fused portions together, a feed means that feeds the cylindrical sheet generated by the fusion machine downstream, a filling means that fills the cylindrical sheet with a filling material, and a sealing machine that fuses the cylindrical sheet over its entire width, and is equipped with a sheet feeder according to any one of (1) to (7).

The filling and packaging device of the present invention is equipped with a horizontal sealing machine described in any one of (1) to (7) above, and therefore provides the above-mentioned effects.

1 is an external side view showing an example of a filling and packaging device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic enlarged view of the sheet feeder shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view showing a main configuration of a sheet feeder. FIG. 4 is a front view of the support shaft shown in FIG. 3 with a portion thereof omitted. FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway front view showing a state in which the support shaft shown in FIG. 3 has been advanced; FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway front view showing a state in which the support shaft shown in FIG. 3 is retracted. 11 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of a mechanism for controlling meandering of a sheet fed from a sheet roll supported by a support portion; FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a main part of a filling and packaging device disclosed in Patent Document 1. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a configuration of a sheet feeder disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-233696.

The sheet supplying machine and the filling and packaging device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
Incidentally, the sheet supplying machine and filling and packaging apparatus described in this embodiment are merely examples for illustrating the gist of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the present invention includes modifications and alterations that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

Figure 1 is an external side view showing an example of a filling and packaging device according to the present invention, in which 1 is a rectangular housing. Inside the housing 1, near one side of the housing 1, a sheet roll R consisting of a wound strip-shaped sheet is detachably installed on a sheet feeder 2 (described later), and the sheet roll R can be replaced by opening an opening and closing door 1a provided on the front of the housing 1. On the other side of the housing 1, a discharge port (not shown) is opened for discharging the sheet S drawn from the sheet roll R, and the sheet S is wound around a plurality of rolls provided in a group of a plurality of rolls 3 arranged between the sheet roll R mounted on the sheet feeder 2 and the discharge port, to prevent bending and provide tension. On the other side of the housing 1, a cylindrical shaping plate 11 in a vertical position is arranged opposite the discharge port, and a collar-shaped shaping plate 12 is fitted to the portion near the upper end of the cylindrical shaping plate 11.

The sheet S drawn from the sheet roll R attached to the sheet feeder 2 is guided via the roll group 3 to the collar-shaped shaping plate 12, where it is shaped into a collar shape, and then guided to the upper end of the vertically arranged cylindrical shaping plate 11, where both edge portions are butted together to form a strip of a specified width, and the rest of the sheet S is formed into a cylindrical shape following the outer circumferential surface of the shaping plate 11.

At the lower end of the cylindrical shaping plate 11, a fusion machine 13 that fuses the two butted edges of the sheet S is arranged facing the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical shaping plate 11 at a predetermined distance. The fusion machine 13 fuses the two butted edges of the sheet S, forming a cylindrical body that is pulled out below the cylindrical shaping plate 11.

One end of an injection tube 20 for injecting a liquid or gel-like filling material is inserted into the cylindrical shaping plate 11 so that it protrudes slightly from the lower end of the cylindrical shaping plate 11, and the other end of the injection tube 20 is connected to a tank (not shown) in which the filling material is stored. A pump P is installed halfway through the injection tube 20, and the operation of the pump P fills the filling material in the tank into the cylindrical body formed by fusing the butted edges of the sheet S as described above. The injection tube 20, pump P, etc. constitute the filling means.

A pair of feed rolls 15, 15 that feed the cylindrical body downstream are disposed at a position slightly lower than the lower end of the cylindrical shaping plate 11, and the feed rolls 15, 15 are rotatably attached to the tips of the opening and closing arms 14, 14. The tips of the opening and closing arms 14, 14 are adapted to swing in the direction approaching and moving away from the cylindrical body, whereby the feeding rolls 15, 15 clamp the packaging bag to stop the filling of the filling material into the packaging bag, and feed the cylindrical body downstream by a predetermined length, and the feeding rolls 15, 15 release the clamping of the packaging bag to allow the filling material to be filled into the packaging bag, repeating the operation.

