Slitter-scorer machine with suction system for removing trims

Abstract

The slitter-scorer machine includes a suction unit for removing trims cut by the cutting blades. The suction unit in turn includes a first pair of suction nozzles associated with a first set of cutting tools, and a second pair of suction nozzles, associated with a second set of cutting tools. The first pair of suction nozzles is adapted to suck trims generated by the first set of cutting tools and the second pair of suction nozzles is adapted to suck trims generated by the second set of cutting tools.

Claims

1. A slitter-scorer machine for scoring and slitting a corrugated cardboard web, comprising: a feed path of the corrugated cardboard web; and arranged in either upstream sequence or in downstream sequence along the feed path, a scoring unit and a slitting unit; wherein the slitting unit includes in sequence along the feed path through the slitting unit at least two sets of cutting tools comprising at least a first set of cutting tools and a second set of cutting tools arranged downstream of the first set of cutting tools with respect to a direction of advancement of the corrugated cardboard web along the feed path, wherein each of said first set of cutting tools and said second set of cutting tools is adapted to cut the corrugated cardboard web longitudinally into a plurality of longitudinal strips and into two lateral trims; and, associated with the slitting unit, a suction unit for removing said two lateral trims, wherein the suction unit comprises a first pair of suction nozzles associated with the first set of cutting tools and arranged between the first set of cutting tools and the second set of cutting tools, and a second pair of suction nozzles, associated with the second set of cutting tools and arranged downstream of the second set of cutting tools with respect to the direction of advancement of the corrugated cardboard; wherein the first pair of suction nozzles is adapted to suck leading edges of continuous trims and leading edges of discontinuous trims generated by the first set of cutting tools and the second pair of suction nozzles is adapted to suck leading edges of continuous trims and leading edges of discontinuous trims generated by the second set of cutting tools; wherein a first suction nozzle of the first pair of suction nozzles is rigidly connected to a first suction nozzle of the second pair of suction nozzles; and wherein a second suction nozzle of the first pair of suction nozzles is rigidly connected to a second suction nozzle of the second pair of suction nozzles; wherein the respective first suction nozzles of the first pair of suction nozzles and of the second pair of suction nozzles are positioned on a first side of the feed path, and the respective second suction nozzles of the first pair of suction nozzles and of the second pair of suction nozzles are positioned on a second side of the feed path; and wherein each respective one of the first suction nozzle of the first pair of suction nozzles and the first suction nozzle of the second pair of suction nozzles are movable together as a single unit transversely to the feed path, and each respective one of the second suction nozzle of the first pair of suction nozzles and the second suction nozzle of the second pair of suction nozzles are movable together as a single unit transversely to the feed path to adapt to the position of the trims generated by respective ones of said first set of cutting tools and said second set of cutting tools.

2. The slitter-scorer machine of claim 1, wherein the slitting unit is positioned downstream of the scoring unit; and wherein a single actuator provides movement to simultaneously adjust nozzles of the first pair of suction nozzles and nozzles of the second pair of suction nozzles transversely to the feed path.

3. The slitter-scorer machine of claim 1, wherein the suction nozzles of the first pair of suction nozzles are adapted to move transversely to the feed path symmetrically to one another; and wherein the suction nozzles of the second pair of suction nozzles are adapted to move transversely to the feed path symmetrically to one another.

4. The slitter-scorer machine of claim 1, wherein the first pair of suction nozzles and the second pair of suction nozzles are in communication with a common suction system.

5. The slitter-scorer machine of claim 4, wherein the common suction system comprises selector members, to generate suction selectively through the first pair of suction nozzles and through the second pair of suction nozzles.

6. The slitter-scorer machine of claim 4, wherein the common suction system comprises: a first suction duct fluidly coupled to a first suction nozzle of the first pair of suction nozzles and to a first suction nozzle of the second pair of suction nozzles; a second suction duct fluidly coupled to a second suction nozzle of the first pair of suction nozzles and to a second suction nozzle of the second pair of suction nozzles; wherein the respective first suction nozzle of the first pair of suction nozzles and of the second pair of suction nozzles are positioned on a first side of the feed path, and the respective second suction nozzle of the first pair of suction nozzles and of the second pair of suction nozzles are positioned on a second side of the feed path.

7. The slitter-scorer machine of claim 1, comprising, on each side of the feed path, a respective slide, and wherein each said respective slide supports a suction nozzle of the first pair of suction nozzles and a suction nozzle of the second pair of suction nozzles.

