Description

Process and installation for handling products, preferably rolls of toilet paper and/or household paper

Technical Field

This invention relates to a process and an installation for handling products.

The products are preferably rolls or paper or the like, especially rolls of toilet paper and/or household paper or all-purpose paper towels.

Background Art

A process for handling rolls of paper or the like, especially rolls of toilet or household paper is well known, where the roll products are obtained by cutting at least one long roll, or log, transversally into a plurality of individual rolls of suitable length.

Further, patent application No. US 2005/0132904 describes a process for embossing a log with different motifs to obtain different batches of individual rolls and sending all the rolls obtained from one log embossed with different motifs to a packaging machine. One disadvantage of processes of this kind is that the products are fed to the packaging machine according to a fixed sequence, where the products of a first batch are placed before the products of a second batch, making it impossible, at least with the packaging machines known up to now, to obtain packs of desired configuration attractive to consumers. In other terms, it greatly limits the possibility of making up packs containing products with different designs that ensure a good presentation.

Disclosure of the Invention

It is provided a process for handling products, the products being preferably rolls, in particular rolls of paper or the like and especially rolls of paper for sanitary and/or household use, said products being obtained from at least one respective log by a plurality of transversal cuts, the process being characterized in that the products obtained from one respective log are divided into a plurality of product batches, each product batch containing one or more of said products, and

in that the product batches obtained from the log are separated from each other.

In this way, the products can be suitably handled to make packages having desired configurations.

According to another advantageous aspect, it is provided a process for handling products, the products being preferably rolls, in particular rolls of paper or the like and especially rolls of paper for sanitary and/or household use, said products being obtained from at least one respective log by a plurality of transversal cuts, the process being characterized in that the products are arranged in a plurality of parallel rows, where a plurality of corresponding products defining a respective product front comprise products that differ from each other.

Other advantageous aspects of the process and installation according to the invention are described in the appended claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings These and other technical characteristics of the process and installation are more apparent from the detailed description which follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention provided merely by way of example without restricting the scope of the inventive concept, and in which: - Figure l is a schematic perspective view of a preferred pack made up of different types of rolls;

- Figure 2A is a schematic view showing a preferred subdivision of a log into respective batches of rolls;

- Figure 2B schematically illustrates the spacing between roll batches travelling on a conveyor and obtained from successive logs;

- Figure 3 is a schematic top plan view of a first preferred embodiment of the installation for making and packaging rolls;

- Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view illustrating in particular the upstream part of the preferred embodiment of the installation; - Figure 5 is a schematic side view of the upstream part of the means for conveying the products out of the log cutting machine in the first preferred embodiment of the installation;

- Figure 6A is a schematic side view of the upstream part of the means for conveying the products out of the log cutting machine in a second preferred embodiment of the installation;

- Figure 6B illustrates a second subdivision of the log according to a second preferred embodiment of the process of the invention;

- Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view of a second pack configuration;

- Figure 8 illustrates a third preferred configuration of a log for making roll products according to the invention;

- Figure 9 is a schematic view of a third preferred embodiment of the installation;

- Figure 10 is a schematic side view of a detail of the third preferred embodiment of the installation, showing the diverting means downstream of the log saw;

- Figure 11 is a perspective view of the product diverting means for making differently coloured rolls converge into a single feed flow in the third preferred embodiment of the installation;

- Figure 12 is a schematic top plan view of the diverter of Figure 11 ; - Figure 13 is a schematic side view of a fourth preferred embodiment of the installation according to the invention;

- Figures 14A to 14F are schematic top plan views illustrating the different steps in the operation of the fourth preferred embodiment of the installation according to the invention.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments of the Invention

Figure 1 illustrates a configuration P of the products contained in a respective pack, which comprises a plurality of products in the form of respective rolls 11a, lib of different types. The pack P is completed by a suitable plastic wrapping which covers and holds the rolls 1 Ia, 1 Ib together. The wrapping is not illustrated in Figure 1.

The products to which the invention applies are preferably rolls or paper or the like, especially rolls of paper for sanitary use and/or paper for household use or all-purpose paper towels. More specifically, this preferred pack P comprises two rolls of household paper or all-purpose paper towels 1 Ib and four rolls of toilet paper 11a.

