GB1591668A - Machine for the packing of various articles - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO A MACHINE FOR THE PACKING OF VARIOUS ARTICLES (71) We, G.M.T. S.A., a company duly organized under the laws of France, of Boulevard Pierre Lefaucheux, 72100 Le Mans, France, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to a machine for the packaging of various articles under a plastic film.

According to the present invention there is provided a machine for packaging at least one article between a substrate supporting such article and a plastic film, such machines including a vacuum chamber, conveyor means extending upstream from the vacuum chamber for moving the substrate to the vacuum chamber, a frame supporting the conveyor means, means for draping plastic film over the article and the substrate and a loading station located adjacent to the conveyor means and upstream from the vacuum chamber, said loading station including a movable table having a tabletop for supporting the substrate, means guiding said table for movement between a position in which said tabletop overlies the conveyor means and a position in which said tabletop is retracted from the conveyor means and retainer means mounted on the frame for effecting transfer of the substrate onto the conveyor means by movement of the tabletop from its position overlying the conveyor means to its position retracted from the conveyor means.

Such a machine can be adapted to work from several loading stations and, moreover, can be used for the successive packaging under a plastic film of articles or sets of articles which can be of completely different natures.

Still more particularly, the machine of the invention permits the packaging under a plastic film of articles directly on a portion of a support which afterwards constitutes a box or a case.

The machine of the invention is particularly suitable in the case of correspondence selling since it permits the various orders of a given customer to be gathered under the same plastic film directly on a support which will afterwards form the forwarding box.

Various other features of the invention are moreover shown in the following detailed description.

An embodiment of the object of the invention is shown by way of non restrictive example in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevation view of the whole packaging machine of the invention; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic top plan view corresponding to Figure 1; Figure 3 is a partly cross-sectional and partly diagrammatic elevational view of the packaging station of the machine shown in the above figures; Figure 4 is a partial plan, partly in crosssection, substantially taken along line IV--IV of Figure 3, Figure 5 is a very enlarged diagrammatic elevational view of a working portion illustrated in Figure 1; Figure 6 is a partial top plan view corresponding to Figure 5; Figure 7 is a cross-section, partly diagram- matic, taken along line VIl-VIl of Figure 2;; Figure 8 is a partial plan view corresponding to Figure 7; arid Figure 9 is a very enlarged cross-section taken along line LX--IX of Figure 8.

Referring now to the drawings, the machine comprises a base 1 for the support of a table 2 whose top is aligned with a vacuum platen 3 described with more details with reference to Figure 3. The table 2 advantageously comprises on its top, at least one coating of smooth material with a low modulus d friction, for example a coating of synthetic resin. The table 2 and the top of the vacuum platen 3 support the upper side 4 of an endless belt conveyor 5 passing around cylinders 6, 7, the latter being for example a tension cylinder while the other is a driving cylinder.

The lower side 4a of the conveyor 5 passes on rollers or other holding means 8.

Columns 9 are provided above the vacuum platen for guiding frames 10 and 11 respectively shaped in a complementary way to be able to hold a thermoplastic film 12 unwound from a cylinder 13 supported by a frame 14 and also other cylinders 15 which are in a position waiting for use. The columns 9 are also used for the support of a heating unit 16 which is provided for heating the thermoplastic film 12 when the same is held between the frames 10, 11.

A removal conveyor 17 is provided beyond the cylinder 6. in alignment with the upper side 4 of the endless conveyor 5. The removal conveyor is, for example, constituted by an endless belt moved at a higher speed than the conveyor 5. Then, articles such as those shown at A, B, C and D, and which are moved in the direction of arrow fl by the conveyor 5, are packed above the vacuum platen 3 and then pass on to the removal conveyor 17.

The conveyor 5 is made of reinforced synthetic resin, and presents equidistant perforated areas 18 separated by plain areas 19.

It can be seen in Figure 2 that the perforated areas 18 are separated by the same distance as that separating loading stations A1, B1, Cl and Dl from which the articles A, B, C and D have been loaded.

The drive of the conveyor 5 is intermittent, the distance of the incremental forward motion being selected- so that, each time, a new perforated area 18 is brought over the vacuum, platen 3.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4 the vacuum platen is. edged by a peripheral plate 20- in which is provided a sealing gasket 21. placed around the vacuum platen 3 and positioned to extend around each perforated portion 18 of the conveyor. The vacuum platen is formed by a perforated metal sheet 22 supported by cross-pieces 23 also made of perforated metal sheet, these cross-pieces bearing on; a bed-plate 24 which also supports the plate 20 and in which is provided a nozzle 25 to be connected to a vacuum pump.

The plate 20. supports guiding columns 9 on. which can slide the frames 10 and 11 which are connected together by control cylinders 26 enabling them to be separated, as shown, or brought together.

One of the frames, i.e the frame 11 in the example represented, is connected to a cable or chain 27, 28, respectively, wound on sprocket wheels 29, 20 to move the two frames together as described hereinbelow.

