EQUIPMENT SUITABLE FOR SUBDIVIDING AND PACKAGING ALL TYPES OF SMALL MECHANICAL AND PLASTIC COMPONENTS IN EQUAL PARTS

The present invention generally relates to automatic equipment, suitable for subdividing and packaging all types of small metallic and plastic components in equal parts.

More specifically, the invention relates to automatic equipment, suitable for the counting and subsequent packaging of small components, created for satisfying the demands of small and medium manufacturers of either metallic and/or plastic small mechanical items, who cannot afford to purchase packaging devices for each type of product. The main objective of the present invention is in fact to provide equipment suitable for subdividing and packaging all types of small mechanical and plastic components, in equal parts, which is capable of accurately, reliably and contemporaneously counting and packaging various types of pieces.

^■ A further objective of the present invention is to provide equipment suitable for subdividing and packaging all types of small mechanical and plastic components, in equal parts, which allows numerous types of product to be packaged, without the necessity for

changing equipment or maintenance interventions when passing from one product to another.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide equipment suitable for subdividing and packaging all types of small mechanical and plastic components, in equal parts, which reduces the costs for the users.

These and other objectives are achieved by providing equipment suitable for subdividing and packaging all types of small mechanical and plastic components, in equal parts, according to claim 1 enclosed; other detailed characteristics of the invention are indicated in the relative dependent claims . The equipment according to the invention can be advantageously used by companies which produce a high number of items, such as mechanical and/or plastic components (screws, bolts, pins, joints, etc:), divided by order and type, and which have the necessity of packaging said items, dividing them into the same numerical quantities.

By means of technologically advanced automatic systems and control systems of the electronic- type, the equipment is capable of subdividing the products into equal parts, automatically and in extremely rapid

times, and packaging them in boxes or bags for subsequent sale.

Each packaging can also be documented and filed in the memory of a Personal Computer so as to manage the data on an accounting and administrative level.

One of the basic characteristics of the equipment, which is the object of the present invention, is its final flexibility within the production system, as a single piece of equipment contemporaneously effects, either automatically or semi-automatically, functions currently managed by various automations; furthermore, in addition to the packaging of the pieces, orders, invoicing and other data relating to the productivity and advancement state can be managed in real time. Furthermore, the equipment favours a reduction in the packaging running costs and eliminates human error in the counting of mechanical and/or plastic components, at the same time achieving extreme rapidity and counting reliability (the tolerance in the pieces counted is equal to 0+1) .

Finally, the equipment functions exclusively with electric and pneumatic systems and therefore in the complete absence of oils and/or other materials harmful for the environment; the equipment, moreover, operates respecting all the regulations in force relating to

both safety and environmental pollution.

Further characteristics and details of the invention will appear more evident from the description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, provided for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, with reference to the enclosed drawings, wherein:

- figure 1 is a partial side view of an embodiment of equipment suitable for subdividing and packaging all kinds of mechanical and plastic components in equal parts, according to the present invention;

- figure 2 is a partial plan view of the equipment according to figure 1, in accordance with the present invention;

- figure 3 is an enlarged view from above of a first portion of the equipment according to figure 1, in accordance with the present invention; figure 4 is an enlarged front view of a second portion of the equipment according to figure 1, in accordance with the present invention. With reference to the above figures, 1 generically indicates a rubberized conveyor belt of single pieces of mechanical and/or plastic components to be packaged, activated by means of pneumatic positioning cylinders (not shown in the enclosed figures) and complete with an accumulation hopper 3, situated at the beginning of

the cycle, 2 indicates a first dosing tray, 4 indicates a second conveyor and feeding belt of the above pieces, whereas 5 and 15 indicate further moving belts of boxes or bags filled with the above items (figures 1-2) . The conveyor belt 1 is suitable for collecting the overall number of pieces to be subdivided and induces said pieces to fall, near the top 8, homogeneously and avoiding any type of accumulation, onto the subsequent conveyor belt 4 and towards the dosing tray 2, also completely rubberized and positioned above an electronic precision balance 6, suitable for counting the pieces contained in the tray 2 (figures 3 and 4) ; said counting is obtained as a quotient between the overall weight of the pieces present in the tray 2, detracting the tare weight of the same tray 2, and the- unitary weight of each piece (determined and known a priori) .

The dosing tray 2, after verifying the number of pieces contained therein, is activated by pneumatic cylinders 7, in order to tip its contents into a packaging box or bag, which is effected below the tray 2, by means of the conveyor belt 5.

