U.S. patent application number 10/754087 was filed with the patent office on 2004-10-07 for device and process for delivery of pieces of flat material cut out of a web.
Invention is credited to Blumle, Martin.
Application Number | 20040195761 10/754087 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32185970 |
Filed Date | 2004-10-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040195761 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Blumle, Martin |
October 7, 2004 |
Device and process for delivery of pieces of flat material cut out
of a web
Abstract
A device for delivering pieces of flat material, which are cut
out of a web, into delivery containers is described. This device is
to be so improved upon that full delivery containers can be
replaced by empty delivery containers, without having to interrupt
the delivery process. In order to achieve this, it is proposed to
provide at least a first and a section suction roll, which is
driven by way of rotation and can be applies with vacuum to retain
the pieces of flat material in the peripheral area of said rolls,
and at least a first and a second delivery container for delivering
the pieces of flat material, in which the vacuum application can be
so controlled by means of a vacuum controlling device that the
pieces of flat material alternatively can be fed either to the
first or the second delivery container.
Inventors: |
Blumle, Martin; (Horhausen,
DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
OSHA & MAY L.L.P.
1221 MCKINNEY STREET
HOUSTON
TX
77010
US
|
Family ID: |
32185970 |
Appl. No.: |
10/754087 |
Filed: |
January 8, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
271/276 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65H 2405/31 20130101;
B65H 2406/32 20130101; B65H 29/243 20130101; B65H 35/00 20130101;
B65H 2406/33 20130101; B65H 31/24 20130101; B65H 2701/192 20130101;
B65H 2220/09 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
271/276 |
International
Class: |
B65H 005/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 8, 2003 |
DE |
103 00 233.2 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A device for delivery of pieces of flat material (E) cut out of
a web (4), characterized in that at least a first and a second
suction roll (21, 22), which are driven by way of rotation and can
be applied with vacuum to retain the pieces of flat material (E) at
the peripheral areas of said rolls, as well as at least a first and
a second delivery container (31, 32) are provided for delivering
the pieces of flat material (E), in which the application of vacuum
is so controllable by means of a vacuum controlling device that the
pieces of flat material (E) alternatively can be fed to the first
delivery container (31) or the second delivery container (32).
2. A device as defined in claim 1, characterized in that a third
suction roll (23) is provided, which accepts the pieces of flat
material (E) from the first or second suction roll (21, 22), so
that the first and the second delivery container (31, 32) can be
aligned in the same spatial direction.
3. A device as defined in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a
first conveyor (5) is provided which feeds the pieces of flat
material (E), which are allocated to a first row of blanks (N1),
for delivery into the first or second delivery container (31,
32).
4. A device as defined in claim 3, characterized in that a second
conveyor (5) is provided which, in relation to the first conveyor
(5), is set off in reverse order in the axial direction of the
suction rolls (21, 22) and feeds the pieces of flat material (E)
allocated to a second row of blanks (N2) to the suction rolls (21,
22) for delivery into a third or fourth delivery container (33,
34).
5. A device as defined in claim 3, characterized in that the first
suction roll (21) is a component of the first conveyor (5).
6. A device as defined in claim 4, characterized in that the first
suction roll (21) is a component of the first and second conveyor
(5, 6).
7. A device as defined in claim 4 or 6, characterized in that the
first conveyor (6) is placed in a second level, in which the first
level is on top of the second level.
8. A device as defined in claim 7, characterized in that the first
level runs parallel to the second level.
9. A device as defined in claim 7, characterized in that the first
level intersects the second level.
10. A device as defined in claim 7 through 9, characterized in that
a fourth (24), fifth (25) and sixth (26) suction roll are provided,
in which the vacuum application of the suction rolls (21, 22, 23,
24, 25, 26) is so controllable that the pieces of flat material
(E), which are fed from the first conveyor (5), either can be fed
via the second (22) and third (23) suction roll of the first
delivery container (31) or via the first (21), fourth (24), and
fifth (25) suction roll of the second delivery container (32), and
the pieces of flat material (E), which are fed from the second
conveyor (6) either can be fed via the sixth (26) and fifth (25)
suction roll of the third delivery container (33) or via the sixth
(26), fifth (25), fourth (24) and third (23) suction roll of the
fourth delivery container (34).
