WO2007096749A1

WO2007096749A1 - Machine for the drying treatment of tacky substances, in particular tacky substances applied to footwear products

Info

Publication number: WO2007096749A1
Application number: PCT/IB2007/000424
Authority: WO
Inventors: Enzo Paolucci
Original assignee: IRON FOX Srl
Current assignee: IRON FOX Srl
Priority date: 2006-02-23
Filing date: 2007-02-22
Publication date: 2007-08-30
Anticipated expiration: 2008-08-23
Also published as: ITPD20060058A1

Abstract

Method for the drying treatment of tacky substances, in particular of tacky substances applied to footwear products, comprising a supporting/containing structure (7), transferring means for transferring such footwear products from an inlet station (15) to an outlet station (16) of such footwear products to/from the machine supported by such a structure, and drying means for drying such tacky substances applied to such footwear products transiting on such transferring means between the inlet and the outlet station. The drying means comprise in particular radiation drying units (20) and at least one convection drying unit (21) acting on such tacky substances in combination. This solution allows achieving a uniform temperature in the working ambience where the drying treatment of said tacky substances is performed (see Fig.1).

Description

MACHINE FOR THE DRYING TREATMENT OF TACKY SUBSTANCES, IN PARTICULAR TACKY SUBSTANCES APPLIED TO FOOTWEAR

PRODUCTS DESCRIPTION The object of the present invention is a machine for the drying treatment of tacky substances, in particular of tacky substances applied to footwear products, to be used preferably, yet not exclusively, in industrial footwear manufacturing plants.

The industrial footwear manufacturing process is known to essentially comprise an initial phase of a separate production of footwear items such as a vamp and sole, an intermediate phase of applying a tacky substance in an appropriate manner to such products, and a final phase of assembling said products. The tacky substances employed in the footwear industry are also known to be solvent or water-based. Between the intermediate application of the tacky substances and the final phase of assembly it is therefore necessary to perform an appropriate drying treatment for the tacky substances, in order to eliminate the solvent or water fraction from the same. Special machines are used to perform this treatment. For instance, a "Drying Machine System of One or More in-line Operating Stations for Solvent-based Glued Products, Especially for Footwear Products" as subject of the patent application no. PD2002A/182 filed on July 4, 2002 in the name of the same Applicant is already known. This machine essentially comprises a supporting and containing structure, means for transferring said footwear products from in inlet to an outlet station of said footwear products into and from the machine supported by said structure, and drying means for the drying of said tacky substances applied to said footwear products transiting on said transferring means between said inlet and outlet stations. Said drying means provide an evaporating station and a dehumidifying station arranged in series and oriented toward said transferring means. The purpose of the evaporating station is to evaporate the major part of the solvent or water from the tacky substances, by a treatment of aspirating the humid air contained in a confined ambiance holding the footwear product to be treated. In detail, this evaporating station consists of radiating heat sources, an enclosure housing said sources and a vacuum pump functionally connected to said enclosure. More in particular, said enclosure presents an inlet turned toward the transferring means and is designed to allow the passing through the enclosure interior of at least one footwear product at a time. This enclosure is also vertically mobile between a position close to said transferring means to receive at least one product inside it, and a position removed from said transferring means so as to allow a forward motion of the latter. This dehumidifying station serves in turn the purpose of eliminating the residual solvent and water fraction of the tacky substances, by using a treatment of exposing the product to be treated to a stream of dry air. In detail, said dehumidifying station comprises aspirating and conveying means which aspirate air through an aspirating duct starting from inside the machine next to its outlet station, and convey it through a discharge duct opening up to the interior of the machine behind said evaporating station, heating means arranged along said conveying duct to heat the discharged air, and dehumidifying means arranged along said aspirating duct to dehumidify the aspirated air. This machine essentially operates as follows. A first operator appropriately arranges the footwear products with the tacky substances applied on the transferring means at a point corresponding to the entrance station of the machine. The transferring means transfer the products inside the machine next to the evaporating station. The latter performs, at intervals predetermined for each product transiting on the transferring means, the initial tacky substances treating phase. At the end of this first phase, the footwear products gradually leave the evaporating station on the transferring means and are subjected to a final treating phase performed in the dehumidifying station. At the end of the treatment, the transferring means transfer the products to the outlet station of the machine, where a second operator picks them up. The main drawback recognizable in the machines made according to the above prior art consists in that the treated product occasionally exhibit differences of a qualitative order. This derives from the drying treatment of the tacky substances occurring in two distinct phases, thus causing temperature changes to occur in passing from the first to the second phase of the drying treatment of the tacky substances.