8. The slitter-scorer machine of claim 7, wherein each said respective slide is movable along a system of common guides integral with a load-bearing structure.

9. The slitter-scorer machine of claim 1, wherein the scoring unit comprises a plurality of scoring sets positioned in sequence along the feed path and adapted to be activated selectively.

10. A slitter-scorer machine for scoring and slitting a corrugated cardboard web, comprising: a feed path of the corrugated cardboard web; and arranged in either upstream sequence or in downstream sequence along the feed path, a scoring unit and a slitting unit; wherein the slitting unit includes in sequence along the feed path through the slitting unit at least two sets of cutting tools comprising at least a first set of cutting tools and a second set of cutting tools arranged downstream of the first set of cutting tools with respect to a direction of advancement of the corrugated cardboard web along the feed path, wherein each of said first set of cutting tools and said second set of cutting tools is adapted to cut the corrugated cardboard web longitudinally into a plurality of longitudinal strips and into two lateral trims; and, associated with the slitting unit, a suction unit for removing said two lateral trims, wherein the suction unit comprises a first pair of suction nozzles associated with the first set of cutting tools and arranged between the first set of cutting tools and the second set of cutting tools, and a second pair of suction nozzles, associated with the second set of cutting tools and arranged downstream of the second set of cutting tools with respect to the direction of advancement of the corrugated cardboard web; wherein the first pair of suction nozzles is adapted to suck leading edges of continuous trims and leading edges of discontinuous trims generated by the first set of cutting tools and the second pair of suction nozzles is adapted to suck leading edges of continuous trims and leading edges of discontinuous trims generated by the second set of cutting tools; wherein each suction nozzle of said first pair of suction nozzles and of said second pair of suction nozzles are movable transversely to the feed path, to adapt to the position of the trims generated by respective ones of said first set of cutting tools and said second set of cutting tools; and further comprising a single actuator to provide movement to simultaneously adjust nozzles of the first pair of suction nozzles and nozzles of the second pair of suction nozzles transversely to the feed path.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be better understood by following the description and accompanying drawings, which show a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of a slitter-scorer. More in particular, in the drawing:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a side view of a slitter-scorer machine according to the present description in a first operating condition;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a side view identical to the view of FIG. 1, in a second operating condition;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic partial view along the line of FIGS. 1 and 2;

(5) FIG. 4 shows an enlarged section along the line IV-IV of FIG. 3;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a schematic plan view along the line V-V of FIG. 1, of a portion of corrugated cardboard divided into longitudinal strips and trims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(7) In brief, the slitter-scorer machine described herein comprises a cutting unit with two sets of cutting tools arranged in sequence along the feed path of the corrugated cardboard, said sets of cutting tools operating alternately. While a first set of cutting tools is operating to produce a batch or job of cardboard sheets, the other set of cutting tools is set up to process the subsequent batch or job. Positioning robots can be provided for this purpose.

(8) To efficiently remove the trims, two pairs of suction nozzles are provided associated with the respective two assemblies of cutting tools and placed closely adjacent thereto. In this way the pick-up point of the trims is immediately downstream of the point in which they are generated by the cutting tools time by time in operating condition. To reduce the overall cost of the machine, the two pairs of nozzles are configured as a single unit, in the sense that they are supported by the same transverse support elements, are translated transversely to the feed path by the same translation means, and can be associated with the same suction means. In practice, the suction system for the removal of trims is single and only the pairs di nozzles are double, to operate in positions closely adjacent to the cutting tools of the two assemblies. In this way, an economical, compact and low cost system is obtained, but which at the same time ensures efficient removal of the trims.

(9) Referring now to the accompanying drawings, with initial reference to FIG. 1, the slitter-scorer machine 1 is positioned along a feed path P of a web of corrugated cardboard N. The web of corrugated cardboard N is fed according to the arrow P and passes through the slitter-scorer machine 1, along which the web of corrugated cardboard N is divided into a plurality of strips S. Each strip can be scored along longitudinal score lines. Longitudinal direction, in the present context, is intended as the direction parallel to the feed path P.

(10) In the illustrated embodiment, the slitter-scorer machine 1 comprises a scoring unit 3 and a cutting unit 5. In some embodiments, the scoring unit 3 can be positioned upstream of the cutting unit 5 with respect to the direction of feed P of the web of corrugated cardboard N and of the strips of corrugated cardboard S along the feed path P.

