Abstract:
A unit for separating a pre-cut-out substrate into a plurality of separate sub-substrates ( 20 ). The unit includes upstream ( 2 ) and downstream ( 2   a ) transverse guides; conveyor ramps, which convey the pre-cut-out substrate and the separate sub-substrates ( 20 ), the ramps are slidably and pivotably mounted on the guides ( 4 ). Upstream and downstream locks holds each ramp ( 3 ) in a locked position. A movable element supports upstream and downstream unlocking devices for engaging the upstream and downstream locking devices to release the ramps ( 3 ). Upstream and downstream grasping devices grasp and drive the ramps ( 3 ) along the upstream ( 2 ) and downstream ( 2   a ) guides to arrange the ramps in a fan-like configuration.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a 35 U.S.C. §§371 national phase conversion of PCT/EP2010/007240, filed Nov. 30, 2010, which claims priority of European Application No. 09015556.5, filed Dec. 16, 2009, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. The PCT International Application was published in the French language. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention concerns a unit for separating a pre-cut substrate into a plurality of separate sub-substrates. The separator unit is usable notably when positioned downstream of a cutting unit in a packaging production machine. 
     A packaging production machine is designed for the fabrication of boxes that form packaging after folding and gluing. In this machine, an initial continuous plane substrate, such as a plane web of cardboard, is unwound and is printed by a print unit, itself constituted of sub-units in the form of printing units. The web is then transferred into a cutting unit. After cutting, the substrates or blanks obtained have waste areas that are eliminated in a waste stripping unit. 
     A substrate or blank is composed of a plurality of sub-substrates or boxes. Depending on the type of cutting unit used, for example with a diecutting platen, the boxes are attached to each other by nicks. The nicks join two edges of a cutting line between two boxes and constitute bridges of the same material as the boxes and the blanks. With rotary die-cutting the boxes are juxtaposed. 
     The substrates or blanks are then separated in a separator unit or separator to obtain individual sub-substrates or boxes. This unit is designed to move the boxes transversely away from each other and/or if necessary to break the nicks, by conveying each of the boxes along a divergent trajectory. This trajectory is obtained by a fan-shaped orientation, i.e. one with divergent directions, of the conveyor ramps designed to convey the blanks from the outlet of the cutting unit to the outlet of the separator unit. 
     Because of this, the precut blanks leaving the cutting unit along a longitudinal series of adjacent parallel lines are reoriented by means of the conveyor ramps along a series of laterally spaced parallel lines so that two laterally adjacent boxes are no longer joined together. The individual boxes are then routed to a stacking unit for subsequent folding and gluing. 
     The ramps must be disposed on either side of a median longitudinal line of the blank. The number of ramps, the angle and the distance between the ramps in a plane corresponding to that of the blanks are chosen to enable optimum separation as a function of the layout, i.e. the disposition, of the boxes on the blank. The operator must quickly and simply modify the orientation and the position of the conveyor ramps for each new job. The operator must intervene in the centre center of the machine to adjust the ramps, which is not very ergonomic. 
     PRIOR ART 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,232 describes a separator in which the orientation of the conveyor ramps is adjusted manually. 
     This operation is laborious and time-consuming, however. The downtime of the separator and thus of the whole machine that is used during manual adjustment of each of the ramps is reflected in the end in a serious loss of production. Moreover, in the above document, it is not possible to move the conveyor ramps laterally relative to each other. 
     There is also known from EP-1.195.335 a separator in which the orientation and the position of the conveyor ramps are adjusted automatically as a function of the job to be performed. Two towing assemblies each having a carriage are provided. Each of the carriages has engagement means designed to be engaged by a pin disposed on each of the conveyor ramps so that the carriage drives the conveyor ramp in its movement. 
     Optical identification of the positions of the engagement pins of the ramp to be moved accurately positions the two carriages in an initial engagement position. Computerized control coordinates the simultaneous movement of the two carriages toward the final position of the ramp. A common locking system is also provided to retain the ramps in position. The locking means are activated when the engagement means are disengaged from the corresponding pins. 
     By reason of the disposition of the carriage and the engagement means, the ramps must be arranged in a precise order, starting with the outermost ramp. Any new adjustment, in the event of a new job or in the event of an operator error, implies lateral stowage of all the ramps and then restarting of the two towing assemblies. Moreover, it is impossible to move a plurality of ramps at the same time, because the optical system is not able to identify a plurality of pin positions at the same time. 
