(19)
(11) EP 0 484 903 B1

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION

(45) Mention of the grant of the patent:
27.07.1994 Bulletin 1994/30

(21) Application number: 91118906.6

(22) Date of filing: 06.11.1991
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)5B65B 43/18

(54)

Device suitable for converting a wrapping machine fed by a continuous paper band into a cartoning machine fed by stacked cardboard cutouts

Einrichtung zum Umwandeln einer Einwickelmaschine mit Zufuhr einer kontinuierlichen Papierbahn in eine Kartoniermaschine mit Zufuhr von Kartonzuschnitten

Dispositif adapté à la transformation d'une machine d'emballage alimenté par une bande continue de papier en encartonneuse alimentée par des flancs de carton empilés


(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH DE DK FR GB IT LI NL SE

(30) Priority: 08.11.1990 IT 4014690

(43) Date of publication of application:
13.05.1992 Bulletin 1992/20

(73) Proprietor: Manfredi, A., Manfredi, M. née Masetti, Colombini, S. née Manfredi, trading as MANFREDI OSCAR di Manfredi A. e S. & C. S.n.c.
41100 Modena (IT)

(72) Inventor:
  • Manfredi, Alessandro
    I-41100 Modena (IT)

(74) Representative: Modiano, Guido, Dr.-Ing. et al
Modiano & Associati S.r.l. Via Meravigli, 16
20123 Milano
20123 Milano (IT)


(56) References cited: : 
FR-A- 2 642 039
US-A- 3 797 822
   
       
    Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention).


    Description


    [0001] The present invention relates to a device suitable for wrapping parallelepipedal products in a cardboard wrapping, which can be mounted on machines made for wrapping said products in paper wrappings, so that said machines, equipped with the device of the present invention, are capable of equally wrapping the product in paper and in cardboard.

    [0002] Products having the above indicated shape can be wrapped in paper (soft package) or in cardboard (rigid package), depending on the requirements of the market.

    [0003] When the wrapping is made of paper, said paper arrives from a reel with a continuous band which is mounted on the wrapping machine, which is manufactured exclusively for performing paper wrappings; if the wrapping is instead made of cardboard, in most cases the material required to perform said wrapping of the product does not arrive from a reel but is constituted by flat portions of rigid or semi-rigid material which are punched or cutout with an appropriate shape and which are provided with scores at the folds for forming the box (see US-A-3 797 822).

    [0004] Currently, no machines capable of performing both soft packaging and rigid packaging are commercially available.

    [0005] It is therefore necessary to install a machine for each type of wrapping and therefore two separate packaging lines.

    [0006] The device according to the present invention is particularly suitable for complementing wrapping machines for soft packaging equipped with rotating wrapping wheels, and has the purpose of eliminating a packaging line for rigid packaging, since by mounting the device according to the present invention on a soft-packaging line, said line can alternately produce the two types of wrapping.

    [0007] The device according to the present invention, suitable for converting a paper-wrapping machine fed by a continuous paper band into a cartoning machine fed by stacked cardboard cutouts, arriving from a magazine provided on said device, comprises a frame which is rigidly connectable by means of related first means, with the cartoning machine and defines, on a side which is directed toward said cartoning machine, a pair of shoulders which support, in a transverse and parallel manner, a first shaft and a second shaft which are mutually superimposed, said first shaft being provided with pairs of angle brackets which are elastically connected to one another, said second shaft being provided with a plurality of transfer wheels which are keyed thereon, said frame being provided, in an upward position, with a hopper for containing mutually stacked cardboard cutouts and being provided, on the side opposite to the one directed toward the cartoning machine, with pneumatic-mechanical elements for removing the cutouts, said pneumatic-mechanical elements being alternatively movable between said sides and being actuated by related second means, third means for the rapid engagement/disengagement of the transmission of the motion of the cartoning machine to the device being provided on the side directed toward said machine, a plane for the descent of the cardboard cutouts into feeds toward said cartoning machine being furthermore defined between said side directed toward the cartoning machine and the cartoning machine itself.

