PRODUCING SHAPED ARTICLES FROM A WEB

Abstract: Shaped articles (P) are cut from a weg (W) by correspondingly shaped cutters (10) on a drum (2) cooperating with an anvil drum (4). The web is engaged by conveyor bands (10, 12) which pass around the cutter and anvil drums and form a continuing conveying path for the web away from the drums. The conveyor bands are clear of the article shapes cut in the web which can thus be positively separated from the web by pusher means (26) to be drawn away from the web by their own conveying means (42).

Description: PRODUCING SHAPED ARTICLES FROM A WEB This invention relates to the production of packets from a double-walled, eg. tubular, web and is concerned particularly with the formation and separation of packets from the web when the required profile of the packets leaves a part of the web as waste. It is well known to seal and sever a tubular web at intervals along its length to produce rectangular packets. If another shape of packet is required - eg. circular - it can be formed by correspondingly shaped sealing and cutting means acting on the web but a ribbon of the web material will be left as waste which must be disposed of without interfering with the further processing of the packets. This can be a problem when sealing and cutting thermoplastic materials such as paper-plastic mixtures used for tea bags in a flow line operation, in particular at high rates of production, because it cannot be ensured that the packets will separate cleanly from the web in the severing operation as the cutters begin to wear. If the surplus web material is drawn off to waste there is a risk that production will .be lost because packets remaining will also be attached to the web drawn off . O90/13487 describes an arrangement in which shaped tea bags are stamped from the web after being severed, but if force must be used, eg. because of loss of efficiency in the severing operation, the web may be overloaded. The method of separating profile shapes cut in a web at a station in the path of the web downstream of the station at which those shapes are cut is also known from US 3834291 and 2881836 and FR 1589879. In one of its aspects the present invention provides apparatus for cutting shaped articles from an elongate web comprising a circulating cutter arrangement, a plurality of profiled cutters mounted in said arrangement for severing the shapes of said articles in the web, and means for drawing the web past said cutter arrangement, means in said cutter arrangement associated with each said profiled cutter and movable apparatus for cutting shaped articles from an elongate web comprising a circulating cutter arrangement, a plurality of profiled cutters mounted in said arrangement for severing the shapes of said articles in the web, and means for drawing the web past said cutter arrangement, means in said cutter arrangement associated with each said profiled cutter and movable through the profile area of the article to separate at least a portion of the article from the web, and draw-off means for the articles arranged to engage each article before it has been completely separated from the path of the web. By arranging that the article conveying means engage each article before it has been completely separated from the path of the web because the separation of the articles from the web is assisted. Preferably, there are further draw-off means for the web, the respective draw-off means leading the shaped articles and the waste web from which the articles have been cut to different paths extending away from said cutter arrangement. According to a further aspect of the present invention, apparatus for cutting shaped articles from an elongate web comprises a circulating cutter arrangement having shaped cutter means for severing the shapes of said articles in said web, separating means extendable through the cutting means to urge the articles away from said means and separate them from the web, and respective conveying means to transport the articles and the waste web on respective exit paths after said severing of the articles . The separating means are preferably arranged to begin their operation while a profile is being severed. It is also preferred to arrange that they bring the articles into engagement with their conveying means before the profiled cutting of the articles have been completed, and thus before each article has been fully separated from the path of the remainder of the web. According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of cutting shaped articles from an elongate web employing at least one profiled cutter in a circulating cutter arrangement wherein the web is drawn past said cutter arrangement as said articles are cut, and portions of the articles severed by the cutter arrangement are pushed from the web and are drawn away from the cutter arrangement before the respective articles have been completely severed from the web. Examples of the invention will be described in more detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which: Figs . 1 and 2 are side and end views of an apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention, and Figs. 3 and 4 are axial and radial sectional views on the lines III-III in Fig. 4 an IV-IV in Fig. 3 respectively of a modified form of the apparatus . Referring to Fig. 1, a cutter arrangement of the apparatus comprises a cutter drum 2 and an opposed anvil drum 4, rotating on parallel axes, between which is fed a double-layer web of plastics or paper. The web has doses of a soluble or infusible material encapsulated between the layers at regular intervals along its length by means of heat seals (not shown) between the layers. The cutter drum is provided with a series of ring cutters 6 to sever individual packets P from within the width of the web along boundaries lying within the heat seals, each containing a dose of the soluble material . The cutters each have a profile that is clear of an edge margin at least at one side of the web to maintain the continuity of the web, but preferably the cutter profiles are spaced from both side edges of the web. The web, which thereby runs as a continuous strip also after the packets have been severed from it, is drawn off by pairs of conveyor bands 10,12 driven by the drums 2,4 which extend around the cutter drum 2 and anvil drum 4 respectively. The bands of each pair 10,12 are laterally offset to opposite sides of their drums, out of the path of the cutters 6. The bands 10 pass around the cutter drum and a roller 14. The bands 12 pass around the anvil drum and rollers 16,18. In their run between