EP0802136B1 - Installation and method for decorating profile lamella - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an installation for decorating profiled blades, comprising a conveyor capable of transporting a plurality blades and a printing station having at least one printing unit suitable for applying ink to the surface of the slides.

Known installations of this type are generally used to carry out a extremely simple decoration, consisting mainly of applying to the blade surface a generally uniform ink layer with, possibly, shades of colors arranged more or less random. These shades only serve to prevent the appearance of the blades decorated is not monotonous.

With these known installations, it is practically impossible to distribute the colors in a geometrically organized and repetitive manner. In in other words, these installations do not make it possible to carry out on the surface blades of defined and regular geometric patterns, while making so that these patterns are analogous and respect the same periodicity on different blades.

This is mainly due to the fact that known installations do not not allow to define, with the required precision, the position of the blades relative to each other and to the printing unit.

The present invention aims to remedy these drawbacks and to propose an installation which makes possible and easy the decoration of the boards sections driven on the conveyor, even for making and repetition of particular geometric patterns.

To this end, the installation according to the invention comprises a station separation of the blades, adjacent to the conveyor and arranged upstream of this last, this separation station having means for maintaining a plurality of blades in a target position, in which the blades are apart, parallel and arranged so that their direction longitudinal is parallel to the direction of travel of the conveyor, and means for bringing said blades occupying the target position to conveyor. In addition, the installation includes at least one guide station arranged, on the path of the blades driven by the conveyor, upstream of the printing station, this guide station comprising guides bracing likely to cooperate with the blades, in the vicinity of longitudinal edges of the latter, so that said blades slide between these guides and are forced to occupy their target position before entering in the printing station.

The separation station ensures prepositioning correct blades when entering the conveyor. However, during the portion of their journey preceding their entry into the printing station, the blades can be moved very slightly. This is particularly the case when, before entering the printing station, the slides pass in a treatment station where they are subjected to brushing or surface cleaning. Any other effect, such as possible vibrations of the conveyor, can also cause a displacement of the blades. The passage of the blades in the guide station before they enter the printing station to control their positioning and, if necessary if necessary, force them to return to their target position.

The action of the guidance station is simplified due to the prior positioning of the blades thanks to the separation station, since the guide station only has to correct any deviation of positioning without having to achieve correct positioning on its own from a state in which the blades would be almost arranged random on the conveyor.

Advantageously, the separation station comprises transverse drive means capable of exerting an action on the profiled blades to move them substantially perpendicular to the direction of advance of the conveyor and n series of stop means, n being a number integer at least equal to 2. The first series is that which, in the direction of advancement of the transverse drive means, is most downstream of the separation station, while the n ^th series is that which, in the same direction, is most upstream of said station. The stop means of two consecutive series are spaced from each other by a distance substantially equal to the width of a blade, the stop means of series 2 to n being capable of occupying a retracted position in which they are located. outside the path of the blades in the separation station and an active stop position in which they are on this path and are capable of cooperating with the blades. The separation station further comprises n-1 actuation means for the stop means of series 2 to n; the k ^th actuation means (k being an integer varying from 1 to n-1) is capable of leaving the abutment means of the k + 1 ^th series in their retracted position as long as no blade is present in the interval between the k ^th and the k + l ^th series and to request these abutment means to bring them into their active abutment position when a blade is in said interval. The separation station also includes longitudinal drive means capable of exerting an action on the blades to move them, parallel to the direction of advancement of the conveyor, up to the latter, and recovery means capable, when the blades occupy their target position in the separation station, to stop the action of the transverse drive means on said blades and to start the action of the longitudinal drive means on these blades.

It is also advantageous that the installation includes means for coordinating the positions of the blades before they enter the station printing means, these means comprising retractable stop members front likely to adopt a retracted position in which the blades escape them and an active stop position in which they are able to cooperate in abutment with the front ends of the blades and in which they occupy relative positions, determined positions coordination means further comprising control means front stop members between their retracted and active positions.

The invention also relates to a method of decorating blades profiled, including the transport of the blades on a conveyor and applying ink to the surface of the slides using at least one unit belonging to a printing station.

Such known methods generally allow only to carry out an extremely simple decoration, consisting mainly of applying to the surface of the blades a generally uniform ink layer with, possibly, shades of colors arranged more or less random.

These methods do not allow the surface of the blades to be produced defined and regular geometric patterns, while ensuring that these patterns are analogous and respect the same periodicity on different blades.

The invention aims to provide an improved method which facilitates the decoration of the blades driven on the conveyor, even for the realization and the repetition of particular geometric patterns.

To this end, the method according to the invention comprises a step of separation of the blades and arrangement of a plurality of blades in a target position, in which they are spread apart, parallel and arranged so that their longitudinal direction is parallel to the direction advancement of the conveyor, a step of feeding the blades occupying their target position up to the conveyor and a blade guiding step driven by the conveyor, upstream of the printing station, using bracing guides capable of cooperating with the blades at the near their longitudinal edges.

