GB2374863A

GB2374863A - Folding assembly for sheet material processing machines

Info

Publication number: GB2374863A
Application number: GB0206488A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Angelo Bartesaghi; Amerigo Manzini
Original assignee: FIN OMET Srl
Current assignee: FIN OMET Srl
Priority date: 2001-03-19
Filing date: 2002-03-19
Publication date: 2002-10-30
Anticipated expiration: 2022-03-19
Also published as: DE20204366U1; ES1051534Y; GB0206488D0; ES1051534U; ITMI20010156U1; GB2374863B; ITMI20010156V0

Abstract

A folding assembly 1 for machines for processing sheet material comprises a folding plate 13 disposed above or downstream of an embossing module 2 comprising two counter-rotating embossing rolls for embossing sheet material, the folding 13 plate being mounted on a movement plate 16 hinged to a support shoulder 8 so as to be able to pass from a working position in line with the embossing module 2 to a resting position outside the movement space of the embossing module 2. The folding plate 13 may be triangular in shape and adjustable in height. It may be mounted vertically above the embossing module 2 and swung or rotated to allow unhindered access to the embossing module 2.

Description

FOLDING ASSEMBLY FOR MACHINES FOR PROCESSING SHEET MATERIALS The present invention refers to a folding assembly for a machine for processing sheet materials and in particular for the production of paper serviettes or napkins.

The description that follows will be provided using as an example paper serviettes or napkins, but it must be understood that it is not thereby intended in any way to limit the application of the invention solely to paper serviettes or napkins.

A prior art machine for production of paper serviettes or napkins comprises an unwinding assembly that supports a reel of paper web which is driven towards an embossing assembly that is responsible for embossing the web. Downstream of the embossing assembly a folding assembly and a cutting assembly are provided which are responsible respectively for folding and cutting the web in order to obtain paper serviettes or napkins which are disposed in stacks for packaging.

The embossing assembly comprises an embossing module or a plurality of embossing modules disposed in line. The embossing module comprises a pair of counter-rotating embossing rolls for embossing the web material that passes in the nip formed therebetween.

Generally, in machines for the production of paper serviettes or napkins, an embossing module is disposed horizontally upstream or beneath a folding plate forming part of the folding assembly. That is to say, the axes of the embossing rolls are substantially parallel and disposed on a horizontal plane.

For reasons of space occupied, the embossing module must necessarily be disposed horizontally, otherwise it would interfere with the folding plate and it would prove impossible to replace the embossing rolls.

In fact, when a production change is desired, that is to say when the type of embossing must be changed, the embossing rolls are extracted horizontally from the horizontally disposed embossing module and are replaced with new rolls.

Said operation of replacement of the embossing rolls proves extremely complex and laborious and requires long machine downtime.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of the prior art providing a folding assembly that is versatile, practical and easy to make.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a folding assembly that is able to allow a vertical arrangement of the embossing modules.

These objects are achieved in accordance with the invention with the characteristics listed in appended independent claim 1.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are apparent from the dependent claims.

The folding assembly according to the invention comprises a folding plate mounted on a movement plate hinged to a supporting shoulder of the folding assembly. In this manner, by rotating the movement plate around the hinge, the folding plate can pass from a working position in which it is in line with and above an embossing module which carries out embossing of the sheet material to a resting position in which it is outside the movement space of the embossing module and therefore it does not hinder the operations that must be carried out on the embossing module.

Hereinafter as movement space of the embossing module we mean a useful space above the embossing module for enabling the operations of vertical extraction and replacement of the embossing module.

In this manner, when a change of production is to be made, the folding plate is moved into its resting position. In this condition the embossing rolls of the embossing module can be replaced from above. Furthermore, the entire embossing module can be raised and moved.

From this brief description, the advantages of the folding assembly according to the invention are obvious, especially in case of a change in production.

Further characteristics of the invention will be made clearer by the detailed description that follows, referring to a purely exemplary and therefore non limiting embodiment thereof, illustrated in the appended drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a folding assembly according to the invention, in a working position, disposed downstream of an embossing module; Figure 2 is an enlarged broken-away perspective view, illustrating the folding assembly of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view, like figure 1, illustrating the folding assembly, in an intermediate position of movement from the working position to a resting position; Figure 4 is a view, like Figure 1, illustrating the folding assembly, in a resting position.

The folding assembly according to the invention, denoted as a whole by reference numeral 1, will be described with the aid of the figures.

As shown in Figure 1, upstream of the folding assembly I is an embossing module 2 for embossing the web of sheet material destined for the production of paper serviettes or napkins.

The embossing module 2 comprises two counter-rotating embossing rolls, not shown in the figures. At the entry of the embossing module 2 is an idle roller 4 which directs the web toward the embossing rolls.

Laterally, the embossing module 2 has a pulley 5 which imparts the drive to the embossing rolls. The pulley 5 is rotated by a belt 6 which is driven by an electric motor 7 mounted on a shoulder 8 that supports the folding assembly 1.

The shoulder 8 is supported on a base 9 disposed behind the embossing module 2.

The embossing module 2 also comprises a system for applying pressure to the embossing rolls (not shown in the figures). Said system for applying pressure has two linear actuators which operate respective rods that act on bars disposed in the top part of the embossing module 2 to apply pressure to the embossing rolls. The linear actuators are driven pneumatically or hydraulically and are disposed on the base 9 behind the embossing module 2.

