EP1279597A1 - Strapping apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The banding device fits bands round packs (3). It has a worktable (1) on which the pack stands for binding. and a band positioning frame (5) fixed off-center relative to the resting surface (2) of the table, to position a band loop (9) consisting of a sector of the binding band. The frame has at least one band guide element which guides the band loop to the middle of the table to bind the pack in the feed direction (4).

Description

The present invention relates to a device for strapping packages according to the preamble of claim 1. Such a device is known, for example, from DE-A-196 32 728. The strapping device known from this document is also referred to as a longitudinal strapping device because the conveying direction of the strapping package on the one hand and the strapping direction of the strapping on the other hand are identical. The package is therefore strapped in the conveying direction. For strapping, the package is first moved onto a work table belonging to the device in order to be strapped on the work table in the next operation. To ensure that the package can be moved easily onto the work table, the strapping is mounted in a strapping frame which can be pivoted about a longitudinal axis running in the conveying direction. The package is transported to and from the work table simply by swiveling the strapping frame far enough away from the work table that it frees up the working surface of the work table and thus allows it to be transported the package is no longer in the way.

A disadvantage of this known strapping device is the fact that the entire strapping frame with its entire mass must always be pivoted completely before each transport cycle. This pivoting requires a certain amount of time and thus acts as a bottleneck factor for the clock speed of the strapping device.

In order to avoid the movement of the total mass of the strapping frame, a strapping device is known, for example, from DE-A-195 03 112, in which the strapping is simply shot in with the aid of compressed air and with the aid of a shooting-in and retraction device and pulled tight around the package. Because of the low dimensional stability of the strapping the guiding and positioning accuracy of the strapping is considered disadvantageous.

Finally, a cross strapping device is known from DE-C 41 00 276. This strapping device has a belt feed frame arranged laterally offset to the conveying direction. This tape feed frame is curved and wound several times in itself, so that it is arranged in the upper area again more towards the center of the work table in the conveying direction. With the help of this tape feed frame, a multi-curved and winding strapping loop is presented. To a certain extent, this falls in the direction of the material to be strapped and is pulled tight with the aid of the tensioning device. The curvatures and turns of the strapping forming the loop are disadvantageous here. Particularly disadvantageous in this context is the so-called "saber formation" that has to be found again and again with strapping tapes. The strapping twists in its flat longitudinal plane because it is guided around several rollers during its manufacture. In the area of this roller, the buckles in the plane longitudinal plane, the so-called sabers, occur at the turning points when stretching and shaping the plastic strapping. These sabers cause the strapping to snag again and again in the case of curvatures or turns in the strap guide channel. A further disadvantage of this known cross strapping machine is the fact that the strapping loop provided is no longer securely guided after being released from the guide channel of the tape feed frame.

The invention has for its object to design a strapping device so that the strapping can be positioned precisely on the package despite a high clock speed. This object is achieved by the combination of features of claim 1.

The invention is based on the consideration of designing a frame as a tape feed frame in such a way that it is arranged in a stationary manner with respect to the work table and does not have to be moved to feed the strapping tape. expedient is to fix the tape feed frame directly to the work table. In order not to hinder the transport of the package to and from the work table, the tape feed frame is arranged off-center, to a certain extent to the side of the work table, and runs obliquely to the base of the work table. Before strapping - preferably at the same time as loading the work table with a package - a strap section of a strapping strap is placed in the strap feed frame to form a strap loop. This belt sling is moved with the help of a separate belt feed element arranged on the belt feed frame approximately in the middle of the work table and placed around the package to be strapped. The strapping process itself takes place in the device according to the invention in the usual way, namely by tightening the strapping on the package and then welding the strap ends of the strapping.

If there is talk of a package in connection with the invention, this can be both a closed package and a stack of individual objects, for example a stack of sheets, magazines or the like. act. Such packages or boxes are strapped in mailrooms, for example, after the boxes have been made to order. Any goods and articles can be packed in the packages. In principle, any package fitting on the work table can be strapped with the strapping device according to the invention.

An advantage of the invention is the fact that when moving the strap loop from the strap feed frame into the strapping position approximately in the middle of the work table, only small masses have to be moved, namely on the one hand the negligibly small mass of the strapping strap and on the other hand that compared to the strapping frame according to the prior art, low mass of the tape feed element or elements. These small movable masses enable the strap to be fed in quickly for strapping and thus increase the number of cycles of the device. The oblique arrangement of the tape feed frame to the table surface has the advantage that the tape loop presented only needs to be moved a short distance from their starting position to the strapping position, approximately in the middle of the table. Over this short distance, the sling can be tilted or other disruptions in the work process are hardly possible. The feed stroke covered by the sling is consequently very small. This small feed stroke also favors the high cycle speed of the device.

