CA2142480A1 - Modular pouch making machine - Google Patents
Modular pouch making machineInfo
- Publication number
- CA2142480A1 CA2142480A1 CA002142480A CA2142480A CA2142480A1 CA 2142480 A1 CA2142480 A1 CA 2142480A1 CA 002142480 A CA002142480 A CA 002142480A CA 2142480 A CA2142480 A CA 2142480A CA 2142480 A1 CA2142480 A1 CA 2142480A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- pouches
- module
- pouch
- web
- making machine
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
- B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
- B31B70/00—Making flexible containers, e.g. envelopes or bags
- B31B70/005—Making flexible containers, e.g. envelopes or bags involving a particular layout of the machinery or relative arrangement of its subunits
Abstract
A rotary continuous pouch machine has a modular construction for increased flexibility and versatility. The machine has a base unit module which unwinds a continuous web of pouch material, folds it and forms a plurality of vertical seals to define a series of pouches having an open top. A product feed module supplies product to a filling module which fills the pouches through the open top. A top sealer on the base unit module closes the filled pouches and a knife module severs the web into individual pouches. Each module can have its own, individually-controlled servo motor for driving the moving parts of the module and for providing feedback signals of speed and position to a main control module. The control module governs the servo motors so as to maintain registry and tension of the web at each module. The modules are interchangeably connected to one another so that each module can be exchanged for another of the same type but of different size or other characteristic without requiring replacement of the other modules.
Description
(- ~142~80 ,`-.
Background of the Invention This invention relates to a high speed pouch packager for forming and filling pouches or packets. Such pouches are used for a variety of free-flowing products. Condiments such as sugar and sweeteners, coffee and creamers, as well as drink mixes, dietary supplements and tablets are typical products packaged in pouches. Liquids as well as dry products may be packed in the pouches.
Examples of basic pouch forming and filling machines are shown in U.S. Patents 3,344,576, 3,453,799 and 3,667,188, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. These patents show how a continuous web of pouch material is folded, sealed on two sides, filled through the open top, sealed on top and then severed into individual, filled pouches. The severed pouches are fed to a collation device such as a stacker or cartoner.
The described pouch-forming operations are performed at a series of stations. The stations include a feeder for supplying a continuous web of pouch material. The feeder typically includes an unwinder, a registration device, a set of powered feed rollers and a plow for folding the web. The folded web goes to a vertical heat sealer which forms spaced side seals. The side seals define a series of pouches having an open top. The open pouches go to a filling wheel for filling with a product through the open top of the pouch. Then a top sealer closes the top edge of the filled pouches, and a knife severs ` 2142~80 . _ them into individual pouches or groups of pouches with or without perforations between them.
In the past these stations were built in a unitized construction driven by a single, common drive train usually comprising a motor, one or more gear boxes, sprockets, a drive chain and the like. A common drive train was used so all the stations could be kept in synchronization with one another. It will be understood that the web has to be located with respect to each station such that it is in registration with the operative 10 elements of that station. ~or example, the vertical seals have to be located properly on the web with respect to printed matter thereon. The filler wheel obviously has to have the open top edge of a pouch properly located in relation to the fill nozzles in order to get the product into the pouches. And the knife has to sever the pouches near the middle of the side seals or else the pouch would be destroyed. All of this synchronization has to take place while keeping suitable tension on the web. In the past a common drive train has been the answer to these concerns.
A primary difficulty with the common drive train is its lack of flexibility in hA~ling different sizes or types of pouches. ~hen sprockets, gear boxes and the like are selected for the drive train, they are sized to work properly with only a single, specific cut off for the pouch. If a user needs to change to a different pouch size or a product having different hAn~ling characteristics, a separate machine of the conventional drive type would be required. This is costly both in terms of _ ( 21Q2~`80 capital requirements and time and space needed to set up additional lines.
Summary of the Invention The present invention relates to high speed packaging machinery of the type used in forming and filling pouches. The invention is particularly concerned with a versatile packaging machine which accommodates package size and/or product chan-geover with a single base unit for the machine.
The present invention is a pouch machine having modular and quick connect components to facilitate package size and/or product changeover with minimal investment in equipment and labor. One of the features of the invention is a drive system for a modular pouch machine which can accommodate component exchange without the need for altering the entire drive system. Another feature of the invention is the use of standard base components and modular variable equipment to allow variable products, package cut offs, and collations.
The pouch machine of this invention improves quality through the use of fewer machined parts, chains, gears,-belts and the like. The machine which is also easier to maintain and clean due to the use of separate, rollaway modules. It reguires less floor space than high speed machinery of earlier designs in that one machine can do a wide variety of different size packages that would have previously required multiple lines.
