PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR STAMPING PIECES OF SOAP AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCES

Abstract: The proposed stamping apparatus operates at low speed with two mold halves (9, 10) for each piece of soap handled, one mold half (9) having a radial translatory movement with respect to a rotor (2) bearing the other mold half (10). The rotation axis of the rotor (2) is parallel to the feeding (6) and unloading belts (7). The apparatus may be equipped with a plurality of mold halves, being expandable, for example, by modules to stamp multiples of soap cakes each time the two mold halves close. The feeding (6) and unloading belts (7) may number more than one, as may the translatory mold halves (9) and the rotors (2) that provide for transport of the soap cakes (S1). An element for removal of the excess soap (ES) and a belt (8) to collect this excess are also envisaged.

Description: "PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR STAMPING PIECES OF SOAP AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCES" The present invention concerns an apparatus for stamping soaps of various types and for stamping substances having a pasty consistency in general. In order to understand the present invention a general statement 5. must first be made about the state of the art of soap stamping machines: the most widespread types at present have a part called a disk or star or disk star that has its axis of rotation at right angles to the direction of travel of the soao on the feeding and unloading belts,- we will call this family of machines the rotating 10. disk type. There exists another family of macnines in which there is an element called a rotor which has its axis of rotation parallel to the direction of travel of the soap on tne feeding and unloading belts; we will call this family of machines the rotor type. The feature distinguishing the two families described is that the disk type does not allow a great number of molds to be mounted because the disk diameter immediately becomes too large and the 5. resulting inertias give rise to serious processing and mechanical problems; with these machines, therefore, increased production is achieved by increasing the processing speed while leaving the number of molds unaltered. We will therefore call this family of machines the "high-speed" type. 10. In the rotor family it is possible for the molds to proliferate along the major axis of the rotor, in theory indefinitely since the diameter, and thus the inertias on the soap cakes, are not increased. In practice, at the present state of the art, these rotor machines are restricted to eight molds arranged on one or two 15. rotors. Increased production is therefore achieved by increasing the number of molds while leaving the speed unaltered. We will therefore call this family of machines the "low-speed" type. The speed expressed in terms of number of strokes per minute is 100 . 150 for the high-speed or disk machines and 50 : 60 for low-speed 20. or rotor machines, according to type. The present invention refers to a machine belonging to the low- speed or rotor type family. The stamping machines of this type currently produced present the following problems: 1) High number of mold halves: that is, instead of a single mold half on the rotor for each piece to be shaped, there are two set at 180°; for each piece of soap, therefore, there are three mold halves of which two carry out feeding and stamping, while the 5. other, which is at 180° to the first two, carries out other operations such as unloading and cleaning. 2) The rotor bearing the mold halves, which are cooled by means of cooling fluid, always rotates in the same direction, creating sealing problems for the cooling fluid. 10. 3) Difficulty in feeding the bars of soap to be stamped in that there are no transfer suckers, but it is the traversing mold half that, as it moves horizontally, collects the piece to be stamped from the feed belt in the same movement that culminates in the stamping action. 15. The aim of the present invention is to reduce the number of mold halves for each piece stamped, to remedy the problems regarding the seal on the cooling fluid, as well as aiding feeding of the soap bars of similar; The aforementioned aim has been achieved as specified m claims 1 20. and 2. Other advantageous arrangements are described in the subsequent claims. The present invention will now be better explained on the basis of exemplary embodiments shown in the attached drawings, in which: Figs. 1, 1a and lb show axonometric views of the series of stamping machines in three unrestrictive applications; Figs. 2 to 5 are schematic sectional views of the embodiment according to Fig. 1 from which the sequence of the various 5. stamping steps can be deduced. With reference to the figures, the members making up the system are defined as follows: The numeral 1 designates the stamping slide bearing mold halves 9 to which is imparted a radial movement with respect to the rotor 2 on 10. which the mold halves 10 are mounted. In particular, in the embodiments shown (which are unrestrictive) the mold halves 9 move from top to bottom and vice versa, since the mold halves 10 are set below the matching mold halves 9. Number 3 indicates a means for gripping the piece to be stamped S1 15. that may consist of suckers in particular. Number 4 designates a means for gripping the stamped piece S2; this means may consist of a group of suckers for example. A punch plate 5 is also envisaged to cut away the excess soap ES. Number 6 indicates the feed belt for the pieces to be stamped S1 , 7 20. indicates the unloading belt for the stamped pieces S2 and 8 indicates the unloading belt for the excess soap ES. Figure 1 shows a schematic view of the system referring to an unrestrictive exemplary embodiment for simultaneous processing of two soap cakes; as it is readily understood, this example can easily be developed in successive multiples for simultaneous processing of four, six or eight soap cakes and so forth. 