FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the technical sector of packaging of slab-shaped articles, being tiles and like articles for construction.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Tiles, once produced, are usually wrapped or packaged, either singly or superposed one on another to form a stack of tiles, using packaging material, such as for example corrugated cardboard.

For this purpose cardboard blanks are used that have various shapes and dimensions according to the type of packaging that is to be realised.

For example, a type of packaging particularly used in the ceramic sector consists in making a protective frame about the border of the tile or stack of tiles.

In this regard cardboard blanks are used having an elongate shape, i.e. in a strip form.

These strip-shaped cardboard blanks, according to the length thereof, have a series of transversal fold lines so that between them they identify a series of longitudinal portions destined to be facing one another and in contact with the sides of the border of the tile or stack of tiles to be packed.

The strips of cardboard are folded about the relative transversal fold lines in order to be wrapped about the border of the tile or stack of tiles to form a protective frame.

The strips of cardboard also have hinged tabs, due to longitudinal fold lines, at the longitudinal portions and which are destined to be folded above and below the tile or stack of tiles.

The cardboard blanks, e.g. the strips of cardboard, are usually stored in a store having a well-shape, which is installed in the packaging machines utilised for carrying out the packaging operations of the tiles.

The cardboard blanks are extracted one after another from the store in order to be subjected to folding operations and to be wrapped around the tiles.

The store must therefore be loaded each time the level of the cardboard blanks falls below a minimum preset level.

At present the loading operations of the cardboard blanks in the store are carried out manually by an operator.

Beside the mouth of the store there is a rest plane on which the operator must position a stack of cardboard blanks each time the level of the cardboard blanks in the store falls below a minimum preset level (for example a level of a height from the ground that is lower than the height of the rest plane).

Once the stack of cardboard blanks has been positioned on the rest plane, the operator must then push, by stretching out his or her arms, the stack of cardboard blanks up to the position of the mouth of the store, so that the stack falls by gravity onto the cardboard blanks still present in the store.

These operations, as is clear, are not at all easy and require considerable exertion on the part of the operator.

Further, the length of the cardboard blanks which are to be loaded in the store can be considerably varied, according to the dimensions of the tiles to be packed, or, in the case of cardboard blanks having a strip shape, also on the basis of the number of strips which are to be used for making the frame.

In fact, for example, there are cases in which the frame is made using a single strip of cardboard and, in this case, the strip must have a length of at least equal to the sum of the length of the sides of the border of the tile, or the stack of tiles to be packaged. In other cases, the frame is made using two or more strips, for example even four strips, and therefore the strips of cardboard can have half the length or a quarter the length of a case in which a single strip is used.

In the cases in which the store is to be replenished with stacks of strips of cardboard having a shorter length (for example as the frame is made using two or more strips), the operator, having positioned a stack of strips of cardboard on the rest plane, must make a considerable exertion and stretch his or her arms as far as possible, to push the stack beyond the rest plane and cause it to fall into the store.

Further, with these manual loading methods of the store, it is possible that the stack of cardboard blanks, pushed beyond the rest plane, might flex and impact against the walls of the store, or against the cardboard blanks still present in the store, blocking the viability of the infeeding into the packaging machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aim of the present invention is therefore to provide a loading device of cardboard blanks, to be positioned by the side of a store to be loaded, able to obviate the drawbacks in the prior art described in the foregoing.

In particular, an aim of the present invention is to provide a loading device of cardboard blanks which enables carrying out, easily and effectively, the loading of cardboard blanks inside the store and at the same time guarantees correct positioning and release of the cardboard blanks above those already present in the store.

The above-mentioned aims are obtained with a loading device of cardboard blanks according to claim 1.

Other advantageous characteristics of the loading device of cardboard blanks of the invention are set out in the dependent claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The characteristics of a preferred embodiment of the loading device of the cardboard blanks of the invention are described in the following with reference to the appended tables of drawings, in which:

- figure 1 illustrates, in a schematic perspective view, the loading device of cardboard blanks positioned by the side of a store to be loaded whenever the level of cardboard blanks present therein falls below a minimum preset level;

- figures from 2 to 8 illustrate, in relative schematic perspective views, an operating sequence of the device of the invention for loading the cardboard blanks into the store.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the appended tables of drawings, reference number (100) denotes the loading device of cardboard blanks of the present invention, in its entirety.

The loading device (100) is made in such a way as to be installable by the side of a store (M) of a packaging machine (not illustrated) of slab-shaped articles, being tiles and like articles for construction.

