Method and device for corrugated deformation of a flat material sheet

For the corrugated deformation of a flat sheet of material, an upper row (2) of shaping tools (4) is pressed against a lower row (3) of shaping tools (5). The shaping tools of both the rows are, with that, also simultaneously pushed together so that they trace the shortening of the sheet of material during the deformation. Thus, the situation is achieved where no relative displacement between the sheet of material and the facing sides (6, 6') of the shaping tools (4 and 5) takes place, also in the case of numerous corrugations of relatively great height. The lower row of shaping tools is arranged on a rotor, whilst the upper row is fixed at a working station within the area of rotation of the rotor.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for corrugating sheet 
material. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The production of corrugated flat formed bodies has been known for a long 
time, is in use, and employed for a wide range of uses. A main area of 
application is packaging technology, where corrugated components are 
necessary for fixing longitudinal articles such as ampules, ballpoint pens 
etc. Corrugated components can be produced in a continuous working process 
from flat formed bodies fed from the roll. The individual corrugated 
components must subsequently be cut to a definite length. These types of 
devices do not permit integration into packaging lines, however, since the 
production cycle for the corrugated components generally does not 
correspond to the filling cycle of the packaging line. 
Naturally, methods and devices are also already known with which the 
corrugated component is not produced off the roll but from a cut sheet, in 
a single working step. For example, BE-A-548 274 describes a device with 
which two parallel corrugated components can be produced directly inside a 
package. The lower rows of shaping tools are, with that, brought into 
position with a bow shaped movement, respectively retracted again after 
the deformation, whilst the upper rows of prismatic shaping tools can be 
lowered in a vertical movement. 
A considerable disadvantage of the known methods and devices is that the 
distance, respectively the intermediate space between the individual 
shaping tools of a row remains constantly the same. The distance 
corresponds to the dimension of the finished corrugation, which, during 
the deformation process, of necessity leads to a relative displacement 
between the facing surfaces of the shaping tools and the material sheet. 
The absolute length of the material sheet will be increasingly shortened 
with increasing deformation, which leads to friction on the deformation 
tools. The more corrugations lying next to one another, and the higher the 
corrugations, the greater the shortening and the friction between the tool 
and the work piece will evidently be. The possibilities for application of 
the devices known up to now were, for this reason, extremely limited. 
For the production of corrugated sheet metal, methods and devices are 
already known with which friction between the tool and the work piece is 
avoided. Thus, FR-A-1,259,214 shows a method with which numerous 
corrugations are simultaneously formed in a sheet, whilst the shaping 
tools are pressed against one another and simultaneously pushed up 
together. The device described is, however, not suitable for the 
deformation of small material sheets within a packaging line. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore a purpose of the invention to create a method of the type 
mentioned in the introduction which enables the deformation of a flat 
material sheet in a practical way without a displacement in relation to 
the prismatic shaping tools. The method shall, apart from that, enable 
high working cycles and permit relatively easy integration into a dominant 
working process. A further purpose of the invention involves the creation 
of a device, functioning in a technically simple way with a low space 
requirement, for carrying out the method. 
Through the simultaneous pushing together of the shaping tools during plane 
parallel opposing movement of the upper and lower rows, the shaping tools 
follow, in a practical way, each individual sequence of the deformation. 
No relative displacement ensues on the facing sides of the shaping tools, 
since these trace the absolute shortening of the material sheet. 
Evidently, corrugated components with numerous, relatively high 
corrugations can be produced in this way, without a resulting tension in 
the material sheet. 
The displacement of the shaping tools ensues, with advantage uniformly, 
relative to a plane of symmetry which runs transverse to the material 
sheet and parallel to the shaping tools. The shaping tools are moved, from 
both sides, in a uniform way towards the plane of symmetry. The control of 
the movement sequence is thus considerably simplified. In certain cases it 
would also be conceivable to slide the shaping tools together in one 
direction only. 