5. Figure 1a shows the apparatus for processing four soap cakes simultaneously, F g. 1b shows the apparatus for processing eight soap cakes simultaneously. As can be seen from Figures 1a and 1b, in the case of four pieces at the same time, there is a single rotor 2' supporting two double mold halves 10. Two feed belts 6 and a plate 10. 5 1 for four pieces are also envisaged. In the case of simultaneous stamping of eight pieces, there are preferably two offset rotors 2' , each capable of processing four pieces of soap. In this case there are four feed belts 6. With reference to Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 in particular, there follows 15. an explanation of how the operating cycle of the proposed machine takes place. Obviously this operation will be repeated for all pairs of mold halves. The pieces of soap to be stamped S1 arrive at the machine, already cut, on the feed belt 6 (Figure 2) ; they are taken by the feeding suckers 3 (Figures 3 and 4) and transferred to a 20. rotating mold half 10 (Figures 5 and 2) . The downstroke of the traversing mold halves 9 (Figure 3) brings about shaping (or stamping) of the soap cakes, which now take on their final shape S2, and causes the excess soap ES to be ejected from the molds. The stamped pieces S2 and the excess soap ES remain attached to the 25. lower mold halves 10, by means of expedients not dealt with m this invention, and are transferred with a 90° rotation of the rotor 2 into a suitable position to be taken by the unloading suckers 4 (Figure 4) . The suckers 4 withdraw from the rotor 2 (Figure 5) , passing through the punch plate 5 that cuts away the excess soap ES (figure 5) which falls onto the excess soap unloading belt 8 (Figure 5) . The unloading suckers 4 continue their movement and with a 90° rotation set down the stamped soap on the unloading belt for stamped 5. pieces (Figure 2) . The rotor 2 (Figure 5) , after surrendering the stamped soap S2 and the excess soap ES returns with a 90° rotation to the position of Figure 2 where it receives the pieces to be stamped S1 carried by the suckers 3 and placed on the rotating mold halves 10 (Figure 2) . The cycle is thus complete and is repeated 10. anew as described. The feeding and unloading suckers hold the soap before and after stamping by means of vacuum. During release of the pieces the vacuum is cut off and compressed air is blown in to aid removal. Both the vacuum and the air are controlled by means of solenoid valves that 15. are not illustrated. Flexible pipes (not illustrated) are provided to carry the necessary processing fluids, i.e. cooling fluid, air and vacuum, to the traversing (upper) and rotating (lower) mold halves. Since the rotor reciprocates, it is possible to use said pipes, whereas in the types 20. produced prior to the invention, since the rotor always turns in the same direction, it is not possible to use pipes, but rotatory seals are necessary, giving rise to constructional problems as they have to carry three fluids at the same time. The movements of the individual members are examined below in 25. greater detail: 1) Stamping slide: reciprocates with a radial translatory movement with respect to the rotor; in Figure 2 it is shown when it begins its movement, at which stage care must be taken that the descending mold half 9 and the retreating feeding sucker 3 do not 5. interfere with each other; in Figure 3 it is shown in the act of stamping; in Figures 4 and 5 it is shown stationary in its uppermost position waiting for the other members to complete their movements. 2) Rotor: in Figures 2 and 3 it is shown stationary awaiting the 10. piece to be stamped and the stamping operation; in Figure 4 it is shown after its 90° anti-clockwise rotation, stationary waiting for the unloading sucker to collect the stamped piece; in Figure 5 it is making a 90° clockwise rotation to return to the position in Figure 2 in order to receive the piece of soap to be stamped,- 15. it should be noted that the feeding sucker 3 with the piece to be stamped S1 (Figure 5) is already moving before the rotor 2 is in the correct position to receive the piece to be stamped S1. 3) Feeding suckers; in Figure 2 the feeding sucker 3 can be seen withdrawing from the mold halves after having placed the piece to 20. be stamped S1 on the mold half on the rotor; at this stage it is necessary to ascertain that the descending mold half 9 and the retreating feeding sucker 3 do not interfere with each other; in Figure 3 the feeding sucker, after making a 90° rotation and moving backwards, is about to take the piece to be stamped; in 25. Figures 4 and 5 the sucker, advancing and rotating 90°, is carrying the piece towards the lower mold half 10. The sucker and the rotor are both moving at the same time (Figure 5) towards the rendezvous for setting down of the piece to be stamped S1. 