Accumulator for paper rolls or other elongated products and related method
AssigneeFabio Perini S.p.A.
InventorsGiancarlo Cicalini, Romano Maddaleni
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The accumulator includes at least one pair of chains substantially parallel to each other to which cradles are connected for receiving products to be stored, the cradles being mutually spaced along the pair of chains. Each cradle is connected to the pair of chains through constraining members. On each chain at least one intermediate constraining member is arranged between two adjacent cradles connected to the chains.
Claims21
An accumulator for elongated products, comprising:
- at least one pair of chains substantially parallel to each other, to which cradles are pivotally connected for receiving products to be stored, the cradles being mutually spaced along said pair of chains, wherein each cradle is connected to said pair of chains by constraining members;
- a product inlet;
- a product outlet;
- a positioning system for positioning the cradles along said chains;
- wherein said chains are driven around wheels with movable axes supported by a movable support and wheels with fixed axes, said wheels subdividing the two chains into storing branches in which the products are stored and empty branches, a lifting and lowering movement of said movable support modifying length of the storing branches and the empty branches to modify quantity of products storable in the accumulator;
- and wherein on each chain is arranged at least one constraining member intermediate between two consecutive cradles connected to said chains.
An accumulator for elongated products, comprising:
- at least one pair of chains substantially parallel to each other, to which cradles are pivotally connected for receiving products to be stored, the cradles being mutually spaced along said pair of chains, wherein each cradle is connected to said pair of chains by constraining members;
- a product inlet;
- a product outlet;
- wherein said chains are driven around wheels with movable axes supported by a movable support and wheels with fixed axes, said wheels subdividing the two chains into storing branches in which the products are stored and empty branches, a lifting and lowering movement of said movable support modifying length of the storing branches and the empty branches to modify quantity of products storable in the accumulator;
- wherein on each chain is arranged at least one constraining member intermediate between two consecutive cradles connected to said chains;
- wherein said accumulator further includes, for at least one of said chains, a pair of indexes connected to a support structure to which guide wheels of said chains are associated, and wherein said indexes are spaced from each other along a path of said at least one chain;
- and wherein reciprocal distance of said indexes is adjustable.
A method for configuring an accumulator for elongated products, comprising at least one pair of chains substantially parallel to each other, to which cradles are connected for receiving products to be stored along a loading branch of said pair of chains and unloading said products along an unloading branch of said pair of chains, the cradles being mutually spaced along said pair of chains, each cradle being suspended to said pair of chains through constraining members;
- said method comprising:
- determining reciprocal distance at which consecutive cradles must be arranged according to a dimension of said elongated products;
- connecting said cradles to said chains at said reciprocal distance;
- and further comprising:
- storing unused cradles in a storage device, when the number of total cradles exceeds a number of cradles connected to said chains;
- or
- removing cradles from a storage device when the number of cradles to be connected to said chains exceeds a number of cradles already connected to said chains.
A method for configuring an accumulator for elongated products, comprising at least one pair of chains substantially parallel to each other, to which cradles are connected for receiving products to be stored along a loading branch of said pair of chains and unloading said products along an unloading branch of said pair of chains, the cradles being mutually spaced along said pair of chains, each cradle being suspended to said pair of chains through constraining members;
- said method comprising:
- determining reciprocal distance at which consecutive cradles must be arranged according to a dimension of said elongated products;
- connecting said cradles to said chains at said reciprocal distance;
- and further comprising:
- a positioning system for positioning the cradles along said chains.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.