The pushing together movement for the shaping tools of both the rows can be 
controlled in a particularly simple way if these are pushed, each by means 
of a traction mechanism with parallel functioning means of traction. The 
traction mechanism, which can, for example, be a toothed belt, a wire 
tackle or similar, causes an absolutely uniform movement of the shaping 
tools which are attached to it. 
The actual drive of the shaping tools ensues, with advantage, directly or 
indirectly through a crank drive. Therewith, the movement which is carried 
out during the meander shaped deformation of the flat sheet can be traced 
mechanically. Naturally, however, the drive could also ensue by means of 
electronically controlled electric motors, through a cam drive. 
A particularly practical working method can be achieved if at least one 
lower row of shaping tools is pushed or pivoted from a loading position, 
in which the flat material sheet is placed on the facing sides of the 
shaping tools, into a deforming position in which the lower row is 
situated opposite a upper row of shaping tools and if, after deformation 
of the material sheet, the lower row is pushed or pivotted, with the 
shaped material sheet, into at least one depositing position, in which the 
material sheet is deposited. 
In many cases it is necessary to stabilise the deformed material through 
connection with a carrier sheet. This ensues preferably in the depositing 
position, where in each case a carrier sheet can be made ready. The 
deformed material sheet can, with that, be coated with adhesive in a 
coating position which lies between the deforming position and the 
depositing position. During transport to the different positions, the 
material sheet is held, preferably through vacuum, on the facing side of 
the row of shaping tools. The transport can ensue in a rotary movement, by 
which at least one row of shaping tools is fixed to a rotor which 
positions up to the individual working stations in cycles. Alternatively, 
however, the row of shaping tools can also position with a linear movement 
in a stepped sequence up to the individual working stations and then 
return once again to the start position. 
The invention also concerns a packaging component which is produced 
according to the method described, with a deformed material sheet which is 
fixed to the carrier sheet, the material sheet, together with the carrier 
sheet, defining the limit of longitudinal chambers which possess a 
polygonal cross section with at least six corners. With that, a honeycomb 
shaped package arises with particularly good longitudinal stability. The 
material sheets, together with the carrier sheet, can also define the 
limit of longitudinal chambers with a polygonal cross section, the 
material sheet being provided with incisions which define the limit of 
part sections on the chambers. The incisions can, with that, form straps 
which can be folded over for fixing of the packaging contents, or the 
incisions can also form the division for chamber sections with differing 
cross sectional shape.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
In FIGS. 1 to 3, an upper row 2 of shaping tools 4 and a lower row 3 of 
shaping tools 5 is schematically portrayed. The shaping tools are arranged 
to be parallel to one another and have a prismatic configuration. The 
cross sectional form and the length of these shaping tools is naturally 
adjusted according to the corrugated component to be produced. The facing 
sides 6, 6', oriented towards one another, of both the rows of shaping 
tools lie in one plane in the start position. This plane is formed in 
practice by the flat material sheet 1, which is here not shown for reasons 
of clarity. With the reference lines 8, a plane of symmetry is implied 
which runs transversely to the flat material sheet and parallel to the 
shaping tools. 
To shape the material sheet, the upper row 2 is pressed against the lower 
row 3 of shaping tools in the direction of the arrow a, that is, parallel 
to the plane of symmetry 8. Naturally, also the lower row could be pressed 
against the upper row, or both rows could be pressed uniformly against one 
another. Simultaneously with this movement, however, both the rows of 
shaping tools 4 and 5 are also pushed together in the direction of the 
arrows b, towards the plane of symmetry. The central moveable shaping tool 
5m remains at rest in the plane of symmetry. 
FIG. 3 shows the shaping tools in the end position, in which the material 
sheet deformation is complete. The relative movement sequence between a 
moveable shaping tool 5 and a upper shaping tool 4 is once again portrayed 
in FIG. 4. The flank 10 of the upper shaping tool 4, with its tool edge 
52, moves in a circular curved motion with the radius R against the flank 
9 of the lower shaping tool 5. The radius R corresponds to the distance D 
between both the shaping tools 4 and 5 and, at the same time, to the 
height H of the desired deformation. A material sheet lying in the plane 
of the facing sides 6 and 6' will, with this movement sequence, evidently 
not be subjected to a displacement in relation to the facing sides. 