4) Unloading suckers: in Figure 2 the sucker has just placed the stamped piece S2 on the belt 7 and is rotating and advancing (Figure 3) to take the stamped piece S2 (Figure 4) . The sucker and the rotor arrive simultaneously at the rendezvous for 5. collection of the stamped soap S2 (Figure 4) . Figure 5 shows the moment when the sucker, as it moves back towards the unloading belt 7 with the stamped piece, causes the excess soap ES to be cut away on the punch plate 5; continuing its backward movement the sucker turns 90° clockwise and places the stamped pieces S2 10. on the unloading belt 7 (Figure 2) . 5) Punch plate 5: this is stationary. 6) Feed belt: this moves jerkily bringing the pieces of soap to be stamped into the correct position to be taken by the feeding suckers 3. The exact position of the piece is determined by an 15. immobile soap stop, not shown in the Figures, against which the soap stops. 7) Unloading belt for the stamped pieces: this moves at a constant speed and carries the pieces set down by the unloading suckers to the next operation. 20. 8) Excess soap unloading belt: this moves at a constant speed and removes the excess soap.cut away by the punch plate. 9) Traversing (or upper) mold half and rotating (or lower) mold half: the first moves integrally with the stamping slide 1 , the second with the rotor 2.

Claims: C L A I M S 1. A process for shaping pieces of substances having a pasty consistency, such as normal, superfatted and synthetic soaps or mixtures thereof, by means of stamping between mold halves pairs that close on each other and use a rotor to transport the pieces 5. after stamping, characterized in that the movement of at least one mold half is physically independent of the movements of the other members (i.e. no mechanical connection of a kinematic type is envisaged) and is operated by an actuator that determines its position law at any instant of time, said positions being 10. coordinated with the movement of the other members by means of an electric or electronic control unit. 2. A process according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit, besides coordinating the movement of the mold half with that of the other members and operating it according to a 15. pre-established law of positioning, also operates it according to a pre-established speed law. 3. A process according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that the control unit, besides coordinating the movement of the mold half with that of the other members and operating it according to a 20. pre-established law of positioning, also operates it according to a pre-established acceleration law. 4. A process according to claim 1, 2 or 3 characterized in that the rotor having a mold half for each piece to be stamped is rotated alternately back and forward while a matching mold half is also moved radially and alternately with respect to the rotor (2) so as the mold can close in one of the two end positions of the rotor (2). 5. 5. A stamping apparatus for shaping pieces of substances having a pasty consistency, such as normal, superfatted and synthetic soaps or mixtures thereof, of the rotor type in which the rotor axis is parallel to the direction of travel of the pieces on the feeding and unloading belts for the pieces to be stamped and 10. already stamped, there being on the outer edge of the rotor a mold half for each piece to be stamped that matches another mold half to which is imparted a radial movement with respect to the rotor, characterized in that there is only one rotating mold half for each piece to be stamped and that the rotor has a reciprocating rotatory 15. movement from the stamping position to the unloading position and vice versa. 6. An apparatus as described in claim 5, characterized in that along the shaft of the rotor it can have any number of mold halves, each one of them allowing a cake of soap or similar substance to be 20. formed each time the matched mold half closes on it. 7. An apparatus as described in claims 5 or 6, characterized in that means are provided for transferring the pieces to be stamped from the feed belt to the lower or rotating mold halves. 8. An apparatus as described in claims 5, 6 or 7, 25. characterized in that means are provided for transferring the stamped pieces from the lower or rotating mold halves to the unloading belt. 9. An apparatus as described in claims 5 to 8, characterized in that said transfer means are suckers connected to a s.uction means for creating a vacuum. 5. 10. An apparatus as described in claims 5 to 9, characterized by the presence of a punch plate for the excess soap set in the path of the unloading means and of an unloading belt underneath for this excess soap. 11. An apparatus as described in claim 5 or 6 , characterized in 10. that the reciprocating rotatory movement of the rotor, from the stamping position to the unloading position, preferably has an excursion of 90°.

Inventors: MAZZONI ALDO, MAZZONI, ALDO
Applicants: MAZZONI G MECC COSTR, COSTRUZIONI MECCANICHE G. MAZZONI S.P.A.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: C11D13
IPC codes: B30B11, C11D13