WO2011114272A1

WO2011114272A1 - A folding assembly for a high speed folding machine

Info

Publication number: WO2011114272A1
Application number: PCT/IB2011/051036
Authority: WO
Inventors: Renzo Tommasi
Original assignee: Rent S.R.L.
Priority date: 2010-03-15
Filing date: 2011-03-11
Publication date: 2011-09-22
Also published as: ITFI20100039A1; IT1399457B1; EP2569238A1

Abstract

The present invention refers to a folding assembly of a high-speed folding machine, for folding products (7) made of paper material or the like. Such assembly comprises a folding cylinder (3) and at least one first cylinder (8) for the outlet of said folded products and further comprises means for selective outlet routing (4, 6, 9, 12, 13) of said folded products (7) towards one or more outlet stations (11, 8A).

Description

A FOLDING ASSEMBLY FOR A HIGH SPEED FOLDING MACHINE

DESCRIPTION

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to the field of apparatus for the production of paper products such as tissue, napkins or other similar products with high speed folding machines operating with a vacuum system.

Background of the invention

I n such machines, during the starting step or in case of emergency due to jamming caused by defects in the raw material or by malfunction of the machine or related machinery units, an emergency product outlet system is needed, adapted to guarantee the high speed operation and the possibility of discarding a defined number of folded products though keeping the machine working, up to a speed of 2000 pieces per minute for each working channel.

The currently known folding systems, such as for instance the system shown in the United States patent n. US31 16668, are not provided with any emergency system of this type. The product exits from the folding cylinders and subsequently, in case of malfunctioning, it is sent to special suction openings connected to a storage unit for the discarded products.

However, these systems do not work at a high speed and, in case of emergency the machine is stopped and subsequently restarted with a consequent stop of the production.

Summary of the invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a system that overcomes such problem left unsolved by the prior art, and which, in alarm condition, is capable of send ing the prod uct exiting from the fold ing machine towards special suction openings, or if required towards further outlet cylinders which pick up the folded product, all the above working at a high speed, at least up to 2000 pieces per minute per each single working channel. Furthermore, an object is to provide a system that allows discarding a single pile of product, each having a number of pieces that vary from 5 to 10 pieces.

Accord ing to the invention , such object is attained by means of a folding assembly as defined in the independent claim 1 .

A further object of the present invention is a high-speed folding machine, as defined in claim 13.

The main advantage of the present invention is that, upon an alarm signal, the system is capable of deviating the product from an outlet cylinder of the folding machine towards special suction openings or, if required, towards a second outlet cylinder which picks up the folded product and sends it to the subsequent operating step, the system working at a speed up to 2000 pieces per minute per channel.

Furthermore, the system also allows for discarding even a single pile of product, each comprising from 5 to 10 pieces at a time.

Brief description of the drawings

Further characteristics and advantages of a folding assembly according to the present invention shall be clearer from the description that follows of embodiments thereof, described by way of non-limiting examples, with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

- figure 1 is a schematic side view of a folding assembly working with the vacuum system according to the invention;

- figures 2A and 2B are sectional views of a folding cylinder and of an outlet cylinder of the assembly according to the present invention;

- figures 3A and 3B are schematic sectional views of a valve of the present invention, in two possible positions;

- figure 4 is a schematic side view of a further embodiment of a folding assembly operating with the vacuum system, provided with a second outlet cylinder according to the invention.

Detailed description of the invention

The present invention shall be described hereafter with reference to the above mentioned figures.

With reference to figure 1 , this figure shows a side view of a folding assembly 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

The assembly at issue may advantageously provide for one or more adjacent channels working in parallel, and it is fed with continuous paper strips 2, having one or more layers, with or without longitudinal foldings, I. e. foldings parallel with respect to the direction of advancement.

The assembly 1 according to the present invention comprises, as known , a cylinder which provides for a cutting of the product into segments 70, starting from the paper strip 2.

Subsequently, a folding cylinder 3 folds the product 70 in one or more parts. At least a main outlet cylinder 8 cooperates with the folding cylinder 3, allowing for picking up the folded products and transporting them towards further working steps via conveying means 50, according to what is provided for in the prior art.

The assembly further comprises vacuum holding means 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13 for holding by suction the folded products 70 in adherence to the cylinders, and an emergency outlet or simple product deviation station, adjacent with the folding cylinder 3 and upstream of the main outlet cylinder, said station comprising namely, in the present example, a channel 1 1 for discarding defective products.

