Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
This invention relates to guide apparatus for a
carton blank delivery system, to a carton blank delivery
systeln incorporating such a guide apparatus, and to a
method of guiding and separating blanks from a stream of a
5 plurality of rows of blanks. The guide apparatus of the
invention is intended particularly to guide some of the
blanks of a stream of a plurality of rows of blanks in a
first direction, and to guide the rest of said blanks in a
- second direction, thereby separating the stream of blanks
10 into two streams.
Guide apparatus of this type is necessary in blank
delivery systems when either the speed of the input stream
of blanks is so high that interference occurs between
successive blanks as they are ejected onto a shingling
15 conveyor (that is to say the tail of one blank has
insufficient time toughly clear of the leading edge of the
following blank); or the blanks are nested, rotated or
printed in such a manner that they must be collected
separately.
Known guide apparatus of this type makes use of
either mechanical blank deflectors, or an oscillating
roller system which directs the blanks upwards and
downwards alternately. Unfortunately, these known types
of guide apparatus are not particularly reliable.
25 Moreover, they are difficult to modify for use with
different forms of blank.
The aim of the invention is to provide guide
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apparatus which can be used to separate blanks, and which
is reliable in operation, and is easily modified to
accommodate different sizes and shapes of blank.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
... ..
The present invention provides apparatus for guiding
and separating blanks, the apparatus comprising first and
second conveyor means whose input ends are positioned on
opposite sides of the feed path of a stream of a plurality
of rows of blanks to the apparatus, wherein each of the
10 conveyor means is constituted by a plurality of laterally-
spaced suction belt means, each suction belt means being
aligned with the feed path of a respective row of blanks,
the conveyor means being such that some of the blanks are
conveyed by the suction belt means of the first conveyor
15 means and the rest of the blanks are conveyed by the
suction belt means of the second conveyor means.
Preferably, the conveyor means are such that
alternate blanks of each row are conveyed by the suction
belt means of the first and second conveyor means.
In a preferred embodiment, the first and second
conveyor means diverge away from the input ends thereof
and in the direction of blank feed.
Advantageously, each of the suction belt means is
constituted by a pair of suction belts which are
2slaterally spaced with respect to the direction of blank
feed. Preferably, each of the conveyor means is
constituted by three pairs of laterally-spaced suction
belts.
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Advantageously, each of the suction belts is provided
with a plurality of suction ports. The suction belts of
the two sets of conveyor means may be driven in
synchronism, and the suction ports of said suction belts
5 may be so positioned that some of the blanks of each row
of blanks are picked up by the suction ports of the
suction belts of the first conveyor means, and the rest of
the blanks of each row of blanks are picked up by the
suction ports of the suction belts of the second conveyor
10 means. Where the apparatus is used to separate alternate
blanks of each row, each suction belt may have an even
number of sets of suction ports. Preferably, there are
four sets of suction ports. Each set of suction ports may
have at least one, and preferably two, suction ports.
Instead of positioning the suction ports in sets,
they may be positioned in a continuous row round each of
the suction belts. In this case, means may be provided
for closing at least one suction port of at least one
suction belt, and the suction ports of each suction belt
20 are equispaced.
Preferably, a respective box-like chamber is
associated with each of the suction belts, the portion of
each chamber which faces the associated suction belt being
closed off by a curved, longitudinally-slotted plate, and
25 the chambers being connectable to a vacuum pump via an
inlet manifold, the arrangement being such that each of
the suction belts passes over the associated curved,
longitudinally-slotted plate so that the suction ports of
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the belts can be subjected to a sub-atmospheric pressure.
'Lowe present invention also provides a system for
delivery blanks, the system comprising feed means for
receiving a stream of a plurality of rows of blanks from
5 an upstream processing unit, guide apparatus positioned
downstream of the feed means, and first and second pairs
of shingling units positioned downstream of the guide
apparatus, the guide apparatus being as defined above,
wherein respective shingling units of the first pair of
10 shingling units are positioned at the downstream ends of
the first and second conveyor means, and respective
shingling units of the second pair of shingling units are
positioned at the downstream ends of the shingling units
of the first pair.