It will be understood, however, that the packs might have any other desired configuration, the roll products differing from each other in other ways and being, for example, rolls made of different materials, differently embossed or coloured or printed with different decorative designs.

Also imaginable are packs of different types from the pack P illustrated here, containing a different number of rolls, rolls arranged in different ways or rolls of different sizes.

As shown in Figure 1, each individual roll comprises a core 11', normally made of paperboard, on which is wound a paper web 11" consisting of a plurality of superposed plies and comprising regularly spaced tear lines to make predetermined lengths of paper.

As illustrated the rolls lla, lib have a longitudinal axis "L" and substantially cylindrical lateral surfaces 112' and 114', respectively, and opposite transversal faces 112a, 114a and 112b, 114b.

As illustrated the rolls have respective diameters Da, Db, which are the same in this embodiment, and respective lengths La and Lb, the former of the toilet paper roll and the latter of the household paper roll.

As illustrated in Figure 3, a first preferred embodiment of an installation for making and packaging products, in particular roll products, comprises a log cutting machine, labelled 12 in Figure 3, which cuts the rolls from respective logs.

The machine or cutting section 12 receives the logs 13 (illustrated in Figure

2A) from a suitable buffer station, which is not illustrated in the accompanying drawings and which in turn receives the logs from a machine further upstream where the logs are made in a customary manner by winding a web of paper or other material round a paperboard core until the desired diameter is reached.

As shown in Figure 2A, the cutting machine makes a plurality of transversal cuts T in each log 13 to form individual products lla, lib of suitable length La and Lb. It will be understood, however, that the cuts might be made in a log having longitudinal portions that are worked in different ways in terms of colour, embossing or other characteristics so as to obtain rolls with different surface features from the same log.

The products are then transported by suitable conveying means from the cutting machine 12 to packaging means which, in this preferred embodiment of the installation, are in the form of a first and a second packaging machine 18a and 18b.

Downstream of the units 18a, 18b, other operating units and related conveying means are provided for bagging and palletizing the packs and sending the loaded pallets to appropriate loading areas for loading on suitable means of

transport.

In particular, these conveying means comprise upstream conveying means

16, located immediately downstream of the cutting machine 12, and first and second downstream conveying means 16a, 16b which receive the products from the upstream conveying means 16 and transport them to the packaging machines

18a, 18b.

The upstream conveying means 16 comprise means 20 for diverting the products towards different destinations and, more specifically, towards the downstream conveying means 16a, 16b. As illustrated, in particular in Figure 5, the product diverting means 20 comprise fixed conveying means 22 and mobile conveying means 24.

In particular, the fixed conveying means 22 of the diverter or distributor 20 receive the rolls cut by the blade 12a which is illustrated schematically in Figure 5.

The rolls are transported by conveying means or belts of the machine 12, at the cutting area, by aerial conveying means (not illustrated) which advance the rolls in a suspended condition, that is to say, holding them from above. Said aerial retaining means keep the rolls in a suspended condition after picking them up from the belts of the log saw upstream and release them onto the fixed conveying means 22 of the conveying means 20. As illustrated, the mobile conveying means 24, have a fixed end 24a at the respective end of the fixed conveying means 22, and a mobile end 24b that can be positioned alternately at the first downstream conveying means 16a and at the second downstream conveying means 16b. As may be inferred from the drawings, the mobile means 24 are vertically mobile. As illustrated, the cutting machine 12 has four parallel feed belts and four retaining suspension belts which feed out four parallel rows of products obtained by the simultaneous cutting of four logs by the circular blade 12a, shown schematically in Figure 5.

The products fed out of the machine 12 travel first on the four fixed belts 22 of the diverter 20 and then on the four mobile diverter belts 24 which convey them alternately to the four belts of the first conveying means 16a or to the four belts

16b of the second conveying means.

The products are then fed in four parallel rows to the respective packaging machines 18a, 18b, said machines 18a, 18b receiving the rolls conveyed, respectively, by the first conveying means 16a and by the second conveying means

16b, whose respective first sections in turn extend one above the other at different heights.