_ These and other features which may become apparent in the following specification, drawings and claims are realized by a pouch machine of modular design. The machine may have an integrated operator interface with a machine-mounted, rotatable control/display console. A base unit module includes a detach-able unwind stand, a web forming plow, a rotary vertical heat sealer (with a quick connect/disconnect feature for rapid changeover), feed rollers, a squirrel cage, a registration system and top sealer of the rotary, hot air, or hot bar type. Variable equipment includes a rotary product filler wheel (with an optional multi-flavor distribution deck), a product feed system such as feed belts or augers, and a remote knife/collation system.
The base machine, filler wheel, product feed and remote knife/collation units are driven by a multi-axis controlled servo system. A multitude of separate servo motors are utilized for the rotary sealers, feed and tucking rollers, filler wheels, product feed components, registration rollers, squirrel cage and knife/collation components. All servo motors are controlled by a programmable logic controller to be driving at the proper ratio to one another.
' '' 2142,480" (' Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of the modular pouch machine.
Fig. 2 is plan view of a knife unit connected to a constant motion cartoner.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the pouch machine with a diagrammatic showing of the control circuit therefor.
Detailed Description of the Invention The modular pouch machine of the present invention is shown in Fig. 1. For purposes of discussion, the mechanical components of the machine will be described first, to be followed by a description of the control system. The machine includes a base unit module indicated generally by reference character A.
The base unit module includes a feed section for supplying a continuous web of pouch material, a vertical sealer for forming a plurality of seals in the web which define a series of pouches, and a top sealer for closing the opening of filled pouches.
The feed section includes several elements. At least one servo driven unwind stand has a roll of pouch material rotatably mounted therein. The embodiment shown has alternately-operable first and second unwind stands 10 and 12. The unwind stands play out a web 14 of pouch material in a generally horizontal plane. The unwind stands may include a device known in the art as a dancer (not shown). The dancer accepts the web 14 unwound from the stands 10 and 12, and lets out or takes up slack as needed to maintain a proper supply of the web down-- ( 21~2~80 ,-stream. From the dancer the web advances to servo driven registration rollers 16. A registration scanner 18 reads a registration symbol or mark, sometimes called an eye spot, on the web and adjusts the feed rate of the registration rollers 16 as needed to assure proper alignment of the web as it enters the vertical sealer.
A plow 20 folds the web up into a vertical plane. The fold line forms one side of a pouch. Adjustable guide rollers 22 are provided at the exit of the plow 20.
An idler wheel 24 guides the folded web into the vertical sealer 26. The sealer is preferably a rotary vertical heat sealer which is driven by a servo motor. The sealer has a sealer wheel 28 having a quic~ disconnect feature allowing rapid changeout to a sealer wheel of a different diameter. This is accomplished by mounting a common flange on the servo motor drive shaft. All sealer wheels have a hub with a bolt circle 30 that matches a similar one on the flange. Thus, the same motor is used to drive variably sized wheels. The wheel speed is adjusted by controlling its servo motor. Backup rollers 32 are used to keep the web 14 in contact with the sealer wheel 28.
After leaving the sealer 26 the pouches travel through an optional tear notcher 34 and an optional bottom sealer 36.
After leaving the bottom sealer 36 the pouches travel around idler rollers 38 and 40 before entering the first feed rolls 42 that pull the film from the vertical sealer. The first feed rolls 42 are preferably driven by a servo motor. The pouch stock !- 2142980 1`-. _ passes around idler 44 and through height guide 46 before leaving the base unit module and entering the filling module indicated generally by the letter C.
The filling module C includes tucking rollers 48 and a filling wheel 50. The tucking rollers and filling wheel are driven by servo motors but are otherwise conventional. The filler wheel may optionally be supplied with a detachable upper product segregation deck assembly for filling up to four different flavors or products into consecutive pouches. Air ~ets 52 can be used to assist in opening the pouches for filling.
The product being packaged in the pouches is supplied to the filling wheel by a product feeder module indicated generally by the letter D. The product feeder module includes a feed mechAni~ 54. The feed mechanism illustrated here is an auger but it will be understood that other types of feeders could be used, such as a belt type- feeder. The particular mechanism chosen depends on the hAn~ling characteristics of the product.
Sets of interlocking pins and holes indicated at 56 align the filling module C to the base unit A. Similarly, pins and holes 58 align the product feeder module D to the filling module C. Suitable fasteners hold the aligned modules in place.
This construction allows rapid changeover from one type of filling wheel or product feeder to another, without disrupting the components on the base unit module.
After the pouches are filled by the filler wheel 50, the web 14 enters a top sealer 60 which is attached to the base ' 2142 180 (-_ unit. The top sealer may be of the rotary, hot air, or hot bar type. The top sealer seals the open top edge of the pouches.
Second feed rollers 62, driven by a servo motor, pull the web through the top sealer 60. A squirrel cage 64, also driven by a servo motor, is mounted at the far end of the base unit module A.
The squirrel cage is a wheel with transverse rods that controls the web off of the top sealer and onto a conveyor. The web of completed pouches is gradually rotated from a vertical plane to a horizontal plane between the second feed rollers 62 and the squirrel cage 64.
