Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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r~tethod of, and device for, continuously packing nonwoven mats:
Description
The invention relates to a method of continuously
packing nonwoven mats according to the preamble of patent
claim 1 and to a device for implementing the method accordiru.;
to patent claim 4.
For transportation purposes, ~.n practice, the cut-to--
size nonwoven mats are stacked and then have to be enclosed.
)=y a protective film for protection during transportation anct
against weathering.
Since the volume of such a nonwoven-rnat stack is veer
large, i.e. it would take up too much transporting space, th!~
=aaclcs are pressed, and the stack height is reduced, beforE~
the stacks are wrapped in film. However, problems arise when
the pressed stack has to leave the press for wrapping, since,
without being subjected to pressure, the stack would
~.;rmediately assume its origizsal height again.
The object of the inventiox~ is thus to provide a
method and a device which allow continuous packing of
:ionwoven mats which are combined to Lorm a nonwoven-mat
:tack.
1~s tar as the, method is concerned, this object is
~ichieved by the following steps:
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a1} the cut-to-size nonwoven mats are fed
individually, one after the other, to a turning device, in
whi..ch one of two successive nonwoven mats is turned such that
it can be positioned on the preceding or the following
nonwoven mat either by way of its coating or by way of its
nonwoven side, or
a2} the cutJto-size nonwoven mats are fed
individually, one after the other, to an overflow station, iii
which the respectively first mat of the successive mats is
~~xought into a standby position until the following mat has
z~eached the front edge of the overflow station, and then the
first mat is positioned leading edge to leading edge on the
~mcond mat moving in beneath it,
b) the twin mat formed in this way is fed to a
~~tacking device, in which a nonwoven-mat stack is ~Qrmed frcam
a plurality of such twin mats, the twin mats being p4sitioned
cane upon the other either by way of their coating or' by way
cW trieir nonwoven sides,
c) tile nonwoven-mat stack is then .f..ed to a px'ess. i!1
which the height is reduced section by section as the stack
:Ls advanced forward,
d} as the stack exits from the press, the stack is~
progressively enclosed by a cover film which is closed on the
~~nd s i de , and
e) a tension film is wrapped arounr the wr2.pped
_;:.c aa-r:,_erv~~~ ,~, end
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f) once the entire stack has e~a.ted fxom the press,
finally, the cover film ~.s welded at its trailing end.
In this case, the tension film is preferably designeca
as a thin stretch film, and the degree of overlap of the
tension film in relation to the surface area of the cover
film is, for example, 50~.
The device according to the invention for
continuously packing nonwoven mats for the purpose of
implementing the method as claimed in claims 1-3 comprises
a) a conveying device for cozztxnuously supplying thE~
cut-to-size nonwoven mats and for feedirxg the same to a
bl) turning device for forming twin mats comprising
two nonwovexi mats located one upon the other, or
b2) an overflow station foz~ forming twin mats
comprising two nonwoven mats located one upon the other,
c) a conveying device for feeding the twin mats to
d) stacking device,
e) a conveying device for feeding the stacked
r:.onwoven mats to a
f) press which has an advancing mechanism, of which
the top and bottom advancing mechanisms form the pressing
f.lates which taper toward one another in the direction of
movement of the stack, with the result thar_. the nonwoven-mar_
Mack car. be pressed step-by-step to its smallest height, ar<i
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g) a cover-film teed at the exit of the press, and z°~.
h) wrapping device for wrapping the nonwoven-mat
stack, which slides onto a support anal is enclosed by the
cover film, in a tension film.
In this case, the wrapping device may comprise a
wrapping ring which encloses the nonwoven-mat stack and ca:n
)r~e made to circulate .
Accord~.ng to further configurations of the invention,
the conveying device, which is arranged upstream of the
stacking device, is a pair of interengaging combs comprising
a. stationary comb and a movable comb, and the conveying
cevice which is arranged between the stacking device and the
press is designed as a turntable with pushers.
The conveying devices, which are designed as
conveying belts, may be divided up into inda.va,dual conveying-
x~el.t sections which are coordinated with one another for the
required conveying speed.
According to one configuration of the invention, o.l
t_he inlet s:i..de, the turning device has a separating flap a~:d
t-ransporting rollers which feed the mats to a run-on and iun-
c>ff wedge, wit>'I the result that the mats which are directed
~=ertically upward by the run-on wedge can be guided between
t.wo vertical side walls by means of conveying rollers. A mat-
~~ligning means can be moved in between the side walls. The
rlats - following revers~~:l of tl~e direction of ~,otation of rl~?
