NL1028770C2 - Packaging tray production machine, has blank magazine located beneath level of blank during folding in order to form tray - Google Patents

Abstract

The machine comprises a magazine (1) for storing tray blanks in a stack, a device (2) for removing the blanks from the stack and positioning them and a forming device (3) for folding the blank into a tray. The magazine is located below the position of the blank during folding. The positioning device includes a means for transferring the blank from a vertical position to a horizontal position and this means moves up and down between the lower level of the magazine and the upper level of the forming device. The positioning device also includes a means for receiving the horizontal blanks from the transfer means and transporting the blanks in a horizontal plane. The transfer means comprises a frame with a vacuum device for holding the blank in position. The transport means comprises two or more movable grabs for securing opposite edges of the blank.

Description

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DEVICE FOR FORMING A PACKAGING TRAY AND METHOD FOR TRANSFERRING A PLANO

The present invention relates to a device for forming a packaging tray according to the preamble of claim 1. In addition, the invention relates to a method for transferring a blank according to the preamble of claim 14.

Such a device and method is for instance known from US 3,952,635. The device is provided with a storage magazine for storing a stack of blanks, the blanks taking an inclined position.

A rotating arm takes care of removing and positioning the blanks one by one from the storage magazine.

The blanks are positioned in a forming device for folding the blank into an erected tray. The storage warehouse is located above the level for positioning the blanks. This is experienced as a disadvantage since a stack of blanks has to be placed manually in the magazine and this takes place as a result of the location of the storage warehouse in the high-level device.

A further drawback of this known device and method consists of the fact that the blanks assume an inclined position, wherein during the removal of a blank from the magazine under the influence of the weight of the other blanks and vacuum action between the blanks there is a risk that not one, but more blanks are unloaded from the storage warehouse at the same time. A storage magazine 30 adapted for blanks that take an oblique position thus leads to relatively many malfunctions.

United States patent US-B-6,620,085 describes a system for individually rotating with a rotating mechanism. O? p 7 70 "

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2 r transferring blanks from a storage warehouse to a higher-lying forming device. The blanks are transferred from a standing position to a lying position by the rotating mechanism.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved device and method for forming a packaging tray. This object is achieved with the device and method according to claims 1 and 15, respectively. With a layered storage magazine 10, the magazine can be filled in a simple manner and without the need for much force. By having the movement of the blank take place by two separate means, respectively the transfer means and the transport means, wherein the transfer means move up and down, or perform a reciprocating movement, an efficient mechanism is provided.

The stock warehouse is preferably adapted to receive the stack of blanks in a standing position. Because of this ! the blanks can be removed from the warehouse one by one without there being the risk that several blanks are released. After all, the weight of the remaining blanks in the warehouse does not affect the next blank that must be removed from the warehouse.

The feed device preferably comprises transfer means for transferring a blank each time from a standing position to a lying position. The blanks are formed in the forming device from a lying position into an erected tray with the aid of a stamp displaceable in the vertical direction. The transferring means bring the blanks from a standing position to a lying position to enable positioning thereof in the forming device.

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The supply device further comprises transport means for transporting a blank each time from the transfer means to the forming device. By uncoupling rotation and positioning of the blank, the movements can be carried out independently and time savings are achieved.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention the transfer means comprise a member which grips the blank and which is drivable at least in a sense of rotation. The blank is rotated directly from its standing position to its lying position, which again saves time.

In a preferred embodiment, the drive of the gripping member comprises a crank connecting rod mechanism, the gripping member being connected to one end of the connecting rod. Such a mechanism provides for a fast movement and has a very short cycle.

When the connecting rod between the gripping member and a pivot point with the crank is guided in linear motion in a guide member, it will be ensured that the crank connecting rod mechanism performs its correct movement.

The guide member is preferably rotatable. Due to such a construction, the gripping member is able to perform a substantially rotating movement from a standing position to a lying position of a blank connected thereto, while in the extreme positions a more or less linear final movement follows. These linear movements in the crank connecting rod mechanism are very important for proper operation of the device, as will be explained below.