The separation step ensures correct prepositioning blades as they enter the conveyor. The blade guide stage, which is carried out before the ink application step on the slides, allows check the positioning of the latter and, if necessary, force them to return to their target position.

Advantageously, the step of separating the blades comprises a transverse drive step, substantially perpendicular to the advancement direction of the conveyor, upstream of the latter, a step of successive abutment of n blades driven transversely against n series of stop means, n being an integer at least equal to 2 (the stop means of each series being parallel to the direction of advance of the conveyor) and a step of longitudinal drive of the blades, parallel to the direction of travel of the conveyor and until latest.

It is also advantageous that the method includes a step of coordination of blade positions before entering the station including adjusting the positions of the front ends of the blades relative to each other.

The invention will be well understood and its advantages will appear better at reading the following detailed description of an embodiment shown by way of nonlimiting example.

• la figure 1 est un schéma général montrant en vue de dessus une installation conforme à l'invention,
• la figure 2 montre la station de séparation des lames, également en vue schématique de dessus,
• les figures 3a à 3c sont des schémas illustrant le fonctionnement de cette station de séparation,
• la figure 4 montre, en vue de dessus, une station de guidage,
• les figures 5 et 6 montrent un guide d'entretoisement, respectivement en vue de face et en vue de côté,
• la figure 7 montre les moyens de coordination de la position des lames, et
• la figure 8 montre des moyens de reprise du guidage des lames.

The description refers to the accompanying drawings in which:

• FIG. 1 is a general diagram showing a top view of an installation in accordance with the invention,
• FIG. 2 shows the blade separation station, also in schematic view from above,
• FIGS. 3a to 3c are diagrams illustrating the operation of this separation station,
• FIG. 4 shows, in top view, a guide station,
• FIGS. 5 and 6 show a bracing guide, respectively in front view and in side view,
• FIG. 7 shows the means for coordinating the position of the blades, and
• FIG. 8 shows means for resuming the guiding of the blades.

The installation of Figure 1 is used to decorate profiled blades. Of such blades are generally manufactured by extrusion from material plastic. They are used for example for coating surfaces such as walls and have a flat face intended to be visible when they are in place, and sides provided with additional hooking means allowing to connect the blades to each other. When they leave the extruder, the blades generally have a uniform color white or gray. The installation according to the invention is used for the decoration of the flat face of the blades. The decoration may include a coloring of this face and the realization of various patterns which can be geometric, regular or not. So the patterns can mimic the look of the tiling or that of wood.

The installation includes a conveyor 10 capable of transporting a plurality of blades. The conveyor is generally in the form a conveyor belt, in one or more sections, on which the blades, and which allows you to transport these blades through the different installation stations. The installation also includes a station 12 of separation of the blades, which is adjacent to the conveyor and located upstream of this last. The slides initially stored on a pallet 14 are successively introduced into the separation station 12, possibly using a depalletizer, and this station 12 places them in a position target, in which a plurality of blades are ready to supply the conveyor. The exit from the separation station is located near the entrance of the conveyor 10. The installation notably includes a station 16 which is located on the conveyor path and which has at least a printing unit 18, used to apply ink to the face upper of the blades passing through this station. In general, the station contains several printing units successively arranged in the path of the blades, to each apply a color different. For example, the first unit 18 can be used to give a background color on the surface of the slats, while units 20 and 22 will successively realize two types of patterns of different colors.

Upstream of the printing station, the installation may include a brushing station 24 in which the upper faces of the blades are brushed and cleaned to form a viable support for the color they will receive in the printing station.

The installation also includes a guide station 26 arranged, on the path of the blades driven by the conveyor upstream of the station printing. More precisely, this station 26 is located, at least in part, downstream of the brushing station 24 and serves to correct the position of the slides to approach the printing station in their target position. Indeed, the treatment that the blades undergo in the brushing station can cause slight displacements which must be corrected in the station guide. Whether the brushing station is present or not, it is useful to check or correct the positioning of the blades before the station printing station, which makes the guiding station 26 necessary.

Downstream of the printing station 16, the installation comprises one or more several varnishing stations 28 and a varnish fixing station 30, for example by ultraviolet.

At the exit of the conveyor, the installation includes a system of transfer 32, which is used to load the blades on the pallets 34.

The blade separation station is now described with reference in Figures 2 and 3a to 3c. This station includes means for maintaining a plurality of blades in a target position, in which they are apart, parallel and arranged so that their direction longitudinal D is parallel to the direction of advancement F of the conveyor 10. This separation station also includes the means for bringing the blades occupying their target position up to the conveyor.

More specifically, the separation station includes means transverse drive capable of exerting an action on the blades to move them in a direction G substantially perpendicular to the direction F of conveyor advance. In FIG. 2, blades 8 are still arranged on the pallet 14 upstream of the separation station, and four blades 8a, 8b, 8c and 8d are arranged in this station, in their target position. The transverse drive means include belts 36 parallel to each other and perpendicular to the conveyor. The blades unloaded from the pallet are therefore placed on the belts 36 which lead to the downstream edge of the separation station which is opposite to its Entrance.