After the squirrel cage the web goes to a conveyor 66 which feeds the web to a knife module indicated generally at E in Fig. 2. Downstream of the knife is a collation unit. Break lines 68 through the conveyor 66 in Figs. 1 and 2 indicate where the parts of the machine in the two Figures would be joined.
The conveyor 66 may be an accumulator of the type described and claimed in a U.S. Patent application entitled "Accumulator and Collator for Packaging Apparatus n I filed September 4,-1992 and assigned to the present assignee. The disclosure of this application is incorporated herein by reference. The accumulator permits operation of the base unit and knife at different rates, at least for limited periods of time. That is, should a problem arise with the knife or any other piece of downstream equipment that would have caused the machine as it is presently designed to have to shut down, the accumulator can continue to receive the web of finished pouches ( 21~2~80 _ from the base unit for a time while the knife or other equipment is down for repairs. When the knife is operating again it can be run faster than the base unit to work off the backlog of pouches in the accumulator. Once it has caught up, the production rate of the knife is automatically reduced to match that of the base unit.
The knife module E in the illustrated embodiment is a right angle knife 70 (it will be understood that the knife can be supplied with an in line conveyor or no conveyor at all depen~i ng on the required collation). The knife cuts the web through the side seals to sever a finished package or groups of packages (with or without perforations between them) from the web. The knife is driven by a servo motor. The individual pouches, or groups of pouches, come out of the knife on a con~eyor 72 which feeds them to a-collation unit such as the constant motion cartoner 74 shown. It will be understood that any suitable collation equipment could be used downstream of the knife. The cartoner 74 packs the pouches into boxes, cartons or the like.
Fig. 3 shows the control circuit for the modular pouch machine. Portions of the base unit module A, filling module C, product feed module D, knife module E and the collation unit are shown to illustrate the interface between the control circuit and the mechanical elements. The mechanical elements are given the same reference numerals as above and their description will not be repeated. Modules C and D are shown detached from the base 2 1 4 2 ~ 8 0 unit module A to illustrate the capacity for quick changeover of these modules.
The main control module is shown within the dotted box 76. This circuit includes a master programmable logic controller 78. This device will be referred to herein as the master PLC.
Master PLC 78 receives input from motion controller 80 relating to the speed and position of each of the servo motors. The motion controller also sends drive signals from the PLC to an amplifier for each servo motor. Each amplifier applies the drive signal to its servo motor and receives a feedback signal from the servo motor indicating its speed and position. The feedback signal also is sent to the motion controller 80 for relaying to the PLC. Thus, the circuit includes amplifiers 82 and 84 for the unwind stands, 86 for the registration rollers, 88 for the tear notcher, 90 for the vertical heat sealer, 92 for the product feeder, 94 for the filling wheel, 96 for the tucking roller, 98 for the second feed rollers, 100 for the first feed rollers (42), and 102 for the squirrel cage. Each amplifier is connected to the servo motor for its associated device by both signal and feedback lines, as shown.
The control circuit further includes an a~lYili Ary circuit shown enclosed in the dotted box 104. This circuit controls the knife module and collation unit. It includes a slave programmable logic controller 106 and an associated motion controller 108. There is also a logic circuit 110 for optional ancillary downline equipment. Amplifiers 112 and 114 are provided for the knife servo motor and collator servo motor respectively. The slave PLC 106 is connected to the master PLC
78 as shown. The motion controllers 80 and 108 are also connected so the operation of the knife module and collation unit can be coordinated with that of the base unit module.
An operator terrinAl 116 is provided. It has an instruction input device such as a keyboard and a monitor for providing output indicative of current operation. The terminal is connected to the master PLC.
The master PLC could be any of the commercial-ly available units capable of producing line shafting logic control.
An example of a suitable control is the unit sold by Giddings &
Lewis of Fond du Lac, WI under their trademark PiC900. This unit is desirable because it can combine the functions of the PLC 78 and the motion controller 80 into one device. Giddings & Lewis also supplies suitable servo motors, although others could be used.
The master and slave motion controllers are programmed to drive the servo motors at the proper ratio to one another.
The motion control inputs include the size of the heat sealer wheel, the size of the filling wheel, the type of product feed device and, of course, the speeds and positions of the servo motors. The motion controller calculates the speed nep~e~ at each servo motor to keep all the machine elements properly timed with one another. It generates drive signals needed to achieve ! 2142~0~ ~
._ the calculated speeds. These drive signals are applied to the appropriate amplifiers accordingly.
In a preferred control scheme the filling wheel is designated as a master device with its production rate chosen by the user. All other machine components are then driven as needed to keep up with the filling wheel.
