WO2000071449A1

WO2000071449A1 - An apparatus and a method for folding an interlay sheet for a pallet-loaded unit

Info

Publication number: WO2000071449A1
Application number: PCT/SE2000/000992
Authority: WO
Inventors: Anders Aldin; Bengt KULLEGÅRD; Joakim Nordell
Original assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance Sa
Priority date: 1999-05-20
Filing date: 2000-05-18
Publication date: 2000-11-30
Also published as: AR024043A1; SE9901835D0; SE9901835L; AU5260300A; SE514619C2

Abstract

The disclosure relates to an apparatus (10) for folding interlay sheets (6) for a pallet-loaded unit (2). The interlay sheet (6) is of the type which, at each edge of the sheet (6), has fold lines (7) and punchings (8) in a continuous pattern. A number of individual objects (1) are placed on the sheet (6). The apparatus (10) has blocks (24) placed on all sides of the interlay sheets (6), the blocks (24) being disposed to shear the edges of the sheet (6) upwards so that the edge is folded into a frame (26) in the fold lines (7). The apparatus (10) also has support plates (30) placed beneath the sheet (6) and disposed to hold the frame (26) in the folded position.

Description

AN APPARATUS AND A METHOD FOR FOLDING AN INTERLAY SHEET FOR A PALLET-LOADED UNIT

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an apparatus for folding an interlay sheet for a pallet-loaded unit, the interlay sheet being of the type which, at each edge of the sheet, has fold lines and punchings in a continuous pattern and on which sheet there are placed a number of individual objects. The present invention also relates to a method of folding an interlay sheet.

BACKGROUND ART

For selling foods to consumers, large food retail outlets today often elect to convey the goods into the retail outlet direct on the pallet on which the goods were supplied to the retailer. A large quantity of goods is sold in this manner, regularly or in connection with special sales campaigns, including liquid foods such as juice, fruit drinks, water and the like. Such foods are often packed in single-use disposable packages of the type which, for example, may have a parallelepipedic configuration. In order to achieve the best sales outcome results, the aim is to have a stable pallet unit at the same time as the intention is to expose as much as possible of the product. In order to obtain a stable unit, the individual packages have most generally been packed in corrugated cardboard trays, possibly with a wrapping of corrugated cardboard. In order to achieve a favourable exposure of the packages, any possible wrapping must be torn away, which is a time-consuming operation. Also in recycling in retail outlets, both the tray and the wrapping must be taken care of. Nor are the costs for such corrugated cardboard components negligible. Attempts have also been made to place the packages direct in low corrugated cardboard boxes, corresponding to the surface of the pallet, or use has also been made of interlays which have been friction treated between each layer on the pallet. However, both of these methods result in extremely unstable pallet units and the risk that the packages fall off and be damaged is very great. Loading a pallet with packages in a pallet loader entails that the packages, in a first separate machine, have been marshalled together to units, placed in trays and possibly provided with a wrapping. These units are then placed one-by-one on a pallet in a further machine. However, manual packing of pallets still occurs to a large extent.

As an interlay in a pallet-loaded unit, the aim is thus to employ as little material as possible without injuriously affecting the stability of the unit. Glued and stapled interlay sheets also involve further material consumption and an increased handling of the interlay before it can function as intended. The intention is also to lock the layers of the objects which are beneath that layer which immediately exposed for sale.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present invention is, from a planar corrugated cardboard sheet, to fold it without additional material and cause it to stably lock two mutually adjacent layers in a pallet-loaded unit.

SOLUTION

This and other objects have been attained according to the present invention in that the apparatus of the type disclosed by way of introduction has been given the characterising feature that, on all sides of the sheet, there are placed blocks which are disposed to shear the edges of the interlay sheet upwards so that the edge is folded to a frame in the fold lines and that a support plate is placed beneath the sheet on each side, the support plate being disposed to retain the frame in the folded position.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention have further been given the characterising features as set forth in the appended subclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

One preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in greater detail hereinbelow, with reference to the accompanying Drawings. In the accompanying Drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a pallet-loaded unit of the type which can be loaded according to the method of the present invention; Fig. 2 shows an interlay sheet, unfolded;

Fig. 3 shows an interlay sheet, folded;

Fig. 4 shows the apparatus according to the present invention; and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the apparatus according to the present invention.