The columns 9 are connected at their upper portion by cross-beams 31 (Figure 3) and also by girders 32 on which are hung radiant heating means 33 provided with movable occultation cupels 34.

To bring a portion of film 12 between the frame 10 and 11, the machine includes pliers 35 which comprise arms generally shown at 36 and 37. The arms 36 and 37 are constituted by levers mounted at the end on a control shaft 38; said levers constituting the arms 36, 37 are connected by bars 39, 40 having a length at least equal to the width of the film 12 that said bars must catch between them.

The shaft 38 controls the pliers 36, 37 by a cam mechanism 41 which is operated by a cylinder 42 (Figure 5) which is supported, together with the shaft 38, by a carriage 43 provided with wheels 44 which. rotate on the sides of the frame 1.0 when it is in the position shown in Figure 3. The carriage 43 is, on the other hand, axially guided by columns of which only one is shown at 45 in- Figure 6, and the motion. of said carriage is controlled by a cylinder 46 having a long stroke since the pliers 35 must be moved from the position they occupy in Figure 3 to the position immediately contiguous to a cutting means 47 that is provided in the machine to cut the film 12 when it is brought between the frames 10, 11.

The cutting means 47 which can be seen in Figure 3, can be realized in many different ways, for example by a transversely movable blade or by a guillotine mechanism of the trimmer type. The particular realization of the cutting means not being a characteristic of the invention, no more details are given in the following.

The articles A, B, C ... can either be bulky articles, for example a bike wheel; a schoolbag, or be made up of a plurality of small articles which. must be packed side by side. These articles may be of various nature and; can for example be. a pair of tongs, a set of nails a measuring device, et cetera, and are placed on a cardlboard. sheet 48 which is itself placed on a; movable table 49 edged; on its sides by strips 50, which can be better seen in Figures 7 and 8.

The mobile table 49 comprises live rollers 51 placed in the thickness of the table to let it roll, on one hand, on the conveyor Sin the position in which this movable table is shown. in Figures 7 and 8, and; on the other hand, on a plate 52 supported by an armature 53 constituting one of the loading stations Al, B1, C .... The movable table 49 may be moved for example manually by means of handles 54 and is guided along columns 55 which are slipped in sockets 56 fixed-on protruding portions 57 of the table.

The loading stations also comprise retaining strips 58 mounted on levers 59 hinged on pins 60 and balanced by means oF a counterweight 61.

The machine operates as follows: An operator firstly places a cardboard sheet 48 on the movable table 49 of the loading station in front of which he is. when said movable table is itself placed above. the plate 52. At that time, the retaining strip 58 is lifted up and held: in the high or up posi tion by the counterweight 61 which is in the position 61a. The cardboard; 48 is centered: iby the strips 50 which edge the lateral; sides of the movable table 49.Then the operator places the single articles or the various articles to be packed on the cardboard, then he moves the movable table 49 with the handles 54 to bring the table in the position' represented in. 'Figures 7 and 8-. The rollers 51 then.- rotate on the conveyor 5 which consequently is not submitted to. any friction stress. Then the operator puts down the reaining strip. 58 which. is- used as an. abutment for the cardboard 48 as illustrated in.

Figure 7 At this time, the operator can make the movable table 49 slide again to bring it back above the plate 52.

During that motion, the cardboard. 48 is retained by the strip 58 so that at the end of motion o fthe table 49, it is. placed, as well as the articles that it carries, on a perforated portion of the upper side of the conveyor 5. The time- required for an operator to prepare the cardboard and the articles is substantially longer than the time necessary for the packing. It is thus possible, on a same machine to have, for example, four loading stations as represented: in. Figure 2, or yet more stations or, on the contrary, fewer stations.

The forward- motion of the conveyor- being intermittent; but being at each time a predetermined advance step, the above described cardboard 48- as well as the article or articles supported- thereby are at the end brought: to the packing station; illustrated in Figures 3 and- 4'. The forward motion. of the film 12 is simultaneous with. that of the conveyor 5, i.e. the pliers 35: catch the end 1-'2a. (Figure 3); of; the film held. between presses 62. before the one-step forward motion of; the conveyor 5, and the pliers 35 are drawn back to the position shown in Figure 3 by the cylinder 46 during the ad- nance of the conveyor and after me presses 62 have been opened.

The frames 10 and 11 are then brought together by actuating the cylinders 26 connecting them, and the film 12 extending between the pliers 35 and. the presses 62 is.

tightened in; said frames by means of plastic joints 10a, 11a respectively that they. com-prise. The cutting device 47 is then operatecit immediately after the presses 62 have tightened the end of the film 12a coming from the spool 13.

The frames 10, 11 holding the cut portion of the film 12 are then lifted up to approach the heating components 33, and the occulta tion expels 34 are moved so that the- film- 12 is very quickly heated. The frames 10, 1:1: are then lowered; under the control of the chains. 27, 28 in- order that the film which is hot and then plastic drapes the article or articles supported by the cardboard; 48 while simultaneously the vacuum, platen 5 is put under- vacuum, which ensures the fixing of the film. 12 onto the cardboard.