It can be seen that the modular machine of the present invention provides flexibility in pouch making not found in prior machines. For example, suppose a user wants to produce a 4.25"
wide by 5.50 n high pouch filled with a free-flowing granular product, then convert to run a 2.75~ by 5.0 pouch of a difficult to handle powder. Sometime in the future there may be a need to run the first item in a multi-flavor package which is 4.25" x 7.0'. This user would require three separate machines of the lS conventional drive and unitized construction type. With the present invention this user could meet his needs with one base module, two knife modules, a control panel module, two filler modules (one with a detachable upper product æegregation deck assembly)~ and three product feed modules. The user could change from one package/production configuration to another in less than one shift with his own maintenance staff. The investment required would be substantially reduced. ~urthermore, the user's investment in the base module is always secure in that he can expand from the base module to a great variety of configurations to meet ever changing needs.
' 21~480 (-While a preferred form of the invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that alterations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the following claims. For example, while it is preferred to have a separate drive means for each module, this is not required. Some of the modules or components could share a mechanical drive while others had a servo motor drive. Further, the exact arrangement of the - modules need not be as shown. They could be combined or arranged differently. As an example, the knife module could be made as a - 10 quick disconnect assembly of the base unit module or the product feed module could be incorporated in the filling module.
Background of the Invention This invention relates to a high speed pouch packager for forming and filling pouches or packets. Such pouches are used for a variety of free-flowing products. Condiments such as sugar and sweeteners, coffee and creamers, as well as drink mixes, dietary supplements and tablets are typical products packaged in pouches. Liquids as well as dry products may be packed in the pouches.
Examples of basic pouch forming and filling machines are shown in U.S. Patents 3,344,576, 3,453,799 and 3,667,188, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. These patents show how a continuous web of pouch material is folded, sealed on two sides, filled through the open top, sealed on top and then severed into individual, filled pouches. The severed pouches are fed to a collation device such as a stacker or cartoner.
The described pouch-forming operations are performed at a series of stations. The stations include a feeder for supplying a continuous web of pouch material. The feeder typically includes an unwinder, a registration device, a set of powered feed rollers and a plow for folding the web. The folded web goes to a vertical heat sealer which forms spaced side seals. The side seals define a series of pouches having an open top. The open pouches go to a filling wheel for filling with a product through the open top of the pouch. Then a top sealer closes the top edge of the filled pouches, and a knife severs ` 2142~80 . _ them into individual pouches or groups of pouches with or without perforations between them.
In the past these stations were built in a unitized construction driven by a single, common drive train usually comprising a motor, one or more gear boxes, sprockets, a drive chain and the like. A common drive train was used so all the stations could be kept in synchronization with one another. It will be understood that the web has to be located with respect to each station such that it is in registration with the operative 10 elements of that station. ~or example, the vertical seals have to be located properly on the web with respect to printed matter thereon. The filler wheel obviously has to have the open top edge of a pouch properly located in relation to the fill nozzles in order to get the product into the pouches. And the knife has to sever the pouches near the middle of the side seals or else the pouch would be destroyed. All of this synchronization has to take place while keeping suitable tension on the web. In the past a common drive train has been the answer to these concerns.
A primary difficulty with the common drive train is its lack of flexibility in hA~ling different sizes or types of pouches. ~hen sprockets, gear boxes and the like are selected for the drive train, they are sized to work properly with only a single, specific cut off for the pouch. If a user needs to change to a different pouch size or a product having different hAn~ling characteristics, a separate machine of the conventional drive type would be required. This is costly both in terms of _ ( 21Q2~`80 capital requirements and time and space needed to set up additional lines.
Summary of the Invention The present invention relates to high speed packaging machinery of the type used in forming and filling pouches. The invention is particularly concerned with a versatile packaging machine which accommodates package size and/or product chan-geover with a single base unit for the machine.
The present invention is a pouch machine having modular and quick connect components to facilitate package size and/or product changeover with minimal investment in equipment and labor. One of the features of the invention is a drive system for a modular pouch machine which can accommodate component exchange without the need for altering the entire drive system. Another feature of the invention is the use of standard base components and modular variable equipment to allow variable products, package cut offs, and collations.
The pouch machine of this invention improves quality through the use of fewer machined parts, chains, gears,-belts and the like. The machine which is also easier to maintain and clean due to the use of separate, rollaway modules. It reguires less floor space than high speed machinery of earlier designs in that one machine can do a wide variety of different size packages that would have previously required multiple lines.
_ These and other features which may become apparent in the following specification, drawings and claims are realized by a pouch machine of modular design. The machine may have an integrated operator interface with a machine-mounted, rotatable control/display console. A base unit module includes a detach-able unwind stand, a web forming plow, a rotary vertical heat sealer (with a quick connect/disconnect feature for rapid changeover), feed rollers, a squirrel cage, a registration system and top sealer of the rotary, hot air, or hot bar type. Variable equipment includes a rotary product filler wheel (with an optional multi-flavor distribution deck), a product feed system such as feed belts or augers, and a remote knife/collation system.
