Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
-1-
VIBRATING DEVICE FOR THE ORDERED REARRANGEMENT OF FOLDING
BOXES IN A CONTAINER, DISCHARGING CONVEYOR AND METHOD FOR
DISCHARGING CONTAINERS
The present invention relates to a vibrating device for the ordered
rearrangement
of folding boxes in a receptacle for an evacuation conveyor, the folding boxes
being
prepared in particular by a folder-gluer machine. The present invention
likewise relates
to an evacuation conveyor of receptacles loaded with folding boxes, as well as
a
conveyor of receptacles and a method of evacuation of receptacles.
Folder-gluer machines glue and fold flat the folding boxes which will contain
products such as blister packs for drugs or other products, for example those
packaged
by a third-party industry. The boxes folded flat may then be stored
effectively in
intermediate receptacles (such as cartons) for delivery to manufacturers.
Document CH 659627 describes an example of a device for filling receptacles
with folding boxes coming from a folder-gluer machine. The folded boxes are
then
placed in a sheet and delivered by a box conveyor to a receptacle. Each
receptacle may
contain a significant number of folded boxes, such as several dozens or
hundreds of
boxes.
However, it may happen that the folded boxes are received wrong in the
receptacle, for example, they are clinging together by friction, static
electricity, or being
stuck on the edge of another box.
In production, a worker is generally assigned to watch over the proper filling
of
the folded boxes in the receptacle. If he or she finds a wrong positioning,
the worker
will manually shake the receptacle in order to reorganize the arrangement of
the folding
boxes.
However, this intervention cannot be systematic. In fact, the worker cannot
shake
all the receptacles due to the very high tempo of production. A folder-gluer
machine can
supply a filling station at a tempo of 200000 boxes an hour. Moreover, this
operation is
tiresome to the worker, due to the repetitive nature of the task. Likewise,
the shaking
force applied by the worker may be variable. The reproducibility of the
arrangement of
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the folding boxes in the receptacles is thus not guaranteed, since it depends
on the
assessment of the worker and his or her vigilance.
Summary of the invention
One of the goals of the present invention is to propose a vibrating device for
the
ordered rearrangement of folding boxes in a receptacle and a method of
conveying of
receptacles able to solve at least in part the aforementioned drawbacks.
For this purpose, the present invention relates to a vibrating device for the
ordered
rearrangement of folding boxes in a receptacle for an evacuation conveyor
provided
with driving elements whose vertices define a horizontal transport plane,
characterized
in that it comprises:
- a movable support able to support a receptacle loaded with folding boxes,
the
support having a contact surface designed to be in contact with the
receptacle, and
- at least one controllable actuator comprising a displaceable end connected
to
the support and able to displace the support between:
- a retracted position in which the contact surface is positioned beneath the
horizontal transport plane, allowing a contact between the receptacle and the
driving elements, and
- a deployed position in which the contact surface is positioned above the
horizontal transport plane, preventing the contact between the receptacle and
the
driving elements,
the actuator being likewise designed to cause the support to vibrate about the
deployed position in order to reorder the disposition of the folding boxes
contained in
the receptacle.
Causing the receptacle loaded with folding boxes to vibrate makes it possible
to
reposition the folding boxes in an ordered manner, by successive sliding of
the boxes
with respect to each other, so that they rest entirely on edge, on the bottom
of the
receptacle. A vibrating device is obtained for the ordered rearrangement of
folding
boxes in the receptacles, which can be automated and realized for each
receptacle in a
reproducible manner and at very high tempo, which would not be possible
manually.
Moreover, the operation of the actuators can be controlled by programmed
sequences
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which can be adapted in particular to optimize the arrangement according to
the shape
of the folding boxes filling up the receptacle.
