Storage and stacking device for sheets of laminar material

Abstract: An automatic storage and stacking device for sheets of laminar material, such as corrugated cardboard or the like, comprises a transportation unit (3, 5, 9, 13, 15) which removes the sheets of laminar material from a cutting group (1), overlaps them and conveys them towards a storage surface (17). The transportation unit comprises a plurality of conveyors in series (3, 5, 9, 13, 15), which can be operated at varying speeds so as to allow separation of a first series of sheets from a successive second series of sheets; with one (9) of said conveyors there is associated a retaining means (11) for holding the rear portion of the first sheet of said second series, which retaining means comprises a gripper member able to perform an alternating movement along the conveyor (9) with which said gripper member is associated.

Description: The invention relates to an automatic storage and stacking device for sheets of laminar material, such as corrugated cardboard or the like, comprising a transportation unit which removes the sheets of laminar material from a cutting group, overlaps them and conveys them towards a storage surface, said transportation unit comprising a plurality of conveyors in series, which can be operated at varying speeds so as to allow separation of a first series of sheets from a successive second series of sheets, according to the preamble of claim 1. Storage devices of this type are commonly used to remove sheets of corrugated cardboard produced by a cutting unit supplied with a continuous strip of cardboard. These storage devices position the cut sheets in a scale-like arrangement, i.e. so that they partially overlap each other, along a plurality of conveyors in series. At the end of the line of conveyors, the sheets are stored and stacked on a roller table, storage surface or other means. When the stack of sheets is complete, the supply of sheets must be temporarily interrupted, the Lull storage surface replaced by an empty one and the sheets then supplied again onto the storage surface. In order to perform these operations without stopping the upstream processing line, namely the line for producing and cutting the cardboard and effecting longitudinal ribbing and transverse cutting, use is currently made of storage devices which, by suitably varying the feed speed of the individual conveyors, make it possible to create an interruption in the line of sheets which are in a scale-like and partially overlapped arrangement. The speed variation sequence is such that it is possible to accelerate unloading of the last sheets of a first series of sheets to be stored on the storage surface during filling, at the same time slowing down temporarily the supply of the first sheets of the successive second series of sheets to be stacked on the new storage surface. The interruption is long enough to allow the storage surfaces to be changed over. Plants of this type are known from the prior art and are described, inter alia, in US-A-4,313,600 which discloses a device according to the preamble of claim 1. In this known stacker a separating station is provided in an intermediate position along the set of conveyors. The separating station includes a conveyor and an endless chain which carries a set of louver strips. The louver strips are inserted between the conveyor of the separating station and the overlapping sheets, while said conveyor and the ones arranged downstream thereof are accelerated to create a gap between two successive series of sheets. The first sheets of the successive series are thus lifted from the conveyor but not safely clamped. In order to slow down the first sheet of the new series and thus ensure continuity in the supply of the sheets, various systems have been proposed for raising temporarily from the transportation unit the end of the first sheet of the new series. Among other things, it has been proposed to hold the end of said sheet using a suction system arranged in the region of one of the conveyors of the transportation line (FR-A-2043217). These known systems have proved to be unreliable since they do not always manage to support the sheet of laminar material or retain it, in particular when the laminar material is buckled, which is often the case on account of the nature of the product. US-A-4.214.743 discloses an apparatus for dividing a continuous stream of flat products into individual sections, i.e. into successive series of sheets. This known device includes two subsequent conveyors which move the sheets in two