The claims referring back to claim 1 relate in part to advantageous and in part inventive further developments of the invention. Claims 2 to 4 relate to a first embodiment of the tape feed element as a telescopic arm. A pneumatic drive on the one hand and an electromotive drive on the other are regarded as preferred types of drive.

Another embodiment with low mass is the belt conveyor proposed in claim 5 as a belt feed element. This belt conveyor is advantageously a transport belt with low mass according to claim 6. An advantage of the belt conveyor or belt is the fact that the belt always runs in one direction, as it were, infinitely. In contrast to other designs, a belt conveyor does not have to be moved back to its starting position after feeding the belt loop into the middle of the work table. The usual idle stroke after the working stroke is therefore eliminated. The belt conveyor or the preferred belt can be designed as a continuously rotating transport belt, that is to say as a continuous conveyor. It is equally conceivable to use a clocked conveyor belt, that is, a discontinuous conveyor. To improve the guidance of the strapping loop, a counter-holding belt rotating in the opposite direction to the transport belt can be provided. This counter-holding belt runs above the transport belt, so that the transport belt and counter-holding belt guide and transport the strapping loop which is being conveyed between them in the manner of two jaws lying against the strapping loop in their strapping position. As an alternative to the counter belt, it is also possible to provide a counter profile above the transport belt. Claim 7 relates to commercially available standard parts, alternative belt types. When using them, spare parts do not have to be kept in stock, and expensive self-constructions do not have to be created. Rather, standard parts can be used cheaply. As belt types, alternatively round belts, V-belts, toothed belts, profile belts or flat belts, as well as mixed forms of these individual belt types are preferred. It is particularly advantageous, according to claim 8, to provide one or more drivers on the conveyor belt for carrying the strapping. In particular, it is conceivable to arrange the drivers in such a way that one driver always conveys a strapping loop into the strapping position of the device and, after this strapping position has been reached, the next driver already assumes its standby position on the belt feed frame, so that after the tensioning and possibly welding of the strapping process that is in the strapping process, already take the next strapping sling out of the sliver frame and transport it to the strapping position.

Claim 9 relates to a further embodiment of the tape feed element as a pivot lever. It is advantageous here that the pivot axis for the pivot lever can be arranged below the base of the work table in a preferred embodiment. The otherwise dead space underneath the work table can be used sensibly as installation space for the storage and drive of the swivel lever. However, it is equally possible to arrange the swivel axis of the swivel lever above the standing surface of the work table, for example also on the upper frame part of the tape feed frame, so that the swivel lever swivels in from above.

Claims 10 and 11 relate to a development of the tape feed element designed as a pivoting lever. In this development, the swivel lever is designed such that it only flanks the package laterally even during the strapping process. In this way, the swivel arm always leaves sufficient working space for the package to be strapped. In other words, in this embodiment it is excluded that a wide The package and the swivel arm collide. There is therefore always sufficient free space as a working space for the package to be strapped in every position of the pivoting lever. The manufacture of a pivoting lever flanking the package laterally is simple in terms of production technology by twisting the pivoting lever twice according to claim 11.

Claim 12 relates to a further embodiment of the tape feed element. The tape feed element is then designed as an air nozzle. With a targeted air jet, this air nozzle conveys the sling in the sliver frame into the middle of the work table for subsequent strapping of the package. An advantage of this embodiment is the fact that, apart from the inherent mass of the band section forming the band loop, no masses have to be moved, so that the cycle speed and thus also the number of cycles per unit time of the strapping machine can advantageously be increased. In addition, in this embodiment, no moving parts need to be serviced and maintained during the tape feed.

According to claim 13, the invention is developed in such a way that not only one tape feed element is arranged on the tape feed frame, but a pair of two tape feed elements is provided. Finally, claims 14 to 17 relate to an expedient embodiment of the tape feed frame. This tape feed frame, designed as an inverted U, is structurally simple. It promotes a kink-free run of the strapping while the strap is being put in place. In addition, such a tape feed frame effectively compensates for the saber formation on the strapping tape while the tape loop is being placed. Claim 16 is directed to an advantageous arrangement of the tape feed elements on this tape feed frame. The tape feed frame is finally developed by the guide groove proposed in claim 17.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Darstellung des Arbeitstischs der erfindungsmäßigen Vorrichtung mit paarweise angeordneten Transportriemen als Bandzuführelement und der bereits vorgelegten Bandschlinge kurz nach dem Auslaufen der Bandschlinge aus der Führungsnut des Bandvorlegerahmens,

