EP2847001B1 - Module for feeding a strip to be punched - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a module for feeding belt stamping, a machine capable of printing by stamping a succession of sheet-shaped flat elements.

The invention finds a particularly advantageous, but not exclusive, application in the field of manufacturing packaging for the luxury industry.

It is known to print texts and / or patterns by stamping, that is to say to deposit by pressure on a sheet-like support, colored or metallized film from one or more strips to be stamped. commonly referred to as metallized strips. In industry, such a transfer operation is usually carried out by means of a platen press in which the print media are fed sheet by sheet, while each band to be stamped is fed continuously.

Among the stamping printing machines known from the state of the art, there are those in which the tape feed to be stamped operates from an internal module which mainly groups the tapes stored in the form of coils, and their system drive. Such a power module may be in the form of a specific station, or be integrated in a dedicated area of another work station of the stamping machine.

Inside the power supply module, the coils are usually mounted on an extractable cassette type support which is slidably mounted perpendicular to the axis of the stamping machine. The loading of the module is therefore carried out laterally support, setting up each coil manually or with a forklift, then transversely returning the support in the machine.

However, such an internal power module has the disadvantage of offering relatively long charging times. It also requires a lot of ground space around the machine, to allow on the one hand the extraction of the cassette holder, and on the other hand the maneuvers of the forklift. Above all, the transverse displacement of the cassette support generates a systematic creasing of the bands already present inside the supply module, which is ultimately particularly economically damaging.

To overcome these difficulties, it was thought to use an external power supply module, that is to say to group all the coils in a cabinet located outside but near the stamping machine, and to adopt a drive system capable of pulling and guiding each band to be stamped in particular between said cabinet and said machine.

While such an arrangement obviously allows to facilitate the loading of the reels and to overcome the problems of band creasing, the fact remains that it still requires an important place on the ground. Moreover, the eccentric positioning of the external power supply module implies a length of strip in a machine substantially greater than that which is necessary with an internal module. This has the effect of significantly degrading the dynamic behavior of the strips during stamping, but also to lengthen their respective installation times. The document WO 2012/034645 A1 discloses a power module according to the preamble of claim 1.

Also, the technical problem to be solved by the object of the present invention is to provide a stamping tape feed module for a stamping printing machine, comprising means for supporting at least one tape reel. embossing, as well as drive means of each band stamping feed module that would avoid the problems of the state of the art including providing a load of coils substantially facilitated, while preserving the integrity of stamping tapes.

The solution to the technical problem posed consists, according to the present invention, in a supply module according to claim 1.

It is important to specify that throughout this text, the concept of stamping printing machine extends more generally to any processing machine whose one function is to print by stamping. For example, a forming machine is contemplated here in which both punching and stamping are carried out.

The notion of training means must be understood in a broad sense. This means that even if it refers above all to tape feed means, it can also relate to other related functions such as tape unwinding, guiding, holding tension, etc.

Finally, it is worth noting that the invention can be applied to both an internal power supply module and an external power supply module.

In any event, the invention as thus defined has the advantage of being extremely fast to load. This operation is simply to introduce laterally each coil in the lower part of the module, then to transfer it to the top, before putting it in place in its final operating position. However such kinematic loading from below does not require additional floor space near the power supply module, a simple side access is sufficient. In addition, the loading of any new coil is done individually, that is to say without claiming the simultaneous extraction of those already in place inside the module, which eliminates any risk of rustling of bands.

• La figure i illustre une machine d'impression par estampage dans laquelle est intégré un module d'alimentation conforme à l'invention.
• La figure 2 est une représentation latérale du module d'alimentation, dans laquelle est schématisé le chargement d'une bobine de bande à estamper.
• La figure 3 constitue une vue similaire à la figure 2, mais qui montre cette fois la mobilité relative entre les bobines et les moyens d'entraînement de bandes qui leur sont associés.
• La figure 4 est une perspective latérale de dessus qui montre le module d'alimentation en position de fonctionnement.
• La figure 5 est une vue analogue à la figure 4, mais avec le module d'alimentation en position de chargement.

The present invention further relates to the features which will emerge from the following description, which should be considered in isolation or in all their possible technical combinations. This description, given by way of non-limiting example, is intended to better understand what the invention is and how it can be achieved. The description is further given with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

• Figure i illustrates a stamping printing machine in which is integrated a power supply module according to the invention.
• The figure 2 is a lateral representation of the feed module, in which is schematically the loading of a tape reel stamping.
• The figure 3 is a view similar to the figure 2 , but which shows this time the relative mobility between the coils and band drive means associated with them.
• The figure 4 is a side perspective view that shows the power module in the operating position.
• The figure 5 is a view similar to the figure 4 , but with the feed module in the loading position.

