WO2012069978A1

WO2012069978A1 - Apparatus with high level of autonomy for the cyclical feeding of a large flow of trays, boxes or other die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets for packaging, to a conveyor line that feeds in phase these die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets to a high production continuous packaging machine.

Info

Publication number: WO2012069978A1
Application number: PCT/IB2011/055206
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mario Orsi
Original assignee: Prasmatic S.R.L.
Priority date: 2010-11-22
Filing date: 2011-11-21
Publication date: 2012-05-31
Also published as: IT1402721B1; ITBO20100697A1

Abstract

Apparatus with high level of autonomy for the cyclical feeding of a large flow of trays, boxes or other die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets (F) for packaging, to a conveyor line (1) that feeds in phase these die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets to a high production continuous packaging machine, characterized in that it comprises two or more stores (2, 2', 2") containing the die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets (F) positioned laterally with respect to or above an initial portion of the conveyor (1) or auxiliary conveyor means associated therewith, and in that it comprises cyclical first transfer means (5, 505) for extracting respective die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets (F) from each of the stores (2, 2', 2") and for feeding them in head to tail arrangement and in phase on to the conveyor which is thus cyclically resupplied with two or more die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets at a time, in order to provide ample opportunity for adaptation to the production requirements of the continuous packaging machine which it serves, while also decreasing the operating frequency of the cyclical first transfer means (5, 505) and consequently increasing the load capacity and overall autonomy of operation of the stores (2, 2', 2").

Description

TITLE: Apparatus with high level of autonomy for the cyclical feeding of a large flow of trays, boxes or other die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets for packaging, to a conveyor line that feeds in phase these die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets to a high production continuous packaging machine.

DESCRIPTION

The invention relates in particular to what are known as wrap-around box-filling machines for wrapping packaging boxes around preformed groups of products such as groups of bottles, cans, jars or other containers filled with product, which arrive from a storage conveyor line, which are divided by suitable means into groups each formed by a predetermined number of rows and columns of containers, and then continue to be thus divided into suitably spaced groups, which advance continuously on a conveyor line along which there are placed successive operating stations where a die-cut corrugated cardboard sheet, taken by suitable means from a feed store, is initially inserted under each group of containers, and the panels of the box are then raised and folded in order to wrap the box around the group of containers, folding and gluing operations being performed on the flaps of the box in order to produce a package which encloses the group of containers and which is ready for despatch. The invention also relates to what are known as tray-filling machines, which differ from the aforesaid box-filling machines in that die-cut corrugated cardboard trays, also taken from a store, are placed under each group of containers, and are then finished and closed under the group of containers before the whole assembly is placed in a known machine for wrapping with heat shrink film. These box-filling or tray-filling machines are classed in international classes B65B21/24, B65B5/02 and B65B43/18. In particular, the invention relates to the aforesaid box-filling or tray- filling machines in which the die-cut corrugated cardboard sheet is fed in phase under each group of products, from the distal end of a positive advance conveyor, usually inclined and ascending, which is placed under the line of advance of the groups of containers and has an initial or proximal end, at a lower level, interacting with the store of die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets and with suction cup means which cyclically extract a box from this store and place it, in phase, on the inclined conveyor removal, upstream of a pair of its drive pins. An example of a machine of this type is described in Italian patent 1 322 518, dated 31 July 2000, in the name of the present applicant.

The following limitations have been encountered in machines of this type: a) the operating speed of the box-filling or tray-filling machine, which operates continuously and would be able to operate at a high speed, is affected by the method of cyclical operation of the means which extract the die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets from the store and place them, in phase, on the ascending conveyor; b) the autonomy of operation of the packaging machine is limited because there is only a single feed store for the die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets. The invention is intended to overcome these and other consequential limits and technical problems of the prior art by means of the apparatus described in the appended Claim 1 , the features and advantages of which will be made clear by the following description of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus, illustrated purely by way of non-limiting example in the figures on the two appended sheets of drawings, in which:

- Fig. 1 shows the apparatus in a side elevation and in different steps of operation; - Fig. 2 shows the apparatus of Figure 1 in a perspective view from the side and in an intermediate step of its operating cycle.