11. A device as defined in one of the claims 7 through 9,
characterized in that a fourth (25) and fifth (26) suction roll are
provided, in which the vacuum application of the suction rolls (21,
24, 23, 25, 26) is so controllable that the pieces of flat material
(E), which are fed from the first conveyor (5), either can be fed
via the first (21), second (24) and third (23) suction roll of the
first delivery container (31) or via the first (21), second (24)
and fourth (25) suction roll of the second delivery container (32),
and the pieces of flat material (E), which are fed from the second
conveyor (6) either can be fed via the fifth (26) and fourth (25)
suction roll of the third delivery container (33) or via the fifth
(26), fourth (25), second (24) and third (23) suction roll of the
fourth delivery container (34).
12. A device as defined in one of the claim 4 or one of the claims
6 through 11, characterized in that the first and second delivery
container (31, 32), as well as the fourth and third delivery
container (34, 33) essentially are placed on top of each other.
13. A device as defined in one of the claim 4 or one of the claims
6 through 16, characterized in that the first and fourth delivery
container (31, 34), as well as the second and third delivery
container (32, 33) essentially are placed on adjacent to each
other.
14. A machine for producing pieces of flat material (E) cut out of
a web (4), comprising a device for delivering the pieces of flat
material (E)
15. A process for delivering pieces of flat material (E) cut out of
a web (4), characterized by the following steps: Conveyance of the
pieces of flat material (E) to at least a first and a second
suction roll (21, 22) which is driven by way of rotation and to
which vacuum can be applied to retain the pieces of flat material
(E) at the peripheral area of said roll, and controlling the vacuum
application of the suction rolls (21, 22) in such a manner that the
pieces of flat material (E) alternatively are fed to a first
delivery container (31) or a second delivery container (32).
16. A process as defined in claim 15, characterized in that the
conveyance of the pieces of flat material (E) to the suction
rollers (21, 22) is per formed by means of at least two conveyors
(5, 6), in which the first conveyor (5) conveys the pieces of flat
material (E) which are allocated to a first row of blanks (N1) and
are designated for delivery into a first delivery container (31) or
a second delivery container (32), and the second conveyor (6)
conveys the pieces of flat material (E) which are allocated to a
second row of blanks (N2) and are designated for delivery into a
third delivery container (33) or a fourth delivery container
(34).
17. A process as defined in claim 16, characterized in that the
delivery of the pieces of flat material (E) in the first delivery
container (31) and in the third delivery container (33) on the one
hand and/or the delivery of the pieces of flat material (E) in the
second delivery container (32) and the fourth delivery container
(34) on the other hand is performed simultaneously, in which the
first and the second delivery container (31, 32), as well as the
fourth and the third delivery container (34, 33) essentially are
placed on top of each other, and in which the first and the fourth
delivery container (31, 34), as well as the second and the third
container (32, 33) essentially are placed adjacent to each
other.
18. A process as defined in claim 16, characterized in that the
delivery of the pieces of flat material (E) in the first delivery
container (31) and the third delivery container (33) on the one
hand and/or the delivery of the pieces of flat material (E) in the
second delivery container (32) and the fourth delivery container
(33) on the other hand is performed simultaneously, in which the
first and the second delivery container (31, 32), as well as the
fourth and the third delivery container (34, 33) essentially are
placed on top of each other, and in which the first and the fourth
delivery container (31, 34), as well as the second and the third
delivery container (32, 33) essentially are placed adjacent to each
other.
19. A process as defined in claims 15 through 18, characterized in
that said process is performed in a machine which producers the
pieces of flat material (E).
Description
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a device and process for
delivery of pieces of flat material cut out of a web. Pieces of
flat material within the scope of the present invention, for
example, are wet gummed labels made of paper and/or similar
materials or food container lids made of aluminum or similar
materials. Wet gummed labels particularly are applied to bottles of
any type, above all, beverage bottles as well as food glass jars,
such as jars containing sandwich spreads of any type. Food
container lids made of aluminum, for example, may be yogurt cup
lids or the like. Furthermore, other pieces of flat material, such
as envelope blanks, may be pieces of flat material within the scope
of the present invention.
