METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING STRAPS FROM STRAPPED ARTICLES SUCH AS PILES OF SIGNATURES AND SIMILAR ARTICLES WHICH ARE STRAPPED TOGETHER

Abstract: The straps (R) are gripped between two counter-rotating rollers (11, 12), cut by an oscillating blade (22), and then advanced into a cylindrical recess (26) to cause them to be coiled up. After they have been coiled up, straps of thermofusible material are heated locally (27) to cause adhesion between adjacent turns. The coiled straps (R) thus retain a substantially stable coiled position and can be ejected from the apparatus.

Description: In general, the present invention tackles the problem of the removal of straps from articles which are strapped together and has been developed with particular attention to its possible use for the removal of straps from stacks of signatures and similar products (papers, magazines, etc.) in the printing and publishing industry. In this field of application, the products discharged from printing and folding lines are currently collected in stacks of superposed products which are bound together in their direction of stacking by straps, usually with two rigid boards positioned so as to protect the two ends of the stack. This is all with a view to storage (and possible transportation) as piles of stacks collected on pallets. For the subsequent handling of the products (for example, binding, bookbinding, etc.) it is necessary to remove the straps and the two end retaining boards. Conventionally, this operation is carried out manually after the stacks have been placed on a conveyor which supplies them to the subsequent handling station. The fact that this operation is carried out manually makes it quite demanding and onerous, particularly in large printing and publishing plants where the production volumes may require the employment of a considerable number of personnel, and especially if the plant operates a continuous cycle with several shifts. More specifically the present invention relates to a method and apparatus as called for in the preambles of Claims 1 and 6, which are known, e.g. from EP-A-0 240 289. In that respect, also US-A-3 513 522 is of some interest for the invention. The object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus which enable the straps to be removed automatically with a high degree of precision and reliability. According to the present invention, this object is achieved by virtue of a method and/or apparatus having the characteristics recited specifically in the claims 1 and 6, respectively. The invention will now be described, purely by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the appended drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a general perspective view of apparatus according to the invention, Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the same apparatus, Figure 3 shows the elements indicated by the arrow III of Figure 2 on an enlarged scale, Figure 4 is a section taken on the line IV-IV of Figure 3, and Figure 5 is a section taken on the line V-V of Figure 3. In Figure 1, apparatus for use in removing straps from articles which are strapped together is generally indicated 1. In the embodiment illustrated, the articles in question are constituted by stacks A of signatures or similar products (papers, magazines, etc.) stacked between two end boards T and bound by straps R, usually of thermofusible plastics material. In the embodiment illustrated, the articles A advance horizontally (from right to left from the viewpoint of Figures 1 and 2) on a conveyor C, such as a roller conveyor, towards a handling station (for example, a binding station) not shown in the drawings. In general, the articles A advance in several parallel flows which are side by side, as shown schematically in Figure 1 where the articles A advancing in a further flow behind the articles A visible in the foreground are shown schematically in broken outline. In the embodiment illustrated, the apparatus 1 has a generally cartesian-robot-like configuration with a portal-shaped support structure 2 arranged above the advancing flows of articles in the manner of a bridge. The structure 2 includes a cross member 3, usually constituted by two superposed rails, extending transverse and above the flow of articles A to connect two lateral guides 4. The cross member 3 can move along the lateral guides 4 of the portal structure (only one of which is visible in the views of Figures 1 and 2) under the action of motor means, not illustrated, so that it can, so to speak, follow the articles A as they advance. A motor-driven carriage 5 (motor 5a) is in turn mounted for sliding on the rails 3, for example, on rollers or bearings, and can be brought selectively above any one of the advancing flows of articles A. An upright or vertical column 6 is mounted on the carriage 5 and two units which constitute the actual active parts of the apparatus according