A second drawback recognizable in the machines made according this manner consists in that the dry air stream generated by the dehumidifying station tends to create a film on the surfaces of the tacky substances, which makes the drying of the underlying tacky substances more time-consuming and difficult.

A third drawback found in the machines made according this manner lies in that they do not appear to be suitable for performing a drying treatment of tacky substances applied to a few types of footwear products. It is for instance known that the aspirating action carried out by the evaporating station tends to curl up the vamps of the boots.

A fourth drawback observed in these machines consists in their complex construction, as becomes evident from the above description. This structural complexity entails high production and maintenance costs.

A fifth drawback found in these machines consists in the fact that the operation of these machines involves high energy consumption rates.

The aim of the present invention is to carry out a machine for the drying treatment of tacky substances, in particular for the tacky substances applied to footwear products, able of overcoming the drawbacks found in the known technology.

Within this aim, an important object of the present invention is to carry out a machine able to make products of adequate and constant qualitative standards.

A further object of the present invention is to make available a machine able of performing the drying of said tacky substances in a homogeneous way, so as to shorten and facilitate the performance of the drying treatment. Another object of the present invention is to carry out a machine able of performing the drying treatment of the tacky substances independently of the type of footwear product to be treated, so as to extend the usage of the machine to treat footwear products that are currently difficult to treat.

Another object of the present invention is to develop a machine that is simple from a design and construction viewpoint, in order to limit both production and maintenance costs.

Not the least object of the present invention is to develop a machine able of limiting the energy consumption deriving from its operation.

This aim, as well as this and other objects that will be better apparent in the following, are achieved by a machine for the treatment of tacky substances, in particular for tacky substances applied to footwear products, in accordance with the attached claims.

In accordance with a first set of advantageous features of the invention, the machine comprises a supporting/containing structure, transferring means for transferring said footwear products from an inlet station to an outlet station of said footwear products into/from the machine supported by said structure, drying means for drying said tacky substances applied to said footwear products transiting on said transferring means from said inlet station and said outlet station. Said drying means in particular comprise radiation drying units and at least one convection drying unit, acting on said tacky substances in a combined manner. This solution allows achieving a uniform temperature in the ambience of performing the drying treatment of the tacky substances. This allows achieving the aim of the invention, which consists in creating products of highly qualitative and constant standards. This solution further allows making the drying treatment of the tacky substances homogeneous, thus attaining the advantages of shortening and facilitating the performance of the treatment.

In accordance with second advantageous features of the invention, the supporting/containing structure comprises a supporting frame and a containing enclosure which encompasses in the overlaying portion a hollow space, a multiple number of aspirating and discharging slots to put the hollow space in contact with the machine's outer ambience, and finally, in the portion underlying said hollow space, a treating tunnel for the footwear products.

In accordance with other advantageous features of the invention, said transferring means are partially housed in said tunnel in a longitudinal direction. These transferring means comprise a first and a second annular- shaped conveyor belt that are arranged side-by-side, laid out horizontally and moving in the same forward direction. The upper portions of the first and second conveyor belt define a first and second horizontal transfer plane, respectively, on which rows of first and second footwear products are laid out beginning from the inlet station up to the outlet station of said machine.

In accordance with yet other features of the invention, the radiation drying units comprise a first and a second pair of drying and radiating units arranged side-by-side, in succession and turned toward the transferring planes. These drying units comprise supporting elements and a plurality of infrared radiating panels applied to the supporting panels and investing the transfer planes. Said infrared radiating panels present in a non-operating condition a first surface colour, and in an operating condition a second colour differing from said first colour. Finally, the supporting elements comprise manual and automatic adjusting means capable of approaching and distancing the plurality of radiating panels toward and from the transfer planes.

In accordance with additional features of the invention, the convection drying units are arranged before said first and said second pair of radiating drying units. Said convection drying units comprise a pair of inlet fans arranged laterally above the transfer planes that aspirate fresh air through the hollow space and the slots, which is preheated along the hollow space by contact with the radiating drying units which convey the preheated air toward the transfer planes, and a centrally arranged evacuating fan which aspirates hot air originating from the transfer planes and sends it outside said machine through the discharge slots or through a discharge chimney.