The Drawings show only those details essential to an understanding of the present invention and the placing of the apparatus in a complete pallet loader, which is well-known to a person skilled in the art, has been omitted.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for folding an interlay sheet 6 for a pallet-loaded unit 2. In addition to the interlay sheet 6, the pallet-loaded unit 2 consists of individual objects 1, as shown in Fig. 1. The objects 1 may, for example, consist of parallelepipedic packaging containers of the single-use disposable type intended for liquid foods. Lowermost in the unit 2, there is a load carrier or a pallet 3. The pallet 3 may, for example, consist of a so-called quarter pallet which has a format making it suitable to be handled in the retail trade. The present invention may also be employed for other types of pallets of other formats. Above the pallet 3, there is placed a planar interlay sheet 4 with a view to protecting the packaging containers 1. Above the planar interlay sheet 4, a number of layers 5 are stacked, each one consisting of a number of packaging containers 1 in a pre-selected packing pattern.

An interlay sheet 6 is placed between each layer 5 of packaging containers 1. The interlay sheet 6 which is shown in greater detail in Figs. 2 and 3, may be of the type which is marketed under the name Tetra Layer™. The interlay sheet 6, which is shown in the unfolded state in Fig. 2, has a continuous pattern of crease lines 7 and punchings 8. The pattern is placed along each edge of the interlay sheet 6. The interlay sheet 6 further displays cut-off corner portions 9 in all four corners.

In the pallet loader, there is a magazine (not shown) for foldable interlay sheets 6. The interlay sheets 6 are transported from the magazine one-at-a-time and are placed in the apparatus 10 (Figs. 4 and 5). Centrally on the apparatus 10, there is disposed a folder plate 11 with suction cups 12 which are connected to a vacuum source. The interlay sheet 6 is placed on the folder plate 11 when it comes from the magazine, and the suction cups 12 hold it in place. The folder plate 11 consists of a fixed portion 13 and, on either side thereof, there are four adjustable portions 14. The adjustable portions 14 are adapted to different interlay sheets 6 of different sizes. On the adjustable portions 14, projecting support fingers 15 are disposed in order further to support the interlay sheet 6 from beneath. The support fingers 15 are placed in register with the fold lines 7 on the interlay sheet 6.

The packaging containers 1 are advanced into the pallet loader on some form of conveyor belt (not shown). The conveyor belt may consist of an endless, driven belt or chain of conventional type. In a marshalling or grouping station (not shown), the packaging containers 1 are grouped into a pre-selected packing pattern, for example with the aid of various pushers. In the preferred embodiment, the packaging containers 1 are grouped on a movable mat (not shown). From the mat, the packaging containers 1 are displaced with the aid of the movement of the mat and a pusher (not shown), via a number of fixed rollers 16 over to a number of continuous moving rollers 17. The moving continuous rollers 17 are driven by a motor 18. The rollers 17 are, in erach side, interconnected to one another by means of chains 19 which each run in a guide 20. The rollers 17 are disposed to move, from the position where they receive the packaging containers, out over the interlay sheet 6 with the packaging containers 1 standing on the rollers 17 in their pre-selected packing pattern. During the transfer, the packaging containers 1 are held in position with the aid of a guide rail 21 on each side. The rollers 17 move forwards so that the packaging containers 1 stop against an end stop 22.

The rollers 17 thereafter continue forwards and under the folder plate 11 until they reach their original position. The packaging containers 1 fall down on the interlay sheet 6 beginning at the rear end most distal from the end stop 22. Alternatively, the packaging containers 1 can be grouped directly on the interlay sheet 6. However, this involves the risk that the packaging containers 1 fasten in the fold lines 7 or in the punchings 8. Moreover, the friction is greater direct against the interlay sheet 6. When the packaging containers 1 are located in place on the interlay sheet 6, the guide rails 21 and the end stop 22 are folded away.

The apparatus 10 also includes a folder frame 23. The folder frame 23 includes four adjustable blocks 24 which are placed on each side of the folder plate 11. The blocks 24 may be adjusted in response to the size of the interlay sheet 6. The blocks 24 are secured to a plate 25 which is movable along two rods 32 and it may, for example, be governed by a pneumatic or hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly. When the interlay sheet 6 has packaging containers 1 placed on its surface 27, the sheet 6 is folded in that the anchorage plate 25 of the folder frame 23 moves upwards towards the edges of the interlay sheet 6 and the blocks 24 will, in this instance, shear the edges upwards.

The interlay sheet 6 is folded in that the edges are pressed upwards and, at this point, the edges are formed as a frame 26 around the planar surface 27 (Fig. 3). The edges are folded in the fold lines 7 and form the frame 26, at 90° to the planar surface 27. The frame 26 extends on both sides of the surface 27 and, as a result, there will be obtained, as shown in Fig. 1, an interlay sheet 6 with a frame 26 which has a portion 28 which supports the packaging containers in a lower layer 5' and a portion 29 which supports the packaging containers 1 in an upper layer 5". The packages 1 in the upper layer 5" are placed on the planar surface 27.

