Plant and process for handling cardboard reels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12545542-B2
Application number	US-202118038473-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2021
Priority date	Dec 14, 2020
Publication date	Feb 10, 2026
Grant date	Feb 10, 2026

Abstract

System for handling cardboard reels to feed machines that produce cardboard tubes, comprising a station (P) for picking up the superimposed cardboard reels ( 1 ), a reel unwinding station ( 1 ) comprising at least one unwinding unit (UU) capable of supporting the reels to be unwound, in the unwinding station (U) being also provided splicing means configured to splice a tail portion (TY) of a reel ( 1 Y) being exhausted with a new reel ( 1 W), and handling means (D) for moving the reels ( 1 ) along a predetermined path between the reel pick-up station (P) and the unwinding station (U). Said at least one unwinding unit (UU) comprises several supports ( 403; 404 ) mounted on a vertical axis carousel structure (G).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A plant for handling cardboard reels for feeding tube-forming machines, comprising a reel pick-up station for superimposed cardboard reels, an unwinding station for unwinding the reels, the unwinding station comprising at least an unwinding unit adapted to support the reels to be unwound in an unwinding position, in the unwinding station being also provided splice means configured to splice a tail portion of a running out reel with a new reel to continuously unwind the reels that are progressively arranged in the unwinding station, the plant further comprising handling means for moving the reels along a reels moving path comprised between the reel pickup station and the unwinding station, wherein the at least one unwinding unit comprises a plurality of supports mounted on a carousel structure with a vertical axis that is controlled and moved by control means for cyclically arranging said supports in correspondence with a plurality of operating positions, the plurality of operating positions including a predetermined reel loading position for loading the reels on the supports and a different predetermined reel exhaustion position of exhaustion of the reels, the reel pick-up station being configured to receive a stack of superimposed cardboard reels, the handling means being configured and controlled for picking up one reel at a time from the stack and moving this reel from the pick-up station to a support of the at least one unwinding unit arranged in the loading position (W).

2 . The plant according to claim 1 wherein the reel loading position is also an initial unwinding position in which unwinding of the reels starts and/or the reel exhaustion position is also an intermediate unwinding position in which the reels unwind until they run out.

3 . The plant according to claim 1 wherein a reel unloading position for unloading the exhausted reels is provided between the exhaustion and loading positions.

4 . The plant according to claim 1 wherein each carousel structure comprises two supports in diametrically opposite positions with respect to a central axis of rotation of the carousel structure.

5 . The plant according to claim 1 wherein the splice means are mounted on a mobile support configured and controlled to approach the carousel structure and respectively move away from the carousel structure and are activated when the mobile support is approached the carousel structure.

6 . The plant according to claim 1 wherein the splice means are mounted on a mobile support configured and controlled to approach the carousel structure and respectively move away from the carousel structure and are activated when the mobile support is approached the carousel structure and the movable support is a support rotatably mounted on a corresponding axis of rotation.

7 . The plant according to claim 1 wherein the splice means comprise a pressure roller mounted on a mobile support and adapted to exert a pressure on the parts to be spliced when is detected the passage of a portion of adhesive material arranged on the new reel, said detection being performed by detection means configured to detect the passage of said portion of adhesive material.

8 . The plant according to claim 1 further comprising a blade, mounted on a mobile support, configured and controlled to cut the strip of cardboard that unwinds from the reels in the exhaustion phase, the blade being activated according to a detection performed by detection means configured to detect the passage of a portion of adhesive material arranged on the new reel.

9 . The plant according to claim 1 wherein in the reel pick-up station there is a mobile platform whose position with respect to the handling means is controlled in a horizontal plane by detecting the position of a central axis of the stack of superimposed cardboard reels with respect to an axis of the handling means, said plat-form being configured to receive the stack of superimposed cardboard reels during the positioning of the stack in the reel pick-up station.

10 . The plant according to claim 1 wherein in the reel pick-up station there is a mobile platform whose position with respect to the handling means is controlled in a horizontal plane by detecting the position of a central axis of the stack of superimposed cardboard reels with respect to an axis of the handling means, said plat-form being configured to receive the stack of superimposed cardboard reels during the positioning of the stack in the reel pick-up station and said plat-form is connected with two electric actuators configured and con-trolled to move the platform along two mutually orthogonal directions of said plane.

11 . The plant according to claim 1 wherein the means for picking up the reels comprise pneumatic means adapted to pressurize a space inside the stack of reels, in which said space includes the interface between an uppermost reel of the stack and the underlying reel, and mechanical or pneumatic gripping means configured and controlled for gripping and respectively releasing the uppermost reel of the stack.

12 . The plant according to claim 1 wherein the means for picking up the reels are connected to an arm which can be moved along said reels moving path.

13 . The plant according to claim 1 wherein the reel handling means are configured and controlled for picking up the reels from the stack in the reel pick up station, moving the reels along said reels moving path, and positioning the reels in the unwinding station, by keeping the reels in a horizontal position at least in the step of picking up the reels from the stack.

14 . The plant according to claim 1 wherein the means for picking up the reels are provided with an additional device for reversible hooking the reels to the same picking up means.

15 . The plant according to claim 1 wherein the reel handling means are configured and controlled for picking up the reels from the stack in the reel pick up station, moving the reels along said reels moving path, and positioning the reels in the unwinding station, by keeping the reels in a horizontal position at least in the step of picking up the reels from the stack and the reels moving path comprises a first vertical run for lifting the reels, a second horizontal run developed along a circular arc and a third vertical descent run for the reels.

16 . A process for handling cardboard reels for feeding tube-forming machines, comprising a step of positioning a plurality of superimposed cardboard reels in a reel pick-up station, providing an unwinding station (U) for unwinding the reels, the unwinding station comprising at least one unwinding unit adapted for supporting the reels to be unwound in an unwinding position, splice means being also provided in the unwinding station configured to splice a tail portion of a reel in the run-out phase with a new reel to continuously unwind the reels progressively arranged in the unwinding station, and providing handling means for moving the reels along a predetermined path between the reel pick-up station and the unwinding station, wherein the at least one unwinding unit comprises a plurality of supports mounted on a carousel structure with a vertical axis that is controlled and moved by control means for cyclically arranging said supports in correspondence with a plurality of operating positions, the plurality of operating positions including a predetermined reel loading position for loading the reels on the supports and a different predetermined reel exhaustion position of exhaustion of the reels, the reel pick-up station being configured to receive

Assignees

• Futura Spa

Inventors

• Perini Fabio
• Catalini Andrea

Classifications

• B65H2701/176

  Cardboard · CPC title

• B65H2301/4173

  by central portion, e.g. gripping central portion · CPC title

• B65H67/065

  Manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring the packages from one station to another, e.g. from a conveyor to a creel trolley · CPC title

• B65H19/123 Primary

  with cantilever supporting arrangements · CPC title