To obtain a pack P containing products of different types, it is contemplated the making of logs 13 from which products that differ from each other can be cut. In particular, the products cut from each log 13 comprise at least a first batch 13a of products 11a and a second batch 13b of products lib, where the products 11a of the first batch 13a differ from the products lib of the second batch 13b and where the first and second batches 13a, 13b each comprise one or more products 11a, 1 Ib, respectively. For this purpose, the log 13 material used to make the products of the first batch 13a might have a different surface finish from the material used to make the products of the second batch 13b. In particular, the material forming the products of the first batch 13a might be embossed differently from the material forming the products of the second batch 13b. In another case, the material forming the products of the first batch 13a might have a different decorative design from the material forming the products of the second batch 13b. In yet another embodiment, the material forming the products of the first batch 13a might be coloured differently from the material forming the products of the second batch 13b. Whatever the case, as expressly provided and illustrated here, the products of the first batch 13a and the products of the second batch 13b differ in length and, more specifically the products of the second batch 13b are twice as long as the products of the first batch 13 a, the former being rolls of all-purpose paper towels and the latter being rolls of toilet paper, all the rolls being equal in diameter. As illustrated, the products lib of the second batch 13b are positioned upstream of the products 11a of the first batch 13a, relative to the direction of log feed and, hence, of product feed.

According to an advantageous preferred process for handling these products, which is suitably controlled by corresponding program routines residing preferably in the means for controlling the installation or in the means that control the conveying means, and which are provided, for example, at a suitable station C, the first product batch 13a is separated from the second product batch 13b.

In this way, the products can be suitably handled to make packages having desired configurations. Advantageously, the first product batch 13a cut from a log is separated from

the second product batch 13b cut from the log before the two batches leave the cutting machine.

In this way, the capabilities of the cutting machine 12 might be used for this purpose by simply adapting only the software that controls the machine. The products feeding out of the cutting machine 12 are thus ready to be handled by the conveying means 16 downstream of the machine 12.

In another embodiment of the process, the first product batch 13a cut from a log and the second product batch 13b cut from the log are separated from each other directly on the conveying means and, more specifically, at the moment the conveying means receive the products from the cutting machine 12.

This avoids overburdening the mechanisms of the cutting machine 12 which can thus be made more simple and economical because it need not be designed to separate the log batches from each other but only to cut the logs.

In particular, separating a first product batch 13a from a second product batch 13b, both cut from a single log, involves spacing the first product batch 13a from the second product batch 13b cut from the log 13.

In particular, spacing the first batch 13a from the second batch 13b of products is achieved by cutting the log in such a way as to cut off a portion lie between the first and second product batches 13a, 13b. This intermediate, or scrap, portion lie is removed and is not conveyed to the packaging units downstream, thereby creating a suitable gap "dl" between the rear face of the last product in the first batch 13a and the front face of the first product in the second batch 13b, as illustrated by way of example in Figure 2B.

The intermediate portion lie may differ in length from the products 11a, 1 Ib of the first batch 13a and of the second batch 13b of products.

More specifically, the intermediate portion lie may be shorter than the products lib of the second batch 13a and longer than the products 11a of the first batch 13a.

In the embodiment shown, the products of the second batch 13b consist of longer rolls and, more specifically, maxi rolls of all-purpose paper towels, while the rolls of the first batch 13a are shorter, being rolls of toilet paper.

In another embodiment, however, the first batch might consist of longer rolls and the second batch, shorter rolls, used for respective purposes.

During conveyance, the products 11a of the first batch are advantageously kept together in a group. Similarly, the products lib of the second batch are also

kept together in a group.

In particular, the rolls, or products, of the first and second batches 13a, 13b are transported along the conveying line downstream of the cutting machine and, more specifically, in the zone 16 of the conveying means that is immediately downstream of the cutting machine, in such a way as to keep the transversal faces of each roll close to, or in contact with the transversal faces of the adjacent roll, that is to say, with a gap "dθ" between the transversal faces of adjacent rolls, so that if a roll, or product, tends to tip over, its transversal face engages the transversal face of the adjacent roll, or product. This prevents the products from tipping over and avoids the down time and economic loss that would be caused by personnel stopping the installation to set the products straight.

