A METHOD AND A DEVICE FOR SEPARATION OF PIECES FROM A PERFORATED CARBOARD TRACK

Abstract: A method and a device for separating pieces (2), from a cardboard track (1) having transverse perforations (3), and being fed through a device incorporating two pairs of individually driven rollers (8, 9 and 12, 13 resp.) arranged one pair after the other in the feed direction, which rollers of each pair of rollers between themselves form a through-feed space through which the cardboard track is fed, and where separation is effected in that the second pair of rollers (12, 13) is caused to feed the cardboard track at a higher speed than the first pair of rollers (8, 9), whereby the presence of a perforation (3) in the cardboard track (1) between the two pairs of rollers (8, 9 and 12, 13 resp.) is detected, the rotation of the second pair of rollers (12, 13) at such presence being reversed, in order to feed with both pairs of rollers the cardboard track between the pairs of rollers towards the perforation (3) situated between the pairs of rollers, thereby forcing the cardboard track to bend upwards, whereby the fibres of the cardboard track are broken, and thereupon again reversing the rotation of the second pair of rollers (12, 13) and driving these at a rotational relative speed higher than that of the first pair of rollers (8, 9) for causing severing of the cardboard track at the perforation.

Description: A METHOD AND A DEVICE FOR SEPARATION OF PIECES FROM A PERFO¬ RATED CARDBOARD TRACK Background of the invention The present invention refers to a method for separating of pieces, such as tickets, lottery tickets or the like from a perforated cardboard track, and a device for accomplishing the method. Such a device is preferably part of a vending machine for different types of tickets, lottery tickets or the like, where insertion of a coin or a token in the vending machine results in discharge of a ticket, a lottery ticket or the like which has been separated from the track. However, the use of the device is not limited to such vending machines. The cardboard track is provided with subsequent fields of printings and with a perforation perpendicular to the longi¬ tudinal direction of the cardboard track provided between each pair of subsequent fields, and the continuous track of fields with intermediate perforations is folded in zig-zag manner in the same manner as a data print-out. For advancing and separating such pieces from a cardboard track, e.g. US-A-3,672,551 has earlier proposed a separation machine for paper material in track-form with transverse lines of weakening, whereby the track is allowed to pass between a pair of infeed rollers, which are driven at one speed, whereupon the track is pulled in between a pair of outfeed rollers, which are driven at a higher relative speed, the speed difference thereby being so chosen that a piece of the track is severed by the outfeed rollers in that the material weakening is caused to burst due to the higher speed of the outfeed rollers. Such a separation of the material functions rather well, but at least at materials which are not all too thin, such as carton or cardboard, it is required quite big power to bring about the separation, which is effected solely by means of a pulling force in the longitudinal direction of the track. Purpose and most important features of the invention The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method and a device for accomplishing the method, by means of which separation of pieces, also from rather thick cardboard tracks, can be effected at a substantially lower power requirement as compared to earlier methods and devices, and this has been obtained by the features defined in the cha¬ racterizing part of claim 1 and claim 5 resp.. Description of the drawings Hereinafter the invention will be further described with reference to an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 shows in perspective and schematically a device according to the invention, and Fig.s 2a - 2f illustrate in side elevations schematically subsequent steps of the method for separation of pieces from a perforated cardboard track in accordance with invention. Description of the preferred embodiment Fig. 1 shows a mechanism for outfeed and separation of pieces from a cardboard track 1 in form of a zig-zag-folded track consisting of a plurality of tickets 2 or the like, each pair of adjacent pieces of which are separated by perforations 3 extending transversally to the longitudinal direction of the track. The mechanism is enclosed in a housing or frame 4 having two parallel side walls 6 inter- connected by cross bars 5, and in which side walls is rota- tably supported a deflection roller 7, over which the card¬ board track is led against a first pair of rollers arranged one 8 over the other 9, and which rollers are driven by a common motor 10, via a gear box 11, in such a manner that the pair of rollers 8, 9 will carry along the cardboard track 1, when driven. Just after the the first pair of rollers 