Downstream of the feed rolls 15, 15, a pair of regulating plates 16, 16 are arranged in parallel at an appropriate distance to regulate the amount of filling material filled into the cylinder, a horizontal sealing machine 17 that seals the entire width of the cylinder to form a packaging bag, and a cutting machine 18 that cuts the packaging bag sealed by the horizontal sealing machine 17 from the cylinder, and the packaging bag filled with the filling material is discharged by a discharge machine (not shown).

Figure 2 is a schematic enlarged view of the sheet feeder 2 shown in Figure 1. Note that in the figure, parts corresponding to those shown in Figure 1 are given the same numbers.

As shown in FIG. 2, the delivery roll 33, which constitutes the roll group 3 described above, is disposed on the outlet side of the sheet feeder 2, and includes a drive roll 31 and a driven roll 32 that sandwich the sheet S. The drive roll 31 is connected to the delivery motor 10 disposed nearby by a circular chain or the like (not shown) and is driven, so that the sheet S sandwiched between the drive roll 31 and the driven roll 32 is sent out downstream.

A tension roll 34 is disposed downstream of the delivery roll 33 at a lower height than the delivery roll 33, and the tension roll 34 is rotatably attached to the tip of a shaft 37 that is supported at one end so as to be able to swing. When the sheet S is sent downstream by the aforementioned feed rolls 15, 15 (see FIG. 1), tension acts on the sheet S upstream of the delivery roll 33, which causes the shaft 37 to swing toward the delivery roll 33. A delivery sensor S5 is disposed at the base end of the shaft 37 to detect such swinging of the shaft 37. When the delivery sensor S5 detects the swinging of the shaft 37 toward the delivery roll 33, the delivery motor 10 is operated to rotate the drive roll 31, and the sheet S sandwiched between the drive roll 31 and the driven roll 32 is sent downstream. As the sheet S is fed out, the shaft 37 returns to its original position while a predetermined tension is applied to the sheet S.

Downstream of the tension roll 34 and at a higher height than the tension roll 34, a pair of meandering detection rolls 35, 35 for detecting meandering of the fed sheet S are arranged at a predetermined distance in the feed direction of the sheet S, and between the two meandering detection rolls 35, 35, a pair of first meandering detection sensors S1 and second meandering detection sensors S2 for detecting meandering of the sheet S are arranged at a predetermined distance in the feed direction of the sheet S. These first meandering detection sensor S1 and second meandering detection sensor S2 are arranged at a predetermined distance, for example about 5 mm, in a direction perpendicular to the feed direction of the sheet S to detect the position of the other side edge of the sheet S. As a result, for example, if the first meandering detection sensor S1 cannot detect the sheet S and the second meandering detection sensor S2 detects the sheet S, it can be determined that the sheet S has not meandered. On the other hand, if the first meandering detection sensor S1 and the second meandering detection sensor S2 detect the sheet S, it can be determined, for example, that a positive meander has occurred in the sheet S. Conversely, if the first meandering detection sensor S1 and the second meandering detection sensor S2 cannot detect the sheet S, it can be determined, for example, that a negative meander has occurred in the sheet S.

Downstream of the first meandering detection sensor S1 and the second meandering detection sensor S2, a plurality of rolls 30 (30, ...) constituting the roll group 3 are arranged, and the sheet S discharged from the roll 30 arranged near the aforementioned discharge port is guided to the nape-shaped shaping plate 12 shown in Figure 1.

The sheet feeder 2 described above is configured with a support section 4 that is inserted into the hollow core of the sheet roll R and supports the sheet roll R, an advance/retract section 6 that moves the support section 4 forward and backward in its longitudinal direction, an advance/retract driving motor 8 that provides driving force to the advance/retract section 6, and a brake section 9 such as an electromagnetic brake to stop the rotation of the support section 4.

Figure 3 is a partially cutaway front view showing the main configuration of the sheet feeder 2, in which 4 is a support section. Note that in Figure 3, parts corresponding to those shown in Figure 2 are numbered the same.

