Method and unit for feeding packaging material to an operating unit
AssigneeG. D. Societa per Azioni
InventorsMario Spatafora, Alberto Polazzi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
On a machine for producing articles, in particular a packaging machine for producing packets of cigarettes, a reel, laid flat on a support, is fed, by means of a transfer device, to a relative unwinding pin fitted to the periphery of a rotary platform rotating about a substantially horizontal axis; the unwinding pin being set to a substantially radial position with respect to the platform axis; the rotary platform being rotated to set said unwinding pin to a vertical receiving position facing upwards; the reel being fitted downwards onto the unwinding pin in the receiving position; and the unwinding pin being rotated, with respect to the rotary platform, into an axial position with respect to the rotary platform before unwinding the reel.
Claims17
A method of feeding packaging material to an operating unit (5) of a machine for producing and/or manipulating articles and comprising a feed unit (6) for feeding packaging material (7) at least partly in the form of reels (14) laid flat on a support, the method comprising the steps of feeding each said reel (14), by means of a first transfer device (42), to a relative unwinding pin (34) of the feed unit (6), and unwinding said reel (14) on the relative unwinding pin (34);
- two said unwinding pins (34) being fitted to the periphery of a rotary platform (28) rotating about a substantially horizontal first axis (27) so as to rotate with respect to the rotary platform (28) about relevant horizontal second axes (33) transverse to the first axis (27);
- the method comprising the further steps of:
- setting a first said unwinding pin (34) to a substantially radial position with respect to said first axis (27) by rotating the first unwinding pin (34) about the second axis (33) while a second said unwinding pin (34) is in an axial position with respect to the first axis (27) for supporting the unwinding reel (14),
- rotating said rotary platform (28) about the first axis (27) to set the first unwinding pin (34) to a vertical receiving position facing upwards and maintaining the second unwinding pin (34) in an axial position with respect to the first axis (27) for supporting an unwinding reel (14),
- fitting a relative new reel (14) downwards onto the first unwinding pin (34) in said receiving position,
- and rotating the first unwinding pin (34), with respect to said rotary platform (28) and about said second axis (33) into an axial position with respect to the rotary platform (28);
- said new reel (14) being unwound with the relative unwinding pin (34) in said axial position.
A method of feeding packaging material to an operating unit (5) of a machine for producing and/or manipulating articles and comprising a feed unit (6) for feeding packaging material (7) at least partly in the form of reels (14) laid flat on a support, the method comprising the steps of feeding each said reel (14), by means of a first transfer device (42), to a relative unwinding pin (34) of the feed unit (6), and unwinding said reel (14) on the relative unwinding pin (34), said unwinding pin (34) being fitted to the periphery of a rotary platform (28) rotating about a substantially horizontal axis (27);
- the method comprising the further steps of setting said unwinding pin (34) to a substantially radial position with respect to said axis (27);
- rotating said rotary platform (28), to set said unwinding pin (34) to a vertical receiving position facing upwards, fitting the relative said reel (14) downwards onto said unwinding pin (34) in said receiving position, and rotating said unwinding pin (34), with respect to said rotary platform (28), into an axial position with respect to the rotary platform (28);
- said reel (14) being unwound with the relative unwinding pin (34) in said axial position, wherein the packaging material (7) is partly in the form of reels (14) supported on at least one first pallet (18), and is partly in the form of blanks (15) arranged in packs (22) on at least one second pallet (21);
- the method comprising the steps of feeding said packaging material (7), together with the relative said pallets (18, 21), to the same storage area (13) adjacent to the operating unit (5), transferring each said reel (14), by means of the first transfer device (42), directly from said first pallet (18) to a relative unwinding pin (34), unwinding said reel (14) on the relative unwinding pin (34), and transferring each said pack (22) of blanks (15), by means of a second transfer device (54), to input conveying means (56) of said operating unit (5), wherein said first and said second pallet (18, 21) are fed to said storage area (13) respectively onto a first and a second platform (16, 17) located side by side in the storage area (13), wherein said first and said second transfer device (42, 54) and said pickup device (65) are all carried by a same supporting member (37) located over said second platform (17);
- said first transfer device (42) being located over said supporting member (37);
- said second transfer device (54) being located underneath said supporting member (37);
- said pickup device (65) being located on said supporting member (37), between said first and said second transfer device (42, 54);
- and the method comprising the further step of setting said second transfer device (54) to a position alongside said second platform (17) before said pickup device (65) is activated.
