DE20012889U1 - Automatic roll changing devices for film winding machines - Google Patents

Description

* Dieter Scheich Offenbach am Main

21.07.2000 FWE105

Film wrapping machine for wrapping loaded pallets

Description

The invention relates to a film wrapping machine for wrapping pallets loaded with packaged goods with a flat film strip, according to the preamble of patent claims 1 and 2.

In the context of the present invention, the term "flat film strips" refers to film strips between approximately 100 and 500 mm wide made of thermoplastics, which are preferably either elastically stretchable (stretch film) or shrinkable by the action of heat (shrink or thermal film). The film wrapping machine according to the invention can also be used for wrapping loaded pallets with another flat tape made of paper, fabric, fleece, etc., provided that the tear resistance of such materials is suitable for this wrapping method.

Film wrapping machines of the generic type are referred to as turntable machines if the loaded pallet, which is at least temporarily standing, is on a rotating plate. When the plate rotates, the packaged goods are guided past a fixed film roll, which wraps the packaged goods with the film strip, for example in spiral-shaped, overlapping turns.

Fig. 1 shows a simplified view of a turntable machine for producing a film cover for loaded pallets. The method according to the invention is carried out on this.

Film wrapping machines of the generic type are referred to as rotor machines when the temporarily standing loaded pallet is circled by a rotor arm of the film wrapping machine, which carries the flat film supply in the form of a winding roll. As the standing pallet circles, its packaged goods are wrapped with the flat film strip unwinding from the winding roll, for example in spiral-shaped, overlapping turns.

Fig. 2 shows a simplified view of a rotor machine for producing a film cover for loaded pallets. The method according to the invention is also carried out on this.

Although this wrapping process can be largely automated, the necessary roll change must be carried out by an operator and represents an interruption to the automatic operation of the machine. It is particularly disruptive if a roll change has to be carried out during a wrapping process on a pallet. A timely roll change is only possible if a special sensor device detects that the film roll is almost used up.

The object of the invention is therefore to design film wrapping machines of both types in such a way that an automatic operating sequence is possible over longer periods of time which is not determined by the consumption of a single film roll. This is intended to achieve a higher degree of automation of the film wrapping machine.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that, for example, a second film roll is rotatably mounted on the film carriage, in that a film cutting device through which the film web passes and a sealing station are arranged between the first film roll and the discharge roller, and in that the sealing station has a holding device for the beginning of the film web of the second film roll. However, a new full roll can also be fed in and sealed from an external position.

The time period in which uninterrupted automated operation is possible is doubled by arranging a second film roll on the film carriage. After the first film roll has been used up, the beginning of the film web of the second roll, which is held ready in the holding device, is sealed to the film web of the first roll in the sealing station and the remaining film of the first roll is cut off. The winding process can then be continued without interrupting the running film web until the second film roll is also used up.

Advantageous embodiments of the inventive concept are the subject of subclaims.

In the following, three embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail, which are shown in the drawings.
It shows:

Fig 1 a simplified side view of a film winding machine in the design as a turntable machine

Fig. 2 is a simplified side view of a film winding machine of the rotor machine design.

Fig.3 is an enlarged partial section along the line A - A in Fig. 2, whereby in this variant (A) two film rolls are arranged on the film carriage,

Fig. 4 shows the variant (B) of an additional film roll fed from the outside, this is done manually.

Fig. S shows a top view of variant (C ) with additional film rolls fed from the outside; this takes place fully automatically from a roll magazine.

Fig. 6 shows a side view of variant (C) in the same sequence as Fig. 5

The film winding machine of the turntable type shown in Fig. 1 as a highly simplified representation has a turntable (1) which receives the loaded pallet (6). The plate can be driven by a rotary drive about the vertical axis of rotation (2). The film carriage (5) with the winding device (4) and the film roll (7) can be moved vertically on the tower (3). The film pulled off the film roll (7) in the form of a flat strip is wound around the loaded pallet when the turntable (1) rotates. While the film carriage (5) is moved vertically along the tower (3), the turns of the film strip (15) are placed in a spiral around the pallet (6).

The film winding machine of the rotor machine type shown in Fig. 2 as a highly simplified representation has a machine frame (10) in which a winding rotor (11) with a vertical axis of rotation (12) is mounted so that it can rotate and be driven. On a downwardly projecting rotor arm (13), the winding rotor (11) carries a film carriage (14) and a film roll (7), which is moved vertically along the rotor arm (13). In this way, a film cover is created which consists of overlapping, spiral-shaped turns of the film web (15) and which wraps around the pallet (6).

