Plant and method for making packages

Abstract

A plant for making packages includes at least a machine to work packaging material and an automatic feed apparatus to feed the packaging material to the machine in a direction of automatic feed; a manual feeding and loading station of the packaging material, adjacent and parallel to the automatic feed apparatus, the machine being mobile in a direction of movement transverse to the direction of automatic feed and selectively positionable in a first position aligned to the automatic feed apparatus and in a second position aligned to the manual feeding and loading station; and a guide system to guide the machine between the first position and the second position and vice versa.

Claims

1. A plant for making packages, comprising: at least a machine (11) to work packaging material; an automatic feed apparatus (12) to feed said packaging material to said machine (11) in a direction of automatic feed (P); a manual feeding and loading station (14) of the packaging material, adjacent and parallel to said automatic feed apparatus (12), wherein said machine (11) is mobile in a direction of movement (M) transverse to said direction of automatic feed (P) and is selectively positionable in a first position aligned to said automatic feed apparatus (12) and in a second position aligned to said manual feeding and loading station (14); and a guide system to guide said machine (11) between said first position and said second position and vice versa.

2. The plant as in claim 1, further comprising a loading device (13) to load the packaging material, interposed between, and aligned with, said machine (11) and said automatic feed apparatus (12), wherein said loading device (13) is mobile in said direction of automatic feed (P) in order to assume a first loading condition, in which said loading device is connected to said machine (11), and a second non-operative condition, in which said loading device is unconstrained and separate from said machine (11).

3. The plant as in claim 2, wherein said machine (11) comprises a movement device (23) connected to said guide system and moving said machine (11) in a controlled way between said first position and said second position, and vice versa.

4. The plant as in claim 2, further comprising longitudinal guides (21) disposed in said direction of automatic feed (P) and configured to guide said loading device (13) between said first loading condition and said second non-operative condition, and vice versa.

5. The plant as in claim 1, wherein said guide system comprises transverse guides (20) disposed in said direction of movement (M) and guiding said machine (11) between said first position and said second position, and vice versa.

6. The plant as in claim 1, wherein said manual feeding and loading station (14) is mobile at least along said direction of automatic feed (P), moving closer to or distancing from said machine (11).

7. A method of making packages using a plant for making packages, said method comprising: providing providing an automatic feed apparatus (12) that feeds packaging material, in a direction of automatic feed (P) and at least automatically, to a machine (11) working said packaging material, wherein the step of providing an automatic feed apparatus comprises providing an automatic feed apparatus (12) that also feeds said packaging material manually to said machine (11) with a manual feeding and loading station (14) adjacent and parallel to said automatic feed apparatus (12); and moving said machine (11) in a direction of movement (M) transverse to said direction of automatic feed (P) in order to selectively position said machine in a first position aligned to said automatic feed apparatus (12) so as to feed said packaging material automatically, and in a second position aligned to said manual feeding and loading station (14) to feed said packaging material manually.

8. The method as in claim 7, wherein the step of providing an automatic feed apparatus (12) that feeds packaging material automatically comprises disposing a loading device (13) of said packaging material interposed between, and aligned with, said machine (11) and said automatic feed apparatus (12), and connecting said loading device (13) to said machine (11) in a first loading condition, wherein, before moving said machine (11) from said first position to said second position said loading device (13) is moved in said direction of automatic feed (P), with respect to said loading condition, away from said machine (11), in order to make said loading device (13) assume a second non-operative condition, in which said loading device is unconstrained and separated from said machine (11).

9. The method as in claim 7, wherein, after positioning said machine (11) in said second position, said manual feeding and loading station (14) is moved at least in said direction of automatic feed (P) into a vicinity of said machine (11).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) These and other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of some forms of embodiment, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a plan view of forms of embodiment of a plant to make packages according to the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a lateral view of FIG. 1;

(4) FIGS. 3 and 4 are lateral views in section of the plant according to the section line A-A of FIG. 1;

(5) FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are plan views of a part of the plant in FIG. 1, in different functioning conditions.

(6) In the following description, the same reference numbers indicate identical parts of the plant for making packages according to the present invention, also in different forms of embodiment. It is understood that elements and characteristics of one form of embodiment can be conveniently incorporated into other forms of embodiment without further clarifications.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FORMS OF EMBODIMENT

(7) We shall now refer in detail to the various forms of embodiment of the present invention, of which one or more examples are shown in the attached drawing. Each example is supplied by way of illustration of the invention and shall not be understood as a limitation thereof. For example, the characteristics shown or described insomuch as they are part of one form of embodiment can be adopted on, or in association with, other forms of embodiment to produce another form of embodiment. It is understood that the present invention shall include all such modifications and variants.