Cardboard blanks must be loaded into the store which the packaging machine uses to realise a wrapping packaging of the tiles.

The loading device (100) of the invention therefore has the task and aim of loading cardboard blanks in the store when the level of the cardboard blanks present internally thereof falls below a minimum preset level.

For example, a suitable sensor might be present in the store (not illustrated) able to detect when the level of the cardboard blanks falls below the minimum preset level, so as to be able to provide a signal, for example visual or acoustic, which signals the need to load further cardboard blanks and thus to use the loading device of the invention.

The loading device (100) of the invention comprises a rest element (1 ), configured so as to be arranged in proximity of a side of the mouth of the store (M) and which is predisposed to restingly receive a stack of cardboard blanks (F) to be loaded into the store (M) above cardboard blanks (F1 ) already present in the store (M) and in an empty status as having been collected by the packaging machine in order to realise the packaging wrappings of the tiles.

In the appended figures the cardboard blanks illustrated are constituted by strips of cardboard destined to be folded and wrapped around the sides of the tiles in order to realise a protective frame.

It is stressed that the loading device of the invention can also be used to load any other type of cardboard blank inside a store.

The special characteristics of the loading device (100) of the invention consist in the fact that it comprises a laminar element (2), translatable with respect to the rest element (1 ), and a pusher (3), movable so as to be able to push and translate the stack of cardboard blanks (F) from the rest element (1 ) to above the mouth of the store (M).

In particular, a laminar element (2) is predisposed and configured so as to be translatable with respect to the rest element (1 ) in order to be positionable in a retracted position (P1 ), wherein the laminar element (2) is retracted with respect to the rest element (1 ), and in an advanced position (P2) in which the laminar element (2) is advanced with respect to the rest element (1 ).

In greater detail, the laminar element (2) has a length that is such that when it is positioned in the advanced position (P2) it is at the mouth of the store (M) above the cardboard blanks (F1 ) present in the store (M) (see for example figures 2, 3 and 4), and when it is positioned in the retracted position (P1 ) (see for example figure 1 ) it is retracted with respect to the mouth of the store (M).

In this way, owing to these characteristics, when the laminar element (2) is translated with respect to the rest element (1 ) in order to be positioned in the advanced position (P2) at the mouth of the store (M) above the cardboard blanks (F1 ) already present in the store, while the pusher (3) can be movable, for example manually by an operator, so as to be able to push the stack of cardboard blanks (F) from the rest element (1 ) above the laminar element (2).

The stack of cardboard blanks (F) will thus be supported by the laminar element (2) at the mouth of the store (M) above the cardboard blanks (F1 ) already present in the store.

Then the laminar element (2) can be translated with respect to the rest element (1 ) in order to be translated into the retracted position (P1 ) so as to be retracted from the mouth of the store (M) and to release the stack of cardboard blanks (F) above the cardboard blanks (F1 ) present in the store.

Owing to the positioning of the laminar element at the mouth of the store, it is therefore possible to push, with the pusher, the stack of cardboard blanks from the rest element to above the mouth of the store, without there being any risk that the stack of cardboard blanks can bend or impact against the walls of the store or against the cardboard blanks present in the store, as the laminar element constitutes a rest for the stack of cardboard blanks during movement thereof.

The stack of cardboard blanks, once pushed above the laminar element by the pusher, will be positioned perfectly above and aligned to the mouth of the store, and thus centred above the cardboard blanks present in the store.

It will therefore be sufficient to translate the laminar element so as to return it into the retracted position, thus retracting it from the mouth of the store, in order to release the stack of cardboard blanks resting on those already present in the store (see for example figure 7).

Other advantageous characteristics of the loading device of the invention are described in the following.

The laminar element (2) is advantageously made of an elastically flexible material in such a way that when it is positioned in the advanced position (P2) at the mouth of the store (M), and the pusher (3) pushes and translates the stack of cardboard blanks (F) above the laminar element (2), it can flex so as to fill any eventual difference in level between the stack of cardboard blanks (F) positioned thereon by the pusher (3) and the cardboard blanks (F1 ) already present in the store (M).

The laminar element (2) is preferably a steel sheet.

The loading device (100) can be configured and realised so as to comprise anti drag means (4), which are coupled to the laminar element (2) at least in a part, or at an end, of the laminar element (2) destined to pass through the mouth of the store (M) when the laminar element (2) is moved from the retracted position (P1 ) to the advanced position (P2), and vice versa.