The invention further provides a method of guiding
and separating blanks, the method comprising the steps of
guiding some blanks of a continuous stream of a plurality
of rows of blanks in a first direction by means of a
plurality of laterally-spaced suction belt means, and of
20 guiding the rest of said blanks in a second direction
using a plurality of laterally-spaced further suction belt
means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A carton blank delivery system incorporating a guide
25 apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention
will now be described, by way of example, with reference
to the accompanying drawings, in which:-
Fig. l is a side elevation of the delivery system;
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Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the guide apparatus of the delivery system of it 1;
Fig. 3 is an enlarged, longitudinal cross-section of
part of one of the suction belts of the guide apparatus of
5E`igs. 1 and 2; and
Ego. 4 is an enlarged, transverse cross-section of
the suction belt shown in Fig. 3.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRER EMBODIMENT
Referring to the drawings, Fig l shows a delivery
10 system which comprises feed means A, guide means B
positioned downstream of the feed means, a first pair of
shingling units Of and C2 positioned downstream of the
guide apparatus, and a second pair of shingling units D
and Do positioned downstream of the first pair of
15 shingling units. The feed means A is arranged to deliver
a continuous stream of carton blanks l to the guide
apparatus, and is constituted by a plurality of pairs of
rollers 2. The feed means A is positioned downstream of
cutting and creasing units (not shown) which are effective
20 to cut out and crease carton blanks from a continuous web
of board.
As shown in Fig. 2, the preformed carton blanks l
are fed to the guide apparatus in three rows. Moreover,
alternate blanks of each row are "right-hand" blanks lo
25 and "left-hand" blanks lb. The right-hand blanks lo are
identical with the left-hand blanks lb, but are rotated
through 180 with respect to the left-hand blanks. The
blanks l are formed in this manner, with right-hand blanks
lo alternating with left-hand blanks lb, as this results
in a smaller amount of scrap material then, would be the
case if all the blanks were preformed as either right-
hand blanks or left-hand blanks.
The guide apparatus B is constituted by an upper set
of conveyors E, and a lower set of conveyors F, (see Fig.
2). There are six conveyors in each of the sets E and F,
and the guide apparatus is arranged so that two conveyors
of each set are aligned with the lateral edge portions of
the blanks l in each of the three rows of blanks. As
shown best in Fig. l, the two sets of conveyors E and E
diverge in the direction of carton blank feed. Each
conveyor E or F includes an endless, internally-toothed
belt 3 (best seen in Fig. 3), which is driven by a pair of
15 externally-toothed wheels 4 and 5. A respective box-like
chamber 6 is associated with each of the belts 3. The
inwardly-facing surfaces of the chambers 6 are closed off
by curved, longitudinally-slotted plates (not shown). The
conveyors E and F are so constructed that etch of the
20 belts 3 passes over the curved, slotted plate of the
associated chamber 6. Each of the chambers 6 is connected
to a vacuum pump (not shown) via an inlet manifold 7 and a
pair of inlets 8. Each of the belts 3 is provided with
four sets of suction ports 9. The sets of suction ports 9
25 are equispaced around the belts 3, and each of these sets
has two suction ports. Each of the ports 9 is constituted
by an aperture pa in the associated belt 3, and by a
washer-shaped head 9b fixed to the outer surface of the
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belt. 'thus, as the belts 3 pass over the slotted plates
of the chambers 6, the suction ports 9 are subjected to
the partial vacuum within these chambers, so that any
blank 1 in contact therewith will be held firmly against
5 the associated belt. Each of the ports 9 can be sealed
off from the partial vacuum inside the associated chamber
6 by means of a respective disc 9c which is a snap fit
within the head of that port (see figs. 3 and 4). Thus,
the belts 3 can easily be adapted to vary the number of
ports 9 in use. The belts 3 are driven in synchronism by
a common drive means (not shown) via gear means (not
shown). Moreover, the suction ports 9 are so positioned
on their belts that, as the rows of blanks l are fed to
the input end of the guide apparatus B, alternate blanks
15 Of each row are picked up by the belts 3 of the conveyors
E, and alternate blanks are picked up by the belts 3 of
the conveyors F. Thus, the right-hand blanks lo can be
picked up by the belts 3 of the upper conveyors E and the
left-hand blanks lb can be picked up by the belts 3 of the
20 lower conveyors F. In this way, the right-hand blanks lo
are separated from the left-hand blanks lb, so that there
is no danger of interference between successive blanks as
they are fed along the delivery system downstream of the
guide apparatus B.