The gripping member preferably comprises a frame and a vacuum means arranged on the frame for vacuum-gripping the blank. A blank can easily be grasped and handled without risk of damage.

Furthermore, the transporting means comprise at least two displaceable grippers which grip the blank on either side at the peripheral edge thereof. Because the grippers move to and from the blank space is free to place a blank between the grippers from below. If the grippers are in the return movement, the space for receiving the next blank is free. The blank can already be brought into position during the return stroke of 10 grippers. Furthermore, the grippers can place the blank at the correct position in the forming device, while the transfer means can already remove a next blank from the storage magazine. A very fast device for forming a packaging tray is hereby obtained.

The grippers are preferably not only displaceable in a direction from and to the forming device, but also in a direction parallel to the circumferential edge of the blank to be grasped.

In a preferred embodiment, the grippers each comprise a pair of gripping parts that can be moved from an open position to a closed position and vice versa. By bringing the gripping parts to a closed position, the blank is grasped and taken over from the transfer means.

Preferably, the grippers are moved from an open position to a closed position during their displacement to the gripping peripheral edge of the blank. Again, this saves time, resulting in a fast device, now that movements occur simultaneously.

The invention furthermore relates to a method for transferring a blank according to claims 14-17.

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The invention will be further elucidated with reference to the attached drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a schematic view of a device 5 for forming a packaging tray according to the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a more detailed view of a part of the device of Figure 1 in a first position;

Figure 3 shows the detail of Figure 2 in a second position; Figure 4 shows the detail of Figure 2 in a third position;

Figure 5 shows the detail of Figure 2 in a fourth position;

Figures 6A-6G schematically show different positions of a crank connecting rod mechanism according to the invention; Figure 7A shows a more detailed view of transport means of the device according to the position of Figure 4, and

Figure 7B shows a more detailed view of the transport means of the device according to the position of figure 5.

Figure 1 schematically shows a device for forming a packaging tray of a single cardboard blank. The device comprises a storage magazine 1 for storing a stack of blanks, a feeding device 2 for removing and positioning the blanks from the storage magazine 1 one by one and a forming device 3 for folding the blank into an erected tray. The device is furthermore provided with a draining roller conveyor 4 through which the formed trays 30 leave the device. The discharging roller conveyor 4 is often situated at working height, that is to say between 70 and 90 centimeters. The formed trays can therefore be removed manually from the roller conveyor 4. A stamp 5 working in the vertical direction is placed in the forming device 3. This stamp 5 presses a blank through a counter-shape, wherein the side flaps of the blank fold over with respect to the bottom part thereof. Because the blank must be pressed through the counter-shape and ultimately have to reach the level of the discharging roller track 4, the level j for positioning the blank in the forming device 3 j is somewhat above the level of the discharging roller track 4. According to the invention, the storage magazine 1 is located below the level for positioning the blank in the forming device 3. The storage warehouse 1 is located near the ground on which the device is placed. Blanks can be placed in the storage magazine 1 in a simple manner. The storage magazine 1 is of such a shape that it accommodates the blanks in a standing position. By standing position is meant herein a substantially vertical position. The storage magazine 1 is provided at the front, that is, the side facing the supply device 2, with two retainers, which stop a stack of blanks in the storage magazine 1 when the front blank is removed from the magazine 1. Reference numeral 6 denotes the pushers that push the stack from behind and ensure that the blanks remain upright.

The device shown in Figure 1 is apart from the location and orientation of the storage magazine 1 and the embodiment of the feed device 2 identical to the device already known from the prior art. The already known components of the device are not further described herein, since they are not important for the invention. Although the device of figure 1 shows a stamp placed above the positioning level, the invention also applies to a device wherein the stamp works from the bottom and forms the trays upwards 7. In addition, as is known from the prior art, glue can be applied during horizontal transport from the blank to the forming device 3 for gluing the side flaps after they have been folded. To this end, the blank is transported, for example, under two glue heads to provide glue tracks.

