APPARATUS FOR FEEDING A PLURALITY OF FLAT ELEMENTS LYING FLAT ON ONE ANOTHER, IN PARTICULAR CARTON BLANKS, TO A PACKAGING APPARATUS

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus (10) for feeding a plurality of flat elements (12) lying flat on one another, in particular carton blanks, to a packaging apparatus (V), comprising: a first feed section (18) having a conveying device (46), of which the conveying surface (22a1) intended to support the flat elements (12) is formed from a material which, with respect to the interaction with the flat elements (12), has a predetermined coefficient of adhesive friction, and a second feed section (20), which falls toward the packaging apparatus (V), wherein the inclination of the first feed section (18) and the inclination of the second feed section (20) toward the packaging apparatus (V) are different from each other.

Claims

1. Apparatus for feeding a plurality of planar elements, resting flat against one another, in particular carton blanks, to a packaging apparatus, comprising: a first feed portion having a conveying means, the conveying surface of which, intended for supporting the planar elements, is formed of a material that has a specified coefficient of static friction with respect to the interaction with the planar elements, and comprising a second feed portion that slopes downwards towards the packaging apparatus, wherein the inclination of the first feed portion and the inclination of the second feed portion towards the packaging apparatus are different from one another, wherein the second feed portion comprises a further conveying means, the conveying surface of which, intended for supporting the planar elements, is formed of a material, the coefficient of static friction of which with respect to the interaction with the planar elements has a lower value than the material of the conveying means of the first feed portion.

2. Feed apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the coefficient of static friction of the conveying surface of the further conveying means is selected such that the static friction between the conveying surface and the planar elements is overcome during a conveying cycle of the further conveying means, such that slip results between the conveying surface and the planar elements.

3. Feed apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveying surface of the conveying means of the first feed portion is formed of polyurethane, and/or in that the conveying surface of the further conveying means of the second feed portion is formed of Teflon.

4. Feed apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveying means of the first feed portion and the further conveying means of the second feed portion are associated with a common drive unit.

5. Feed apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the two conveying means are drivingly interconnected at the transition from the first feed portion to the second feed portion.

6. Feed apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a deflection unit is arranged at the transition from the first feed portion to the second feed portion, which deflection unit deflects both the conveying surface of the conveying means of the first feed portion and the conveying surface of the further conveying means of the second feed portion.

7. Feed apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the deflection unit comprises a rotatable shaft on which at least one deflection wheel associated with the conveying means of the first feed portion, as well as a deflection wheel associated with the further conveying means of the second feed portion, are arranged.

8. Feed apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one conveying means and/or the further conveying means comprises at least one conveyor belt which is formed by a toothed belt for example.

9. Feed apparatus according to claim 7, wherein it comprises at least two feed units, each of which comprises at least one conveyor belt associated with the first feed portion, and a conveyor belt associated with the second feed portion, said conveyor belts being arranged on a common carrier.

10. Feed apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the conveyor belts of at least one feed unit are of the same width.

11. Feed apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the conveyor belts are arranged adjacently to one another at the transition from the first feed portion to the second feed portion.

12. Feed apparatus according to claim 9, wherein it comprises a frame, on which the at least two feed units are arranged so as to be displaceable relative to one another transversely to the conveying direction.

13. Feed apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first feed portion extends so as to be substantially horizontal.

14. Feed apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second feed portion has an angle of inclination of between approximately 5 and approximately 40 relative to the horizontal.

15. Apparatus for feeding a plurality of planar elements, resting flat against one another, in particular carton blanks, to a packaging apparatus, comprising: a first feed portion having a conveyor, the conveying surface of which, intended for supporting the planar elements, is formed of a material that has a specified coefficient of static friction with respect to the interaction with the planar elements, and comprising a second feed portion that slopes downwards towards the packaging apparatus, wherein the inclination of the first feed portion and the inclination of the second feed portion towards the packaging apparatus are different from one another, wherein the second feed portion comprises a further conveyor, the conveying surface of which, intended for supporting the planar elements, is formed of a material, the coefficient of static friction of which with respect to the interaction with the planar elements has a lower value than the material of the conveyor of the first feed portion.

Description

[0018] The invention will be explained in greater detail in the following, on the basis of an embodiment and with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a feed apparatus according to the invention; FIG. 2 is a plan view of the feed apparatus according to the invention;

[0020] FIG. 3 is a side view of the feed apparatus according to the invention; and

[0021] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the structure of the conveyor belts of the feed apparatus according to the invention.

[0022] In FIGS. 1 to 3, a feed apparatus according to the invention is denoted very generally by 10.

