A DEVICE FOR PROCESSING FOIL-LIKE MATERIAL

Abstract: A device for processing foil-like material, such as opening and/or closing packing paper round an object (V), which device comprises a support (1) for the object in addition to a processing apparatus movable relative to the support, wherein the processing apparatus is provided with a carrier (5) movable over the foil material having at least a pair of wheels (9), whereof the rotation shaft of the wheels encloses an angle, this such that with this movement of the carrier the wheel peripheries exert a force on the foil material directed toward and/or away from each other in order to effect a closing or opening action on the foil material.

Description: A DEVICE FOR PROCESSING FOIL-LIKE MATERIAL The invention relates to a device for processing foil- like material, such as opening and/or closing packing paper round an object, which device comprises a support for the object in addition to a processing apparatus movable relative to the support. Commercially available devices are known for unwrap¬ ping or wrapping the foil material round an object, for example packing paper round an object consisting of a large number of covers for cans grouped into a cylindri- cally shaped stack, which are supplied to the manufactur¬ er prior to filling of the cans and which must be un¬ packed for further processing. This unpacking is often laborious and requires expensive machines. The invention has for its object to provide a device which operates exceptionally cheaply and efficiently. The device according to the invention is distinguished in that the processing apparatus is provided with a carrier movable over the foil material having at least a pair of wheels, whereof the rotation shaft of the wheels encloses an angle, this such that with this movement of the carrier the wheel peripheries exert a force on the foil material directed toward and/or away from each other in order to effect a closing or opening action on the foil material. Because of the obliquely disposed wheels of the 'pair the foil-like material round the package is deformed into a pleat or fold, which can easily be pierced by for example a cutting member, wherewith the packaging materi¬ al can be cut through. For this purpose the device is embodied additionally with a cutting blade with an upward facing cutting side. Conversely, it is possible to package such a deformed object of cylindrical form in foil material, for which purpose the obliquely disposed wheels of the pair can pull the foil round the object, whereafter the edges can be mutually adhered, for instance by an adhering member arranged according to the invention in the carrier. This adhering member can be a glue gun or the like. In one embodiment the object lies on a support, where- in a guide is arranged above the support parallel thereto for guiding a carriage, to which the carrier is spring mounted. The carrier thus always has close contact with the surface of the packing paper, whereby the desired deformation or pulling taut can take place. In another embodiment the device is embodied symmetri¬ cally so that operation can take place in two movement directions along the guide, whereby the efficiency of the device is increased. Objects other than those of cylindrical form can also be processed by the device proposed by the invention. Above mentioned and other features of the invention will be further elucidated in the figure description hereinbelow of a number of embodiments. In the drawing: fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a device according to the invention suitable for unpacking a cylindrically formed object; fig. 2 shows a standing section according to the arrow II-II in fig. 1; fig. 3 is a perspective top view of a second embodi- ment of the device according to the invention, corre¬ sponding with the perspective of fig. 1, however with broken away guide; fig. 4 shows a perspective view corresponding with fig. 3 of a third embodiment of the device according to the invention, used however as packaging device. . Designated in fig. 1 with the numeral 1 is a support for an object V, which support consists here of two parallel profiles of random nature, adapted to the object for supporting. The distance between the two profiles 2 is such that the cylindrically formed object V comes to lie slightly therebetween. Arranged on the top side of supports 1 and parallel thereto, that is, parallel to the profiles 2, is a guide 3, along which a carriage 4 is movable at least in the direction of the arrow PI, which movement can be brought about by drive means (not further shown) . A carrier 5 is arranged on the underside of the car¬ riage 4, which carrier is provided with a ridge 6 which is pivotally mounted on the carriage 4. On the forward sid_ relative to the direction of movement PI the carrier 5 is guided by a standing pin 7 around which a pressure spring 8 is arranged. Carrier 5 is also provided on the front side with a pair of travel wheels 9, the particular feature of which is that the rotation shaft of each wheel encloses a determined angle deviating from 90° with the guide 3 or the direction of forward movement PI . The angle is such that, as seen in top view, the wheels are disposed converging relative to the direction of forward movement PI. On the underside of the carrier 5 is arranged a cut¬ ting member 10 in the form of a knife blade with an upward facing cutting edge 11. The device as shown in fig. 1 operates as follows: When carriage 4 moves in the direction of the arrow Pi and an object V is arranged on support 1, the periphery of each travel wheel 9 will rest on the surface of the packing paper A round the object V. The pressure force is increased by the pressure spring 8 round the pin 7, whereby a firm contact is brought about between travel wheels 9 and packing paper A. With the movement of the carriage 4 in the direction of the arrow PI the wheels 9 will exert a rubbing action on the packing paper, this in upward direction, that is, toward the area between wheels 9, due to the converging position thereof. A pleat or fold B is thereby created in the packing paper such that the knife blade 10 can cut into this pleat without touch¬ ing the object V present in the packing paper. Through this movement the cutting edge 11 of knife blade 10 will cut through the paper. With a full movement along the packet the packing paper or other foil material is cut through completely and removed from the object. Shown in fig. 3 is a double embodiment, wherein carri¬ er 5 is embodied with a double pair of travel wheels 9 on either end thereof. The travel wheels of each pair stand diverging outward facing in the direction of arrows PI and P2 respectively, wherein it is assumed that carrier 5 is suspended from a corresponding carriage 4 round the guide 3. This implies that the embodiment shown in fig. 3 can be used in two directions, that is, PI and P2 respec¬ tively, with the same method of cutting the packing paper arranged round an object. Moreover, in this embodiment the rear wheels will in each case spread the packing paper. In the situation according to fig. 3 the carrier moves in the direction of the arrow Pi. The knife blade 10' embodied here in circular shape is herein mounted rotatably on a shaft 22 in the carrier. The knife blade can be free-rotating, but can also be driven by a motor 23 as shown here. Arranged adjacently, here on either side, of the knife blade 10' is a standing lifting leaf 24 which takes the same form as the knife blade 10 in fig. 1 in order to lift up the packing paper. In fig. 4 a device is shown with which the in this case likewise cylindrically formed object can be wrapped in a foil A. Use is herein again made of a carrier 5, which is suspended from a guide (not shown) and which is provided with two pairs of wheels 9 which however have the same divergence relative to the direction of forward movement arrow PI. The leading pair of wheels will grip the two edge strip zones of the packing paper A already partially arranged round the object V and pull them upward and inward. The one edge strip will then be provided with an adhesive by an adhering member 20 in the form of a glue roller, whereafter the other edge strip can be folded thereover, which is aided by the second pair of travel wheels 9. A pressing roller 21 provides the definitive adhesion. The advantage of applying the obliquely dis¬ posed travel wheels 9 is that the packing paper is pulled firmly and fixedly adhered round the object V. The invention is not limited to the application of cylindrically formed objects. It is even possible with the device shown to take hold of and pull taut foil material lying on a flat object. In addition the carrier can be fixedly disposed and the support for the object can be movable. *****