According to one or more characteristics of the vibrating device:
- the vibrating device comprises a control unit connected to the actuator,
the
control unit being designed to control the travel of the actuator between the
retracted position and the deployed position and to cause the support to
vibrate
in the deployed position,
- the control unit is designed to be connected to the driving elements of
the
evacuation conveyor, to control the stopping of the driving elements prior to
control the displacement of the support into the deployed position, and to
control the restarting of the driving elements after the displacement of the
support into the retracted position,
- the vibrating device comprises at least two actuators connected to the
support
and arranged at a spacing from each other, the control unit being designed to
control the two actuators sequentially in a predetermined operating sequence,
- the support comprises at least two support elements, each having a blade
and a
support plate, the support plate being secured perpendicular to the blade, the
blades being disposed in parallel in the same plane, the support elements
being
situated between two driving elements of the evacuation conveyor,
- the vibrating device comprises at least one shock absorber situated between
the
actuator and the support,
- the actuator comprises a jack.
The invention also relates to an evacuation conveyor for the evacuation of
receptacles loaded with folding boxes, characterized in that it comprises a
vibrating
device having one or more technical characteristics as described and claimed
below.
The evacuation conveyor may comprise:
- a positioning sensor designed to detect a positioning of a receptacle on
the
support,
- a movable end stop, controllable by the positioning sensor, able to be
displaced
between a retracted position and a blocking position.
The driving elements may comprise drive rollers.
The invention also relates to a conveyor of receptacles, comprising a routing
conveyor to direct empty receptacles toward a filling zone of the conveyor,
and
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4
comprising an evacuation conveyor for the evacuation of receptacles loaded
with folding
boxes having one or more technical characteristics as described and claimed
below.
The invention likewise relates to a filling station, comprising a conveyor of
receptacles
having one or more technical characteristics as described and claimed below.
The invention further relates to a method of evacuation of receptacles from a
filling
zone, involving the successive steps:
- ordering the advancement of an end stop when the arrival of a receptacle
loaded
with folding boxes is detected;
- ordering the displacement of a support of a vibrating device from a
retracted
starting position, beneath a horizontal transport plane defined by the
vertices of driving
elements of the evacuation conveyor, to a deployed arrival position, above the
horizontal
transport plane, when the receptacle is situated against the end stop;
- causing the support to vibrate in the deployed position so as to reorder
the
disposition of the folding boxes contained in the receptacle;
- ordering the displacement of the support from the deployed position to the
retracted position; and
- ordering a return of the end stop in order to allow the departure of the
receptacle.
In this way, it is not necessary to halt the driving elements, since the
receptacle is
raised prior to being subjected to the vibrations. Thus, the other receptacles
on the line are not
halted.
According to an embodiment, there is provided a vibrating device for the
ordered
rearrangement of folding boxes in a receptacle for an evacuation conveyor,
provided with
driving elements whose vertices define a horizontal transport plane, the
vibrating device
comprising:
- a movable support able to support a receptacle loaded with folding boxes,
the
support having a contact surface configured to be in contact with the
receptacle, and
- at least two controllable actuators, each comprising an end linearly
displaceable in
the vertical direction connected to the support and able to displace the
support between:
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-02-19
84949522
4a
- a retracted position in which the contact surface is positioned beneath
the
horizontal transport plane, allowing a contact between the receptacle and the
driving elements,
and
- a deployed position in which the contact surface is positioned above the
horizontal
transport plane, preventing the contact between the receptacle and the driving
elements,
the at least two actuators being configured to cause the support to vibrate
about the
deployed position in order to reorder the disposition of the folding boxes
contained in the
receptacle, and the at least two actuators being configured to effect
different travels to impart
inclination movements to the lifted receptacle.
According to another embodiment, there is provided an evacuation conveyor for
the
evacuation of receptacles loaded with folding boxes, comprising a vibrating
device as
described herein.
According to another embodiment, there is provided a conveyor of receptacles,
comprising a routing conveyor to direct empty receptacles toward a filling
zone of the
conveyor of receptacles, comprising an evacuation conveyor for the evacuation
of receptacles
loaded with folding boxes as described herein.
