PALETTE WITH INTEGRATED CUTTING

The present invention relates to a device in connection with a palette conveyor in the production of moulded pulp or vacuum-formed packagings, which device comprises a track for the transporting of packagings from a dryer, and at least one transporting palette for said track, which transporting palette has at least one packaging holder with means for cutting the packaging blanks arranged thereon.

In a previously known conveyor of the type mentioned in the introduction, for packaging blanks that exit a dryer for additional treatment, the packaging blanks are moved, preferably by aid of robots, between different stations, including a cutting station. The packaging blanks are positioned in holders for various working operations such as cutting, labelling and dyeing. It is cost and time consuming to move the packaging blanks between stations in this manner.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to achieve a device in connection with a conveyor for palettes of the type defined in the introduction, which device till solve the above mentioned problem.

The object of the invention is achieved by the provision of a device of the type described in the introduction, said track being provided with at least two working stations of which one comprises said station for cutting the packaging blanks carried by the palette, and said packaging blanks remaining on said palette during treatment in at least one additional working station.

Preferred embodiments of the invention have been given the features defined in the dependent claims.

Accordingly, the present invention solves the above problem by the palette, that may have holders in the form of recesses or protrusions for a plurality of packaging blanks and that has cutting edges or knives for cutting, retains the packaging blanks when the palette is transported to other working stations. Accordingly, the holders on the palettes serve as holders also for other working stations than the cutting of outer contours. Hence, it will not be necessary to move the individual packaging blanks from one working station to another by aid of robots or the like, at the same time as holders for

the different working stations after drying take place in one and the same holder on the palettes.

In the following, the invention is described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings that show a preferred embodiment.

Fig. 1 shows a view in perspective over a device according to the invention in connection with a palette conveyor. Fig. 2 shows a planar view over the conveyor in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a side view over the conveyor in the direction of arrow III in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 shows a side view over the conveyor in the direction of arrow IV in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 shows a view in perspective from above, over a first embodiment of a palette. Fig. 6 shows a view in perspective from above, over a second embodiment of a palette. Fig. 7 shows a smaller scale view in perspective from below, over the palette in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 shows a smaller scale planar view, over the palette in Fig. 6. Fig. 9 shows a smaller scale side view over the palette, in the direction of arrow IX in

Fig. 6. Fig. 10 shows a smaller scale side view over the palette, in the direction of arrow X in

Fig. 6.

In the embodiments shown in the figures, similar details have, for the sake of simplicity, been given the same reference number.

Fig. 1 shows a conveyor 1 that is used the production of packagings, preferably disposable packagings, by pulp moulding, i.e. a three-dimensional vacuum forming. In the figures, the reference number 2 denotes the packaging blank. Such packagings are used to pack various items. Exemplified uses are the packing of electronic appliances, such as cellular telephones etc., or food items, such as for so called fast food restaurant for serving in the restaurant as well as for takeaway of cooked food there from. The conveyor 1 is assumed to form part of a production process in which packaging blanks 2 arrive at the conveyor 1 after having gone through a number of steps in the process. The packaging blank that is led up on the conveyor is ready for cutting and labelling and any other optional production steps such as decor painting or similar.

The conveyor 1 comprises a frame consisting of an essentially horizontal carriage plane 3 and a number of scaffolding posts 4. In one direction, the carriage plane 3 is provided with four parallel first guide pairs 6 and two second guide pairs 7 are arranged in a direction that is perpendicular to the guide pairs 6. At the shown conveyor 1, the guides

form an essentially rectangular outer shape. Two palette carriages 8 are arranged on the guide pairs 6, 7 and can be moved by not shown automatics in two mutually perpendicular directions. A palette 9 is attached to each carriage 8 and acts as a carrier for the packaging blanks 2. The construction and function of the palettes is described in greater detail below, with reference to Figs. 6 - 10.

Accordingly, the packaging blanks 2 will arrive at the conveyor 1 where a number of not shown operations are performed. By the palettes 9 being transported on the carriages 8, the operations can be made in arbitrarily selected positions along the extension of the guide pairs 6, 7. Figs. 1 - 4 show that the guide pairs 6, 7 extend along an essentially rectangular carriage plane 3. For example, a cutting machine for blanks 2 can be arranged at reference number 10 in Fig. 2, a labelling machine can be arranged at reference number 11 in Fig. 2 and a decor machine can be arranged at reference number 12 in Fig. 2. Figs. 1 - 4 show two palette carriages 8 with palettes 9, but of course this number will vary depending on what is fed forward from previous production processes. Accordingly, the left half of Fig. 2 can be used to accumulate palettes for which no place can yet be made in any of the working stations.

Fig. 5 shows a first embodiment of the palette carriage 8 having a palette 9 mounted thereupon. The bottom shape of the carriage 8 is essentially rectangular and on its under side, in parallel with its outer edges, it is provided with rails 13 that run around the palette and are arranged at a predetermined spacing which corresponds to the guide spacing for the guide pairs 6, 7 on the conveyor 1 in Figs. 1 - 4. In the corners of the carriage 8, the rails 13 are supplemented by corner joints 14 in all four corners in order to facilitate switching of transporting direction. The palette 9 consists of four sides 15 that are parallel in pairs, as well as an upper side 16. The sides 15 are provided with holes 17 in order to reduce weight. On the upper side 16, six openings 18 are made, the shape of which essentially corresponding to the contour of the final product. A cutting edge 19 projects upwards around each opening 18.