As shown in FIG. 3, the support section 4 has a support shaft 40 disposed on its central axis, and the head section 40a on one end of the support shaft 40 penetrates a plate-shaped first support wall section 51 disposed vertically. A slightly long cylindrical bearing 41, for example a sleeve bearing, is fixed to one surface of the first support wall section 51, and a portion of the cylindrical bearing 41 that communicates with the head section 40a of the support shaft 40 is fitted into the cylindrical bearing 41, and the support shaft 40 is supported by the cylindrical bearing 41 so that it can move back and forth in its longitudinal direction and can rotate around the central axis of the cylindrical bearing 41.

A brake sprocket 45 for stopping the rotation of the support part 4 is fitted and fixed around the cylindrical bearing 41 via a bush bearing 55 on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical bearing 41 at a midpoint in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical bearing 41 so as to be freely rotatable. A circular chain (circular member) 60 is looped between the brake sprocket 45 and the brake part 9 shown in FIG. 2, so that when the brake part 9 is open, the brake sprocket 45 can rotate freely, but when the brake part 9 is closed, the rotation of the brake sprocket 45 is stopped.

On the other hand, a cylindrical member 42 is fitted to the support shaft 40 at a short distance from the cylindrical bearing 41 on the other end side of the cylindrical bearing 41, and the cylindrical member 42 is supported rotatably around the central axis of the support shaft 40 via one or more bearings B, B, B fitted to the inside of the cylindrical member 42 at positions near both ends. A cylindrical holding member 43 is fitted and fixed to one end of the cylindrical member 42, and holds a double annular abutment portion 44 that abuts against one side edge of the sheet roll R (see FIG. 1). One end of the holding member 43 extends beyond one end of the cylindrical member 42 to the vicinity of the brake sprocket 45 of the cylindrical bearing 41 described above, and the abutment portion 44, which is thick-bottomed and U-shaped in end view, is fixed to the extended edge of the holding member 43.

The central portion of the abutment portion 44 has a plurality of through holes 44a, 44a, ... that penetrate the abutment portion 44. On the other hand, at positions of the brake sprocket 45 that face the through holes 44a, 44a, ..., a plurality of communication bars 45a, 45a, ... for connecting the brake sprocket 45 and the holding member 43 are fixed in a manner that penetrates the brake sprocket 45, and each communication bar 45a, 45a, ... is inserted into the through hole 44a, 44a, ... of the opposing abutment portion 44 so that it can advance and retreat.

As a result, when the brake sprocket 45 can rotate freely, the abutment portion 44 and the holding member 43 can also rotate freely around the support shaft 40 via the connecting bars 45a, 45a, ... and the through holes 44a, 44a, .... On the other hand, when the rotation of the brake sprocket 45 is stopped by the brake unit 9 (see Figure 2), the abutment portion 44 and the holding member 43 are also stopped from rotating around the support shaft 40 via the connecting bars 45a, 45a, ... and the through holes 44a, 44a, .... As a result, the sheet roll fitted around the holding member 43 is also stopped from rotating around the support shaft 40.

As described below, as the support shaft 40 advances and retreats in its axial direction, the aforementioned tubular member 42, holding member 43, and abutment portion 44 also advance and retreat in the axial direction of the support shaft 40, while the cylindrical bearing 41 fixed to the first support wall portion 51 and the brake sprocket 45 fitted to the cylindrical bearing 41 do not advance or retreat. However, the connecting bars 45a, 45a, ... fixed to the brake sprocket 45 are inserted in the through holes 44a, 44a, ... of the abutment portion 44 so that they can advance and retreat, allowing the support shaft 40 to advance and retreat smoothly.

On the outer peripheral surface of the tubular member 42, in the mid-way region in the longitudinal direction of the tubular member 42, a number of claw-shaped stopper members 47, 47, ... are arranged parallel to the central axis of the tubular member 42 at appropriate distances in the circumferential direction of the tubular member 42, and each stopper member 47, 47, ... is pivoted at one end of the tubular member 42 to the other end of the tubular member 42 so that it can be opened and closed.