According to another embodiment, there is provided a filling station,
comprising a
conveyor of receptacles as described herein.
According to another embodiment, there is provided a method of evacuation of
receptacles from a filling zone, involving the successive steps:
- ordering an advancement of an end stop when an arrival of a receptacle
loaded
with folding boxes is detected;
- ordering the displacement of a support of a vibrating device from a
retracted
starting position, beneath a horizontal transport plane defined by the
vertices of driving
elements of an evacuation conveyor, to a deployed arrival position, above the
horizontal
transport plane, when the receptacle is situated against the end stop;
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-02-19
84949522
4b
- causing the support to vibrate in the deployed position so as to reorder
the
disposition of the folding boxes contained in the receptacle;
- imparting inclination movements to the receptacle by using at least two
actuators;
- ordering the displacement of the support from the deployed position to
the
retracted position; and
- ordering a return of the end stop in order to allow the departure of the
receptacle.
Summary description of the drawings
Other advantages and characteristics will emerge upon reading the
specification of the
invention, as well as from the enclosed figures representing an exemplary
nonlimiting
embodiment of the invention in which:
- Figure 1 shows a box transporter-filler and elements of a conveyor of
receptacles
of a filling station, more particularly, a conveyor for routing of empty
receptacles
to a filling zone and a first exemplary embodiment of an evacuation conveyor
to
evacuate the receptacles loaded with folding boxes;
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-02-19
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- Figure 2 shows schematically an example of a receptacle whose side walls are
shown as being transparent, the receptacle being loaded with folding boxes
arranged in an ordered manner;
- Figure 3 shows a substantially top view of the evacuation conveyor
of Figure 1:
- Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a vibrating device of the evacuation
conveyor of Figure 3 as well as other elements of the evacuation conveyor,
shown
schematically;
- Figure 5a shows schematically a partial longitudinal section view of the
driving
elements of the evacuation conveyor and the elements of the support of the
vibrating device of Figure 4 with the support in retracted position;
- Figure 5b is a view similar to Figure 5a with the support in
deployed position;
- Figure 6 shows a flow chart of the different steps of a method for
routing, filling,
and evacuation of receptacles by means of the conveyor of receptacles of
Figure
1; and
- Figures 7 and 8 show respectively a second and a third exemplary embodiment
of
the evacuation conveyor.
In these figures, identical elements carry the same reference numbers. The
following embodiments are examples. Even though the description pertains to
one or
more embodiments, this does not necessarily mean that each reference involves
the
same embodiment, or that the characteristics apply only to a single
embodiment. Single
characteristics of different embodiments may likewise be combined or
interchanged to
provide other embodiments.
The directions longitudinal and transverse are defined by reference to the
trajectory of the receptacles in the conveyor, along its middle longitudinal
axis. The
directions upstream and downstream are defined with reference to the direction
of
displacement along the trajectory of the receptacles.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention
Fig. 1 shows a general view of the elements of a station 1 for filling of
receptacles
2 in the form of cartons, the station 1 being possibly placed at the exit of a
folder-gluer
machine, for the filling of receptacles 2 with folding boxes 3.
The folding boxes 3 may be prepared by a folder-gluer machine which glues and
folds the boxes 3 flat, which can then be stockpiled, in the folded and glued
state, with a
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slight footprint in receptacles 2 for the purpose of being transported. The
term "folding
box" here denotes the folding boxes folded flat in order to be arranged in a
receptacle 2.
The receptacle 2 is a box able to hold a plurality of folding boxes 3. For
example,
the receptacle 2 is made of cardboard. A receptacle 2 filled with two rows of
folding
boxes 3 positioned on the edge is shown as an illustration in Fig. 2.