    [0008] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a preferred but not exclusive embodiment, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

    figure 1 is a view, in broken (not solid) lines, of a machine for wrapping products in a soft package, which for the sake of brevity is hereinafter termed "basic machine"; said basic machine is provided with a rotating wrapping wheel 1′ and with a paper reel 2′; the broken line with arrows of said figure 1, which starts from the reel 2′ and reaches point "A" (insertion in the descent plane) indicates the path followed by the paper to produce the soft package; in said figure 1, solid heavy lines indicate the device according to the present invention, mounted on the basic machine;

    figure 2 is a perspective view of the device according to the invention;

    figure 3 is a perspective view of the same apparatus from another angle, in order to point out details which cannot be identified in figure 2;

    figures 4, 5 and 6 are schematic views of the path of the cardboard cutout from the beginning of the cycle up to its insertion in the descent plane (point "A" of figures 1 and 6);

    figure 7 is a sectional view of the front coupling which converts the basic machine for soft packages into a cartoning machine for rigid packages;

    figure 8 is a perspective view of the front coupling described in figure 7.



    [0009] With particular reference to figure 1, the reference numeral 1′ indicates a rotating cartoning wheel of the "basic machine", and 2′ indicates a paper reel intended to feed said machine for packaging soft packages.

    [0010] The connection between the basic machine and the device of the present invention occurs between two planes of contact on the line indicated by 4 in figure 2; in said figure 2, 1 indicates the end of the basic machine; the coupling between said machine and the device occurs by means of bolts which engage threaded holes defined on the end 1.

    [0011] In this manner, two shoulders 5 and 6 of the device of present invention form a monolithic unit with the "basic machine". Figure 2 also indicates the sides 7 of a hopper which contains the stacked cardboard cutouts 8 intended to form the rigid packages.

    [0012] A frame which encloses the device according to the present invention is formed by the shoulders 5 and 6, stiffened by reinforcements 10 and 11 and by a spacer 12.

    [0013] A shaft indicated by 21 is provided with three half-wheels 9, each of which has a sucker 22; by means of a support 20, the shaft 21, by virtue of a known kinematic system, moves with a reciprocating rectilinear motion by sliding on guides 19 of figure 2 and 19a of figure 3.

    [0014] Through holes defined on the shaft 21 and a rotating pneumatic coupling 23, a negative pressure created by a vacuum pump allows the suckers 22 to engage the cardboard cutouts 8 one at a time from below.

    [0015] Figure 3 shows that a gear 27 is fixed to the end of the shaft 21 and in turn engages a rack 28 which is fixed to the shoulder 6; the reciprocating rectilinear motion of the shaft 21 with the gear and the rack creates a bidirectional rotary motion on said shaft 21, which moves back and forth and rotates about its own axis.

    [0016] Figures 4, 5 and 6 schematically indicate the rotation directions of the shaft 21 along the rectilinear advancement direction thereof.

    [0017] In figure 4, the shaft 21 is at its rightward stroke limit and the suckers 22 aspirate the cutout; by reversing the direction of the rectilinear motion, by virtue of the kinematic system, it is evident in figures 5 and 6 that the direction of rotation of the shaft 21 is reversed; said shaft 21, with the suckers still aspirating, carries the cutout toward transfer wheels 14 of figure 2.

    [0018] A shaft 15 arranged parallel above a shaft 13 is provided with six angle brackets 16 which are divided into two groups of three brackets; each bracket is provided, at its lower end, with a rubber-covered roller 18 which can freely rotate about its own pivot, see figures 2, 4, 5 and 6; a fairing or U-shaped element 17 arranged above the wheels 14 keeps the cardboard cutout guided until it is inserted in the descent plane (point "A" of figure 1).