The gap dO between the rolls might be necessary to enable sensors, by detecting this gap, to count the rolls as they advance along the feed line.

In practice, as shown in Figure 2B, the products in each batch form respective "trains" 13a, 13b of products transported collectively along the conveying line as close as possible to each other.

In other terms, the products obtained from one log 13 are divided into groups or batches 13 a, 13b each containing a smaller number of products than the total number obtainable from that log 13, allowing the groups themselves to be handled in suitable fashion.

Advantageously, the products 11a of the first batch 13a and the products lib of the second batch 13b, in order to be suitably handled, are sent to different destinations and, more specifically, are sent, or diverted, to different conveying means 16, 16b. Advantageously, for sending the products of the first batch and the products of the second batch to the respective conveying means 16a, 16b, use is made of the gap "dl" between products of the first batch 13a and the products of the second batch 13b, in particular, between the last product of the first batch and the first product of the second batch, relative to the product feed direction, indicated by the arrow A in the drawings.

More specifically, for sending the products of the first batch 13a and the products of the second batch 13b to the respective conveying means 16a, 16b, use is made of the gap "dl" between first product batch and the second product batch as they feed out of the cutting machine 12, said gap being equal to or substantially equal to the intermediate scrap portion 1 Ic.

It might also be possible, for sending the products of the first batch 13a and the products of the second batch 13b to the respective conveying means, to make use of the gap between the first product batch and the second product batch 13 a, 13b, where said gap is created directly on the conveying means. In one preferred embodiment, the gap, or spacing, "dl" between the products of the first batch 13a and those of the second batch 13b feeding out of the cutting machine 12, is suitably varied and, in particular, widened by means of the drive motors of the conveyor belts 22 and 24 of the diverter 20.

In particular, the gap between the products of the first batch 13a and the products of the second batch 13b might be varied on the conveying means 16 when the latter receive the products from the cutting machine. To achieve this, the conveyor belts might be made to move at a different speed from the speed of the feed belts inside the cutting machine.

In another embodiment, the gap between the first and second product batches might be created, or widened, solely and exclusively by the conveying means 16 and, more specifically, by the diverting means 20.

Thus, the gap between the first and second product batches might be created, or widened, solely and exclusively by the conveying means 16 by making the belts 22 and the belts 24 of the diverting means 20 move at different speeds. It is also contemplated that the products of the upstream batch 13b from one log 13 and the products of the downstream batch 13a from the next log 13' are sent to different destinations 16a, 16b, that is to say, to different conveying means 16a, 16b.

In this case, too, to send the products of the upstream batch 13b from one log 13 and the products of the downstream batch 13a from the next log 13' to different destinations 16a, 16b, use is made of the gap "d2" between the products of the upstream batch 13b from one log 13 and the products of the downstream batch 13a of the next log 13'.

In particular, to send the products of the upstream batch 13b from one log 13 and the products of the downstream batch 13a from the next log 13' to different destinations 16a, 16b, use is made of the gap, or spacing, "d2" between the last product of the upstream batch 13b from one log 13 and the first product of the downstream batch 13a from the next log 13'.

Further, to send the products of the upstream batch 13b from one log 13 and the products of the downstream batch 13a from the next log 13' to different

destinations 16a, 16b, use is made of the gap, or spacing, "d2" between the last product of the upstream batch 13b from one log 13 and the first product of the downstream batch 13a from the next log 13' as they feed out of the cutting machine 12 and said gap, or spacing, is varied, in particular, the gap, or spacing, between the last product of the upstream batch 13b from one log 13 and the first product of the downstream batch 13a from the next log 13' by suitably operating on the product conveying means 20.

Advantageously, the products 11a, lib obtained from one log 13 are sent to a single packaging machine 18a according to a particular arrangement suitable for creating a desired pack.

According to another advantageous aspect, means are provided for arranging the products in a plurality of parallel rows, where a plurality of products lla, lib forming a respective transversal front "F" comprise products that differ from each other. The product front "F" comprises the products suitable for forming a pack and which, in particular, are obtained from a single log 13.

As may be inferred in particular from Figure 4, in this embodiment, the transversal front row of products lla, lib is created by a diverter 20, by first diverting the batches 13a, 13b of products to respective conveying means 16a,

16b, in practice diverting the product batches obtained from a single log 13 to different conveying means 16a, 16a.

