BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a device for slotting and creasing sheet cardboard
material.
[0002] Prior cardboard processing machines which are specifically designed for processing
sheets of cardboard, provide the cardboard sheets with suitable cross slots and creasing,
for allowing the cardboard sheet to be easily folded in order to form a cardboard
box or other like packaging article.
[0003] A first type of said prior cardboard material slotting and creasing machines comprises
a supporting shaft supporting a plurality of slitting heads, including a plurality
of slitting blades which are caused to quickly turn by their turning supporting shaft.
[0004] The slotting heads, in particular, are coupled to suitable counter-slotting elements,
so that the slotting blades can cut through the cardboard sheet fed thereunder, to
provide the mentioned throughgoing slots.
[0005] A second type of prior machines comprises a first supporting shaft supporting a plurality
of creasing heads and, downstream of said first shaft, a second supporting shaft supporting
a corresponding plurality of slitting heads aligned with the creasing heads.
[0006] The above mentioned machines can also operate with cardboard sheets having a pitch
greater than the diameter of the slitting head.
[0007] However, in such a case, it would be necessary to rise the slotting head from the
cardboard sheet and stop the rotary movement of the machine for a time necessary for
allowing the cardboard sheet to be fed to an operating position thereat it can be
properly cut through by the slotting blade.
[0008] In such an operation, however, the cardboard sheet is not perfectly held and guided,
and, accordingly, it is not possible to provide a very accurate position of the cardboard
sheet being processed.
[0009] A further drawback of this second type of cardboard sheet processing machine is that
the stopping and driving again of the shaft supporting the slotting heads would require
a very great amount of power, because of the comparatively large mass of the mentioned
shafts to be turned, which power consumption would negatively affect the cost of the
finished cardboard article.
[0010] Moreover, because of the mentioned large mass of the slitting head supporting shaft,
the mentioned prior machines do not allow to obtain a great yield.
[0011] Document EP-A-0 752 299, on which the preamble of claim 1 is based, discloses a slotting
device having independently driven knives.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] Accordingly, the aim of the present invention is to provide such a cardboard sheet
material slotting and creasing device having a very high yield, while requiring a
comparatively low operation cost.
[0013] Within the scope of the above mentioned aim, a main object of the present invention
is to provide such a cardboard sheet material slotting and creasing device which can
be used for a very broad range of cross and longitudinal sizes of the cardboard sheets
to be processed, without the need of performing very complex and long adjustments.
[0014] According to one aspect of the present invention, the above mentioned aim and objects,
as well as yet other objects, which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved
by a device for slotting and creasing a cardboard sheet according to claim 1.
[0015] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, said slitting heads
have a diameter corresponding to a sub-multiple of the cardboard sheet feeding pitch.
[0016] Moreover, the first and second shafts are driven by the main driving assembly of
the slitting machine through a toothed pulley thereon a toothed belt is engaged.
[0017] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fist and
second shafts, supporting said slitting heads, are driven by brushless motors and
comprise broached shafts.
[0018] According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the adjusting
carriage is driven by a gear-motor unit allowing said carriage to slide in a direction
substantially perpendicular to the cardboard sheet feeding direction in order to locate
said slotting heads at a desired slotting point, depending on the size of the cardboard
sheet being processed.
[0019] Finally, to the cardboard sheet slitting and driving assemblies a plurality of counter-slotting
heads and creasing heads mounted on a carriage which can be driven together with the
adjusting carriage are coupled.
[0020] The invention provides the following advantages with respect to the prior art.
[0021] At first, very important advantage of the invention, is that the slotting heads can
be driven independently from the driving heads and that said slotting heads are supported
by the mentioned adjusting carriage and not by the turning shaft thereof.
[0022] This means that, as the length of the cardboard sheet is larger than the extension
of the slitting heads, and it would be accordingly necessary to stop and then recover
again the turning movements of the slotting heads, said slotting heads can be driven
by a power much less than that which would be necessary in prior machines, in which
the slotting heads are mounted on shafts which also operate for supporting said heads.
[0023] Moreover, it should be apparent that, in the machine according to the invention,
the feeding and proper locating of the cardboard sheet are assured by the provision,
downstream of the first driving head assembly, of the second driving head assembly,
and by the fact that the toothed belt associated therewith is always held in contact
with the cardboard sheet material.
[0024] A further advantage of the present invention is that the diameter of the slotting
heads corresponds to a half of the feeding pitch of the cardboard sheet; thus, the
brushless motors can be operated with the same operation speed as the machine, as
the length of the cardboard sheet being processed is not larger than the extension
of the slotting heads, thereby providing a high operation performance for given lengths
of the cardboard sheets to be processed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] Further advantages and characteristics of the present invention will become more
apparent hereinafter from the following detailed disclosure, given by way of an illustrative
but not limitative example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, where:
Figure 1 is a partially cross-sectioned view, cross-sectioned according to a plane
parallel to the cardboard sheet feeding direction, of the device according to the
invention;
and
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view, as cross-section according to the broken line
A-A, of the slotting and creasing device according to the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0026] In the following disclosure reference will be made to some preferred embodiments
of the present invention, which are illustrated by way of a not limitative example
of several possible variations of the invention.