different directions, the speed of the sheets being reversed when they are unloaded from the first onto the second conveyor. In the region where the speed reversed takes place a gripper member is arranged, which has two jaws which clamp the tail edge of only the first sheet of each successive series of sheets, whereas the second and subsequent sheets are freely unloaded onto the first one. The subject of the present invention is an automatic storage and stacking device of the abovementioned type which overcomes the drawbacks described above and ensures effective and reliable temporary holding of the rear edge, that is the end, of the first sheet of each series of sheets to be stacked on each storage surface. These and other objects and advantages, which will become clear to persons skilled in the art upon reading the text which follows, are achieved with an automatic storage and stacking device having the combination of features of claim 1. Further advantageous features of the storage and stacking device according to the present invention are described in the accompanying claims. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, during the forward travel in the direction of movement of the conveyor with which it is associated, said gripper member advances at a speed slower than the feed speed of the conveyor with which it is associated and equal to the feed speed of the upstream conveyor. According to a possible embodiment, the gripper member comprises a carriage accommodating a bar movable with respect to the conveyor with which said gripper member is associated and, above said bar, a member oscillating between an inactive position and a position in which it cooperates with said bar so as to clamp the sheet of laminar material between said bar and said oscillating member. Advantageously, the conveyor with which the gripper member is associated may consist of a plurality of parallel belts, and the bar may have a plurality of opposition means, each of which extends between two adjacent belts of said conveyor. The invention will be better understood by referring to the description and accompanying drawing, which shows a possible non-limiting embodiment of said invention. In the drawing, Fig. 1 is an overall schematic side view of the storage and stacking device; Figs 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D show an enlarged view of detail I of Fig. 1 during four phases of separation of two successive series of sheets; Fig. 2 is a side view, along II-II of Fig. 5, of the carriage accommodating the gripper member in the partially closed position, the motor having been removed; Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to that of Fig. 2, with the gripper in the open position; Fig. 4 is a partial plan view along IV-IV of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a rear view along V-V of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a side view of the carriage accommodating the gripper member, with the motor mounted; and Figs 7 and 8 are sections along VII-VII and VIII-VIII of Fig. 6. With initial reference to the diagram shown in Fig. 1, the storage and stacking device is arranged downstream of a cutting unit, denoted as a whole by 1, which transversely cuts a strip N of corrugated cardboard, or other similar material, supplied continuously and at a substantially constant speed (indicated below by v N ) from the upstream processing units. Downstream of the cutting unit 1 there is arranged a first conveyor equipped with suction means, denoted by 3. The feed speed of the conveyor 3, indicated below by V₃, is equivalent to about 1.15 - 1.20 times the speed V N . This difference in speed ensures that the sheets which are gradually unloaded onto the conveyor 3 are separated from one another and supplied, at intervals with respect to each other, to the next conveyor 5. Above the conveyor 5 there are arranged brushes 7 which, in a manner known per se, position the sheets supplied by the conveyor 3 so that they overlap. This operation is made possible by the fact that, under normal working conditions, the feed speed of the conveyor 5 is equal to about 15% of the feed speed of the conveyor 3. Downstream of the conveyor 5 there is arranged a further conveyor 9 formed by a plurality of parallel belts, denoted by 9A in Fig. 5, equipped with respective opposition and supporting profiled sections 9B. With the conveyor 9 there is associated a retaining member in the form of a gripper, denoted as a whole by 11 and described in detail with reference to the successive Figs 2 to 8. The gripper