<.'.JWV~>~/1.1~7.17 r0~.l.t~rS - C'.,Ti k:E; LE"..i, V1.t.~'iE_' Lll3-1-CJ~~
'v~IPC~.~E', ..O Y
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second mat, which is guided through therebeneath, and can be
Positioned on said second mat.
The stacking device has a conveying device by means
cf which the a~,igz~ed twin mat can be advanced via a raisable
and lowerable lifting platform which collects the twin mats_
F:,Iso provided is a rolling-shutter wall which is adjacent to
the lifting platform on one side and serves as a stop For tlie:
twin mats, as well as a pusher by means of which, once the
rolling-shutter wall has teen opened, the mat stack stacked
to the desired height can be pushed onto the pivot table frorn
the lifting platform.
The press itself comprises two advancing mechanisms
~~hich are arranged one above the other and tapEr toward one
another on the outlet side. The advancing mechanism comprisF:~
1=~ars which are arranged closely one beside the other and o'
v,~hich in each case the next but one is connected to a frame,,
~~ith the result that two frames located one inside the other
~.re formed. Provided at the Corners of the Lrames are
eccentrics which cause the frames to move eccentrically, the
top and the bottom advancing mechanisms operating in opposite;
clirecti.ons, with the result that the mat stack located
x~etween the advancing mechaxzi.sms can be moved further in tJ~e
conveying direction.
The invention is explained he reimbelow with refere~:c.<~
t.o t? a drawings, in wt~.iclr:
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Figure 1 shows a schematic side view of the installation as
a wh.o 1 a ,
Figures 2a, b, c show the turning device with two views in
detail form,
Figures 3a, b, c show the press with the following wrapping
device with two views in detail form, and
Fi4ure 4 shows the stacker_
The zzonwoven mats, once produced and cut to size, azv~
conveyed to a turning device 2 on a conveying device 1.
The turning device is necessary because approximately 50of
all the mats arriving have to be positioned one upon the
ether in the turned state, i.e. in each case the two top
sides come to rest facing one anothex (face to face)_
The mats axriving for turning purposes are guided through 90"
L.pward into the turning device from the conveying path and
a.re then reintroduced through 90° into the conveying path
from the turning device.
The turning device comprises separating flaps 21, the run-on
c.nd run-off wedge 22, p:ivotabl.e inlet and outlet guides 2n,
transporting rollers 23 above the x-un--on and run-off wedge
c2, the conveying--roller system 25 in the turner, and a mat-
c.ligning means ir'i the turning device, and a turner. framework.
The cut mats are positioned first of all on the conveying
~~ath, to 'be precise either as a single mat or_ ds a number of
mats im a row one beside the oL.her. once tEoe f;_ws'~ rnat-.
w~achE°s tt,e. ~:~.par~~,.i.rcg i 1,3~ iL, tire -! eadi ~_:~ ~cic~e~
<>~ ;:~}~~ ana
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is raised and conveyed onto the runWon wedge 22. Said mat
thus leaves the run-through conveying path. The following ma.t:
slides over the flap 21, which has been lowered again in tl~e
interim, and maintains its conveying direction.
The runWon and run-off wedge 22 predetermines the
cirection then to be taken. by the mats which are to be turt~ze~3
and/or those which have been turnEd, and serves for guiding
a.nd/or bridging purposes into and out of the turning
c.evice 2.
The mats pushed by the transporting rollers 23 are guided
respectively into and out of the turning device by the inlet
~.nd outlet guides 24. These guidES are configured as
~~ivotable flaps.
'T'he mats pass from the run-on wedge 22 into the turning
c:eW ce. The latter receives the mats by means of the roller
~.ystem 27 located at the bottom end and guides them through
~~0° in relation to the conveying direction between two
apposite side wa~.7.s 26. The distance between tt~e drive
rollers of the roller system 27 is smaller in the top region
c~f the side walls, with the result that the mats are elamp~cl
in between the opposite rollers. The top row of rollers ma_y
x~e pivoted such that the distance between the opposite
rollers increases_
Once the mats have .been transported upward betweezz
the walls, d mat-aligning mea:z,s 28 - in Lice tozm of a com't~
~ .~ s wwi~.r3 s_rm Jnce t-im mar.- ~~ ~ y~.i rcJ mE:~-._m :za:~ beer swung
it:,
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t:he top rows of rollers pivot out of the side walls, and the
clots drop, by way of their bottom edge, onto the mat-alignin~~
neans, i.e. onto the bars thereof which are located
transversely to the side walls, and are thus aligned. ~'he toc~
pair of rollers then pivots in again and retains the mat.
