JPH0573654B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system for automatically supplying packaging material to a line equipped with at least one of a manufacturing machine and a packaging machine. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system for automatically feeding a line, such as a cigarette manufacturing and packaging line, with packaging material, such as coils of paper or transparent material, or stacks of preformed cardboard.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Said lines include a number of operating machines, at least some of which require a regular supply of packaging material in the form of strips or preformed cardboard.

Up to now, the packaging material has been manually removed by an operator from a store that normally supplies the machines.

Providing a special store for each operating machine clutters the area near the machine, makes it difficult to feed the various stores located, and if the feeding from each store to the machine is automated. This increases the equipment cost for installing an automatic loading system for each machine.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned disadvantages due to the fact that each machine has its own store, and in which packaging is carried out in a line equipped with at least one of a manufacturing machine and a packaging machine. The aim is to provide a fully automated system for feeding materials.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a system for automatically supplying packaging materials to a plurality of lines equipped with a plurality of operating machines including at least one of a manufacturing machine and a packaging machine. , a storage means for storing one or more types of packaging materials, at least one trolley, and at least one actuating arm attached to the trolley;
gripping means attached to the operating arm for gripping the packaging material; and guiding means for guiding each trolley and forming a plurality of paths along which each of the trolleys selectively moves in order to supply the packaging material to each operating machine. and an arithmetic processing means for controlling the position and operation of each moving truck and each actuating arm attached to the truck based on a signal supplied from an actuating machine. provide.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a system is provided, characterized in that the path is formed by a plurality of rails.

According to another embodiment, a system is provided, characterized in that the path is formed by a plurality of above-the-floor magnetic tracks.

The storage means may include a fixed main store, with the path extending between the main store and the operating machine. In this case, further stores may be provided which are connected to the trolley and move along the route with the trolley.

The storage means may also include at least one storage means coupled to the trolley and moving along the route with the trolley.
It may have two stores. Alternatively, the storage means may comprise a plurality of mobile stores selectively connectable to the trolley.

Example The present invention will be explained below with reference to illustrated embodiments.

Reference numeral 1 in FIG. 1 designates the same known line for manufacturing and packaging cigarettes. Each line 1 comprises, in order, a cigarette making machine 2, a filter assembly machine 3, a conveyor device 4, a gathering device 5, and a packaging machine 6, the output of which is transmitted via a conveyor channel 7 to a cellophane machine 8, and is connected to the overwrap machine 9.

The overwrapping machine 9 wraps ten tobacco packages together to form a ten-pack, and creates a cardboard box that accommodates a plurality of ten-packs via a conveyor channel 10. It is connected to a carton cartoning machine 12. In operation, each manufacturing machine 2 is supplied with rolled paper for forming cigarettes with the shredded tobacco packaged, and each filter assembly machine 3 is supplied with rolled paper for bonding the filter to the cigarettes. Each wrapping machine 6 is supplied with rolled silver paper for wrapping cut tobacco, rolled trademark label printing paper for wrapping silver paper-wrapped packages, and also rolled government stamp paper. (if any) shall be supplied. In the case of an outer box packaging machine, the coils of trademark label printing paper described above are replaced by coils of cardboard to form the lid and a stack of preformed cardboard to form the outer box.

Each cellophane machine 8 must be supplied with a rolled transparent material for wrapping the packaging and a rolled tear ribbon for tearing open the packaging obtained with this transparent material. . Each overwrapper 9 is supplied with rolled paper to form a tenpack, or with rolled underpaper to form a tenpack, followed by a cover label. Alternatively, each overwrapper 9 may be fed from a preformed cardboard stack. Boxing machine 12
is supplied from a stack of preformed cardboard. Reference numeral 14 denotes a number of compartments 15, 15', 1
5'' etc., each compartment containing a different type of packaging material for each piece of equipment on line 1. Compartment 15 is a storage compartment for supplying wrapping paper for cut tobacco to manufacturing machine 2, for example. The compartment 15' accommodates a coil 17 for supplying binding paper for filtered cigarettes to the filter assembly machine 3. The compartment 15'' supplies silver paper for wrapping cigarettes to the packaging machine 6. A coil 18 is housed therein. The compartment 15 houses a coil 19 that supplies the packaging machine 6 with cardboard for forming the lid of the outer box. The compartment 15'''' contains a stack 20 for feeding preformed cardboard to the packaging machine 6 for forming the outer box, and for all other kinds of materials to be fed to other machines. to accommodate. A rail 22 (a second
Overhead rail means are provided having the following: (also shown in the figures).

The rail 22 has a branch 4 extending close to the various operating machines on the line 1, a branch extending to the cartoning machine 12, and a branch proximate the compartment housing the coils on said machine. 4 and a branch adjacent to the compartment into which the preformed cardboard stack is fed.