member 11 is used to separate the first sheets of a second series of sheets conveyed by the storage and stacking device, from the last sheets of the preceding series. The line for transporting the sheets supplied by the cutting unit 1 is completed by two further conveyors 13 and 15, arranged in series, which unload the sheets supplied by the conveyors upstream onto a storage surface 17 equipped with a roller unit 19 which is vertically movable so as to allow the formation of a stack of sheets. The storage surface 17 and the associated motion mechanism are known per se and are not described in greater detail. The conveyors 5, 9, 13, 15 are operated by respective independent actuators 21, 23, 25, 27. The speeds of the conveyors 5, 9, 13 and 15 shall be indicated below by v₅, v₉, v₁₃ and v₁₅, respectively. Under normal working conditions the four abovementioned speeds are all the same and equal to about 15% of the feed speed of the conveyor 3. Above the transportation line formed by the conveyors 5, 9, 13, 15 described above there is arranged a further transportation line which conveys the cut sheets from a second cutting unit to a second storage surface, not shown. When the stack of sheets of laminar material on the storage surface 17 is complete and said surface must therefore be replaced with a new empty surface, namely the stack of sheets must be unloaded from the roller unit 19, the control unit of the storage device causes a variation in the feed speed of the individual conveyors 5, 9, 13, 15, so as to separate the last sheet belonging to the series of sheets to be stacked on the storage surface 17 which is nearly full, from the first sheet of the next series which is to form the new stack. More particularly, when the sensor means, of a type known per se indicate that the end of the first sheet of the next series of sheets has passed from the conveyor 5 to the conveyor 9, the central unit increases the speed of the conveyors 9, 13 and 15 to a speed equal, for example, to 30% of the speed of the conveyor 3. At the same time, the feed speed of the conveyor 5 is reduced from 15 to 5% of the speed of the conveyor 3 and the gripper member 11 clamps, in the manner described below, the end of said first sheet of the new series (and the sheets resting on it), raising it from the conveyor 9. Simultaneously, the gripper member 11 starts to move forward in the same direction of movement as the conveyors, at a speed v₁₁ equal to the feed speed v₅ of the conveyor 5, namely at 5% of the feed speed of the conveyor 3. The forward movement of the gripper member 11 stops when the latter reaches the downstream end of the conveyor 9. At this point, the gripper member releases the end of the sheet, allowing the latter to pass to the conveyor 13, and starts the return travel towards the start of the conveyor 9, while the speed of the conveyor 5 remains at the value of 5% of the speed v₃. The speed of the conveyor 9 remains at 30% of the speed v₃ of the conveyor 3 until the end of the last sheet of the first series has passed onto the conveyor 13. At this point the conveyor 9 can be slowed down to a speed equal to 5% of v₃, i.e. to the speed of forward movement of the gripper member 11. In this way, the following sheets being fed forward behind the gripper member 11 are able to deposit themselves on the conveyor 9 which is advancing at the same speed as them. As the sensor means associated with the conveyors detect the arrival of the first sheet of the new series on each of the conveyors 13 and 15, the latter are slowed down from 30% to 5% of the speed v₃. When said first sheet reaches the end of the conveyor 15, all the conveyors 5, 9, 13 and 15 are reset to the working speed, i.e. to a speed equal to 15% of the speed v₃ of the conveyor 3. The following table summarises the values for the speeds of the individual conveyors and means 11 expressed as a percentage of v₃: v₅ v₁₁ v₉ v₁₃ v₁₅ 15 0 15 15 15 5 5 30 30 30 5 5 5 30 30 5 -5 5 30 30 5 0 5 5 30 5 0 5 5 5 15 0 15 15 15 Figs 1A to 1D show four successive phases during the operation separating the last sheet of the first series from the first sheet of the second series. In Fig. 1A the sheets are still perfectly aligned with a constant interval, the conveyors 9 and 13 are advancing at the same speed and the gripper member is deactivated. In Fig. 1B the gripper member 11 has clamped the first sheet of the second series and has raised it from the conveyor 9, while the speed of the latter and of the conveyor 13 is increased. In Fig. 1C the first sheet of the second series is about to be