    [0019] The six rollers 18 mounted on the angle brackets compress the cardboard on the wheels 14 by means of springs 43, increasing the adhesion of said cardboard for good traction without slippages which might cause displacements with respect to the cycle.

    [0020] The kinematic system which moves the shaft 21 of figure 2 in a reciprocating rectilinear direction is constituted by gears 31 and 35, which are in turn connected to a connecting rod 37, an L-shaped lever 36 and an articulated connecting rod 26.

    [0021] An output shaft 44 of figure 2 is provided, at its end, with a conical seat by means of which, with a simple operation, a rotating blade-holder shaft of the basic machine is replaced with a shaft 41, which is provided with acceleration rollers 40 which have the purpose of keeping the card properly flat during its descent.

    [0022] The shaft 29 of figure 2 is part of the basic machine and is modified in order to allow the conversion thereof; the motion of the shaft 29 is drawn from the basic machine.

    [0023] The shaft 29 of figure 2 is conveniently modified in its length; its extension comprises a shaft 45, and a front coupling is interposed between said two shafts; said coupling is shown in figure 7, but can also be provided in another manner.

    [0024] Figure 7 is a sectional view of the above mentioned coupling, wherein 46 indicates a part of the base of the basic machine; at one end of the shaft 29 there is a blind hole which has the purpose of accommodating two cages of roller bearings 42 which in turn have the purpose of supporting the end of the shaft 45; a sleeve 47 is rigidly associated with the shaft 29 by means of a key 48; a slot is defined at the end of the sleeve 47 and has such dimensions as to be able to accommodate, in width and depth, a block 51, which in turn slides longitudinally within a through slot 52 defined on the shaft 45; a screw 34, on which a circumferential groove is defined at 49, has the purpose of moving the block 51 longitudinally by means of two screws 50 which engage therein.

    [0025] Therefore, by tightening the screw 34, the block 51 enters the slot defined in the sleeve 47 and the two shafts 29 and 45 are mutually rigidly associated, becoming monolithic; the motion arriving from the shaft 29 is transmitted to the shaft 45, which transmits it to the gears of the kinematic system, figure 2, and to the pulleys 25, 32, 30, 39 by means of the belts 33 and 38.

    [0026] By removing the paper flap from the descent plane, the basic machine is ready for packaging rigid packages.

    [0027] In order to be able to package soft packages, it is sufficient to unscrew the screw 34 to disengage the shafts 29 and 45 and make them mutually independent, and it is furthermore necessary to mount the rotating blade-holder shaft of the basic machine instead of the shaft 41, figure 2; then the paper flap arriving from the reel is inserted in the descent plane.

    [0028] The shaft 45 of figure 7 is supported by the roller cages 42 and by a bearing 53; a nut 54 of figure 7 is used to lock the screw 34 in the set position.

    [0029] Rings 55 and 56 are used to lock the bearing 53 and the other elements of the coupling.

    [0030] Figure 8 is a perspective view of the coupling between the shafts 29 and 45.

    [0031] Although the present invention has been described in its preferred embodiment, it should be understood that it is not limited thereto, since it is susceptible to numerous variations and additions, without abandoning the concept of the present invention as defined in the following claims.

    [0032] Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.


    Claims

    1. Device suitable for converting a wrapping machine fed by a continuous paper band into a cartoning machine fed by stacked cardboard cutouts (8) arriving from a magazine (7) provided on said device, comprising a frame which is rigidly connectable, by means of related first means, with the cartoning machine and defines, on a side which is directed toward said cartoning machine, a pair of shoulders (5,6) which support, in a transverse and parallel manner, a first shaft (15) and a second shaft (13) which are mutually superimposed, said first shaft (15) being provided with pairs of angle brackets (16) which are elastically connected to one another, said second shaft (13) being provided with a plurality of transfer wheels (14) which are keyed thereon, said frame being provided, in an upward position, with a hopper (7) for containing mutually stacked cardboard cutouts (8), and being provided, on the side opposite to the one directed toward the cartoning machine, with pneumatic-mechanical elements (9,20-23) for removing the cutouts, said pneumatic-mechanical elements being alternatively movable between said sides under the actuation of related second means (20,31,35-37), third means (29,45,47) for the rapid engagement/disengagement of the transmission of the motion of the cartoning machine to the device being provided on the side directed toward said cartoning machine, a plane (A) for the descent of the cardboard cutouts into feeds toward said cartoning machine being furthermore provided between said side (1) directed toward said cartoning maschine and the cartoning machine itself.
     