As is shown by Fig. 1, the filling station 1 comprises a box transporter-
filler 4
designed to grasp the folding boxes 3, for example placed in a sheet at the
exit of the
folder-gluer machine, and to transfer them to a filling zone B of a conveyor
of
receptacles 5. In the filling zone B, the folding boxes 3 having followed a
substantially
arch-shaped trajectory are disposed in ordered manner in a receptacle 2 by
means of the
movable end 6 of the box transporter-filler 4. The folding boxes 3 are then
generally
disposed in several rows of boxes alongside one another, more or less
straightened out
vertically.
The conveyor of receptacles 5 comprises a routing conveyor 7 for the
receptacles
2, a transfer device for the receptacles 2 and an evacuation conveyor 8 for
the
receptacles 2.
The routing conveyor 7 directs the empty receptacles 2 to the filling zone B
along
a routing path La which is substantially a straight line. The evacuation
conveyor 8
evacuates the receptacles 2 loaded with folding boxes 3 toward an exit 9 along
an
evacuation path Lel , Lc2 which is substantially a straight line, parallel
with the routing
path La but opposite in direction. The transfer device moves the receptacle 2
loaded
with folding boxes 3 from the filling zone B to the evacuation conveyor 8
(arrow Tb).
According to an exemplary embodiment best seen in Fig. 3, the routing conveyor
7 able to direct the empty receptacles 2 to the filling zone B comprises a
train of free
rollers 10. The principal direction of the rollers 10 extends in the
transverse direction T.
The rollers 10 are mounted idle, parallel to each other, in a horizontal plane
along the
routing path Ta. The routing conveyor 7 further comprises a lateral driving
device
designed to drive the empty receptacles 2 longitudinally by clamping the base
of their
opposite side walls. For this, the lateral driving device comprises for
example at least
one pair of belts 11, arranged symmetrically on either side of the train of
free rollers 10,
the driving bands of the belts 11 facing each other. In operation, the empty
receptacles 2
are routed along the train of rollers 10, driven and guided laterally by the
belts 11. This
routing conveyor 7 is able to transport the empty and open receptacles 2
without
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deforming them.
The receptacle 2 loaded with folding boxes 3 is moved from the filling zone B
to
the evacuation conveyor 8 (arrow Tb), for example by means of a push system
equipped
with bars 11b.
The evacuation conveyor 8, designed to evacuate the receptacles 2 loaded with
folding boxes 3 along the evacuation path Lcl, Lc2, comprises driving elements
12.
According to a first exemplary embodiment seen in Fig. 3, the driving elements
12 comprise drive rollers 13, mounted between two side jaws of the conveyor of
receptacles 5. The drive rollers 13 are driven for example by means of belts
(not
visible). The principal direction of each roller 13 extends in the transverse
direction T.
The rollers 13 are arranged alongside each other, in parallel in a horizontal
plane, in
particular at the same height as the first train of free rollers 10, along the
evacuation
trajectory Le 1 , Lc2.
The evacuation conveyor 8 further comprises a vibrating device 14 to improve
the
arrangement of the folding boxes 3 in the receptacle 2 on the evacuation path
Lc 1, Lc2.
Best seen in Fig. 4, the vibrating device 14 comprises a support 15 able to
support
a receptacle 2 loaded with folding boxes 3, the support 15 having a surface
defining a
plane of contact Si designed to make contact with the receptacle 2, and at
least one
controllable actuator, in this example four actuators 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d,
having an end
able to move in linear manner in the vertical direction, connected to the
support 15, in
order to displace the support 15 between a retracted position (Fig. 5a) and a
deployed
position (Fig. 5b), and vice versa (arrows U and D).
In the retracted position, the contact surface Si is positioned away from a
horizontal transport plane S2 defined by the vertices of the driving elements
12
(Fig. 5a). In this position, the driving elements 12 support the receptacle 2
and can
deliver it along the evacuation path Lcl, Lc2.