unloaded onto the conveyor 13. During this phase the conveyor 5, the conveyor 9 and the gripper member 11 are advancing slowly at the same speed. In Fig. 1D the zone for transmission from the first to the second series of sheets has already passed beyond the conveyor 9 and the gripper member 11 returns to the starting position. The gripper member 11 will be described below with reference to Figs 2 to 8. The gripper member 11 is mounted on a carriage 31 composed of two flanks 31A, 31B connected by an upper cross-piece 33 and a lower cross-piece 35. The two flanks 31A, 31B support, via bearings 37, a drive shaft 39 (see in particular Fig. 8) made to rotate by a motor 41, which constitutes the actuator determining the translational movement of the gripper member 11 along the corresponding conveyor 9. Two pinions 43 are keyed onto the drive shaft 39 and mesh with corresponding racks 45 mounted on two beams 47. These beams 47 have mounted on them the shafts onto which are keyed the drive pulleys for the belts 9A forming the transportation unit 9. The cross-section in Fig. 5 shows only the belts 9A, while the drive pulley system has been omitted, for the sake of greater clarity of the drawing. The movement of the carriage 31 along the beams 47 and hence along the conveyor 9 is guided by means of two pairs of idle rollers 51 and 53 mounted on the two flanks 31A and 31B of the carriage 31 (Figs 6 and 7). The lower cross-piece 35 has mounted on it a transverse bar 55 movable vertically in the direction of the double arrow f55 (see Figs 2, 3 and 5). The vertical movement of the bar 55 is obtained by means of cylinder/piston actuators 57 mounted on the lower cross-piece 35. During the vertical movement the bar 55 is guided by means of lateral guides 59. On the bar 55 there are arranged opposition means 61 which have on them layers of rubber or other friction material 63 and which form, moreover, receiving profiles 56 for facilitating transfer of the sheets of laminar material. Each opposition means 61 is arranged between two adjacent belts 9A so as to be able to project between the latter when the bar 55 is raised. At the height of the transverse bar 33, a transverse shaft 73 is mounted, via bearings 71, between the two flanks 31A, 31B of the carriage 31 (see in particular Fig. 4). Two arms 75 are integral with the transverse shaft 73 and support a profiled section 77 on which there is mounted a buffer element made of rubber or the like, denoted by 79. The arms 75, the profiled section 77 and the transverse buffer element 79 form an oscillating member intended to cooperate with the underlying transverse bar 55 so as to clamp the edge of the sheet of laminar material, in the manner described above. The oscillating movement of the oscillating member 75, 77, 79 is controlled by a cylinder/piston actuator 81 hingeably connected, at 83, to the flank 31A of the carriage and, at 85, to a bracket 87 integral with the transverse shaft 73. Owing to the action of the cylinder/piston actuator 81, the oscillating member 75, 77, 79 oscillates between the two positions indicated in Figs 2 and 3, respectively: Fig. 2 shows the oscillating member in the lowered position, i.e. in the position where it cooperates with the underlying transverse bar 55 so as to clamp the sheet of laminar material located between them. For this purpose and in order to keep the sheet raised above the belts 9A of the transportation unit 9, the bar 55 and the profiles 56 are raised (via the cylinder/piston systems 57) from the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 2 to the position shown in dot-dash lines and marked 56X. In this position of the bar 55, the sheet is raised above the belts 9A and is therefore able to advance at a different speed compared to the feed speed of the transportation unit 9. Fig.2A shows, for example, a modification of the gripper member 11 is shown. According to this modified embodiment, the arms 75 are pivotally engaged to the flanks 31A, 31B of the carriage 31 in a position which is slightly more advanced than that shown in Fig. 2. In this way when the gripper means is closed in order to grip the first sheet of a new series of sheets, the transverse buffer element 79 presses the end of the first sheet of said new series against layer 63, and at the same time presses the end of the last sheet of the previous series against the parallel belts 9A forming the conveyor 9. This second pressing action increases the friction between the conveyor 9 and the last sheet of the previous series and makes transfer of the last sheet easier.