In the drawings, the number 1 indicates the ascending conveyor which has pairs of drive pins 101 , usually associated with pairs of parallel chains 201 guided by suitable means 301 and driven continuously, or with uniformly varied motion, by any suitable means, such as a drive unit with electronic speed and phase control, which can be controlled by means which cause it to advance in phase with the upper conveyor for advancing the groups of containers (not shown), and which can easily be programmed when there is a change in the format of the die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets to be fed to this upper conveyor and initially to the ascending conveyor 1 . According to the invention, the conveyor 1 has a substantially horizontal initial or proximal portion of the correct length, with adjustable containing and guiding walls 401 , and two or more stores, for example three stores 2, 2', 2", for feeding the die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets F are located laterally with respect to the conveyor, adjacently to each other, and spaced appropriately from each other at equal intervals. The stores are orientated with their longitudinal axes perpendicular to that of the conveyor 1 , and have their fixed discharge faces 102 in substantially vertical positions and at a level which is suitably higher than that of the active upper branch of the conveyor 1 . The relative positions of the discharge face 102 and the upper horizontal branch of the conveyor 1 and the distance between them are the same for all the stores. The stores 2, 2', 2" can be of any suitable type for the purposes in question, and are easily adjustable when there is a change in the format of the die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets F to be fed, these sheets bearing, for example, with one of their edges on the lower horizontal conveyor means 202, driven by a main prismatic shaft 3, the die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets being kept in the upright position by the action of a rear pusher 302 which is subject to the pushing action of the means 202. The stores 2, 2', 2" are spaced apart from each other by a distance related to the pitch of the pushing pins 101 of the conveyor 1 , and consequently, when the pitch of these pins changes, means are provided for adjusting the distance between the stores, the whole arrangement being evident to persons skilled in the art. It is to be understood that the stores 2, 2', 2" can be different from those illustrated in the drawings. For example, they can have inclined bases and the lower conveyor means 202 can be omitted, in such a way that the die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets F advance towards the discharge face 102 under the effect of the gravity of the stack in which they are arranged and under the action of the rear presser 302. Because of their lateral location with respect to the conveyor 1 , the stores 2, 2', 2" can be fed periodically with die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets F in a rapid and convenient way by the operating personnel. Above the initial horizontal portion of the conveyor 1 , parallel to this and to the discharge face 102 of the stores, there is at least one beam 4 whose length is such that it contacts all the stores 2, 2', 2", this beam being supported at its ends by suitable means and being made to oscillate on command by other suitable means, which are not shown since they are evident to persons skilled in the art, about a parallel fixed shaft 104, with an alternating oscillation through 90°. In the example considered here, use is made of a pair of parallel beams 4, 4', formed by extrusion from light alloy, having longitudinal grooves 204 with a dovetail or equivalent profile, which can be conveniently used to fix perpendicularly between the beams, next to and in alignment with each discharge face 102 of the stores 2, 2', 2", the bodies 105 of corresponding pick-up heads 5 which, depending on the angular position of the beams 4, 4', can be orientated perpendicularly against the discharge face of the stores or against the initial branch of the conveyor, each of these heads presenting towards these elements an end from which there protrudes a pair of bars 205 and the rod 305 of an actuator, such as a pneumatic actuator, housed in the body 105, the distal ends of the heads supporting a structure 405 which carries, with the possibility of adjustment in their mutual positioning and with the possibility of springing, suction pick-up units 505 connected to corresponding conduits 605 which can be connected at the correct time to suction means or to the atmosphere or to blowing means. In a preferred embodiment, the oscillation shaft 104 is at the same distance from both the conveyor 1 and the discharge faces 102 of the stores. The apparatus thus composed operates in the following way. In one step of its operating cycle, the pick-up heads 5 are all orientated towards the corresponding stores 2, 2', 2" and have their suction cups 505 in the extended position shown in solid lines in Figure 1 , in contact with the die-cut corrugated cardboard sheet F supported by the discharge face 102 of each store, and are in suction mode in order to grip the sheet securely. In the next step, the suction cups 505 are retracted to extract the die-cut corrugated cardboard sheet F from each store and bring it to the position indicated by F', and at the correct time the beams 4, 4' rotate through ninety degrees to orientate the pick-up heads 5 downwards, in the direction of the conveyor 1 , while the die-cut corrugated cardboard sheet moves from the position F' to the position indicated by F". In the next step, the suction cups 505, still in suction mode, are extended to deposit the die-cut corrugated cardboard sheet on the conveyor 1 , at a suitable point upstream of the drive pins 101 of this component, and the die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets, in the new position F'", are left on the conveyor by the suction cups 505, which are connected to the atmosphere or to blowing means by a known method. In the next step, which follows directly, the suction cups 505 are raised again, the beams 4, 4' are rotated through 90° to re-orientate the suction cups so as to face the stores 2, 2', 2", and the suction cups are then extended and reconnected to the suction means in order to repeat the cycle which has been described. In each cycle, the apparatus according to the invention feeds three die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets F on to the conveyor 1 , where they are positioned head to tail, and therefore the time required for the repetition of an operating cycle of this apparatus is that required for the placing of three die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets on the packaging line by the conveyor 1 , instead of the time required to place a single sheet, as is the case in the prior art. In other words, with the new solution the conveyor 1 can be made to meet the requirement of maximum efficiency of the packaging line, while the cyclical frequency of extraction of a die-cut corrugated cardboard sheet from its store and its transfer to the conveyor 1 is reduced strictly in proportion to the number of stores used, this number being three in the present case. Consequently, the means for cyclically feeding the die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets can operate at low speed, without operating errors, and the autonomy of the overall feeding of the die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets by the set of stores is considerably increased, with all the benefits resulting therefrom. Clearly, the invention can be modified in numerous ways as regards its construction, for example by placing the stores in a different way from that shown in the drawings, for example wholly or partially above the initial portion of the conveyor 1 if the latter has no obstructions above it, without departure from the guiding principle of the invention as described and illustrated and as claimed below.