to the invention can slide vertically along it (towards and away from the articles A). More precisely, these are units, generally indicated 7, for removing the straps R and coiling them up and units, generally indicated 8, for picking up and removing the boards T. The units carry associated operating members (for example, fluid jacks such as the one indicated 7a in Figures 1 and 2) which enable them to be lowered and raised (independently if necessary) relative to the advancing flows of articles A. A conveyor mounted on the top part of the portal structure 2 is indicated 9 and is constituted, for example, by a roller conveyor extending parallel to the cross member 3. The conveyor 9 is fixed to the lateral uprights of the portal structure 2 and has the function of taking away and consequently recovering the boards T picked up by the unit 8. In fact, this unit can lower itself periodicially (according to criteria which will be described further below) towards the flows of articles A so as to remove the boards T in pairs and then feed them to the conveyor 9 as a result of the translation of the cross member 3 towards the conveyor 9. The boards T thus collected can be advanced to a collection station so that they can be recovered and reused for the formation of new stacks. As can be seen better in the detailed drawings of Figures 3 to 5, the unit 7 is constituted essentially by a support 10 on which two superposed rollers 11 and 12 are mounted. The rollers in question are keyed to respective horizontal shafts 11a and 12a which are interconnected by a gear 13 dimensioned so that the tangential velocities of the facing peripheral surfaces of the two rollers 11 and 12 are identical. In general, the upper roller 11 has a larger diameter (for example, approximately 3 times larger) than the lower roller 12. The rollers are rotated (the upper roller 11 clockwise and the lower roller 12 anticlockwise) by a motor, schematically indicated 14 only in Figure 4. A movable element, generally indicated 15, can oscillate to and fro about the axis of the upper roller 11, that axis being defined by the shaft 11a, under the action of a fluid jack 16, according to criteria which will be described further below. The element 15 is arranged in a position generally behind the rollers 11 and 12 from the viewpoint of Figures 1 and 2. On its side facing the lower roller 12, it has an arcuate slot or track 17 whose function is to drive, as a result of the oscillation of the element 15, an eccentric assembly 18 on which the shaft 12a supporting the roller 12 is mounted. This mechanism (see Figure 4) comprises essentially a core 19 mounted rotatably on the support 10 in a position slightly offset from the axis of the roller 12, and a crank arm 20 with a free end which cooperates slidingly, for example, with the interposition of a bearing, with the slot or track 17 provided in the oscillating element 15. A blade 22 is also mounted on the same element in a position generally facing a wheel-like structure 21, whose function will be described further below, and is intended to cooperate with a blade 23 mounted in a generally fixed position relative to the support 10. The lower roller 12 is arranged in a position generally intermediate two wedge formations 24 which project in the manner of a forked guide from the outer side of the support 10. The wedge formations 24 have respective upper sides 24a whose inner ends (relative to the support 10) are substantially in horizontal alignment with the gap defined by the rollers 11 and 12. The wheel structure 21 is mounted for rotation (under the action of motor means not directly visible in the drawings) about a horizontal shaft 25. The wheel device 21 has a generally cross-like configuration and has four circular recesses 26 defined by respective cylindral peripheral walls. The recesses 26 open outwardly of the wheel 21 and therefore have respective openings accessible from outside the wheel structure 21, radially thereof. The openings of the recesses 26 are intended sequentially to face the region where the fixed blade 23 is situated, immediately above the blade itself, according to criteria which will be described further below. A heating unit, for example, an armoured bar resistor, indicated 27, is mounted on the support 10 so as precisely to face one of the recesses 26 when the recess 26 immediately upstream (in the anticlockwise sense of rotation of the wheel 21 from the viewpoint of Figure 4) faces the blade 23. A thrust element, indicated 28, also constituted by a bar is situated in a position more or less opposite the heater element 27 relative to the shaft 25 so that it extends generally diametrally of another of the apertures 26 in the wheel structure 21. The mounting arrangement described, therefore, is such that, when one of the recesses 26 faces the blade 23 (so that it can receive a strap R according to criteria which will be described further below), the