The frames 10, 11 are at the moment in their low position; i.e., the frames 10 and lif surround. the cardboard 48: The cylinders 26. are then actuated again to lift the frame 11, which; clears the periphery of the film 12,.

and: it becomes possible to again lift up. the frame 10 which consequently drives the frame 1,1 until: those two frames come back to occupy the position: illustrated in Figure.

3.. At the moment, the pliers 35 perform a- new stroke towards the right of the drawing to- catch the end 1;2a of the film waiting between the presses 62, and;. a new cycle of operation occursi.e. that the cardboard 48 supporting the article or articles which have just been draped by the film 12 are trans-ferred on to the removing conveyor 17.

It is more particularly important, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, that the cardboard 48 be made of a pre-cut and pre-shaped packing but that said packing Ibe held flat: thus the articles are directly fixed on a portion of the cardboard which constitutes the bottom portion or a side portion, said articles being thus fixed- to the packing which afterwards drapes them.

The invention is not restricted: to the embodiment shown and' described in detail', for various modificati-ons thereof can be applied thereto R without departing from the scope of the inven ioni as shown in the appendent

Claims (15)

1. claims.

   WHAT WE CLAIM: IS 1. A machine for packaging at' least one article between a substrate supporting such. article and a plastic film, such machines including a vacuum chamber, conveyor means extending upstream from the vacuum chamber for moving the substrate tb the vacuum chamber, a frame supporting- the conveyor means, means for draping plastic film over the article and the substrate and a loading station located adjacent to the conveyor means and upstream from the vacuum chamber, said loading station including a movable table having a tabletop for supporting the substrate, means guiding said table for movement between a position in which said tabletop overlies the conveyor means and a position in which said tabletop is retracted from the conveyor means and retainer means mounted on the frame for effecting transfer of the substrate onto the conveyor means by movement of the tabletop from its position overlying the conveyor means to its position retracted from the conveyor means.
2. 2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, the table including elements for centering the substrate on the tabletop.
3. 3. A machine as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, the conveyor means including a conveyor belt, and the tabletop having rollers for rolling along said conveyor belt when the tabletop is overlying said conveyor belt.
4. 4. A machine as claimed in claim 3, the vacuum chamber having a perforated vacuum platen, the conveyor belt having several perforated portions spaced substantially uniformly lengthwise of such belt for supporting the substrate and imperforate portions located between said perforated portions, means for shifting the conveyor belt incrementally for moving the substrate uni-directionally to the vacuum chamber and for registering the belt perforated portions with the vacuum chamber platen successively for predetermined periods, the means for draping the plastic film over the article and the substrate being placed adjacent to the vacuum chamber.
5. 5. A machine as claimed in claim 4, the belt extending a substantial distance upstream from the vacuum chamber, and a laterally disposed loading structure adjacent to the belt and spaced from the vacuum chamber a distance substantially equal to an integral multiple of the distance between adjacent perforated belt portions.
6. 6. A machine as calimed in claim 5, wherein several laterally disposed loading stations are each spaced from the vacuum chamber a distance substantially equal to an integral multiple of the distance between adjacent perforated belt portions.
7. 7. A machine as claimed in claim 6, each loading station including a movable table having a tabletop and means guiding said table for movement between a position in which said tabletop overlies the conveyor belt and a position in which said tabletop is retracted from the conveyor belt.
8. 8. A machine as claimed in claim 7, each table including elements for centering the substrate on the tabletop of such table and means for effecting transfer of the substrate from such tabletop to the conveyor as such tabletop is being retracted from the conveyor.
9. 9. A machine as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, each table top having rollers for rolling along the conveyor when the table top is overlying the conveyor belt.
10. 10. A machine as claimed in any one df claims 7 to -9, each table including elements for centering the substrate on the tabletop of such table and a retainer strip engageable with the substrate and swingable toward and away from the tabletop for effecting transfer of the substrate from such tabletop to the conveyor as such tabletop is being retracted from the conveyor.
11. 11. A machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, the draping means including two cooperating frames, means for supplying a section of plastic film between said frames and means for moving said frames relatively toward each other for clamping the section of plastic film between said frames and conjointly toward the vacuum platen, said film-supplying means including a supply spool carrying a quantity of the plastic film, a pliers for gripping an end portion of the plastic film and means for moving said pliers for pulling a section of the film between the frames.
12. 12. A machine as claimed in claim 11, the draping means including film heating means above the two frames, and the frame moving means moving the two frames conjointly toward the heating means prior to their movement toward the vacuum chamber.
13. 13. A machine as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12, the frame-moving means including first moving means for moving the frames relatively toward and away from each other and second - moving means for moving the frames conjointly toward and away from the vacuum chamber.
14. 14. A machine as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 13, the pliers moving nneans including a carriage carrying the pliers and means for moving said carriage along one of the frames.
15. 15. A machine for packaging at least one article between a substrate supporting such article and a plastic film substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.