The base machine, filler wheel, product feed and remote knife/collation units are driven by a multi-axis controlled servo system. A multitude of separate servo motors are utilized for the rotary sealers, feed and tucking rollers, filler wheels, product feed components, registration rollers, squirrel cage and knife/collation components. All servo motors are controlled by a programmable logic controller to be driving at the proper ratio to one another.
' '' 2142,480" (' Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of the modular pouch machine.
Fig. 2 is plan view of a knife unit connected to a constant motion cartoner.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the pouch machine with a diagrammatic showing of the control circuit therefor.
Detailed Description of the Invention The modular pouch machine of the present invention is shown in Fig. 1. For purposes of discussion, the mechanical components of the machine will be described first, to be followed by a description of the control system. The machine includes a base unit module indicated generally by reference character A.
The base unit module includes a feed section for supplying a continuous web of pouch material, a vertical sealer for forming a plurality of seals in the web which define a series of pouches, and a top sealer for closing the opening of filled pouches.
The feed section includes several elements. At least one servo driven unwind stand has a roll of pouch material rotatably mounted therein. The embodiment shown has alternately-operable first and second unwind stands 10 and 12. The unwind stands play out a web 14 of pouch material in a generally horizontal plane. The unwind stands may include a device known in the art as a dancer (not shown). The dancer accepts the web 14 unwound from the stands 10 and 12, and lets out or takes up slack as needed to maintain a proper supply of the web down-- ( 21~2~80 ,-stream. From the dancer the web advances to servo driven registration rollers 16. A registration scanner 18 reads a registration symbol or mark, sometimes called an eye spot, on the web and adjusts the feed rate of the registration rollers 16 as needed to assure proper alignment of the web as it enters the vertical sealer.
A plow 20 folds the web up into a vertical plane. The fold line forms one side of a pouch. Adjustable guide rollers 22 are provided at the exit of the plow 20.
An idler wheel 24 guides the folded web into the vertical sealer 26. The sealer is preferably a rotary vertical heat sealer which is driven by a servo motor. The sealer has a sealer wheel 28 having a quic~ disconnect feature allowing rapid changeout to a sealer wheel of a different diameter. This is accomplished by mounting a common flange on the servo motor drive shaft. All sealer wheels have a hub with a bolt circle 30 that matches a similar one on the flange. Thus, the same motor is used to drive variably sized wheels. The wheel speed is adjusted by controlling its servo motor. Backup rollers 32 are used to keep the web 14 in contact with the sealer wheel 28.
After leaving the sealer 26 the pouches travel through an optional tear notcher 34 and an optional bottom sealer 36.
After leaving the bottom sealer 36 the pouches travel around idler rollers 38 and 40 before entering the first feed rolls 42 that pull the film from the vertical sealer. The first feed rolls 42 are preferably driven by a servo motor. The pouch stock !- 2142980 1`-. _ passes around idler 44 and through height guide 46 before leaving the base unit module and entering the filling module indicated generally by the letter C.
The filling module C includes tucking rollers 48 and a filling wheel 50. The tucking rollers and filling wheel are driven by servo motors but are otherwise conventional. The filler wheel may optionally be supplied with a detachable upper product segregation deck assembly for filling up to four different flavors or products into consecutive pouches. Air ~ets 52 can be used to assist in opening the pouches for filling.
The product being packaged in the pouches is supplied to the filling wheel by a product feeder module indicated generally by the letter D. The product feeder module includes a feed mechAni~ 54. The feed mechanism illustrated here is an auger but it will be understood that other types of feeders could be used, such as a belt type- feeder. The particular mechanism chosen depends on the hAn~ling characteristics of the product.
Sets of interlocking pins and holes indicated at 56 align the filling module C to the base unit A. Similarly, pins and holes 58 align the product feeder module D to the filling module C. Suitable fasteners hold the aligned modules in place.
This construction allows rapid changeover from one type of filling wheel or product feeder to another, without disrupting the components on the base unit module.
After the pouches are filled by the filler wheel 50, the web 14 enters a top sealer 60 which is attached to the base ' 2142 180 (-_ unit. The top sealer may be of the rotary, hot air, or hot bar type. The top sealer seals the open top edge of the pouches.
Second feed rollers 62, driven by a servo motor, pull the web through the top sealer 60. A squirrel cage 64, also driven by a servo motor, is mounted at the far end of the base unit module A.
The squirrel cage is a wheel with transverse rods that controls the web off of the top sealer and onto a conveyor. The web of completed pouches is gradually rotated from a vertical plane to a horizontal plane between the second feed rollers 62 and the squirrel cage 64.
After the squirrel cage the web goes to a conveyor 66 which feeds the web to a knife module indicated generally at E in Fig. 2. Downstream of the knife is a collation unit. Break lines 68 through the conveyor 66 in Figs. 1 and 2 indicate where the parts of the machine in the two Figures would be joined.
