Holding device for a sheet at a work station of a converting machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10058981-B2
Application number	US-201113704368-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2011
Priority date	Jun 23, 2010
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

A holding device for holding an element in sheet form 10 during its phase of insertion into a work station 300 of a converting machine 1 . The holding device 310 includes a suction member 320 able to partially hold each sheet 10 by its rear portion during insertion of the sheet 10 into the work station 300 . The holding device also includes a blower 330 able to flatten the rear portion of each sheet 10 against the suction member 320 during the phase of insertion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A converting machine, comprising: a work station having a holding device that holds an element during insertion of the element into the work station of the converting machine by a moving conveyor that has engaged a leading portion of the element, the holding device comprises: a suction member fixed in position relative to the conveyor, configured and operable to, in operation, apply a force to a first surface of the element to pull the element toward the suction member with a force sufficient only to partially hold the element such that the suction member is arranged to partially hold a rear trailing portion of the element during the insertion of the element into the work station, the applied force permitting the element to slide on the suction member as the element is moved by the conveyor relative to the suction member; and a blower having a nozzle positioned at an angle relative to a normal to plane movement of the element positioned to blow air toward a second surface of the element opposite the first surface, configured and operable to, in operation, blow air with sufficient force to flatten the rear trailing portion of the element against the suction member during the insertion, wherein the blower is located upstream of the suction member relative to the direction of movement of the element into the work station, and is configured and operable to generate an airstream on the second surface of the element as it is being inserted into the work station, and the second surface of the element is away from the suction member, wherein the blower is configured and operable and aimed to generate an airstream on a portion of the element that is upstream of the suction member relative to the direction of movement of the element into the work station, the portion of the element that is upstream being a portion that has not yet passed the suction member, and wherein the element is in sheet form.

2. The converting machine according to claim 1 , wherein the blower is configured and operable and aimed to generate an airstream along a plane of movement of the element into the work station.

3. The converting machine according to claim 1 , wherein the blower is configured and operable and aimed to generate an airstream on substantially a whole width of the element being inserted into the work station.

4. The converting machine according to claim 1 , wherein the blower is configured and operable and aimed to generate a substantially flat airstream in a direction that is substantially coplanar with the direction of movement of the element into the work station.

5. The converting machine according to claim 1 , wherein the blower is configured and operable to generate an airstream in a direction that is inclined relative to the normal to the plane of movement of the element and that is directed in a direction substantially contrary to a direction of movement of the element into the work station.

6. The converting machine according to claim 5 , wherein the blower is configured and operable and aimed to generate an airstream with an angle of incidence of 30 to 500 relative to the plane of movement of the element into the work station.

7. The converting machine according to claim 1 , wherein the blower operates continuously.

8. The converting machine according to claim 1 , wherein the blower is configured to operate at constant power.

9. The converting machine according to claim 1 , wherein the blower is able to be disengaged.

10. The converting machine according to claim 1 , wherein the blower comprises at least one nozzle furnished with a slot-shaped outlet orifice and the slot is oriented parallel to a plane of movement of the element into the work station.

11. The converting machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a gripper bar supporting a plurality of grippers which are configured and operable for gripping each sheet in turn and for inserting the sheet then being gripped into the work station; and the blower comprises several nozzles positioned transversely in an offset manner relative to respective trajectories of movement of the various grippers of the gripper bar.

12. The converting machine according to claim 1 , wherein the work station is one of a plurality of work stations in the converting machine.

13. The converting machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a second work station placed directly upstream of the work station with respect to movement of the element into the work station, wherein the suction member is at the work station, and the blower is at the second work station.

14. A converting machine comprising: a work station having a holding device that holds an element during insertion of the element into the work station of the converting machine by a moving conveyor that has engaged a leading portion of the element, the holding device comprises: a suction member fixed in position relative to the conveyor, configured and operable to, in operation, apply a force to a first surface of the element to pull the element toward the suction member with a force sufficient only to partially hold the element such that the suction member is arranged to partially hold a rear trailing portion of the element during the insertion of the element into the work station, the applied force permitting the element to slide on the suction member as the element is moved by the conveyor relative to the suction member; and a blower positioned to blow air toward a second surface of the element opposite the first surface, configured and operable to, in operation, blow air with sufficient force to flatten the rear trailing portion of the element against the suction member during the insertion, wherein the blower is configured and operable to generate an airstream on the second surface of the element as it is being inserted into the work station, and the second surface of the element is away from the suction member, wherein the airstream is inclined relative to the normal to plane of movement of the element and directed in a direction substantially contrary to direction of movement of the element, and wherein the blower is positioned upstream of the suction member relative to the direction of movement of the element into the work station, and is configured and operable and aimed to generate an airstream on a portion of the element that is upstream of the suction member relative to the direction of movement of the element into the work station, the portion of the element that is upstream being a portion that has not yet passed the suction member, and wherein the element is in sheet form.

Assignees

• Ferreira Paulo
• Ramoni Pascal
• Bobst Mex Sa

Inventors

• Ferreira Paulo
• Ramoni Pascal

Classifications

• B65H2701/176

  Cardboard · CPC title

• B25B11/005 Primary

  Vacuum work holders · CPC title

• B65H2406/351

  facing the surface of the handled material · CPC title

• B65H2406/12

  producing gas blast · CPC title

• B65H2701/1313

  trailing edge · CPC title