    2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said first means for rigid association with the cartoning machine are constituted by a plurality of bolts which engage related threaded holes defined in the end (1) of said cartoning machine which is directed toward the device.
     
    3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said pairs of angle brackets (16) are constituted by shaped rockers which are mounted so as to be able to oscillate transversely on said first shaft (15), their lower ends being provided with respective rubber-covered rollers (18), their upper ends being provided for the compression of helical springs (43) having a substantially horizontal axis.
     
    4. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said transfer wheels (14) are rotated below a fairing (17) for cardboard cutouts which has its concavity directed toward said descent plane (A).
     
    5. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said pneumatic-mechanical elements for removing the cardboard cutouts comprise a third shaft (21) which is transverse to the direction of translatory motion of said cutouts, a plurality of half-wheels (9) being keyed on said shaft (21) in a parallel manner, said half-wheels (9) being provided for contact and for removal by adhesion with the lower faces of the cutouts (8) contained in the hopper, corresponding elements (22) for aspirating said cutouts being provided at the beginning of the active contact portion of said half-wheels.
     
    6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that said aspiration elements are constituted by a set of suckers (22), each of which is connected to a conventional source which produces a negative pressure.
     
    7. Device according to claims 1 and 5, characterized in that said second means for the actuation of said pneumatic-mechanical elements with a reciprocating motion comprise a pair of mutually meshing gears (31,35), the small end of a connecting rod (37) being pivoted to at least one (35) of said gears, an end of an L-shaped lever (36) being in turn articulated to the big end of said connecting rod (37), the opposite end of said L-shaped lever (36) being articulated by a movable support (20) on a first longitudinal guide (19) which is located laterally below said hopper (7), a further second guide (19a) being provided on the opposite side of said hopper, said second guide being parallel to said first one, a further support sliding on said second guide, a gear (27) being keyed on the end of said third shaft (21), said gear meshing with a linear rack (28) which is longitudinally rigidly associated with the frame, the advancement or retraction of said supports (20) causing the rotation of said gear (27) on the rack (28) and the rotation of the third transverse shaft (21), with removal of a cutout and conveyance thereof on the transfer wheels (14).
     
    8. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said quick engagement/disengagement means are constituted by a fourth transverse shaft (29) which is supported by the frame so as to be parallel to said first (15) and second (13) shafts and arranged below them, said shaft being divided, proximate to one end, into two half-shafts (29,45) which can be connected by means of a coupling (47) of the head-on insertion type which is coaxial thereto, said shaft being provided, at one end, with at least one ring (55,56) for the actuation of axial movements which are defined with respect to the frame and are suitable for activating/deactivating said coupling by mutually connecting/disconnecting the half-shafts (29,45) and consequently the device to/from the cartoning machine.
     