The conveyor 66 may be an accumulator of the type described and claimed in a U.S. Patent application entitled "Accumulator and Collator for Packaging Apparatus n I filed September 4,-1992 and assigned to the present assignee. The disclosure of this application is incorporated herein by reference. The accumulator permits operation of the base unit and knife at different rates, at least for limited periods of time. That is, should a problem arise with the knife or any other piece of downstream equipment that would have caused the machine as it is presently designed to have to shut down, the accumulator can continue to receive the web of finished pouches ( 21~2~80 _ from the base unit for a time while the knife or other equipment is down for repairs. When the knife is operating again it can be run faster than the base unit to work off the backlog of pouches in the accumulator. Once it has caught up, the production rate of the knife is automatically reduced to match that of the base unit.
The knife module E in the illustrated embodiment is a right angle knife 70 (it will be understood that the knife can be supplied with an in line conveyor or no conveyor at all depen~i ng on the required collation). The knife cuts the web through the side seals to sever a finished package or groups of packages (with or without perforations between them) from the web. The knife is driven by a servo motor. The individual pouches, or groups of pouches, come out of the knife on a con~eyor 72 which feeds them to a-collation unit such as the constant motion cartoner 74 shown. It will be understood that any suitable collation equipment could be used downstream of the knife. The cartoner 74 packs the pouches into boxes, cartons or the like.
Fig. 3 shows the control circuit for the modular pouch machine. Portions of the base unit module A, filling module C, product feed module D, knife module E and the collation unit are shown to illustrate the interface between the control circuit and the mechanical elements. The mechanical elements are given the same reference numerals as above and their description will not be repeated. Modules C and D are shown detached from the base 2 1 4 2 ~ 8 0 unit module A to illustrate the capacity for quick changeover of these modules.
The main control module is shown within the dotted box 76. This circuit includes a master programmable logic controller 78. This device will be referred to herein as the master PLC.
Master PLC 78 receives input from motion controller 80 relating to the speed and position of each of the servo motors. The motion controller also sends drive signals from the PLC to an amplifier for each servo motor. Each amplifier applies the drive signal to its servo motor and receives a feedback signal from the servo motor indicating its speed and position. The feedback signal also is sent to the motion controller 80 for relaying to the PLC. Thus, the circuit includes amplifiers 82 and 84 for the unwind stands, 86 for the registration rollers, 88 for the tear notcher, 90 for the vertical heat sealer, 92 for the product feeder, 94 for the filling wheel, 96 for the tucking roller, 98 for the second feed rollers, 100 for the first feed rollers (42), and 102 for the squirrel cage. Each amplifier is connected to the servo motor for its associated device by both signal and feedback lines, as shown.
The control circuit further includes an a~lYili Ary circuit shown enclosed in the dotted box 104. This circuit controls the knife module and collation unit. It includes a slave programmable logic controller 106 and an associated motion controller 108. There is also a logic circuit 110 for optional ancillary downline equipment. Amplifiers 112 and 114 are provided for the knife servo motor and collator servo motor respectively. The slave PLC 106 is connected to the master PLC
78 as shown. The motion controllers 80 and 108 are also connected so the operation of the knife module and collation unit can be coordinated with that of the base unit module.
An operator terrinAl 116 is provided. It has an instruction input device such as a keyboard and a monitor for providing output indicative of current operation. The terminal is connected to the master PLC.
The master PLC could be any of the commercial-ly available units capable of producing line shafting logic control.
An example of a suitable control is the unit sold by Giddings &
Lewis of Fond du Lac, WI under their trademark PiC900. This unit is desirable because it can combine the functions of the PLC 78 and the motion controller 80 into one device. Giddings & Lewis also supplies suitable servo motors, although others could be used.
The master and slave motion controllers are programmed to drive the servo motors at the proper ratio to one another.
The motion control inputs include the size of the heat sealer wheel, the size of the filling wheel, the type of product feed device and, of course, the speeds and positions of the servo motors. The motion controller calculates the speed nep~e~ at each servo motor to keep all the machine elements properly timed with one another. It generates drive signals needed to achieve ! 2142~0~ ~
._ the calculated speeds. These drive signals are applied to the appropriate amplifiers accordingly.
In a preferred control scheme the filling wheel is designated as a master device with its production rate chosen by the user. All other machine components are then driven as needed to keep up with the filling wheel.
It can be seen that the modular machine of the present invention provides flexibility in pouch making not found in prior machines. For example, suppose a user wants to produce a 4.25"
wide by 5.50 n high pouch filled with a free-flowing granular product, then convert to run a 2.75~ by 5.0 pouch of a difficult to handle powder. Sometime in the future there may be a need to run the first item in a multi-flavor package which is 4.25" x 7.0'. This user would require three separate machines of the lS conventional drive and unitized construction type. With the present invention this user could meet his needs with one base module, two knife modules, a control panel module, two filler modules (one with a detachable upper product æegregation deck assembly)~ and three product feed modules. The user could change from one package/production configuration to another in less than one shift with his own maintenance staff. The investment required would be substantially reduced. ~urthermore, the user's investment in the base module is always secure in that he can expand from the base module to a great variety of configurations to meet ever changing needs.