[0027] Figure 1 shows the slotting and creasing device according to the invention.
[0028] The device comprises a supporting carriage 18, sliding on rails 25, supporting a
plurality of slotting and creasing assemblies, of which the slotting and creasing
assembly shown in Figure 1 comprises a first assembly or set of slotting heads 7 and
9 and a second assembly or set of slotting heads 7' and 9', and comprising moreover
toothed pulleys 2 and 3.
[0029] The slotting heads 7, 9 and 7', 9' are respectively mounted on a first and second
broached shafts 6 and 6', which are arranged at a position substantially parallel
and so that the slotting heads 7, 9 and 7' and 9' will operate on a same plane; moreover,
between the heads 7, 9 and 7', 9' counter-creasing wheels 32 are provided.
[0030] Each said slotting head is provided with slotting blades 8 which, as rotatively driven
by the rotary broached shafts 6, 6', will operate on the cardboard sheet 14 in order
to provide suitable slots therethrough.
[0031] The slotting and creasing assembly comprises moreover toothed pulleys 2 and 3, which
are mounted on a broached shaft 1, which is driven by the main driving assembly of
the machine.
[0032] Said elements included in said slotting and creasing assembly of Figure 1, are coupled
by a belt transmission, including a toothed belt 4 associated with suitable belt tension
elements 27.
[0033] The belt 4, in cooperation with a first counter-slotting head 12, 13 assembly and
a second counter-slotting head 12', 13' assembly, as well as with creasing heads 31,
will define a space therethrough the cardboard sheet 14 being processed is entrained.
[0034] The slotting heads 7, 9 and 7', 9' have an extension corresponding to a sub-multiple
of the feeding pitch of the cardboard sheet 14.
[0035] More specifically, said counter-slotting heads 12, 13 and 12', 13' are mounted on
expanding shafts 11 whereas the creasing heads 31 are mounted on an expanding shaft
30.
[0036] Each said counter-slotting head is provided with counter-blades 16, 17 cooperating
with the slitting blades 8 in order to provide the cardboard sheet 14 with a plurality
of throughgoing slots.
[0037] The assembly of said counter-slotting and creasing elements can slide on axes 29,
to which said assembly is coupled by coupling elements 28, through a carriage 33 which
is driven jointly with the mentioned carriage 18.
[0038] More specifically, the carriage 18 is driven by a geared motor unit 23 allowing said
carriage to slide on shafts 20 in turn coupled, by coupling elements 22, to the support
26 supporting the rails 25.
[0039] Figure 2 is a cross-sectioned view, taken substantially along the broken section
line A-A, showing the slotting and creasing device according to the present invention.
[0040] More specifically, the slotting heads 7, which are mounted on said broached shaft
6, can be disconnected from the driving heads 5, thereby allowing said slotting heads
to be driven independently from the driving heads 5, in order to provide through the
cardboard sheet 14 the mentioned throughgoing slots, by the slotting blades 8, at
any desired time.
[0041] The same disclosure made about the slotting heads 7 could be also made with respect
to the slotting heads 9.
[0042] The slotting and creasing device according to the invention will operate as follows.
[0043] The broached shaft 1 is driven by the main driving unit of the machine, and in turn
said shaft will rotatively drive the toothed pulleys 2, 3 which will in turn rotatively
drive the toothed pulleys 5 through the toothed belt 4.
[0044] In this connection it should be pointed out that the pulleys 5 and toothed belt 4
would also operate, as stated, as driving heads, thereby they will be driven synchronously
with the machine.
[0045] The broached shaft 6 is driven by a geared motor unit including brushless motors,
provided for causing the heads 7 to perform a revolution for each passage of the cardboard
sheet, while stopping waiting for a following cardboard sheet.
[0046] The slotting blades 8, mounted on the slotting heads 7 and 9, will successively cut
through the cardboard sheet 14 to provide the mentioned slots therethrough.
[0047] Since the slotting heads 7, 9 are supported by their supporting carriage 18, and
not by the driving shaft therefor, as it occurs in prior machines, said slotting heads
can be stopped and turned again in a very easy manner and with a very reduced power
consumption.
[0048] Actually, the expanding shafts 11 and 30 will be rotatively driven by the main driving
unit of the machine, thereby driving in turn the counter-slotting heads 12, 13 and
12', 13' as well as the creasing heads 31.