     During movement of one of the conveyor ramps, the other conveyor ramps are no longer locked because of the common locking-unlocking. This is another drawback, because accidental movement of a correctly positioned conveyor ramp could occur during adjustment of the other conveyor ramps, leading to incorrect positioning of the boxes within the separator unit. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A main objective of the present invention consists in developing a unit designed to separate a pre-cut substrate into a plurality of separate sub-substrates positioned downstream of a cutting unit for a packaging production machine. A second objective is to optimize the accuracy of the separation of the pre-cut substrates into separate individual sub-substrates. A third objective is to produce a separator unit enabling rapid adaptation to any new job. A fourth objective is to provide a separator unit provided with means for fast and easy adjustment of the number, angle and position of the ramps. A further fifth objective is that of obtaining a separator unit enabling the drawbacks of the prior art to be avoided. A further object is that of providing a packaging production machine with a cutting unit, a waste stripping unit and a separator unit. 
     The invention provides a unit designed to separate a pre-cut substrate into a plurality of separate sub-substrates, comprising:
         upstream transverse guide means and downstream transverse guide means,   conveyor ramps adapted to convey the pre-cut substrate and the separate sub-substrates and mounted to slide and pivot on the upstream guide means and on the downstream guide means,   means for moving and positioning the conveyor ramps along the upstream guide means and the downstream transverse guide means, and   upstream locking means and downstream locking means able to maintain each of these conveyor ramps in a locked position relative to these upstream transverse guide means and the downstream transverse guide means.       

     According to one aspect of the present invention, the unit is characterized in that the moving and positioning means comprise a mobile element moving between said upstream transverse guide means and said downstream transverse guide means and carrying
         upstream unlocking means and downstream unlocking means able to cooperate with the upstream locking means and the downstream locking means to enable release of these conveyor ramps, and   upstream and downstream grasping means adapted to grasp these conveyor ramps,
 
so as to drive these conveyor ramps along these upstream transverse guide means and said downstream transverse guide means and to dispose them in a fan configuration.
       

     In other words, the separator unit enables facilitated adjustment of the position and the orientation of the conveyor ramps thanks to a single mobile element. The separator unit also enables adjustment of the position and the orientation of one or more conveyor ramps with the other ramps remaining in their locked state. Because of the arrangement of the mobile element, it is possible to adjust the position of a single ramp without taking into account the position of the other ramps. The transverse movement and the angle of divergence of the ramps are thus effected ramp by ramp. 
     In another aspect of the invention, a packaging production machine is characterized in that it comprises the unit having one or more of the technical features described hereinafter and claimed, positioned downstream of a cutting unit and a waste stripping unit. 
     The upstream and downstream directions are defined with reference to the direction of movement of the substrate along the longitudinal direction in the separator unit and in the packaging production machine as a whole. The longitudinal direction is defined with reference to the direction of movement of the substrate in the separator unit and in the machine, along its longitudinal median axis. The transverse direction is defined as being the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the substrate. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other advantages and features of the present invention will be better understood on reading nonlimiting embodiments of the invention and with reference to the drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a separator unit of the invention; 
         FIGS. 2 to 9  are partial views in perspective of a conveyor ramp and moving and positioning means, showing the various steps of moving and positioning the ramp; 
         FIG. 10  is a sectional view of the locking means in the locked position of a ramp; and 
         FIG. 11  is a lateral view of the locking means and the unlocking means in the unlocked position of a ramp; 
         FIG. 12  is a lateral view of a conveyor ramp and moving and positioning means. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A separator unit  10  is positioned downstream of a cutting unit and a waste stripping unit in a packaging production machine (not shown). As  FIG. 1  shows, the unit  10  enables separation of substrates, i.e. pre-cut blanks in this case, into sub-substrates, i.e. individual boxes  20  in this case. These blanks and thus these boxes  20  are made of cardboard, for example. 
     The unit  10  is designed to receive a stream of rows of adjacent boxes  20 . In this embodiment, the boxes  20  leave the cutting unit still joined to each other by small bridges of material. The boxes  20  leave the separator unit  10  separated from each other. 
     The production machine may then include an alignment module (not shown) positioned downstream of the unit  10  to straighten the boxes  20  and place them along a plurality of longitudinal parallel lines. The boxes  20  are then shingled in a stream unit (not shown) positioned downstream of the unit  10 . 