To place and maintain these blades in their target position, the station separation comprises several series of stop means. Those of the first series are found near the downstream edge of the station. They may for example consist of several vertical rollers 38 free to rotate relative to their axes but vertically fixed, against which cooperate in abutment a longitudinal edge 9a of the first blade 8a. Of course, the rollers 38 are aligned in the direction F of moving the conveyor.

The other series of stop means are successively arranged in the direction G 'going opposite to the direction G.

In the example shown, the separation station has four series of stop means, capable of holding four blades in their target position. The stop means of series 1 to 4 are respectively numbered 38, 40, 42 and 44.

The stop means 38 of the first series cooperate with the first longitudinal edge 9a of the first blade 8a, while the means stop 40 of the second series cooperate with the second edge longitudinal 9b of the first blade 8a and with the first longitudinal edge 9c of the second blade 8b. Similarly, the stop means 42 of the third series cooperate with the second longitudinal edge 9d of the blade 8b and with the first longitudinal edge 9e of the third blade 8c, while that the means 44 of the fourth series cooperate with the second edge 9f of blade 8c and with the first edge 9g of blade 8d. We could also provide a fifth series of stop means for cooperating with the second edge 9h of the blade 8d. However, this is not always necessary.

In general, the separation station comprises n series of stop means, n being an integer at least equal to two. The first series is that which, in the direction of advance G of the transverse drive means 36, is located most downstream of the separation station. The n ^th series is that which, in the direction G, is the most upstream of the separation station, that is to say the closest to the entrance. The stop means of two consecutive series are spaced from each other by a distance substantially equal to the width l of a blade.

It was previously indicated that the stop means 38 of the first series were vertically fixed. On the other hand, the stop means series 2 to n are likely to adopt a retracted position in which they are outside the path of the blades in the station of separation and an active stop position in which they are on this path and are likely to cooperate with the blades.

FIG. 3a is a schematic view taken in direction III of the Figure 2. In this figure, the stop means 40, 42 and 44 of series 2 to 4 occupy their retracted position, i.e. they are vertically below the upper faces of the belts 36 on which can be installed. On the other hand in FIG. 3c, which is a view in a direction similar to that of FIG. 3a, the means stop 40, 42 and 44 all occupy their active stop position and cooperate with the blades 8a, 8b, 8c and 8d.

The separation station 12 further comprises n-1 means actuation for the stop means of series 2 to n. These means actuators are respectively numbered 46, 48 and 50.

The operation of these actuating means is as follows. The k ^th actuation means (k being an integer varying from 1 to n-1) is capable of leaving the abutment means of the k + 1 ^th series in their retracted position as long as no blade is present in the interval between the k ^th and the k + 1 ^th series and to request these abutment means to bring them into their active abutment position when a blade is in this interval.

For example, it can be seen in FIG. 3a that the stop means 40 of the second series occupy their inactive position and that no blade is present in the interval between the stop means 38 and 40. In on the other hand, in FIG. 3b, a blade 8a is located in this interval, and the first actuating means 46 has requested the abutment means 40 of the second series in their active position, so that the first blade 8a is held in abutment between the means 38 of the first series and those 40 from the second series. However, no blade is found in the interval between the second and third series of stop means 40 and 42, and the stop means of the third series still occupy their inactive position. When a blade is in this interval, the second actuation means 48 will request these stop means 42 to bring them into their active position.

The stop means 38, 40, 42 and 44 therefore make it possible to maintain the blades in their target position. When they occupy this position and that all the stop means are active, the blades occupying this position target are brought to the conveyor. For this purpose, the separation station includes longitudinal drive means which exert an action on the blades to move them parallel to the direction of travel F from the conveyor to the latter. For the implementation of these means longitudinal drive, the separation station includes means recovery which, when the blades occupy their target position in this station, are able to stop the action of the drive means transverse on these blades and to start the action of the means longitudinal drive.

In the example shown, the longitudinal drive means comprise at least one drive roller 52 mounted rotating around an axis 53 parallel to the direction G. In a first variant, this roller 52 can be constantly driven at the same speed as the speed advancement of the conveyor 10. In this case, it can occupy a position retracted, for example below the horizontal level of the belts 36 transverse transport, during the feeding of the separation station in blades and placing the blades in their target position. The means of recovery then comprise a capable system, when the blades occupy their target position, move the roller 52 vertically to do so mount until contact with the lower faces of the blades which allows advance the latter in the longitudinal direction F. The action of the roller 52 on the blades then predominates over the action of the belts 36. It is therefore not no need to stop the movement of the belts 36 or move them to stop their action on the blades. This displacement system vertical of the roller can be of all types, for example hydraulic or mechanical.