Next, to form said product front, rows of products from different conveying means 16a, 16b are made to converge until they are parallel with each other at the zone where they are fed to a respective packaging machine, that is to say, rows of products from different conveying means 16a, 16b, which are vertically spaced or aligned are made to converge with each other.

As illustrated in Figure 4, the products lla, lib that form a transversal front of products to be packed are fed in parallel and simultaneously to respective packaging means 18 a.

In practice, a plurality of consecutive transversal product fronts, used to make a respective pack P, are obtained and fed to the respective packaging machine 18a.

For this purpose, means 19a, 19b are provided for conveying the products to a packaging machine 18a, these being in the form of first and second means for simultaneously feeding the products lla and lib to the packaging machine 18a, said first and second means each comprising a respective pair of conveyor belts

extending in the same plane at infeed to the machine 18a.

In practice, the products of the first batch 13a and the products of the second batch 13b from different logs 13 are sent consecutively to a single packaging machine 18a on respective first feed means 19a, 19a and 19b, 19b. 5 In practice, the products 11a are positioned on the first feed means 19a, 19a and the products lib on the second feed means 19b, 19b side by side.

Thus, the products 11a and lib can be advantageously distributed to obtain the desired pack P.

In this case, the product front F is defined by two consecutive transversal0 rows of rolls on the conveyors 19a, 19a and by single transversal rows of products on the conveyors 19b, 19b.

Thus, four rolls 11a in two longitudinal rows and two rolls lib in two longitudinal rows are obtained. The rolls 11a are positioned beside the corresponding rolls lib.5 In practice, the products 11a on the first conveying means 16a and the products lib on the second conveying means 16b are sent alternately and consecutively to the first feed means 19a and to the second feed means 19b.

For this purpose, means are provided for diverting the products 11a from the first conveying means 16a towards the first and second feed means 19a, 19a of o the respective machine.

Means are also provided for diverting the products lib from the second conveying means 16b towards the first and second feed means 19b, 19b of the respective machine.

The means for diverting the products towards the first and second feed5 means 19a, 19b comprise conveying means 21a, 21b extending at different heights, where the conveying means 21a comprise mobile means 21c that may be activated to send the products alternately to the first feed means and to the second feed means when the installation is used to make traditional packs containing rolls of the same type. o Means 23a, 23b are also provided for merging the flow of products from the conveyors 21a and 21b towards the first feed means 19a and, respectively, towards the second feed means 19b which cause the four channels of the conveyors 21a, 21b to merge into two respective channels of the conveyors 19a, 19b.

As illustrated, means 25 are provided for diverting the product flow from5 the conveying means 16b towards the means 19 for conveying the products to a

second packaging machine 18b, or towards the first packaging machine 18a when the installation is used to feed different products towards the single packaging machine 18a, in this case diverting the flow of products lib from the second means 16b towards the product feed means 21b downstream instead of towards the means 19 that feed them to the second packaging machine 18b.

In practice, the product configuration required to form a respective pack is obtained directly on the conveying means, without making major changes to the installation.

Figure 6A shows in a schematic view the area 20 for diverting products from the cutting machine upstream in a second embodiment of the installation implementing the roll handling process according to the invention.

As shown in Figure 6B, this second preferred embodiment differs from the first in that each log 113 is divided into a first batch 113a of rolls Ilia, a second batch 113b of rolls 11 Ib and a third batch 113d of rolls 11 Id. As illustrated, the rolls Ilia of the first batch 113a are, relative to the direction A in which the rolls are conveyed, are situated downstream of the rolls 11 Ib of the second batch 113b and downstream of the rolls 11 Id of the third batch 113d.

In this second preferred embodiment, the log saw blade cuts the products of the first batch 113a and of the third batch 113d into equal lengths and, in particular, equal to half the length of the rolls of the second batch 113b, which, as illustrated, is situated between the first and third batches 113a, 113d.

In practice, the products of the second or middle batch 113b are rolls of household paper or all-purpose paper towels, while the rolls in the end batches 113a and 113 d are rolls of toilet paper.