(11) The scoring unit 3 can comprise a plurality of sets of scoring tools. Preferably, the scoring unit 3 comprises at least two sets of scoring tools. In the example illustrated, the scoring unit 3 comprises a first set of scoring tools 7, a second set of scoring tools 9 and a third set of scoring tools 11, arranged in sequence along the feed path P. Each set of scoring tools comprises a plurality of pairs of scoring tools 13, 15, positioned above and below the feed path P of the corrugated cardboard N. In FIG. 1 a single upper scoring tool 13 and a single lower scoring tool 15 can be seen for each set of scoring tools 7, 9, 11, as the scoring tools are aligned along a direction orthogonal to the feed path P.

(12) Each upper scoring tool 13 can be positioned transversely to the feed path P by means of robots 17 and each lower scoring tool 15 can be positioned transversely to the feed path P by means of robots 19. In general, some and not necessarily all of the scoring tools of one set 7, 9, 11 are operating, while the scoring tools of the other sets are standing by and can be positioned by the respective robots 17, 19 as a function of the requirements of the subsequent processing batch. In the layout of FIG. 1, the scoring tools 13 of the first and of the second set 7, 9 of scoring tools are standing by and the upper (13) and lower (15) scoring tools of each pair are spaced from each other, while the scoring tools of the third set 11 are operating and the tools of each pair of upper (13) and lower (15) scoring tools are pressed against each other to score the corrugated cardboard N that passes between them.

(13) Likewise, the cutting unit 5 comprises at least two sets of cutting tools indicated with 31 and 33, arranged in sequence along the feed path P. In the embodiment illustrated, each set of cutting tools 31, 33 comprises a plurality of cutting tools, only one of which is visible in FIG. 1, as the cutting tools of each set are aligned with each other according to a direction orthogonal to the feed path P.

(14) In the illustrated embodiment, each cutting tool comprises a disc-shaped cutting tool 35, co-acting with a counter-blade 37. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the counter-blades 37 are located under the feed path, while the rotation axes of the cutting tools 35 are located above the feed path P. A fixed load-bearing structure 39 can carry one or more robots 41 that position the cutting tools 35 in the direction transverse to the feed path P. Each cutting tool 35 can for example be carried by a respective slide 45 movable along guides 47 and lockable in a position selectively preselected as a function of the characteristics of the batch to be produced.

(15) In other embodiments, the cutting tools can comprise pairs of rotating disc-shaped blades and counter-blades, rather than rotating blades and fixed counter-blades.

(16) In the layout of FIG. 1, at least some of the cutting tools 35 of the set of cutting tools 33 are operating and co-act with the respective counter-blade 37, to slit the corrugated cardboard N into longitudinal strips S, while the cutting tools 35 of the set of cutting tools 31 are in idle position, raised above the respective counter-blade 37 and can be displaced transversely to the feed path P.

(17) In general, each set of tools can comprise a large number of tools, which are not always all operating. The number of cutting tools and of scoring tools that are operating each time depends on the number of cutting lines and on the number of score lines that are required by the single production batch.

(18) In general, it is the two outermost of the cutting tools 35 that are operating that generate two lateral trims, which must be eliminated. FIG. 5 shows a plan view, along the line V-V of FIG. 1, of a portion of web of corrugated cardboard N, having longitudinal edges B1, B2 and divided by cutting lines T1, T2, T3 and T4 into three longitudinal strips S1, S2, S3 of corrugated cardboard and into two lateral trims R1, R2, which must be eliminated. Each strip S1, S2, S3 of corrugated cardboard can have longitudinal score lines C parallel to the cutting lines T1, T2, T3, T4. The number of cutting lines and of score lines is purely by way of example.

(19) While in the operating condition of FIG. 1 the set of cutting tools 33 is in operating condition and the set of cutting tools 31 is idle, in the operating condition of FIG. 2 the situation is reversed, with the set of cutting tools 31 operating and the set of cutting tools 33 idle. In the example illustrated, in the condition of FIG. 2 the set of scoring tools 11 is idle and the set of scoring tools 9 is operating. The two operating conditions of FIGS. 1 and 2 show the processing of two different processing jobs or batches. In general, the trims R1, R2 of the two processing orders can be in different positions and can have different transverse sizes, i.e., widths.