     The blanks initially all move in the longitudinal direction from a delivery upstream end of the unit  10 . The unit  10  then moves these blanks to a supply downstream end by means of a plurality of conveyor ramps  3  disposed in front of each of the rows of boxes  20 . These conveyor ramps  3  are adapted to convey the pre-cut substrate and the separated sub-substrates. 
     These ramps  3  have divergent orientations in a fan arrangement so as to separate the rows of boxes  20  from each other. To adjust the oblique orientation of the ramps  3 , the unit  10  includes upstream linear guide means  2  (see  FIGS. 1 to 9 ) and downstream linear guide means  2   a  (see  FIGS. 2 to 9 ). The ramps  3  are mounted so as to slide and to pivot on the upstream guide means  2  and the downstream guide means  2   a . These guide means  2  and  2   a  are attached at their two ends to a chassis  1  of the unit  10 . The guide means  2  and  2   a  are substantially transverse and parallel to each other. 
     In order to move the boxes  20  from the delivery end to the supply end, each of the ramps  3  includes at least one drive belt  7  mounted on a plurality of guide rollers  11  (see  FIG. 2 ). The belt  7  is driven by a main drive pulley  9 . Only the lower ramps  3  have been represented in  FIG. 1 . To each of the lower ramps  3  there corresponds an upper ramp, the boxes being held in a pinch area between the belt  7  of a lower ramp  3  and a belt of an upper ramp. 
     The assembly formed by the belt  7 , the pulley  9  and the rollers  11  is supported by a support frame  13 . The upstream end  5  and the downstream end  5   a  of the support frame  13  are mounted so as to slide and to pivot on the upstream guide means  2  and the downstream guide means  2   a , respectively. 
     The belt  7  has a flat contact surface so as to facilitate movement of the boxes  20 . The pulley  9  is plugged into a transverse drive shaft  15 . The pulley  9  is driven in rotation by the transverse drive shaft  15 , which is common to all the ramps  3 . The shaft  15  is mechanically connected to a drive motor. The pulley  9  is mobile transversely in translation along this shaft  15 . Thus the ramps  3  remain mobile in translation along this shaft  15 . 
     The unit  10  then comprises means for moving and positioning the ramps  3  in a fan configuration along the upstream guide means  2  and the downstream guide means  2   a . These moving and positioning means take the form of a mobile element or carriage  4 . 
     According to the invention, the carriage  4  moves along a central transverse rail  6  disposed between and parallel to the upstream guide means  2  and the downstream guide means  2   a . The rail  6  may be disposed equidistantly between the upstream guide means  2  and the downstream guide means  2   a . In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the carriage  4  is actuated by a toothed belt disposed inside the rail  6  and a drive motor. 
     According to the invention, the carriage  4  carries the unlocking means. These unlocking means comprise an upstream cylinder  8  directed longitudinally toward the delivery end, i.e. in the upstream direction, and a downstream cylinder  8   a  directed longitudinally toward the supply end, i.e. toward the downstream end. The upstream cylinder  8  and the downstream cylinder  8   a  each include and actuate an upstream mobile piston rod  12  and a downstream mobile piston rod  12   a , respectively. An upstream bearing member  14  and a downstream bearing member  14   a  are attached to the free end of the upstream piston rod  12  and the downstream piston rod  12   a , respectively. 
     The ramps  3  comprises upstream locking means  17  and downstream locking means  17   a  able to maintain the ramps  3  in a particular position enabling immobilization at will of these ramps  3  on the upstream guide means  2  and the downstream guide means  2   a , respectively. The locking means  17  and  17   a  are disposed at the ends  5  and  5   a , respectively, of the support frame  13  of the ramps  30 . The locking means  17  and  17   a  are designed to prevent movement of these ends  5  and  5   a  along the guide means  2  and  2   a.    
     The upstream and downstream unlocking means are able to cooperate with the upstream locking means  17  and the downstream locking means  17   a  to enable releasing of the ramps  3  so as to drive them along said upstream guide means  2  and said downstream guide means  2   a  and to dispose them in a fan configuration. The cylinders  8  and  8   a  with their piston rods  12  and  12   a  and their bearing members  14  and  14   a  are used to unlock the locking means  17  and  17   a.    
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 to 9 , there are represented the successive steps of moving one of the conveyor ramps  3 . The ramp  3  goes from an initial position aligned with the longitudinal direction to a final position shifted laterally and diverging at an angle to the longitudinal direction. The unit  10  may include a parking area or volume  18  for one or more unused ramps, situated in the vicinity of the chassis  1 . 