    Ansprüche

    1. Vorrichtung, die zur Umwandlung einer mit einem kontinuierlichen Papierband beschickten Rollenpackmaschine in eine mit gestapelten, aus einem auf der Vorrichtung angeordneten Magazin (7) kommenden Kartonausschnitten (8) beschickten Kartonierungsmaschine geeignet ist, mit einem Rahmen, der starr über erste Mittel mit der Kartonierungsmaschine verbindbar ist und auf einer zur Kartonierungsmaschine gerichteten Seite zwei Schultern (5, 6) festlegt, die, querverlaufend und auf parallele Weise, eine erste Welle (15) und eine zweite Welle (13) tragen, die übereinander angeordnet sind, wobei an der ersten Welle (15) elastisch miteinander verbundene Winkelträger (16) angeordnet sind, an der zweite Welle (13) eine Mehrzahl von darauf verkeilten Transporträdern (14) angeordnet sind, der Rahmen in einer oberen Position mit einem Vorratsbehälter (7) für übereinander gestapelte Kartonausschnitte (8) und auf der gegenüber der zur Kartonierungsmaschine gerichteten Seite mit pneumatisch-mechanischen Elementen (9, 20-23) zum Entfernen der Ausschnitte versehen ist, wobei die pneumatisch-mechanischen Elemente alternativ unter Betätigung damit verbundener zweiter Mittel (20, 31, 35-37) zwischen den Seiten bewegbar sind, dritten Mitteln (29, 45, 47) zum schnellen Ein-/Auskuppeln der Bewegungsübertragung der Kartonierungsmaschine zu der auf der zur Kartonierungsmaschine gerichteten Seite angeordneten Vorrichtung, und ferner einer Ebene (A), die zum Herabführen der Kartonausschnitte in Zuführungen zur Kartonierungsmaschine zwischen der zur Kartonierungsmaschine gerichteten Seite (1) und der Kartonierungsmaschine selbst vorgesehen ist.
     
    2. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die ersten Mittel zur starren Verbindung mit der Kartonierungsmaschine aus einer Mehrzahl von Schraubbolzen bestehen, die in entsprechende, im zur Vorrichtung gerichteten Ende (1) der Kartonierungsmaschine festgelegte Gewindelöcher eingreifen.
     
    3. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Winkelträger (16) aus geformten Kipphebeln gebildet sind, die so angebracht sind, daß sie sich in Querrichtung auf der ersten Welle (15) hin- und herbewegen können, wobei ihre unteren Enden jeweils mit gummiüberzogenen Rollen (18) versehen und ihre oberen Enden zum Zusammendrücken von Schraubenfedern (43) mit einer im wesentlichen horizontalen Achse vorgesehen sind.
     
    4. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Transporträder (14) unterhalb einer Verkleidung (17) für Kartonausschnitte gedreht werden, deren Höhlung auf die Herabführ-Ebene (A) gerichtet ist.
     
    5. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die pneumatisch-mechanischen Elemente zur Entfernung der Kartonausschnitte eine dritte Welle (21) umfassen, die quer zur der Bewegungsrichtung der Ausschnitte angeordnet ist, wobei eine Mehrzahl von Halbrädern (9) auf parallele Art auf der Welle (21) verkeilt sind, die Halbräder (9) zum Kontakt und zur Entfernung durch Adhäsion der in dem Vorratsbehälter enthaltenen Ausschnitte (8) an deren unterer Fläche vorgesehen sind, und korrespondierende Elemente (22) zum Ansaugen der Ausschnitte am Anfang des aktiven Kontaktbereichs der Halbräder angeordnet sind.
     
    6. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 5, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Ansaugelemente aus einem Satz Ansauger (22) bestehen, von denen jeder an eine konventionelle Unterdruckquelle angeschlossen ist.
     
