CA1140951A

CA1140951A - Apparatus for stacking product

Info

Publication number: CA1140951A
Application number: CA000362826A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Harvey J. Spencer
Original assignee: Paper Converting Machine Co
Current assignee: Paper Converting Machine Co
Priority date: 1979-11-14
Filing date: 1980-10-20
Publication date: 1983-02-08
Also published as: FR2475022B1; GB2063224A; AU522432B2; US4285621A; JPS5682738A; AU6378580A; JPS5911491B2; GB2063224B; IT8050116A0; DE3042519C2; AT381684B; IT1146144B; SE431635B; BE886146A; ATA556680A; DE3042519A1; SE8007525L; FR2475022A1

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE INVENTION

Apparatus for stacking web units involving a transfer mechanism to accumulate substacks when traveling in a vertical path and including L-shaped fingers for supporting the stacks in the vertical path.

Description

114V~51 APPARATUS FOR STACKING PRODUCT

3ACKG~OU~.~'D AND S~L~RY OF INVE~'TI ON:

This ~nvention relates to apparatus for stacking product such as web units and, more particularly, for accumu-lating substacks of web units into larger stacks while the same are traveling vertically between two vertically spaced a~art horizontal paths.

A great varie_y of mechanisms have been employed in the past ror accumul2ting web units such as tissues, towels, ~iapers, etc., into larger stacks or accumulations.
o Not only have these mechanisms been comp7ex and therefore expensive, but their very complexity often led to speed r~~
114V9Sl .
limitations. Illustrative of apparatus employed for stacking web units in the past are U.S. Patents 3,599,805 and 3,254,889.
According to the instant invention, a simplified, reliable and high-speed stacking apparatus is provided. It can be used in an environment which includes means for advancing sub-stacks of superposed web units along a horizontal path and then through a vertical path to a horizontally traveling receiving and takeaway conveyor. The instant in-vention brings to that environment a pair of transfer finger mechanisms which are positioned one on each side of the horizontal path, the mechanisms each carrying a plurality of L-shaped fingers with means on the mechanisms for moving the fingers thereof through a generally obround orbit inter-secting the horizontal path slightly inwardly of the sides thereof and serving to define the vertical path of accumulation.
Whlle the rotary coùnting-stacking and accumulating ~ mechanism is illustrated in combination with a converting ¦ machine that delivers substacks or a plurality of stacked sheets to the mechanism, it should be understood because of j the advantageous arrangement of the parts, particularly the I rotary fingers, the invention can also be arranged to receive ¦ substacks comprising a plurality of sheets or single sheets that are to be accumulated into a plurality of webs, i.e., a substack. In any case, the substack or plurality of webs rèsts upon each pair of coacting and oppositely extending support fingers. This is especially advantageous when the rotary count-stacking and accumulating mechanism is driven by intermittent means, for example, and indexing drives.

114095~

Other attributes, advantages and objects of the invention may be seen in the details of the ensuing descrip-tion.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION~
The invention is described in conjunction with an illustrative embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which --FIG.l is a fragmentary side elevational view,partially schematic, of the invention in the above described environm~nt;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view, again somewhat schematic, of the transfer mechanism portion of FIG. 1 and as would be seen along the sight line 2-2 applied to FIG. l;
FIG. 3 is a reduced size perspective view of a modified form of one transfer mechanism;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view corre~ponding to the central portion of FIG. 1 and featuring the transfer mechanism; and FIG. 5 is a different perspective view of the form of transfer mechanism of FIG. 3 and which is viewed essen-tially in the same direction as the transfer mechanism of FIG. 4.
In the illustration given, and with reference first to FIG. 1, the numeral 10 designates generally the frame of a paper converting machine which in this instance is arranged for providing stacks of 100 folded tissues. Initially, the tissues or web units are collected into substacks 11 of ten units each. These are derived from folding and cutoff apparatus which forms no part of this invention.