A deforming station with the different drive and transmission systems is 
described with reference to FIG. 5. Two parallel guide rods 12, 12' are 
firmly fixed to a rotor arm 64. A fixed holder 15 is arranged in the 
centre of these guide rods which carries a fixed shaping tool 5m. The rest 
of the lower shaping tools 5 are arranged on displaceable lower holders 16 
which are able to be displaced along the guide rods 12, 12'. 
A fixed frame 11 is arranged in the zone of rotation of the rotor arm 64. 
This frame carries the upper shaping tools 4. The moveable upper holders 
20 are guided, and able to be displaced, on the moveable guide rods 13 and 
13'. The moveable guide rods can be moved downwards on the parallel guides 
14, 14' in the direction of the arrow a. The upper shaping tools 4 are 
attached on the ends of the moveable upper holders 20. 
A drive crank 27 is arranged on the righthand side. This drive crank 
engages in a vertical fork 33 which is provided with thrust elements 65, 
65' above and below. The function of these thrust elements will be 
explained in the following with reference to FIG. 9. 
A lower traction mechanism 17 is arranged in the sliding zone of the 
moveable lower holder. This comprises a first parallel belt 18 and a 
second parallel belt 19. One parallel belt is intended for each 
symmetrical pair of moveable holders. In the case in question there are 
two pairs, whilst the diameters of the belt pulleys 50, 50', respectively 
53, 53' are determined according to the travel to be accomplished by the 
holder. Each pair of holders is connected in each case to the upper, 
respectively lower span of a parallel belt at a point of connection 30. 
A rotary movement of the drive crank 27 evidently causes a thrust movement 
of the thrust elements 65, the holder 16r being pushed up to a carrier 29 
and setting the traction mechanism 17 in motion and, as a result, all 
moveable holders being simultaneously put into motion. 
The upper traction mechanism 21 is put into motion in a similar way through 
the thrust element 65'. The upper traction mechanism 21 comprises both the 
belt pulley pairs 54, 54' and 55, 55', which once again carry a first and 
a second parallel belt 22, respectively 23. Carriers 24, which engage into 
the guide slots 25 on the moveable upper holders 20, are fixed to the 
upper and lower span of these parallel belts. 
The moveable upper holders 20 likewise carry out a uniform pushing together 
movement on activation of the upper traction mechanism, whilst they 
naturally also can still move downwards in the direction of the arrow a. 
The drive crank 27 also still engages in a lower horizontal fork 32 which 
is fixed on a vertical transmission rod 36. This transmission rod is 
guided on the guides 35, 35'. An upper horizontal rod 31 is arranged on 
the upper end of the transmission rod 36. This acts in coordination with 
an oscillating lever 26 which is linked to the frame 11. The oscillating 
lever 26 has the function of a one-sided lever, in that it also engages in 
an angled fork 34. With this transmission, the vertical thrust movement of 
the transmission rod 36 is transferred onto the moveable guide rods 13, 
13' with a definite reduction ratio. 
During deformation of a flat material sheet 1, according to FIG. 5 this 
lies first of all upon the lower row 3 of shaping tools 5. With that, the 
upper row 2 of the shaping tools 4 lie approximately on the material sheet 
1. Subsequently, the drive crank 27 is pivotted downwards in the direction 
of the arrow c. 
FIG. 6 shows the position of the shaping tools in accordance with the 
position in FIG. 2. Both the forks 32 and 33 cause a simultaneous 
horizontal and vertical thrust movement. The horizontal thrust movement 
causes a pushing together of all the shaping tools by means of both the 
traction mechanisms, and the vertical thrust movement causes a lowering of 
the upper shaping tools between the moveable shaping tools. As portrayed 
in FIG. 6, the material sheet 1 is already partly deformed, no 
displacement in relation to the facing sides of the shaping tools taking 
place, however. 