(8) FIGS. 1 and 2 are used to describe forms of embodiment of a plant 10 for making packages, comprising a machine 11 for working packaging material, an automatic feed apparatus 12, and a manual feeding and loading station 14.

(9) The automatic feed apparatus 12 is configured to feed the packaging material automatically, for example according to a process of continuous functioning, to the machine 11, making the material follow a travel in a direction of automatic feed P.

(10) The machine 11 is configured to subject the packaging material to workings, such as for example cutting, incisions, and/or creasing for working flat semi-worked products, shaped and possibly creased, which are then folded and/or glued and/or assembled in another way in order to obtain the desired packages, for example of a box-like shape.

(11) The automatic feed apparatus 12 can include a storage unit 15 of the packaging material, contained there in the form of sheets, strips or reels, even of different sizes.

(12) In some forms of embodiment, the storage unit 15 can include a single, or in other possible implementations, a plurality of sectors 16, in each of which one or more pallets 17 of packaging material are positioned, possibly adjacent to each other to fill the space pertaining to each sector 16.

(13) The automatic feed apparatus 12 also includes one or, as described by way of example with reference to the attached drawings, a plurality of removal and transport devices 18 to move the packaging material from the storage unit 15 to the machine 11.

(14) Each removal and transport device 18 can be governed by a sector 16 of the storage unit 15 in order to remove the packaging material in the desired shape and size needed from the corresponding pallets 17, and to transport it to the working machine 11. In possible implementations, each removal and transport device 18 can include guide members 19 which allow to transfer the packaging material in a suitable guided manner, defining a feed path in the direction of automatic feed P.

(15) With reference by way of example to FIG. 1, guide members 19 can be provided which define overlapping and vertically distanced feed paths, so as not to interfere with each other during the functioning of the plant 10.

(16) The plant 10 described with reference by way of non-restrictive example to FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, can include a plurality of feed paths, six for example.

(17) Simplified solutions, for example with five, four, three, two feed paths and even only one feed path, like solutions comprising more than six feed paths, for example seven, eight, nine or more than nine, can be equally provided in a plant 10 according to forms of embodiment in accordance with the present description.

(18) In some forms of embodiment in accordance with the present description, the plant 10 can also comprise a loading device or selector 13. In possible implementations, the selector 13 is interposed between the automatic feed apparatus 12 and the machine 11, aligned to both, and has the function of loading into the machine 11 the packaging material coming from the automatic feed apparatus 12.

(19) When the functioning of the plant 10 provides to feed the packaging material automatically to the machine 11, the selector 13 is connected to the machine 11 itself, in a loading condition.

(20) The connection between the selector 13 and machine 11 can provide, for example, a removable mechanical attachment constraint, or the partial insertion of the selector 13 inside the machine 11 can be provided, so that it interferes with the transverse bulk of the latter. An example of a plant 10 that adopts the solution of partial insertion of the selector 13 into the machine 11 is described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 5 for example.

(21) FIGS. 1 and 2 are used to describe forms of embodiment in which the manual feeding and loading station 14 is adjacent and parallel to the machine 11, for example laterally thereto with respect to the direction of automatic feed P.

(22) By adjacent and parallel we mean that the automatic feed apparatus 12 and the manual feeding and loading station 14 can be used alternatively to feed the packaging material to the machine 11. It can mean that the parallel positioning implies that the manual feeding and loading station 14 defines a direction of manual feed that is parallel to the direction of automatic feed P.

(23) In particular the first is used to feed the packaging material automatically, while the second is used to feed the material manually.

(24) For this purpose, the machine 11 is configured mobile transversely with respect to the direction of automatic feed P, in a direction of movement M, in order to assume a first position aligned to the automatic feed apparatus 12, and a second position aligned to the manual feeding and loading station 14.

(25) In preferential implementations, the direction of movement M is perpendicular with respect to the direction of automatic feed P.

(26) In some forms of embodiment, the plant 10 can include guide means to guide the machine 11 between the first position and the second position, and vice versa. Transverse guides 20, rectilinear for example, are examples of possible guide means in accordance with forms of embodiment described here. In possible implementations, the transverse guides 20 can be positioned transversely with respect to the direction of automatic feed P and disposed in the direction of movement M.

(27) The machine 11 can be mobile on the transverse guides 20 in order to position itself, when required, in the first and second position.

(28) In possible solutions, the manual feeding and loading station 14 can define a support plane Q able to receive single sheets of packaging material that have to be fed manually to the machine 11. For example, the manual feeding and loading station 14 can include a support structure, or frame 14a, defining said support plane Q.