As shown in FIG. 2, a movable carriage 24 is mounted over the overhead rail 22. This truck 24 is equipped with displacement means. This displacement means comprises rollers 2 mounted on each vertical axis on both sides of the rail 22 and engaging in recesses 27 in the rail 22.
It consists of 5,26.

The roller 25 is driven by a motor 29 within the truck 24.

The truck 24 also has an electronic unit 30 for controlling the motor 29 and an arm 32 on the truck 24 itself.
It has a unit 31 for controlling the operation of.

The arm 32 has a large number of segments 33,3
It has 4,35. Each of these segments is configured to move relative to each other via a respective drive rotary joint. More specifically, segment 33 is
Movement is relative to the carriage 24 via a joint 36 rotatable about the axis, and segment 34 is movable relative to the segment 33 via a joint 37 rotatable about the X-axis. Segment 34 has an end 39 that is connected to the upper part 40 of segment 35 via a joint 41 that forms an obtuse angle with the aforementioned portion and rotates about the Y axis. Said segment 35 has another end 42 . This end 42 is at 90° with the upper part 40 and supports a fitting 43 which rotates about the It supports gripping means consisting of grips 44.

The joints 36, 37, 41, 43 are connected to the gripping means 44 or the segment 3 constituting the arm 32.
It constitutes a displacement means for the rotation means and relative movement means between 3, 34, and 35.

Reference numeral 50 in FIG. 3 designates the central processing unit of the computing means which receives the signal 51 from each sensor 52, which signal indicates that the preformed cardboard stack or coil on each working machine is gone. show. The central processing unit 50 also detects the replacement of an empty coil or a new supply of preformed cardboard in the stack. The central processing unit 5
0 has Read Only Memory (ROM) and Random Access Memory (RAM), as well as known ones. A transmitting means 56 for transmitting a radio wave signal 57 is coupled to the central processing unit,
This signal is transmitted to a receiving means 58 mounted on the movable truck 24 and connected to the electronic unit 30.
received by. The electronic unit 30 also
Unit 31 and motor 29 that control arm 32
control. The upper part of the rail 22 accommodates two conductors or conductive paths 47, and these conductive paths 47
are electrically slidingly engaged with the carriage 24, respectively, to supply electricity to various units and portions of the carriage 24 itself.

The operation of the automatic feeding system included in the present invention is as follows.

A known device (not shown) is used to automatically replace the empty coil with a replacement coil permanently installed on the machine when one coil is running out of one machine on line 1. In addition to the signals activating the coils, a respective signal 51 is generated by a respective sensor 52 which detects when the coil runs out (the same applies when the preformed cardboard stack runs out). ) The central processing unit that receives the signal 51 is
The operation of the movable carriage 24 is controlled via the signal 57 (unit 31 controlling the arm 32 and motor 2
9). The trolley 24 thus moves across the store 14, over the compartments 15, 15', 15'', etc., depending on the type of packaging material to be removed. According to the selected route along the route, the appropriate stack of coils or preformed cardboard is removed and delivered to the actuating machine that issued the signal 51.

Each sensor 54 then sends a signal 53 informing central processing unit 50 that a replacement has occurred.

The time available to the system for said replacement is essentially the same time required to use up the coil, where the coil supplied by trolley 24 is always the replacement coil for the next replacement. It is.

The central processing unit 50 can be programmed to preferentially cause replacements to be made to machines with the shortest coil operating cycles (one or more signals 51 from one or more sensors 52 received from different machines to indicate that they are gone at the same time).

Such priority is given to the overhead rail 22
It changes depending on the position of the movable trolley 24 above. To this end, suitable sensors are installed along the rail 22 in order to provide more accurate information to the central processing unit 50 regarding the position of the trolley 24, instead of relying solely on the position control provided by the motor 29. may be provided.

Suitable switches may be provided in the branches of the overhead rail 22, preferably at different locations.

A temporary holding store may be provided along a predetermined location of the overhead rail 22 into which the arm 32 removes the coil that it is currently transporting and which receives a missing signal 5.
1 is no more urgent than the others received later. Since the movement of arm 32 is only controlled by unit 31, coil replacement is detected by signal 53 supplied to central processing unit 50.

Alternatively, the arm 32 may be provided with a transducer to control the position of the arm and to provide information signals that are wirelessly transmitted from the trolley 24 to the central processing unit 50.

The advantages of the automatic feeding system included in the present invention are:
It is clear from the written content.

First, in addition to eliminating stores for each operating machine, the one store 14 provided is
or its own replenishment.

By arranging the rails 22 overhead, the supply of packaging material to the working machine is unobstructed. Another advantage lies in the provision of a single movable carriage 24 that feeds all working machines on the different lines 1.

The central processing unit 50 also has considerable flexibility in supplying packaging materials to meet special requirements at any time.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the automatic dispensing system described herein without departing from the scope of the invention.