(20) In the illustrated embodiment a suction unit, indicated as a whole with 51, provided with suction nozzles as described hereunder, is provided for removing the trims R1, R2 continuously. More in particular, the suction unit 51 comprises a pair of suction ducts 53 shown in FIG. 3. The two suction ducts 51 are positioned on the two opposite sides of the feed path P.

(21) Each suction duct 53 can be fluidly coupled with one or other of two suction nozzles positioned in sequence along the feed path P of the corrugated cardboard N and on the same side of the feed path P.

(22) In practice, a first suction nozzle 55, adjacent to the first set of cutting tools 55, and a second suction nozzle 57, adjacent to the second set of cutting tools 33 are provided on each side of the feed path P. Therefore, a first pair of suction nozzles 55 is arranged directly downstream of the first set of cutting tools 31 and is adapted to suck trims R1, R2 generated by the first set of cutting tools 31. A second pair of suction nozzles 57 is arranged directly downstream of the second set of cutting tools 33 and is adapted to suck trims R1, R2 generated by the second set of cutting tools 33.

(23) Advantageously, the suction nozzles 55, 57 of each side are connectable with the respective suction duct 53. A selector member, for example a valve 59, positioned in the suction path, selectively connects one or the other of the two suction nozzles 55, 57 of the same side with the respective suction duct 53. On each side of the feed path, a suction connector 61 connects the suction duct 53 to the suction nozzle 55 and a suction connector 63 connects the suction duct 53 to the suction nozzle 57.

(24) Therefore, a common suction system, formed by the two suction ducts 53 and by the suction connectors 61, 63 can selectively generate suction through the pair of suction nozzles 55 and the pair of suction nozzles 57, simply by shifting the selector members 59.

(25) The four nozzles can advantageously be carried by a common load-bearing structure 65. Moreover, the two suction nozzles 55, 57 on each side of the feed path P can be integral with each other, so as to be able to be translated integrally in transverse direction according to the double arrow T, see FIG. 3. The suction nozzles 55, 57 located on a first side of the feed path P can be adjusted in position according to the double arrow T to be correctly positioned in transverse direction, i.e., orthogonal to the feed path P. Likewise, the suction nozzles 55, 57 located on the second side of the feed path P can be adjusted in position according to the double arrow T. In general, the nozzles are adjusted to be in the correct position with respect to the point in which the trims R1, R2 are formed.

(26) In advantageous embodiments, the adjustment movement according to the double arrow T is carried out symmetrically for the nozzles of the two sides of the feed path P. Preferably, a single actuator, for example an electric motor, is provided to carry out the movement to adjust all the suction nozzles. In the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, see in particular FIG. 3, a motor 71 is provided, supported by the load-bearing structure 65, in an approximately central position between the nozzles 55, 57 of the two sides of the feed path P. An output pinion of the motor 71, not shown, meshes with two racks 73, 75, integral respectively with a first slide 77 and with a second slide 79. The first slide 77 supports the two nozzles 55, 57 on one side of the feed path P and the second slide supports the two nozzles 55, 57 on the other side of the feed path P. In the illustrated example the slides 77, 79 are supported by a pair of transverse guides 81 (see also FIG. 4) integral with the load-bearing structure 65.

(27) With this arrangement, the motor 71 can symmetrically and simultaneously adjust the nozzles 55, 57 on the two sides of the feed path P. In this way an efficient, economical and compact system for suction and removal of the trims R1, R2 is obtained. In fact, the suction nozzles 55, 57 are located directly adjacent to the cutting tools 35. When the cutting tools of the set of cutting tools 31 are operating, the selector members 59 place the nozzles 55 of the first pair of suction nozzles in fluid connection with the suction ducts 53. When the cutting tools of the second set of cutting tools 33 are operating, the selector members 59 place the nozzles 57 of the second pair of suction nozzles in fluid connection with the suction ducts 53.

(28) Therefore, in all operating conditions the active suction nozzles are located directly downstream of the cutting tools that generate the trims, avoiding risks of deviation or breaking of the trims and consequent loss thereof. Moreover, even if the trims formed are not continuous, but are severed between one process order and the next, their heads, i.e., the leading edges of the trims, are easily inserted into the respective suction nozzles.

(29) The suctions systems and the devices for adjusting the suction nozzles are substantially the same as those required by a machine with only one pair of suction nozzles, and are thus compact and low cost, besides being easily controllable with a single regulation actuator.