In this way, owing to the presence of the anti-drag means (4) it is possible to prevent the onset of any dragging of the laminar element (2) on the cardboard blanks (F1 ) present in the store (M) and on the cardboard blanks of the stack of cardboard blanks (F) arranged thereon.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated in the figures, the anti-drag means (4) preferably comprise at least a roller (40) mounted idle in a part or an end of the laminar element (2) destined to cross the mouth of the store (M) when the laminar element (2) is moved from the retracted position (P1 ) to the advanced position (P2), and vice versa.

The pusher (3) can be made to as to comprise a plate (30) mounted on a slide (31 ), the slide (31 ) being slidably mounted on a guide (10) of the rest element (1 ) so as to be translatable with respect to the rest element (1 ) so that the plate (30) can abut the stack of cardboard blanks (F) arranged on the rest element (1 ) and push and translate the stack of cardboard blanks (F) above the laminar element (2) positioned in the advanced position (P2) at the mouth of the store (M).

In the preferred embodiment illustrated in the figures, the rest element (1 ) is preferably conformed so as to comprise a housing (1 1 ) for the slide (31 ) so that the slide (31 ) can be translatable along the guide (10) so as to be movable between a first advanced position (Z1 ), in which it can be positioned internally of the housing (1 1 ), and a second retracted position (Z2), in which the slide (31 ) is partly extracted from the housing (1 1 ).

In turn, the housing (1 1 ) has an upper opening (1 10) (a sort of longitudinal groove) to enable passage of the plate (30) during the movement of the slide (31 ).

In this particular embodiment, the plate (30) is advantageously rotatably mounted on the slide (31 ) by interposition of elastic means (34).

In particular, the elastic means (34) being configured so as to maintain the plate (30) in an erect position with respect to the slide (31 ) and with respect to the rest element (1 ).

In this way, when the slide (31 ) is moved into the first advanced position (Z1 ) internally of the housing (1 1 ) of the rest element (1 ), and a stack of cardboard blanks (F) is positioned resting on the rest element (1 ), the stack of cardboard blanks (F) will abut the plate (30) and cause it to rotate by loading the elastic means (34), up to positioning it above the slide (31 ) (in fact the plate is rotated and crushed between the stack of cardboard blanks and the rest element).

On the other hand, when the slide (31 ) is moved into the second retracted position (Z2), disengaging the plate (30) from the stack of cardboard blanks (F) present on the rest element (1 ), the plate (30) can autonomously return into the erect position by means of the action of the elastic means (34) in order thus to enable, when the slide (31 ) is newly moved towards the first advanced position (Z1 ), pushing and translating the stack of cardboard blanks (F) from the rest element (1 ) above the laminar element (2) positioned in the advanced position (P2) at the mouth of the store (M).

The rest element (1 ) can be constituted by a profiled element made of sheet metal folded in a C-shape, with the terminal parts of the two arms of the C-shape being partly folded in an undercut so as to provide rest surfaces for the resting of the stack of cardboard blanks.

The C-shape of the rest element centrally identifies a longitudinal housing both for positioning and sliding the slide of the pusher and for positioning and sliding the laminar element.

In a further advantageous aspect, the rest element (1 ) is slidably mounted on a frame (12), predisposed by the side of the store (M); so as to be neared to or distanced from the mouth of the store (M).

This enables an operator to move the rest element (1 ), in a movement away from the store, and to position it in a position in which the loading of a stack of cardboard blanks thereon can be carried out, and can then translate the rest element with respect to the frame in order to near it to the store, so as to carry out the loading operations of the stack of cardboard blanks internally of the store in the ways described in the foregoing. A further advantageous aspect of the loading device (100) of the invention consists in the fact that the laminar element (2) comprises a hinge (25) which divides the laminar element (2) into two parts, a part proximal to the store (M) and a part distal of the store (M).

Owing to this detail, when the laminar element (2) is positioned in the relative retracted position (P1 ), the distal part from the store (M) of the laminar element (2) projecting from the rest element (1 ) can be rotated with respect to the hinge (25) in order to reduce the length (see for example figures 7 and 8).

The following is a description of a possible sequence of loading operations that can be carried out using the loading device of the invention, starting from the situation illustrated in figure 1.

The cardboard blanks (F1 ) present in the store (M) will be progressively collected from the packaging machine (not illustrated) in order to carry out the packaging operations of the tiles.