[0003] 2. Background Art
[0004] It is generally known that wet gummed labels for beverage
bottles and similar containers are punched out from a stack of
layered paper by means of the so-called lift-punching process. This
process reaches its limits if relatively complicated label
geometries are to be produced, such as the shape of the known
Smirnoff Vodka label. Furthermore, the lift-punching process is
unusable if the labels to be produced are to be provided with
impressions and/or perforations. Especially inside impressions,
such as windows in labels or envelopes, cannot be produced with the
lift-punching process.
[0005] Furthermore, it also is known to produce self-adhesive
labels or yogurt cup lids made of aluminum. Further, a web is
guided via a rotating cutting roll, which cuts pieces of material
out of the web, which have the required geometry of the self-gummed
label and/or the yogurt cup lid. Subsequently, the cut out pieces
of material are collected in collectors.
[0006] With the rotation process, the objective always is to cut
pieces of flat material out of the web in such a manner that a
minimum of unused web remains as waste. This can be achieved by
means of optimization processes which, as a function of the
geometry of the pieces of flat material to be cut out, produce the
optimum configuration of contour lines of the individual pieces of
flat material on the web. This type of optimization regularly
produces several rows of contours of pieces of flat material to be
cut out, which run in the longitudinal direction of the web, said
pieces being usually provided with the desired lettering prior to
cutout. Because of the optimization goal of keeping the waste
produced by the paper web as low as possible, said rows frequently
interfere with each other. In the following, the aforesaid rows are
referred to as blank rows. The greater the number of blank rows,
which can be provided with the specified width of the web, the
greater the number of pieces--also referred to as blanks--of flat
material which can be cut out the web per rotation of the cutting
roll and thus per time unit.
[0007] The generally known devices and/or processes for cutting
self-adhesive labels or yogurt cut lids by way of rotation are
inadequate, as far as the delivery of completely cut-out pieces of
flat material is concerned. Especially, with the endeavored high
degree of utilization, i.e., with a relatively high number of
pieces of flat material cut out per time unit, automation in the
area of delivering pieces of flat material is desirable. This type
of automation first of all requires that, due to optimizing waste,
the pieces of flat material produced within the very narrow space
behind the cutting roll are spaced in such a manner that said
pieces can be fed to an automated delivery. In the following, this
spacing process is referred to as blank separation.
[0008] Following the blank separation, the pieces of flat material,
for example, must be deposited into the delivery containers. As
soon as a delivery container has been filled with pieces of flat
material, the full container must be replaced with another empty
container. The replacement of delivery containers creates an
undesired interruption in the production and/or delivery process,
as no new delivery container is available for filling with pieces
of flat material.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0009] Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to
create a device and a process for delivering flexible pieces of
flat material, which are cut out of a web, enabling said pieces to
be fed to an automated delivery, with the rows of blanks being
positioned in relatively close proximity.
[0010] The foregoing object is achieved in the present invention by
means of a device or a process comprising the characteristic
elements of claim 1 and/or 15. Further developments of the
invention arise from the subordinate claims.
[0011] According to the invention, in order to deliver the cut out,
flexible pieces of flat material, at least two suction rolls are
provided which can be driven by way of rotation and in which vacuum
can be applied to the peripheral area of said rolls, in order to
retain the pieces of flat material. Furthermore, at a first and a
second delivery station are provided, in which the application of
vacuum to the suction rolls is so controllable by means of a vacuum
controlling device that the pieces of flat material alternatively
can be fed either only to the first delivery station or only to the
second delivery station. The delivery station within the scope of
the present invention can either be a delivery container, for
example a cartridge-shaped container or any other delivery area,
for example, a disk which is able to support a standing, lying or
inclined stack of pieces of flat material. Future reference to
replacing or changing a delivery container shall alternatively also
mean replacing a full delivery area with an empty delivery area,
i.e., the emptying of a full delivery container. In other respects,
the reference to delivery containers can alternatively be replaced
by any other delivery area.
