Magazine for sheet packaging elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10099873-B2
Application number	US-201615552329-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2016
Priority date	Mar 2, 2015
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

There is described a magazine ( 1 ) for sheet packaging elements ( 2 ) in which side portions ( 4 a ) of said packaging elements ( 2 ) are held in a vertical position by transport and support branches ( 15, 18, 20 ) of main and secondary units ( 6, 8, 9 ) and said packaging elements ( 2 ) are advanced in respective conveying spaces ( 16, 19, 21 ) along a path (P) parallel to said transport and support branches ( 15, 18, 20 ) of said main and secondary units ( 6, 8, 9 ). The packaging elements ( 2 ) are advanced along said path (P) from an inlet section ( 7 ) to an outlet section ( 12 ). During conveying, batches ( 3 ) of packaging elements ( 2 ) are formed between an accumulation unit ( 8 ) and an auxiliary conveying unit ( 9 ) so that said packaging elements ( 2 ) are advanced in said batches ( 3 ) towards an end packaging station.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A magazine system for conveying sheet packaging elements, comprising:
at least two main conveyors arranged side by side and extending in a horizontal direction;
a main conveying space, defined by the at least two main conveyors and located between the two main conveyors, wherein the main conveyors are configured to advance the packaging elements;
wherein each main conveyor further includes:
respective horizontal main transport branches configured to cooperate in use with respective side portions of the packaging elements, so as to support the packaging elements in vertical positions, in which the packaging elements are partially located in the main conveying space and extend transversally with respect to the main transport branches, and to advance the packaging elements along a path parallel to the main transport branches; and

at least two auxiliary conveyors arranged side by side and having respective auxiliary transport branches;
wherein each of the auxiliary conveyor are arranged downstream of, and aligned with, the main transport branches so as to define an auxiliary conveying space for the packaging elements received from the main conveying space;
wherein the main conveying space and the auxiliary conveying space define different portions of the path; and
wherein the auxiliary conveyors are configured to be controlled independently from the main conveyors.

2. The magazine system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each main transport branch comprises a plurality of engaging portions protruding into the main conveying space and configured to cooperate in use with lateral recesses in the side portions of the packaging elements.

3. The magazine system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the engaging portions of the main transport branches are disposed in a common horizontal plane which is orthogonal, during operation, to the packaging elements.

4. The magazine system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the engaging portions of the main transport branches are inclined with respect to the path.

5. The magazine system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein:
the respective horizontal main transport branches of the at least two main conveyors comprise a first main transport branch and a second main transport branch; and
the engaging portions of the first main transport branch and the engaging portions of the second main transport branch converge towards each other.

6. The magazine system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein:
each main conveyor is a chain-driven conveyor and
the engaging portions define at least partially respective links of the main conveyor.

7. The magazine system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary transport branches comprise respective engaging portions that protrude into the auxiliary conveying space.

8. The magazine system as claimed in claim 1 , and further comprising stopper unit arranged between the main conveyors and the auxiliary conveyors with respect to the path and selectively actuated to stop advancement of the packaging elements from the main conveying space to the auxiliary conveying space such that an accumulation of the packaging elements is generated, during operation, at the exit of the main conveying space.

9. The magazine system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the stopper unit comprises at least one stopping element configured to move between an operative position, in which the stopping element interferes with advancement of the packaging elements, and a rest position, in which the stopping element allows movement of the packaging elements along the path.

10. The magazine system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the stopper unit comprises two stopping elements movable towards, and away from, one another to define the operative and rest positions.

11. The magazine system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
two fixed support branches adapted to support the packaging elements in transition from the main conveyors to the auxiliary conveyors and arranged side by side as well as aligned with the respective main transport branches and auxiliary transport branches so as to define an accumulation space interposed between the main space and the auxiliary conveying space.

12. The magazine system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the stopper unit is arranged on opposite sides of the accumulation space.

13. The magazine system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a fixed frame;
two movable frames, each of which is supported by the fixed frame and in turn supports one main conveyor and the respective auxiliary conveyor aligned therewith; and
an actuator configured to displace each movable frame in a direction orthogonal to the path so as to change the width of the main conveying space and the auxiliary conveying space in the direction.

14. The magazine system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein each movable frame carries a relative one of the fixed support branches.

15. A magazine system for conveying sheet packaging elements, comprising:
at least two main conveyors arranged side by side and extending in a horizontal direction; and
a main conveying space, defined by the at least two main conveyors and located between the two main conveyors, wherein the main conveyors are configured for advancing the packaging elements, wherein each main conveyor further includes:
respective horizontal main transport branches configured to: (a) engage with respective side portions of the packaging elements to thereby support the packaging elements in a vertical orientation, such that the packaging elements are partially located in the main conveying space and extend transversally with respect to the main transport branches, and (b) advance the packaging elements along a path parallel to the main transport branches,
wherein each main transport branch comprises a plurality of engaging portions protruding into the main conveying space and configured to cooperate in use with lateral recesses in the side portions of the packaging elements to support the packaging elements in the vertical direction, and
wherein each main conveyor is a chain-driven conveyor and the engaging portions define at least partially respective links of the main conveyor.

16. The magazine system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the engaging portions are inclined with respect to the parallel path in order to support the packaging elements during transitions from the main conveyor to a downstream auxiliary conveyor.

Assignees

• Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance
• Tetra Laval Holdings & Finances S A

Inventors

• Davidson Mark W
• Johnson Roy A
• Santoni Giorgio
• Morselli Alessandro

Classifications

• B65H2404/3111

  on two opposite chains or set of chains, i.e. having active handling section cooperating with and facing to each other · CPC title

• B65H5/028

  by chains · CPC title

• B65H2701/1764

  Cut-out, single-layer, e.g. flat blanks for boxes · CPC title

• B65H1/30

  with means for replenishing the pile during continuous separation of articles therefrom {(B65H1/22 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B65H1/025 Primary

  with controlled positively-acting mechanical devices for advancing the pile to present the articles to the separating device · CPC title