(29) In possible implementations, the disposition of the support plane Q is such as to allow the manual feed of the sheets only by translating them in the direction of automatic feed P once positioned on the same support plane Q.

(30) In some forms of embodiment, it can be provided that the manual feeding and loading station 14 is mobile at least in the direction of automatic feed P, for example to be moved toward the machine 11 after the latter has been placed in the second position cited above, and to be moved away from the machine 11 in order to facilitate the movement of the latter toward the first position.

(31) Other solutions can provide a movement of the manual feeding and loading station 14 along two axes that are orthogonal to each other, for example disposed according to the directions of feed P and movement M.

(32) Solutions can also be provided, shown by way of example in FIGS. 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7, in which the manual feeding and loading station 14 is freely mobile on its own lying plane, for example the floor of the building that contains the plant 10.

(33) To allow this free movement of the manual feeding and loading station 14, the latter can include pirouetting wheels 14b, connected to its own frame 14a for example.

(34) FIGS. 1 and 2 are also used to describe other forms of embodiment, which can be combined with all the forms of embodiment described here, in which the plant 10 can include longitudinal guides 21, rectilinear for example, positioned in the direction of automatic feed P and associated to the selector 13 for example.

(35) The selector 13 is mobile in the direction of automatic feed P and can slide in this direction along the longitudinal guides 21.

(36) FIGS. 3 and 4 are used to describe possible forms of embodiment of the plant 10 in which the machine 11 comprises a bearing structure 11a configured to support and contain one or more work stations 111, each of which is able to carry out a working, for example cutting and/or creasing, on the packaging material.

(37) The machine 11 can also include, in accordance with possible implementations, an introduction device 22, with the function of introducing into the work stations 111 packaging material coming from the automatic feed apparatus 12 or from the manual feeding and loading station 14.

(38) With reference by way of example to FIGS. 3 and 4, the machine 11 can include a movement device 23, connected to the bearing structure 11a and cooperating with the transverse guides 20 to move the machine 11 in the direction of movement M.

(39) The movement device 23 can be, for example, the rack type and include a drive member 24 to which a pulley 25 is connected, engaged on a fixed rack 26, parallel to the transverse guides 20. The motion conferred on the pulley 25 by the drive member 24 allows the movement of the bearing structure 11a, and consequently of the machine 11, along the fixed rack 26 and therefore along the transverse guides 20 in the direction of movement M.

(40) The sliding of the machine 11 on the transverse guides 20 can be obtained by wheels 27 connected to the bearing structure 11a.

(41) Other solutions can provide different types of movement devices 23, for example comprising one or more linear actuators of the screw type, pneumatic, hydraulic, magnetic or sliders or motorized belts or other.

(42) In possible implementations, described with reference by way of example to FIGS. 3 and 4, the longitudinal guides 21 can include upper guides 21a and lower guides 21b, whose combined presence can for example supply stability to the movement of the selector 13.

(43) This movement, for example, can be supplied to the loading device 13 by a movement device 28, in this case the mechanical rack type. However, different types of movement device 28 cannot be excluded from the scope of the present invention, for example comprising one or more linear actuators of the screw type, pneumatic, hydraulic, magnetic or sliders or belts or other.

(44) FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are used to describe by way of example the functioning of the plant 10.

(45) FIG. 5 is used to describe a possible initial condition in which, for example, the machine 11 is in its first position, that is, aligned to the automatic feed apparatus 12, in order to feed the packaging material automatically, and the selector 13 is in its loading condition, partially inside the longitudinal bulk, that is, in the direction of automatic feed P, of the machine 11.

(46) Starting from this initial condition, if it is necessary to pass to a manual feed of the packaging material, the selector 13 is translated along the longitudinal guides 21 in the direction of automatic feed P away from the machine 11, resulting completely outside and unconstrained from it (see FIG. 6 for example).

(47) Then, the machine 11 can be translated along the transverse guides 20 in the direction of movement M and positioned in its second position, aligned to the manual feeding and loading station 14 (see FIG. 7 for example).

(48) The machine 11 can therefore be fed manually, positioning one or more sheets of packaging material on the support plane Q and thrusting the sheets toward the machine 11, so that the introduction device 22 grips the sheets and introduces them to the one or more work stations 111.

(49) In possible implementations, it can be provided to move the manual feeding and loading station 14 in the direction of automatic feed P and nearer to the machine 11, after the positioning of the latter in its second position.

(50) It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts may be made to the plant 10 as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention.

(51) It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of plant 10, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.