[0049] Since th counter-slotting heads 12, 13 and 12', 13' and the creasing heads 31 will
also operate as driving heads, they will always operate synchronously with the machine.
[0050] The carriage 18 can be cross driven along the machine in order to locate the heads
at a desired slotting point, depending on the size of the cardboard sheet being processed,
in which the slotting blades 8 will be engaged between the counter-blades 16 and 17.
[0051] In such a case, the expanding shafts 11 and 30 will release the counter-slotting
heads 12 and 13 as well as the creasing heads 31.
[0052] At this time, the carriage 18, during its movement, will entrain the counter-slotting
heads 12, 13 and 12', 13' and the counter-slotting heads 12, 13 and 12', 13' associated
with the carriage 33 sliding on the axes 29, thereby entraining the creasing head
31.
[0053] Then, the supporting carriage 18 will be driven along the rails 25 by the geared
motor unit 23.
[0054] With the carriages all located in their set positions, the expanding shafts will
lock again the counter-slotting heads 12, 13 and 12', 13' as well as the creasing
heads 31.
[0055] In this connection it should be moreover pointed out that the slotting heads can
be designed, depending on several possible constructional variations of the inventive
device, with a diameter corresponding to a sub-multiple of the cardboard sheet feeding
pitch, and a diameter corresponding to a half of the cardboard sheet feeding pitch,
or also with a diameter corresponding to the feeding pitch of the cardboard sheet.
[0056] The transmission system for transmitting the driving motion from the pulleys 2 and
3 to the driving heads, can comprise, in addition to the toothed belt 4, other mechanical
equivalent means, for example a trapezoidal belt, a driving chain or a gear system.
[0057] While the invention has been disclosed with reference to a preferred embodiments
thereof, it should be apparent that the disclosed embodiments are susceptible to several
modifications and variations all of which will come within the scope of the accompanying
claims.
1. A device for slotting and creasing a cardboard sheet (14), comprising a plurality
of cardboard sheet slotting and driving assemblies, each said slotting and driving
assembly including a first and a second plurality of slotting heads (7, 9; 7', 9')
and driving heads (5), said driving heads (5) being designed for feeding said cardboard
sheet (14) to be slotted, characterized in that said first and seccond plurality of slotting heads and driving heads are removably
coupled and independently drivable said slotting heads (7, 9 and 7', 9') being respectively
mounted on a first and a second parallel shafts (6, 6'), said cardboard sheet slotting
and driving assemblies are supported by a same supporting carriage (18) for adjusting
the spacing between parallel slotting heads, and that said shafts (6, 6') are broached.
2. A device according to Claim 1, characterized in that said first and second plurality of slotting heads (7, 9; 7', 9'), have a diameter
corresponding to a sub-multiple of the cardboard sheet (14) feeding pitch.
3. A device according to Claim 1, characterized in that said first and second broached shafts (6, 6') are rotatively driven by a main driving
unit of the slotting machine through toothed pulleys (2, 3) on which a toothed belt
(4) is entrained.
4. A device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that for each said slotting and driving assembly a plurality of counter-creasing wheels
(12, 13; 12', 13'), arranged between said slotting heads, are provided.
5. A device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said slotting head-supporting first and second broached shafts (6, 6') are driven
by brushless motors.
6. A device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said carriage (18) is driven by a geared-motor unit (23) causing said carriage to
slide in a direction substantially perpendicular to the feeding direction of said
cardboard sheet (14) in order to locate said slotting heads at a set slotting point,
depending on the size of the cardboard sheet (14) being processed.
7. A device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that to said cardboard sheet material slotting and driving assemblies are coupled a plurality
of counter-slotting heads and creasing heads (12,13;12',13') which are mounted on
a supporting carriage (33) which can be driven together with said first-mentioned
carriage (18).
1. Vorrichtung zum Einschneiden und Rillen eines Kartonbogens (14), die eine Mehrzahl
von Kartonbogeneinschneide- und -antriebsbaugruppen umfasst, wobei jede der Einschneide-
und Antriebsbaugruppen eine erste und eine zweite Mehrzahl von Einschneideköpfen (7,
9;7', 9') und Antriebsköpfen (5) umfasst und die Antriebsköpfe (5) zum Zuführen des
einzuschneidenden Kartonbogens (14) konstruiert sind,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass
die erste und zweite Mehrzahl von Einschneideköpfen und Antriebsköpfen abnehmbar verbunden
und unabhängig antreibbar sind, wobei die Einschneideköpfe (7,9 und 7',9') jeweils
auf einer ersten und einer zweiten parallelen Welle (6,6') angebracht sind und die
Kartonbogeneinschneide- und -antriebsbaugruppen zur Einstellung des Zwischenraumes
zwischen parallelen Einschneideköpfen von demselben Trägerschlitten (18) getragen
werden, und dass die Wellen (6,6') geräumt sind.
2. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass
die erste und zweite Mehrzahl von Einschneideköpfen (7,9;7',9') einen Durchmesser
aufweisen, der einem ganzzahligen Teiler der Zufuhrteilung des Kartonbogens (14) entspricht.
3. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass
die ersten und zweiten geräumten Wellen (6,6') von einer Hauptantriebseinheit der
Einschneidemaschine durch gezahnte Laufrollen (2,3) angetrieben werden, auf denen
ein Zahnriemen (4) mitgeführt wird.
4. Vorrichtung nach einem oder mehreren der vorangegangenen Ansprüche,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass
für jede Einschneide- und Antriebsbaugruppe eine Mehrzahl von zwischen den Einschneideköpfen
angeordneten Gegenrillrädern (12,13;12',13') vorgesehen sind.
5. Vorrichtung nach einem oder mehreren der vorangegangenen Ansprüche,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass
die die Einschneideköpfe tragenden ersten und zweiten geräumten Wellen (6,6') mit
bürstenlosen Motoren angetrieben werden.
6. Vorrichtung nach einem oder mehreren der vorangegangenen Ansprüche,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass
der Trägerschlitten (18) durch eine Getriebemotoreinheit (23) angetrieben wird, der
den Trägerschlitten zum Gleiten in einer im wesentlichen senkrecht zu der Zufuhrrichtung
des Kartonbogens (14) verlaufenden Richtung veranlasst, um die Einschneideköpfe in
Abhängigkeit von der Größe des in Verarbeitung befindlichen Kartonbogens (14) an einem
voreingestellten Einschneidepunkt zu positionieren.
7. Vorrichtung nach einem oder mehreren der vorangegangenen Ansprüche,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass
eine Mehrzahl von auf einem Trägerschlitten (33), der gemeinsam mit dem zuerst erwähnten
Trägerschlitten (18) antreibbar ist, angeordneten Gegeneinschneideköpfen und Rillköpfen
(12,13;12',13') mit den Baugruppen zum Einschneiden und Antreiben von Kartonbogen
verbunden sind.
1. Dispositif pour entailler et plicaturer une feuille en carton (14), comprenant plusieurs
assemblages d'actionnement et de mortaisage d'une feuille en carton, chacun desdits
assemblages d'actionnement et de mortaisage incluant une première et seconde tête
de mortaisage (7, 9 ; 7', 9') et des têtes d'actionnement (5), lesdites têtes d'actionnement
(5) étant désignées pour alimenter ladite feuille en carton (14) à entailler, caractérisé en ce que lesdites première et seconde têtes de mortaisage et têtes d'actionnement sont couplées
de manière amovible et actionnable de manière indépendante, lesdites têtes de mortaisage
(7, 9 et 7', 9') étant respectivement montés sur un premier et sur un second arbres
parallèles (6, 6'), lesdits assemblages d'actionnement et de mortaisage de feuille
en carton sont supportés par un même châssis de support (18) afin d'ajuster l'espace
entre les têtes de mortaisage parallèles, et en ce que lesdits arbres (6, 6') sont percés (« shafts are broached »).
2. Dispositif selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que lesdites première et seconde têtes de mortaisage (7, 9 ; 7', 9') présentent un diamètre
correspondant à un sous-multiple de la distance de la voie d'alimentation de la feuille
en carton (14).
3. Dispositif selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que lesdits premier et second arbres percés sont actionnés de manière rotative par une
unité principale d'actionnement de la machine de mortaisage à travers des poulies
dentées (2, 3) sur lesquelles une courroie dentée (4) est entraînée.
4. Dispositif selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce que pour chacun desdits assemblages de mortaisage et d'assemblage plusieurs roues de
contre-plicature (12, 13 ;12', 13), disposées entre lesdites têtes de mortaisage,
sont prévues.
5. Dispositif selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce que les arbres percés sont actionnés par des moteurs sans balais.
6. Dispositif selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce que ledit châssis (18) est actionné par une unité de type moteur à engrenage (23) causant
le coulissement dudit porteur dans une direction sensiblement perpendiculaire à la
direction d'alimentation de ladite feuille en carton (14) dans le but de situer lesdites
têtes de mortaisage à un point de mortaisage défini, dépendant de la taille de la
feuille en carton (14) à usiner.
7. Dispositif selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce que lesdits assemblages de mortaisage et d'actionnement de matériau de feuille en carton
sont couplés à plusieurs têtes de contre-mortaisage et têtes de contre-plicature (12,
13 ;12', 13') qui sont montées sur un châssis de support (33) qui peuvent être actionnées
ensemble avec ledit châssis (18) défini en premier.