According to a second variant, the roller 52 can be constantly located at the same horizontal level as the belts 36, but be stopped as long that the blades do not occupy their target position. In this case, the means of recovery, including for example a clutch system, are used to drive the roller 52 in rotation when the blades occupy their position target, which allows these blades to advance in direction F. This time still, it is not necessary to stop the movement of the belts 36 to stop their action on the blades.

In either variant, the recovery means advantageously comprise a detector for the presence of a blade upstream of the nth series of stop means, such a detector is designated by the reference 54 in the figures. Of course, it is moved away from a distance d of the abutment means of the n ^th series (the distance d being measured parallel to the direction G) which is less than the width l of a blade. This detector 54 is connected to the actuation means of the recovery means, for example to the means for controlling the vertical movement of the roller 52, and therefore makes it possible to initiate the action of the roller 52 on the blades as soon as the last blade occupies its position. These actuating means are shown diagrammatically by a housing 59 in FIG. 3a.

In fact, the means for actuating the movable stop means 40, 42 and 44 of series 2 to n advantageously include detectors analogous to detector 54 and respectively numbered 56, 58 and 60. The detectors can consist of photoelectric cells or electropneumatic sensors capable of emitting a signal of presence of blades which drives the control of the actuation means of the displacement of the stop means.

However, in the example shown, the detectors include a contactor 62 whose position is affected by the presence of a blade.

The vertical movement of the stop means can be controlled from pneumatically. More specifically, each stop means can be constituted by a piston 65 vertically movable relative to a cylinder 66, connected to a compressed air source 68 via a air duct 70. The actuating means can be interposed on the pipes 70 which connect the source of compressed air to each cylinder, and be constituted by a valve which is closed when no blade is detected, and which opens on reception of a control signal transmitted by a line 57 connecting it to a detector, when this detector finds the presence of a blade. Of course other actuation means can also be used.

In general, the actuating means can be connected to blade presence detectors located in each interval between two consecutive series of stop means, and can include means for moving the stop means of each series between their retracted position and their active position, and means of control of these displacement means, connected to the presence.

The separation station further includes means for retract the retractable stop means of series 2 to n after departure blades from this station.

To this end, the actuation means 46, 48 and 50 can all be connected to a manually actuated control system. However, if the presence detector of the n ^th blade is provided, the retraction of the stop means of the series 2 to n can also be controlled by this detector.

Thus, in the example shown, lines 55 connect the means 46, 48 and 50 to the housing 59. This can therefore, as indicated previously, activate the drive by roller 52, but also for example at the expiration of a given period of time after reception of the signal emitted by the detector 54, controlling the means actuation 46 and 48 and 50 in the direction of retraction of the means of stop 40, 42 and 44.

In FIGS. 3a to 3c, it can be seen that the upper ends of the pistons 65 of the retractable stop means are tapered. These pistons thus have a spacer ramp 65a, advantageously raised towards upstream in the direction of advancement of the transverse drive means, which allows to separate two blades if they are too close together.

In the example shown, each series has several means stop formed by separate bodies. We might also not have that a stop means by series, produced in the form of an elongated member, parallel to direction F.

With reference to FIGS. 4 to 6, the guide station 26 will now be described. It includes bracing guides 64, 66, 68, 70 and 72 which are capable of cooperating with the blades, in the vicinity of their longitudinal edges, to that these blades slide between the guides and are thus forced to occupy their target position before entering the printing station 16. The spacing between two consecutive bracing guides is substantially equal to the width l of a blade. If, as indicated above, the separation station comprises n series of stop means, the guide station advantageously comprises n + 1 bracing guides aligned transversely to the conveyor. The guide 64 can cooperate with the first longitudinal edge 9a of the first blade 8a, while the guide 66 can cooperate with the second edge 9b of the first blade 8a and with the first edge 9c of the second blade 8b. Finally, the guide 72 can, for its part, cooperate with the second edge 9h of the last blade 8d.

The guide station 26 advantageously comprises at least one first and second series of bracing guides, respectively designated by the references 74 and 76 in FIG. 4. The guides of the two series are analogous. The guides of each series are aligned transverse to the direction of advance F of the conveyor. In addition, the second series includes as many bracing guides as the first. More precisely, each guide in one of the two series corresponds to a guide of the other series which is aligned with it in the direction of advancement F of the conveyor. The distance L1 between the two series of guides 74 and 76, measured parallel to direction F, is less than the length L2 of blades (see Figure 2). So when the blades pass between the guides bracing, they can be simultaneously guided in two places distinct over their length. Their direction is therefore exactly aligned with the direction F.

We can also have only a series of guides, the distance of which at the last stop means of the separation station is less than the length of a blade.

As previously indicated, the brushing station 24 can be arranged upstream of the guide station 26. It can however, as indicated by reference 24 'in figure 4, be placed between the two series 74 and 76 of guides. There can also be a station at this location pre-printing or, more generally, a station for preparing the surface of the blades.