A ring-shaped opening/closing member 48 for opening and closing the stopper members 47, 47, ... is fitted on the other end side of the stopper members 47, 47, ... of the cylindrical member 42. The outer surface of the opening/closing member 48, the portion on the stopper member 47, 47, ... side, is a tapered portion 48a whose outer diameter becomes smaller as it approaches the stopper members 47, 47, ..., and by inserting this tapered portion 48a between the stopper members 47, 47, ... and the cylindrical member 42, each stopper member 47, 47, ... is opened in a direction in which the other end side of the stopper members 47, 47, ... is separated from the cylindrical member 42. As a result, the other end of the stopper members 47, 47, ... is abutted against the inner peripheral wall of the sheet roll fitted on the stopper members 47, 47, ... so that one side edge abuts against the abutment portion 44, and the sheet roll R is fixed. On the other hand, by withdrawing the tapered portion 48a of the opening/closing member 48 from between the stopper members 47, 47, ... and the cylindrical member 42, each stopper member 47, 47, ... is closed in a position parallel to the central axis of the cylindrical member 42, and the sheet roll fitted around the stopper members 47, 47, ... can be removed from the support portion 4.

Furthermore, a fixing ring 49 is screwed onto the other end side of the opening/closing member 48 of the tubular member 42 to fix the opening/closing member 48 at an appropriate position in the longitudinal direction of the tubular member 42, and the opening/closing member 48 is advanced and retreated in the longitudinal direction of the tubular member 42 by rotating the fixing ring 49 forward and backward around the tubular member 42, thereby opening and closing the stopper members 47, 47, .... A movement prevention hole 49a that prevents the fixing ring 49 from moving in the longitudinal direction of the tubular member 42 penetrates the peripheral wall of the fixing ring 49 parallel to the central axis of the fixing ring 49, and a bolt (not shown) is screwed into the movement prevention hole 49a to prevent the fixing ring 49 from moving in the longitudinal direction of the tubular member 42.

The other end of the support shaft 40 protrudes an appropriate length from the fixed ring 49 to form a protruding portion 40d, and a protective tube 56 of the same length is fitted onto this protruding portion 40d via bearings B, B. The protruding portion 40d and protective tube 56 of the support shaft 40 are supported by the support portion 7.

This support part 7 is formed by inserting the lower end of a rod-shaped arm 72 into the cylindrical tip of an inverted L-shaped leg 71 fixed to a second support wall part 52 arranged parallel to the first support wall part 51 at a distance from the first support wall part 51, and the bearing 73 provided at the upper end of the arm 72 is in rolling contact with the peripheral surface of the protective tube 56, thereby supporting the protruding part 40d of the support shaft 40 and the protective tube 56 so that they can move forward and backward in the axial direction of the support shaft 40.

The arm 72 can be pulled out from the cylindrical tip of the leg 71, but can also be fixed at the required height by a fixing bolt (not shown) screwed into a through hole 71a that penetrates the periphery of the cylindrical tip of the leg 71. By removing the fixing bolt from the through hole 71a and pulling the arm 72 out from the cylindrical tip of the leg 71, the arm 72 of the support part 7 does not get in the way when attaching or removing the sheet roll from the support part 4, and the sheet roll can be attached and removed smoothly.

On the other hand, a gripping portion 53 is attached to the end of the protruding portion 40 of the support shaft 40 described above, and the worker can grasp the gripping portion 53 to assist in the installation and removal of the sheet roll, and in the position adjustment of the sheet roll attached to the support portion 4.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the support shaft 40 shown in FIG.
4, the diameter of the head portion 40a provided at one end of the support shaft 40 is smaller than the diameter of the central portion 40c of the support shaft 40, and a thread portion is formed on the circumferential surface of the head portion 40a. On the other hand, between the head portion 40a and the central portion 40c, there is a play portion 40b which has the same outer diameter as the head portion 40a and has no thread portion.

The other end of the support shaft 40 is formed into a protruding portion 40d as described above, and the diameter of the protruding portion 40d is also smaller than the diameter of the central portion 40c. And, as described above, this protruding portion 40d is supported by the support portion 7 so that it can move forward and backward in the axial direction of the support shaft 40.