[0012] In view of the foregoing, the inventive advantage is
achieved in that, when replacing a full delivery container by an
empty delivery container, it is no longer necessary to interrupt
the delivery process and/or the overall preliminary process for
producing the pieces of flat material. Corresponding production
downtimes with attendant costs are thus eliminated. For example,
when the first system container is completely filled with pieces of
flat material, the vacuum controlling device changes the
application of vacuum in such a manner that the pieces of flat
material fed to the delivery are fed to the second delivery
container which still is empty. This second delivery container is
already is available for the filling operation of the first
delivery container. Immediately after the switchover to the second
delivery container, the first fill container can be replaced by an
empty container. If later the second delivery container is
completely filled with the pieces of flat material, a corresponding
switchover to the empty, first delivery container can be initiated
by the vacuum controlling device, so as to prevent an interruption
of the delivery process.
[0013] Vacuum devices, which basically are required for controlling
the vacuum in the associated suction rolls, are generally known. In
this respect, an exemplified reference is made to DE 198 41 834
A1.
[0014] The exact number of suction rolls to be provided for the
inventive device, above all, depends on the space availability in
the area of the delivery station and upon the requirements of
handling the delivery containers. With only two suction rolls, as a
rule, it is difficult to place the two delivery containers with
equal spacing. An equal spacing of the delivery containers,
however, frequently is appropriate, in order to simplify the
automated handling when replacing the containers. A similar spacing
of the delivery containers, for example, can be achieved by means
of a third suction roll which accepts the pieces of flat material
from the first or the second suction roll.
[0015] Preferably, the pieces of flat material of the inventive
device are fed by means of several, i.e., at least two, conveyors.
Further, the same number of conveyors as rows of blanks is
provided. Each conveyor conveys the pieces of flat material which
are allocated to a specific number of rows of blanks and/or
originate from a specific number of rows of blanks. Furthermore,
the conveyors are offset in the axial direction of the suction
rolls. The adjacent conveyors in the axial direction of the suction
rolls can be placed on top of each other for the purpose of an
effective separation of blanks. With this type of embodiment, the
levels on top of each other may either run parallel to each other
or intersect at a certain angle.
[0016] Each conveyor and thus each row of blanks therefore may be
allocated advantageously at least two delivery containers. During
operation of the inventive device, one of the two delivery
containers always is filled with pieces of flat material, while the
other, empty container waits to be filled after the corresponding
switchover has been made by the vacuum controlling device. By
arranging the conveyors in several, i.e., at least two levels,
preferably the two delivery containers allocated to the respective
conveyor, are arranged on top of each other. In this case, one or
several suction rolls can be used, in order to preferably convey
pieces of flat material simultaneously from an upper conveyor to a
lower delivery container and from a lower conveyor to an upper
delivery container. The allocation, in which the respective
conveyor delivers the pieces of flat material to two delivery
containers, merely depends on the control by the vacuum controlling
device. The direction of rotation of the suction rolls, which are
driven by way of rotation, always remains the same. There is no
change in direction of rotation.
[0017] The delivery containers of the inventive device preferable
are cartridges which can easily be inserted into the machine which
process the delivered pieces of flat material. In the case of
bottling and labeling machines, the cartridges filled with bottle
labels can be used directly, without transferring the delivered
bottle labels into other containers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0018] Various forms of embodiments of the present invention are
exemplified by referring to the drawings. Of the drawings:
[0019] FIG. 1 shows a side elevation of a machine producing wet
gummed labels cut out of a paper web by means of an inventive
device for delivering wet gummed labels;
[0020] FIG. 2 shows a horizontal projection of the machine shown in
FIG. 1;
[0021] FIG. 3 a first embodiment of the inventive device comprising
two suction rolls;
[0022] FIG. 4 a second embodiment of the inventive device
comprising three suction rolls;
[0023] FIG. 5A shows the third embodiment of the inventive device
according to the section V-V in FIG. 7, which is used in the
machine according to FIG. 1, in which the path of conveyance of the
wet gummed labels from an upper conveyor to an upper delivery
container is identified;
[0024] FIG. 5B shows the third embodiment of the inventive device
according to the section V-V in FIG. 7, which is used in the
machine according to FIG. 1, in which the path of conveyance of the
wet gummed labels from an upper conveyor to a lower delivery
container is identified;
[0025] FIG. 6A shows the third embodiment of the inventive device
according to the section VI-VI in FIG. 7, which is used in the
machine according to FIG. 1, in which the path of conveyance of the
wet gummed labels from a lower conveyor to a lower delivery
container is identified;
[0026] FIG. 6B shows the third embodiment of the inventive device
according to the section VI-VI in FIG. 7, which is used in the
machine according to FIG. 1, in which the path of conveyance of the
wet gummed labels from a lower conveyor to an upper delivery
container is identified;
[0027] FIG. 7 shows a view from the left of the machine shown in
FIG. 1, in which for the purpose of this view, irrelevant details
of the machine were omitted.