Figures 2-5 show the storage magazine 1 and the feeding device 2 of the device of figure 1 in more detail. The feed device 2 consists of two parts. The first part is indicated in Figure 2 by reference numeral 7. In Figure 1, this part 7 of the supply device 2 is located behind a wall 9 of the device and is therefore not visible. As stated above, the device of Figure 1 is in principle a known device.

In the known device, the space behind the wall 9 is unused. An additional advantage of the invention is that this space is now utilized for accommodating the first part 7 of the supply device 2 according to the invention.

The second part of the feed device 2 is indicated in Figure 2 by reference numeral 8 and is arranged at level j j of the positioning of the blanks. With the device known from the prior art, the storage magazine 1 was above this last-mentioned level and the total device was therefore higher than the device according to the invention.

The first part 7 of the feed device 2 consists of the following components. Reference numeral 10 denotes a fixed cylinder. Its piston 30 is attached to a guide block 11. This guide block 11 is guided over a vertically arranged guide rod 12. The block 11 is fixedly connected to an endless drive member 13, for example in the form of a toothed belt. The drive member 13 runs over two rollers 14, 15, the upper roll 15 of which is fixedly connected to a first end of a crank 16. A connecting rod 17 is hinged to the second end of the crank 16. Attached to the end 5 of the connecting rod 17 is a frame 18 provided with vacuum means, for example in the form of suction cups 19 (see figures 6A-6G). Attached to the connecting rod 17 is a guide rod 20 which is guided in a guide block 21 which is rotatably attached to the frame of the device (not shown) by means of a bearing 22.

Furthermore, in figure 2, with reference numeral 23, a single cardboard blank is shown in the upright position. The blank 23 is provided on two opposite peripheral edges with four incisions 24 and additionally comprises 15 folding lines which are not shown in Figure 2. With such a blank a packaging tray can be formed by folding the side flaps of the blank over the fold lines. Because this blank and the manner of forming a tray from it belongs to the state of the art, no further description thereof is given herein.

The second part of the feeding device 2 consists of a number of grippers 30, in the embodiment as shown in figure 2 of four, however, these can also be more or less than four. The grippers 30 are arranged in the horizontal plane in a direction from the storage magazine 1 to the forming device 3 and, conversely, displaceably in the frame of the device. The displacement of the grippers 30 takes place by means of endless conveyor means 31. The grippers 30 are attached to this by means of tightening gripping means 32, which ensure a clamping action between the gripper 30 on the one hand and the endless means 31 on the other hand. Motor 33 drives the endless members 31. Furthermore, every 9 liter gripper comprises a cylinder (see figures 7A and 7B) which is fed hydraulically, electrically or pneumatically. The feed of each gripper is fed via flexible channels 34 to the movable grippers 30.

The second part 8 of the feed device 2 is shown in more detail in figures 7A and 7B. In figure 7A the grippers are shown in a first, open position, while in figure 7B the grippers are shown in a second, closed position. Furthermore, in figure 7B a part of the frame 18 with the suction cups 19 of the first part 7 of the feed device 2 attached to it is just visible.

In figure 7A this frame 18 is located under blank 23 and is still supported by the frame 18 in the position shown therein.

Each gripper is structured as follows. At the rear, that is to say the side remote from the blank, a gripper 30 is provided with a cylinder 40. A first gripping part 41 with a bottom wall 42 and side walls 43 (one of which is visible in Fig. 7A) is attached to the cylinder 40.

A gripping jaw 45 is tiltably received in the first gripping part 41. The gripping jaw 45 tilts about hinge pin 46 in the side walls of the first gripping part 41. In addition, each gripper 30 also comprises a second gripping part 47. This second gripping part 47 is fixed to the fixed frame of the device. The second gripping part 47 comprises an upper wall 48 and a side wall 49.