Fig.3 shows that a first film roll (16) and a second film roll (17) are rotatably mounted on the film carriage (14). The two film rolls (16) and (17) are arranged in front of and behind the rotor arm, as seen in the direction of rotation of the rotor arm (13). This arrangement can be transferred to Fig. 1 for the turntable machine with the film carriage (5) as the carrier of the film rolls (16 and 17).

The film web (15) runs from the first film roll (16) and the deflection rollers (27) through a film cutting device (19) and a sealing unit (20) to a discharge roller (21) and from there in the direction of the arrow (22) to the pallet (6) to be wrapped.

The film web (24) pulled off the second film roll (17) is guided around the carriage to the sealing station (20) via deflection rollers (25). There, the beginning of the film web (24) is held by a holding device (26) which holds the film web (24), for example as a clamp holding the beginning of the film web (24) or as a vacuum roller.

As soon as a sensor indicates that the first film roll (16) is almost completely used up, only the current wrapping process for one pallet (6) is carried out. The drive of the wrapping rotor (11) is then stopped or the turntable (1) is brought to a standstill. The pallet (6) leaves the machine.

The beginning of the film web (24) of the second film roll (17), which is held ready in the sealing unit (20) and in the holding device (26), is welded to the film web (15) of the film roll (16) by actuating the sealing unit (20). The film cutting device (19) then cuts through the film web (15). After a new pallet (6) to be wrapped has entered the machine, the next wrapping process begins. Cutting off the film web after completion of a wrapping process and holding the beginning of the film web as well as applying the first turn to the pallet are known operations of such film wrapping machines, which are therefore not described.

The described design achieves a considerable increase in the time between manual roll changes, so that the degree of automation is significantly increased. If, for example, two film rolls (16) and (17), each with about 2000 m of film web, are used and if each pallet (6) to be wrapped requires about 50 m of film, then with a work output of about 65 pallets per hour, the wrapping machine will run continuously in automated mode for almost 3 hours.

Fig. 4 shows that a first film tube (30) is rotatably mounted on the film carriage. The film web (15) runs from the film roll (30) through a film cutting device (31), a sealing unit (36) and a run-off roller combination (33) to the pallet (6) to be wrapped. As soon as the sensor (37) has indicated that the film roll (30) is almost completely used up, only the current wrapping process for one pallet is carried out. The drive of the wrapping rotor (11) is then stopped on the rotor machine or the turntable (1) is stopped on the turntable machine. The pallet (6) leaves the machine. The end of the film roll (30) held ready in the sealing unit (32) and the holding device (36) is separated from the empty film roll (30) with the film cutting device (31) and held in place.

The operator manually removes the almost empty core sleeve (34) of the film roll (30) from the mandrel (35) and places a new full film roll (30) on the mandrel. The new film start is manually placed on the holding device (36) and connected to the end of the film web (15) located in the holding device (36) via the sealing unit (32).

After a new pallet to be wrapped has entered the machine, the next wrapping process begins. Cutting the film web after completion of a

The winding process and the holding of the beginning of the film web as well as the application of the first turn to the pallet are known operations of such winding machines, which are therefore not described.

Fig. 5 shows a device for fully automatically fed film rolls from the outside in a highly simplified top view.

The film web (15) runs from the first film roll (50) through a film cutting device (51) and a holding device (52) to a run-off roller (53) and from there through the film carriage in the direction of the arrow (22) to the pallet (6) to be wrapped. As soon as the sensor (54) has indicated that the film roll (50) is almost completely used up, only the current wrapping process for the pallet is carried out. The drive of the wrapping rotor is then stopped on rotor machines or the turntable is stopped on turntable machines. The pallet leaves the machine. The end of the film roll (50) held ready in the sealing unit (55) and the holding device (52) is separated from the empty film roll (50) by the film cutting device (51) and held in place. The handling unit (66) brings a new film roll from the magazine to the film carriage and connects the beginning of a new film roll (63) with the end of the empty film roll to form a continuous film web (15).

Fig. 6 shows this feeding unit in a highly simplified representation as a side view.

A magazine in the form of a turntable or conveyor belt (60) holds a certain number of full film rolls (61) depending on the diameter. The number can be from a minimum of one to about 12 rolls.

