Abstract:
An apparatus for manufacturing a cushioning packaging material from a web-shaped material having at least two layers, the apparatus comprising a material supply shaft for deforming side edges of the web-shaped material into a substantially rolled shape with bead-shaped margins, and a device for receiving a deformed material and for joining layers of the deformed material and having a first wheel-shaped member and a second wheel-shaped member the axes of the rotation of which lie in a plane inclined to a running plane of the deformed material, which is determined by a longitudinal extent of the supply shaft, at an angle deviating from a right angle.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an apparatus for the manufacture of a cushion-like packaging material from a web-like supply material having at least two layers and including a supply shaft which causes the edges of the supply material to be deformed into a substantially rolled shape, such that the margins are formed in bead-like manner, and a device for receiving the deformed supply material and for joining the latter along the substantially central region in the longitudinal extent of the supply material, wherein the device has at least one first and one second wheel-shaped members, with embossing sections formed at the periphery of the latter, which are in engagement in order to join the oppositely disposed edge regions of the supply material by embossing when the rolled regions pass between the embossing elements. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The apparatuses which are used for the manufacture of cushion-like packaging material from a web-like supply material having at least two layers consist essentially of a supply shaft which deforms the side edges of the supply material into a substantially rolled shape, and of a device for joining the deformed supply material in the central region in its longitudinal extent by embossing. For this purpose gear teeth or chain wheels which are pressed towards each other are provided with embossing sections which mesh with one another and form the joining region. The deformed supply material runs through this region. It is to be assumed that the layers have non-uniform contact in the central region of the deformed supply material, and that the depth of the embossed features is dependent on the pre-stress of the gearwheels, so that the layers are arbitrarily embossed or perforated. From this it follows that exposed connection locations of different quality are produced, which is a disadvantage. 
     Furthermore, apparatuses are used which join the paper layers by means of perforation. Such apparatuses have the disadvantage that considerable quantities of paper dust are produced by the perforation, which significantly impair the working conditions for the personnel and result in a greater amount of work and cost through the required cleaning. 
     Such devices are a component of machines for manufacturing cushion-like packaging material which is produced as a continuous strand or in predetermined lengths. In order to produce packaging material in predetermined lengths, a cutting device is provided. The machine contains a drive motor for the apparatus and a drive motor for the cutting device which determine the speed of conveyance and the cutting speed respectively. The greater amount of work and cost involved, in particular the fact that the cutting process is carried out with a uniform movement, has proved disadvantageous. The conveyance and the cutting are thus controlled separately such that the conveying is interrupted and cutting subsequently takes place. In this way the movable knife is moved forwards and backwards. This interruption persistently restricts the production performance of the machine. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This and other objects of the present invention, which will become apparent hereinafter, are achieved by providing an apparatus in which the axes of rotation of the first and second members are arranged lying in a plane which is inclined, with respect to the running plane of the deformed supply material predetermined by the supply shaft, by an angle that deviates from a right angle; and by providing a machine for the manufacturer of a cushing-line packing material including such an apparatus. 
     This object is satisfied in accordance with the invention by the features of claim  1 . 
     The advantages which can be achieved by the invention are to be seen in the fact that the inclined arrangement of the first and second members improves the drawing-in of the paper web, and the apparatus is operated with a higher speed of rotation. 
     By means of the support elements or support discs an invariable connection of the layers in a defined region is achieved in advantageous manner. 
     A machine with an apparatus is characterized by the features of claim  6 . 
     This machine has the advantages that only one drive is provided and that the production of packaging material at a higher speed of rotation and with a continuous conveyance is ensured by means of acceleration of the cutting movement. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be now explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     There are shown: 
     FIG. 1 a first embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the invention; 
     FIG. 2 a section along the line II—II in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 a second embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the invention; 
     FIG. 4 a section along the line V—V in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 a view of the cutting apparatus; 
     FIG. 6 a view in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 a preferred embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the invention; 
     FIG. 8 a section along the line II—II in FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 a third embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the invention; and 
     FIG. 10 a section along the line IV—IV in FIG.  9 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The inventive apparatus forms part of a machine for the manufacture of a cushion-like packaging material and which further includes a cutting apparatus and a drive apparatus for displacing respective material webs. 
