EP0480882B1

EP0480882B1 - Machinery for wrapping books, magazines and the like with paper

Info

Publication number: EP0480882B1
Application number: EP91830380A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giuseppe Ponti
Original assignee: CMC SRL
Current assignee: CMC SRL
Priority date: 1990-10-10
Filing date: 1991-09-18
Publication date: 1996-12-18
Anticipated expiration: 2011-09-18
Also published as: DK0480882T4; DE69123690T3; DE69123690D1; EP0480882B2; IT9048348A0; ES2095309T5; EP0480882A2; EP0480882A3; DE69123690T2; IT9048348A1; ATE146427T1; DK0480882T3; CA2051991A1; IT1247727B; ES2095309T3

Abstract

The object of this invention is a totally automatic wrapping machine for newspapers, magazines, books and the like, with the use of any kind of paper; featuring a very high wrapping speed, two ways of glueing the edges of the wrapper lengthwise and the possibility of achieving two different finishings, by modifying the end part of the machine.

Description

For several years magazines and books have been sold in polyethylene wrappers, which are an effective means of protection from any damage which could occur during transportation.
A wrapping machine used to wrap these articles as well as similar articles, is described, for example, in the Italian patent no. 1.196.631 dated 19th September 1986, owned by C.M.C. S.r.l..
In this automatic machine magazines, or other similar objects, are taken one by one and wrapped in an PVC wrapper cut and sealed in proper manner.
Growing concern for environmental pollution and a certain degree of aversion to the widespread use of plastic materials, which are considered dangerous pollutants because they are not biodegradable, however, has led to the study and designing of machines for wrapping newspapers, magazines and the like, with paper and other similar materials.
Patent document GB-A-222108 has for its object a machine intended for wrapping magazines, catalogues or other printed matters, with a wide band, closed and labelled.
The articles travel therein by stages, under control of two rows of transporting grippers. The wrapper paper is unwound across the path of the print that is advanced against the paper and inserted in a loop formed by the latter.
Then a knife cuts the paper off while the other end of the wrapper is supplied with gum by a gumming device and turned over upon the other extremity which has been curved by the combined action of raising and pressing devices so as to produce a tensioning of the band.
Lastly, the wrapped articled is labelled and delivered.
The object of this invention is a totally automatic wrapping machine for newspapers, magazines, books and similar articles, which uses any kind of paper to wrap these articles and which works with a very high wrapping speed, performs two ways of gluing the edges of the wrapper lengthwise and offers the possibility of obtaining two different finishing, by modifying the end part of the machine, according to the following description. First of all, the machine includes a magazine drawing device, which takes the magazines, one by one, from a pile; this is followed, in sequence, by another device that opens the first page of each magazine while one or more feeders may introduce an insert inside the opened magazine. There are two rolls of paper, preferably placed in the lower part of the machine and provided with a lateral unwinding device; the paper is unrolled lengthwise underneath the object to be wrapped, the magazine for example, which then passes under a motorised presser belt aimed at keeping it at the right distance from the foregoing magazine, in a correct position.
While the magazines are kept at a fixed distance from one another, a hot melt glue spraying device, controlled by photocells and an encoder, applies glue, crosswise, on the wrapping paper between two subsequent magazines.
While the magazine or other object advances along the line, the longitudinal edges of the sheet of paper are folded upwards towards the centre of the object, while another glue spraying device applies glue lengthwise.
The magazine or other object then passes under a pressing pad and a transverse strip pressing roller which applies the necessary pressure on a crosswise strip between two magazine, previously glued, in order to stick crosswise the two layers of paper to each other.
A cutting means then cuts the paper between the sequence of magazines, while a spacing out presser belt moves forward the magazines as soon as they are severed.
The following is a possible variation of the machine: the roll of paper may have preglued areas, thus making the hot gluing unnecessary. In this case the edges of the wrapping are stuck together simply by means of a high pressure.
If necessary it is also possible to obtain better finished packages by simply modifying the foregoing machine.
According to the following embodiment, the machine is exactly the same as the aforementioned one up to the paper unwinding device, the paper being still unrolled lengthwise under the object to be wrapped. The change concerns the sequence and the way in which the glue is applied along the edges of the sheet of paper: these are folded by two lateral blades, while a glue spraying machine, controlled by photocells and an encoder, applies the glue lengthwise. The magazine or other object then passes under a pressing pad and a longitudinal press which applies the necessary pressure in order to ensure that the previously glued edges are effectively stuck to each other.
A cutting machine then cuts the paper at a pre-established distance between the two magazines, leaving an adequate margin along the two unglued edges. The magazine, with two edges of its wrapping still open, is then transferred, by means of a conveyor belt or the like, to another unit of the machine placed at right angles, with regard to the previous unit, so that the magazines or other objects undergo a 90° rotation; this enables the following two pairs of folding blades to fold the edges of the wrapping that are still open and apply the glue. The first pair of folding-blades is for magazines and longer objects, while the second pair is for shorter objects, such as books.
Following is a more detailed description of the foregoing machine, which makes reference to the attached illustrations:

Fig. 1 shows a front view of the machine.
Fig. 2 shows a view of the machine from the top.
Fig. 3. shows a detail of the transverse strip presser and of the cutting means.
Fig. 4 shows a detail of the wrapping device for larger-sized objects.
Fig. 5 shows a front view of a modified embodiment of the machine, without the first glueing device.
Fig. 6 shows a plan of the modified embodiment of the machine.
Fig. 7 shows a plan of the folding and glueing devices.
Fig.8 shows the various stages of folding and gluing carried out by the unit shown in fig.7.

