Plant and process for handling cardboard reels
AssigneeFutura S.P.A.
InventorsFabio Perini, Andrea Catalini
Life of this patent
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Abstract
System for handling cardboard reels to feed machines that produce cardboard tubes, comprising a station (F) for picking up the reels configured to receive a stack (2) of overlapping cardboard reels (1), a station (U) for unwinding of the reels, and handling means (D) for moving the reels (1) along a predetermined path. The means (D) for moving the reels comprise pneumatic means intended to pressurize a space (S) inside the stack of reels, in which said space includes the interface between an uppermost reel of the stack and the underlying reel, and gripping means configured and controlled to perform grip and release of the highest reel in the stack respectively.
Claims20
A plant for handling cardboard reels for feeding tube-forming machines, comprising a reel pick-up station configured to receive a stack of superimposed cardboard reels, a station for unwinding the reels with 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 progressively arranged in the unwinding station, and reel handling means for moving the reels along a handling path comprised between the reel pick-up station and the unwinding station, the plant further comprising a programmable control unit configured and programmed for controlling the reel pick-up means, the at least one unwinding unit and the splice means according to a continuous cycle wherein, while a reel is unwound on a respective support of the at least one unwinding unit, another reel is positioned on another support of the same unwinding unit and said supports are cyclically moved by respective mechanical supports moving means to occupy at least a predetermined loading position and at least one different predetermined exhaustion position, wherein the splice means cyclically perform the splice of an end portion of a reel in the run-out phase with an initial portion of another reel arranged in the loading position, and the reel handling means 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.
A process for handling cardboard reels for feeding tube-forming machines, comprising an arrangement of a reel pick-up station configured to receive a stack of superimposed cardboard reels, an unwinding station for unwinding the reels 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 reel handling means for moving the reels along a predetermined handling path between the reel pick-up station and the unwinding station, wherein said means for picking up the reels, said at least one unwinding station and said splice means are controlled for executing a continuous cycle such that while a reel is unwound on a relative support of said at least one unwinding unit, another reel is positioned on another support of the same unwinding unit and said supports are cyclically moved by respective mechanical moving means to occupy at least a predetermined loading position and at least one different predetermined exhaustion position, wherein the splice means cyclically perform the splice of an end portion of a reel in the run-out phase with an initial portion of another reel arranged in the loading position, and the reel handling means 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 the reel handling means further comprise mechanical or pneumatic gripping means configured and controlled for gripping and respectively releasing the uppermost reel of the stack.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.