recess 26 immediately downstream (in the sense of rotation of the wheel 21) faces the heater element 27 and another recess 26 further downstream (by one or, as in the case of the embodiment illustrated, by two positions) faces the ejector element 28. The latter is mounted on an operating element, such as, for example, the rod of another fluid jack 29, so that it can be extended selectively through the recess 26 which faces it to eject a strap R which is coiled up in the recess according to criteria which will be described further below. A further wheel structure, indicated 30, is mounted in a position generally facing the blade 23 so as to be aligned precisely with the recess 26 of the wheel 21 which is in the same position at the same time. As can be seen better in the sectional view of Figure 5, the wheel structure 30 is constituted by a circular disc 31 from which a plurality of prongs 31a extend axially of the recess 26 aligned with the structure 30 at the time in question. The disc 31 is mounted on a shaft 32 which can be rotated (in an anticlockwise sense from the viewpoint of Figure 3) through a gear 33 by a motor (possibly also constituted by the motor 14 which rotates the rollers 11 and 12), not shown. More precisely, the shaft 32 is mounted for longitudinal sliding in a sleeve 34 driven by the gear 33. The presence of longitudinal splines or grooves ensures that the shaft 32 is rotated by the sleeve 34. This arrangement enables the shaft 32 to slide longitudinally under the action of a control arm 32a, for example, a fluid actuator, so that it can move between an advanced position in which the prongs 31a extend into the circular or cylindrical recess 26 with which the wheel structure 30 is aligned, and a retracted position in which the prongs are disengaged from the recess to enable the wheel structure 21 to rotate freely about the shaft 25. A sensor (for example, an optical sensor) for detecting the presence of a strap R between the two rollers 11 and 12 is indicated 35 and is mounted on the support 10 beside the rollers 11 and 12 on the opposite side from the wheel structure 21. A slider, generally indicated 36, can move freely along the conveyor C under the action of an entrainment member 37, for example, of the type with a jack. The slider 36, whose general outline is in the form of an isosceles triangle, has the function of moving beneath the stacks A until it is situated in a central position between the boards T applied to the facing ends A₁ and A₂ of the two successive stacks in the flow. The insertion of the slider 36 between the successive stacks causes the ends A₁ and A₂ in question to be lifted from the transporting plane of the conveyor C which in turn results in: the bending of the two stacks affected by the action of the slider 36, and the moving apart of the two ends A₁ and A₂ and of the boards T applied thereto into a generally V-shaped configuration. The boards T may be stabilised in this opened out position as a result of the penetration between them of two side arms 36a which project upwardly from the slider 36 in a generally U-shaped configuration. From an observation of the stack situated immediately upstream of the slider 36 (in the direction of advance of the articles A), it can be seen that the presence of the slider 36 and the consequent raising of the downstream end (A₁) causes the formation of a curved (concave) upper side F in the stack (since the articles in question are stacks of superposed laminar products) and the consequent separation of the strap R from the side F. When the strap R has been separated from the side F, the unit 7 is lowered towards the article A, and the two wedge formations 24 are then inserted between the strap R and the side F (for example, as a result of the sliding of the carriage 5 towards the article A). This penetration or insertion brings the strap R into the space or gap between the rollers 11 and 12 (see Figure 3 in particular). Under these conditions, the strap R is also situated in a position intermediate the two blades 22 and 23. The arrival of the strap R between the two rollers 11 and 12 (which are kept slightly apart) and between the two blades 22 and 23 is detected by the optical sensor 35 which (by means of a central control unit such as a microprocessor or a PLC of known type) activates the motor 14 so that the rollers 11 and 12 are rotated (clockwise for the roller 11 and anticlockwise for the roller 12). Substantially simultaneously, the control unit also activates the jack 16 so as to cause the element 15 to swing from right to left from the viewpoint of Figure 3. This swinging movement displaces the slot or track 17 relative to the eccentric mechanism 18, causing the roller 12 (which at first was at a certain distance from the roller 11) to move towards the roller 11 and the consequent gripping of the strap R between the two rollers. At the same time, the swinging of the element 15 also