For the sake of clarity, the same elements have been designated by identical references. Likewise, only the essential elements for understanding the invention have been represented, and this without regard to the scale and in a schematic manner.

The figure 1 illustrates a stamping machine 100 for customizing cardboard packaging for the luxury industry. Such a stamping machine, commonly called gilding machine, is perfectly known from the state of the art. It will not be described in detail here, both in terms of its structure and its operation.

It will be recalled simply that this stamping machine 100 is conventionally composed of several work stations 110, 120, 130, 1, 140 which are juxtaposed to form a unitary unit capable of processing a succession of flat sheet-shaped elements. Thus, there is a feeder 110 responsible for feeding the sheet-fed machine, a margin table 120 on which the sheets are tabled before being accurately positioned individually, a station of stamping 130 implementing a platen press 161 to deposit on each sheet by hot stamping, the metallized film which is issued from several stamping strips 3, an internal module 1 for feeding the machine 100 with embossing strips 3 stored in the form of coils 2, and a station receiving 140 for reconditioning stack previously processed sheets. Transport means 150 are further provided for individually moving each sheet from the exit of the margin table 120 to the receiving station 140, including through the stamping station 130.

As can be seen clearly from the Figures 2 and 3 , the feed module 1 has on the one hand means 10 which are able to support three coils 2 of stamping strips 3, and secondly means 20 which are able to drive the advance of each stamping tape 3.

In accordance with the object of the present invention, the support means 10 and the drive means 20 are grouped together in a work space 30 which is provided at the upper part of the feed module 1. In addition, the lower part of module 1 comprises a free space 40 which is accessible laterally from outside the module 1, and which communicates from above with the working space 30.

According to the invention, visible on the figure 2 , the free space 40 is designed to be able to receive external lifting means 200 of at least one coil 2. The assembly is also arranged such that these external lifting means 200 can, on the one hand transporting each spool 2 during its introduction into the free space 40 in a substantially transverse direction, and secondly, transferring each coil 2 of the free space 40 to the working space 30 in a substantially vertical direction.

This means in other words that the free space 40 is dimensioned so that each coil 2 and the lifting means 200 associated therewith can enter simultaneously. But this also indicates that the free space 40 is shaped so as to allow the implementation of the lifting means 200, that is to say the rise and passage of each coil in the working space 30.

The presence of the external lifting means 200 is a priori only temporary within the free space 40, which implies that they are supposed to be extracted at the end of the process of loading the coils 2. These lifting means 200 may be of individual or collective type vis-à-vis the set of coils 2 to be loaded in the power supply module 1. In this case, they take the form of a mobile unit that is able to move while rolling and lift the reels 2 one by one.

According to another characteristic also observable on the Figures 2 and 3 the working space 30 has at least one transverse section 31 which extends substantially vertically and which is dedicated to the coil transfer 2 between the free space 40 and the working space 30 (dashed area on the figure 3 ). In this logic, the support means (10) and the drive means (20) are located outside each cross section (31).

In this embodiment, the support means 10 are mainly composed of three horizontal crosspieces 11 which are borne at their ends by two lateral supports 12 integral with the structure of the module 1, and which extend transversely inside the working space 30. Positioned coplanar and regularly spaced, these three crosspieces 11 are conventionally shaped to cooperate by interlocking with the spool arms 2a of each coil 2.

The drive means 20 are for their part equally constituted, for each coil 2, by the combination of a feed shaft 21 and a pressure roller 22. The three advance shafts 21 are also there coplanar implanted, with regular spacing sufficient to pass each coil 2 coupled to its spool arms 2a. It is the same with regard to the three pressure rollers 22.

The figure 2 shows also that the power module is also provided with separation means 50 which are able to physically separate the working space 30 and the free space 40 temporarily.

In this embodiment, the separating means 50 are in the form of a slatted shutter, which is mounted horizontally sliding to be deployed on demand. Its use is mainly intended to prohibit any passage between the free space 40 and the working space 30. But its presence also has the advantage of supporting the sheets present in the supply module 1, when the means of transport 150 are ineffective.

In accordance with Figures 4 and 5 in this particular embodiment chosen solely by way of example, the working space 30 and the free space 40 are delimited by an enclosure 80 which is provided with less a lower opening 81 allowing access to the free space 40 from outside the module 1.