' 21~480 (-While a preferred form of the invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that alterations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the following claims. For example, while it is preferred to have a separate drive means for each module, this is not required. Some of the modules or components could share a mechanical drive while others had a servo motor drive. Further, the exact arrangement of the - modules need not be as shown. They could be combined or arranged differently. As an example, the knife module could be made as a - 10 quick disconnect assembly of the base unit module or the product feed module could be incorporated in the filling module.
Claims (20)
1. A pouch making machine comprising:
a plurality of modules for supplying a continuous web of pouch material, forming therein a series of pouches each having an opening, filling them with a product through the opening, sealing said opening after filling of the pouches, and severing them into individual pouches or groups of pouches with or without perforations between them;
a drive means associated with each of the modules, the drive means of at least two modules being operable and control-lable independently of one another; and controller means for controlling all of the drive means and coordinating their operation to provide correct registration of the web at each module.
a plurality of modules for supplying a continuous web of pouch material, forming therein a series of pouches each having an opening, filling them with a product through the opening, sealing said opening after filling of the pouches, and severing them into individual pouches or groups of pouches with or without perforations between them;
a drive means associated with each of the modules, the drive means of at least two modules being operable and control-lable independently of one another; and controller means for controlling all of the drive means and coordinating their operation to provide correct registration of the web at each module.
2. The pouch making machine of claim 1 wherein the modules comprise a base unit module having means for supplying the continuous web of pouch material, forming said series of pouches with openings, and sealing said openings after filling of the pouches.
3. The pouch making machine of claim 1 wherein the modules comprise a filling module having means for receiving the open pouches and filling them with a product through the opening.
4. The pouch making machine of claim 1 wherein the modules comprise a knife module for receiving the web of sealed, filled pouches and severing them into individual pouches or groups of pouches with or without perforations between them.
5. The pouch making machine of claim 1 wherein the modules comprise:
a base unit module having means for supplying the continuous web of pouch material, forming said series of pouches with openings, and sealing said openings after filling of the pouches;
a filling module having means for receiving the open pouches from the base unit module and filling them with a product through the opening; and a knife module for receiving the web of sealed, filled pouches from the base unit module and severing them into individual pouches or groups of pouches with or without perfora-tions between them.
a base unit module having means for supplying the continuous web of pouch material, forming said series of pouches with openings, and sealing said openings after filling of the pouches;
a filling module having means for receiving the open pouches from the base unit module and filling them with a product through the opening; and a knife module for receiving the web of sealed, filled pouches from the base unit module and severing them into individual pouches or groups of pouches with or without perfora-tions between them.
6. The pouch making machine of claim 5 further comprising a product feeder module for supplying product to the filling module.
7. The pouch making machine of claim 6 wherein the product feeder module has its own drive means controlled by the controller means to provide, in conjunction with the filling module, the correct amount of product at the correct time.
8. The pouch making machine of claim 2 wherein the base unit module comprises at least one unwind stand for unwinding a roll of pouch material and a registration means for aligning the web, if registration is required, the unwind stand and registration means each having a separate drive means governed by the controller means.
9. The pouch making machine of claim 8 wherein the base unit module further comprises a first feed means having a drive means governed by the controller means for pulling the web from the unwind stand.
10. The pouch making machine of claim 2 wherein the base unit module includes a plow means for folding the web.
11. The pouch making machine of claim 3 wherein the filling module includes a tucking roller and drive means therefor, the drive means being governed by the controller means.
12. The pouch making machine of claim 2 wherein the base unit module includes a second feed roller downstream of the means for sealing for advancing the web through said means for sealing.
13. The pouch making machine of claim 12 further comprising a squirrel cage located downstream of the means for sealing, the squirrel cage having a drive means governed by the controller means.
14. The pouch making machine of claim 1 further comprising a collation unit for receiving the severed pouches.
15. The pouch making machine of claim 1 wherein the controller means comprises a programmable logic controller.
16. The pouch making machine of claim 1 wherein the drive means comprises at least one servo motor.
17. The pouch making machine of claim 1 further comprising at least one sensor for locating an eye spot on each pouch, the sensor supplying information regarding the eye spot to the controller means to indicate to the controller the position of the web.
18. The pouch making machine of claim 1 further characterized in that the modules are interchangeably connected to each other such that the modules can be removed and replaced with another of the same type but of different size or other characteristic, without disrupting the non-exchanged modules.