Still on figure 4, we notice that the series of guides bridging are the occasion of interruptions of the conveyor. More specifically, the conveyor may include a first section 10a located at upstream of the first series 74, a second section 10b located between the two series, and a third section 10c, located downstream of the second series 76. The section 10c may extend to the downstream end of the installation or only up to the entrance of the printing station 16, and be followed by a or several other sections. Thanks to these provisions, the guides bracing can be fixed on bars 78 arranged transversely to the direction of travel F vertically fixed, and arranged in the intervals between sections 10a and 10b on the one hand, and 10b and 10c on the other hand.

As seen in Figures 4 to 6, the bracing guides advantageously have thin upstream ends and go in deviating downstream in the direction of travel F of the conveyor. The figures 5 and 6 show for example the guide 68. Its upstream edge 80 consists by an oblique edge raised downstream. From this edge, two faces 82 and 84 flare downstream to two facets, respectively vertical 86 and 88. Thanks to this conformation, the bracing guides have a natural tendency to spread the blades if they present themselves too much close to each other in the guide station. The edge 80 being oblique, the blades can be properly spread, even if they are slightly raised in relation to conveyor 10.

The station advantageously includes means of coordination positions of the slides before entering the printing station. These means are designated in Figure 1 by the general reference 90 and are shown in more detail, albeit schematically, in Figure 7. On this figure is visible the downstream part of the section 10c of the conveyor as well as the upstream part of a section along 10d. To simplify, we only have schematically the first printing unit 92 of the printing station 16. It includes an ink spout 94 indicated in dashed lines, a rotary printing cylinder 96, and an ink distribution counter cylinder 98. The cylinder 96 is rotated at a tangential speed equal to the forward speed of the conveyor 10.

The means of coordinating the positions of the blades before their entry in the printing station 16 include retractable members of front stop 100, 102, 104, 106, which are likely to adopt a position retracted in which the blades escape them, and an active position of stop (shown in Figure 7) in which they are able to cooperate in stop with the front ends 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d of the blades 8a, 8b, 8c and 8d, and in which they occupy positions relative to each other determined. The means of coordination also include means 108 for controlling the front stop members between their positions retracted and active.

For example, the retracted position of the front stop members may be a position in which they are raised relative to the conveyor, so that the blades pass under these stop members without touching them. The control means of these stop members are then capable of lower to bring them into a position in which they are close enough to the conveyor to block the blades. Of course, one could also imagine making these abutment members the same way that those of the separation station, in which case their position retracted would be the one in which they are below the horizontal level of the conveyor, while they would be slightly raised to occupy their active position. The advantage of the configuration of FIG. 7 lies in the fact that it is compatible with the production of the section 10c of the conveyor in the form of a continuous mat.

The front stop members can, as in the example of the Figure 7 be constituted by separate bodies, each of which cooperates with the front edge of a blade. They can thus be mounted independently each other or two by two (as in the example shown) on means for adjusting their positions, capable of being moved horizontally parallel to the direction of travel of the conveyor. Thus, in the example shown, the front stop members 100 and 102 are mounted on a first crossbar 109, while the members of stop 104 and 106 are mounted on a second transverse bar 110. These two bars, or only one of them, can be mobile, which allows to adjust the positions of organs 100 and 102 on the one hand, and that of organs 104 and 106 on the other hand, so as to offset the blades one by compared to others. This makes it possible to obtain offset patterns on the blades, even if the prints on the print cylinder are not.

However, the front stop members can also be constituted by the same upstream face of a single bar, arranged transverse to direction F. In this case, it is not possible to adjust the offset of the different blades relative to each other. If we wish to obtain offset patterns, they must be made in this way on engraving of the printing cylinder.

The use of coordination means makes it possible to know exactly the relative positions of the front edges of the different blades present on the conveyor. Advantageously, these means of coordination also serve to synchronize the advancement of the blades with the rotation of the printing cylinder 96. To do this, the installation includes means marking device for locating at least one angular position of the cylinder printing means and for transmitting a locating signal to control means 108 of the front stop members. In the example shown, a disc 112 is integral with the axis 114 of the cylinder 96. This disc bears, on a determined area of its periphery, a reference 116. A proximity sensor 118 is placed in the vicinity of the disc. So when the reference 116 passes near the detector 118 during the rotation of the cylinder 96, a signal is transmitted to the control means 108 by via a transmission means 120. If, on reception of this signal, the front stop means occupy their active stop position, and if all the blades are present at this moment against the stop members, the control means 108 can retract the stop members so that that all the blades can start advancing at the same time and all reach under the printing cylinder 96 at some point corresponding to a known angular position of this cylinder, so that the patterns made in the print station can all start to a determined location of the blades relative to their front edges.

To facilitate this operation, the means of coordination advantageously include means for detecting the presence of blades in the region of the conveyor, located in the vicinity and upstream of the front stop members when they occupy their active position. In addition, these means of coordination include means for transmitting to control means 108 of the stop members before a signal of detection emitted by the detection means. Figure 7 shows the possible locations of such detection means produced in the form of sensors which can be analogous to those of the separation station. The sensors are connected to the control means 108 by means of transmission 122. These control means 108 can therefore control the retraction of the abutment members when both a detection signal and a locating signal is transmitted by the sensors and by the detector 118.

