U.S. patent application number 12/526969 was filed with the patent office on 2010-02-04 for scaling device.
Invention is credited to Hartmut Odenthal, Jakob Schneider.
Application Number | 20100025925 12/526969 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39227109 |
Filed Date | 2010-02-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100025925 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Odenthal; Hartmut ; et
al. |
February 4, 2010 |
SCALING DEVICE
Abstract
A device (1) for the scaled depositing of bags (6, 6a) arriving
immediately behind each other from a bag production machine (12),
the device comprising a conveyor belt (2) and a pressing belt (3)
extending at least partially parallel at a distance to the conveyor
belt (2), characterized by at least one beater arm (4) directly in
front of the conveyor belt (2), wherein a force can be applied to
the end of each bag (6) by means of the beater arm (4), the force
pressing the end of the bag (6) beneath the level of the conveyor
surface of the conveyor belt (2).
Inventors: |
Odenthal; Hartmut;
(Troisdorf, DE) ; Schneider; Jakob; (Niederkassel,
DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
K.F. ROSS P.C.
5683 RIVERDALE AVENUE, SUITE 203 BOX 900
BRONX
NY
10471-0900
US
|
Family ID: |
39227109 |
Appl. No.: |
12/526969 |
Filed: |
December 15, 2007 |
PCT Filed: |
December 15, 2007 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP07/11040 |
371 Date: |
August 20, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
271/216 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65H 2701/191 20130101;
B31B 70/00 20170801; B31B 2160/10 20170801; B65H 2404/67 20130101;
B65H 29/6627 20130101; B31B 70/94 20170801; B65H 2701/1313
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
271/216 |
International
Class: |
B65H 29/66 20060101
B65H029/66 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 21, 2007 |
DE |
10 2007 008 529.1 |
Claims
1. An apparatus for the overlapped deposition of bags arriving
immediately one after another from a bag-making machine, the
apparatus being provided with a conveyor belt and with a pressing
belt that runs at least in part parallel to the conveyor belt at a
small spacing, characterized in, that wherein at least one
deflecting arm immediately upstream of the conveyor belt can exert
a force on the end of each bag to push the end of the bag below the
level of the transport surface of the conveyor belt.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the surface of the
deflecting arm that engages the end of the bag is formed by a
roller.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the deflecting arm is
pivoted at one end and the pivot axis is parallel to the transport
direction of the bags.
4. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising two
deflecting arms that can be rotated synchronously in the opposite
direction.
5. The apparatus according to one of claims 1 further comprising a
pinch roller for creating a flared intake mouth between conveyor
belt and pressing belt.
6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the position of the
pinch roller of the pressing belt is variable in the transport
direction.
7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the conveying surface
of the conveyor belt is inclined downward with respect to the
horizontal at least in part in the transport direction, and the
pivot axis of the deflecting arm is above the end of the conveyor
belt adjacent the deflecting arm.
8. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a suction
apparatus under the conveyor belt.
9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the speed of the
conveyor belt corresponds to the speed of the pressing belt and is
lower than a feed speed of the bags.
10. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a cross
cutter mounted in the transport direction of the bags upstream of
the deflecting arm.
11. An apparatus for converting a stream of end-to-end flat
flexible objects arriving in a transport direction at a feed speed
into a stream of overlapped objects, the apparatus comprising: a
transport belt; a pressing belt closely juxtaposed with the
transport belt and defining therewith an intake mouth open upstream
in the direction, the stream of end-to-end flat flexible objects
being fed in the direction into the mouth; means for driving the
belts at a transport speed substantially slower than the feed
speed, whereby the objects are slowed when they engage between the
belts; a deflecting arm upstream of the lower transport belt and
pivotal about an axis generally parallel to the transport
direction; and means for pivoting the arm into engagement with one
end of each of the objects to displace the engaged ends
transversely out of alignment in the direction with an immediately
adjacent end of a preceding or following object, whereby the
objects overlap between the belts.
12. The apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein the means for
pivoting engages the arm against the trailing end of each of the
objects to displace it downward and transversely to the transport
direction.
13. The apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein one of the belts is
provided with a pinch roller pressing the one belt against the
other belt, the other belt extending generally parallel to the
transport direction upstream from the pinch roller, the one belt
extending at an acute angle to the transport direction away from
the other belt upstream of the pinch roller.
14. The apparatus defined in claim 13 wherein the one belt is
generally above the other belt.
15. The apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein there are two of the
arms each pivotal about a respective axis, the axes flanking the
stream of objects.