As mentioned above, the head 40a of the support shaft 40 penetrates the first support wall 51 (see FIG. 3). The head 40a has a threaded outer surface. A rotation ring 61 for rotating the support shaft 40 forward and backward is screwed onto the head 40a, which moves the support shaft 40 forward and backward in the axial direction. The rotation ring 61 is fitted with a forward and backward sprocket 62 that is supported by a bearing 63 fixed to the other side of the first support wall 51 opposite to the side to which the cylindrical bearing 41 is fixed. A bearing 65 is interposed between the bearing 63 and the forward and backward sprocket 62.

As shown in FIG. 2, the motor 8 for driving the forward and backward movement is disposed near the support part 4, and a circular chain (not shown) is wound between the output sprocket of the motor 8 for driving the forward and backward movement and the forward and backward movement sprocket 62. The forward and backward movement part 6 is composed of the head part 40a and the play part 40b of the support shaft 40, the bearing 63, the rotation ring 61, the forward and backward movement sprocket 62, etc.

In such a sheet feeder 2, when the forward/backward drive motor 8 is rotated in the forward direction to rotate the forward/backward sprocket 62 and the rotating ring 61 in the forward direction, as shown in FIG. 5, the head 40a of the support shaft 40 that is screwed into the rotating ring 61 interacts with the head 40a in the direction protruding from the rotating ring 61, so that the part of the support shaft 40 inserted into the cylindrical bearing 41 and other parts of the support shaft 40 also move in the same direction, and as a result, the cylindrical member 42, the holding member 43, the abutment portion 44, etc., as well as the sheet roll (not shown) supported by the support portion 4 also move in the same direction.

On the other hand, when the forward/reverse drive motor 8 is rotated in the reverse direction to rotate the forward/reverse sprocket 62 and the rotation ring 61 in the reverse direction, as shown in FIG. 6, the head 40a of the support shaft 40 that is screwed into the rotation ring 61 interacts with the head 40a, moving in a direction retracting toward the first support wall 51. As a result, the portion of the support shaft 40 that is inserted into the cylindrical bearing 41 and other portions of the support shaft 40 also move in the same direction, and as a result, the cylindrical member 42, the holding member 43, the contact portion 44, etc., as well as the sheet roll (not shown) supported by the support portion 4 also move in the same direction.

In either case, as the support shaft 40 advances and retreats in its axial direction, the tubular member 42, the holding member 43, and the abutment portion 44 also advance and retreat in the axial direction of the support shaft 40, while the cylindrical bearing 41 fixed to the first support wall portion 51 and the brake sprocket 45 fitted to the cylindrical bearing 41 do not advance or retreat. However, the connecting bars 45a, 45a, ... fixed to the brake sprocket 45 are inserted in the through holes 44a, 44a, ... of the abutment portion 44 so that they can advance and retreat, so that the support shaft 40 advances and retreats smoothly.

In this way, the sheet feeder 2 is configured to control the meandering of the sheet S fed by the roll group 3 by moving the support portion 4 supporting the sheet roll R back and forth relative to the first support wall portion 51, so it is possible to make the sheet feeder 2 as slim as possible and to reduce the weight of the entire device.

As shown in FIG. 3, a ring member 46 with an outer diameter slightly larger than that of the abutment portion 44 is attached to the surface of the abutment portion 44 facing the first support wall 51, and a pair of first and second proximity sensors S3 and S4 that detect the approach of the ring member 46 are arranged around the ring member 46 at an appropriate distance in the axial direction of the support shaft 40 so as to clamp the ring member 46.

When the support shaft 40 is advanced or retreated in its axial direction, if the first proximity sensor S3 or the second proximity sensor S4 detects that the ring member 46 has approached to a predetermined distance, the advance/retract drive motor 8 (see FIG. 2) is stopped and the support shaft 40 is prohibited from advancing or retreating any further. This avoids the risk of the support shaft 40 falling off and ensures safety.

Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of the mechanism that controls the meandering of the sheet S fed from the sheet roll R supported by the support section 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first meandering detection sensor S1 and the second meandering detection sensor S2 are configured to detect the sheet S, and when either of them detects the sheet S, the detection signal is output to the meandering control means C.

When the sheet S is not meandering, the meandering control means C is configured to receive, for example, no detection signal from the first meandering detection sensor S1, but a detection signal from the second meandering detection sensor S2. When such detection signals are received from the first meandering detection sensor S1 and the second meandering detection sensor S2, the meandering control means C determines that the sheet S is not meandering, and does not rotate the forward/reverse drive motor 8.