The pack obtained in this case may be identical to the pack illustrated in Figure 1.

In this second preferred embodiment, the rolls are made by a respective cutting machine or log saw that forms respective logs 113 which are then cut into individual rolls by the log saw blade in a manner similar to that of the first preferred embodiment.

To suitably separate the product batches 113a, 113b, 113d so that they can be diverted to respective conveyors 16a, 16b, the second preferred embodiment also spaces the rolls of the first batch from those of the second batch and the rolls of the second batch from those of the third batch before they leave the cutting

machine.

In another embodiment, however, the batches 113a, 113b, 113d of products Ilia, 111b, Hid might by separated directly on the conveying means that extend downstream of the log saw. This embodiment, is not, however, illustrated in detail 5 in the accompanying drawings.

Again, during conveyance of the rolls on the conveying means downstream of the log saw, the products Ilia, 111b, Hid of the batches 113a, 113b, 113d are advantageously kept together in such a way that each batch of products forms a respective "train" and so that the transversal faces of each product in the producto trains or batches are in contact with, or close to, the transversal faces of the adjacent products so that if a roll tends to tip over, its transversal face engages or abuts against the transversal face of the adjacent roll, thus preventing the roll from tipping over.

In the second preferred embodiment, too, the product batches 113a, 113b,5 113d are separated by spacing the product batches 113a, 113b, 113d from each other.

In particular, as in the first preferred embodiment, the product batches 113a, 113b, 113d obtained from a single log 113 are spaced by cutting the log in such a way as to define intermediate portions 111c, 11 Ie between the first and second o products batches 113a and 113b and between the second and third product batches

113b and 113d, respectively.

As illustrated, the intermediate portions 111c, 11 Ie differ in length from the products Ilia, 111b, 11 Id of the product batches 113a, 113b, 113d. More specifically, the intermediate portions 111c and Hie are shorter than the products5 of the first, second and third batches.

As may be inferred from Figure 6A the products of the respective batches 113a, 113b, 113d are fed to different conveying means 16a, 16b.

In particular, the products of the first and third batches 113a and 113d are fed to first conveying means 16a, while the products of the second batch 113b are o fed to second conveying means 16b.

Downstream of the diverting means 20, the second preferred embodiment of the installation is the same as the first preferred embodiment and, for brevity, will not be described in detail again.

Figure 7 shows a roll configuration P2 forming a respective pack that is5 completed by a wrapping, preferably of plastic film (not illustrated) which covers

and holds the rolls together.

The pack P2 comprises differently coloured products, or rolls, such as, for example, green rolls 211a, 211a, white rolls 211b, 211b placed one over the other, and red rolls 211c, 211c, placed one over the other. It will be understood, however, that the rolls might have any desired colour.

The differently coloured rolls are cut from logs 213, where the rolls 211a form a first batch 213a of rolls, the rolls 211b form a second batch 213b of rolls, and the rolls 211c form a third batch 213c of rolls, the latter being, relative to the feed direction A in the installation, located upstream of those of the second batch 213b which are in turn located upstream of the rolls of the first batch 213a, as illustrated in Figure 8.

For handling logs 213 of this kind according to a third preferred embodiment of the installation and process according to the invention, illustrated in Figures 9 to 12, the products cut from respective logs, in particular cut simultaneously from four parallel logs, are received from a log saw upstream, and each batch of rolls 213a, 213b, 213c cut from a respective log 213 is transferred or fed to corresponding conveying 216a, 216b, 216c, as illustrated in Figure 10.

For this purpose, the diverter 220 and the conveyors 216a, 216b, 216c that receive the rolls have four parallel conveyor belts. In a manner similar to the other embodiments, a diverter 220 is used which has a mobile portion 24 that is positioned consecutively at first conveyor means 216a to which it diverts the first batch of rolls 213a obtained from the single log 213, at second conveyor means 216b to which it diverts the second batch of rolls 213b obtained from the single log 213, and at third conveyor means 216c to which it diverts the third batch of rolls 213c obtained from the single log 213.