In accordance with the latter features of the invention, the machine comprises a preheating unit to preheat the tacky substances and a b

reactivating unit to reactivate Ie tacky substances arranged upstream and downstream of said radiation and convection drying units, respectively, which are turned toward said transfer planes.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the description of an embodiment of the machine for the drying treatment of tacky substances, in particular for the treatment of tacky substances applied to footwear products as illustrated for indicative, yet not limiting purposes, in the attached drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the machine according to the invention, in a non operating condition;

Figure 2 represents a lateral view in longitudinal section of the machine of Fig. 1 , in an operating condition;

Figure 3 represents a first sectional view taken in relation to the radiation drying units of the machine of Fig. 2; - Figure 4 represents a second sectional view taken in relation to the convection drying units of the machine of Fig. 2.

With reference to the attached drawings, the machine for the drying treatment of tacky substances, indicated as a whole by the reference number 5, in particular of tacky substances applied to footwear products 6, comprises above all a supporting/containing structure 7. Said structure 7 comprises in detail a supporting frame 8 and a containing enclosure 9 which comprises in its upper portion a hollow space 10, a plurality of aspiration and discharge slots 11 , 12 to put this hollow space 10 in contact with the external ambience of the machine 5, and in the portion underlying said hollow space 10, a treating tunnel 13 for the footwear products 6. The machine 5 further comprises transferring means, indicated as a whole by the reference number 14, to transfer said footwear products 6 from an inlet station 15 to an outlet station 16 of the footwear products 6 into/from the machine 5 supported by the structure 7. in detail, said transferring means are partially housed in said tunnel 13 in a longitudinal direction. Said transferring means 14 comprise a first and a second conveyor belt 17, 18 of an annular shape, which are arranged side-by-side, laid down horizontally and moving in the same forward direction. The upper portions of said first and second conveyor belt 17, 18 define a first and a second horizontal transfer plane, respectively, on which rows of first and second footwear products 6 are arranged beginning from the inlet station 15 up to the outlet station 16 of said machine 5. Moreover, the machine 5 comprises drying means, indicated as a whole by the reference number 19, for the drying of tacky substances applied to the footwear products 6 transiting on the transferring means 14 between the inlet station 15 and the outlet station 16. In particular, these drying means 19 comprise radiation drying units, designated as a whole by the reference number 20, and at least one convection drying unit, designated as a whole by the reference number 21 , which are acting on said tacky substances in a combined fashion. This arrangement allows generating a uniform temperature in the ambience used to perform the drying treatment of said tacky substances. In detail, the radiation drying units 20 comprise a first and a second couple of radiation drying units 20 arranged side-by-side, in succession and turned toward the transfer planes 17, 18. Said radiation drying units 20 comprise supporting elements 22 and a plurality of infrared radiation panels 23 applied to the supporting elements 22 that emit a plurality of infrared radiation beams investing the transfer planes 17, 18. In particular, said infrared radiation panels 23 present, in a non-operating condition, a first surface colour of a preferably pink/brown colour, and in a second operating condition a second colour of a preferably grey colour which differs from said first colour. Said supporting elements 22 advantageously comprise manual and automatic adjusting means (not shown) to approach and distance the plurality of radiating panels 23 to/from the transfer planes 17, 18. The convection drying unit 21 is in turn arranged between said first and said second couple of radiation drying units 20. Said convection drying units 21 comprise in detail a couple of inlet fans 24 laterally arranged above the transfer planes 17, 18 that aspirate fresh air through the hollow space 10 and the aspiration slots 11. This fresh air preheats along the hollow space by contact with the radiation drying units 20. The inlet fans 24 convey the preheated air to the transfer planes 17, 18. A centrally arranged evacuation fan 25 aspirates hot air originating from the transfer planes 17, 18 and sends it outside the machine 5 through the discharge slots 12 or through an evacuation chimney (not shown).

Finally, the machine comprises a preheating unit 26 to preheat the tacky substances and a reactivating unit 27 to reactivate said tacky substances, which are arranged upstream and downstream of said radiation drying units 20 and convection drying units 21 , respectively, and are turned toward the transfer planes 17, 18.