The functioning of the coordination means can therefore be the next. From an initial state in which the front stop members are retracted, the control means 108 can act on these stopper in their active position. However, if one of the sensors 101 to 107 detects the presence of a blade, it prevents the active positioning of the stop members to prevent them from damaging a blade present on the conveyor 10c. In this case, the detection signal transmitted to the control means 108 prevents the active positioning of the members stop. If, on the other hand, no blade is detected, the absence of a signal detection or transmission of a non-detection signal to the means of command allows the latter to request the stop members in their active position. Then, the different blades present in the conveyor naturally come to cooperate in abutment with the abutment members.

When, from this situation, the detector 118 detects a angular position of the printing cylinder allowing the advancement of blades, a locating signal is transmitted to control means 108 which can then control the retraction of the stop members.

According to a first variant, the conveyor can remain in motion during all these operations. In this case, the section 10c can extend continuously without interruption before the printing station. However, according to an advantageous variant, advantage is taken of the control means of the conveyor, capable of controlling the advancement and stopping of the conveyor, or at least its section 10c.

These means, for example constituted by a braking system or by a clutch system, are symbolized in Figure 7 by a simple case identified by the reference 124. In this case, the installation includes means 126 for transmitting a signal to these control means 124 detection emitted by the means for detecting the presence of blades (sensors 101, 103, 105, 107) as well as a locating signal emitted by the identification means (reference 116 and proximity sensor 118), as well as a position information signal (retracted position or active position) front stop members. These means of transmission can be consisting of all types of power lines, infrared transmissions or others. To simplify in the example of Figure 7, there are shown transmission lines which connect the different means of detecting the presence of the blades, identification of the angular position of the cylinder, and conveyor controls, to means 108 for controlling the organs of front stop.

Thanks to these provisions, the control means 124 of the conveyor are likely to order the stop of this conveyor or rather of section 10c, when, the front stop members being in their position active, the detection means (101, 103, 105 and 107) detect the presence of blades, which means that blades are effectively in abutment against the front stop means. It is only after receiving the signal tracking issued by the tracking means, that the conveyor will be reset movement and the stop means will be retracted. This avoids any slippage of the blades relative to the conveyor during the retraction of the stop means. This ensures that their respective positions are not in any way modified from each other to this opportunity.

The distance D1 between the most advanced blades and the cylinder 96 is determined so that the path of the blades, after the retraction of the abutment means, is sufficiently long (in function of the acceleration curve of the conveyor restarted by the control means 124) so that the speed of these blades approaching the impression cylinder is equal to the constant tangential speed of this cylinder. Preferably, the section 10c of the conveyor stops slightly in upstream of the printing station, station under which a new section Conveyor 10d is present, so that the stopping of the section 10c does not affect the transport of the blades beyond.

Coordination of the blades before entering the station may be the occasion for a verification or correction of the guiding these blades. To this end, sections of guide rails 130, 132, 134, 136 and 138 may also be provided in the region of the organs front stop, to cooperate with the longitudinal edges of the blades in the region of their front ends. Advantageously, these sections guide rails are integral in movement with the stop members before. For example, they can be mounted on the same chassis 140 vertically movable and controlled by the control means 108. The upstream edges 139 of the rail sections can be tapered or even generally similar to the upstream edges of the bracing guides previously described with reference to Figures 4 to 6. We can also plan to have a series 142 of such bracing guides upstream sections of rails, so that they cooperate with the edges longitudinal of the blades in the vicinity of their rear end for completely wedge these blades parallel to the direction of advance of the conveyor.

The printing of the upper face of the blades can be an opportunity to slight displacements of these blades. To prevent these movements from interfere with the repetition of the patterns produced in the printing station, the installation advantageously includes guide recovery means in the region of this station 16.

Advantageously, when the printing station comprises at least two printing units successively arranged in the direction advancement of the conveyor, the guiding recovery means are located between these two printing units.

FIG. 8 shows an exemplary embodiment of such means of resumption of guidance, arranged upstream of the second printing unit 20 and downstream of the first 18 (not shown). To the extent that these guidance resumption means are very close to the printing station, even inside the latter, it is important to avoid that they are too coercive since too sudden reseating of the blades could harm the quality of the print.

In the example of FIG. 8, these recovery means include a plurality of cylinders 142. Preferably, we obviously choose to have as many cylinders 142 as there are sections of rails or guides bracing in a series. The axes of the cylinders 142 are parallel to the advancement direction F of the conveyor. In the vicinity of their ends before, these cylinders are mounted on a bar 144, directed transversely and mounted on bearings 146 so as to be able to pivot freely. In however, the rear ends of the cylinders naturally rest on the conveyor.