With reference to the above illustrations, the machine includes the following elements: a magazine drawing device (1), which takes the magazines, one by one, from a pile, an opening device (2), which opens the first page of each magazine, and one or more feeders (3) which may introduce an insert inside the opened magazine.
The wrapping paper, or other similar material employed, consists of rolls (8), provided from a lateral unwinding device, which are preferably placed in the lower part of the machine; the paper, therefore, is unrolled lengthwise underneath the object to be wrapped, such as the magazines, for examples, which then pass, at a fixed distance the one from the other, under a motorised presser belt (4). A first hot-melt glue spraying device (5), controlled by photocells and an encoder, then applies two strips of glue cross-wise, between one magazine and the other. As the magazine or other object advances along the line, the edges of the sheet of paper are folded towards the centre, while a second glue spraying device (7), also controlled by photocells and encoder, sprays the glue lengthwise.
The longitudinal edges of the wrapping are then gradually closed one over the other, as the magazine advances along the line, where it passes under a pressing pad (9) and a transverse strip presser roller (15,16) which applies the necessary pressure to the strip between two magazines, so as to ensure that the two layers of paper, previously glued, effectively stick together. A cutting means (17, 18) then cuts the paper cross-wise, while a spacing out presser belt (12) move forward the magazines so as to space them out. This sequence is completed by a labelling machine, which applies address tags and the like.
As previously explained, this machine is particularly suitable for wrapping magazines and similar articles. In order to adapt it to larger object, such as books, a special unit (23) has been designed, this unit being shown in Figure 4.
The special unit (23) includes glue spraying devices (22) which apply glue along the sides of the packages parallel to the advancement direction.
The special unit (23) is placed at the end of the processing sequence, and receive magazines already in a open ended wrapping (19), carrying them forward beneath the two gluing machines (22) which spray a certain amount of glue on side surfaces of the package that is left free by e.g. the book.
Two folding blades (25) close the paper edges thus producing a wrapping that is well finished and also strong and resistant.
Any movement of the book, or other object contained in the package, is thus prevented.
Another version of this machine has been designed for enhancing the quality of the wrapping. The initial part of the machine remains unchanged with respect to the machine previously described, while in the terminal part a lateral gluing and folding unit (27) has been added, as shown in Figure 7, this unit performing the same task as the unit (23) previously described, but in a different way.
The lateral gluing and folding unit (27) is in fact arranged perpendicular to the wrapping machine, and includes a first pair of folding blades (29), a couple of glue spraying devices (10) and a second pair of folding blades (30), set at a closer distance from each other with respect to the distance between the folding blades of the first pair.
The articles, already wrapped, are separated from one another by the cutting device that cuts the paper cross-wise leaving at each cross edge a suitable margin 2b, as shown in Figure 8.
Then each article 2a is transferred to the lateral gluing and folding unit (27) thus changing the advancement direction through an angle of 90 degrees.
In this way, as it is shown in Figure 8, the sides of the package still open, parallel to the advancement direction, advance along the longitudinal sides of the lateral gluing and folding unit (27), so that they are first engaged by the first pair of folding blades (29) which overfold them as shown in the second sketch, from above, of Figure 8.
Then the glue spraying devices (10) spray glue on the overfolded edges of the wrapped article (3a) and, lastly, the second pair of folding blades (30) fold again the edges making them adhere to the body of the package, as it is shown in the bottom sketch of Figure 8.
Use of the additional unit (27) allows provision of more complete or sophisticated device in accordance with the size of the articles to be packed.

Claims

A machine for paper wrapping newspapers, magazines and similar articles, the said machine including an article drawing device (1) which takes the articles one by one from a pile, and an unwinding device providing the paper wrapping material from rolls (8) and setting it under the articles, the machine being characterised in that it includes the combination of:
a motorised presser belt (4) which keeps the articles at the right distance one from the other;

a hot-melt glue spraying device (5) that applies a strip of glue cross-wise onto the paper between one article and the following one;

a further glue spraying device (7) that applies glue lengthwise over the edges of the wrapping sheet of papers folded towards the centre over the article;

two folding blades that gradually close the edges of the wrapping sheet over each other;

a pressing pad (9) and a transverse strip presser roller means (15,16) that presses the glued strip of the wrapping sheet of paper between each pair of articles;

a cutting means (17,18) which cuts the sheet of paper cross-wise between each article and the following one;

a moving apart belt (12) that moves apart each wrapped articles from the following one.
A paper wrapping machine as in claim 1, characterised in that the paper wrapping material is provided by rolls (8) situated in the lower part of the machine and provided with a lateral unwinding device.
A paper wrapping machine as in claim 1, characterised in that the first hot-melt glue spraying device (5) and the second glue spraying device (7) are controlled by means of respective photocells and encoders.
A paper wrapping machine as in claim 1, characterised in that it further includes an opening device (2), which opens the first page of each newspaper, magazine or similar article, and one or more feeders (3) which introduce an insert in the opened newspaper, magazine or similar article.
A paper wrapping machine as in claim 1, characterised in that it includes a special unit for wrapping larger articles (19), said unit including two auxiliary glue spraying devices (22), designed to spray glue sidewise on the edges of a package, containing a larger article (19) already in a open ended wrapping, that is left free by the said article (19), and two folding blades which fold the said edges to complete the package.
A paper wrapping machine as in claim 1, characterised in that it further includes a lateral gluing and folding unit (27) arranged perpendicularly with respect to the wrapping machine, so that the newspapers, magazines and similar articles, while passing from the machine to the lateral gluing and folding unit, change the advancement direction and the transverse edges of the newspapers, magazines and similar articles, provided with a suitable margin (2b), advance along the sides of the lateral gluing and folding unit (27) and are first folded by a first pair of folding blades (29), then glued by glue spraying devices (10) and lastly folded by a second pair of blades (30) which are set at a closer distance from each other with respect to the distance between the folding blades of the first pair.