In the deployed position (Fig. 5b), the actuator raises the support 15 so that
the
contact surface Si is positioned above the horizontal transport plane S2. In
moving
above the horizontal transport plane S2, the contact surface Si supports the
receptacle 2
in place of the driving elements 12, preventing the contact between the
receptacle 2 and
the driving elements 12.
The actuators 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d are likewise designed to cause the support 15
to
vibrate about the deployed position in order to reorder the disposition of the
folding
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boxes 3 contained in the receptacle 2. The vibrations are produced by
reciprocating
movements of low amplitude and high frequency about the deployment travel of
the
support 15 in the deployed position. The amplitude of the variations is less
than or equal
to the deployment travel.
Causing the receptacle 2 loaded with folding boxes 3 to vibrate makes it
possible
to reposition the folding boxes 3 in an ordered manner, by successive sliding
of the
boxes 3 with respect to each other, so that their lower edges rest on the
bottom of the
receptacle 2.
The vibrating device 14 may comprise a control unit 17 connected to the
controllable actuators 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d, such as a computer, a controller or
a
microcontroller, comprising memory and programs to execute a series of
instructions
(Fig. 4).
The control unit 17 in particular is designed to control the deployment travel
of
the actuators 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d so as to displace U the support 15 between
the retracted
position and the deployed position and to control the small reciprocating
movements at
high frequency in order to cause the vibrating of the support 15 about the
deployed
position. As an example, a frequency range between 2 Hz and 50 Hz may be
chosen to
cause effective vibration of the receptacle 2, depending on the dimensions of
the
receptacle 2 and the boxes 3 placed inside the receptacle 2.
The deployment travel of the actuator 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d, allowing the support
15
to be deployed U from the retracted position to the deployed position beyond
the
driving elements 12, is relatively large, such as more than 1 cm. The
variations in
amplitudes of vibration about this deployment travel are much smaller. For
example,
they are less than 1 mm.
The actuator 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d comprises, for example, a pneumatic jack, with
electrical control, having a movable rod whose end is connected to the support
15. The
use of jacks is advantageous, since it is not very costly. Furthermore, jacks
are easy to
implement and their electronic control is simple and flexible and it allows a
precise
displacement, both for the large deployment travel of the support 15 and for
the minor
variations in amplitudes at high frequency about this deployment travel, to
cause the
support 15 to vibrate.
The vibrating device 14 may comprise, for example, at least two actuators 16a,
16b, 16c, 16d connected to the support 15, arranged at a spacing from each
other. In the
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example illustrated in Fig. 4, the vibrating device 14 thus comprises four
actuators 16.
The movable ends of the actuators 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d are connected for example
to the
respective ends of two beams 19 of the support 15, arranged in parallel. A
plurality of
actuators 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d makes it possible for example to provide
inclination
movements to the lifted receptacle 2 by ordering different travel paths for at
least two
actuators 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d at the same time or by controlling the actuators
16a, 16b,
16c, 16d sequentially in a predetermined operating sequence, for example by
commanding a larger deployment travel for a single actuator 16a. 16b, 16c, 16d
at a
time, and then repeating this command in turn for each actuator 16a, 16b, 16c,
16d.
As an example of a command sequence for the jacks making it possible to
achieve
a good arrangement, the actuators are raised and then the actuators cause
vibrations for
2 seconds at 10Hz, then they are lowered once more. The size of the box, the
type of
carton, and the imprinting, if any, are the parameters taken into account for
regulating
the vibrations.
The ends of the actuators 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d are connected to the support 15
directly or indirectly via shock absorbers 18. In fact, shock absorbers 18 may
be
installed between the end of each actuator 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d and the support
15 to
avoid transmitting the vibrations from the support 15 to the frame. The shock
absorbers
18 are, for example, blocks of flexible material, such as rubber blocks.