[0028] The drawings explain the present invention by an example of
producing wet gummed labels made of paper for application on
beverage bottles, sandwich spread jars, and similar food
containers. Of course, the invention may also be used in connection
with other, flexible pieces of flat material, for example, in the
production of flexible and/or easily bendable metal lids for food
containers, such as yogurt cups. So long as the pieces of flat
material to be produced are adequately flexible for application to
the circumference of cutting or blank separating rolls, it is
feasible to apply the present invention by any means for pieces of
flat material to be cut out.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] FIG. 1 shows a side elevation of a machine 3 for producing
wet gummed labels from a paper web 4, which functions as a web. The
paper web 4, which is printed with the desired image, is rolled off
a supply roll 9 and runs through the machine 3 in the direction of
conveyance according to the arrow R. After unwinding from the
supply roll 9, the paper web 4 enters a buffer station 10 and
subsequently is conveyed at the overhead height of an operator 11.
Subsequently, in a lateral adjustment station 12, which is located
approximately at the overhead height, the paper web 4 then is
aligned laterally. If required, the paper web 4 may be printed only
in the area of the lateral adjustment station 12.
[0030] After being adjusted, the paper web 4 is fed in the
direction of conveyance R to a cutting and blank separating station
13. Said station comprises a cutting roll 1 by means of which the
wet gummed labels are cut by way of rotation out of the paper web
4, and a blank separating roll 2 which follows in the direction of
conveyance R, by means of which the wet gummed labels, which are
allocated to the individual rows of blanks, are conveyed in two
different tangential directions of the blank separating roll 2 to a
total of ten conveyors in the form of suction conveyors, of which
FIG. 1 only shows the suction conveyors 5 and 6 (refer to FIG. 2).
Pure roller conveyors may be used as an alternative. In FIG. 1,
especially the vacuum boxes 14, 15 and the suction conveyors 16, 17
of the suction conveyors 5, 6 are identifiable, said suction
conveyors running continuously around the drive and/or deflection
rollers. The cut wet gummed labels are retained on the suction
conveyers 16, 17 in a generally known manner in that the ambient
air is taken in through the perforation holes in the suction
conveyor 16, 17 and/or through the gaps between several parallel
suction conveyors into the suction boxes 14, 15, when the suction
conveyors 5, 6 respectively consist of several suction conveyors.
At the left-hand side of the machine 3, in FIG. 1, the finished wet
gummed labels are delivered by the suction conveyors 16, 17 to a
delivery station 18 by means of which said labels are deposited
into cartridges 31, 32. The cartridges 31, 32 preferably are of a
type in which the bottling devices can be used directly in the
labeling machines of said devices, i.e., without transferring the
wet gummed labels to other containers.
[0031] In a horizontal projection according to FIG. 2, the printed
image applied to the paper web 4 can be identified, as is indicated
with ellipses. In the shown embodiment, a total of ten rows of
blanks N1, N2 through N10 are provided adjacently in the direction
of conveyance R. When the cutting roll 1 rotates, a total of ten
wet gummed labels E are thus cut. The blank separating roll 2 takes
these ten wet gummed labels E from the cutting roll 1 and transfers
said labels to a total of ten different conveyors 5, 6, 5', 6', 5",
6", 5'", 6'", 5"" and 6"", which actively convey the wet gummed
labels from the blank separating roll 2. Further, in terms of the
blank separating roll 2, the wet gummed labels cut out of the first
row of blanks N1 are placed onto the conveyor 5 in a first
tangential direction, and, in terms of the blank separating roll 2,
the wet gummed labels E cut out of the row of blanks N2 are placed
onto a second conveyor 6 in the tangential direction 8, in that the
latter device is placed adjacent to the conveyor 5 as shown in FIG.
