APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING SEPARATORS AND RELATED PROCEDURE

Abstract

An apparatus for assembling separators includes at least one horizontal destacker for longitudinal die-cut cardboard sheets, capable of delivering the longitudinal sheets at a constant pitch, a conveyor on which the longitudinal sheets advance horizontally, and at least one lateral destacker for transversal die-cut cardboard sheets, capable of delivering the transversal sheets inclined relative to the longitudinal sheets and of positioning them so as to be intercepted by the longitudinal sheets.

Claims

1. Apparatus for assembling separators, comprising at least one horizontal destacker for longitudinal die-cut cardboard sheets, capable of delivering the longitudinal sheets at a constant pitch, and a conveyor on which the longitudinal sheets advance horizontally, characterised in that wherein it comprises at least one lateral destacker for transversal die-cut cardboard sheets, capable of delivering the transversal sheets inclined relative to the longitudinal sheets at an angle of less than 90, and of positioning them so as to be intercepted by the longitudinal sheets.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the angle is less than 45.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it comprises a device for rotating the transversal sheets, capable of overlapping them on to the longitudinal sheets.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that wherein the lateral destacker comprises a pair of unloading devices, capable of carrying and releasing the transversal sheets.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3, characterised in that wherein each unloading device comprises a lower belt and an upper belt, between which the transversal sheets advance inclined relative to the longitudinal sheets.

6. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the lateral destacker comprises adjustment devices for the unloading devices, capable of adapting their operation to the dimensions of the transversal sheets and of the longitudinal sheets.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the adjustment devices comprise sliding guides, which allow the distance between the unloading devices to be modified, so as to adapt the position of the unloading devices to the height of the transversal sheets.

8. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the adjustment devices comprise means for advancing the unloading devices, so as to adapt the position of the unloading devices to the width of the longitudinal sheets.

9. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the adjustment devices comprise means for sliding the upper belt and a movable stop so as to adapt the position of the upper belt and of the stop to the width of the transversal sheets.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor comprises at least one pair of belts, capable of supporting the longitudinal sheets.

11. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the rotation device comprises at least one inclined guide.

12. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the advancement means comprise a complementary toothed wheel and rack.

13. Procedure for assembling separators, wherein it comprises the following steps: longitudinal die-cut cardboard sheets are horizontally inserted onto a conveyor at a constant pitch; at least one transversal die-cut cardboard sheet is delivered along the path of the conveyor inclined relative to the conveyor at an angle of less than 90, and preferably less than 45, so that a single slot of a transversal sheet aligns with a slot of the longitudinal sheet; the transversal sheets are intercepted by the longitudinal sheet; the transversal sheets are turned over onto the longitudinal sheet so as to overlap each other; the flattened separators are stacked.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Further advantages and features of the invention will be more apparent in the detailed description which follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show an example, non-limiting embodiment, in which:

[0022] FIG. 1 illustrates the invention according to a perspective assembly view;

[0023] FIG. 1a illustrates the invention according a perspective view during its operation;

[0024] FIG. 1b illustrates a detail of FIG. 1a;

[0025] FIG. 2 illustrates the process for assembling the separators;

[0026] FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate details of the invention;

[0027] FIG. 4a illustrates a detail of FIG. 4, with some parts cut away to better illustrate others;

[0028] FIGS. 5 to 7 illustrate accessory devices installed on the detail of FIG. 4;

[0029] FIGS. 8a and 8b illustrate a crucial step of the process for assembling the separators.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0030] As can be seen from the figures, the invention relates to an apparatus for assembling separators, or dividers, defined hives, made of solid or, at most, micro-corrugated cardboard, with thickness not greater than 2 millimetres.

[0031] The apparatus (10), whose basic parts are shown in FIG. 1, comprises at least one horizontal destacker (1) for longitudinal die-cut cardboard sheets (L), capable of delivering the longitudinal sheets (L) at a constant pitch, a conveyor (3) on which the longitudinal sheets (L) advance horizontally, and at least one lateral destacker (2) for transversal die-cut cardboard sheets (T), capable of delivering the transversal sheets (T) inclined at an angle () of less than 90, and preferably less than 45, relative to the conveyor (3), and therefore relative to the longitudinal sheets (L), and of positioning them so as to be intercepted by the longitudinal sheets (L); located downstream of the lateral destacker (2) there being a device for rotating (4) the transversal sheets (T), capable of overlapping them on to the longitudinal sheets (L), so as to form a separator (20), or hive, already flattened and ready for storage. In FIG. 1a, the apparatus (10) is shown in an operating step: in this example embodiment, in the enlarged detail of FIG. 1b, it can be seen how the rotation device (4) comprises at least one inclined guide (41).

[0032] Since the longitudinal sheets (L) and the transversal sheets (T) intercept each other at only one slot at a time for each of them, it follows that in order to make a separator (20) having four cells only one lateral destacker (2) will be necessary, for a separator having six cells two will be necessary, for a separator having eight cells three will be necessary, and so on.

[0033] As can be seen in FIG. 3, the conveyor (3) comprises at least one pair of belts (31), capable of supporting and keeping horizontal the longitudinal sheets (L) coming out of the horizontal destacker (1).

[0034] Each lateral destacker (2), illustrated as whole in FIG. 4, comprises a pair of unloading devices (21), more clearly visible in FIG. 4a, capable of carrying and releasing the transversal sheets (T); each unloading device (21) comprises a lower belt (21a) and an upper belt (21b), between which the transversal sheets (T) advance inclined relative to the longitudinal sheets (L).

[0035] The lateral destacker (2) also comprises a set of adjustment devices (22) for the unloading devices (21), capable of adapting their positioning, and therefore operation, to the dimensions of the transversal sheets (T) and of the longitudinal sheets (L), shown in FIGS. 5 to 7: visible in FIG. 5 are sliding guides (22a), which allow the distance between the unloading devices (21) to be modified, so as to adapt the position of the unloading devices to the height (H) of the transversal sheets (T); FIG. 6 shows means for advancing (22b) the unloading devices (21), here formed for example by a complementary toothed wheel (22) and rack (22), capable of adapting the position of the unloading devices to the width (W) of the longitudinal sheets (L); FIG. 7 shows means for sliding (22c) the upper belt (21b) and a lower movable stop (22d), capable of adapting the position of the upper belt and of the stop to the width (W) of the transversal sheets (T).

[0036] FIG. 2 shows the process for assembling a separator (20) having six cells, for which the presence of two lateral destackers (2) is necessary. Therefore it comprises at least the following steps: a horizontal destacker (1) inserts longitudinal die-cut cardboard sheets (L) in a horizontal position at a constant pitch onto a conveyor (3); each lateral destacker (2) delivers a transversal sheet (T) of die-cut cardboard inclined relative to the conveyor (3), and therefore relative to the longitudinal sheet (L), at an angle () of less than 90, and preferably less than 45, so that a single slot of each transversal sheet (T) aligns with a slot of the longitudinal sheet (L) which is arriving; the longitudinal sheet (L) intercepts the transversal sheets (T) (this step, crucial for the entire procedure, is shown in FIGS. 8a and 8b); the transversal sheets (T) are turned over onto the longitudinal sheet (L) so as to overlap each other; the flattened separators (20) are stacked.