Method and device for handling flat and/or film material wound onto reels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10577209-B2
Application number	US-201515514711-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2015
Priority date	Oct 30, 2014
Publication date	Mar 3, 2020
Grant date	Mar 3, 2020

Abstract

The present invention includes a method and an apparatus (1) for handling flat material and/or film material wound onto rolls (5) and that serves as packaging material. Rolls (5), which are at least partially unwound, are alternately removed from at least one installation position (EB1; EB2) of a packaging machine (3), and in each case a new roll (5) of flat material and/or film material is mounted in the particular installation position (EB1; EB2). After each mounting, an externally arranged layer (15) is extracted from the particular new roll (5) near or in the area of its free end and is attached to a section of a material web being guided in the packaging machine (3). The direction of rotation and/or rotation-direction-conforming orientation of the new roll (5) is determined and/or verified by means of a capture device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for handling flat material and/or film material that is wound onto rolls ( 5 ) and that serves as packaging material for the packaging of piece goods, bundles, or the like sets of articles comprising:
initially mounting a first roll ( 5 ) of flat material and/or film material on at least one of the at least two installation positions (EB 1 ; EB 2 ) of a packaging machine ( 3 ) and guiding a material web (MB) of the first roll into the packaging machine ( 3 );
after at least partially depleting the first roll ( 5 ) of flat material and/or film materials, mounting a new roll ( 5 ) of flat material and/or film material on remaining installation position of the least two installation positions (EB 1 , EB 2 ) of the packaging machine ( 3 ), wherein, after mounting the new roll ( 5 ), attaching an externally arranged layer ( 15 ) of the new roll ( 5 ) near or in the area of its free end to a section of a material web (MB) of the first roll ( 5 ) being guided in the packaging machine ( 3 ),
determining an unwinding direction of rotation of the new roll ( 5 ) with a control unit (S) before, while, or after the new roll ( 5 ) is mounted, and, if an inappropriate unwinding direction of rotation is determined by the control unit (S), performing an alignment correction of the new roll ( 5 ) or replacing the new roll ( 5 ) with another new roll with an appropriate unwinding direction of rotation, wherein the control unit (S) in communication with a capture device ( 23 ) comprising an optical detection system.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising autonomously removing the at least partially depleted rolls ( 5 ) by a handling device ( 7 ), which is in operative connection with the capture device ( 23 ), and further comprising autonomously mounting a new roll ( 5 ) of flat material and/or film material in one of the at least two installation positions (EB 1 , EB 2 ).

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the capture device ( 23 ) determines the unwinding direction of rotation of each new roll ( 5 ) with at least one marker ( 22 ) in the area of a free end of each new roll ( 5 ).

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising applying the at least one marker ( 22 ) onto each new roll ( 5 ) before the new roll ( 5 ) is mounted and wherein the at least one marker fastens the free end of the new roll ( 5 ) to itself.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the determining step comprises using a capture device ( 23 ) that is part of the handling device ( 7 ).

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising inserting a retaining mandrel ( 17 ) of the handling device ( 7 ) into a hollow body of the new roll ( 5 ) and increasing a maximum cross-sectional diameter of the retaining mandrel ( 17 ) and thereby clampingly fixing the new roll ( 5 ) to the handling device ( 7 ).

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the marker comprises an optical marker.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the optical marker comprises a reflective marker.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein the inappropriate unwinding direction of rotation for the new roll ( 5 ) is the opposite of the unwinding direction of rotation for the first roll and wherein the appropriate unwinding direction of rotation for the new roll ( 5 ) is the same as the unwinding direction of rotation for the first roll.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mounting step comprises mounting each new roll ( 5 ) on one of the least one installation positions (EB 1 , EB 2 ) so that its free end faces the other installation position (EB 1 , EB 2 ).

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising moving new rolls ( 5 ) by way of at least one horizontal conveying device ( 13 ) and removing the new rolls ( 5 ) from the at least one horizontal conveying device ( 13 ) with the handling device ( 7 ).

12. An apparatus ( 1 ) for handling flat material or film material that is wound onto rolls ( 5 ) and that serves as packaging material for the packaging of piece goods, bundles, or sets of articles, comprising:
a packaging machine ( 3 ) with at least two installation positions (EB 1 , EB 2 ), wherein each installation position (EB 1 , EB 2 ) provides for the rotating reception of rolls ( 5 ) of flat material or film material,
one or more a coupling devices, which align and attach free end sections of flat material or film material of newly mounted rolls ( 5 ) to a moving material web (MB) of a roll ( 5 ) that is already being guided into the packaging machine ( 3 ),
at least one capture device ( 23 ) comprising an optical detection system,
a control unit (S) in communication with the capture device ( 23 ), wherein the control unit (S) is capable of outputting information on the unwinding direction of rotation of new rolls ( 5 ) for each of the at least two installation positions (EB 1 , EB 2 ).

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the control unit (S) is in communication with a handling device ( 7 ) and is capable of instructing the handling device ( 7 ) to autonomously replace a roll ( 5 ), when it is depleted or nearly depleted, with a new roll ( 5 ) at the installation position previously occupied by the replaced roll ( 5 ), wherein the new roll ( 5 ) has an appropriate unwinding direction of rotation.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the handling device ( 7 ) comprises a cylindrically formed retaining mandrel ( 17 ) with an adjustable maximum cross-sectional diameter.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein of each of the at least two installation positions (EB 1 ; EB 2 ) comprises a rotatable pin ( 27 ) for the reception of the rolls ( 5 ) that is height adjustable within the packaging machine ( 3 ).

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising at least one horizontal conveying device ( 13 ) arranged upstream from the handling device ( 7 ).

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the capture device ( 23 ) is a component of the handling device ( 7 ) and is movable with the handling device ( 7 ).

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , capture device ( 23 ) comprises at least one camera ( 19 , 21 ).

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the capture device ( 23 ) is stationarily located in the area of the at least one installation position (EB 1 , EB 2 ).

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , capture device ( 23 ) comprises at least one camera ( 19 , 21 ).

21. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the appropriate unwinding direction of rotation for the new roll ( 5 ) is same unwinding direction of rotation as the roll at the other at least one installation position (ESL EΩ).

Assignees

• Krones Ag

Inventors

• Wimmer Thomas
• Spindler Herbert
• Werner Juergen

Classifications

• B65H2220/01

  indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input · CPC title

• B65H2220/02

  indicating an entity which is controlled, adjusted or changed by a control process, i.e. output · CPC title

• B65H2301/325

  of roll of material · CPC title

• B65H2801/81

  Packaging machines · CPC title

• B65H2553/42

  Cameras · CPC title