2. The wet gummed labels E are delivered in a similar manner to the
rows of blanks N3, N4 and the conveyors 5', 6', the rows of blanks
N5, N6 and the conveyors 5", 6", the rows of blanks N7, N8 and the
conveyors 5'", 6'", as well as the rows of blanks N9, N10 and the
conveyors 5"", 6"". The conveyors 5, 5', 5", 5'", and 5"" thus run
in the same first tangential direction of the blank separating roll
2, while the conveyors 6, 6', 6", 6'", and 6"" run in the second
tangential direction of the blank separating roll 2, which,
according to FIG. 3, differs from the first tangential direction.
The wet gummed labels E allocated to the rows of blanks N1, N3, N5,
N7 and N9 thus are spaced vertically upward and downward by the wet
gummed labels E, which are allocated to the rows of blanks N2, N4,
N6, N8 and N10, i.e., in the direction of viewing of FIG. 2 and/or
FIG. 1 in the plane of projection.
[0032] It is of particular advantage when the individual wet gummed
labels E, which are allocated to the respective rows of blanks N1
through N10, are spaced not only vertically, but also horizontally,
i.e., upward and downward in the plane of projection of FIG. 2
and/or in the viewing direction in FIG. 1. As a result, this not
only creates the necessary space in the vertical, but also in the
horizontal direction, in order to be able to place the mechanical
units for the automated delivery by means of the delivery station
18. Accordingly, the conveyors 5, 6, 5', 6', 5", 6", 5'", 6'", 5""
and 6"", run from the blank separating roll 2 in different
directions in a fan-like manner, as shown in FIG. 2. Alternatively,
it is feasible to initially place the aforesaid conveyors a certain
distance behind the blank separating roll 2 in and/or parallel to
the direction of conveyance R, and to fan out said devices
horizontally only at a corresponding distance from the blank
separating roll. As is indicated in the combined view of FIGS. 1
and 2, the shown embodiment comprises two conveyance levels on top
of each other, in which in the upper conveyance level the conveyors
5, 5', 5", 5'", and 5"" extend fan-like, while in the lower
conveyance level the directions of conveyance 6, 6', 6", 6'", and
6"" run fan-like.
[0033] FIG. 3 shows a first embodiment of the inventive device for
delivering the wet gummed labels E into the delivery container
which function as cartridges 31 and 32. The wet gummed labels E lie
on the suction conveyor 16 of the conveyor 5, and in FIG. 3 said
labels are conveyed from the lower right to the upper left to a
first suction roll 21 which can be driven anticlockwise by way of
rotation and, at the same time, functions as the drive roll of the
suction belt 16. During the conveyance to suction roll 21, the wet
gummed labels E are retained at the suction conveyor by means of
vacuum, which is taken in from the ambient air through the
perforations (not shown), sucked into suction belt 16 in suction
box 14, and later is blown back into the environment.
[0034] By applying vacuum to the vacuum orifices (not shown) in the
peripheral area of the suction roll 21, the wet gummed labels E can
be retained on the suction roll 21 due to the perforation in the
suction conveyor 16. Immediately after leaving the area in which
the suction box 14 is effective, the wet gummed labels E are taken
over by the suction roll 21, and in the shown embodiment said
labels are guided at an angle of approx. 180.degree. along the
periphery of the suction roll 21, until they reach the cartridge 31
(refer to wet gummed labels E with cross-hedging in FIG. 3). There
the front end of the labels pushes against a stop motion device 40,
and the labels thus drop into the delivery cavity of the cartridge
31. In the cartridge 31, the wet gummed labels E lie vertically to
the stop motion device 40, and/or parallel to the base 41.
[0035] The filling level of the cartridge 31 with the wet gummed
labels E is recorded by a suitable sensing device. When the given
filling level is reached, preferable shortly before the cartridge
31 is completely filled with wet gummed labels E, the application
of vacuum air to the first suction roll is deactivated and
simultaneously or shortly prior to applying vacuum to a second
suction roll 22 the vacuum air is activated. The second suction
roll 22 also comprises the vacuum ports (not shown) in the
peripheral area of said roll, so that instead of the suction roll
21 the suction roll 22 takes the wet gummed labels E from the
suction conveyor 16 und guides said labels at an angle of approx.
270.degree. in the direction of the circumference (see wet gummed
labels E drawn with dotted lines into the hatching in FIG. 3).