Thus, when the blades are present in the vicinity of the cylinders 142, they can pass normally between these or, if they have been moved when they are printed, be replaced. When a blade moved arrives in the vicinity of a cylinder, it can lift slightly and, its convex face cooperating with the longitudinal edge of the blade, replace it gradually. We used the generic term "cylinder" to describe the elements 142, it should be understood that it can be of whole or partial cylinders or of any equivalent element having a convex face or even suitably profiled wheels.

In the process of decorating profiled slats according to the invention, the step of separating the blades makes it possible to arrange them in a target position in which they are spread apart and parallel to the direction of advancement F of the conveyor 10. This target position is kept during the blades are brought to the conveyor and the blades are guided upstream of the printing station during a guiding step, so that check that they are in their target position or correct their position if not.

As previously indicated with reference to Figure 4, the blade guiding step advantageously uses two series of guides spaced, according to the direction of travel of the conveyor, by a distance less than the length L2 of the blades.

For their separation and their arrangement in the target position, the blades are first driven transversely and n blades come successively in abutment against n series of abutment means. The means of stopper of each series being aligned parallel to direction F advancement of the conveyor. When these n blades are in abutment in their target position, comes a step of longitudinal drive of these blades to the conveyor. The method advantageously includes a step of coordination of blade positions before entering the station 16. This step includes adjusting the positions of the front ends of the blades relative to each other, for example at using retractable stop means.

During the step of applying ink to the slides, their surface comes in contact with a rotary printing cylinder 96 belonging to the unit printing. The method then advantageously comprises a step of synchronization of the arrival of the blades in contact with this rotary cylinder by relative to the angular position of the cylinder. This synchronization step includes the identification of an angular position of the cylinder, and the command advancement of the blades, for example by retracting the stop means before and, possibly, by resuming the advancement of the conveyor previously arrested.

The synchronization step can therefore include stopping the conveyor when the positions of the front ends of the blades are adjusted relative to each other (when these ends cooperate with the stop means) and restarting the conveyor advance in function of the angular position of the rotary printing cylinder.

Claims (18)