19. A method of operating a pouch making machine of the type having a plurality of modules, the modules including means for forming a plurality of seals in a continuous web of pouch material which seals define a series of pouches having an open top of the pouch, means for filling pouches with a product through the open top of the pouch, means for forming a top seal to close the open top of the filled pouches, and means for severing the web of filled, top-sealed pouches into individual pouches or groups of pouches with or without perforations between them, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a drive means for each of the modules, the drive means of at least two of the modules being individually-controllable independently of one another;
sensing the speed and position of the drive means;
calculating the speed and position of each drive means required to maintain registry of the web at each module;
comparing the sensed speeds and positions with the calculated speeds and positions;
generating a control signal in response to said comparison to assure the modules will obtain the required speeds and positions to maintain registry of the web at each module; and providing said control signal to the appropriate drive means.
providing a drive means for each of the modules, the drive means of at least two of the modules being individually-controllable independently of one another;
sensing the speed and position of the drive means;
calculating the speed and position of each drive means required to maintain registry of the web at each module;
comparing the sensed speeds and positions with the calculated speeds and positions;
generating a control signal in response to said comparison to assure the modules will obtain the required speeds and positions to maintain registry of the web at each module; and providing said control signal to the appropriate drive means.
20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the steps of driving the filling module at a user-selectable speed, and driving all other modules as needed to keep up with the demand of the filling module.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US19782094A | 1994-02-17 | 1994-02-17 | |
| US197,820 | 1994-02-17 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2142480A1 true CA2142480A1 (en) | 1995-08-18 |
Family
ID=22730882
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002142480A Abandoned CA2142480A1 (en) | 1994-02-17 | 1995-02-14 | Modular pouch making machine |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2142480A1 (en) |
Cited By (8)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US6195967B1 (en) | 1998-11-03 | 2001-03-06 | Klockner Bartelt, Inc. | Packaging machine having continuous and intermittent modes |
| US6247293B1 (en) | 1998-11-03 | 2001-06-19 | Klockner Bartelt, Inc. | Modular packaging machine with web tension control |
| US6272815B1 (en) | 1998-11-03 | 2001-08-14 | Klockner-Bartelt, Inc. | Servo-controlled pouch making apparatus |
| EP1253005A3 (en) * | 2001-04-20 | 2003-04-09 | CMD Corporation | Module pouch machine |
| WO2007089838A3 (en) * | 2006-01-31 | 2007-09-20 | Jones & Co Inc R A | Adjustable pouch forming, filling and sealing apparatus and methods |
| WO2013117204A1 (en) | 2012-02-10 | 2013-08-15 | Teepack Spezialmaschinen Gmbh & Co. Kg | A method for making pouches and a pouch as such |
| EP2716559A1 (en) | 2012-10-05 | 2014-04-09 | Teepack Spezialmaschinen Gmbh & Co. Kg | A method for making pouches and a packaging apparatus for making pouches |
| EP3208213A1 (en) * | 2014-07-02 | 2017-08-23 | Kiefel GmbH | Installation for the manufacture of a medical device and method for operating one such installation |
-
1995
- 1995-02-14 CA CA002142480A patent/CA2142480A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (13)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US6195967B1 (en) | 1998-11-03 | 2001-03-06 | Klockner Bartelt, Inc. | Packaging machine having continuous and intermittent modes |
| US6247293B1 (en) | 1998-11-03 | 2001-06-19 | Klockner Bartelt, Inc. | Modular packaging machine with web tension control |
| US6272815B1 (en) | 1998-11-03 | 2001-08-14 | Klockner-Bartelt, Inc. | Servo-controlled pouch making apparatus |
| US6381919B2 (en) | 1998-11-03 | 2002-05-07 | Klockner-Bartelt, Inc. | Modular packaging machine with web tension control |
| US6393809B2 (en) | 1998-11-03 | 2002-05-28 | Klockner Bartelt, Inc. | Servo-controlled pouch making apparatus |
| EP1253005A3 (en) * | 2001-04-20 | 2003-04-09 | CMD Corporation | Module pouch machine |
| WO2007089838A3 (en) * | 2006-01-31 | 2007-09-20 | Jones & Co Inc R A | Adjustable pouch forming, filling and sealing apparatus and methods |
| US7954307B2 (en) | 2006-01-31 | 2011-06-07 | R. A. Jones & Co. Inc. | Adjustable pouch forming, filling and sealing apparatus and methods |
| US9873533B2 (en) | 2006-01-31 | 2018-01-23 | R.A. Jones & Co. | Apparatus and method for filling and sealing pouches |
| WO2013117204A1 (en) | 2012-02-10 | 2013-08-15 | Teepack Spezialmaschinen Gmbh & Co. Kg | A method for making pouches and a pouch as such |
| EP2716559A1 (en) | 2012-10-05 | 2014-04-09 | Teepack Spezialmaschinen Gmbh & Co. Kg | A method for making pouches and a packaging apparatus for making pouches |
| EP3208213A1 (en) * | 2014-07-02 | 2017-08-23 | Kiefel GmbH | Installation for the manufacture of a medical device and method for operating one such installation |
| EP2962966B1 (en) * | 2014-07-02 | 2017-10-25 | Kiefel GmbH | Installation for the manufacture of a medical device and method for operating one such installation |
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| Date | Code | Title | Description |
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