On the other hand, when the meandering control means C receives detection signals from the first meandering detection sensor S1 and the second meandering detection sensor S2, it determines that a positive meandering has occurred in the sheet S being fed, and rotates the forward/backward drive motor 8 in the reverse direction so that the support shaft 40 becomes negative by a predetermined length dimension. On the other hand, when the meandering control means C does not receive detection signals from the first meandering detection sensor S1 and the second meandering detection sensor S2, it determines that a negative meandering has occurred in the sheet being fed, and rotates the forward/backward drive motor 8 in the forward direction so that the support shaft 40 becomes positive by a predetermined length dimension.

The meandering control means C is configured to repeatedly execute such control operations, so that even if meandering occurs in the sheet being fed from the sheet roll supported by the support section 4, the meandering is eliminated.

Meanwhile, the meandering control means C constantly judges whether a detection signal has been input from the first proximity sensor S3 or the second proximity sensor S4, and when a detection signal is input from either of the proximity sensors S3, S4, the motor 8 for driving the movement is stopped for a predetermined time to prohibit the support shaft 40 from moving further forward or backward. This avoids the risk of the support shaft 40 falling off, and ensures safety, even when the support shaft 40 is moved forward or backward in its axial direction to eliminate meandering that occurs in the sheet being fed from the sheet roll supported by the support section 4.

In this embodiment, when a detection signal is given from the first meandering detection sensor S1 and the second meandering detection sensor S2, it is determined that a positive meander has occurred in the sheet being fed, and when it is determined that a detection signal is not given from the first meandering detection sensor S1 and the second meandering detection sensor S2, it is determined that a negative meander has occurred in the sheet being fed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it goes without saying that it may be configured to determine that a negative meander has occurred in the sheet being fed when a detection signal is given from the first meandering detection sensor S1 and the second meandering detection sensor S2, and determine that a positive meander has occurred in the sheet being fed when it is determined that a detection signal is not given from the first meandering detection sensor S1 and the second meandering detection sensor S2.

In addition, in this embodiment, the first meandering detection sensor S1 and the second meandering detection sensor S2 are described as being placed on the other side edge of the sheet S sent out from the sheet roll, but the present invention is not limited to this, and they may be placed on one side edge of the sheet S sent out from the sheet roll, or on both sides of the sheet S. However, when the first meandering detection sensor S1 and the second meandering detection sensor S2 are placed on the other side edge of the sheet S sent out from the sheet roll, that is, on the side opposite to the side abutted against the abutting portion 44 of the sheet roll, even when sheet rolls of different widths are supported, the positions of the first meandering detection sensor S1 and the second meandering detection sensor S2 can be easily adjusted to positions corresponding to the width of the sheet roll, which is preferable.

In this embodiment, the filling means is configured by the injection pipe 20 and the pump P, and a liquid or gel-like filling material is filled. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it goes without saying that the filling means may be configured by a hopper or multiple buckets, and a solid and/or semi-solid filling material may be filled.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Housing 3 Roll group 4 Support section 6 Advance/retract section 8 Advance/retract drive motor (advance/retract drive section)
40 Support shaft 40a Head portion (one end portion)
41 Cylindrical bearing 42 Cylindrical member 44 Abutment portion 44a Through hole 45 Brake sprocket 45a Connecting bar 51 First support wall portion 52 Second support wall portion 60 Chain (annular member)
61 Rotation ring body 62 Advance/retreat sprocket 63 Bearing C Meandering control means S Sheet R Sheet roll S1 First meandering detection sensor (detection means)
S2: Second meandering detection sensor (detection means)
S3: First proximity sensor S4: Second proximity sensor S5: Sending sensor

The sheet feeder of the present invention is also characterized by comprising a support wall portion that supports the support portion with one end thereof penetrated, a detection means for detecting the meandering of the sheet fed by each of the rolls, an advance/retract portion that moves the support portion forward and backward relative to the support wall portion, an advance/retract drive portion that applies a driving force to the advance/retract portion, and a meandering control means that drives the advance/retract drive portion forward and backward based on the detection result of the detection means, thereby controlling the meandering of the sheet.