To halt the advancement of the receptacle 2 and to allow the control unit 17
to
command the stopping of the driving elements 12, the evacuation conveyor 8 may
comprise a positioning sensor 25 and a movable end stop 26, controllable by
the
positioning sensor 25, to be displaced between a retracted return position and
an
advanced blocking position (arrow A in Fig. 5a), and vice versa (arrow R in
Fig. 5b).
The positioning sensor, such as an electric cell 25, is designed to detect the
positioning of a receptacle 2 upstream from the end stop 26, when the
receptacle 2 is
positioned above the support 15, then removed in the retracted position. The
positioning
sensor 25 for example is designed to detect the arrival of a front wall of the
receptacle 2
in the area of one downstream end of the support 15. This is for example an
optical
sensor able to detect the crossing of a transverse light beam situated
downstream from
the support 15.
The end stop 26 is disposed downstream from the vibrating device 14 in the
direction of displacement of the receptacles 2 along the evacuation path Lel ,
Lc2 from
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the filling zone B to the exit 9. The end stop 26, such as a cleat, slides
between a
retracted position (Fig. 5a) and a blocking position (Fig. 5b) in which the
receptacle 2
comes up against the end stop 26. The advantage of the end stop 26 is to not
interrupt
the driving of the various empty and filled receptacles, making the filling
station 1
operate non-stop.
The displacement of the end stop 26 is controllable by the positioning sensor
25
which moves the end stop 26 into the blocking position A when a receptacle 2
is
detected above the support 15 and into the retracted position R to free up the
passage for
the receptacle 2 after the rearrangement of the folding boxes 3. The control
can be
realized directly, for example by means of an electrical contact, or
indirectly by means
of a control such as the control unit 17.
One exemplary embodiment of the support 15 shall be described with reference
to
Fig. 4 and to Fig. 5a and 5b. The support 15 comprises at least two support
elements
each one having a blade 20 and a support plate 21, installed between two
driving
elements 12 of the evacuation conveyor 8 in the longitudinal direction of the
evacuation
trajectory Lel , Lc2.
The support plate 21 is secured substantially perpendicular to the blade 20,
on a
lower face of the blade 20, for example in centered manner, the transverse
section of a
support element having a general T shape. This T shape allows the support
plates 21 to
be easily inserted vertically between two drive rollers 13, while being able
to move
vertically between them.
The blades 20 have, for example, a substantially flat upper surface. The front
and
rear edges of each blade 20 with regard to the direction of displacement of
the
receptacle 2 on the evacuation trajectory Lc 1, Lc2 may be considerably
inclined
downward to prevent them from catching on the receptacle 2.
The blades 20 are disposed parallel to each other, the upper plane of the
blades 20
forming the contact surface Si designed to receive the receptacle 2 loaded
with folding
boxes 3 (represented by mixed lines in Fig. 5a and 5b). This plane is
horizontal when
the vibrating device 14 is raised in the evacuation conveyor 8.
One will provide for example four support elements 20, 21 regularly spaced
apart
from each other, the contact surface Si being inscribed in a rectangular
shape. The two
beams 19 of the support 14 connect the lower ends of the support plates 21 to
the
movable ends of the actuators 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d.
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In the example illustrated, the principal direction of the blades 20 extends
in the
transverse direction T, parallel to the principal direction of the drive
rollers 13.
The positioning sensor 25 is arranged for example so as to detect the passage
of
the receptacle 2 in the area of the edge of the last blade 20 of the support
15, in the
direction of displacement toward the exit 9.
Fig. 6 illustrates the method with the different steps of routing of the empty
receptacles 2 toward the filling zone B, the filling of the receptacles 2 and
the
evacuation of the receptacles 100 loaded with folding boxes 3.
In a first step 101, the routing conveyor 7 transports empty and open
receptacles 2
on the first roll train 10, along the routing path La up to the filling zone
B.
Once arrived at the filling zone B, and in a second step 102, the receptacle 2
receives folding boxes 3 which have been routed by the box transporter-filler
4. These
boxes are disposed more or less vertically straightened out in the receptacle
2 in more or
less ordered fashion.