At the outlet ends of the conveyors E and F the
blanks lo and lb are Ted respectively to first shingling
units Of and C2. The shingling units Of and C2 are
standard conveyor-belt shingling units whose speed is
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slightly less than half that of the input speed of the
carton blanks lo and lb. Thus, the shingling units Of and
C2 are effective to overlap the leading and trailing edges
of the carton blanks lo and lb by a small amount. After
5 leaving the shingling units Of and I the carton blanks
lo and lb pass respectively to second shingling units Do
and Do. The shingling units Do and Do are also standard
conveyor-belt shingling units. The units Do and Do are
slow-speed shingling units and the carton blanks lo and
10 lb are made to over lap by almost their full length in
these units. The two sets of shingling units C and D are,
therefore, effective to slow down the delivery speed of
the carton blanks lo and lb, and to perform a preliminary
stacking operation. As the blanks leave the downstream
shingling units Do and Do, they are, therefore, ready for
immediate stacking by either manual or automatic means.
The guide apparatus described above has a number of
advantages. In particular, this apparatus is particularly
suitable for separating successive blanks which are
20 nested, positioned or printed in such a manner that they
must be collected separately. Another advantage of this
guide apparatus is that the use of suction belts is
effective to guide the blanks through the entire length of
the guide apparatus, and this was not possible with the
25 known types of apparatus using deflector plates or
oscillating rollers. Consequently, this guide apparatus
gives an improved guiding function. Moreover, the blanks
are held in position by suction belts at their opposite
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lateral edges as they pass through the apparatus, so that
this guiding function is particularly positive and secure.
The guide apparatus described above could be modified
in a number of ways. For example, each of the suction
smelts 3 could be provided with a different number of sets
of suction ports 9. Typically, each suction belt 3 could
have any number of sets of suction ports 9, but two, four,
six or any other even number of sets of suction ports is
preferred. Moreover, each set of suction ports 9 could
comprise one or more suction ports. It would also be
possible for each suction belt 3 to be provided with a
continuous row of equispaced suction ports 9. In use, and
depending upon the particular configuration of the blanks
to be guided, most of the suction ports 9 would be blocked
15 off by discs 9c, so that only the suction ports positioned
at predetermined spacings along the suction belts 3 would
be used to convey the blanks. Obviously, this particular
arrangement is very versatile, as it enables the same
suction belts 3 to be used for conveying many different
20 types of blank, it being necessary only to block off
different suction ports 9 for each type of blank.
Where the apparatus is used to guide blanks of
relatively large width, it would also be possible to
provide three or more suction belts 3 for each row of
25 blanks fed to the apparatus. Similarly, if the blanks to
be guided are very narrow, only one suction belt 3 would
be required for each row of blanks.
The guide apparatus described above could also be
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used to separate some blanks of a continuous stream of a
plurality of rows of blanks from the rest thereof. 'Russ,
for example, where the guide apparatus is used downstream
of a printing and processing unit which utilizes a
5 printing roller which has three circumferentially-spaced
dies in each row of several transversely-spaced rows, one
die of each row may be arranged to print a different blank
from the other two dies of that row. In this case, the
suction belts 3 of the conveyors of one of the sets E or F
10 will be arranged to convey every third blank, and the
suction belts 3 of the conveyors of the other set will be
arranged to guide the rest of the blanks. In this way,
different blanks can be separated from the continuous
stream containing both types of blank in a reliable
15 manner.
The apparatus described above could also be used to
separate all the blanks in a given row from all the blanks
in an adjacent row. In other words, the blanks of a
plurality of rows of blanks can be separated transversely
20 as well as longitudinally. This is particularly useful
for blanks which are excessively interleaved edge-to-edge.
It would also be possible to use the guide apparatus
described above to separate the blanks of a plurality of
rows of blanks transversely with respect to the direction
25 of feed. In this case, the suction belt means (usually a
plurality of pairs of suction belts) of each conveyor will
diverge transversely (as well as vertically) with respect
to the direction of feed.
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Although the guide apparatus described above has been
referred to exclusively for use in guiding and separating
blanks such as carton blanks, it will be appreciated that
the apparatus could also be used for guiding and
5 separating other flat articles such as printed labels, and
the following claims should be construed in this light.