Furthermore, in the sheet feeder of the present invention, the support section comprises a cylindrical bearing fixed to one surface of the support wall section, a support shaft having one end which penetrates the cylindrical bearing and the support wall section and is supported so as to be able to advance and retreat in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical bearing and to be rotatable around the central axis of the cylindrical bearing, and a cylindrical member which is rotatably fitted onto the portion of the support shaft on the other end side of the cylindrical bearing, the advance/retract section comprises a rotating ring body which is screwed onto one end of the support shaft protruding from the support wall section and which rotates the support shaft forward and backward, an advance/retract sprocket fitted onto the rotation ring body, and a bearing which is fixed to the other surface of the support wall section concentrically with the central axis of the support shaft and is fitted onto the advance/retract sprocket, and the advance/retract drive section comprises a drive motor, and an annular member is hung around the advance/retract sprocket and the advance/retract drive section to transmit the forward and reverse rotation of the drive motor to the advance/retract sprocket.

( 2 ) The sheet feeder of the present invention is characterized in that a brake sprocket linked to the brake unit is fitted and fixed to the cylindrical bearing, and a contact portion made of plate material formed into an annular shape for contacting one side edge of a sheet roll supported by the support unit is arranged concentrically with the central axis of the support shaft and opposite the brake sprocket, the contact portion being held by a cylindrical retaining member fitted and fixed to the end of the cylindrical member on the support wall side, and a plurality of through holes are opened in the contact portion, while a connecting bar is protruded parallel to the support shaft at a position opposite each of the through holes of the brake sprocket, and each connecting bar is inserted so as to be able to advance and retreat into the through hole of the opposing contact portion.

( 3 ) The sheet feeder of the present invention is characterized in that a ring member having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the contact portion is attached to the contact portion concentrically with the central axis of the contact portion, and a pair of proximity sensors for detecting the approach of the ring member are arranged on the outside of the ring member at an appropriate distance in the axial direction of the support shaft, each facing the ring member, and when either of the proximity sensors detects the approach of the ring member, the forward/backward drive unit is stopped operating.

( 4 ) The sheet feeder of the present invention is characterized in that the support section further includes a carrying section that carries the other end of the support shaft so as to be movable back and forth in the axial direction, and the carrying section is configured to be removable.

( 5 ) The sheet feeder of the present invention is characterized in that the detection means includes a pair of detectors for detecting the sheet, and both detectors are arranged at a predetermined distance in the longitudinal direction and width direction of the sheet on one side of the sheet fed between each roll.

( 6 ) A filling and packaging apparatus according to the present invention comprises a support section which rotatably supports a sheet roll formed by winding a strip-shaped sheet, a brake section which stops the rotation of the support section, and a plurality of rolls which are arranged at a distance from each other downstream of the support section and which feed the sheet downstream from the sheet roll supported by the support section, and which feeds the sheet downstream of the rolls, a welding machine which melts both edge portions of the fed sheet and presses the melted portions together, a feeding means which feeds the tubular sheet produced by the welding machine downstream, a filling means which fills the tubular sheet with a filling material, and a sealing machine which fuses the tubular sheet over its entire width, and is characterized in that the filling and packaging apparatus comprises a sheet feeding machine described in any of (1) to ( 5 ) above.

The filling and packaging apparatus of the present invention is equipped with a horizontal sealing machine described in any one of (1) to ( 5 ) above, and therefore exhibits the aforementioned respective operational effects.