In a third step 103, once the receptacle 2 has been filled with folding boxes
3, the
receptacle 2 is displaced from the filling zone B to the evacuation conveyor 8
by the
push system lib (arrow Tb; Fig. 1 and 3).
The receptacle 2 is then driven on the evacuation path Lc 1, Lc2 by the
driving
elements 12 of the evacuation conveyor 8. The evacuation path Lc 1, Lc2 is
broken
down into two parts. In a first part Lc 1, the receptacle 2 is driven up to
the vibrating
device 14. The support 15 of the device 14 is then in the retracted position
(Fig. 5a). In
this position, the contact surface Si is situated below the horizontal
transport plane S2
of the driving elements 12. The driving elements 12 in contact with the
receptacle 2
drive it above the support 15.
When the positioning sensor 25 detects the front wall of a receptacle 2
downstream from the support 15, and in a fourth step 104, the end stop 26 is
displaced
and advances A into the blocking position and blocks the receptacle 2, which
is centered
above the support 15 (Fig. 5b).
Next, the control unit 17 commands the displacement of the support 15 from the
retracted position to the deployed position (Fig. 5b; fifth step 105). In the
deployed
position, the contact surface Si rises above the horizontal transport plane S2
of the
driving elements 12, raising the receptacle 2 loaded with folding boxes 3.
The control unit 17 then commands the vibration of the support 15 to reorder
the
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disposition of the folding boxes 3 in the receptacle 2 (sixth step 106). It is
likewise
possible to command different travels for the actuators 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d,
for example,
to impart inclination movements to the lifted receptacle 2.
Next, the control unit 17 commands the displacement of the support 15 into the
retracted position (seventh step 107). The contact surface Si thus goes once
more
beneath the horizontal transport plane S2 of the driving elements 12.
In an eighth step 108, the control unit 17 then commands the return and the
displacement R of the end stop 26 into the retracted position, freeing up the
passage for
the receptacle 2.
The receptacle 2 loaded with properly ordered folding boxes 3 is then driven
on
the second part of the evacuation path Lc2 toward the exit 9 where it can be
evacuated.
One thus has a vibrating device 14 for the ordered rearrangement of folding
boxes
3 in receptacles 2 which can be automated, realized for each receptacle 2 in
reproducible manner and at very high cadence, which was not possible manually.
Moreover, the operating of the actuators 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d can be controlled
by
programmed sequences which can be adapted in particular to optimize the
arrangement
according to the shape of the folding boxes 3 filling the receptacle 2.
Other embodiments may be contemplated for the support 15 and for the driving
elements 12, especially as represented schematically in Fig. 7 and 8.
In the example of Fig. 7, the driving elements 12 comprise belts whose driving
bands extend horizontally along the evacuation path Lel , Lc2, in the
longitudinal
direction L of the evacuation conveyor 8.
The evacuation conveyor 8 comprises for example at least three driving belts
23,
such as four belts, arranged alongside one another in parallel in the
longitudinal
direction L. The support 15, as previously, may comprise at least two support
elements
each one having a blade 20 and a support plate 21, secured perpendicularly to
the blade
20. As previously, the blades 20 are disposed parallel to each other, the
upper plane of
the blades 20 forming the contact surface Si.
In this example, each support element is likewise installed between two drive
belts 23 of the evacuation conveyor 8. This example likewise differs from the
previous
one by the fact that the principal direction of the blades 20 extends in the
longitudinal
direction L of the evacuation path Lc 1, Lc2, parallel to the principal
direction of the
drive belts 23.
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According to one variant embodiment, represented schematically in Fig. 8, the
evacuation conveyor 8 comprises only two drive belts 23 arranged on either
side of the
support 24. The support 24, now central, may be realized by a single plate
whose lower
face is connected to the actuators 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d.
CA 3025560 2018-12-18
