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(11) | EP 0 169 979 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Moistening device for shoe uppers |
| (57) A moistening device for shoe uppers comprising a vapour generator (2), a sucking
plant (3), moistening stations (6) arranged at different levels alligned to the staves
(12) of the trolley (10), and ducts (4) and (7) connecting said station to the vapour
generator and to the sucking plant. Each moistening station (6) is divided into an
upper sector (8) and a lower sector (6) extending horizontally to form a passage corridor
for the uppers (9) and provided with holes or slots (14) and (15) connecting the sectors
to the ducts. |
[0002] More particularly, the present invention relates to a moistening device for shoe uppers suitable to be assembled along the conveyor belt, between two adjacent working stations, in a shoe manufacturing plant.
[0003] It is known that, before some particular assembly procedures, the shoe uppers have to be subjected to a moistening treatment. In some types of known assembly lines, the moistening process is carried out by placing all the uppers, separated from the corresponding forms, on opposite supports, which pass through a vapour emission station. Successively each upper is mounted on its corresponding form and sent on to the successive assembly stations.
[0004] Another known moistening process foresees the use of moistening devices which are separate from the assembly line. The uppers, coming from a preceeding operation, are extracted from the transport trolleys and inserted on supports of separated moistening devices. At the end of the moistening operation, the uppers are extracted from the aforesaid moistening plants with their corresponding forms and positioned on the assembly line trolleys which send them to the successive working stations. In each case, the above moistening plants, even if assure a valid moistening treatment, show some substantial drawbacks. In fact, they necessarily impose longer manufacturing times owing to the stoppage time for assembling the uppers on the forms, and owing to the loading and unloading of the forms from the assembly belts and from the moistening devices.
[0005] Another drawback is the fact that the advancing movement of the assembly belts and that of the moistening devices, must be perfectly sincronized and balanced in order to avoid undesirable unbalances and uneconomic periodic stoppages for establishing the balance.
[0006] Another drawback is the fact that, for every moistening operation , the continuous presence of an operator is necessary.
[0007] The object of the present invention is that of providing a moistening device for shoe uppers that avoids the aforesaid drawbacks.
[0008] More particularly, the object of the present invention is to provide a moistening device which is completely integral or integrated to the assembly lines and which is totally automatic.
[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic moistening device which does not require any manual operation for a intermediate repositioning of materials during the working phase, which makes possible the regular and continuous movement of the assembly belts, a sensible saving of manual work and a rise in productivity.
[0010] According to the present invention, the above and other objects are achieved by a moistening device for shoe assembly lines comprising a vapour generator and a plurality of suckers respectively connected to the sending and returning ducts connected to the working stations of one or more plants, said stations being alligned transporting trolleys of shoe uppers, coupled to the corresponding forms. Each working station is subdivided into an upper and a lower hollow sectors which extend themselves horizontally away from the supporting structure, in order to form a passage corridor for the uppers which are arranged on the supports of the the transporting trolleys. The aforesaid superior and inferior hollow sectors are provided with a plurality of holes, flaws or slots oriented towards the aforesaid passage corridoor and directly connected to the sending and sucking ducts.
[0011] In order to better understand the moistening device of the present invention, it will be hereinafter described with reference to the drawings which illustrate a preferred and exemplified embodiment of the present invention, in which:
fig.1 represents a schematical view of a cross-section of a complete moistening station, predisposed for the treatment of the upper toes;
fig. 2 represents a detail of a moistening station for the concave parts (boettas) of the shoe;
fig. 3 represents a schematical side view of the moistening station arranged in an assembly line;
fig. 4 represents the schematical front view of the moistening station of fig. 3.
[0012] With reference to the aforesaid figures, the moistening device of the present invention comprises a carrying structure 1, on the base of which is applied a vapour generator 2 and a sucking plant 3.
[0013] The vapour generator 2 is connected through a duct 4 to a lower hollow sector 5 of a moistening station 6.
[0014] The sucking unit 3 is connected through a duct 7, to an upper hollow sector 8 of the same moistening station 6.
[0016] The uppers 9, in the upside down position, are placed, together with the corresponding forms 11, on staves 12 integral to the trolley rack 10.
[0017] The uppers 9 are inserted with the front detached from the corresponding zone of form 11, when the moistening treatment is carried out on the toes.
[0018] This positioning of the uppers 9 can be predisposed manually during the positioning operation of the uppers on the trolleys, or the uppers can be driven by longitudinal bars 20, positioned in allignement with the front 13 of the upper sectors 8.
[0019] When the trolleys 10 move at right angle with respect to fig.s 1, 2 and 3 and so with respect to the observer or in the direction of the arrow 21 in fig. 4, the toes of the forms 11 run above the front ends 13 of the upper sector 8, while, the toes of the uppers 9 run in the space comprised between the upper sectors 8 and lower sectors 5.
[0020] During the passage, the toes of the uppers 9 are covered and moistened by the flux of vapour outcoming from the plurality of holes, flaws, ports and slots 14, provided in the upper parts of the sectors 5.
[0021] The exceding part of the vapour is then sucked through the holes, ports, flaws or slots 15 which are provied in the inferior part of sector 8.