Claims (8)

A sheet feeder comprising: a support section that rotatably supports a sheet roll having a band-shaped sheet wound thereon; a brake section that stops the rotation of the support section; and a plurality of rolls that are disposed at a distance from each other downstream of the support section and that feed a sheet downstream from the sheet roll supported by the support section, and that feeds a sheet downstream of the rolls,
The support portion is supported by a support wall portion such that one end of the support portion penetrates the support wall portion,
A sheet feeder characterized in that it is configured to detect the meandering of the sheet fed by each roll, and based on the detection result, to move the support portion forward and backward relative to the support wall portion, thereby controlling the meandering of the sheet. A sheet feeder comprising: a support section that rotatably supports a sheet roll having a band-shaped sheet wound thereon; a brake section that stops the rotation of the support section; and a plurality of rolls that are disposed at a distance from each other downstream of the support section and that feed a sheet downstream from the sheet roll supported by the support section, and that feeds a sheet downstream of the rolls,
A support wall portion that supports the support portion with one end portion thereof penetrating therethrough;
a detection means for detecting meandering of the sheet fed by each of the rolls;
an advance/retract portion that advances/retracts the support portion relative to the support wall portion;
a forward/backward driving unit that applies a driving force to the forward/backward moving unit;
a meandering control means for driving the forward/backward drive unit in a forward/backward direction based on a detection result of the detection means, thereby controlling the meandering of the sheet. The support portion includes a cylindrical bearing fixed to one surface of the support wall portion, a support shaft having one end portion penetrating the cylindrical bearing and the support wall portion, the support shaft being supported so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical bearing and rotatable about the central axis of the cylindrical bearing, and a cylindrical member rotatably fitted onto the portion of the support shaft on the other end side of the cylindrical bearing,
the forward and backward movement portion is screwed to one end of the support shaft protruding from the support wall portion and includes a rotation ring for rotating the support shaft forward and backward, an forward and backward movement sprocket fitted and fixed to the rotation ring, and a bearing fixed to the other surface of the support wall portion concentrically with the central axis of the support shaft and fitted to the forward and backward movement sprocket,
The forward/backward driving unit includes a driving motor,
3. The sheet feeder according to claim 2, further comprising an annular member looped around the reciprocating sprocket and the reciprocating drive section so as to transmit the forward and reverse rotation of the drive motor to the reciprocating sprocket. A brake sprocket that is interlocked with the brake unit is fixedly fitted onto the cylindrical bearing,
a contact portion formed of a plate material in an annular shape for contacting one side edge of the sheet roll supported by the support portion, the contact portion being disposed concentrically with the central axis of the support shaft and facing the brake sprocket, and the contact portion is held by a cylindrical holding member fixedly fitted onto the end of the cylindrical member on the support wall side;
4. A sheet feeder as described in claim 3, wherein the abutment portion has a plurality of through holes, and a connecting bar is provided at a position opposite each of the through holes of the brake sprocket, the connecting bar being protruding parallel to the support shaft, and each connecting bar is inserted into the through hole of the opposing abutment portion so as to be able to advance and retreat. A ring member having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the abutment portion is attached to the abutment portion concentrically with the central axis of the abutment portion,
A pair of proximity sensors for detecting the approach of the ring member are disposed on the outside of the ring member at an appropriate distance in the axial direction of the support shaft so as to face the ring member,
5. The sheet feeder according to claim 4, wherein the advance/retract drive unit is stopped when any of the proximity sensors detects the approach of the ring member. The support portion further includes a support portion that supports the other end of the support shaft so as to be movable back and forth in the axial direction,
6. The sheet feeder according to claim 3, wherein said supporting portion is constructed so as to be removable. 7. A sheet feeder as claimed in claim 2, wherein the detection means comprises a pair of detectors for detecting the sheet, and both detectors are arranged at one edge of the sheet fed between each roll, at a predetermined distance apart in the longitudinal direction and the width direction of the sheet, respectively. a sheet supplying machine that supplies a sheet downstream of the rolls, the sheet supplying machine comprising: a support unit that rotatably supports a sheet roll formed by winding a strip-shaped sheet; a brake unit that stops the rotation of the support unit; and a plurality of rolls that are arranged at a distance from each other on the downstream side of the support unit and that feed a sheet downstream from the sheet roll supported by the support unit, the sheet supplying machine supplying a sheet downstream of the rolls, a fusion machine that melts both edge portions of the fed sheet and presses the fused portions together, a feeding means that feeds a cylindrical sheet produced by the fusion machine downstream, a filling means that fills the cylindrical sheet with a filling material, and a sealing machine that fuses the cylindrical sheet over its entire width,
A filling and packaging apparatus comprising the sheet feeder according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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