FIG. 7 shows the end position of the shaping tools. The drive crank 27 has 
carried out a movement of 90.degree. from the horizontal to the vertical. 
In relation to FIG. 4, this movement corresponds to the travel which a 
tool edge 52 accomplishes until the material sheet is completely deformed. 
This travel can naturally be altered to suit the desired cross sectional 
shape of the deformation, respectively the shaping tool. It is also 
evident from FIG. 7 that the moveable guide rods 13, 13' have been 
displaced in the parallel guides 14, 14' into the lowest position by the 
oscillating lever 26. Here, too, according to the ratio of gearing up or 
down, differing travel lengths are possible. The thrust crank transmission 
permits adjustment to the individual parameters in the simplest way. 
FIG. 8 shows a device with numerous working stations, with which a 
deforming station 39 is constructed approximately similar to the principle 
of the device according to FIG. 5. There are a total of four rows 3 of 
shaping tools arranged at intervals of equal angle on the rotor arms 64 of 
a rotor 37. The rotor is able to be rotated in the direction of the arrow 
d and thus guides the rows, in cycles, to the different working stations. 
With that, at each working station a certain movement will be carried out 
simultaneously. 
The facing sides 6 of the moveable shaping tools 5 are provided with 
openings 7. These openings are connected to a vacuum scource which is not 
shown more closely here. Through this, the material sheets 1 are held 
firmly by the lower row of shaping tools, indifferent to the relative 
position that the shaping tools may assume. 
At a loading station 38, flat material sheets 1 are picked up from a stack 
46 and placed on the lower row of shaping tools into the loading position 
by a mechanism which is not shown more closely here. After a rotation of 
90.degree., these shaping tools reach deforming station 30, where they 
come to rest exactly parallel beneath the upper row 2. In this position, 
the deformation of the material sheet ensues according to the previously 
described principle. 
After a further rotation of the rotating body through 90.degree., the now 
deformed material sheet reaches a coating station 40 on which an adhesive 
spray head 42 is arranged. This spray head sprays an adhesive onto the 
lower side of the sheet. The lower shaping tools naturally remain in the 
pushed together position which they have assumed at deforming station 39. 
In place of the adhesive spray head, another suitable device could also be 
provided for application of the adhesive. 
After a further rotation of 90.degree., the material sheet reaches the 
depositing station 41 which lies on the movement plane of a conveyor 43. 
Carrier sheets 44, which are picked off a stack 45, are fed on this 
conveyor in the direction of the arrow e. At the depositing station 41, 
the lower shaping tools, pushed together, are lowered slightly so that the 
shaped material sheet 1 with the adhesive coating is pressed onto the 
carrier sheet 44. At the same time, through appropriate control, the 
connection to the vacuum scource is interrupted and the shaping tools are 
retracted again. A finished corrugated component 47 leaves the working 
station in the next cycle and can be further worked in a packaging line. 
The moveable shaping tools are again expanded away from one another between 
the depositing station 41 and the loading station 38, until they have 
assumed their start position. This device works in an extremely practical 
way and permits integration into a packaging line with economic demands on 
space, whilst the production of corrugated components 47 can keep pace 
with the filling cycle without problems. Naturally, in the region of the 
rotating body 37, other working stations could also be provided. It would 
also be conceivable to dispense with the coating station 40 and instead 
coat the carrier sheet 44 with adhesive. 
FIG. 9 shows, very simplified, the rotor control which serves to activate 
the shaping tools in synchronization with the rotary movement of the 
rotor. For this purpose, a thrust rod 28 is allocated to each rotor arm 
64, on the ends of which a fork 63 is arranged. Each fork 63 engages into 
the carrier 29 (FIG. 5) for pushing of the traction mechanism. A contact 
member 49, which probes a control disk 51, is arranged at the opposite end 
of each thrust rod 28. 
The control disk 51 is subdivided into a total of three different segments. 
A closing segment 60 is arranged to be fixed and extends through a sector 
of approximately 180.degree.. An opening segment 62, which is likewise 
stationary and which can, however, be displaced during operation in the 
direction of the arrow f, is arranged, axially offset, on the rotor axis. 