114~951 ~, .
For example, the web ~ which forms the tenth web unit (see the upper left hand portion of FIG. 1) is advanced around a carrier roll 12 and past a cutoff roll 13. There-after, in combination with the folding roll 14 a partially folded web unit 15 is developed which is stripped from the vacuum folding roll 14 by means of a belt transfer mechanism 16 -- this in time with the advance of a collection conveyor 17 equipped with pushers 18. Thus, by traveling a number of webs W through a similar number of roll units 12-14, the substacks 11 are generated. These are advanced along a hori-zontal path defined by the collection conveyor 17 in spaced apart relation.
As each substack 11 reaches the end of the collection conveyor 17, further travel of the substacks in the horizontal path 19 i9 achieved by a pair of endless belts 21 and 22 making up a first horizontally traveling conveyor generally designated 22.
Still referring to FIG. 1, the substacks are transferred by means of a second endless belt conveyor 23 to the top of a vertical path. The substacks 11 are removed from the influence of the second conveyor 23 by an orbital packer mechanism generally designated 24 and thereafter caused to be stac~ed on fingers 25 of a transfer mechanism.

As the fingers 25 descend, they ultim~tely inter-sect the path of a receiving and takeawa~ conveyor generally designated 26 and which is equipped with buckets 27 for removing a now completely assembled stac~: to a packaging station (not shown).

o Reference is now made to ~IGS. 2 and 4 which illustrate in somewhat larger scale the apparatus 2t the top of the vertical path defined by the movement of the fingers 25. In the upper left hand portion of FIG. 4, the delivery ends of the endless belts 20 and 21 c~n be seen. A substack ll is about to be discharged from this first conveyor 22 into the second conveyor 23.

Now referring to FIG. 2, a substack 11' is seen to be under the influence of the second conveyor 23 which is defined by horizontally spaced ap2rt endless belts 28 ant 29 which bear against the top and bottom of the substack ll' and move the same while it is suppo ted on rails 3~ and 31 suitably supported on the frame 10. In FIG. 2, the movement of the substack 11' is out of the paper, i.e., toward the eye of the viewer. Also in FIG. 2, a portion of the fi-st conveyor 22 is shown, this being the upper run of the lower endless belt 21. From this, it can be appreciated that the substack 11 while under the influence of .he first conveyor 22 is supported in the central portion thereof and then when it comes under the influence of the second conveyor 23, i.e., in the position designated 11', is suppo_ted along its longi-tudinal edges. Thus, there is an cpen central portion of the substack which accommodates both the orbital packer 24 and the supporting fingers 25 of the transfer mechanisms.

Next occurring in the operational sequence -- that is when tl~e substack ll'-is directly above the vertical stack-ing path occupied by the stac~ S (see FIG. 4 in the central portion thereof) is the transfer of the substack 11' from the second conveyor 23 downwardly by the fingers 32 of the orbital packer 24. As can be zppreciated from FIG. 1, the orbital o p~cker includes a pair of cranks schem2tically represented which move the finger 32 in circular orbits, This results ir, deforming the substack 11' slightly by depressing the central portion thereof so as to disengage the longitudinal side edges from the rails 30 and 31 as well as removing them from the influence of the endless belts 28 and 29, Meanwhile the fingers 25 of the transfer mechanisms have moved into position to receive and support a plurality of substacks. For example, referring to FIG. 2, it will be noted that a prior pair of fingers 25a are seen supporting a stack S of ten substacks, i.e., 100 web units. So, in the illustration given, a new set of supporting fingers 25 move into the vertical stacking path 32 every tenth operation of the orbital packer 24. A greater or lesser number of substacks can be accumulated on the packer f~ngers 25 as desired, In ~IG, 2, the upper set of finge~s 25 are seen receiving the first substack ll'' under the influence or actuation of the packer fingers in the nadir of their orbit and as is designated 32a, To implement the entry of the finge~s 25 into the vertical path 32, the fingers a-e L-shaped as can be best . , .

~o~

appreciated from the perspective views seen in FIGS. 3 and 5. More particul2rly (IlOW referring to FIG, 2 and in the extre~e lower portion thereof) each finger 25 is seen to have a radially extending part 33 and a horizontally eY.tend-i~g part 34. It is this horizontally eY.tending part 34 which is effective to support the substacks in the vertical path 32 as can be appreciated from the designation of these horizontal parts 34 in FIG. 2. More par~icularly, the fingers 25 enter the vertical path 32 in a location between the outside o longitudinal edges of the first: conveyo~ 22 and the inside longltudinal edges of the second conveyo~ 23. This is illustrated schematically in FIG. 3. Thus, the arez o~ each substack bètween the outer longitudinal edges of the first conveyor 22 (as represented by the upper r~n or belt 21 in FIG. 2) and the inner longitudinal edges of the conveyor 23, (as represented by the spaced apa-t belts 28 and 29 also in FIG. 2) constitutes a finger engageable support portion ror moving the substacks townwardly in the vertical pAth 32 so as to achieve a larger stack.