After traveling an angular distance of approx. 270.degree. the
front ends of the wet gummed labels E pushes against a stop motion
device 42 of the cartridge 32, so that the labels drop into the
cartridge. In the delivery cavity of the cartridge 32, the wet
gummed labels E lie vertically to the stop motion device 42 and/or
parallel to the base 43 of the cartridge 32. During the conveyance
of the wet gummed labels E with the second suction roll 22 which
can be driven clockwise by way of rotation, the first suction roll
21 merely serves as drive roll for the suction conveyor 16.
[0036] While filling the second first cartridge 31, the first
cartridge 31 can easily be replaced by means of the second suction
roll 22 with a empty cartridge, so that neither the delivery
process nor the entire production process of the wet gummed labels
E must be interrupted. The suction roll 16 can easily and
continuously convey wet gummed labels E to the suction roll 21 or
22. A standstill of the suction roll 16 is not necessary.
[0037] In FIG. 3, the cartridges 31 and 32 are placed in various
spatial configurations. Especially, the cartridges 31 and 32 are
located on different sides of the connecting line of the two
rotating axes of the suction rolls 21 and 22. This may be
disadvantageous, if quick access to both cartridges 31, 32 is
desirable. The second embodiment of the inventive devices, as shown
in FIG. 4, eliminates this disadvantage.
[0038] In FIG. 4, the reference symbols correspond to those in FIG.
3. Furthermore, the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 provides a third
suction roll 23 which is driven anticlockwise by way of rotation
and, similar to the two suction rolls 21 and 22, comprises vacuum
ports in the peripheral area of said roll. While the second
cartridge 32 is filling up, the third suction roll 23 accepts the
wet gummed labels E from the second suction roll 22 which said roll
accepted from the suction conveyor 16. Because of this
configuration it is possible to place both cartridges 31 and 32 in
the same spatial alignment, as is shown in FIG. 4. This
considerably simplifies access to the cartridges 31 and 32,
especially for the purpose of cartridge replacement.
[0039] FIGS. 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, and 7 show a third embodiment of the
inventive device, which is used in the delivery station 18 of the
machine 3 for producing wet gummed labels E, as shown in FIGS. 1
and 2. The reference symbols identified in FIGS. 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B,
and 7 have the same function as those in FIGS. 3 and 4.
[0040] As presented in FIG. 7, each of the conveyors 5, 6, 5', 6',
5", 6", 5'", 6'", 5"", and 6"" shown in FIG. 2 have two cartridges
allocated, which respectively function as delivery containers.
Accordingly, a total of twenty cartridges is shown in FIG. 7, which
are arranged on top of each other in two rows of ten cartridges
each.
[0041] FIG. 5A shows a view along a section V-V, in which the
conveyor 6 positioned behind the intersecting plane can be
identified with the suction box 15 and suction conveyor 17 thereof.
In addition to the first suction roll 21, the second suction roll
22 and the third suction roll 23, the fourth suction roll 24 which
is driven clockwise by way of rotation, as well as the fifth
suction roll 25 which is driven anticlockwise by way of rotation,
are provided. Suction rolls 24 and 25 comprise vacuum ports in
their peripheral areas, in order to retain the wet gummed labels E.
As is shown in FIG. 5A, the first cartridge 31 is filled with wet
gummed labels E, which were fed from the upper conveyor 5, via the
second suction roll 22 which accepts the wet gummed labels E from
the suction conveyor 16 and feeds said labels to the third suction
roll 23 which delivers said labels to the cartridge 31 (refer to
hatched suction rolls 22 and 23 in FIG. 5A). If the cartridge 31 is
to be replaced, the wet gummed labels E fed from the upper conveyor
5 after a corresponding switchover can be fed to the vacuum
application according to FIG. 5B of the second cartridge 32 which
is located inside the first cartridge 31. For this purpose, the wet
gummed labels E are transferred from the first suction roll 24 to
the fourth suction roll 24 which transfers said labels to the fifth
suction roll 25, so that said labels can be transferred from said
roll to the cartridge 32 (refer to hatched suction rolls 21, 24 and
25 in FIG. 5B).
