AU2004218709B2

AU2004218709B2 - Blank diecutting machine

Info

Publication number: AU2004218709B2
Application number: AU2004218709A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Georges Gombau; Richard Rohrer
Original assignee: Bobst SA
Current assignee: Bobst Mex SA
Priority date: 2003-10-13
Filing date: 2004-10-11
Publication date: 2006-11-23
Anticipated expiration: 2024-10-11
Also published as: US20050077672A1; TW200520941A; TWI241241B; KR20050035503A; JP2005119301A; CA2483389A1; KR100599068B1; CA2483389C; AU2004218709A1; JP4037397B2; CN1607085A; BRPI0404347B1; CN100404219C; BRPI0404347A

Description

1

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 BOBST S A COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: Blank diecutting machine The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to us:- 2 Field of the Invention

C.)

O This invention relates to a machine for diecutting blanks from sheets of paper, cardboard or similar material, comprising a sheet feed station, a feeder, a diecutting station, a station for ejecting unconnected waste, a blank separation and reception station, a station for the discharge of waste connected to the blanks, and a device for Sinterposing inserts between the blanks as they are stacked, from an insert storage stack.

00 Background Art This type of machine is well known, particularly in the area of cardboard box 0 10 manufacture for the packaging obtained by folding the blanks along folding and gluing lines by means of glue tabs formed on the blanks.

A machine of this kind is described more particularly in WO 90/06838.

To ensure stability of the stacks of blanks, despite the small support surface of each stack, inserts are disposed, which cover the entire stacks of blanks, whenever a specific number of blanks has been stacked. The assembly forms a complete stack made up of a number of layers of stacks of blanks and inserts.

In view of the number of inserts used and their thinness, said inserts are stored in a drawer.

Since these inserts are engaged by suction cups, the vertical travel of which is necessarily limited, the depth of the drawer is limited to a few centimetres, and this does not generally give rise to any problem in connection with the range of the stock of inserts, provided that their thickness remains thin.

However, a double development has been found, on the one hand machines becoming increasingly faster so that the consumption of inserts increases in proportion, reducing the range of reserve inserts, while on the other hand it might be advantageous in certain applications to use substantially thicker inserts, thus reducing the range of the reserve of inserts that can be contained in a conventional drawer, to an extent such that the contents thereof would no longer be sufficient for normal use of the machine. The machine operator in fact has numerous tasks to carry out so that with an inserts drawer of the order of 8 cm depth, and inserts of many tens of mm in thickness each, and a machine producing more than 8000 sheets per hour, most of his time would be devoted to refilling the inserts storage drawer, and obviously this is unacceptable.

For the users of these machines it is also important not to modify the machine space requirements substantially, not only the space requirements of the machine itself, but also the space including the room required for its loading and unloading. In fact it is 3 important to be able to replace an existing diecutting machine in a factory by a new O machine occupying substantially the same area including loading and unloading.

Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the Ofield relevant to the present invention as it existed before the priority date of each claim 00 of this application.

Throughout this specification the word "comprise", or variations such as 0 10 "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated N element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.

Summary of the Invention According to the present invention, there is provided a machine for diecutting blanks from sheets of paper, cardboard or similar material, comprising a sheet feed station, a feeder, a diecutting station, an ejection station for unconnected waste, a station for separating and reception of the blanks, a station for discharging waste attached to the blanks and an insertion device for inserting inserts between blanks as they are stacked, from a storage stack of said inserts, characterised in that it comprises a feed compartment to receive the said storage stack of said inserts which occupies the volume situated between the discharge station for the waste attached to the blanks and the base of the machine and a lifting mechanism to raise said inserts storage stack as inserts are inserted between the stacked blanks.

Without changing the design and substantially without changing the space requirements of the machine the invention enables a spectacular increase to be obtained in the range of the binder sheet reserve, which can thus last almost the whole working day.

This considerable increase in the inserts storage volume without increasing the machine space requirements is due to the use of a volume situated beneath the discharge station for the waste connected to the blanks, which was relatively poorly used by different elements of the mechanism of the machine, such as compressed air pumps, lubrication unit, electric switchboard, which can be located in other parts of the machine without requiring additional space.

Due to the volume thus liberated, it becomes possible to provide a real compartment in which it is possible to house the inserts stack and a lifting mechanism, 4 O which thus enables the top surface of the stack to be constantly brought within the O range of the suction cups for insertion of the inserts in the stacks of blanks. As a result, it is possible to use the same mechanism for insertion of the inserts as was used in the conventional drawer.

As a result of this feature, not only does the mechanism for insertion of the Sinserts remain unchanged, but it also enables two versions to be provided for the same o00 machine, one with the conventional drawer for users who do not need an inserts storage of greater capacity, the other with the compartment which occupies the volume situated between the discharge station for the waste attached to the blanks and the base of the machine, for those users who are interested in increasing the range of the inserts loading station.