The operation of this machine occurs essentially as described hereafter, with reference to the attached figures. A first operator arranges the footwear products 6 with the tacky substances appropriately applied on the transferring means 14 next to the inlet station 15 of the machine 5. The operator preferably arranges the soles horizontally on the first conveyor belt 17 and the relative vamps in an upturned condition on the second conveyor belt 18. The transferring means 14 are thus continuously transferring the products from the inlet station 15 to a position underlying the preheating unit

26, which serves the purpose of preheating the products 6 in transit. The same preheated products 6 are then transferred by the transferring means 14 from the beginning to the end of the treating tunnel, 13. During this transfer, the products 6 are undergoing the action of both the radiation drying units 20 and the convection drying units 21 , whose combined action determines an ambience at a uniform temperature apt to induce the proper drying of the tacky substances applied to the products 6. The products 6 are then continuously transferred by the transferring means 14 from the beginning to the end of the treating tunnel 13 to a position underlying the reactivating unit

27, which serves the purpose of reactivating the tacky substances. Finally, the transferring means 14 transfer the products to a point next to the outlet station 16 of the machine 5, where a second operator picks them up.

It has in practice been found that the machine thus described achieves its aim and the expected objects. In the first place, the machine is able of carrying out products of adequate and constant quality standards, and of shortening and facilitating the performance of the drying treatment. It is important to note in particular that the peculiar position of the convection drying units with respect to the radiation drying units allows the flows of air to reach the footwear areas coated with the tacky substances which are not invested by the infrared radiations. Moreover, the machine extends its treatment to the footwear products that are currently difficult to treat, such as for instance the vamps of boots. The machine is also simple from a design and construction viewpoint, so as to limit both production and maintenance costs. The machine finally allows limiting the energy consumption costs due to its operation, because the combined action of the radiation and convection drying units allows increasing the treating temperature and thus reducing the duration of performing the treatment.

The machine according to the invention is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all of which fall within the scope of the same inventive concept. In the practical embodiment, the materials employed, the shapes, dimensions and executive details may differ from those indicated here but are technically equivalent to the same, without thereby abandoning the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. Machine for the drying treatment of tacky substances, in particular of tacky substances applied to footwear products, comprising a supporting/containing structure, transferring means for transferring said footwear products from an inlet station to an outlet station of said footwear products into/from said machine which are supported by said structure, drying means for drying said tacky substances applied to said footwear products while in transit on said transferring means between said inlet station and said outlet station, characterized in that said drying means comprise radiation drying units and at least one convection drying unit acting on said tacky substances in a combined fashion, so as to produce a uniform temperature of the ambience wherein the drying treatment of said tacky substances is performed.

2. Machine, according to claim 1 , characterized in that said supporting/containing structure comprises a supporting frame and a containing enclosure.

3. Machine, according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said containing enclosure comprises in its portion overlying a hollow space, a plurality of aspiration and discharge slots to put said hollow space in contact with the external ambience of said machine and, in the portion underlying said hollow space, a treating tunnel for said footwear products.

4. Machine, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said transferring means are partially housed in a longitudinal direction inside said tunnel.

5. Machine, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said transferring means comprise a first and a second annular-shaped conveyor which are arranged side-by-side, laid down horizontally and moving forward in the same sense of direction.

6. Machine, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper portions of said first and second conveyor belt defined a first and a second horizontal transferring plane, on which rows of first and of second footwear products are arranged beginning from the inlet station up to said outlet station of said machine.

7. Machine, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said radiation drying units comprise a first and a second couple of radiation drying units which are arranged side-by-side, in sequence and turned toward the transferring planes.

8. Machine, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said radiation drying units comprise supporting elements and a plurality of infrared radiating panels applied to said supporting elements which emit a plurality of infrared radiation beams investing said transferring planes.

9. Machine, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said supporting elements comprise manual and automatic adjusting means to approach/distance said pluralities of radiant panels to/from said transferring planes.

10. Machine, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said infrared radiation panels present in a non-operating condition a first surface colour and in an operating condition a second colour differing from said first colour.

11. Machine, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said convection drying unit is arranged between a first and a second couple of radiation drying units.

12. Machine, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said convection drying unit comprises a couple of inlet fans which are arranged laterally above said transferring plans and aspirate, through said hollow space and said aspirating slot, fresh air which is preheated along said hollow space by contact with said radiation drying panels and convey said preheated air toward said transferring planes and a centrally arranged evacuating fan which aspirates hot air originating from said transferring planes and conveys it to the outside of said machine through discharge slots or through a discharge chimney.

13. Machine, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a preheating unit to preheat said tacky substances and a reactivating unit to reactivate said tacky substances which are arranged upstream and downstream of said radiation and convection drying units, respectively, and turned toward said transferring planes.