[0022] The sucking of the exceding vapour is necessary not only for avoiding the expansion of humidity in the immediate zone of the shoe assembly line, but also for avoiding humidification of the forms 11. For greater guarantee, as already said, the toes of the forms 11 are shielded by the end 13 of the upper sectors 8.
[0023] In order to avoid that forms 11 are submitted to any damage because of their brushing movement on the ends 13, during the advancement of the trolleys 10 said ends are preferably covered by a layer 16 of soft material, such as, for example, teflon, plastics and similar materials.
[0024] Besides the sucking vapour action, in order to avoid the condensation of the vapour on the forms 11, which are usually colder, electrical resistances 17 are arranged inside every sector.
[0025] Said resistances 17 have a duplicate aim to heat the upper parts of the sectors 8 and to reactivate the toes of the uppers before the assembly operation.
[0026] The heating of the upper parts of the sectors 8 consistutes a further way of avoiding the condensate formation on the forms 11.
[0027] Even if transport trolleys 10 of rack type, in which the toes and the shoe seats (boetta) protrude sufficiently to run along the corrisor formed by superior and inferior sectors 8 and 5 are preferred, other types of trolleys can be used in the moistening device of the present invention. The aforesaid trolleys, in each case, will have to be conformed so as to guarantee a sufficient protruding of the uppers to be tempered.
[0028] Each moistening station 6, is provided with a command and control panel 24, placed on the orizontal table of the carrying structure 1.
[0029] Fig. 2 illustrates the positioning of the posterior parts of the shoes for the moistening of the concave part (boetta) of the shoe. For this second phase of the treatment, the moistening station is preferably but not limitatively, upside down arranged.
[0030] Therefore, the vapour flux circulates from the superior sector 8', to the inferior sector 5'. To realize this circulation, it is sufficient that, in the station 6, the ducts 7' and 4' are connected respectively to vapour generator 2 and to sucking plant 3.
[0031] This orientation is preferred, in that the moistening is done directly on the rim 18 of the upper 9, which after has to be refolded and fixed to the under sole 19 of each shoe. In this phase no particular protection is required for the form 11, because it results as being already sufficiently protected by both the upper 9 and the undersole 19.
[0032] The inferior sector 5' is provided with superior guides 22, on which the protruding parts of the upside down form 11 are placed and run.
[0033] The guides 22 are preferably provided with passing ports in order to avoid the formation of condensation on them.
[0034] The moistening device of the present invention may include one, two or more moistening stations 6, each comprising a inferior 5 and a superior 8 sectors.
[0035] The moistening device can be arranged either internally of externally from the assembly belt 23, according to the form or disposal space for the installation of the assembly belt. As an alternative, it can also be installed externally, movable and detachable. In each case, its working is completely automatic, and does not require any intervention from the operator and is inserted in the assembly belt 23, before each assembly operation of the uppers, such as before the assembly of the toes and soles which are carried out in continuous sequence with the other operating phases.
[0036] Basically, each moistening device comprising stations 6 is independent and automatic, in cronological sequence with the proceding and successive operative working stations required for the mounting of the shoes. The continuous and automatic functioning of the stations 6 makes possible that the moistening of the toes and the boetta of the shoes takes place in the time corresponding to the average speed of the assembly belt 23.
[0037] For this reason, the working stations 6 consent to save the working times and increase the productivity.
[0038] The moistening stations 6 can also be applied internally or externally to any type of assembly belt 23 for shoes, at release and at a continuous and/or regulated velocity.
1. Moistening device for shoe uppers, suitable to be assembled along the conveyor
belt between two adjacent working stations in a shoe manufacturing plant, comprising:
a vapour generator; a sucking plant; moistening stations arranged at differnt levels
alligned to the staves of the transport trolleys of the shoe uppers mounted or to
be mounted, and ducts connecting the vapour generator and the sucking plant to the
moistening stations; wherein each moistening station comprises an upper and a lower
sectors extending horizontally away from the support structure, to form a passage
corridor for the uppers, and provided with a plurality of holes, ports or slots along
the surfaces delimiting the corridor, said holes, ports or slots being connected to
the ducts.
2. Moistening device according to claim 1, wherein the lower sectors are connected
to the vapour sending ducts coming from the vapour generator and the upper sectors
are connected to the ducts of the sucking plant.
3. Moistening device according to claim 1, wherein the lower sectors are connected
to the ducts of the sucking plant and the upper sectors to the vapour sending ducts
of the vapour generator.
4. Moistening device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the front ends of the upper
sectors are provided with alligned longitudinal bars.
5. Moistening device according to claim 4, wherein the front ends of the upper sectors
are covered by a layer of plastics soft material.
6. Moistening device according to claim 3, wherein the lower sectors are provided
with perforated guides on which the lower parts of the upside down forms are placed
and run.
7. Moistening device according to claim 1, wherein electrical resistances are arranged
inside each sector.
8. Moistening device according to any of the preceding claims wherein it constitutes
an independent and automatic station arranged in sequence with the other working stations
of a shoe assembly line.