The entire assembly, and in particular the holding means 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12,

13, operate through a suction system which allows for holding and/or detaching the products 70 in a controlled manner so as to hold the products adherent to the folding 3 or outlet 8 cylinder, or allow the detachment thereof from the folding cylinder 3 and the subsequent routing thereof towards the means 1 1 for discarding the defective products.

In particular, a first disc 29 is provided integral with the basement of the entire folding assembly and rotatably traversed by the axis of the folding cylinder 3, the disc being positioned adjacent to said cylinder. A first slot arrangement 4 is provided along the periphery of the disc, and connectable to a source of vacuum 12. The method of connection of the slot arrangement 4 to the source of vacuum is observable in figure 2A. The connection is obtained through a pipe 5 on the disc 29. However, such methods are deemed known to a man skilled in the art.

In the outlet point of the folded products, corresponding to the contact point between the folding cylinder 3 and the main outlet cylinder 8, the slot 4 is interrupted so as to create a detachment portion on the cylinder, a portion that is not affected by the suction action of the of the source of vacuum. This allows the detachment of the product 70 from the folding cylinder 3.

The main outlet cylinder 8 in turn comprises a disc 30 integral with the basement and rotatably traversed by the axis of the cylinder, positioned adjacent to the disc. At the main outlet cylinder there is provided a second slot arrangement 9 provided along the periphery and connectable to the source of vacuum 12 through a pipe 10, as observable in figure 2B.

Thanks to a correct phase adjustment of the folding and outlet cylinders, upon termination of the vacuum effect on the folding cylinder, this effect is established on the outlet cylinder 8, so that the products held on the folding cylinder 3 up to that point, are released and adhered to the outlet cylinder 8, from which they shall be subsequently picked up and sent to conveyors, belts, or other transport means.

Accord ing to the main aspect of the present invention, the holding means comprise means for controlling the suction , preferably by means of a third slot arrangement 6 provided in the disc 29 and in turn selectively connectable to the source of vacuum 12 through a pipe 7.

Such third slot arrangement 6 is independent from the first slot arrangement 4 and, preferably, it is formed after the portion for the detachment of the products from the folding cylinder.

Preferably, the means for controlling the suction also comprise a valve 13 for the alternating connection of the second slot arrangement 9 at the outlet cylinder 8 and of the third slot arrangement 6 at the folding cylinder 3 to the source of vacuum 12. Figures 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views of such valve 13.

Preferably, the valve 13 can carry out quick operating cycles, controlled by a pneumatic actuator 14 or any other system with analogous functions.

Such valve 13 comprises at least one inlet pipe 21 connected to the source of vacuum 12 and at least two outlet pipes 19, 20.

Furthermore, the valve comprises means for opening/closing said pipes, driven so as to alternatingly connect one of the outlet pipes 19, 20 to the inlet pipe 21 .

The opening/closing means preferably comprise a slider 15 driven through the high speed pneumatic actuator 14.

Furthermore, the valve 13 comprises one or more pipes 17, 18 for connection to a source of pressure adapted to provide air at a pressure >= the ambient pressure.

Pressure equivalent to the ambient pressure can be connected to such pipes 17, 18, or can be connected to a source of positive pressure to increase the operating speed. Indeed, application of positive pressure to the pipes 17, 18 allows obtaining a greater detachment or attachment speed of the products 70 to the folding and outlet cylinders 3, 8, due to the very effect of this applied pressure.

In figures 3A and 3B arrows F1 , F2, F3, F4 indicate the flow of the vacuum and of the pressure during a working step.

In particular, figure 3A illustrates the valve 13 at a position in which the inlet pipe 21 of the valve is connected to the outlet pipe 19 which is for example used for taking the vacuum to the slot arrangement 9 at the outlet cylinder 8. In such step, the second outlet pipe 20 is at the pressure determined by the pipe 1 7, for example at the ambient pressure. Such step corresponds to the normal working condition.

Figure 3B instead shows the valve 1 3 at a position in which the vacuum is applied only to the outlet pipe 20, i.e. the one connected to the third slot arrangement 6 at the folding cylinder 3. The pipe 19 and thus the slot arrangement 9 at the outlet cylinder are instead at the pressure determined by the pipe 18, for example at the atmospheric pressure.

I n such step, the prod uct is h eld on the fold i ng cyl i nder 3 beyond the detachment position, to allow deviation and discard thereof for example through the outlet pipe 1 1 . Such step represents an emergency condition.

The su bseq uent figu re 4 shows a second embod iment of an assembly according to the present invention, in which the means for holding the products against the cylinder are used for conveying the products towards a further outlet station 8A, which in this case does not lead them towards discarding but towards further working steps.

Such further outlet station comprises a second outlet cylinder 8A similar to the main cylinder 8 for routing the products towards further working steps, by cooperating with conveying means 50A.