Claims: An automatic storage and stacking device for sheets (N) of laminar material, such as corrugated cardboard or the like, including a transportation unit (3,5,9,13,15) which removes the sheets of laminar material from a cutting group (1), overlaps them and conveys them towards a storage surface (17), said transportation unit comprising a plurality of conveyors in series (3,5,9,13,15), which can be operated at varying speeds so as to allow separation of a first series of sheets from a succesive second series of sheets; and combined with one (9) of said conveyors a means for lifting the first sheet of said second series, characterised in that said means includes a gripper member (11) able to perform an alternating movement along the conveyor (9) with which said gripper member (11) is associated, and that said gripper member includes a lower gripping means (55,61,63) which is arranged below the trajectory of said overlapped sheets and an upper gripping means (75,77,79) arranged above the trajectory of said overlapped sheets, said lower gripping means (55,61,63) being movable from a first position wherein it is clear of the sheets, to a second position wherein it lifts said first sheet from said conveyor (9) with which said gripper member is associated. A storage device according to Claim 1, characterised in that, during the forward travel in the direction of movement of the conveyor (9) with which it is associated, said gripper member (11) advances at a speed slower than the feed speed of the conveyor (9) with which it is associated and equal to the feed speed of the upstream conveyor (5). A storage device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that, during the forward travel in the direction of movement of the conveyor (9) with which it is associated, said gripper member (11) advances at a constant speed and the conveyor (9) with which it is associated advances at a faster speed for a period of time necessary for unloading the last sheet of the first series and subsequently at a slower speed equal to the speed of forward movement of the gripper member (11). A storage device according to Claims 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that said gripper member (11) comprises a carriage (31) accommodating a bar (55) arranged transversely with respect to the conveyor (9) with which said gripper member (11) is associated and, above said bar, a member (75,77) oscillating between an inactive position and a position in which it cooperates with said bar (55), so as to clamp the sheet of laminar material between said bar and said oscillating member, said bar (55) being vertically movable so as to cooperate with said oscillating member (75,77). A storage device according to Claim 4, characterised in that said bar (55) is arranged between the upper arm and the lower arm of the conveyor (9) with which said gripper member (11) is associated. A storage device according to Claim 5, characterised in that the conveyor (9) with which the gripper member (11) is associated consists of a plurality of parallel belts (9A) and in that said bar (55) has a plurality of opposition means (61), each of which extends between two adjacent belts (9A) of said conveyor (9). A storage device according to Claim 6, characterised in that said opposition means (61) are equipped with rubber-lined surfaces (63). A storage device according to Claims 4, 5, 6 or 7, characterised in that a receiving profile (56) for incoming sheets is associated with said bar (55). A storage device according to one or more of Claims 4 to 8, characterised in that said oscillating member (75,77) has a rubber-lined surface (77) designed to act on the sheet of laminar material. A storage device according to one or more of Claims 4 to 9, characterised in that said carriage (31) supports a first actuator means (41) for controlling the forward and backward movement of the carriage (31) along the associated conveyor (9), a second actuator means (81) for controlling the oscillating movement of said oscillating member (75,77), and a third actuator means (57) for controlling the upward and downward movement of said bar (55). A storage device according to Claim 10, characterised in that said first actuator means (41) controls rotation of a pinion (43) meshing with a rack (45) mounted on the supporting structure (47) of the conveyor (9) with which the gripper member (11) is associated. A storage device according to Claim 10, characterised in that said second actuator means (81) is a cylinder/piston system. Method for storing and stacking sheets of laminar material using the device of claim 1, in which said sheets are partially overlapped and supplied along a series of conveyors (3,5,9,13,15) to a storage surface, (17), wherein in order to separate the last sheet belonging to a first series of sheets to be arranged on a stack, from the first sheet of a successive series of sheets to be arranged on a successive stack, a separation means is combined with an intermediate conveyor (9) of said series of conveyors (3,5,9,12,15) said separation means lifts said firts sheet from said intermediate conveyor (9) and the speed of said intermediate conyeyor (9) and of the conveyors (13,15) arranged downstream thereof is temporarily increased with respect to the speed of a conveyor (5) arranged upstream of said intermediate conveyor (9), characterised in that said first sheet of said successive series of sheets and the sheets partially overlapping said first sheet are mechanically clamped and lifted by a gripper member (11), the speed of said intermediate conveyor (9) and of the conveyors (13,15) arranged downstream thereof is temporarily increased, the conveyor (5) upstream of said intermediate conveyor (9) is temporarily slowed down and the gripper member (11) advances at the same speed as the upstream arranged slowed down conveyor (5), after the last sheet of said first series of sheets is unloaded from the intermediate conveyor (9) into the next conveyor (13) the intermediate conveyor (9) is slowed down at the speed of the gripper member (11).

Inventors: ADAMI MAURO, ADAMI, MAURO
Applicants: FOSBER SPA, FOSBER S.P.A.
Application year: 1993
Main classification: B65H33
IPC codes: B65H33