the nip of the drums 2, 4 and the rollers 14,16, the bands 10,12 follow the same track and grip the margins of the webs between them to draw it upwards from the cutter drum, away from the exit path of the packets P. A pair of drive rollers 22 may be arranged further, along the web exit path to maintain the web in tension before it enters a suction box 24 to be deposited in a waste container. The rollers 22 can serve as an alternative to the bands, however, as will be further described below. It is not possible to ensure that the severed packets P separate from the web spontaneously as the web is carried upwards by the bands 10,12. In order to separate the packets positively and ensure they do not remain caught in the web, each cutter 6 has associated with it a pusher rod 26 secured to a pivot shaft 28 which is mounted in bearings in the drum 2 parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum. One end of each shaft 28 projects laterally from one side of the drum and has fixed to it a crank arm 30 which carries a follower roller 32 on its free end. A stationary cam ring 34 at the side of the cutter drum has a closed-path cam track 36 formed in it to receive the follower rollers 32 of the pusher rods. The cam track 36 is so shaped that as the drum 2 rotates the pusher rods 26 are pivoted inwardly and outwardly. They are pivoted inwards to lie inside the periphery of the drum 2 over the greater part of its rotation but swing outwards after passing the pinch point between the drums 2,4 to press the leading portion of the associated severed packet from the web and into the nip of packet conveyor 42 which draws the packet away from the drums. The conveyor 42 comprises a lower belt 44 extending across the width of the packet and a pair of spaced upper belts 46 engaging its side margins and between which the pusher rods move. Opposed pairs of rollers 52 of the conveyor 42 bring the upper and lower belts 46,44 together to guide and grip the packets between them. It will be seen from Fig. 1 that the leading end of each packet P has already been inserted between the rollers 52 of the packet conveyor before the profiled cutting of that packet has been completed. The packet is therefore always positively entrained. This also has the effect that, if there is any tendency of the rear portion of the packet to remain with the web, the packet conveyor will apply a separating force to the packet. Similarly, because the waste web is held between the bands 10,12, it is always drawn positively away from the packet exit path with minimal tension. In the mode of operation described, each rod 26 is retracted into the periphery of the drum within approximately a quarter revolution of the drums 2,4 from their nip at the lowermost point of the cutter drum periphery. However, it may be required, eg. for purposes of adjustment of the apparatus and the preceding or following stages of the associated manufacturing and packaging installation, to prevent packets being pushed into the conveyor 42. For this purpose the cam ring 34 is mounted on a rotary housing 54 coaxial with the cutter drum. A pneumatic cylinder 56 is connected by a lever 58 to the ring cam 34 and can rotate the cam through some 90° on the housing 54. The peripheral sector where the pusher rods 26 make their movements is accordingly displaced so that each arm now moves out of the periphery of the drum 2 only after it has moved beyond that sector in which the belt 10 is in contact with the drum 2. That is to say, the rods 26 are kept from the web path when the cam ring 34 is so adjusted. It is also possible to arrange that the cam ring 34 is adjusted manually. Although reference has been made to driving the conveyor bands 10,12 by the drums 2,4, it may be preferred to have a separate drive for the bands. This drive is preferably additional to the drive of the rollers 22 which act on the unsupported waste web and may be transmitted through the rollers 14,16. It is then possible to drive the bands at a slightly faster rate than the drums, allowing some slippage on their tracks on the drums, to assist tracking of the web past the drums. The embodiment illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 is similar in many respects to the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, and parts already described are indicated by the same reference numbers. Drums 62,64 are rotatable on parallel shafts 66,68 mounted in a fixed housing 70. An input drive 72 has a dog coupling 74 with the shaft 68 of the drum 64 and the shafts 66,68 are connected by gears 76,78 to rotate synchronously. In this embodiment synchronous rotation of the drums is required because the shape cutters 6 and the push rods 26 are on different drums, and must be kept in registration. The push rods 26 are secured to the shafts 28 mounted in the drum 62 in the manner described in the first embodiment and their projecting portions are in those areas of the drum 64 which correspond or mate with the ring cutters 6 or the drum 62. The push rods 26 have their follower rollers 32 located in the track 36 in a cam disc 80 mounted on the shaft 66 independently of the rotation of the shaft. A lug 82 on the cam disc is connected to a control member (not shown) corresponding to the pneumatic cylinder 56 to displace the movement of the pusher rod 26 to and from the operative position in the manner already described. Fig. 3 also shows the tracks 84,86 in the drums 62,64 for the conveyor bands 10,12 (but not the bands themselves) , the means for take¬ off of the waste web and the separated products being as already described. Apparatus generally similar to that already described can be employed to put the packets in individual envelopes. The web W is now formed from a suitable outer packaging material and the doses to be encapsulated are replaced by the packets P themselves. Because the outer packaging of packets such as tea bags is commonly made of a more robust material than the packets themselves, there is less risk of rupture of the waste web although there is still the need to ensure clean separation of the product from the waste web. In these circumstances it is possible to dispense with the bands 10,12 and rely on the drive rollers 22 to draw the waste web away. In the manner already described, the rollers 22 can have a slightly faster peripheral speed than the drums 62,64 to assist the tracking of the web.