     In a first position (see  FIG. 2 ), the ramp  3  is stowed in the parking area  18  of the unit  10 . One or more ramps not used for the current job remain waiting during the time to adjust the position of the ramp  3  and/or during the job time for separation. 
     In this first position, the ramp  3  is aligned with the longitudinal direction. The ramp  3  is locked in position by the upstream guide means  2  and the downstream guide means  2   a  by its upstream end  5  and its downstream end  5   a . For its part, the carriage  4  is initially positioned at the end of the rail  6 . The piston rods  12  and  12   a  are fully retracted into the cylinders  8  and  8   a . The ramp  3  is then moved toward its operating position. 
     In a second position (see  FIG. 3 ), the carriage  4  is moved (arrow C 1  in  FIG. 2 ) along the rail  6  so as to position the bearing members  14  and  14   a  in front of the ends  5  and  5   a.    
     In a third position (see  FIG. 4 ), the cylinders  8  and  8   a  are actuated (arrows F and Fa in  FIG. 3 ) to deploy the piston rods  12  and  12   a  in the direction of the ends  5  and  5   a . In this new position of the piston rods  12  and  12   a , each of the ends  5  and  5   a  is unlocked by means of the bearing members  14  and  14   a . Moreover, engagement elements integrated to the bearing members  14  and  14   a  are arranged so as to grasp these ends  5  and  5   a . Because of this, in this upstream and downstream unlocked position, the ramp  3  remains joined to, being hooked to the carriage  4  during its lateral movements. 
     In a fourth position (see  FIG. 5 ), the carriage  4  is moved laterally (arrow C 2  in  FIG. 4 ) along the rail  6 . The carriage  4  drives transversely in its movement the ramp  3  that has remained in its upstream and downstream unlocked position because of the action of the cylinders  8  and  8   a . In this new transverse position, the ramp  3  remains aligned with the longitudinal direction. 
     In a fifth position (see  FIG. 6 ), the cylinder  8  is actuated so as to retract the upstream piston rod  12  in the direction of the rail  6  (arrow R in  FIGS. 5 and 10 ). In this transverse position, the upstream end  5  is locked again. 
     In a sixth position (see  FIG. 7 ), the carriage  4  is moved laterally along the rail  6  (arrow C 3  in  FIG. 6 ). As it moves the carriage  4  drives only the downstream end  5   a , because of its unlocked position, but not the upstream end  5 , because of its locked position. In this transverse position, the ramp  3  is inclined relative to the longitudinal direction. This position corresponds to the final position of the ramp  3 . 
     In a seventh position (see  FIG. 8 ), the cylinder  8  is actuated to retract the piston rod  8   a  in the direction of the rail  6  (arrow Ra in  FIG. 7 ). In this transverse position the downstream end  5   a  is locked again. Because of the distance between the downstream end  5  and the upstream end  5   a , the ramp  3  is locked in an oblique divergent position. 
     In an eighth position (see  FIG. 9 ), the carriage  4  is moved laterally along the rail  6  (arrow C 4  in  FIG. 8 ), so as to return to its initial position at the end of the rail  6 . 
     In this way, one and the same carriage  4  moves and positions adequately, one after the other, all of the ramps  3  to be used for the envisaged separation job. This movement procedure may be adapted to other initial or final positions of the ramp  3  or the carriage  4 . 
     The steps referred to above may be carried out in the reverse order so as to move the ramp  3  from its final position to its initial position. Using a similar principle to move the ramp  3  from one oblique position to another oblique position may also be envisaged. This principle consists notably in first moving the ramp  3  into a position aligned with the longitudinal direction, before moving the ramp  3  laterally, and then again orienting this ramp  3  in an oblique direction. 
     As may be seen in  FIGS. 1 to 11 , the upstream locking means  17  and the downstream locking means  17   a  are formed on the one hand by a slide taking the form of upstream downstream transverse rigid blade  19  and downstream transverse rigid blade  19   a , attached to the chassis  1 . The blades  19  and  19   a  are substantially parallel to the upstream guide means  2  and the downstream guide means  2   a  and to the rail  6 . These blades  19  and  19   a  each have an oblong central opening  21  (visible in  FIG. 11 ). 
     The interior is defined as being the area between the two guide means  2  and  2   a . The exterior is defined as being the upstream and downstream areas outside the guide means  2  and  2   a.    