    7. Vorrichtung nach den Ansprüchen 1 und 5, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die zweiten Mittel zur Betätigung der pneumatisch-mechanischen Elemente mit einer Hin- und Herbewegung zwei ineinandergreifende Zahnräder (31, 35) umfassen, wobei das kleine Ende einer Verbindungsstange (37) wenigstens an einem (35) der Zahnräder drehgelenkig angeordnet ist und ein Ende eines L-förmigen Doppel-hebels (36) wiederum gelenkig mit dem großen Ende der Verbindungsstange (37) verbunden ist, wobei das gegenüberliegende Ende des L-förmigen Hebels (36) mittels eines beweglichen Trägers (20) mit einer ersten, seitlich unterhalb des Vorratsbehälters angeordneten Längsführung (19) gelenkig verbunden ist, eine weitere zweite Führung (19a) auf der gegenüberliegenden Seite des Vorratsbehälters angeordnet ist, wobei die zweite Führung parallel zur ersten ist, ein weiterer Träger auf der zweiten Führung gleitet, ein Zahnrad (27) mit dem Ende der dritten Welle (21) verkeilt ist, das Zahnrad in eine gerade Zahnstange (28) eingreift, die in Längsrichtung starr mit dem Rahmen verbunden ist, wobei der Vor- oder Rücklauf der Träger (20) die Drehung des Zahnrads (27) auf der Zahnstange (28) und die Drehung der dritten quer verlaufenden Welle (21) mit Entfernung eines Ausschnitts und dessen Transport auf die Transporträder (14) bewirkt.
     
    8. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Einrichtung zum schnellen Ein-/Auskuppeln durch eine vierte querverlaufende Welle (29) gebildet ist, die so durch den Rahmen getragen wird, daß sie parallel zu ersten (15) und zweiten (13) Welle und unter diesen angeordnet ist, wobei die Welle, nahe an einem Ende, in zwei Halbwellen (29, 45) unterteilt ist, die mittels einer dazu koaxialen Kupplung (47) nach Art einer Einsteckkupplung verbunden werden können, wobei die Welle an einem Ende mit wenigstens einem Ring (55, 56) zur Betätigung von axialen Bewegungen versehen ist, wobei die Bewegungen in bezug auf den Rahmen festgelegt sind und zum Aktivieren/Deaktivieren der Kupplung durch miteinander Verbinden/Lösen der Halbwellen (29, 45) und dementsprechend der Vorrichtung mit/von der Kartonierungsmaschine geeignet sind.
     


    Revendications

    1. Dispositif approprié pour convertir une machine d'emballage alimentée par une bande de papier continue en une machine d'encartonnage alimentée par des flans de carton empilés (8) arrivant d'un magasin (7) prévu sur ledit dispositif, comprenant un bâti qui peut être relié, de façon rigide, par des premiers moyens correspondants, à la machine d'encartonnage et qui définit, sur un côté qui est dirigé vers ladite machine d'encartonnage, une paire d'épaulements (5,6) qui supportent, d'une manière transversale et parallèle, un premier arbre (15) et un second arbre (13) qui sont mutuellement superposés, ledit premier arbre (15) étant muni de paires de pattes angulaires (16) qui sont élastiquement reliées l'une à l'autre, ledit second arbre (13) étant muni d'une pluralité de roues de transfert (14) qui y sont montées, ledit bâti étant muni, dans une position supérieure, d'une trémie (7) pour contenir des flans de carton mutuellement empilés (8), et étant muni, sur le côté opposé à celui dirigé vers la machine d'encartonnage, d'éléments pneumatiques et mécaniques (9,20-23) pour retirer les flans, lesdits éléments pneumatiques et mécaniques pouvant être déplacés, de façon alternative, entre lesdits côtés sous l'action de seconds moyens correspondants (20,31,35-37), des troisièmes moyens (29,45,47) pour l'engagement ou le désengagement rapide de la transmission du mouvement de la machine d'encartonnage au dispositif étant prévus sur le côté dirigé vers ladite machine d'encartonnage, un plan (A) pour la descente des flans de carton dans des alimentations vers ladite machine d'encartonnage étant par ailleurs prévu entre ledit côté (1) dirigé vers ladite machine d'encartonnage et la machine d'encartonnage elle-même.
     
    2. Dispositif selon la revendication 1,
    caractérisé en ce que lesdits premiers moyens pour l'association rigide avec la machine d'encartonnage sont constitués par une pluralité de boulons qui engagent des trous taraudés correspondants définis dans l'extrémité (1) de ladite machine d'encartonnage qui est dirigée vers le dispositif.
     