[0023] Said apparatus is used for feeding a plurality of planar elements 12 (see FIG. 3), resting flat against one another, in particular carton blanks, to a packaging apparatus, the position of which is indicated merely in a highly schematic manner in FIG. 3 by the reference sign V.

[0024] The feed apparatus 10 comprises two feed units 14 and 16 which are arranged so as to be mirror-symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal central plane E (see FIG. 2) of the feed apparatus 10, but are otherwise designed identically. The design of the feed units 14 and 16 will therefore be described in the following merely with reference to the example of the feed unit 14.

[0025] The feed unit 14, and thus also the feed apparatus 10, comprises two feed portions 18 and 20, each of which comprises a conveyor belt 22 and 24, respectively, which are both preferably formed by a toothed belt. In this case, the conveyor belt 22 is driven by a drive means 26 which can be seen most clearly in FIG. 3 and acts on a drive wheel 28.

[0026] In the embodiment shown, the drive means 26 is formed by a piston-cylinder unit 27 which, in FIG. 3, rotates the drive wheel 28 in an anti-clockwise direction, by a specified angle, by means of a lever 32 connected to the piston rod 30, upon each actuation, and thus moves the upper run 22a of the conveyor belt 22 by a specified distance in the conveying direction F, i.e. towards the packaging apparatus V. Upon a return stroke of the piston-cylinder unit 27, a free wheel (not shown) ensures that the drive wheel 28 pauses in the position thereof.

[0027] A deflection wheel 34 for the conveyor belt 22 is arranged at the transition from the first feed portion 18 to the second feed portion 20. Said deflection wheel 34 is arranged on the same shaft as a deflection wheel 36 of the second conveyor belt 24. In this case, the two deflection wheels 34 and 36 are interconnected for conjoint rotation, such that the drive movement of the conveyor belt 22 can be transmitted to the conveyor belt 24. As a result, it is not necessary to provide a separate drive means for the conveyor belt 24. However, for the sake of completeness the deflection wheel 38 of the second conveyor belt 24 should also be mentioned, which wheel is arranged on the end of the feed apparatus 10 that faces the packaging apparatus V.

[0028] It should also be noted at this point that the surface 22a1 of the upper run 22a of the conveyor belt 22, and the surface 24a1 of the upper run 24a of the conveyor belt 24 each form a conveying surface on which the carton blanks 12, specifically, as can be seen from FIG. 3, the peripheral edges thereof, stand upright during operation of the feed apparatus 10, i.e. on the route to the packaging apparatus V.

[0029] Both conveyor belts 22 and 24 may be formed as toothed belts, in which case the deflection wheels 28, 34, 36 and 38 are formed as gear wheels. As shown schematically in FIG. 4, both conveyor belts 22 and 24 comprise a first layer 40 which provides contact with the deflection wheels 28, 34, 36 and 38 and, when the conveyor belts are formed as toothed belts, also carries the toothing 42 thereof. Furthermore, both conveyor belts 22 and 24 comprise a second layer 44 which comes into contact with the carton blanks 12. According to the invention, the second layer 44 of the conveyor belt 22 is formed of a material that has a higher coefficient of static friction than the material of the second layer 44 of the conveyor belt 24. For example, the second layer 44 of the conveyor belt 22 may be formed of polyurethane, while the second layer 44 of the conveyor belt 24 may be formed of Teflon.

[0030] As can be seen in particular in FIG. 3, the first feed portion 18 extends so as to be substantially horizontal, while the second feed portion 20 slopes downwards in the conveying direction F. In this case, the angle of inclination a is preferably between approximately 5 and approximately 40.

[0031] It should be noted at this point that the conveyor belts 22 of the first feed portions 18 of the two conveying units 14 and 16, and the further elements required for driving said conveyor belts 22, together form a first conveying means 46 of the feed apparatus 10, while the conveyor belts 24 of the second feed portions 20 and the further elements required for driving said conveyor belts together form a second conveying means 48 of the feed apparatus 10 (see FIG. 2).

[0032] As can be seen in particular in FIG. 2, the two conveyor belts 22 and 24 are arranged so as to be directly adjacent to one another, in the region of the transition from the first feed portion 18 to the second feed portion 20. In this case, however, said belts preferably do not rest on one another, since this would lead to wear, but instead are at a spacing from one another that is smaller than the width b of the two conveyor belts 22 and 24 (see FIG. 2).

[0033] It should furthermore be noted that the two feed units 14 and 16 are formed as self-contained modules which are arranged on a frame 50 of the feed apparatus 10 so as to be adjustable relative to one another in the transverse direction Q, i.e. in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction F. For this purpose, all the components of the feed units 14 and 16, i.e. the conveyor belts 22 and 24 and all the elements required for driving said belts, are arranged on a common carrier 52.