Fig. 2

die perspektivische Ansicht aus Fig. 1 mit der Bandschlinge auf etwa halbem Weg in ihre Umreifungsebene,

Fig. 3

die perspektivische Ansicht aus Fig. 1 und Fig. 2 mit der Bandschlinge in ihrer Umreifungsebene,

Fig. 4

eine Seitenansicht auf die Zuführungsseite der Vorrichtung gemäß Pfeil IV in Fig. 1,

Fig. 5

die Ansicht aus Fig. 4 auf eine Ausführungsform der Vorrichtung mit Teleskoparm als Bandzuführelement,

Fig. 6

die Ansicht aus Fig. 5 auf eine Ausführungsform der Vorrichtung mit Schwenkhebel als Bandzuführelement,

Fig. 7

die Ansicht aus Fig. 6 auf eine Ausführungsform der Vorrichtung mit einer Sonderausführungsform des Schwenkhebels.

The invention is explained in more detail with reference to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings. Show it:

Fig. 1

3 shows a perspective view of the work table of the device according to the invention with transport belts arranged in pairs as the tape feed element and the tape loop already presented shortly after the tape loop runs out of the guide groove of the tape feed frame,

Fig. 2

1 with the strap loop about halfway into its strapping plane,

Fig. 3

the perspective view of Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 with the strap in its strapping plane,

Fig. 4

2 shows a side view of the feed side of the device according to arrow IV in FIG. 1,

Fig. 5

4 on an embodiment of the device with a telescopic arm as a tape feed element,

Fig. 6

5 is a view of an embodiment of the device with a swivel lever as a tape feed element,

Fig. 7

the view of Fig. 6 on an embodiment of the device with a special embodiment of the pivot lever.

The work table 1 has a base 2 for setting up a package 3. The package 3 is moved in the conveying direction 4 before strapping to the base 2 of the table 1. The strapping itself is also carried out in the conveying direction 4. The tape feed frame 5, which runs obliquely to the base 2, is attached to the work table 1.

The tape feed frame 5 has the shape of an upside down U, the U-legs 6 form the side parts of the tape feed frame 5 and the U-transverse yoke 7 forms the upper frame part. In the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 1, a transport belt 15 stands out as a tape feed element from each of the corner areas 8 of the U-shaped tape feed frame 5. 1 schematically indicates one arranged below the base 2 of the work table 1 Welding device 10 and the conveying elements 12 for conveying the package 3 in the conveying direction 4.

The C-shaped guide groove 22 for the strapping runs in the U-legs 6 or U-transverse yoke 7 forming the side parts or the upper part of the belt feed frame 5. A strap loop 9 is placed in the guide groove 22 from the strapping strap. In Fig. 1, the belt sling 9 is already resting on the transport belt 15. The belt sling 9 has just left the guide groove 22 and is carried by the transport belt 15.

1 finally shows a detailed drawing of the C-shaped guide groove 22 in the tape feed frame 5. In this detail view it can be seen that the tape feed frame 5 consists of the actual tape feed frame 5 and a support structure 23 which preferably consists of a flat iron.

In the further drawing figures, the parts that are identical to the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 1 are provided with identical reference numerals. Always shown is a package 3 to be strapped, which rests on the conveyor elements 12, which in turn is arranged on the base 2 of the work table 1.

In FIG. 2, the belt loop 9 has already been conveyed by the transport belts 15 guided around deflection rollers 16 approximately into the middle of the belt feed elements to the height of the tensioning rollers 17. In Fig. 3, the strap loop 9 has finally reached its strapping level. For strapping the package 3, the strap loop 9 is released by the strap feed elements, that is to say in the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 3, by the conveyor belts 15. By a bullet and back tensioning device, not shown in the drawings, with which the strapping tape is first shot into the tape feed frame 5, the strap loop 9 is pulled tight around the package 3 after being released by the transport belts 15. At the end of the strapping process, the strap ends of the strap loop 9 are welded by the welding device 10. The strap 9 is only a short distance from the strapping frame 5 to the center of the package out safely, in order to then strapping the package 3 securely.

FIG. 4 shows the feed side of the device shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 according to arrow IV in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The transport belt 15 forming the tape feed element is again shown with its Deflection rollers 16 and a tension roller 17. Furthermore, in this embodiment, which is slightly modified compared to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, two additional, diametrically opposed drivers 18 on the transport belt 15 can be seen. These drivers 18 are Arranged so that one driver 18 then takes the subsequent belt loop 9 out of the belt feed frame 5 when the other driver 18 has reached the center of the package 11 and has thus brought the preceding belt loop 9 into the strapping position.