     Reference is made to FIGS. 1 and 2. The apparatus contains a shaft  1  for the supply of the paper layers to be joined, two chain wheels  2  having a predetermined tooth pitch which are secured behind one another on a drive axle  3 , and a counter-wheel  4 . The shaft  1  has a rectangular cross-section and a respective cut-out  5 ,  6  in each of the broad sides. As FIG. 2 shows, the counter-wheel  4  is provided with a plurality of pins  9 , which are arranged with a pitch corresponding to the tooth pitch of the chain wheels  2 . At the periphery of the counter-wheel  4 , a first ring-like projection  7  is formed in the central region, and two respective projections  8  are formed in the edge regions. The pins  9  are arranged in the projections  7  and  8 , with the diameter of the circumscribing circle of the pins being smaller than the diameter of the circumference of the projections  7  and  8 , so that the projections form support elements for the paper layers. The counter-wheel  4  is freely rotatable on an axle  14  of a bearing units  10 . The bearing unit  10  contains a base plate  11  of fixed position, a movable holding plate  12  which is supported on the base plate via plate springs  13  and two bearing blocks for the counter-wheel  4 , which are secured on the holding plate  12 . 
     The association of the chain wheels  2  and of the counter-wheel  4  relative to one another and relative to the supply shaft  1  can be seen from FIG.  1 . Turning away from the known apparatuses, the plane  15  of the apparatus under discussion here, which extends through the axes of rotation of the chain wheels and of the counter-wheel, is arranged so that it is inclined to the running plane of the deformed supply material, which is determined by the supply shaft  1 , at angle that deviates from a right angle. In this way a better connection of the layers to one another is, on the one hand and, on the other hand the through-movement of the layers and in particular the runout of the packaging material is improved in advantageous manner. Furthermore, as a result of this association, the layers are first engaged by the chain teeth and pressed against the jacket surface of the support elements  7  and  8  of the counter-wheel  4 , whereby the joining region of the layers is determined. In the actual joining region, i.e. in the sections between the support elements  7  and  8 , the connection takes place by pressing of the layers. 
     The apparatus shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is distinguished from the above described apparatus only by the counter-wheel  21 , so that the following description will simply be restricted to the design of the latter. The counter-wheel  21  has two rows of teeth at the periphery, which are arranged in parallel. Each row of teeth has a plurality of teeth  22 , which mesh with the chain wheels  2 . The teeth have a round apex section  23  and tooth flanks which converge towards the tooth root. Instead of the projections in the counter-wheel  4  in accordance with FIGS. 1 and 2, disc-like rings  26  and  25  are arranged as support elements between the tooth rows and at the end faces of the counter-wheel and secured by suitable means. 
     Reference is made to FIGS. 5 and 6. As FIG. 5 shows, the cutting apparatus is so connected to the supply shaft  1  of the apparatus by means of a plate  31  that the supply shaft is flush with the upper side of the plate. The cutting apparatus contains a stationary knife  32  and a movable knife  33 . Guide strips  34  for the movable knife  33  are secured by suitable means to the plate  31 . The stationary knife  32  is so secured to the guide strips  34  that the cutting edge  36  is flush with the edge which bounds the opening of the supply shaft. The movable knife  33  consists of two part knives  37 ,  38  and a connection plate  39 , on which the part knives are secured and which has an elongate hole in order to connect the movable knife to a later described lever arrangement. The part knives  37 ,  38  have inclined cutting edges and are so secured to the connection plate  39  that, on the one hand, their cutting edges are displaced relative to one another and jointly form a diverging knife edge with respect to the opening of the supply shaft. With this arrangement the cutting of the packaging material is improved in advantageous manner. 