[0042] FIGS. 6A and 6B show a view according to the section VI-VI
in FIG. 7, in which the conveyor 5' behind intersecting plane can
also be identified with the suction box 14 and suction conveyor 16
thereof. If the cartridge placed in the lower row of cartridges 33
is to be filed with wet gummed labels E delivered by the conveyor
6, a sixth suction roll 26, which is driven clockwise by way of
rotation, accepts the wet gummed labels E from the suction conveyor
17 of the conveyor 6 and transfers said labels to the fifth suction
roll 25 which delivers said labels directly to the cartridge 33
(refer to hatched suction rolls 26 and 25 in FIG. 6A). When the
cartridge is completely filled with wet gummed labels E fed by the
conveyor 6 are so diverted that they are deposited into the upper
cartridge 34. This is performed in such a way that the wet gummed
labels E fed from the sixth suction roll 26 to the fifth suction
roll 25 are not delivered to the cartridge 33, but to the fourth
suction roll 24. This roll transfers said labels to the third
suction roll 23 which delivers said labels to the cartridge 34
(refer to hatched suction rolls 26, 25, 24, 23 in FIG. 6B).
[0043] The first suction roll 21 shown in FIGS. 5A, 5B, 6A, and 6B
is a component of all upper conveyors 5, 5', 5", 5'", and 5"".
[0044] According to the invention, there is the possibility of
delivering according to FIG. 6A the wet gummed labels E, which are
fed from the upper conveyors 5, 5', 5", 5'", and 5"" and the wet
gummed labels E, which are fed from the upper conveyors 6, 6', 6",
6'", and 6"". With this variant, cartridge 31, cartridge 33, as
well as those cartridges thus are filled simultaneously, which in
FIG. 7 are presented as the empty rectangle. This produces a zigzag
filling pattern in which alternately one cartridge from the upper
group of cartridges and one from the lower group of cartridges is
filled simultaneously. After switching the application of vacuum of
the two suction rolls in question to the delivery allocation
according to FIGS. 5B and 6B, an inverse zigzag filling pattern
emerges in FIG. 7, in which the cartridges 32, 34 and all those
cartridges are filled, which in FIG. 7 already are presented with a
few wet gummed labels E.
[0045] An alternative, there is the option to fill only the
cartridges of the upper group of cartridges in FIG. 7, or only the
cartridges of the lower group of cartridges in FIG. 7. For this
purpose, the wet gummed labels E according to FIG. 5A, which are
fed from the upper conveyors 5, 5', 5", 5'", and 5"", and the wet
gummed labels E, which are fed from the upper conveyors 6, 6', 6",
6'", and 6"", are delivered according to FIG. 6B. As soon as the
cartridges of the upper group of conveyors are filled, a
simultaneous switchover of vacuum application of the suction rolls
in question occurs to the delivery allocation of according to FIGS.
5B and 6A, so that the cartridges of the lower group of conveyors
can be filled. A straight-line filling pattern emerges in FIG. 7,
which may be advantageous with automatic cartridge replacement.
[0046] With the third embodiment according to FIGS. 5A, 5B, 6A, and
6B there is the alternative option to leave out a second suction
roll 22, so that one is able to manage with a total of five suction
rolls. The delivery of wet gummed labels E in the cartridge 31,
which are fed from the conveyor S, in this case is performed via
the suction roll 21, the suction roll 24 and the suction roll 23
which ultimately deposits wet gummed labels E into the cartridge
31. This does not involve a change in the direction of rotation of
the suction rolls in question compared with the embodiment
comprising suction roll 22, as is shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B.
[0047] From the aforesaid description it follows that this
invention ensures that wet gummed labels, which by way of rotation
are cut out of adjacent rows of blanks placed very close together,
can be spaced by a simple method, thus enabling mechanical handling
of wet gummed labels during automatic delivery, so that various
label orders can be processed simultaneously. For example, with a
total of ten rows of blanks, two rows of blanks may be used for a
first order comprising a first label geometry, and the remaining
eight rows of blanks for a second order comprising the second label
geometry. As a result of placing the wet gummed labels into
cartridges which can be used directly in the customers' labeling
machines, corresponding customers can be supplied directly after
completion of the respective order. This approach enables an
improved utilization of machines when handling small orders, in
which the pieces of flat material in question are produced.
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