Figs. 6 - 10 show a second embodiment of the palette carriage 8 having a palette 9 mounted thereupon. The bottom shape of the carriage 8 is essentially rectangular and on its under side, in parallel with its outer edges, it is provided with rails 13 that run around the palette and are arranged at a predetermined spacing which corresponds to the guide spacing for the guide pairs 6, 7 on the conveyor 1 in Figs. 1 - 4. As is seen better in Fig. 7, the rails 14 are supplemented, in the corners of the carriage 8, by corner joints 14 in all four corners in order to facilitate switching of transporting direction. The palette 9

consists of four sides 15 that are parallel in pairs, as well as an upper side 16. The sides 15 are provided with holes 17 in order to reduce weight. On the upper side 16, nine openings 18 are made, the shape of which essentially corresponding to the contour of the final product. The packaging blanks 2 are arranged three and three, in three rows. Each group of three packaging blanks 2 are connected to each other by connecting ribs 20, to form a row. Figs. 6 - 10 show two rows positioned in the openings 17 on the upper side of the palette 9 and one row that has been somewhat raised in order to illustrate the shape and function of the openings 18. A cutting edge 19 projects upwards around each opening 18 (see Fig. 6 in particular). The packaging blanks 2 in Figs. 6 - 10 have not yet been given their final outer shape.

The function of the conveyor 1 is as follows:

In Figs. 1 - 4 palettes 9 having carriages 8 mounted thereupon, according to Figs. 6 -

10, are denoted with reference numbers 21 and 22 and are in the following simply called palettes. The palette 21 is provided with nine openings 18, and the palette 22 is provided with six openings 18 for packaging blanks 2. In Figs. 1 - 4, the palettes are shows without packaging blanks 2 in the openings 18. Palettes 21, 22 are fed from previous stations in the production process, to the conveyor 1, in the direction of arrow 23 in Fig. 2. If, as is shown in Figs. 6 - 10, two palettes 21, 22 are positioned in two stations 10 and 11 , respectively, an additional palette (not shown) arriving at the conveyor can be led in to the left on the conveyor 1 to a waiting position, in the direction of arrows 24, 25 in Fig. 2. Thereafter, the additional palette can be led in to any one of stations 10, 11, 12, in the direction of arrows 26. The palettes can thereafter be led between working stations according to a given program. A detecting mechanism (not shown) arranged on the palette will detect the type of palette that arrives to the conveyor in order for it to be guided to the proper working station 10, 11, 12, such that the tools of each station will work or treat a palette with the proper number of packaging blanks 2 mounted in the openings 18 therefore and moreover will by-pass a palette in case a particular treatment is to be excluded. Also the final shape of the packagings can be of importance to the treatment in the various stations. In station 10, where the cutting of the outer contour of the packaging blanks take place, not shown rolls are rolled against the palette with a predetermined pressure against the palette, such that the cutting edges 19 around the openings 18 (see Fig. 6) will cut around the packaging blanks to give the packagings their final outer shape. The connecting ribs 20 are arranged better to keep the packaging blanks 2 together three and three in the openings 18 and to be removed in that way in connection with the cutting operation.

In a particular, not shown, embodiment, the openings 18 can be adjoining with a lower edge in between the blanks instead of a cutting edge, such that when the rolls are rolled over the packaging blanks the outer edge contour is cut at the same time as a scoring line is formed between two adjoining packagings that thereby will become foldable towards each other along the thus formed scoring line, in order thereby to achieve a foldable packaging having a bottom tray and a cover. Such packagings are often used in fast food restaurants, for serving in the restaurant as well as for takeaway of cooked food. The palettes 21, 22 are thereafter led from station to station where predetermined working operations are performed, such as labelling and decor making. The palettes 21, 22 are thereafter led away from the conveyor at arrow 27 in Fig. 2. The advantage of the device according to the invention is that a palette constructed for the purpose of cutting the packaging blanks 2 is also used as a holder for the packaging blanks in other stations in the conveyor. Thereby, the packaging blanks need not be lifted from the openings, by a robot e.g., and be mounted in a special holder in order to perform the additional operations mentioned above.

Naturally, the invention can be modified within the scope of the appended claims. The design of the conveyor 1 can be varied such that the guide pairs 6, 7 are given another extension that the one shown in Figs. 1 - 4. In a not shown embodiment the conveyor consists of an endless track where the palettes are led in turns to a selected number of working stations, for treatment. The number of openings can, as is shown, be varied and instead of openings the packaging blanks can be fixed in position on the palettes by protrusions that are formed as shoulders or as the inside of the packaging blank. The number of working stations 10, 11, 12 can also be varied depending on the final product intended to be produced.