    3. Dispositif selon la revendication 1,
    caractérisé en ce que lesdites paires de pattes angulaires (16) sont constituées par des basculeurs conformés qui sont montés de façon à pouvoir osciller transversalement sur ledit premier arbre (15), leurs extrémités inférieures étant munies de rouleaux respectifs recouverts de caoutchouc (18), leurs extrémités supérieures étant prévues pour la compression de ressorts hélicoïdaux (43) ayant un axe sensiblement horizontal.
     
    4. Dispositif selon la revendication 1,
    caractérisé en ce que lesdites roues de transfert (14) tournent au-dessous d'un carénage (17) pour les flans de carton, qui présente sa concavité dirigée vers ledit plan de descente (A).
     
    5. Dispositif selon la revendication 1,
    caractérisé en ce que lesdits éléments pneumatiques et mécaniques pour retirer les flans de carton comprennent un troisième arbre (21) qui est transversal à la direction du déplacement en translation desdits flans, une pluralité de demi-roues (9) étant montées sur ledit arbre (21) de façon parallèle, lesdites demi-roues (9) étant prévues pour le contact et pour le retrait par adhérence avec les faces inférieures des flans (8) contenus dans la trémie, des éléments correspondants (22) pour aspirer lesdits flans étant prévus au début de la partie de contact active desdites demi-roues.
     
    6. Dispositif selon la revendication 5,
    caractérisé en ce que lesdits éléments d'aspiration sont constitués par une série de ventouses (22), dont chacune est reliée à une source usuelle qui produit une pression négative.
     
    7. Dispositif selon les revendications 1 et 5,
    caractérisé en ce que lesdits seconds moyens pour l'actionnement desdits éléments pneumatiques et mécaniques avec un mouvement de va-et-vient comprennent une paire de roues dentées (31,35) en engagement mutuel, la petite extrémité d'une tige de liaison (37) étant pivotée vers au moins une (35) desdites roues dentées, une extrémité d'un levier double en forme de L (36) étant, à son tour, articulée à la grande extrémité de ladite tige de liaison (37), l'extrémité opposée dudit levier en forme de L (36) étant articulée par un support mobile (20) sur un premier guide longitudinal (19) qui est situé latéralement au-dessous de ladite trémie (7), un autre second guide (19a) étant prévu sur le côté opposé de ladite trémie, ledit second guide étant parallèle audit premier, un autre support coulissant sur ledit second guide, une roue dentée (27) étant montée sur l'extrémité dudit troisième arbre (21), ladite roue s'engageant avec une crémaillère linéaire (28) qui est longitudinalement associée de façon rigide au bâti, l'avance ou le retrait desdits supports (20) provoquant la rotation de ladite roue dentée (27) sur la crémaillère (28) et la rotation du troisième arbre transversal (21), avec retrait d'un flan et transport de celui-ci sur les roues de transfert (14).
     
    8. Dispositif selon la revendication 1,
    caractérisé en ce que lesdits moyens d'engagement ou de désengagement rapide sont constitués par un quatrième arbre transversal (29) qui est supporté par le bâti de façon à être parallèle audit premier arbre (15) et audit second arbre (13) et est agencé au-dessous de ceux-ci, ledit arbre étant divisé, à proximité d'une extrémité, en deux demi-arbres (29,45) qui peuvent être reliés au moyen d'un accouplement (47) du type à insertion de front, qui est coaxial à ceux-ci, ledit arbre étant muni, à une extrémité, d'au moins une bague (55,56) pour la mise en oeuvre de mouvements axiaux qui sont définis par rapport au bâti et sont appropriés pour activer ou désactiver ledit accouplement par connexion ou déconnexion mutuelle des demi-arbres (29,45) et, en conséquence, du dispositif à ou de la machine d'encartonnage.
     




    Drawing