8, 9, there is arranged a second pair of rollers 12, 13 arranged in parallel with and in the same manner as the first pair of rollers, and also this second pair of rollers 12, 13 (see Fig.s 2a-f) is driven by a separate motor 14, via a gear box 15. The motors 10 and 14 are driven indivi- dually and they are also reversible. In Fig. 2a is schematically and in side elevation shown components essential for the function of the mechanism according to the invention, i.e. the deflection roller 7, with the cardboard track 1 led thereover, the two pairs of rollers 8,9 and 12,13 resp., and a photocell 16 positioned after the second pair of rollers. In accordance with the above, the mechanism according to the invention may be part of a vending machine, e.g. for sale of tickets, lottery tickets or the like. A not shown control equipment, for the vending machine receives a start pulse from a not shown slot mechanism or another start mechanism. In its initial position the end of the cardboard track 1 is situated between the two pairs of rollers 8,9 and 12,13 as can be seen in Fig. 2a. After receiving start pulse the motors 10 and 14 start and rotate both pairs of rollers in the directions shown with arrows in Fig. 2b. At the same time a light beam is lit between the parts of the photocell 16. Due to the rotation of the pairs of rollers the cardboard track is pulled along through the space between the two rollers of the second pair of rollers 12,13, and the end of the track reaches, as shown in Fig 2c, the photocell and breaks the light beam thereof. The photocell 16 is for this reason positioned at such a distance behind the second pair of rollers, that the perfo¬ ration 3 between two tickets 2 will be situated just between the two pairs of rollers when the light beam of the photo¬ cell is broken. At this moment the motor driving the second pair of rollers 12,13 is reversed and the part of the ticket track fed out by the second pair of rollers is forced back in a direction towards the first pair of rollers 8,9. As the first pair of rollers 8,9 is still rotating in the advance direction the cardboard track 1, as shown in Fig. 2d, will be folded at the perforation 3 and be forced upp between the pairs of rollers 8,9 and 12,13 resp. Hereby the fibres of the cardboard track will be cracked and broken in the folded-up perforation, and after a predetermined distan¬ ce both motors driving the pairs of rollers are reversed, such as shown in Fig. 2e. When the edge of the cardboard track 1 again reaches the position where it breaks the light beam from the photocell, the first pair of rollers has pulled back the part of the cardboard track which was advanced during the folding sequence, thus that the cardboard track in this position is again stretched. When the lightbeam of the photocell then again is broken, the rotation of the first pair of rollers is stopped and the cardboard track bursts at the folded perforation such as shown in Fig. 2f, and the severed ticket is fed out by the second pair of rollers. In this position the edge of the cardboard track again is in the same position as in Fig. 2a and the device is ready for the next outfeed cycle. Due to the folding or cracking to which the cardboard track is subjected, when the second pair of rollers 12,13 feed the cardboard track backwards in a direction opposite to the simultaneous advance feed at the first pair of rollers 8,9, the required severing force will be substantially smaller as compared to earlier embodiments, where the separation is accomplished solely by means of pulling forces in the longitudinal direction of the track, and due to this it is possible not only to reduce the requi¬ red energy consumption, but it is also possible to use less powerful driving members, which therefore will be less expensive and less space requiring. In order further to minimize the required separation power, particularly at cardboard tracks of very thick carton, it is possible, such as intimated in Fig. 2e, to arrange a movable knife 17 adapted to give the cardboard track a fractural impression in the perforation when the cardboard track is. stretched just before it bursts at the perforation. In Fig. 2a - 2f the space between the two pairs of rollers 8,9 and 12,13 resp. has been exaggerated for the sake of clarity. The invention is not limited to the embodiment shown in the drawings and described in connection thereto but modifica¬ tions and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims. Thus it is possible to substitute the knife 17 for an immo- bile edge, which causes the track a fractural impression when the track passes by. The deflection roller 7 furthermore can be utilized for effecting a pre-cracking of the track at the perforations, when the track passes the deflection roller before it is fed in between the rollers in the first pair of rollers. Even if it in the description has been stated that the first pair of rollers is stopped before the separation is effec¬ ted, it is possible without departing from the basic concept of the invention, that the first pair of rollers rotate in the rearward direction, or even in the forward direction during the separation stage, whereby the second pair of rollers always have a higher relative rotational speed in advance direction than the first pair of rollers. The track to be separated has throughout the application been defined as cardboard track, which however shall be seen in a very broad sense.