A method of feeding packaging material to an operating unit (5) of a machine for producing and/or manipulating articles and comprising a feed unit (6) for feeding packaging material (7) at least partly in the form of reels (14) laid flat on a support, the method comprising the steps of feeding each said reel (14), by means of a first transfer device (42), to a relative unwinding pin (34) of the feed unit (6), and unwinding said reel (14) on the relative unwinding pin (34), said unwinding pin (34) being fitted to the periphery of a rotary platform (28) rotating about a substantially horizontal axis (27);
- the method comprising the further steps of setting said unwinding pin (34) to a substantially radial position with respect to said axis (27);
- rotating said rotary platform (28), to set said unwinding pin (34) to a vertical receiving position facing upwards, fitting the relative said reel (14) downwards onto said unwinding pin (34) in said receiving position, and rotating said unwinding pin (34), with respect to said rotary platform (28), into an axial position with respect to the rotary platform (28);
- said reel (14) being unwound with the relative unwinding pin (34) in said axial position, wherein the packaging material (7) is partly in the form of reels (14) supported on at least one first pallet (18), and is partly in the form of blanks (15) arranged in packs (22) on at least one second pallet (21);
- the method comprising the steps of feeding said packaging material (7), together with the relative said pallets (18, 21), to the same storage area (13) adjacent to the operating unit (5), transferring each said reel (14), by means of the first transfer device (42), directly from said first pallet (18) to a relative unwinding pin (34), unwinding said reel (14) on the relative unwinding pin (34), and transferring each said pack (22) of blanks (15), by means of a second transfer device (54), to input conveying means (56) of said operating unit (5), wherein said first and said second pallet (18, 21) are fed to said storage area (13) respectively onto a first and a second platform (16, 17) located side by side in the storage area (13), wherein said first transfer device (42) is carried by a trolley (79) and said second transfer device (42, 54) and said pickup device (65) are carried by a same supporting member (37) located over said second platform (17);
- said first transfer device (42) being movable with said trolley (79) alongside said first platform (16);
- said second transfer device (54) being located underneath said supporting member (37);
- said pickup device (65) being located on said supporting member (37) above said second transfer device (54);
- and the method comprising the further step of setting said second transfer device (54) to a position alongside said second platform (17) before said pickup device (65) is activated.
A method of feeding packaging material to an operating unit (5) of a machine for producing and/or manipulating articles and comprising a feed unit (6) for feeding packaging material (7) at least partly in the form of reels (14) laid flat on a support, the method comprising the steps of feeding each said reel (14), by means of a first transfer device (42), to a relative unwinding pin (34) of the feed unit (6), and unwinding said reel (14) on the relative unwinding pin (34);
- said unwinding pin (34) being fitted to the periphery of a rotary platform (28) rotating about a substantially horizontal axis (27);
- the method comprising the further steps of setting said unwinding pin (34) to a substantially radial position with respect to said;
- (27), rotating said rotary platform (28), to set said unwinding pin (34) to a vertical receiving position facing upwards, fitting the relative said reel (14) downwards onto said unwinding pin (34) in said receiving position, and rotating said unwinding pin (34), with respect to said rotary platform (28), into an axial position with respect to the rotary platform (28);
- said reel (14) being unwound with the relative unwinding pin (34) in said axial position, wherein the packaging material (7) is partly in the form of reels (14) supported on at least one first pallet (18), and is partly in the form of blanks (15) arranged in packs (22) on at least one second pallet (21);
- the method comprising the steps of feeding said packaging material (7), together with the relative said pallets (18, 21), to the same storage area (13) adjacent to the operating unit (5), transferring each said reel (14), by means of the first transfer device (42), directly from said first pallet (18) to a relative unwinding pin (34), unwinding said reel (14) on the relative unwinding pin (34), and transferring each said pack (22) of blanks (15), by means of a second transfer device (54), to input conveying means (56) of said operating unit (5).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.