16. An apparatus for converting a stream of end-to-end flat
flexible objects arriving in a transport direction at a feed speed
into a stream of overlapped objects, the apparatus comprising: a
lower transport belt; an upper pressing belt closely juxtaposed
with the transport belt; a pinch roller pressing one of the belts
belt against the other belt, the other belt extending generally
parallel to the transport direction upstream from the pinch roller,
the one belt extending at an acute angle to the transport direction
away from the other belt upstream of the pinch roller and defining
therewith an intake mouth open upstream in the direction, the
stream of end-to-end flat flexible objects being fed in the
direction into the mouth, the belts pinching the objects downstream
of the pinch roller; means for driving the belts at a transport
speed substantially slower than the feed speed, whereby the objects
are slowed when they are pinched between the belts; a deflecting
arm upstream of the lower transport belt and pivotal about an axis
generally parallel to the transport direction; and means for
pivoting the arm into engagement with a trailing end of each of the
objects to displace the trailing ends transversely downward out of
alignment in the direction with an immediately adjacent end of a
following one of the objects, whereby the objects overlap between
the belts.
Description
[0001] The present invention concerns an apparatus for the
overlapped deposition of bags arriving immediately after each other
from a bag-making machine.
[0002] Bag-making machines are known that create a continuous strip
of bags, in particular plastic bags. For the manufacture of package
quantities that are conventionally used in households, a certain
number of bags is wound up into a roll. One possibility is to
perforate the strip transversely between succeeding bags and to
roll up the desired length all together. Alternatively, the
individual bags are separated and overlapped, i.e. rolled up like
roof shingles with a certain amount of overlap. To this end it is
necessary that the individual bags be set down overlapped.
[0003] An apparatus for the overlapped deposition of bags arriving
immediately after each other is known from the German patent
application 25 34 298 [U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,864]. In this
publication, a conveyor belt is described that grips the bags and
deposits them on a strip or belt conveyor. The speed of the
upstream conveyor belt varies sinusoidally. The bags are picked up
by the conveyor belt at maximum speed and are dropped off at
minimum speed so that an overlap of the bags is created on the
track or belt conveyor.
[0004] The disadvantage of this known solution from the prior art
is the expensive construction of the transfer conveyor belt and
controlling it at variable speeds. For this reason, it is the
object of the present invention to provide a new apparatus for the
overlapped deposition of bags arriving immediately after each other
that does not have the disadvantages mentioned above.
[0005] This object is attained by an apparatus with the
characteristics of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments can be learned
from the dependent claims.
[0006] The apparatus in accordance with the invention has a
conveyor belt and a pressing belt that runs at least in part
parallel to the conveyor belt at a small spacing. In addition, the
apparatus has immediately upstream of the conveyor belt at least
one deflecting arm that exerts a force on the end of each bag to
push the end of the bag beneath the level of the conveyor surface
of the conveyor belt. The pressing down of the end of the bag by
the deflecting arm ensures that the end of the bag engages the
downstream conveyor belt and the leading end of the following bag
slides reliably over the trailing end of the preceding bag.
[0007] Preferably, the transport speed of the conveyor belt
corresponds to the speed of the pressing belt. But this transport
speed is less than the feed speed at which the bags leave the
bag-making machine. The larger the difference between the speeds of
the conveyor belt and the feed speed, the larger is the overlap
between two immediately succeeding bags.
[0008] The spacing between the conveyor belt and the pressing belt
is selected in such a way that a bag lying on the transport belt in
the region where the pressing belt runs parallel to the conveyor
belt is pinched between the conveyor belt and the pressing belt and
thus is fixed. This prevents the bag from sliding off the conveyor
belt when the deflecting arm exerts a force on the trailing end of
the bag.
[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a roller is
mounted on the side of the deflecting arm that engages the end of
the bag. When the deflecting arm engages the bag, the roller rolls
on the bag material. As a result, friction between the deflecting
arm and the bag is decreased and the danger of damaging the bag is
reduced.
[0010] In a further advantageous embodiment, the deflecting arm is
pivoted at one end and its pivot axis is parallel to the transport
direction of the bags. The deflecting arm thus rotates in a plane
perpendicular to the transport direction.
[0011] As a result of this configuration, the deflecting arm
engages the bag parallel to the edge at the end of the bag. As a
result of pivoting around one end of the deflecting arm, pivoting
of the deflecting arm at a constant angular frequency is possible
dependent on and in relation to the feed speed of the bags.
Optionally, two or more deflecting arms are connected rotatable
with each other around a joint pivot axis. Preferably, the pivot
axis of the deflecting arm is level with the bag. As a result, the
entire contact surface of the deflecting arm simultaneously engages
at the end of the bag.
[0012] Preferably, the apparatus has two deflecting arms that
rotate synchronously in opposite directions. Thus a deflecting arm
is mounted on each side of the sting of bags. The rotation of the
deflecting arms is synchronized in such a way that both deflecting
arms simultaneously engage the trailing end of the bag.
[0013] In one embodiment of the invention, the apparatus has a
pinch roller of the pressing belt between the conveyor belt and the
pressing belt for creating a flared intake mouth. The leading end
of the next bag that arrives on the conveyor belt is guided into
the flared intake mouth. The pinch roller and the part of the
pressing belt confronting the pinch roller fix the bags on the
conveyor belt. This way, the position of the pinch roller of the
pressing belt is preferably variable. In the process, the depth of
the flared intake mouth and the position on the conveyor belt
starting at that point at which a bag is fixed is variable. The
position of the pinch roller is, for example, selectable dependent
on the format of the belt.