In other terms, in the third embodiment, all the different batches 213a, 213b, 213c of rolls cut from each log 213 are suitably spaced from each other and fed to different feed means 216a, 216b, 216c which extend at different heights and which are vertically aligned with each other. As in the embodiments described above, the separation between the roll batches 213a, 213b, 213c may be achieved by providing respective scrap or trimmed portions designed to create between the batches 213a, 213b, 213c a gap which can be widened when the rolls have been received by the conveying means downstream of the log saw and which must be wide enough to enable the mobile portion 24 of the diverter 220 to switch from one position to another. Figure 8,

which illustrates the subdivision of the log 213 into batches, does not, however, show said scrap or trimmed portions between the first, second and third batches.

It will be understood, however, that the separation or spacing between the roll batches to enable switching of the diverting means 220 may be achieved in a totally different way, without providing any intermediate scrap or trimmed portion between the product batches 213a, 213b, 213c. In this case, roll batch spacing might be achieved by suitably controlling the speed of the conveyors when they receive the roll batches.

According to another advantageous aspect, the third preferred embodiment of the installation also comprises means for arranging the products in a plurality of parallel rows, where a plurality of products 211a, 211b, 211c forming a respective transversal front comprise products that differ from each other in colour. The product front comprises the products which are suitable for forming a part or, more specifically a layer, of the pack P2 and which, in particular, are obtained from a single log 213.

In this embodiment, the transversal front row of products 211a, 211b, 211c is created by the diverter 220, by diverting the batches 213a, 213b, 213c of products to respective conveying means 216a, 216b, 216c, in practice diverting the product batches 213a, 213b, 213c obtained from a single log 213 to different conveying means 216a, 216b, 216c.

Next, to form the product front, rows of products from different conveying means 216a, 216b, 216c are made to converge, that is to say, rows of products from different conveying means 216a, 216b, 216c which are vertically spaced or aligned are made to converge with each other towards a packaging machine. As illustrated, the products that form a transversal front of products are fed in parallel and simultaneously to respective packaging means 218a, 218b.

In practice, a plurality of consecutive transversal product fronts, used to make a respective pack P2, are obtained and fed to the respective packaging machine 218a, 218b. According to the third preferred embodiment, the consecutive product fronts fed to the packaging machines 218a, 218b are created by making rows of products from different conveying means 216a, 216b, 216c converge and picking up the products forming a respective front in sequence from the conveyors thanks to means for diverting and simultaneously picking up a plurality of products moving horizontally.

For this purpose, as illustrated in Figure 9, the means 216a, 216b, 216c for conveying the differently coloured products extend downstream of the diverter 220, making the products merge at means 217 which make the products 211a, 211b, 211c of the respective batches 213a, 213b, 213c converge until they are parallel with each other and can be fed to respective use points 218a, 218b embodied by means or machines for packaging or packing the products.

In practice, as clearly shown in Figures 11 and 12, the diverter 217 has four infeed conveyors 216a, 216b, 216c per level and a plurality, in this case, three, vertically aligned conveyors 217a, 217b, 217c, one for each infeed conveyor level 216a, 216b, 216c.

The vertically aligned conveyors 217a, 217b, 217c are horizontally mobile together in such a way that their respective mobile ends 217'a, 217'b 217'c are positioned at the respective conveyor levels 216a, 216b, 216c.

Thus, differently coloured products are picked up and sent simultaneously to a downstream conveyor 219 having conveying sections 219a, 219b, 219c extending from the respective sections 217a, 217b, 217c, in such a way that the differently coloured rolls, or products, travel in parallel and are sent to a respective use point 218a, 218b, depending on how the diverting unit, or balancing unit, 221 upstream of the packaging machines 218a, 218b is set. As illustrated in Figures 11 and 12, the diverting means 217 also comprise a set of four conveyors 217d forming a by-pass unit used when the installation is used to handle rolls of the same size and colour and not rolls of different types or colours.

Figures 13 and from 14A to 14F illustrate a fourth preferred embodiment of the installation and process, used for making packs, in particular like the one shown in Figure 7. Downstream of a log saw, the fourth embodiment comprises a diverter 320 that conveys the products cut from consecutive logs towards respective levels 316a, 316b.

For separating the product batches obtained from one log and merging them with respective batches of products obtained from subsequent logs cut by the cutting machine or log saw, suitable means, labelled 317 in Figure 13, are provided.