Such configuration is particularly useful when there are required two outlets of the product coming from a single folding cylinder 3. According to such embodiment of the invention, the outlet can be alternatively provided for from the two cylinders 8 and 8A, working at the maximum speed, without waste or deformation of the product, preserving a phased position of the product.

Also in this case, the suction system comprises a disc integral with the basement (not shown), positioned adjacent to the second outlet cylinder 8A and with a fourth slot arrangement 22 connected with the source of vacuum 12 through a pipe 23.

Preferably, as further shown in figure 4, the fourth slot arrangement 22 is connected to the pipe 20 of the valve 13 through the pipe 23.

In particular, the slot arrangement 22 shall be connected to the outlet pipe 20 which is the same to which there is connected the second slot arrangement 6 at the folding cylinder which take the product beyond the detachment position corresponding to the main outlet cylinder.

Therefore, by altern atively operatin g the mai n outlet cyl i nder 8 or the combination of the second outlet cylinder 8A with the slot arrangement 6, there is obtained the transfer of the product on one or the other outlet, depending on the specific operating requirements.

The present invention has been described up to now with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof. However, embodiments differing with respect to the invention may be provided for, all falling within the scope of protection of the claims outlined hereinafter.

Claims

1 . A folding assembly of a high-speed folding machine, for folding products (70) made of paper material or the like, comprising a folding cylinder (3) and at least a main outlet cylinder (8) for the outlet of said folded products, said assembly further comprising means (4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12) for holding, by suction, said folded products (70) on the cylinders and being characterised in that said holding means further comprise means (6, 13, 22) for controlling the suction exerted by said holding means, either to hold said products adherent to one of the folding cylinder (3) and the outlet cylinder (8), or to allow the detachment of the products and the subsequent routing thereof towards one or more emergency and deviation stations (1 1 , 8A) adjacent with said folding cylinder (3) and upstream of said main outlet cylinder (8).

2. A folding assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said suction holding means comprise a source of vacuum (12), a first slot arrangement (4) provided along the periphery of said folding cylinder (3) and connectable to said source of vacuum (12), a second slot arrangement (9) provided along the periphery of said first outlet cylinder (8) and connectable to said source of vacuum (12), said control means comprising a third slot arrangement (6) provided along the periphery of said folding cylinder (3) and in turn connectable to said source of vacuum (12), and valve means (13) for the alternating connection of said second slot arrangement (9) and said third slot arrangement (6) to said source of vacuum (12).

3. A folding assembly according to claim 2, wherein said third slot arrangement (6) is formed downstream of the portion for the detachment of the products from the folding cylinder (3).

4. A fold i ng assem bly accord i ng to clai m 2 or 3 , wherei n said th i rd slot arrangement (6) is formed in a disc (29) integral with a basement and traversed by an axis of said folding cylinder (3).

5. A folding assembly according to any of the claims 2 to 4, wherein said valve means (13) comprise at least one inlet pipe (21 ) connected to the source of vacuum (12), at least two outlet pipes (1 9, 20) and means for opening/closing said pipes, driven so as to alternatively connect one of said outlet pipes (19, 20) to said inlet pipe (21 ).

6. A fol d i n g a ssem b ly acco rd i n g to cl a i m 5 , wh e re i n sa i d m ea n s for opening/closing said pipes comprise a slider (15) actuated through a pneumatic actuator or other analogous high speed devices.

7. A folding assembly according to any of the claims from 2 to 6, wherein said valve means (13) further comprise one or more pipes (17, 18) for connection to a source of pressure adapted to provide air at a pressure≥ the ambient pressure.

8. A folding assembly according to any of the claims 1 to 7, wherein said one or more outlet stations (1 1 , 8A) comprises a pipe (1 1 ) for the outlet of products to be discarded.

9. A folding assembly according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said one or more outlet stations (1 1 , 8A) comprises a second outlet cylinder (8A) for the outlet of products to be routed.

10. A folding assembly according to claim 9, wherein said control means comprise a fourth slot arrangement (22) provided along the periphery of said second outlet cylinder (8A) and in turn connectable to said source of vacuum (12).

1 1 . A folding assembly according to claim 10, wherein said fourth slot arrangement (22) is formed in a disc (30) integral with the basement and traversed by the axis of said second outlet cylinder (8A).

12. A folding assembly according to claim 1 1 , wherein said fourth slot arrangement (22) is connected to one of said outlet pipes (19, 20) of said valve (13).

13. A high speed folding machine, characterized in that it comprises a folding assembly according to any of the previous claims.