causes the movable blade 22 to swing towards the blade 23, which is in a fixed position, so as to effect a shearing action on the strap R and hence to cut it. The rotation of the rollers 11 and 12 pushes the free end of the strap thus formed towards the opening of the recess 26 which is immediately opposite, downstream of the fixed blade 23. The cut strap R is then rapidly removed from the position in which it is wrapped round the article A and advances into the coiling recess 26 into which the prongs 31a of the disc 31 extend. The disc is rotated by means of the gear 33 so that the strap R is coiled up in the recess 26 around the prongs 31a. These are then retracted, leaving the strap R which has been removed from the article A coiled up in the recess 26. At this point, the wheel structure 21 advances by one step, bringing the coiled strap into correspondence with the heating element 27, whilst the recess 26 is brought to a position facing the blade 23 so that it can receive a new strap R removed from a subsequent article. At the same time, the movement of the rollers 11 and 12 is stopped and the device 15 is returned to its rest position shown in Figure 3, separating the blade 22 from the blade 23 and returning the lower roller 12 to a position a certain distance from the upper roller 11 to re-establish the gap in which a subsequent strap R can be gripped. At the same time, as a result of heating by the element 27, the strap already removed is melted locally (in correspondence with one of the two opposite faces of the loop) causing adjacent turns to stick firmly together. Thus, when the strap is situated in correspondence with the ejector device 28 as a result of successive rotations of the wheel structure 21, the ejector device can discharge it from the apparatus in the form of an annular body of substantially stable shape, without any risk of the strap uncoiling and hence without causing collection problems, and particularly without interfering with the operation of the apparatus. The unit 8 for picking up the board T operates in synchronism with the unit 7 by checking when the strap R on the article A upstream of the slider 36 has been removed (obviously, the strap has already been removed from the article A downstream): when this has taken place, both the boards T situated at the ends A₁ and A₂ which are kept raised and apart by the slider 36 can safely be removed since they are no longer held by the straps R. In one possible embodiment, the unit 8 is constituted essentially by a forked structure with two vertical prongs 40 which project downwardly. The prongs 40 have slightly tapered lower ends on which gripping elements, such as suction cups 41 connected to a vacuum source, not shown, are mounted. The unit 8 inserts its prongs between the ends A₁, A₂ and picks up the two boards T applied thereto by the suction cups 41. The boards are then removed upwardly as a result of the general movement of the unit 8 back to its rest position and are then inserted on the conveyor 9 for subsequent outward transfer. Generally, in order to facilitate the separation achieved by the slider 36 and the insertion of the forked structure 40 between two consecutive stacks, it is preferable that the stacks are spaced slightly apart beforehand at a position upstream. A spacer unit is provided for this purpose and is constituted essentially by a horizontal roller or bar 100 supported at at least one end by a pivoting arm 101 carried by a device 102 which is movable longitudinally of the stacks on horizontal guides 103. The device 102, and hence the separator roller 100, is moved along the guides 103 by an operating member, such as a jack (not visible on the drawings), so as to move back (to a furthest back position) behind the last stack advanced towards the unit 7 at the time in question. When this furthest back position has been reached, the roller 100 falls by gravity behind the board T covering the rear end of the stack and is positioned to push the stack. At this point, the movable device 102 is moved forwardly towards the unit 7 again to advance the stack and, at the same time, another stack can be supplied to the apparatus: this will in any case be kept apart from the preceding stack by the roller 100. The space thus formed facilitates the insertion of the slider 36 from below and the consequent V-shaped separation of the facing ends. When the position for the insertion of the slider 36 has been reached and the arms 36a which keep the ends A₁ and A₂ firmly apart have been operated, the movable device 102 is brought back to its initial position and the roller 100 is removed upwardly, sliding over the front - inclined - face of the stack next to the one which was pushed previously. The synchronisation of these movements is ensured by an optical detector on the slider 36 which also provides the control signal that calls for the operation of the unit for removing the straps and the boards.