The tray 2 is suitably shaped to favour the insertion of its outlet mouth into the packaging box or bag and contemporaneously tip its contents inside by

means of a gradual sliding action, in order to avoid possible damage to the items, caused, for example, by the pieces falling on top . of each other and/or collision between the same pieces and/or between the pieces and walls of the tray 2.

In order to make the equipment more accurate and reliable, a further counting station is envisaged, comprising a vibrating mechanical partializing element 9, which removes a certain quantity of pieces from the conveyor belt 4 and arranges them in ,a single file, guiding them onto another conveyor belt 10, at whose end there are specific optical counting barriers 11, situated above the conveyor belt 15.

The above numerical counting station is used for physically counting, by means of the optical barrier system 11, any possible missing pieces for completing the box or bag, with respect to the preselected number of items to be packaged.

The information relating to the above missing pieces is revealed by the precision balance 6 and sent to an electronic control system, equipped with specific applicative software, which activates the counting on the part of the optical barrier system 11 and allows the insertion .of said missing pieces in the packaging box or bag, by moving them forward on the conveyor belt

10 and allowing them to fall by gravity into the box which, in the meantime, is moved by the conveyor belt 5 to the conveyor belt 15 so as to be in an underlying position at the end of the belt 10. When the total preselected number of pieces present in the box has been reached, the additional pieces present on the conveyor belt 10 are moved back, by means of a command which causes a movement of the belt 10 opposite to that previously effected, and unloaded again on the conveyor belt 4.

The use of two stations for determining the overall number of pieces to be inserted in the packaging boxes represents the core of the whole automation. The equipment according to the invention does in fact allow the combination to effected, automatically or semi-automatically, between a counting (more "approximate") of pieces per weighing (effected by means of the tray 2 and balance 6) and a numerical counting effected by means of the optical barrier system 11 and the weighing, in relation to the average unitary weight of 90-98% of the desired number of pieces, together with the subsequent data transmission to the numerical counting barriers 11, represents the fundamental combination which makes the equipment

extremely accurate and reliable.

The equipment according to the invention also offers considerable advantages in terms of packaging velocity and, in particular, significantly increases the productivity, obtaining absolute productivity values (around 1,700 Kg/h) which are about double with respect to those obtained by means of the traditional weighing systems, this is because the packaging system described allows the packaging of a new box to be initiated (in correspondence with the conveyor belt 5) while the previous box is being filled (in correspondence with the conveyor belt 15) .

An additional balance 12, situated at the end of the counting cycle is installed in correspondence with the conveyor belt 15 and consequently in correspondence with the optical barrier counting system 11, which verifies the accuracy of the final calculation of the number of pieces of components inserted in the box (by a count per weighing) and sends the relative data to the applicative software for the subsequent printing of the relative label, which is effected by means of a labelling machine situated immediately downstream of the counting station.

As already- specified above, the equipment effects a counting cycle of the items to be inserted in the

packaging boxes or bags using two counting stations, of which one is situated in correspondence with the conveyor belt 4 and the rapid filling tray 2 and the other, suitable for verifying and memorizing each weighing, situated immediately before the printing and affixing phase, either manual or automatic, of the label.

The equipment of the invention can also comprise the addition of two further precision balances, not used directly for the counting cycle of the items of components; one suitable for revealing the tare weight of each packaging and normally positioned in correspondence with the inlet belt 5 of the packaging and a small balance off-line for the sampling. The moving of the packaging boxes or bags is effected by means of suitable transfers, equipped with belts 5, 15 made of a soft material to avoid damaging the packagings, whereas the overall running of the whole equipment is effected by means of a specific control system, equipped with applicative software,

which, by operating on a "Windows®" base, memorizes all the data relating to each weighing and also creates a database on a magnetic support.

The software also allows the management of the bar codes, allows information to be gathered for company

accounting and automatically processes the data necessary for the printing of the adhesive labels.

Finally, the equipment according to the invention can comprise a connection modem, managed by the above applicative software, for a tele-assistance service.

From the above description, it can be easily understood how the equipment suitable for subdividing and packaging all kinds of mechanical and plastic components, in equal parts, conceived according to the present invention, fully achieves the objectives and obtains the advantages specified above.

Finally, numerous other variants can obviously be applied to the equipment in question, all included in the novelty principles inherent in the inventive idea. It is also evident that, in the practical embodiment of the invention, the materials, forms and dimensions of the details illustrated can vary according to demands, and can be substituted with other technically equivalent elements.