A hinge pin 50 protrudes from the side wall 49 on the side of the gripping jaw 45. The gripping jaw 45 and the hinge pin 50 cooperate to close the gripper 30 when it is moved to the peripheral edge of the blank 23 such that the blank 23 is grasped by its peripheral edge and can be moved by the grippers 30 to the forming device 3 .

With the activation of the cylinder 40, the first gripping part 41 will be moved towards the peripheral edge of the blank 23.

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The gripping jaw 45 is thus moved towards the hinge pin 50 of the second gripping part 47. Since the hinge pin 50 is lower than the hinge point 46 and the space for receiving the hinge pin 50 in the gripping jaw, the gripping jaw 45 will rotate clockwise around hinge point 46.

As a result, the nose of the gripping jaw 45 will come into contact with the blank 23 and the blank 23 will be gripped between the nose of the gripping jaw 45 and the bottom wall 42 of the first gripping part 41 (see Fig. 7B). The grippers 10 can then be transported in the horizontal plane towards the forming device 3. This will be done by driving motor 33 and rotating endless conveyor means 31 on which the grippers 30 are mounted. The blank 23 is hereby positioned in the forming device 3 in a horizontal position.

For removing a blank from the storage magazine 1 one by one and transferring the blank from a vertical to a horizontal position, according to FIG. Invention: a special crank connecting rod mechanism 7 is designed the operation of which will be explained below. The description is made with reference to Figures 2 to 5 and Figures 6A to 6G which show different positions of the crank connecting rod mechanism. In the first position according to Figure 2, a first blank 23 is gripped by suction cups 19. The connecting rod 17 assumes a substantially horizontal position, while the crank 16 assumes a substantially vertical position. The drive cylinder 10 is complete

retracted so that guide block 11 is in the first I

end position. From this position, cylinder 10 is activated and guide block 11 will move downwardly, taking the endless drive member 13 and rotation of roller 15. Rotation of roller 15 will be clockwise. The one attached to the roller 15! crank 16 will also rotate clockwise.

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Because connecting rod 17 is guided in guide block 21 that can rotate around bearing 22 on the frame of the device, the end of the connecting rod 17, which is hingedly connected to the crank, will start a rotating movement clockwise around bearing 22 . The blank 23 held at the other end of the connecting rod 17 is thereby moved upwards while it will start to tilt.

This position is then shown in Figure 3. In the other end position of the guide block 11, with the cylinder 10 completely emitted, the crank 16 assumes a substantially horizontal position, while the connecting rod 17 assumes a substantially vertical position. The crank 16 is rotated through 270 ° from the position shown in Figure 2, while the connecting rod 17 is rotated through an angle of 90 °. The blank 23 is thus brought into a horizontal position. In the position of the blank 23 shown in Figure 4, the grippers 30 can take over the blank from the crank connecting rod mechanism 7 for transport in the horizontal plane. While the grippers 30 ensure the positioning of the blank 23 in the forming device 3, the crank connecting rod mechanism can be returned to its starting position as shown in Fig. 2 for supplying a new blank to the forming device 3. Since all movements can be continued immediately when executed, there are no waiting times and the device is suitable for forming trays at high speed. The return of the crank connecting rod mechanism 7 takes place in the reverse direction and is shown in Figures 6A-6G. The guide block 11 is moved from bottom to top over guide rod 12 by retracting the drive cylinder 10, causing the crank 16 to rotate counterclockwise from the position shown in Figures 4 and 6A. Again, the crank 16 rotates through 270 °, while the connecting rod 17 is rotated through 90 °. In figure 6A the one extreme position 12 is shown and in figure 6G the other extreme position is shown. The remaining figures, 6B-6F, show intermediate positions of the mechanism. It can be clearly seen from figures 6A-6G that bearing 22 with the guide block 21 connected thereto forms a fixed point so that the connecting rod 17, which will hereby have a rotation point that can be moved along its length, will perform a special movement which essentially consists from a rotating movement for transferring a blank from its vertical position to its horizontal position, while in the extreme positions a more or less linear final movement follows. These end movements ensure that the blank 23 is removed from the magazine 1 and the suction cups 19 are released when the grippers 30 have taken over the blank 23 for horizontal transport. These linear movements also prevent the frame 18 and the suction cups 19 from tilting back into the blank 23 during the return of the crank connecting rod mechanism 7.