Apart from its purely structural and aesthetic roles, the enclosure 80 provides an obvious protective function, both with regard to the persons who are present around the embossing machine 100 (physical protection, sound, etc.). , that mechanisms that are present inside module 1 (physical protection, against dust and other soiling, etc.). This is why in this embodiment, the lower opening number 81 is limited to a unit which is formed laterally on the driver side of the stamping machine 100.

In a particularly advantageous manner, the power supply module 1 also has detection means 60 which are able to detect any intrusion into the free space from outside the module 1. In this embodiment, the detection means 60 are conventionally constituted by two light barriers 61, 62 which are respectively implanted vertically at the entrance and horizontally at the base of the free space 40.

According to another advantageous characteristic, the enclosure 80 further comprises at least one upper opening 82 allowing access to the working space 30. The advantage of such a feature is to have direct access to the coils 2, 10 support means of the latter, the drive means 20 of the strips 3, and more generally to any member present in the upper part of the feed module 1.

Preferably, each upper opening 82 is associated with a closure element 83 capable of closing it. This is the case in this case the single upper opening 82 cooperates with a closure member 83 which is constituted by a sliding panel mounted vertically movable in translation.

According to another feature of the invention which can be seen in figure 5 , the feed module 1 is provided with control means 70 which are located near but outside the free space 40, and which are able to control at least part of the stamping machine 100 to which said supply module 1 is associated. This characteristic makes it possible to stop the embossing machine 100 at the last moment before a new loading of coils 2, but especially to restart it without dead time once said loading has been completed.

The Figures 4 and 5 also highlight another advantageous feature of the invention. The supply module 1 is bordered by a platform 160, at least one section of which, said specific section 161, 162, extends at least in part opposite the free space 40. In this configuration, each specific section 161, 162 is advantageously movably mounted in displacement between a position of use in which it is fully operational along the free space 40 ( figure 4 ), and a withdrawal position in which it is spaced from said free space 40 from which it completely releases access from outside the module 1 ( figure 5 ).

In the particular embodiment of the Figures 4 and 5 , only the portion of the platform 160 located directly opposite the free space 40 is movably mounted. This movable portion is divided into two specific sections 161, 162 which are mounted pivoting along two transverse axes positioned respectively on either side of the module 1.

Of course, the invention more generally relates to any stamping printing machine 100 comprising at least one feed module 1 in stamping tape 3 as previously described.

Claims (10)

1. Module (1) for feeding a strip (3) to be embossed, for a machine (100) for printing by embossing, comprising means (10) for supporting at least one coil (2) of strip (3) to be embossed, and means (20) for driving each strip (3) to be embossed, characterised in that the support means (10) and the driving means (20) are installed in a working space (30) that is provided at the top part of the module (1), and in that the bottom part of the module (1) comprises a free space (40) that is accessible laterally from the outside and communicates from above with the working space (30), and characterised in that the free space 40 is designed so as to be able to receive external means 200 for lifting at least one coil 2, and in that the module is moreover arranged so that these external lifting means 200 can firstly transport each coil 2 when it is inserted in the free space 40 in a substantially transverse direction, and secondly transfer each coil 2 from the free space 40 to the working space 30 in a substantially vertical direction.
2. Feed module (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the working space (30) comprises at least one transverse section (31) that extends substantially vertically and is dedicated to the transfer of the coil between the free space (40) and the working space (30), and in that the support means (10) and the driving means (20) are installed outside each transverse section (31).
3. Feed module (1) according to either one of claim 1 or 2, characterised in that it comprises separation means (50) able to physically separate the working space (30) and the free space (40) temporarily.
4. Feed module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that it comprises detection means (60) able to mark any intrusion into the free space (40) from the outside of the module (1).
5. Feed module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that it comprises control means (70) that are installed close to but outside the free space (40), and which are able to at least partly control the embossing printing machine (100) with which said feed module (1) is associated.
6. Feed module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the working space (30) and the free space (40) are delimited by an enclosure (80) that comprises a bottom opening (81) affording access to the free space (40) from the outside of the module (1).
7. Feed module (1) according to claim 6, characterised in that the enclosure (80) further comprises at least one top opening (82) affording access to the working space (30).
8. Feed module (1) according to claim 7, characterised in that each top opening (82) is able to be closed off by a closure element (83).
9. Feed module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that a platform (160) runs alongside it, at least one section of which, referred to as a specific section (161, 162), extends at least partly opposite the free space (40), and in that each specific section (161, 162) is mounted so as to be able to move between a position of use in which it is operational along the free space (40) and a retracted position in which it stands at a distance from said free space (40), to which it leaves clear access from the outside of the module (1).
10. Embossing printing machine (100), characterised in that it comprises at least one feed module (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

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