[0014] In a further embodiment of the invention, the conveyor
surface of the conveyor belt is inclined downward at least
partially with respect to the horizontal in the transport
direction, and the pivot axis of the deflecting arm is above the
end of the conveyor belt facing the deflecting arm. As a result of
this the leading end of the arriving bag on the conveyor belt lies
down. If the pinch roller and the pressing belt form a flared
intake mouth together with the transporting conveyor belt, the
leading end of the arriving bag then enters the flared intake mouth
Optionally, the invention has a suction apparatus under the
conveyor belt. This way, the bag lies flat on the conveyor
belt.
[0015] Further, optionally, the apparatus has a cross cutter that
is mounted in the transport direction of the bags upstream of the
deflecting arm. By means of the cross cutter, arriving bags are
separated from each other in the form of a continuous strip.
[0016] The present invention shall be explained in further detail
by with reference to an embodiment. Therein:
[0017] FIG. 1 is a side view of an overlapping apparatus in
accordance with the invention; and
[0018] FIG. 2 shows two synchronously rotatable deflecting arms
above a bag.
[0019] FIG. 1 is a side view of an apparatus 1 for the overlapped
deposition of bags 6. The apparatus 1 is provided with a conveyor
belt 2, a pressing belt 3, two deflecting arms 4, a pinch roller 5,
a pattern sensor 7, pull rollers 8, a cross cutter 9 and feed belts
10. The pinch roller 5 presses the pressing belt 3 against the
conveyor belt 2. The bags 6, coming from a feed belts are
transported to the conveyor belt 2, where they are deposited
overlapped. Upstream in the transport direction of the pinch roller
5, the conveyor belt 2 and pressing belt 3 form a tapered intake.
Starting at the pinch roller 5, the conveyor belt 2 and the
pressing belt 3 run parallel to each other at a small spacing in
some regions.
[0020] The two deflecting arms 4 are mounted directly upstream in
the transport direction of the bags 6 from the conveyor belt 2.
Upstream of the deflecting arms 4 in the transport direction of the
bags 6, are the pattern sensor 7, the pull rollers 8, the cross
cutter 9 and the feeder belts 10. The part of the conveyor belt 2
that forms the flared intake mouth, as well as its part that runs
parallel to the pressing belt 3 are inclined downward in the
transport direction of the bags 6, with respect to the horizontal
H, which essentially corresponds to a shop floor. The rotation axes
of the deflecting arms 4 are above the end of the conveyor belt 2
that is facing the deflecting arms 4.
[0021] A bag-making machine 12 creates a continuous strip 6a of
bags that is fed into the overlapping apparatus 1. The pattern
sensor 7 recognizes the end of each bag 6 in the strip 6a of bags
and transmits a corresponding output for controlling the draw
rollers 8 to an unillustrated electronic controller. The cross
cutter 9 divides the continuous strip 6a of bags into individual
bags 6. The bags 6 are transported further by the feeder belts
10.
[0022] The leading end of each bag 6 bends down while being
transported further as a result of the weight of the bag 6 and
moves into the flared intake mouth. This way, the bag 6 is gripped
between the conveyor belt 2 and the pressing belt 3. The position
of the pinch roller 5 is variable, as indicated in FIG. 1 by the
double arrow. As a result, the overlapping apparatus 1 can be
adapted to various bag sizes, that is bag widths or bag
lengths.
[0023] The deflecting arms 4 engage the end of each bag 6 and
thereby exert a force that pushes the end of the bag below the
level of the transport surface of the belt 2. This ensures that the
bag end engages the conveyor belt 2 and the leading end of the
following bag comes to rest above the trailing end of the preceding
bag.
[0024] FIG. 2 shows the two deflecting arms 4 in detail. Each
deflecting arm 4 is pivotal at one of its ends around a pivot axis
4a. The pivot axes 4a of the two deflecting arms are located on
different sides of the bag 6. The transport direction of the bags
in FIG. 2 is perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. The pivot
axes 4a of the deflecting arms 4 are located level with the bag 6
left and right of the bag. The two deflecting arms 4 rotate, as
indicated by arrows in FIG. 2, in opposite directions and are
synchronized in such a way that they simultaneously engage the end
of the bag 6. The surface of each deflecting arm 4 that engaged the
bag 6 is formed by a roller 4b whose rotation axis extends through
the pivot axis 4a of the respective deflecting arm 4.
[0025] The travel speed of the belt 2 corresponds to the speed of
the pressing belt 3 and is less than the speed at which the strip
6a of bags reaches the apparatus 1 and the feed belts 10 further
transport the separated bags 6. As a result of the relationship of
the travel speed of the belt 2 and the feed speed of the bags 6,
the degree of overlap of the bags 6 can be determined on the belt
2. Subsequently, the bags 6 that have been deposited by the
apparatus 1 like roof shingles above each other, are fed to a
roll-forming apparatus 11.
[0026] Of course, the strip 6a of bags can, instead of coming from
the bag-making machine 12, also be made supplied by any other
feeding unit.
* * * * *