WO1990013484A1

WO1990013484A1 - Installation for the continuous filling of a casing

Info

Publication number: WO1990013484A1
Application number: PCT/FR1990/000304
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jean Parrier; Henri Parrier
Original assignee: Wogegal S.A.
Priority date: 1989-04-28
Filing date: 1990-04-26
Publication date: 1990-11-15
Also published as: EP0395524A1; DK104690A; PT93912A; CA2015668A1; DE69005512T2; FR2646397A1; DE69005512D1; FR2646397B1; ES2047871T3; EP0395524B1; DK104690D0; JPH03506018A

Abstract

An installation for the continuous filling of a tubular casing (44) with fibrous material, includes a tubular support (40; 42) around which a casing has been placed, a duct (26; 28) connecting the interior of the tubular support to a source of fibrous material (22), and means for transporting the fibrous material between said source (22) and the casing via the duct. According to the invention, said transfer means include an air current, the installation also having means for adjusting the air flow from inside the casing to the outside in order to control the density of the fibrous material in the casing.

Description

FILLING SYSTEM

CONTINUOUS OF AN ENVELOPE

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The present invention relates to an installation for the continuous filling of an envelope and, more particularly, the filling of a continuous net with a fibrous material, for example wood fiber.

The continuous filling of an envelope presents certain production problems when it is a fibrous material such as wood fiber. It is not possible to introduce the fibers into the envelope by means of a piston or other mechanical plunger if it is desired to obtain a regular filling density of the fibers in the envelope.

The present invention therefore relates to an installation for the continuous filling of an envelope which is of simple construction and of increased reliability and which ensures a substantially uniform filling density.

To do this, the invention provides an installation for the continuous filling of a tubular envelope, with a fibrous material, comprising a tubular support on which a reserve of envelope is threaded, a conduit intended to connect the interior of the support. tubular to a source of fibrous material and means for transporting the fibrous material between the source and the envelope through the conduit characterized in that said transfer means comprise a stream of air, the installation further comprising means for adjusting the air flow from the interior of the envelope to the exterior in order to control the density of the fibrous material in the envelope.

When trying to cut an envelope thus filled with fibrous material, closing the ends of the cut net also poses problems. You cannot plan to close the net by twisting it where it is planned to cut it because it is necessary to stop the filling at specific times in order to create spaced voids along the net.

Another object of the invention is to provide an installation for cutting the filled envelope into units having a substantially regular density.

According to a first characteristic, this object is achieved by the fact that the installation further comprises at least one nozzle for spreading a binder over predetermined areas of the tubular envelope once filled, and a cutting station for the filled envelope.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description, made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

- Figure 1 is a schematic view of an installation for the continuous filling of an envelope according to the invention;

- Figures 2A and 2B are detailed views of a

part of Figure 1; and

- Figure 3 is a detailed view of another part of Figure 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, an installation for the continuous filling of an envelope comprises a fan 12 provided with an inlet 14 and an outlet 16. The inlet 14 comprises an adjustable flap 18 whose function will be described below below. A flexible conduit, shown schérαatiquement at 20 connects the inlet 14 to a reserve 22 of fibrous product intended to fill the envelope. In the example illustrated, the product comprises wood fiber, the fibers having a length between 0.5 and 10 mm.

The outlet 16 of the fan 12 is connected to a duct 24 substantially in the form of a Y and comprising two arms 26 and 28. The duct 24 comprises a tilting flap 30 intended to close one or the other of the arms 26, 28. In its illustrated position, the flap 30 closes the passage 28 and leaves the passage 26 open. A rotary support 32 is mounted next to the open end of each arm 26 and 28 and comprises an actuator 34 capable of selectively turning an arm 36 around an axis 38. The arm 36 comprises, at each end and in a symmetrical manner a tubular support 40 and 42 intended to receive the envelope 44 on its outer surface. In its illustrated position, the support 40 is in the loading position of the envelope 44. Rollers 46, intended to facilitate the positioning of the envelope 44 on the support 40, are arranged on either side of the open end of the support 40.

In the example illustrated, the envelope 44 comprises a tubular net of synthetic material, for example of polyethylene, with meshes having dimensions between 1 and 10 mm.

Next to the free end 48 of the tubular support 42 is mounted a suction assembly 50 which is shown in more detail in Figures 2A and 2B. The suction assembly 50 comprises a bottom element 52, having a U-shaped section, pivotally mounted on a duct 54, and a hood 56. The hood 56 has two sides 58 which, with the bottom element 52, substantially surround the neighboring ends of the tubular support 42 and of the duct 54. Openings 60 closed in the bottom 62 of the hood 56 allow the passage of air between the end of the tubular support 42 and an air outlet 64. The hood 56 is provided with a flap 66 which can be moved to the right or to the left by looking at the drawing in order to be able to selectively open or close the openings 60 and thus adjust the air flow evacuated by the hood 56. This hood is pivotally mounted on an axis 68 and can therefore be tilted with the bottom element 52 from the position illustrated in FIG. 2A to the position of FIG. 2B in order to allow the rotation of the tubular support 42 around the axis 38. This tilting is ensured by a rotary cylinder 70 (see figure 1).

The conduit 54 has a substantially U-shaped section and comprises means of transporting the envelope which, in the example illustrated, are belts 72. Following the end of the duct 54 opposite the suction assembly 50 are arranged a nozzle 74

for spreading a binder and a cutting station 76 for the envelope which will be described in more detail below. The installation finally comprises a second conduit 78 similar to conduit 54 which is also provided with transport belts 80. The transport belts 72 and 78 are started by an electric motor with variable speed 82.