1~'ollowing this alignment, the mat-aligning means mores out of
l:he side walls again and releases the turning shaft. F3y
:_EVersal of the direction of rotation of the rollers, the mat
~~an then be conveyed out of the turning device, the inlet and
~~utlet guide ~4 having been activated previously, with the
result that the outlet onto the run-otf. wedge has been
released.
.As a result, the mats are transported downward into the
~on~sreya.ng direction of the through-running mat and - by
w'irtue of adapted speed - are positioned precisely leading
edge to leading edge.
zn the case of mats which are not turned, the
conveying path has a secoxid conveying path positioned above
it. A separating flap raises a first mat and brizags in onto
the second conveying path. The Lollowing mat moves in ben.~-at~ h
the same. The two mats are then positioned one upon the othwr
leading edge to leading edge.
Once the "twin mat" has passed the next conveying
belt, it reaches a stacker by way of which it is picked up_
The stacker 4 has the convey~.ng device 3. ~a~a conveying
device nay compr_~.~,~_~ .r p,:iy c>i comb~, wir.n ;=~ ..ix.ed co;nb arid m
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movable comb. The twin mat coming from the turning device 2
basses, by way of the conveying device, onto a rolling-
:ahutter support or lifting platform, which serves for
:_owering the stack which is formed. There, the mats are set
down arid the support, with the mats, moves down by at least
double the mat thickness, in order that the following "twin
Gnat" can be stacked on the same plane. This operation is then
:=epeated until such time as the maximum stack height of
;approximately 1.~ m has been reached.
pnce the rolling-shutter wall, which serves at the
;game time as a stop for the mat stack on one side, has been
:raised, r.he nonwoven-mat stack is then pushed by a pusher 5
~~nto the pivot table 6, which can be rotated through 90°.
If the stack is already located in the removal direction cm1
the rolling shutter, then the table, rather than having tc~ be
pivoted through 90°, can remain in the conveying direction.
The nonwoven-mat stack is then pushed into the advancing
mechanism of the press 7 by a second pusher. The stack is
then drawn in between the advancing mechanisms, by eccentric
movement of the same, and gradually pressed together by the
advancing mechanisms tapering toward one another.
In this reiinemez~.t, the advancing mechanism compri~~fa
a multiplicity of bars which are arranged closely one besidE~
the other and of which each and the next but one in each ca::E:
~re connected to a frame. This prr>dures two -ndividual fr,=imf~:
" a ~v~~r~ ;~r_~ inside the other _ V~.a fn,ir <~c~u~~ie~ eccentrics
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<~rranged at the corners of the frames in each case, the
7:rames are made to move in eccentric circular movements
opposed by 180°. The four double eccentrics are driven
:synchronously via chain/toothed belts or the like, in such a.
way that the top and bottom advancing mechanisms operate in
c7pposite directions_
bocated above arid beneath the advancing mechanism, at
°::he end of the press 7 , is iri eaCl7, case one film rol l , the
Films of which are welded together in the center by the
r_railing-end welding of the previously conveyed stack.
The nonwoven mats which have been pressed together_~
shortly beforehand are pushed into said "film curtain" as
they leave the press. Tire film is then positioned
longitudinally about the mat stack which is gradually
conveyed out of the advancing mechanism.
A wrapping ring ~, which rotates about the nonwoven-
mat stack preferably in the counterclockwise direction (as
seen in the conveying direction), then begins to wrap said
nonwoven-mat stack in an extremely thin stretch film. The
degree of overlap of said film is, fox example, 5oa.
Once the entire mat stack has then been enclosed by
the Cover film, we7.ding bars (not illustrated) which are
located between the end of the press anal ttie wrapping ring
are moved toward one another.
As a result, the fi7.m is welded tUCy:Lluer iri two lin<::;
t a dist~n~~e of a:zX>r~woximatWy :L00 mm. Or:e 1 .;u~v t-t~~;r we~d~
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t:he end of this film which has previously been. positioned
:.ongitudinally around the mat stack.
'.Che other line welds the two ends of the film again to form a
'~' film curtain" .
In the same operat~.on, the film is severed between
i=hese two welded 1. i.nes .
The nonwoven-mat stack, pressed and wrapped in fia.m,
may then be received by a conveying system which passes
=ither, via a push-off means, to the warehouse or directly
into the truck-loading zone.
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