The opening segment 62 extends through a sector of slightly less than 
90.degree.. 
The remaining sector surface of the control disk 51 is covered by a thrust 
segment 61 which is firmly connected to the thrust element 65 and with the 
vertical fork 33. Through rotation of the drive crank 27 through 
90.degree. in the direction of the arrow c, the thrust segment 61 can be 
pushed out of an opening position, in which it corresponds to the opening 
segment 62, into a closed position in which it corresponds to the closing 
segment 60. 
During rotation of the rotor in the direction of the arrow d, the following 
sequence ensues: The contact member 49 fits closely on the opening segment 
62 at the loading station 38. The moveable shaping tools 5 then assume the 
position as shown in FIG. 5, in which they are equipped with the material 
sheet 1. By further rotation of the rotor, the shaping tools remain in 
this opened position since the contact member 49 must first of all measure 
off along the opening segment 62 until it is guided over onto the narrow 
part sector of the thrust segment 61. In this position, the rotor arm 
concerned has reached the deforming station 39 and the lower shaping tools 
are positioned exactly opposite the upper shaping tools 4. Now the 
deformation of the material sheet will follow, in that the drive crank 27 
is activated and through that the thrust segment 61 is pushed from the 
opening segment 62 to the closing segment 60. During this linear movement 
the upper and lower traction mechanisms 17, respectively 21 are activated 
and the shaping tools carry out the already described movement. Now the 
rotor rotates further through a quarter rotation, the contact member 49 
crossing over to the closing segment 60 so that the shaping tools are held 
firmly in the closed position. At the end of this cycle, the coating 
station 40 is reached. After coating, a further rotation of the rotor 
through 90.degree. ensues, the contact member 49 still fitting closely on 
the closing segment 60. Only after the combining of the shaped material 
sheet 1 with the carrier sheet 44, and after a further rotary movement of 
the rotor through a few degrees of angle, will the contact member 49 once 
again be transferred onto the larger part section of the thrust segment 
61, which continues to wait in the same position. As soon, however, as the 
contact member has once again reached the thrust segment 61, the thrust 
segment will be returned once again, simultaneously with the rotary 
movement of the rotor, so that the shaping tools open once again during 
the rotational movement of the rotor until they have once again reached 
their start position. This transmission control is extremely efficient and 
therewith allows precise and short working cycles to be aimed for. With 
compensation drives, which are not further portrayed here but are however 
known to an expert in the art, the individual parameters of the 
transmission can be altered during rotation of the rotor, in order, for 
example, to alter the opposing penetration depth of the shaping tools. 
FIG. 10 shows a typical corrugated component 47 which has been produced 
according to the method according to the invention. The material sheet 1 
has a regular, meander shaped configuration and is very slightly narrower 
than the carrier sheet 44. 
If an additional folded edge 48 is intended on the side walls of the 
corrugations, a honeycomb pattern is able to be made, as portrayed in FIG. 
10, through pressing the corrugations together. The individual honeycombs 
57 can be filled with items 56 which are, in this way, shock resistantly 
packed (FIG. 11). 
FIG. 12 shows a further modified configuration of a corrugated component 
with which the material sheet 1 possesses a section 58, 58' with differing 
cross sectional shape. This naturally presupposes that the material sheet 
1 is provided with incisions 59 in order that the side walls of the 
section 58, 58' can be made upright. In a case such as this, naturally the 
shaping tools must possess a corresponding configuration. 
The incisions 59 can, however, also serve the purpose of cutting fold-out 
webs out of the individual chambers, in order to achieve the securing of 
an item. So, for example in the case of honeycomb packaging according to 
FIG. 11, in each case a material web is cut out near both the facing side 
openings of a chamber, and is folded over towards the centre of the 
chamber after filling, by which means the item 56 is provided with a 
mechanical stop on both its ends. An example of this type of web 66 is 
portrayed on the outermost left honeycomb.