The installation 10 thus described operates as follows. When the fan 12 is started, a mixture of air and wood fibers is sucked in through the inlet 14 and passes through the outlet 16 towards the inside of the arm 26 of the conduit 24, the flap 30 closing the arm 28 Then, the mixture passes inside the tubular support 42 and causes the deployment of the net 44. When starting the installation, it is necessary to close the open end of the net 44. This closure can possibly be done manually . The fiber loaf formed by the filling of the net advances in the conduit 54 and is driven by the belts 72. The bread takes a shape corresponding to the internal section of the conduit 54. This shape can advantageously be provided by a roller or an element of guide 84 disposed on the duct 54.

As it is a mixture of air and fibers which passes through the interior of the tubular support 42, it is necessary for the air to be able to leave the net during its filling. This air outlet takes place through the openings 60. By choosing the degree of closure of the openings 60 by the flap 66, it is easy to adjust the filling density of the fibers in the net.

The net thus filled with wood fibers passes through the conduit 54 towards the nozzle 74 which applies a layer of binding binder to the periphery of the net. As the net moves, the nozzle 74 is arranged to move at the same time as the net 3 when spreading the binder. The function of the binder is to ensure that, when cutting the bread, the end of each bread remains intact without loss of fibers. In a preferred embodiment, the binder is paraffin which is heated to a temperature of about 60 ° C. The paraffin is applied around the net to form a strip 4 cm wide. The paraffin does not penetrate to the center of the net, but a penetration of about 1 cm is enough for the loaves to remain intact during cutting. A preferred embodiment, comprising two nozzles 74, is shown in FIG. 3.

You can also use glues, preferably biodegradable glue or a glue.

"contact" with ultra-fast setting based on pine resin for example, applied using a fiberization system so that the glue fixes on the one hand the net so that it does not shrink when cutting, and secondly the fibers at the ends so that they do not fall.

It is also possible to provide a sprinkler system, not shown here, for drawing this ultra-fast setting adhesive on the ends of the loaves after cutting so as to maintain the fibers at said ends.

After spreading the paraffin, the bread is cut into units. In the embodiment of the figure

3, the bread is first clamped by jacks 86 before being cut by a cutting disc 88. As in the case of the spreading nozzle, the jacks 86 and the cutting disc 88 are arranged to follow the movement bread to ensure a normal cut L the longitudinal axis of the bread. At the end of each cut, the set of nozzles

74, cylinders 86 and disc 88 returns to its initial position as shown by arrow 90. The cut loaves pass through the second conduit 78 to a packaging station (not shown) where they are put in a plastic packaging. The present installation is intended to ensure continuous filling of the net. As the length of net which can be loaded on the tubular support 42 is limited, the installation 10 comprises a second filling chain which is substantially similar to that shown in FIG. 1 and can ensure the production of breads while the searches for a length of thread on the tubular support of the other chain. When the net on the tubular support is almost exhausted, the flap 30 is turned and closes the arm 26 thus allowing the air / fiber mixture to pass through the arm 28 and fill the net on the other filling chain. As a new length of thread has been loaded on the tubular support 42, it suffices to turn the rotary support 3? to put this loaded support 40 in place of the empty tubular support 42. The first filling chain thus becomes ready to restart when the thread of the other chain is exhausted. It remains to load a new length of thread on the tubular support 42.

The present installation allows the continuous filling of an envelope such as a net in a simple and reliable manner. In addition, the adjustment of the air outlet through the openings 60 makes it easy to control the filling density of the fibers in the net.

Provision may be made to use a plastic net known as "memory" or heat shrinkable which is intended to slightly compress the material after filling.

In order to ensure better penetration of the binder into the fibers, provision may be made to heat it to a temperature above 60 ° C. In this case, the installation further comprises cooling air nozzles arranged between the nozzle 74 and the cutting station 76 in order to solidify the binder before cutting the loaves.

The installation can ensure the continuous filling of an envelope with any other fibrous or granular material.

Claims

CLAIMS 1 - Installation for the continuous filling of a tubular envelope (44), with a fibrous material, comprising a tubular support (40; 42) on which a reserve of envelope is threaded, a conduit (26; 28) intended connecting the interior of the tubular support to a source of fibrous material (22) and means for transporting the fibrous material between the source (22) and the envelope through the conduit characterized in that said transfer means comprise a current air, the installation further comprising means for adjusting the air flow from the inside of the envelope to the outside in order to control the density of the fibrous material in the envelope.

2 - Installation according to claim 1 characterized in that it further comprises a hood (56) arranged around a free end of the tubular support (40; 42), variable openings (60) being arranged in the hood (56) and constituting the means for regulating the air flow.

3 - Installation according to claim 2 characterized in that the hood (56) has a flap (66) which is movable to selectively open or close one or more of the openings (60).

4 - Installation according to claim 1, 2 or 3 characterized in that it further comprises at least one nozzle (74) for spreading a binder over predetermined areas of the tubular casing (44) once filled, and a cutting station (76) for the filled envelope.

5 - Installation according to claim 4 characterized in that the binder is paraffin.

6 - Installation according to claim 4 characterized in that the binder is an ultra-fast setting adhesive applied using a fibériεation system. 7 - Installation according to one of claims 1, 2, 3 or 4 characterized in that it comprises means for spraying glue on the ends of loaves after cutting.