The pa;h of movement of the fingers is a generally obround orbit -- see the left hand por~ion of FIG, 2 wherein the upper and lower parts are se~icircular as at 35 and 36, and connected by s;raight vertical runs as at 37 and 38.
The preferred version of the apparatus provides an orbit which is obround only in the confronting or adjoining orbit portions --. compare the orbit in the right hand portion o FIG. 2. The extreme right hand portion of this orbit lacks the straight run due to the provision of a tightener sprocket 39 -- the counterpart of which in the perspective showing is designated 39' in FIG. 3.

`` 1140951 However, the basic movement of the fingers 25 is achieved by vertically aligned sprockets 2S at 40 and 41 (alternately 40' and 41' of FIG. 3) which provide a generally arcuate orbit portion a~ both the top and bottom of the orbit with a straight vertically intermediate run -- as at ~- 38.

Referring now to FIG. 5, i~ will be seen that a portion of the frame 10 suppo.ts a pair of bearing blocks 42 and 43 which carry shafts associated with the sprockets 40 lo and 41. As illustrated, a pair of sprockets are provided over which a pair of chains as at 44 are entrained so as to rigidify the finger support bars 45. It will be appreciated that other means such as timing belts and pulleys may be equally advantageously utilized in the practice of the invent~on. Input power to the transfer nechanism generally designated 46 in FIG. 5 is deli~ered to the shaft 47 associ-ated with the sprockets 41. A bIacket 48 is positionably mounted on the frame 10 (see FI~, 5) to accom~odate movement of the tightener sprocket 39 when the bearing blocks 42 and 43 are changed to vzry the compression at the stzrt of a stack (relative to the top sprocket 40) or to adjust the gap bet~een the fingers 25 ant the receiving and takeaway conveyor 26 (relati~e to the twin sprockets 41).

As the fingers 25 descend to the bottom of the vertical path 32, they accelerate by virtue of entering the arcuate orbit and move sufficiently ho-izontally away -- to the position 34a in the central bottom of FIG. 2 -- so 2S to permit the entry of the bucket 27 into the path for receiving and taking away the now completed stack in the horizontal path defined by the _ ~ _ ' conveyor 26. This same advzntageous acceleration of the fingers occurs at the time of entry thereof into the ve-tical path 32 by virtue of align ng the upper sprocket 40 generally horizontally with the path of travel of the substacks 11 -- see FIE. 1. Notwithstanding the rapid entry and exit from the vertical path 32, the fingers 25 descend in the path at a uniform r2te so as to maintain and otherwise not disturb the accumulating substa~ks of web unit s .

lo In the operation of the app~ratus, the substacks 11 are advanced in spaced relation elong a first horizontal path, the spac-ng between adjacent substacks being equal to the length of each substack itsel- This permits efficient operation OI the packing and stacking portion of the apparatus and without the need of any speed up belts to achieve a spacing. This permits the orbital packer to move at a uniform speed throughout the orbit thereof because the spacing between substacks provides a ~uitable time pe iod for return or the packer fingers 32 into packing position. Then, by virtue of the trans'er mechanisms 46, the uni.orm action of the packer fingers 32 is utilized again withou~ the need for a speed change. More importantly, the entire ap?aratus employs rotary movements so as to avoid any jarring i~pacts to the web units being handled.

By the instant invention where rotary fingers are mounted on an endless chain or like means for orbiting, the time and space limitations characteristic of the prior lJ,S, A art are no longe~ applicable. For example, in~ Patent No.

114~951 3,498,600, packers stripped indivldual product from a folding roll so as to build up a stack on support fingers and when the stack W2S completed, the s~-ack fingers moved down-wardly to deliver the completed stack to a takeaway conveyor.
All of this had to occur during 2 limited time during which a next stack was being completed. Thus, once a stack was completed, it had ~o move away to the ta~eawzy conveyor, had to be stripped and the support fingers returned at the instant the proper count was reached. All of this meant there was o a definite time limitation within which all of these mechanismshad to work and given a predeter~ined ve-tical distance and speed at which the mechanism was to operate, it was not well adapted to short count products. On the other hand, the instant invention which makes use o~ what could be considered rotary count finge s, it is possible to use 2 chzin with a very small pitch length and therefore a very small space between fingers and thereby accept and pr~perly handle very short counts including individual product. Thus, the ~echanism is ada~ted to handle any count multiples from one on up.