Advantageously, loading may be carried out through an opening formed in the transverse wall of the machine casing situated at the output end of the machine, by means of pallets and pallet stackers as is also used for feeding of the sheets for diecutting and the unloading of the blanks.

Preferably, said opening is closed by a safety door, the opening of which causes the machine to be stopped, and said door advantageously has a window enabling the operator to check the remaining level of inserts.

The ascending movement of the stack of inserts is preferably controlled by a control system detecting the top level of the stack, as in the case of the stack for feeding the sheets.

Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate diagrammatically and by way of example one embodiment of the machine for diecutting blanks in accordance with the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a side view showing this embodiment very diagrammatically.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the compartment for storage of the stack of inserts in the casing surrounding the machine.

Fig. 3 is a partial top plan view of the lifting mechanism disposed in the storage compartment for the inserts stack shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a similar perspective view to that of Fig. 2, showing the casing surrounding the storage compartment.

O

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments O Fig. 1 is an extremely diagrammatic view of the various working stations of the machine for diecutting blanks, in accordance with this invention. The station for supplying the sheets 1 for diecutting, of cardboard, paper or other material having similar characteristics, comprises a stack of sheets 1 on a pallet. A known lifting 0 mechanism, not shown where it is unnecessary for an understanding of this invention, 0 raises the stack 1 as the sheets are consumed, so as to maintain the top of said stack 1 within range of the sheet feed device (not shown).

This feed device successively feeds sheets to a table 3 where they are aligned for the diecutting operation.

A conveyor device 4 for the said sheets comprises in known manner two chains forming endless loops and disposed respectively on the two sides of the machine, between which extend gripper bars intended to engage the leading edges of the sheets for diecutting, to convey them by successive steps with intermediate stops to enable the operations to be carried out, from one station of the machine to another.

The feed table 3 is followed by a blank diecutting station 5 and a waste ejection station 6 for the waste which is not attached to the blanks. To keep the different blanks attached to one another, some portions of the sheet, particularly the leading edge held by the grippers of the gripper bar, or a cardboard grid formed between the blanks, remain attached to the blanks by connecting points. Thus at the output of the waste ejection station 6 there will be left only the blanks and the sheet portions connected to the blanks.

This is followed by the blank reception station 7, which comprises a separation device (not shown) for the blanks 7 which are stacked in as many stacks as there are blanks diecut from a sheet 1. It will be obvious that the smaller the blanks 7, the lower the stability of the stacks, and hence it is necessary to provide inserts 8 which often consist of spoils covering all the stacks of blanks 7 and interposed at regular intervals.

These inserts 8 are inserted by an insertion device 9 of known type. However, unlike known insertion devices, the inserts 8 are not stored in a drawer just a few centimetres deep, which cannot contain many inserts, particularly if they are thick. In the machine according to this invention, the space situated beneath the insertion device 9 is fully occupied by a compartment 10 for supplying inserts 8, this compartment having a high capacity. The insertion device 9 is in turn situated beneath a waste discharge station comprising a conveyor 11 (Fig. 3) for the discharge of the waste connected to the blanks 7 and which is freed on separation of the blanks 7 in the separation station. This arrangement of the feed compartment 10 beneath the conveyor 6 O 11 discharging the waste enables a large space to be occupied without substantially O modifying the total space requirements of the machine, since the waste discharge conveyor 11 is already present in any case.

Since a conventional insertion device 9 using suction cups to engage the inserts 8 to make them available on a system for their insertion between the blanks 7 of the Svarious stacks can engage the inserts only if they are situated at levels which do not OO vary by more than a few centimetres, the feed compartment 10 must comprise a lifting mechanism 12 as in the case of the feed of the sheets 1 for diecutting.

Said lifting mechanism 12 of known type comprises a support platform 13 illustrated in solid lines in Fig. 2 in the bottom position and in broken lines in the top position. Said platform 13 carries a stack of inserts 8. Said platform 13 has four arms 14 disposed at the four corners and projecting laterally from the two sides of said platform 13. Each arm is suspended from the end of a chain 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d. These chains also engage toothed pinions fixedly attached to a shaft 16 which is connected to a drive motor 17 by an endless chain 18. The motor is controlled by the control device of the diecutting machine.

Said lifting device 12 also comprises stop means for the positioning of the stack of inserts 8 depending on their size. For this purpose it comprises a fixed front stop formed by two vertical plates 19.

It also comprises two movable side stops formed by two vertical rules 20a, adjacent the fixed front stop 19. Said movable stops 20a, 20b engage a movement mechanism situated on the other side of the fixed front stop 19, which enables them to be brought together or moved apart so that the space which separates them remains constantly centred on the central longitudinal axis of the diecutting machine so as to keep the stack of inserts 8 centred irrespective of the transverse size of said inserts 8.