Claims: A method of removing a strap (R) from strapped articles (A), including the subsequent steps of: moving said articles (A) into a predetermined strap removing position, catching, gripping, cutting and removing the strap (A) characterised in that: the article (A) is given a concavely shaped top surface at said predetermined position, thus providing a space between the strap and said surface, catching means (24) are introduced into said space, and the cut strap (R) is coiled up during its removal. A method according to Claim 1, characterised in that it includes the step of providing gripping means in the form of two counter-rotating rollers (21, 22) which can grip the straps (R) between them and substantially simultaneously advance them into a recess (26) for coiling. A method according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, for removing straps (R) of thermofusibile material, characterised in that it includes the step of heating (27) the straps (R) coiled up in the recess (26), at least locally, to cause adhesion between adjacent turns so that the coiled straps (R) assume a substantially stable coiled configuration. A method according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, applied to articles (A) having a certain length between two opposite ends, characterised in that it includes the steps of: positioning the articles (A) in a substantially horizontal position prior to the gripping of the straps (R), with at least one (A₁) of the two opposite ends raised so as to bend the articles (A) and consequently giving said convave shape to of the articles (A). A method according to Claim 1 or Claim 4, applied to articles (A) constituted by stacks of items held together by straps (R) in the direction in which they are stacked between two opposite ends and having retaining boards (T) around which the straps (R) pass applied to the ends, characterised in that it includes the steps of: supplying the articles (A) in sequence to the gripping means (11, 12) in a direction parallel to the direction in which they are stacked; moving the facing ends (A₁, A₂) of two consecutive articles in the sequence slightly apart (36), the respective straps (R) having been removed from the two consecutive articles, and removing the retaining boards (T) applied to the facing ends (A₁, A₂). Apparatus for removing a strap (R) from strapped articles (A), comprising: catching means (24) introduced between the strap and the strapped article, the article being in a predetermined strap removing position gripping means (11, 12) to grip the catched strap and to remove it after it is cut cutting means (22, 23) to cut the gripped strap characterised in that the apparatus comprises: an inclined surface (36) at said predetermined strap removing position, said inclined surface being movable under the bottom of the article to provide a concave top surface of said article and a space between the strap and said top surface of the article a coiling means (31, 31a) which cooperates with said gripping means (11, 12) and which is working during the removal of the strap by said gripping means. Apparatus according to Claim 6, characterised in that the gripping means comprise two counter-rotating rollers (11, 12) which can grip the straps (R) between them and then advance them into the coiling recess (26) as a result of their rotation. Apparatus according to Claim 6 or Claim 7, characterised in that the cutting means comprise: a first blade (23) situated in a position generally intermediate the gripping means (11, 12) and the coiling recess (26), and a second blade (22) which can reciprocate between a rest position which it assumes at least when the straps (R) are gripped by the gripping means (11, 12) and a cutting position in which the second blade (22) cooperates with the first blade (23) to cut the straps (R). Apparatus according to Claim 8, characterised in that fluid-actuator means (16) are associated with the second blade (22). Apparatus according to Claim 7 and Claim 8, characterised in that it includes: an oscillating element (15) which can move orbitally about the first roller (11) and carries the second blade (22) so as to move the second blade (22) between its rest position and its cutting position, and movement-transmission means (17 to 20) interposed between the oscillating element (15) and the second roller (12) so that, as a result of the movement of the element (15), a relative movement of the rollers (11, 12) takes place between a spaced-apart position for receiving the straps (R) between the rollers (11, 12) and a close-together position for gripping the straps between the rollers (11, 12), the close-together position being reached at substantially the same time as the second blade (22) reaches the cutting position. Apparatus according to Claim 10, characterised in that the movement-transmission means comprise track means (17) on the oscillating element (15) and a crank mechanism including a core (19) rotatable about a respective axis, the second roller (12) being mounted on the core in an eccentric position relative to the respective axis, and an operating arm (20) with a free end which cooperates slidingly with the track means (17). Apparatus according to Claim 6, characterised in that the peripheral wall of the at least one coiling recess (26) is substantially circular. Apparatus according to Claim 6 or Claim 12, characterised in that it includes a formation (31) with prongs which can extend through the coiling recess (26) to facilitate the coiling up of the straps (R). Apparatus according to Claim 13, characterised in that the pronged formation (31) is rotatable (33) in the coiling recess (26). Apparatus according to Claim 13 or Claim 14, characterised in that the prongs (31a) are selectively retractable from the recess. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 13 to 15, characterised in that the at least one coiling recess (26) is substantially cylindrical and the prongs (31a) extend axially of the recess (26). Apparatus according to Claim 6, for removing straps (R) of thermofusible material, characterised in that it includes heater means (27) which can heat the straps (R) coiled up in the recess (26), at least locally, so as to cause adhesion between adjacent turns whereby the coiled straps (R) assume a substantially stable coiled configuration. Apparatus according to Claim 17, characterised in that it includes a wheel structure (21) which has a plurality of coiling recesses (26) and can rotate so as to bring a recess (26) which initially faces the gripping means (11, 12) in order to receive a strap (R) for coiling to a position facing the heater means (27) so that the previously coiled strap (R) can be heated at least locally. Apparatus according to Claim 6 or Claim 17, characterised in that it includes an ejector device (28, 29) for ejecting the straps from the coiling recess. Apparatus according to Claim 18 and Claim 19, characterised in that the wheel structure (21) includes at least three coiling recesses (26) in an arrangement such that, at the same time: a first recess (26) faces the gripping means (11, 12), a second recess (26) faces the heater means (27), and a third recess faces the ejector device (28, 29). Apparatus according to Claim 6, characterised in that it includes at least one support (10) for the gripping means (11, 12), the support (10) being movable relative to the strapped articles (A) and having at least one wedge formation (24) which can be inserted between the straps (R) and the strapped articles (A) as a result of the relative movement to cause the straps (R) to be spaced from the strapped articles (A). Apparatus according to Claim 6, characterised in that it includes a detector (35) which can identify the condition in which the straps (R) have been received between the gripping means (11, 12) in order to activate the cutting means (22, 23). Apparatus according to Claim 6 or Claim 21, for removing straps (R) from articles having a certain length between two opposite ends, characterised in that it includes a conveyor (C) for advancing the articles towards the gripping means (11, 12) in substantially horizontal positions with at least one (A₁) of the two opposite ends raised so as to bend the articles (A) and consequently to render concave said top surface (F) of the article (A). Apparatus according to Claim 6 or Claim 23, for removing straps from articles (A) constituted by stacks of items held together by straps (R) in the direction in which they are stacked and having two opposite ends, retaining boards (T) around which the straps (R) pass being applied to the opposite ends, characterised in that it includes: a conveyor (C) for supplying the articles (A) in sequence towards the gripping means (11, 12) in a direction parallel to the direction of stacking; spacer means (36) for moving the facing ends (A₁, A₂) of consecutive articles in the sequence slightly apart, and a removal unit (8) for removing the retaining boards (T) applied to the facing, spaced-apart ends (A₁, A₂) of two consecutive articles in the sequence. Apparatus according to Claim 23 or Claim 24, characterised in that a slider (36) movable longitudinally of the conveyor (C) is associated with the conveyor (C) and can be brought into correspondence with the facing ends (A₁, A₂) of two consecutive articles in the sequence so as to raise the ends (A₁, A₂) from the conveyor (C) and move the facing ends (A₁, A₂) slightly apart. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 23 to 25, characterised in that it includes separator means (100 to 103) for spacing the articles apart before the at least one of the opposite ends (A₁, A₂) is raised. Apparatus according to Claim 24, characterised in that a conveyor (9) is associated with the removal unit (8) for collecting the boards (T) removed from the articles. Apparatus according to Claim 24 or Claim 27, characterised in that the removal unit (8) includes suction cup means (41) which can act on the boards (T). Apparatus according to Claim 6 or Claim 21, characterised in that it includes a plurality of lines for supplying strapped articles (A) in flows which are side by side, and in that the gripping means (11, 12) have an associated movable (2 to 6) support (10) so that they can operate sequentially on strapped articles (A) in different flows. Apparatus according to Claim 24 or Claim 29, characterised in that it includes a plurality of lines for supplying strapped articles (A) in flows which are side by side, and in that the removal unit (8) is movable so that it can operate sequentially on strapped articles (A) in different flows.

Inventors: LISA, MARIO
Applicants: L.I.T.A. S.R.L.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B65B69
IPC codes: B65B69