     The locking means  17  and  17   a  are formed on the other hand with exterior fixing means  22  and interior fixing means (see  FIGS. 10 and 11 ), joined to the ramps  3 . The exterior fixing means  22  and the interior fixing means  23  cooperate with the corresponding blade  19 . The opening  21  enables the fixing means  22  and  23  to be passed on each side of the blades  19  and  19   a.    
     The ends  5  and  5   a  of the support frame  13  of the ramp  3  each comprise upstream and downstream extensions  35  joined to the ramp  3 . The extensions  35  are situated at the point of pivoting and sliding on the upstream guide means  2  and the downstream guide means  2   a . The fixing means  22  and  23  are positioned on either side of the blade  19  and on either side of the extension  35 . This extension  35  includes a groove forming a rectangular profile sliding housing  36  inside which the exterior fixing means  22  and the blade  19  are positioned. 
     In the locked position of the upstream end  5 , the blade  19  is strongly clamped between the exterior fixing means  22  and a lower face of the wall of the housing  36 . This extension  35  is provided with an orifice  27  inside which the fixing means  23  slide. 
     The exterior fixing means  22  are formed of a mobile axis  24  passing through the oblong opening  21  of the blade  19 . The axis  24  is extended at an exterior end by a flat mobile head  26 . The head  26  is positioned on an exterior side of the blade  19  and clamps this blade  19  against the interior face of the wall of the housing  36  for locking purposes. The axis  24  and the head  26  are operated by the interior fixing means  23  disposed on the other side of this blade  19 . 
     The interior fixing means  23  are formed of a mobile actuator element or pusher  25  throughout the length of which extends a central hole receiving an interior end of the axis  24 . The pusher  25  has a tubular first part  25   a  sliding inside the cavity  27 . This first part  25   a  is pushed back toward the interior and out of this cavity  27  by means of a compression spring  29  disposed at the bottom of the cavity  27 . 
     The pusher  25  has a second tubular part or button  25   b  having a bearing rim  28  configured to abut against the extension  35  in the unlocked position. This button  25   b  has an interior recess  30  at its free end in which is positioned a nut  31  screwed onto the interior end of the axis  24 . 
     The upstream fixing means  22  and the downstream fixing means  23  are symmetrical to each other and enable locking and unlocking at will of the upstream end  5  and the downstream end  5   a  to the upstream blade  19  and the downstream blade  19   a , respectively. 
     In the unlocked position (see  FIG. 10 ), by virtue of the action of the piston rod  12  of the cylinder  8 , the bearing member  14  pushes back the pusher  25  by bearing on the button  25   b . The button  25   b  is thus pushed back against the extension  35 . The button  25   b  drives the first part  25   a  against the compression spring  29 . The first part  25   a  slides and enters the cavity  27 . The first part  25   a  drives the axis outward through the oblong opening  21  of the blade  19 . Consequently, the head  26  of the axis  24  therefore no longer bears on the blade  19 . 
     To drive the extension  35 , and consequently the ends  5  and  5   a  of the ramp  3  in their lateral movement along said upstream guide means  2  and downstream guide means  2   a  and to dispose them in a fan configuration, the carriage  4  comprises in accordance with the invention upstream and downstream grasping means. These grasping means are formed of a plurality of lugs  33  disposed in the vicinity of the bearing members  14  and  14   a . The bearing member  14  is provided on its lateral edges with fixing lugs  33 . These lugs are configured to be positioned around the pusher  25  on either side of the extension  35  when the bearing member  14  moves toward and then pushes the pusher  25 . 
     The separator unit  10  as described above may be operated manually by an operator or may function automatically. 
     This movement may be effected either under the manual control of an operator or automatically. In the latter case, it is preferable to integrate detection means on the carriage  4  adapted to detect the presence of marker means on the conveyor ramps  3 . These detector means are inductive detectors  37 , for example, able to detect the presence of a metal part  38  disposed at a short distance. The detection means  37  are used to align the unlocking means of the carriage  4  with the locking means  17  and  17   a  of the ramps  3  by accurately controlling the driving of the carriage  4 . 
     Computerized control means are provided for controlling automatically the movement of the carriage  4  and the cylinders  8  and  8   a . This automatic control may be effected as a function of data stored beforehand in the computer, namely the dimensions of the boxes  20 , the number of ramps  3 , the initial position of the ramps  3  relative to the boxes  20  or the lateral spacing between the boxes  20  at the supply end. Such automatic control is effected as a function of information received from the detector means detecting the position of the ramps  3  and the carriage  4 . 
     The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown. Numerous modifications may be made without departing from the framework defined by the scope of the claims.