As better shown in Figure 2, the folding assembly 1 comprises an idle roller 10, mounted rotatably on an axle 11 supported at its ends by a fork 12.

A substantially triangular shaped folding plate 13, disposed with one side next to the surface of the idle roller 10, is mounted on the axis 11.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the folding plate 13 is kept inclined by means of a supporting block 14 fixed to the rear part of the fork 12. The supporting block 14 is fixed by means of bolts 19 to the comer of the folding plate 13 opposite the side of the folding plate next to the surface of the idle roller 10.

The fork 12 is supported by a bracket 15 integral with a flange 20 fixed to a movement plate 16. The movement late 16 is hinged to one side of the shoulder 8, by means of a hinge 17 having a substantially vertical axis of rotation. In this manner, the handling plate 16 can turn around the hinge 17 moving the folding plate 13 from the working position above the embossing module 2.

The flange 20 of the bracket 15 is fixed to the movement plate 16 by means of bolts 21 that engage in slots 22 disposed vertically on the movement plate 16. In this manner, the bracket 15 can be adjusted in height on the movement plate 16.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, on the side of the shoulder 8 opposite the side in which the movement plate 16 is hinged, a locking handle 23 is provided to keep the movement plate 16 locked in the working position.

Operation of the folding assembly according to the invention will now be described.

During the production cycle, the embossing module 2 is situated beneath the folding plate 13 and the movement plate 16 secured by means of the locking handle 23. Thus the embossed web leaving the embossing module is directed onto the folding plate 13 by means of the idle roller 10.

When production is to be changed, the motor system 7 of the embossing module 2 is stopped, and then the locking handle 23 is unscrewed to unlock the movement plate 16. At this point, the movement plate 16 can be moved manually by rotating it around the axis of the hinge 17.

Figure 3 shows the situation in which the movement plate 16 has completed a 90 rotation from the working position and is situated above the motor system 7.

Figure 4 shows the situation in which the movement plate 16 has completed a 1800 rotation from the working position and is situated in a resting position in which it is completely outside the movement space of the embossing module 2.

At this point the embossing rolls of the embossing module 2 can be extracted from above and replaced with new rolls, again inserted from above; otherwise the embossing module 2 can be raised entirely, by means of a hoist, and replaced with another embossing module or translated on a special guide plate as described in a separate patent application filed on the same date in the name of the same applicant.

Furthermore, by adjusting the height of the flange 20 on the movement plate 16, by means of the bolts 21, a vertically disposed embossing module, that is to say with the axes of the embossing rolls disposed at right angles to the base plane, can be positioned beneath the folding plate 13.

It should be noted that said solution, which provides for a movement plate supporting the folding plate, hinged to one side of the supporting shoulder of the folding

assembly, can also be adopted in the case of an embossing assembly comprising embossing modules mounted to translate on a supporting plate.

For example, the embossing modules are provided in their base with ball bearing seats which receive freely rotating balls and the base plate has tracks formed by lanes wherein the balls of the embossing module can rotate.

In this case, when a change in production is required, the embossing module that is in the working position can be translated on the supporting plate, following the course of the tracks, and replaced with another embossing module.

The present detailed description refers specifically to an embossing module 2 disposed in a working position beneath the folding plate 13. However, the folding plate 13 according to the invention can also be used in machines in which the working position of the embossing module is upstream of the folding plate.

Numerous changes and modifications of detail within the reach of an expert in the field can be made to the present embodiment of the invention without departing from the scope of the invention set forth by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A folding assembly (1) for machines for processing sheet material, comprising a folding plate (13) disposed downstream of or above an embossing module (2) comprising two counter-rotating embossing rolls for embossing sheet material, characterized in that said folding plate is movable so as to be able to be moved from a working position in line with said embossing module (2) to a resting position outside the movement space of said embossing module (2).
2. A folding assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that said folding plate is mounted on a movement plate (16) mounted movably on a supporting shoulder (8) of the folding assembly.
3. A folding assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that said movement plate (16) is hinged, by means of a hinge (17), to one side of said shoulder (8).
4. A folding assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that the axis of said hinge (17) is substantially vertical with respect to a supporting surface (9) of said shoulder (8).
5. A folding assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said folding plate (13) is substantially triangular in shape and is supported by a fork (12) mounted on said movement plate (16).
6. A folding assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that supported that on

said fork (12) is an idle roller (10) disposed upstream of said folding plate (13).

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7. A folding assembly according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that said fork (12) is supported by a bracket (15) which has a flange (20) destined to be fixed to said movement plate (16).
8. A folding assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that said flange (20) can be moved vertically on said movement plate (16) so as to be able to adjust the height of said folding plate (13).

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9. A folding assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that provided on said movement plate (16) are vertical slots (22) to receive fixing bolts (21) for fixing of said flange (20).
10. A folding assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that locking means (23) are provided to lock said movement plate (16) in the working position.
11. A folding assembly according to claim 10, characterized in that said locking means are a handle (23) mounted on the side of the shoulder (8) opposite that in which the hinge (17) is provided.
12. A folding assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said embossing module (2) is mounted translatably on a supporting plate to be able to be moved during production changes.
13. A folding assembly according to claim 12, characterized in that at least one embossing module (2) provided with rotating balls that engage in tracks present on said supporting plate is mounted translatably on said supporting plate.
14. A folding assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.