As may be inferred also from Figures 14A to 14F, the means 317 comprise two conveyor levels, a top conveyor level 317a and similar bottom conveyor level 317b, each of which comprises first, second and third conveyor belts 1317a,

2317a, 3317a which are linked to each other and hence driven simultaneously in a horizontal direction in such a way that their respective mobile ends are positioned at the respective ends of the parallel conveyor belts 1316a, 2316a, 3316a, 4316a for the top level 316a, and similarly for the bottom level 316b. In practice, as shown in Figure 14A, in a first step for the top level and similarly for the bottom level, the belt 1317a of the diverting means 317 is positioned at the belt 1316a in such a way as to convey the first group of products 213a advancing on this conveyor belt towards respective conveying means 319 downstream. As shown in Figure 14B, in a second step, the belt 1317a is positioned at the next belt 2316a to collect the first batch of products 213a advancing on it, while the mobile belt 2317a is positioned at the belt 1316a in order to collect the second batch of products 213b.

As shown in Figure 14C, in a third step, the belt 1316a, for conveying, or receiving, the first batch of products 213a located on the belt 3316a, is positioned at the outfeed end of the belt 3316a and the mobile belt 2317a is positioned at the belt 2316a in order to collect from the latter the respective second batch of products 213a. Similarly, the mobile belt 3317a is positioned at the belt 1316a to collect the third batch of products 213c. As shown in Figure 14D, in a fourth step, the conveyor belt 1317a is positioned at the belt 4316a to collect the products 213a of the first batch, while the mobile belt 2317a is positioned at the belt 3316a and the belt 3317a is positioned at the belt 2316a in order to collect the second batch 213b and the third batch 213c of products from the belts 3316a and 2316a, respectively. As shown in Figure 14E, in a fifth step, the belt 2317a is positioned at the belt 4316a and the belt 3317a is positioned at the belt 3316a in order to collect the second and third batches of products, respectively.

As shown in Figure 14F, in a sixth step, the belt 3317a is positioned at the belt 4316a to collect the third batch 213c of products. The procedure just described is then repeated from step one of Figure 14A.

In practice, the product front is formed by means that divert and sequentially pick up products which differ from each other from conveying means which move horizontally and which sequentially pick up the respective batches of products from corresponding conveying means. Thus, the products of each batch, cut from a single log, are sent to

respective conveyors 319a, 319b and then fed to a respective packaging or packing machine.

More specifically, the top level 319a of these conveyors feeds the products to a first packaging machine, while the lower level 319b feeds the products to a second packaging machine.

As illustrated, for the top level 317a, the conveyor belts 1317a, 2317a, 3317a transfer the rolls of a respective colour to the parallel conveyors 1319a, 2319a, 3319a of the conveying means 319a.

Similarly, the conveyor belts 317b transfer the rolls to the conveyors of the conveying means 319b.

The fourth conveyor belt 4317a of the top level 317a, and similarly for the bottom level 317b, is used, for example, when the installation handles same- coloured, identical rolls. This belt is used for transferring the rolls to the belt 4319a of the conveying means 319a, in the same way as the fourth belt of the means 317b that transfer the rolls in this way to the fourth conveyor belt from the bottom conveyor level 317b.

Besides creating a transversal front of products that differ in colour or length, in the latter case comprising a single roll for each longitudinal row of long products and a pair of rolls for each row of short products, it is also contemplated the creating of a transversal front comprising a plurality of products made from a differently embossed material or having a different decorative design.

The embodiments described above can be used in combination with machines that make uniform, undifferentiated logs as well as with machines that provide logs that define rolls which differ from each other according to a predetermined configuration, with obvious advantages in terms of installation costs.

In practice, machinery can be used which can also make differentiated logs from which different types of products can be cut, which means that a single installation can be used to make and handle all types of logs producing a wide range of different paper roll types, allowing significant savings in terms of installation costs and floor space and with considerable advantages in terms of installation simplicity.

The invention described above is susceptible of industrial application and may be modified and adapted in several ways without thereby departing from the scope of the inventive concept. Moreover, all the details of the invention may be

substituted by technically equivalent elements.