1. An installation for decorating profiled strips, the installation comprising a conveyor (10) suitable for transporting a plurality of strips and a print station (16) having at least one print unit suitable for applying ink to the surfaces of the strips,
      the installation being characterised in that it includes a strip-separation station (12) adjacent to the conveyor (10) and disposed upstream therefrom, said separation station having both means (38, 40, 42, 44) for holding a plurality of strips in respective target positions, in which the strips (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) are spaced apart, parallel, and disposed in such a manner that their longitudinal directions (D) are parallel to the direction of advance (F) of the conveyor, and means (52) for bringing said strips occupying their target positions to the conveyor, and in that it includes at least one guide station (26) disposed upstream from the print station (16) on the path of the strips driven by the conveyor, said guide station comprising spacer means (64, 66, 68, 70, 72) suitable for co-operating with the strips (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d), in the vicinity of the longitudinal edges thereof, so that said strips slide between said guides and are constrained to occupy their target positions prior to entering the print station.
2. The installation according to claim 1, characterised in that the guide station includes at least a first and a second series (74, 76) of spacer guides, the spacer guides (64, 66, 68, 70, 72) in each series being aligned across the direction of advance (F) of the conveyor (10), in that each spacer guide of one of the first and second series corresponds to a guide in the other one of said series, said corresponding guides being in alignment in the direction of advance of the conveyor, and in that the distance (L1) between the two series of guides as measured parallel to the direction of advance of the conveyor is less than the length (L2) of the strips.
3. The installation according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the spacer guides (64, 66, 68, 70, 72) have narrow upstream ends (80) and flare downstream in the direction of advance (F) of the conveyor (10).
4. The installation according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the separation station (12) includes transverse drive means (36) suitable for exerting action on the profiled strips to displace them substantially perpendicularly (G) to the direction (F) of advance of the conveyor (10), and n series of stop means, n being an integer not less than 2, the first series (38) being the series which, in the direction (G) of advance of the transverse drive means (36) is located furthest downstream in the separation station (12), while the nth series (44) is the series which, in the same direction, is located furthest upstream in said station, the stop means of two consecutive series being spaced apart from each other by a distance that is substantially equal to the width (I) of a strip, the stop means (40, 42, 44) of series 2 to n being suitable for occupying respective retracted positions in which they lie off the path of the strips (8) through the separation station (12) and respective active, abutment positions in which they lie on said path and are placed for co-operating with the strips, in that the separation station further includes n-1 actuator means (46, 48, 50) for actuating the stop means (40, 42, 44) of series 2 to n, for which, k being an integer in the range 1 to n-1, the kth actuator means (46; 48; 50) is suitable for leaving the stop means (40; 42; 44) of the k+1th series in the retracted position so long as no strip is present in the gap between the kth and the k+1th series (40, 42; 42, 44; 44, 46), and for urging said stop means to take up their active, abutment position when a strip is in said gap, the separation station further including longitudinal drive means (52) suitable for acting on the strips to displace them parallel to the direction of advance (F) of the conveyor and up to the conveyor, and takeover means suitable, when the strips are occupying their target positions in the separation stations, for causing the action of the transverse drive means (36) on said strips to cease and for causing the action of the longitudinal drive means (52) on said strips to begin.
5. The installation according to claim 4, characterised in that the actuator means (46, 48, 50) are connected to strip presence detectors (56, 58, 60) situated in each gap between two consecutive series of stop means (38, 40, 42, 44), and comprise displacement means (68, 70) for displacing the stop means of each series between the retracted position and the active position, and control means (57) for controlling said displacement means and connected to the presence detectors.
6. The installation according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that the takeover means include a detector for detecting the presence of a strip (54) upstream from the nth series of stop means (44).
7. The installation according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that it includes coordination means for coordinating the positions of the strips before they enter the print station (16), said coordination means comprising retractable front stop members (100, 102, 104, 106) suitable for taking up a retracted position in which they do not engage the strips (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d), and an active, abutment position in which they are suitable for coming into abutment with the leading ends (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d) of the strips and in which they occupy determined positions relative to one another, said coordination means further comprising control means (108) for controlling the front stop members to move them between the retracted and the active positions.
8. The installation according to claim 7, in which the print unit (92) includes a rotary print cylinder (96), the installation being characterised in that it includes reference means (116, 118) for identifying at least one angular position of the print cylinder (96), and means (120) for transmitting a reference signal to the means (108) for controlling the front stop members (100, 102, 104, 106).
9. The installation according to claim 8, characterised in that the coordination means include means (101, 103, 105, 107) for detecting the presence of strips in the region of the conveyor situated in the vicinity of and upstream from the front stop members (100, 102, 104, 106) when they are in the active position, and in that the coordination means further include means (122) for transmitting to the control means (108) for controlling the front stop members a detection signal as emitted by said detection means.
10. The installation according to claim 9, in which conveyor control means (124) are provided for controlling the conveyor and suitable for causing the conveyor (10c) to advance and to stop, the installation being characterised in that it includes means (120, 126) for transmitting to said conveyor control means (124) a detection signal emitted by the means (101, 103, 105, 107) for detecting the presence of strips, a reference signal emitted by the reference means (116, 118), and a position flag signal concerning the retracted or active position of the front stop members, said conveyor control means (124) being suitable for stopping the conveyor when the detection means detect the presence of strips while the front stop members are in the active position and for causing the conveyor to advance when, in the same situation, said control means receive a reference signal.
11. The installation according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that it includes guidance tweaking means (142, 144) in the region of the print station (16).
12. The installation according to claim 11, characterised in that the print station (16) includes at least two print units (18, 20, 22) disposed in succession in the direction of advance (F) of the conveyor and in that the guidance tweaking means (142, 144) are situated between the two print units (18, 20; 20, 22).
13. A method of decorating profiled strips, the method comprising conveying the strips (8) on a conveyor (10) and applying ink to the surfaces of the strips by means of at least one print unit (18, 20, 22) belonging to a print station (16),
       the method being characterised in that it includes a step of separating strips and of placing a plurality of strips (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) in respective target positions in which the strips are spaced apart, parallel, and disposed so that their longitudinal directions (D) are parallel to the direction of advance (F) of the conveyor, a step of bringing the strips in their target positions to the conveyor, and a step of guiding the strips as driven by the conveyor, upstream from the print station (16), the strips being guided by means of spacer guides (64, 66, 68, 70, 72) suitable for co-operating with the strips in the vicinity of their longitudinal edges.
14. The method according to claim 13, characterised in that the step of guiding the strips is performed by two series (74, 76) of guides that are spaced apart in the direction of advance of the conveyor by a distance (L1) that is shorter than the length (L2) of the strips.
15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterised in that the step of separating the strips includes a step of driving the strips transversely substantially perpendicularly (G) to the direction of advance (F) of the conveyor (10) and upstream therefrom, a step of bringing n transversely-driven strips (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) successively into abutment against n series of stop means (38, 40, 42, 44), where n is an integer not less than 2, the stop means in each series being parallel to the direction of advance (F) of the conveyor, and a step of driving the strips longitudinally parallel to the direction of advance (F) of the conveyor up to said conveyor.
16. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, characterised in that it includes a step of coordinating the positions of the strips before entry into the print station (16), which step comprises adjusting the positions of the leading ends (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d), of the strips (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d), relative to one another.
17. The method according to claim 16, in which the step of applying ink to the surface of the strips comprises bringing the surfaces of the strips into contact with a rotary print cylinder (96) belonging to the print unit (18), characterised in that the method includes a synchronization step for synchronizing the arrival of the strips in contact with said rotary cylinder with the angular position of said cylinder.
18. The method according to claim 17, characterised in that the synchronization step comprises stopping the conveyor (10c) when the positions of the leading ends (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d) of the strips are adjusted relative to one another, and restarting advance of the conveyor (10c) as a function of the angular position of the rotary print cylinder (96).

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