That portion 28 of the frame 26 which extends under the planar surface 27 has, in the preferred embodiment, a semi-circular definition. For the frame 26 to remain in the upwardly folded position when the blocks 24 of the folder frame 23 return to their starting position, at least one support plate 30 on each side moves out towards the semi-circular portions 28 and holds them in position under the folder plate 11. The movement of the support plates is executed from the inside and out, as well as under the planar surface 27. In that the support plates 30 press against the semi-circular portions 28, the frame 26 is prevented from springing back to its starting position. The support plates 30 are, for example, each guided by a piston and cylinder assembly 31.

The apparatus 10 for folding interlay sheets 6 may also be employed for the planar sheets 4 which lie on the surface of the pallet 3. In this case, the folder frame 23 is not utilised. The planar sheets 4 also have a separate magazine in the pallet loader, discrete from the foldable interlay sheets 6.

The packaging containers 1 grouped on the apparatus 10 standing on a ready-folded interlay sheet 6 constitute one layer unit, i.e. one layer 5 on the pallet unit 2 with one interlay sheet 6. The layer unit is now to be displaced from the apparatus 10 where folding of the interlay sheets 6 took place. The subsequent phase in the pallet loader is not shown on the Drawings. Displacement takes place by means of a gripper head which grasps both the packaging containers 1 and the frame 26 on the interlay sheet 6 and displaces the entire layer unit in one operation.

In that the guide rails 21, the end stop 22 and the folder frame blocks 24 have returned to their starting position and the frame 26 is only held in place from beneath by means of the support plates 30, there is nothing to obstruct the gripper head in its movement. The gripper head lifts, horizontally transports and finally lowers the layer unit on the uppermost layer in the partly-loaded pallet unit 2, or alternatively direct on the pallet 3 if the layer unit consists of packaging containers 1 and a planar sheet 4.

As will have been apparent from the foregoing description, the present invention realises an apparatus and a method for folding an interlay sheet for a pallet-loaded unit where, by a simple shearing from beneath of the edges of the interlay sheet, there will be obtained a frame around the packaging containers which stand placed on the interlay sheet, the frame locking two mutually adjacent lying layers in a pallet-loaded unit.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An apparatus (10) for folding an interlay sheet (6) for a pallet- loaded unit (2), the interlay sheet (6) being of the type which, at each edge of the sheet (6), has crease lines (7) and punchings (8) in a continuous pattern, and on which sheet (6) there are placed a number of individual objects (1), characterised in that on all sides of the interlay sheet (6) there are placed (24) which are disposed to shear the edges of the sheet (6) upwards so that the edge is folded to a frame (26) in the fold lines (7); and that there are placed, beneath the sheet (6), on each side, a support plate (30) which is disposed to hold the frame (26) in the folded position.

2. The apparatus (10) as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the interlay sheet (6) is placed in the apparatus (10) on a folder plate (11); and that the sheet (6) is held in place by means of suction cups (12) connected to a vacuum source.

3. The apparatus (10) as claimed in Claim 2, characterised in that the folder plate (11) includes a fixed portion (13) and adjustable portions (14) on each side of the fixed portion (13); and that the adjustable portions (14) are provided with projecting support fingers (15).

4. The apparatus (10) as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the blocks (24) are placed on a plate (25), the plate (25) being movable in the horizontal direction along two or more rods (32).

5. The apparatus (10) as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, characterised in that the blocks (24) are adjustable for interlay sheets (6) of varying sizes.

6. The apparatus (10) as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the support plates (30) are disposed to move from the inside and out.

7. A method of folding an interlay sheet (6) for a pallet-loaded unit (2), the interlay sheet (6) being of the type which, at each edge of the sheet (6), has fold lines (7) and punchings (8) in a continuous pattern, and on which sheet (6) there is placed a number of individual objects (1), characterised in that the outer edges of the interlay sheet (6) are sheared upwards by means of a block (24) on each side of the sheet (6); and that the sheet (6) is in such instance folded in the fold lines (7) for the formation of a frame (26), at 90° to the sheet, and said frame (26) extending on both sides of the sheet (6); and that support plates (30) thereafter move out towards that portion (28) of the frame (26) which is located beneath the sheet (6) and hold the frame (26) in its folded position.