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A method for separating pieces (2) from a cardboard track (1) having transverse perforations (3), which track is fed through a device incorporating two pairs of individually driven rollers (8,9 and 12,13 resp.) arranged one pair after the other in the feed direction, which rollers of each pair of rollers between themselves form a through-feed space through which the cardboard track is fed, and where separa- tion is effected in that the second pair of rollers (12,13) is caused to feed the cardboard track at a higher speed than the first pair of rollers (8,9), c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n detecting the presence of a perforation (3) in the cardboard track (1) between the two pairs of rollers (8,9 and 12,13 resp. ), reversing the rotation of the second pair of rollers (12,13) at such presence, in order to feed with both pairs of rol¬ lers the cardboard track between the pairs of rollers to- wards the perforation (3) situated between the pairs of rollers thereby forcing the cardboard track to fold upwards, whereby the fibres of the cardboard track are broken, reversing thereupon the rotation of the second pair of rollers (12,13) again and driving these at a rotational relative speed, higher than that of the first pair of rol¬ lers (8,9) for causing severing of the cardboard track at the perforation. 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n driving the first pair of rollers (8,9) in reversed rotatio¬ nal direction after folding of the cardboard track (1) between the two pairs of rollers (8,9 and 12,13 resp.) in order to stretch the cardboard track about the folded perfo- ration (3) before the second pair of rollers (12,13) are operated to cause severing of the cardboard track. 3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d t h e r e i n that the rotation for the first pair of rollers (8,9) is stopped before effecting the severing of the cardboard track. 4. A method as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n providing the cardboard track (1) with a fractural impres- sion in a portion of the folded perforation (3) prior to separation. 5. A method as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n subjecting the cardboard track (1) to a pre-cracking at a position in front of the first pair of rollers (8,9). 6. A device for separation of pieces (2) from a cardboard track (1) having transverse perforations (3), which track is fed through a device incorporating two pairs of individually driven rollers (8,9 and 12,13 resp.) arranged one pair after the other in the feed direction, which rollers of each pair of rollers between themselves form a through-fee space through which the cardboard track is fed, and where separa- tion is effected in that the second pair of rollers (12,13) is caused to feed the cardboard track at a higher speed than the first pair of rollers (8,9), in accordance with the method according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d t h e r e i n that means (16) are provided for detecting presence of a perforation (3) between the two pairs of rollers (8,9 and 12,13 resp.), and that the second pair of rollers (12,13) is reversible and adapted to be driven in a backward direction at detection of a perforation between the pairs of rollers. 7. A device according to claim 6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d t h e r e i n that the detection means is a photocell (16) arranged after the second pair of rollers (12,13) at a distance from the middle line between the two pairs of rollers, which distance corresponds to the distance between two subsequent perfora¬ tions (3) in the cardboard track (1). 8. A device as claimed in anyone of claims 6 or 7, c h a r a c t e r i z e d t h e r e i n that a knife (7) is provided in the area just between the two pairs of rollers, said knife being adapted to give the cardboard track (1) a f actural impression in a portion of the perforation situated between the pairs of rollers. 9. A device as claimed in anyone of claims 6 to 8 , c h a r a c t e r i z e d t h e r e i n that a deflection roller (7) is provided in the path of the cardboard track (1) before its infeed between the rollers (8,9) of the first pair of rollers, which deflection roller is arranged to give the cardboard track a pre-cracking as it passes the deflection roller.

Inventors: BENGTSSON TOMAS, GUNNARSSON LARS, BENGTSSON, TOMAS, GUNNARSSON, LARS
Applicants: BENGTSSON TOMAS, GUNNARSSON LARS, BENGTSSON, TOMAS, GUNNARSSON, LARS
Application year: 1992
Main classification: B65H35
IPC codes: B65H35