The invention is not limited to the preferred embodiment shown in the figures. Thus, the linear drive with the aid of cylinder 10 is not essential to the invention. Of importance is the rotational movement of point 15 in combination with the linear movement in pivot point 22. Instead of the linear drive shown, it is also possible to use other types of drives that have the desired effect, for example a rotary cylinder or a motor. The invention is only limited by the appended claims.

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Claims (19)

An apparatus for forming a packaging tray from a single blank, comprising: 5. a supply magazine for storing a stack of blank; - a positioning device for removing and positioning the blanks from the storage magazine, - a forming device for folding the blank into an erected tray, wherein: - the storage magazine is below the level for positioning the blank in the forming device; and - the positioning device comprises: - transfer means for transferring a blank from a substantially standing position to a substantially lying position, the transfer means going up and down between the lower level of the storage magazine and the higher level of the forming device; 20. transport means for transporting the blanks in a substantially horizontal plane, the transport means receiving the blanks in a substantially horizontal position of the transfer means. Device according to claim 1, wherein the positioning device for removing and positioning the blanks from the storage magazine is a supply device (2). Device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the storage magazine is adapted to receive the stack of blanks in a standing position. 1028770 t Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the positioning device comprises transfer means for transferring a blank each time from a standing position to a lying position. 5 5. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the positioning device comprises transport means for transporting a blank each time from the transfer means to the forming device. 6. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the transfer means comprise a member which grips the blank and which is drivable at least in a sense of rotation. 7. Device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the drive of the gripping gripping member comprising a blank comprises a crank connecting rod mechanism, the gripping member 20 being connected to an end of the connecting rod of the crank connecting rod mechanism. 8. Device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the connecting rod between the gripping member and a pivot point 25 with the crank is guided in a linear movement in a guide member. The device of claim 8, wherein the guide member is rotatable. 30 Device as claimed in any of the claims 6-9, wherein the gripping member comprises a frame and vacuum means arranged on the frame 1 'for gripping the blank with vacuum. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the transporting means comprise at least two displaceable grippers which grip the blank on both sides on the peripheral edge thereof. 12. Device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the grippers are displaceable in a direction from and to the circumferential edge of the blank to be gripped. 13. Device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the grippers each comprise a pair of gripping parts which can be brought from an open position to a closed position, and vice versa. 14. Device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the grippers are moved from the open position to the closed position during the displacement thereof towards the gripping peripheral edge of the blank. 15. Method for transferring a blank from a storage magazine to a forming device, the method comprising the steps of: - removing the blank from a storage magazine, wherein the storage magazine is at a lower level than where a blank is positioned in a molding device; 30. transferring the blank from a substantially standing position to a substantially lying position; receiving the blank by conveying means, wherein the blank is received from the transfer means in a substantially horizontal position; - transporting the blank through the conveying means in a substantially horizontal plane; - positioning the blank by the transporting means in a forming device; and - forming a packaging tray from the blank that is located at a postionation level in the forming device. 10 Method according to claim 15, wherein the transfer means move back and forth between the lower level of the storage magazine and the higher level of the forming device. 15 17. Method as claimed in claim 15 or 16, wherein the blank is transferred from a substantially standing position in the storage magazine to a substantially lying position in the forming device. 20 A method according to any of claims 15-17, wherein the transfer of the blank from the storage magazine to the forming device takes place by a substantially rotating movement. 25 A method according to claim 18, wherein the blank is moved substantially linearly after the rotating movement. | 1028770