Said movement mechanism is partly visible in Fig. 2 but completely visible in Fig. 3. It comprises a manual control wheel 21 fixedly attached to a control rod 22. At its other end said control rod 22 carries a bevel gear 23 engaging a bevel gear 24 of actuating means comprising, in this example, a first means for driving the lateral centring stops 20a, 20b formed by a rod 25 which has at its centre a pinion engaging an endless transmission chain 26 (Fig. 2) intended to.transmit the movement of the control rod 22 to a second means for driving the lateral centring stops 20a, 20b, said second means being formed by a rod 27 parallel to the first rod 25 and also having at its centre a pinion to engage the endless transmission chain 26.

Each of these rods 25, 27 of the actuating means comprises two screwthreaded sections 25a, 25b, 27a, 27b (Fig. 3) with respective screwthreading in opposite 7

O

directions to one another. The stops 20a, 20b each engage two nuts 28a, 29a, and 28b, O 29b respectively, respectively in engagement with the screwthreaded sections 27a, 25b, 27b. Two horizontal slots 19a (Fig. 2) are formed through the plates of the fixed front stops 19 parallel to the upper actuating rod 25 and two horizontal slots 19b are formed through said same front fixed stops parallel to the lower actuating rod 27.

Said slots 19a, 19b enable the connection to be made between the stops 20a, 20b and the nuts 28a, 29a and 28b, 29b respectively, said stops 20a, 20b on the one hand and 00 said nuts, on the other hand, being respectively situated on either side of the fixed front stop 19.

As a result of this arrangement, the two movable stops 20a, 20b are moved in opposite direction to one another when the control rod 22 is driven in either direction by the control wheel 21. As a result, said stops 20a, 20b move while remaining parallel to one another, coming closer together or moving farther apart by equal but opposite amounts with respect to the central longitudinal axis of the diecutting machine.

The system also comprises a rear stop 30 formed by a horizontal arm in the position of rest, mounted to pivot on a pivot shaft 31 and slide on said same shaft 31 and on a second shaft 32 (Fig. The sliding of this rear stop 30 is effected manually and locking means (not shown) are provided to lock it in the required position. Said rear stop 30 is also mounted slidably with respect to a detector rod 33 connected to the pivot shaft 31 by two cheeks 34a, 34b. Said detector rod is also connected kinematically to the pivot shaft 31 by the rear stop 30. A detector 35 enables any rotation of the detector rod 33 about the pivot shaft 31 to be detected, and hence any lift of the rear stop 30 from its horizontal position of rest, indicating by lifting that the stack of inserts 8 is not positioned correctly against the front fixed stop 19.

The lifting mechanism 12 of the feed compartment 10 also comprises a detector 36 for the top level of the inserts stack 8, which receives a beam of light 37 emitted by a light source 38. When the detector 36 no longer receives the beam of light because it is broken by the top of the inserts stack 8 it emits a signal which enables the drive motor 17 of the lifting mechanism 12 to be stopped.

As shown in Fig. 1, a retractable support 39 of known type is provided to receive the blanks 7 during the positioning of an insert 8. Said retractable support 39 is withdrawn and the blanks which are accumulated thereon are deposited on the respective stacks on withdrawal of said support 39.

As shown in Fig. 4, the casing surrounding the machine comprises a door situated on the rear or downstream face of said casing taking into account the direction 8 O of movement of the sheets 1 for diecutting. Said door 40 gives access to the feed O compartment 10 and is intended to allow replacement of an empty pallet by a new pallet carrying a stack of inserts 8 on the support platform 13 of the lifting mechanism 12. Said door 14 has a window 40a to enable the machine operator to see where the level of the inserts stack is situated without having to open the door 40. The latter is Sadvantageously a safety door which actuates the switch (not shown) for stopping the 0 machine as soon as it is opened.

Claims

2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein a door is situated on the downstream transverse face of a casing surrounding the machine to enable the storage stack of inserts to be inserted.
3. A machine according to claim 2, wherein said door comprises an observation window.
4. A machine according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said door is a safety door intended to control stoppage of the machine in the event of its being opened. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said feed compartment comprises a fixed front stop, two movable lateral centring stops, an actuation device comprising two members for driving the said lateral centring stops, comprising means to engage said lateral centring stops and move them simultaneously by identical lengths and in opposite directions to one another.
6. A machine according to claim 5, wherein the said feed compartment comprises a rear stop having a position of rest, articulated about a horizontal pivot shaft and a detector for detecting any pivoting of said rear stop about said pivot shaft from its position of rest. N
7. A machine for diecutting blanks from sheets of paper substantially as 0 hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this eleventh day of October 2004 Bobst S A Patent Attorneys for the Applicant: SF B RICE CO 0',