The rest element (1 ) has been translated with respect to the relative frame (12) distancingly from the store (M) into a position such that the operator can easily deposit thereon a stack of cardboard blanks (F), which are to be loaded in the store (M), when the level of the cardboard blanks (F1 ) present therein falls below a minimum preset level.

The slide (31 ) of the pusher (3) is positioned in the first advanced position (Z1 ) internally of the housing (1 1 ) of the rest element (1 ), while the plate (30) of the pusher (3) is folded, forcing the elastic means (34) on the slide (31 ) due to the presence of the stack of cardboard blanks (F) above the rest element (1 ) (the folded plate is not visible in figure 1 as it is hidden below the stack of cardboard blanks (F)). The laminar element (2) is positioned in the relative retracted position (P1 ) and the relative part distal from the store (M) is folded with respect to the hinge (25).

When the level of the cardboard blanks (F1 ) present in the store reaches the minimum preset level, a dedicated sensor (not illustrated) signals the need to carry out the loading of new cardboard blanks.

The operator will then translate the laminar element (2) with respect to the rest element (1 ) so as to position it in the advanced position (P2) in which it is at the mouth of the store (M) above the cardboard blanks (F1 ) already present in the store (see figure 2).

If necessary the operator, according to the dimensions of the cardboard blanks, can translate the rest element (1 ) with respect to the frame (12) to near it to the mouth of the store (M) (see figure 3).

At this point, the operator can translate the slide (31 ), retracting it towards the second retracted position (Z2), extracting it from the housing (1 1 ) of the rest element (1 ), until the plate (30) has been extracted from the stack of cardboard blanks (F) (see figure 4).

In this way, owing to the elastic means (34), the plate (30) can be positioned in a vertical configuration, erect with respect to the slide (31 ) (see figure 5).

The operator can therefore act on the pusher (3), causing the slide (31 ) to translate with respect to the rest element (1 ) in order to insert it newly in the housing (1 1 ) and translate it towards the relative first advanced position (Z1 ): in this way the plate (30) can push the stack of cardboard blanks (F) and translate it so as to position it above the laminar element (2) at the mouth of the store (M) (see figure 6).

Thus the operator can translate the laminar element (2) in order to retract it from the store (M) and return it into the retracted position (P1 ) with respect to the rest element (1 ), thus releasing the stack of cardboard blanks (F) which will rest on the cardboard blanks (F1 ) present in the store (figure 7).

The presence of the anti-drag means (4), in particular of the at least an idle roller (41 ), will prevent, during the extraction of the laminar element (2), the laminar element (2) from damaging the cardboard blanks, both those in the store and those in the stack to be loaded in the store.

The operator can then fold the distal part from the store (M) of the laminar element (2) about the hinge (25) in order to reduce the length (see figure 7).

Lastly, the operator might translate the rest element (1 ) with respect to the frame (12) in order to move it away from the store and return it into an easy position for a following positioning of a new stack of cardboard blanks to be loaded in the store above the rest element (1 ) (see figure 8).

From the above, the advantages of the loading device of the invention are clear The loading operations of the stacks of cardboard blanks inside the store are easy and immediate, due to the presence of the laminar element which can be positioned at the mouth of the store and the pusher (slide and plate) to translate and push the stack of cardboard blanks above the laminar element.

This enables maintaining the stack of cardboard blanks correctly positioned and orientated, preventing the stack from impacting against the walls of the store or against the cardboard blanks present in the store.

The fact that the laminar element is made of an elastically flexible material, such as for example a steel sheet, enables compensating for the presence of any difference in levels among the stack of cardboard blanks translated onto the laminar element and the cardboard blanks present in the store. In the event of a presence of an uneven level, the laminar element can flex to go to rest on the cardboard blanks present in the store; in this way, when it is retracted from the store, the stack of cardboard blanks can comfortably rest on the cardboard blanks already present in the store.

The fact that the slide of the pusher is accommodated in a housing of the rest element enables reducing the loads, as well as the presence of the hinge of the laminar element.

The fact that the rest element can slide with respect to the frame, so that it can be moved towards or away from the store, enables the operator, according to the dimensions of the cardboard blanks to be loaded, to position it in the position most convenient for loading the stacks of cardboard blanks thereon.

In the event that the tile packing machine is provided with a plurality of stores of the cardboard blanks to be used in the packaging operations of the tiles, the number of loading devices can coincide with the number of stores

For example, in the appended figures two loading devices are illustrated, positioned by the side of two distinct stores, though only one has been described, as the other will be identical.