First, line 1 may be configured differently,
The number and type of machines may be other than those described, and the machines themselves may have different combinations of coils, sets of coils, or stacked and preformed cardboard.

The shape and combination of the overhead rails 22 may be different and the electricity may be supplied by the wire outer rail 22 instead of the conductive track 47 and connected to the motor 29 and the unit 31 by an antenna on the trolley 24.

When electricity is supplied by the conductive path 47, a motor 29 and an electronic unit 30 are installed on the movable trolley 24.
A set of batteries (not shown) are provided to ensure a continuous supply of electricity to the control unit 31 and even the switches at the branches of the overhead rail 22.

The arm 32 is designed differently as required.

Instead of radio radio, the signal 57 may be of the optoelectronic and/or infrared type, etc.

Central processing unit 50 may be mounted on carriage 24 or directly coupled to electronic unit 30 which controls motor 29 and arm 32.

Finally, the line 1 may be a line for manufacturing and packaging products other than tobacco.

In the modification shown in FIG.
is replaced by the magnetic orbit 60. This track 60 is buried in the floor of the premises, containing the line 1 and having a branch (not shown) extending along the line 1 itself.

A movable trolley 61 is provided along the track 60.
This trolley 61 is powered by a motor (not shown) that is controlled by the central processing unit 50 similarly to the motor 29.
It has a drive wheel 62 that is driven by.

Carriage 61 has an upper panel 63 provided with a turret 64 which is rotated by a motor 65 about a substantially vertical axis.

At the top, the turret 64 has a hub 66 with a substantially horizontal axis. A rotatable pin 67 controlled by a motor 68 is provided through the hub 66, and a counterweight 69 is provided at one end of the hub 66.
are integrally combined.

At the other end, the pin 67 is connected to an articulated actuating arm 7 consisting of three segments 71, 72, 73.
Connected to 0. These segments are connected to each motor 76, which is controlled by the central processing unit 50.
77 and rotate relative to each other about hinges 74, 75. The end segment 73 is connected at the end to a grip 78 similar to grip 44.

As shown in FIG. 4, the trolley 61 is provided with a fixed joint device 79 that selectively couples to a number of movable stores 80 aligned in the parking area 81. Each store 80 is equipped with a loading plate 82 with wheels 83, on the top surface of which are stacked various coil masses in predetermined positions for feeding the machines on line 1, controlled by the central processing unit 50. A compartment is provided for stacking preformed cardboard blocks if necessary.

Once empty, or rather, once the coils and various preformed cardboards are gone, the mobile store 80 is sent back to the parking area 81 and replaced with another filled store 80.

In the variant of FIG. 5, the trolley 61 is controlled by the central processing unit 50 to form a relative movable store 84 with a fixed main store 85 similar to store 14 and an associated movable store unit 84.
It is integral with 0. Note that a large number of carts 61 may be operated simultaneously.

In the modification of FIG. 5, the function of the arm 70 is originally a store 85
Remove the coil and preformed cardboard from
These are loaded onto a movable store 80 and supplied to a predetermined operating machine.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an automatic feeding system according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the elements of the system shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the control means of the system shown in FIG. , FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a first modification of the detailed portion of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second modification of the detailed portion of FIG. 1...Line, 14,80,85...Storage means, 1
6, 17, 18, 19, 20... packaging material, 22,
60... Guide means, 24, 61... Trolley, 32, 70
...actuating arm, 50... central processing unit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A system for automatically supplying packaging materials to a plurality of lines 1 equipped with a plurality of operating mechanisms including at least one of a manufacturing machine and a packaging machine, which stores one or more types of packaging materials. Storage means 1
4, 80, 85, at least one truck 24, 61, and at least one truck attached to said truck 24, 61.
one actuating arm 32, 70; a gripping means 44, 78 attached to said actuating arm 32, 70 for gripping packaging material; and each of said trolleys 24, 61 for supplying packaging material to each actuating machine. guiding means 22, 60 that selectively forms a plurality of moving paths and guides each of the trolleys 24, 61; An automatic packaging material supply system comprising: arithmetic processing means 50 for controlling the position and operation of the arms 32, 70 based on signals supplied from an operating machine. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the path is formed by a plurality of rails. 3. Claim 1 characterized in that it is formed by the above-mentioned path and a plurality of above-the-floor magnetic tracks 60.
System described in section. 4 The storage means is a fixed main store 14,8
4. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said path extends between a main store and said working machine. 5. The system according to claim 4, further comprising a further store 80 connected to the trolley 61 and moving along the route together with the trolley. 6. Any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the storage means comprises at least one store 80 coupled to the trolley 61 and moving along the route together with the trolley. The system described in Section. 7. Any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the storage means comprises a plurality of movable stores that can be selectively connected to the trolley 61.
The system described in Section.