     As initially mentioned, the cutting apparatus is connected to the drive apparatus  40 . For this purpose a clutch  41  and a lever arrangement  42  are provided. The clutch is a customary magnetic clutch, with which the connection of the lever arrangement to the common drive shaft takes place. The lever arrangement  42  comprises a one-armed lever  45 , which is connected to the movable clutch part, a two-armed lever  46 , which is connected to the movable knife  31 , and a connecting rod  47  with two articulated joint heads  48 , which are connected to the one-armed lever and to the two-armed lever respectively. Two tension springs  49  are provided which are hung onto the one-armed lever at one end and onto the non-illustrated frame at the other end in order to keep the first lever in a rest position. The two-armed lever  46  is journalled on a pin  50 , which is arranged on the plate  31 . The two-armed lever  46  is connected by means of a screw  51  to the connecting rod  47 , and via a pin  52 , which engages into the elongate hole of the connection plate  39 , to the movable knife  33 . 
     The lever arrangement  42  is intended to convert the rotary movement of the drive shaft into a translatory knife movement and to accelerate the knife movements such that the packaging material supplied with an advance of over 30 meters per minute of the cutting apparatus is reliably cut without interrupting the supply. 
     Reference is made to FIGS. 7 and 8. The apparatus contains a shaft  1  for the supply of the paper layers to be joined, two chain wheels  2  with a predetermined tooth pitch which are secured alongside one another on a drive axle  3 , and a counter-wheel  4 . The shaft  1  has a rectangular cross-section and a respective cutout  5 ,  6  in each of the broad sides. As FIG. 2 shows, the counter-wheel  50  is provided with a plurality of pins  9 , the pitch of which corresponds to the tooth pitch of the chain wheels  2 . At the periphery of the counter-wheel  50 , a first ring-like projection  51  is formed in the central region, and respective second ring-like projections  52  are formed in the edge regions. The first projection  51  contains sections with holes for the attachment of the pins  9 , and the second projections contain sections with trough-like cutouts for the reception of the pins  9 . 
     The first projection  51  has a contour with projecting sections  53  and set back sections  54 . The projecting sections  54  lie on a circumscribed circle, the diameter of which is at least  1  mm greater than the circumscribed circle of the pins. The set back sections  54  are of trough-like shape, with their apexes lying on the circumscribed circle of the pins  9 . The edges of the sections, in particular of the projecting sections, are rounded. This has the advantage that a cutting of the through-running paper layers is avoided. As a consequence, less paper dust is produced. The counter-wheel  50  is freely rotatably journalled in two bearing units  10 , of which only one bearing unit is shown. Each bearing unit  10  contains a stationary base plate  11  and a movable holding plate  12 , which is supported via plate springs  13  on the base plate. A pedestal bearing for the counter-wheel  4  is secured to the holding plate  12 . 
     The embodiment of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 is distinguished from the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8 in that a respective support disc  61  is arranged at each of two sides of the counter-wheel  50 , with the support discs determining the joining region. The support discs  61  have a diameter which is the same as the diameter of the circumscribed circle of the pins  9 . It is pointed out that in dependence on the type of paper to be deformed, support discs with a greater or smaller diameter can be used in order to prevent bursting of the paper layers during the embossing action. The support discs have a disc  61  and a hub  63  and consist of metal or plastic. The support discs can also be made in one piece. At the periphery, the support discs are rounded. The support discs are rotatably or fixedly mounted on the axle of the counter-wheel. 
     As FIGS. 7 and 9 show, the association of the chain wheels  2  and of the counter-wheel  50  is the same as in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to  4 . 
     Furthermore, a control apparatus (not shown) is provided which consists of known electrical and electronic components and has a control panel and is intended to ensure a continuous manufacture of the packaging material, a manual triggering of the cutting process and the automatic production of packaging material of predetermined length. A keyboard is provided in the control panel for the determination of the length.