Fig. 5 shows a further embodiment of the invention with a telescopic arm 14 as a band guide element. In the exemplary embodiment, this telescopic arm 14 is driven by a pneumatic cylinder 13. FIG. 5 shows the telescopic arm 14 fully extended, that is to say analogously to FIG. 3, the strap loop 9 shortly before being released from the strap feed element for strapping the package 3.

Fig. 6 finally relates to an embodiment of the invention with a pivot lever 19 as a tape feed element. The pivot lever 19 is arranged in Fig. 6 next to the tape feed frame 5. The pivot lever 19 is pivotally mounted in the pivot direction 20 about a pivot axis 21 arranged below the base 2 of the work table 1 and extending in the conveying direction 4. The pivoting movement of the pivoting lever 19 thus runs from the tape feed frame 5 in the pivoting direction 20 to the center of the package 11 and back again in an idle stroke.

FIG. 7 also shows an embodiment of the invention with a swivel lever 19 ′ which is modified compared to the embodiment in FIG. 6. This pivot lever 19 'has two offsets 24. In this way, the pivot lever 19 'is designed to be slightly arcuate, which means that the pivot lever 19' with its vertical region 25 running between the two cranks 24 is always arranged next to the package 3 and thus free space for the package 3 is free leaves. As a result, a collision of the pivot lever 19 'with the package 3 is effectively avoided. Furthermore, the swivel lever 19 'does not hinder the package 3 when it enters or exits the base 2 of the work table 1.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

worktable

2

footprint

3

package

4

conveying direction

5

Tape prepositioning frame

6

U-leg

7

U-transverse yoke

8th

corner

9

sling

10

welding equipment

11

Package center

12

impeller

13

pneumatic cylinder

14

telescopic arm

15

conveyor belts

16

idler pulley

17

idler

18

takeaway

19

pivoting lever

19 '

Crank arm cranked

20

pan direction

21

swivel axis

22

guide

23

supporting structure

24

cranking

25

vertical area

Claims (17)

Device for strapping packages (3) • with a work table (1) for setting up a package (3) during strapping and With a belt feed frame (5), which is fixed and eccentrically arranged with respect to the work table (1) and runs obliquely to the standing surface of the work table (1), for presenting a belt loop (9) from a band section of a strapping band, characterized, • that at least one tape feed element is arranged on the tape feed frame (5) and • That the band feed element moves the band loop (9) approximately in the middle of the work table (1) for the subsequent strapping of the package (3) in the conveying direction (4). Device according to claim 1,
marked by
a telescopic arm (14) as a tape feed element. Device according to claim 2,
marked by
a telescopic arm (14) driven by a pneumatic cylinder (13) as a tape feed element. Device according to claim 2,
marked by
an electric motor, preferably a linear motor driven telescopic arm (14) as a tape feed element. Device according to claim 1,
marked by
a belt conveyor as a belt feed element. Device according to claim 5,
marked by
a conveyor belt (15) as a belt conveyor. Apparatus according to claim 6,
characterized,
that the transport belt is designed as a round belt or V-belt or toothed belt or profile belt or flat belt. Device according to claim 6 or 7,
characterized,
that the transport belt (15) has two carriers (18) which alternately grip a belt loop (9) from the belt feed frame (5). Device according to claim 1,
marked by
a swivel lever (19) as a tape feed element. Device according to claim 9,
marked by
an arcuate pivoting lever (19) flanking the package (3) laterally during strapping. Device according to claim 9,
characterized,
that the swivel lever (19) is bent twice to create a swivel lever (19 ') flanking the package during strapping Device according to claim 1,
marked by
an air nozzle as a tape feed element. Device according to one of claims 1 to 12,
marked by
a paired arrangement of tape feed elements on the tape feed frame (5). Device according to one of claims 1 to 13,
marked by
a U-bracket as a tape feed frame (5). Device according to claim 14,
characterized,
that the tape feed frame is fixed in the manner of an upside down U on the device, preferably on the work table (3), the U-legs (6) form the side parts of the tape feed frame 5 and the U-transverse yoke (7) forms the upper frame part Device according to claim 14 or 15,
characterized,
that a band feed element (5) is arranged in each of the two corner regions (8) of the U-bracket. Device according to one of claims 1 to 16,
marked by
a C-shaped guide groove (22), which forms the band section (9) and forms the band section (5).

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