The invention further is versa;ile in providing for various spacing arrangements and speeds. The spacing between fingers (vertically as illustrated) can determine the size of the substack and this is readily achieved through the use of different pitch chain. Also, the ability to choose different pitch chain and thereby vary the vertical ~as shown) spacing between fingers permits the handling of wider product. For example, and with reference ~o FIG. 2, if the finger spacing is determined by the radial lines 34b and 34c, a wider product can be introduced vertically into the count finger mechanism than would be the case if the finger spacing ~as illustrated by the fingers in the . . .

- ~14~951 positions 34b and 34d. A similar versatility is available through changing the size of the sprockets as well as the spacing (horizontally as shown) between fingers.
Still further, the invention provides further versatility in being able to use sprockets of different diameters (as at 40' and 41~ in FIG. 3~. $his is advantageous because the top fingers enter very rapidly while the same single index moves the bottom fingers through a much smaller angular path. This permits the acceptance of a wider product without limiting the release thereof and particularly the gradual discharge brought about through the use of the larger diameter sprocket 41'.
In summary, a variety of engineering factors can be varied to determine the optimum handling of product, these including the following:
A) diameter of the top sprocket, B) diameter of the bottom sprocket, C) vertical distance between sprockets, D) horizontal distance between sprockets, E) length of extended fingers and therefore non-supported distance between fi~ger pairs, F) continuous or indexing drives G) pitch of chain, H) direct~on of incoming sub-stack or single product, I~ direction of accumulated stack discharge.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. Apparatus for stacking web units including a frame, means on said frame for advancing product units along a horizontal path and then along a vertical path to a horizontally traveling receiving and takeaway conveyor wherein the units accumulated into stacks, the improvement characterized by a pair of transfer finger mechanisms on said frame, one on each side of said horizontal path, each mechanism carrying a plurality of L-shaped fingers, and means on said mechanisms for moving the fingers thereof through a generally obround orbit intersecting said horizontal path slightly inwardly of the sides thereof and defining said vertical path, said advancing means including first and second horizontally extending conveyors arranged sequentially in said horizontal path, said first conveyor being arranged to engage the central portion of said product units while said second conveyor is arranged to engage the side portions of said units and with the outside longitudinal edges of the first conveyor spaced from the inside long-tudinal edges of the second conveyor to provide a finger engageable portion on each unit, said mechanisms being arranged relative to said first and second conveyors to orbit said fingers into supporting engagement with said finger engageable portions of certain of said product units.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which orbital packer mean are provided for transferring product units from said second conveyor to said fingers.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which product providing means are operably associated with said advancing means to provide horizontally spaced apart product whereby a time period is provided for return of said orbital packer means to packing position and said orbital packer is adapted to move at uniform speed through-out the orbit thereof.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 in which said orbital packer is equipped with fingers moving between the inside longitudinal edges of said conveyor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said second conveyor includes a pair of endless belts for engaging the top of each product and a pair of spaced apart rails aligned with said belts for supporting said product above said vertical path.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which an orbital packer engages each product between said belts and rails to remove the same from supporting relation on said rails and moves the same onto said L-shaped fingers.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said receiving and takeaway conveyor is arranged to contact and support the central portion of an accumulated number of product units to remove the same from support on said fingers, said receiving and takeaway conveyor being positioned adjacent the bottom of the descending portion of said generally obround orbit whereby said fingers are adapted to move rapidly out of the path of horizontal travel of said receiving and takeaway conveyor.

8. Apparatus for stacking web units including a frame, means on said frame for advancing product units along a horizontal path and then along a vertical path to a horizontally traveling receiving and takeaway conveyor wherein the units accumulated into stacks, the improvement characterized by a pair of transfer finger mechanisms on said frame, one on each side of said horizontal path, each mechanism carrying a plurality of L-shaped fingers, and means on said mechanisms for moving the fingers thereof through a generally obround orbit intersecting said horizontal path slightly inwardly of the sides thereof and defining said vertical path, said L-shaped fingers having a first part connected to said means and extending in the plane of said orbit and radially away therefrom, and a second part perpendicular to said first part and spaced from said means.

9. The structure of claim 8 in which said second part has a length greater than that of a substack measured in the direction of substack advance in said horizontal path.

10. The structure of claim 9 in which each said finger is a rod.