TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to packaging machine for introducing predetermined amounts of products, carried by a first conveying line, into suitable containers (e.g. cases), which are carried by a second conveying line moved in phase relation with the first one.

BACKGROUND ART

Packaging machines are usually provided with a line that supplies instruction leaflets to be introduced into the containers together with the articles.

Normally, these leaflets are concertina-like folded by known devices and then placed between the articles and the open side of the containers so as to be pushed by the articles and introduced into the containers in the container filling station.

After the operation has been completed, the leaflet having a "C"-like shape, partially surrounds the articles.

Preferably, the leaflets have standard size (generally A4 size) , so that the length of the above mentioned "C" is always the same,- therefore it is obvious that for shorter containers the edges of the leaflets would protrude therefrom.

The standard size of the leaflets must be abandoned in order to avoid such an unacceptable situation, thus provoking serious increase of the

production costs.

In fact, the use of non-standard leaflets leads to higher costs, sometimes to waste of mater¬ ial, and also to waste of time because of the ne¬ cessity of leaflets feeding line change-over in accordance with a different size.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a device, that is to be placed directly downstream of the known machines for concertina-like folding of the leaflets, and that performs a further folding, perpendicular to the concertina-like fold¬ ing, so as to reduce the leaflets longitudinal dimension.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device whose configuration allows free passage of leaflets which do not need any further folding.

The above mentioned objects are obtained a device for folding instruction leaflets, previously concertina-like folded, to be introduced, together with respective articles, supplied by a first line of a packaging machine to a container filling sta¬ tion, into respective containers, conveyed by a second line of the same machine, the leaflets being folded perpendicular to the concertina-like folding. The device includes a first conveyor, com- prising at least one upper belt and one lower belt, running closed-loop paths and counter-facing to each other along a section of the same paths. The upper and lower belts are aimed at keeping between themselves the leaflets coming from a creasing station, in which a creasing line delimiting an external portion of the leaflet is made, and at

conveying the leaflets to a first and a second folding stations in which, respectively, the exter¬ nal portion is folded upwards along the creasing line, until it extends vertically, and then folded again over the remaining part of the leaflet.

The folding stations are situated upstream of a pressing station, in which the folded configura¬ tion of the leaflets is stabilised, and upstream of a subsequent outlet station, aimed at conveying the leaflets to a second conveyor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The characteristic features of the present invention are pointed out in the following descrip¬ tion with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which:

- figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of the operation cycle performed by the device,-

- figure 2 shows a schematic, side view of the subject device,*

- figure 3 shows a schematic, top view of the de¬ vice; - figures 4, 4a, 5, 6, 6a, 7, 7a show enlarged sections taken along planes IV-IV, V-V, VI-VI, VII- VII, of figure 3, corresponding to subsequent work¬ ing stages,-

- figures 8a, 8b show an enlarged view of the folded leaflets outlet, taken along the plane VIII-VIII of figure 3;

- figures 9, 10 show sections taken along the planes IX-IX, X-X of figures 8a, 8b, respectively.

BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

With reference to the above described fig¬ ures, an instruction leaflet 1 is to be introduced, together with an article carried by a first convey¬ ing line of a packaging machine, into a container, that is carried by a second line of the same ma¬ chine; introduction takes place at an introduction station (article, container and machine are not illustrated) .

The subject device 100 is placed directly downstream of the known means, not shown, that fold the leaflets 1 to a concertina-like shape (shape S) ,* the leaflets are supplied in flat form, as schema- tically shown in figure 1.

Other forms assumed by the leaflet 1 in subsequent working stations of the device 100, schematically drawn with a sketched line, are shown in the same figure 1. The device 100 includes a first conveyor 2 comprising upper belts 3 and corresponding lower belts 4. The example shown in figures 2 and 3 in¬ cludes three upper belts 3 and three lower belts 4, respectively arranged side by side, following rela- tive closed-loop paths 3a and 4a, and counter-facing each other along a section K of the same paths.

Along the section K, the belts 3, 4 can keep between themselves and convey the leaflets 1 in the direction M, imposed by counter-rotating movements of the same belts, obtained in a known way.

The described example provides also two supplementary belts 3b, 4b, respectively upper and lower, following a closed-loop path at the side of the relative belts 3 and 4, partially coincident with corresponding parts of the section K.

The task of the supplementary belts 3b, 4b,

operated in synchrony with the belts 3,4 will be described later on.

A creasing station 30 is situated at the beginning of the section K, where two idling rollers 33 and 34 support the upper belts 3 and lower belts 4.

In a position situated off the belts 3, the roller 33 features a circular rib 33a that fits into a supplementary groove 34a made in the roller 34 below. The rib and groove are aimed at performing a creasing line la, perpendicular to the concertina¬ like folding of the leaflet 1 passing therebetween (figure 4) .