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Apparatus for cutting shaped articles (P) from an elongate web (W) comprising a circulating cutter arrangement (2,4) , a plurality of profiled cutters (6) mounted in said arrangement, for severing the shapes of said articles in the web, and means (10,12) for drawing the web past said cutter arrangement, characterised in that means (26) in said cutter arrangement (2,4) are associated with each said cutter (6) and are movable through the profile area of each article shape severed to separate at least a portion of the article from the web, and that draw-off means (42) for the articles arranged to engage each article before it has been completely separated from the path of the web. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said article draw-off means (42) are arranged to engage each article before the cutter arrangement has severed it from the web. 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, comprising respective draw-off means (42,-22, 24) defining different paths extending away from said cutter arrangement (2,4) for the shaped articles and for the waste web from which the articles have been cut. 4. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to- 3 wherein the separating means comprises a pusher member (26) for the or each said cutter (6) , and means are provided to extend said pusher member through the profile area of the severed article at a predetermined region of the path of circulation of the cutter arrangement (2,4) to a position projecting from the path of the web at said region for said separation of the articles from the web material. 5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein adjustment means (54-58) are provided to alter the region of the path of circulation in which said pusher member (26) is extended whereby to render said pusher member inoperative by setting said region at a location where the web is spaced from said circulating cutter arrangement (2,4) . 6. Apparatus according to claim 4 or claim 5 wherein said pusher members (26) are arranged to displace the shaped articles to draw-off means in the form of a conveyor (42) for said articles. 7. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the circulating cutter arrangement comprises a rotary drum (2) having said profiled cutter or cutters (6) on its periphery for severing the shapes of said articles. 8. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising conveying means (10,12) for gripping the web through at least one region of the web laterally offset from said severed shapes in the web to draw the remaining waste web onwards from said circulating cutter arrangement. 9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the web conveying means comprises a pair of conveyor bands (10,12) arranged to engage the web over at least a part of its path through the circulating cutter arrangement (2,4), said bands (10,12) having a run extending away from the cutter arrangement to convey the waste web away from said arrangement. 10. Apparatus according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the shaped articles are formed in an intermediate region of the web between opposite side edge regions and the waste web draw-off means comprises pairs of conveyor bands (10,12) between which said side edge regions are gripped while leaving said intermediate region free. 11. Apparatus for cutting shaped articles (P) from an elongate web ( ) comprising a circulating cutter arrangement (2,4) having cutting means (6) for severing the shapes of said articles in said web, characterised in that there are means (10,12) for drawing the web through the cutting arrangement being laterally offset from said cutting means to engage the web beyond the width of said shapes in the web, and separating means (26) movable through the areas of the shapes severed by said cutting means in order to separate the articles from the webs. 12. Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the circulating cutter arrangement comprises a rotary cutter drum (2) provided with at least one closed profile cutter (6) on its periphery and a counter-rotary anvil drum (4) against which said cutter presses the web, said separating means (26) being located within one of said drums and being displaceable to project from its periphery within said closed profile when separating the articles from the web. 13. Apparatus for cutting shaped articles (P) from an elongate web ( ) comprising a circulating cutter arrangement (2,4) having cutting means (6) for severing the shapes of said articles in said web, characterised in that separating means (26) are movable through the cutting means to separate the severed articles from the web, and that there are respective conveying means (42,-10, 12) to transport the articles and the waste web on respective exit paths after said severing of the articles. 14. Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the conveying means (42) for the articles are arranged to engage each article before it has been completely separated from the path of the web. 15. Apparatus for cutting shaped articles (P) from an elongate web ( ) comprising a circulating cutter arrangement (2,4) , a plurality of profiled cutters (6) mounted in said arrangement, for severing the shapes of said articles in the web, and conveying means (10,12) for drawing the web past said cutter arrangement, characterised in that means (26) in said cutter arrangement (2,4) are associated with each said cutter (6) and are movable through the respective said cutter within the profile area of the article to separate at least a portion of the article from the web, and that said conveying means (10,12) grip the web through at least one region of the web laterally offset from said severed shapes in the web to draw the remaining waste web onwards from said circulating cutter arrangement. 16. A method of cutting shaped articles from an elongate web employing a plurality of profiled cutters in a circulating cutter arrangement wherein the web is drawn past the cutter arrangement as said articles are cut, characterised in that portions of the articles severed by the cutter arrangement are pushed from the web and are drawn away from the cutter arrangement before the respective articles have been completely severed from the web. 17. A method according to claim 16 wherein the portions pushed from the web are drawn to a separate path from the waste web before the respective articles have been completely severed from the web.

Inventors: CLEALL ANDREW JOHN, GOODWIN JAMES, VERNON GEOFFREY WILLIAM, WILLETT PETER ERNEST, CLEALL, ANDREW, JOHN, GOODWIN, JAMES, VERNON, GEOFFREY, WILLIAM, WILLETT, PETER, ERNEST
Applicants: UNILEVER NV, UNILEVER PLC, UNILEVER N.V.
Application year: 1995
Main classification: B65B61
IPC codes: B26D7, B65B61