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Device for processing foil-like material, such as opening and/or closing packing paper round an object, which device comprises a support for the object in addi¬ tion to a processing apparatus movable relative to the support, characterized in that the processing apparatus is provided with a carrier movable over the foil material having at least a pair of wheels, whereof the rotation shaft of the wheels encloses an angle, this such that with this movement of the carrier the wheel peripheries exert a force on the foil material directed toward and/or away from each other in order to effect a closing or opening action on the foil material . 2. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the carrier is provided with a cutting member which is situated behind the pair of wheels relative to the move¬ ment direction. 3. Device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the cutting member is a knife blade standing perpendicu¬ lar to the foil material with a cutting edge facing away from the foil material. 4. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the carrier is provided with an adhering member which is situated behind the pair of wheels relative to the move¬ ment direction. 5. Device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that two pairs of wheels are arranged on the carrier, in addition to a cutting member arranged between the pairs of wheels with two cutting edges facing away from each other. 6. Device as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the cutting member has a circular shape and is mounted rotatably in the carrier, wherein a standing lifting leaf extends adjacently of the knife blade on at least one side. 7. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the carrier is spring mounted on a guide, which guide extends parallel to the support for the object. 8. Device as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the carrier is provided at a distance from the pair of wheels with a pressure roller. *****

Inventors: VAN OORD JAN JASPER JACOB, VAN OORD, JAN, JASPER, JACOB
Applicants: CSW MASCHF, OORD JAN JASPER JACOB VAN, MACHINENFABRIEK "CSW" B.V., VAN OORD, JAN, JASPER, JACOB
Application year: 1993
Main classification: B65B69
IPC codes: B65B51, B65B69