The new rolls are first removed from their packaging and placed individually on mandrels (62). The respective film start (63) is secured manually in holding devices (64), e.g. by clamping. The turntable (60) always rotates fully automatically to the removal position (65) of the handling unit (66). A robot (67) moves back and forth between the film carriage (14) of the winding machine and the removal point (65). The robot is used to feed new, full film rolls and to dispose of the empty core sleeves (57). The robot (67) moves with its horizontal carriage (74) to its left end position (69) directly above the roll holder on the film carriage to change the film rolls. The vertical carriage (70) of the robot (67) moves into the empty core sleeve (57), clamps the core sleeve (57) using the gripper (71) and pulls the core sleeve (57 Fig. 5) from the mandrel (72) of the film carriage (14) with its vertical movement (70). The gripper (71) moves horizontally with the robot (67) over the empty box (73), then down over the vertical part (70) and throws the empty core sleeve (57) into the box. The robot (67) moves with the horizontal movement (74) to the magazine (60) and moves with its movement (70) downwards into the core sleeve (57)

the new, full film roll that is ready at the transfer point (65). The gripper (71) clamps in the core sleeve and pulls the new roll from the clamping device (64) up out of the magazine (60). The horizontal part of the robot (67) moves to the machine in the end position (69), then with the vertical movement of the robot (70) to the receiving mandrel (72) of the film carriage. The gripper (58) takes over the beginning of the film web of the new film roll, presses it against the holding device (52), and the sealing unit (55) connects the end of the running film web (15) with the beginning of the new film roll (63). The cutting device (51) separates the running film roll from the empty core sleeve. The gripper (71) moves with the vertical movement (70) of the robot (67) out of the core sleeve of the new film roll and out of the winding machine area into a waiting position. After a new pallet to be wrapped has entered the machine, the next wrapping process begins. Cutting the film web after the wrapping process has been completed, holding the beginning of the film web and applying the first turn to the pallet are well-known work processes of such film wrapping machines and are therefore not described.

The drawings show the film winding machine and its essential individual devices in different reduced scales.

· t ·

Claims (4)

1. Film wrapping machine for wrapping loaded pallets ( 6 ) with a film web ( 15 ), comprising: a winding rotor ( 11 ) mounted in a machine frame, drivable about a vertical axis of rotation, which carries a vertically moving film carriage ( 14 ) on a downwardly projecting rotor arm ( 13 ), on which at least one replaceable first film roll ( 16 ) is rotatably mounted, from which the film web ( 15 ) runs to a run-off roller and from there to the pallet, characterized in that a second film roll ( 17 ) is rotatably mounted on the film carriage ( 14 ), that a film cutting device ( 19 ) through which the film web ( 15 ) runs and a sealing station ( 20 ) are arranged between the first film roll ( 16 ) and the run-off roller ( 21 ), and that the sealing station ( 20 ) has a holding device ( 26 ) for the beginning of the film web ( 24 ) of the second film roll ( 17 ). 2. Film wrapping machine for wrapping loaded pallets ( 6 ) with a film web ( 15 ), comprising: a turntable ( 1 ) mounted in a machine frame and drivable about a vertical axis of rotation, a rotating pallet ( 6 ) standing thereon and a film carriage ( 5 ) and a film roll moving vertically up and down on the machine frame ( 3 ), characterized in that a second film roll ( 17 ) is rotatably mounted on the film carriage, that a film cutting device ( 19 ) through which the film web ( 15 ) passes and a sealing station ( 20 ) are arranged between the first film roll ( 16 ) and the run-off roller ( 21 ), and that the sealing station ( 20 ) has a holding device ( 26 ) for the start of the film web ( 24 ) of the second film roll ( 17 ). 3. Film winding machines according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that a new film roll ( 30 ) is manually placed on the receiving mandrel ( 35 ) and its beginning is connected to the end of the film web ( 15 ) via the cutting device ( 31 ), the sealing unit ( 32 ) and the holding device ( 36 ). 4. Film winding machine according to claim 1 and 2, characterized in that a new film roll is brought from a magazine ( 60 ) via the removal position ( 65 ), the handling unit ( 66 ), the robot ( 67 ) with the movement units ( 70 and 74 ) and the gripper ( 71 ) onto the receiving dome ( 72 ) of the film carriage of the winding machine,
that the new film beginning ( 63 ) is connected to the running film web ( 15 ) via the holding device ( 52 ), the sealing unit ( 55 ) and the cutting device ( 51 )
that a certain number of full film rolls of at least one roll are available on the magazine ( 60 ), depending on the diameter, and are each brought to the removal position ( 65 )
that these new film rolls are each placed in their own clamping device ( 64 )
that a handling unit ( 66 ) with robot ( 67 ) moves horizontally ( 74 ) and vertically ( 70 ), a gripper ( 71 ) fetches the empty core sleeve ( 57 ) from the receiving mandrel ( 72 ) of the film carriage of the winding machine and transfers it to the empty box ( 73 )
that a gripper ( 58 ) takes the respective film beginning ( 63 ) from the clamping devices ( 64 ) and connects it to the running film web ( 15 ) with the sealing unit ( 55 ), the holding device ( 52 ) and the cutting device ( 51 ).