Claims

1. Apparatus with high level of autonomy for the cyclical feeding of a large flow of trays, boxes or other die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets (F) for packaging, to a conveyor line (1) that feeds in phase these die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets to a high production continuous packaging machine, characterized in that it comprises two or more stores (2, 2', 2") containing the die- cut corrugated cardboard sheets (F) positioned laterally with respect to and/or above an initial portion of the conveyor (1) or auxiliary conveyor means associated therewith, and in that it comprises cyclical first transfer means (5, 505) for extracting respective die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets (F) from each of the stores (2, 2', 2") and for feeding them in head to tail arrangement and in phase on to the conveyor which is thus cyclically resupplied with two or more die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets at a time, in order to provide ample opportunity for adaptation to the production requirements of the continuous packaging machine which it serves, while also decreasing the operating frequency of the cyclical first transfer means (5, 505) and consequently increasing the load capacity and overall autonomy of operation of the stores (2, 2', 2").

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1 , in which the first transfer means (5, 505) are designed to extract a die-cut corrugated cardboard sheet (F) from each of the stores (2, 2', 2") simultaneously, and then to simultaneously discharge the same die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets (F), in phase, in a head to tail arrangement on to the removal conveyor (1).

3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 , characterized in that, if the stores (2, 2', 2") are located laterally with respect to the removal conveyor (1), the conveyor has a straight horizontal initial portion next to which the stores (2, 2', 2") are located, the discharge faces (102) of the stores being in substantially vertical positions, at a level suitably higher than that of the initial portion of the conveyor (1), and in equidistant positions therefrom.

4. Apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the first cyclical transfer means are composed of pick-up heads (5) with suction cups (505) having a rectilinear alternating movement, these pick-up heads (5) being positioned transversely and in an array on a common beam (4) to which is cyclically imparted an oscillatory movement about a shaft (104) parallel to it and parallel to the conveyor (1 ), in order to orientate the suction cups (505) alternately and cyclically to face the stores (2, 2', 2") or in the direction of the conveyor (1 ) which feeds the die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets (F) to the continuous packaging machine.

5. Apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein the oscillation shaft (104) of the beam (4) is equidistant from the discharge face (102) of the stores (2, 2', 2") and from the initial straight portion of the conveyor (1 ), in such a way that the pick-up heads (5) travel along substantially equal paths both during the collection of the die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets from the stores and during the subsequent discharge of the sheets in a head-to-tail arrangement and in phase on to the removal conveyor (1 ).

6. Apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein the beam (4) is made from a pair of extruded light alloy sections, placed parallel to each other and fixed by their ends to the support and rotation means (104) these sections being provided with external longitudinal grooves (204) with a dovetail or equivalent profile, in such a way that the pick-up heads (5) serving each store (2, 2', 2") can easily be fixed between and on the sections, with the possibility of adjusting their spacing from each other.

7. Apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises adjustment means for adapting its various components to changes in the format of the die-cut corrugated cardboard sheets (F).