MAGAZINE FOR CONTAINER-FORMING SHEETS OR THE LIKE, ADJUSTABLE FOR PREDETERMINED SHEETSIZES

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus in a magazine for box or carton blanks and the like, and including bottom and lateral guides as well as means for forward advance of the blanks in the magazine to its exit or delivery end (7). At least the tool details (16, 17) in the magazine (1) which carry the lateral and bottom guides (3, 2) can be moved into suitably related settings corresponding to a plurality of predetermined blank formats with the aid of format setting wheels (18), which have the same number of pins (19) as the number of desired formats, and where the length of each pin (19) corresponds to a dimension of the predetermined blank format, these pins (19) having their free end surfaces (20) being adapted for coaction with stops (21) on the respective tool detail (16, 17) for positionally fixing these details in the positions required by the format in question.

Description: MAGAZINE FOR CONTAINER-FORMING SHEETS OR THE LIKE ADJUSTABLE FOR PREDETERMINED SHEETSIZES. The present invention relates to an apparatus in a machine for box or carton blanks and the like, this magazine in¬ cluding bottom and side guides as well as means for advancing the blanks forwards in the magazine to its exit or delivery end. A variety of types of feed means in magazines for such blanks are already known, and they have complicated arrangements for feeding the blanks forwards in the magazine. Apart from this, there is often a packing together in these machines of the blanks which are at the delivery end, resulting in that the blanks stick one against thet other when they are to be taken one at a time for conveying to an erecting tool, resulting in machine downtime. A problem with these magazines has been that different magazines are required for different blank formats, and in the cases where a magazine has been adjust¬ able to different blank formats, this adjustment has been very time consuming and complicated to carry out. The object of the present invention is to provide an appa¬ ratus where the setting of the magazine to different blank formats can be carried out very simply, and in which the • disadvantages to be found in magazines on the market have been eliminated. What is essentially distinguishing for the invention here is that at least the magazine tool details which carry the lateral and bottom guides are movably ad- justable to suit a plurality of predetermined blank formats and relative to each other with the aid of format setting wheels. These wheels have the same number of pins as the number of desired formats, and each pin length corresponds to one of the dimensions of the predetermined blank format, the end surfaces of the pins being adapted for coaction with stops on the respective tool detail such as to positionally fix the detail in the position determined by the format. With the aid of the present invention there has now been provided an apparatus in a magazine which, apart from its being simple and cheap to manufacture, fills its function in an excellent way. With the aid of the inventive apparatus, the magazine can now be automatically set for different blank formats simply by the operator turning format selection knobs which in turn actuate the format setting wheels to provide the setting, a suitable number of formats being catered for by each format selection wheel. The invention will now be described in more detail below with the aid of a preferred embodiment example and with reference to the accompanying drawing, where Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a magazine in accordance with the present invention, and Fig. 2 is an end view of the magazine illustrated in Fig. 1. As will be seen from the drawings, the magazine 1 in a pre¬ ferred embodiment of the present invention comprises bottom guides 2 and lateral guides 3 for blanks 4 arranged in the magazine 1. For advancing the blanks in the magazine 1 there is at least one elongate means 5 between and closely adjacent the respective bottom guide, the means 5 being eccentrically mounted in the bottom guides 2 such as to temporarily project a short distance above the carrying surface of the bottom guides 2, although this distance is sufficiently long to stepwise advance the blanks 4 forwards in the magazine 1 into engagement with an end stop 6 at the delivery end 7 of the magazine 1. Driving the eccentrically mounted elongate means 5 takes place with the aid of a motor 8 and shaft 9. The shaft 9 is provided with wheels 12 fixed thereon, the wheels being in turn provided with fixed short shafts 11, the pro¬ jecting parts of the shafts being mounted in bearings 10 on the elongate means 5. In connection with the end stop 6 there is a contact breaker, preferably in the form of a photo cell 13 arranged to sense whether a predetermined number of blanks 4 are in the region of the exit or delivery end 7 of the magazine 1, there being temporary interruption of the forward feed during the time it takes for a blank picker to take 5-10 blanks 4 (for example) from the magazine 1, so that packing of the blanks against the end stop 6 is avoided. When this number of blanks has been taken, the feed is automatically started once again until the predetermined number of blanks has collected in the exit region. A rotatable stop 14 can be arranged at the upper edge of the exit of the magazine 1 to facilitate removal of the blanks from the magazine. In addition, upper guides 15 can be arranged above the blanks in the longitudinal direcction of the magazine. As will be seen from Fig. 2, the magazine can be set for different blank formats, since the tool details 16 carrying the lateral guides 3 and the tool details 17 carrying the bottom guides 2 can be moved into suitably related settings with the aid of format setting wheels 18, each of which has a plurality of pins 19, each pin having a different length corresponding to a dimension of a predetermined blank format. These pins 19 are arranged such that their free end surfaces 20 coact with stops 21 on the respective tool details 16, 17 and movement of the tool details 16, 17 takes place with the aid of drive cylinders, not illustrated on the drawing. Setting to desired blank format takes place when the re¬ spective tool detail is in its position corresponding to its largest format dimension, or starting position, which enables its format setting wheel 18 to be turned to the position corresponding to the desired blank format. Turning the format setting wheels 18 can take place using format selection knobs not illustrated on the drawing, but arranged well visible and accessible, and actuating rotation of the format setting wheels 18 with the aid of shafts 22. A suitable number of pins 19 can be 6-8 pins on each format setting wheel 10.

Claims: CLAIM Apparatus in a magazine for box or carton blanks and the like and including bottom guides (2) and preferably lateral guides (3) also, as well as upper guides (15) in certain cases, together with means (5) for advancing the blanks (4) in the magazine (1) to its exit or delivery end (7), characterized in that at least the tool details (16, 17) of the magazine, these details carrying the lateral and bottom guides (3, 2) can be moved into suitably related settings corresponding to a plurality of predetermined blank formats with the aid of format setting wheels (18), these wheels having a number of pins (19) which is the same as the number of desired formats, and where the length of each pin (19) corresponds to a dimension of the predetermined blank format, said pins (19) being arranged with their free end surfaces (20) to coact with stops (21) on the respective tool detail (16, 17) for positiσnally fixing these details in the positions required by the format in question.

Inventors: NILSSON INGMAR, WALLIN KAY, NILSSON, INGMAR, WALLIN, KAY
Applicants: SPRINTER SYSTEM AB
Application year: 1989
Main classification: B65H1
IPC codes: B65H1, B65H7, B65H9