A first folding station 40, situated down- stream of the creasing station 30, includes a fold¬ ing member 41, placed at the side of a hold-down roller 42 the lower part of which is engaged by the belts 3,4.

The edge 43, between the cylindrical wall 42a and the side 42b of the roller 42, is aligned with the creasing line la that defines an external por¬ tion 10 of the leaflet 1, that is to be folded progressively upwards, with respect to the creasing 10, by the folding member 41 (figures 3 and 5) . The path of the lower supplementary belt 4b that is in alignment with the creasing line la, joins the section K in station 40, so as to keep the leaflet 1 adherent to the edge 43 during the upward folding of the portion 10. The folding member 41 extends from the first folding station 40 until it reaches also a second folding station 50, situated downstream of the first one.

The second folding station 50 includes a belt tightening roller 51 (the belts 3, 4 and the supple¬ mentary belt 4b engage the upper part of the belt

tightening roller) and a curved plate 52, situated immediately over the tightening roller 51 and the belts 3, 4, 4b.

The curved plate 52 features a sharpened border 52a aligned with the creasing line la and cooperating with an adjacent part of the folding member 41, to fold the part 10 over the remaining part of the leaflet 1 that is kept adherent to the border 52a by the supplementary belt 4b (figures 3 and 6) .

Consequently, the border 52a forms a fixed abutment, around which the portion 10 is folded downwards.

A pressing station 60, situated downstream of the second folding station 50, comprises a pressing roller 61 the lower part of which is engaged by the belts 3,4.

The supplementary lower belt 4b engages with a counter-pressing roller 62, situated under the pressing roller 61.

The folded configuration R of the leaflets 1 is stabilised by the pressure exerted by the rollers 61, 62 over the creasing line la (figures 1 and 7) . The common path of the supplementary belt 4b with the section K finishes at the pressing station 60, and at the same point, the supplementary upper belt 3b joins the section K.

The supplementary upper belt 3b partially engages the roller 61 and extends in the direction M, in which the leaflets 1 move, up to the end of the section K (figures 2, 3 and 7), and is located between the creasing line la and the nearest couple constituted by one of the upper belts 3 and one of the lower belts 4. The supplementary belt 3b acts as upper stop for the portion 10, so as to stabilise the

configuration R of the leaflets 1 after the station 60 (figure 8a) .

An outlet station 70, situated downstream of the pressing station 60, before the end of the section K, includes a stop 71, perpendicular to the belts 3, 4, and an extractor roller 72, situated above the station 70, on the side of the portion 10.

The roller 72 is carried, idle on its axis, by a fork 73, pivoting on an axle 74, and can be moved so as to swing from a raised position H (fig. 8a) to a lowered position L (fig. 8b) , by known, means which are not shown.

The initial part of a second conveyor 8, perpendicular to the first conveyor, is situated at the exit of the outlet station 70.

Belts 83, 84, opposite to each other, parti¬ ally are trained around head staggered rollers 81, 82 of the second conveyor 8, and the lower roller 82 is situated under the extractor roller 72, beneath the portion 10. Driving means, not shown, operate steplessly the conveyor 8 in direction T.

In a more detailed way, the leaflet 1, car¬ ried by the belts 3,4 of the first conveyor 2, is halted by the stop 71; the extractor roller 72 is lowered in time relation therewith, and goes to touch the leaflet 1 pressing it against the lower roller 82 situated below.

The extractor roller 72 is rotated by rota¬ tion of the roller 82, causing withdrawal of the leaflet 1 from the belts 3,4 and its introduction between the belts 83, 84 of the second conveyor 8 that brings it to the introduction station of the machine.

Subsequently, the roller 72 returns to the raised position H, before another leaflet 1 arrives.

The device is compatible with the passage of

the leaflets that do not require the above described supplementary folding.

In fact, it is enough to change the alignment of the leaflets 1 at the entrance of the section K, taking care that the end of each leaflet 1 coincides with creasing line la.

In this way, as seen in figures 4a, 6a, 7a which concern analogous figures 4, 6, 7, various means of the device 100 do not work. it is to be pointed out that the transversal dimensions of the rollers 42, 51, 61 and of the plate 52 are such to satisfy requirements deriving from this working condition.

The above description presents the advantages of the subject device, that can achieve the objects stated in the introductory statement by a simple and reliable technical solution, in accordance with the working conditions of the packaging machines for which it is designed. The cost of the device, reduced because of the constructive simplicity, can be recovered in a short time by saving material and time.

It is understood that what above has been described as a mere, not limitative example, there- fore all possible constructive variants are protec¬ ted by the present technical solution, as described above and claimed in the following.