Device for separating packages for flowable media

• US 6,119,572 A
• Filed: 12/22/1997
• Issued: 09/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance SA (Tetra Laval Holdings BV)
• Original Assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance SA (Tetra Laval Holdings BV)
• Inventors: Bub, Heiko, Korus, Bernhard, Pusch, Gottfried, Reil, Wilhelm
• Primary Examiner(s): Rada, Rinaldi I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Goodman, Charles
• Application Number:
  US08/816,344
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 83/862, 83/863, 83/865, 83/914, 83/945, 83/946, 83/952, 83/425.3, 83/425.2, 83/237, 83/255, 83/435.18, 83/555, 83/858
• US Class Current: 83/865
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 9/00 Cutting apparatus combined with punching or perforating apparatus or with dissimilar cutting apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/445 from a support after moulding, e.g. by cutting
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/08 using rotary cutters
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 83/914 Flash trimming
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 83/945 Separating connected articles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 83/946 Container
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 83/952 Moving work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/023 With infeeding of work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/6588 Tools mounted on common tool support
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/9498 Parallel cutting edges

Abstract

A device for the mechanical separation of work pieces having plastic material in the area of separation, in particular, packages for flowable media joined together in pairs in the top wall is provided with feed and discharge means with guide rails and drivers and with separating blades arranged on a conveyor belt, with a first linear cutter with cutters arranged in pairs symmetrically with respect to a plane of symmetry, each with straight cutting blades followed by a round cutter with rotatable circular cutters arranged in pairs symmetrically with respect to the plane of symmetry, the cutters with the straight cutting blade being located in the cutting plane perpendicular to the plane of symmetry, and the straight cutting blades being disposed at an angle to the plane of symmetry such that the straight cutting blades get closer together in the conveying direction.

Claims

1. A device for mechanical separation of work pieces which comprise hollow plastic packages joined together at one end thereof to define a zone of separation in pairs, said device comprising:

feeder means for feeding work pieces along a path of travel, said feeder means including conveyor means with guiderails and drivers, wherein the conveyor means includes at least one conveyor belt and separating cutters disposed along said conveyor belt along said path of travel said separating cutters including a first linear cutter having a pair of cutters arranged on opposite sides with respect to a first plane of symmetry, which is longitudinal in relation to said path of travel, said cutters each having at least one straight cutting blade disposed for location in a cutting plane, said cutting plane being perpendicular to the first plane of symmetry, said straight cutting blades being disposed at an angle relative to the first plane of symmetry, wherein said straight cutting blades converge along the path of travel;

said device further including a round cutter arranged along the path of travel downstream from said first linear cutter, said round cutter having a pair of rotatable circular cutters arranged symmetrically on opposite sides with respect to said first plane of symmetry.

2. The device according to claim 1, further including cutter guides disposed along said path of travel, wherein a first cutter guide is disposed on one side of the path of travel and a second cutter guide is disposed on the other side of the path of travel, said cutter guides being disposed on opposite sides of said first plane of symmetry, wherein said first cutter guide carries one of said pair of cutters of said first linear cutter and one of said pair of rotatable circular cutters of said round cutter, wherein said second cutter guide carries the other of said pair of cutters of said first linear cutter and the other of said pair of rotatable circular cutters of said round cutter, wherein a second linear cutter is disposed along the path of travel upstream relative to the first linear cutter, such that work pieces engage said second linear cutter prior to engaging said first linear cutter, and wherein said second linear cutter overlaps longitudinally with said first linear cutter and wherein said rotatable circular cutters overlap said first plane of symmetry, said circular cutters being disposed to overlap at a distance relative to the path of travel which is less than a predetermined length of said straight blades, said overlap occurring at a location downstream of said first linear cutter.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein each of said first and second cutter guide comprises a first part and a second part, said second part adapted to be placed on top of said first part to form said cutter guide, wherein each of said first and second cutter guides has one side facing said first plane of symmetry and another side facing away from said first plane of symmetry, wherein each of said first and second cutter guides partially covers one of the pair of said circular cutters, wherein said circular cutters are fully covered on said side of said first and second cutter guides facing away from the first plane of symmetry and wherein said circular cutters are exposed on the side of said first and second cutter guides facing said plane of symmetry.

8. The device according to any one of claim 6 or 2, wherein said cutter guides, said cutters of said first linear cutter, said cutting blades of said second linear cutter and said rotatable circular cutters of said round cutter are arranged along the path of travel of said at least one conveyor belt of said feeder means.

4. A device for mechanical separation of work pieces which comprise hollow plastic packages joined together in pairs at one end thereof to define a zone of separation, said device comprising:

feeder means for feeding work pieces along a path of travel, said feeder means including conveyor means with guiderails for guiding said work pieces and drivers for moving said work pieces along said path of travel, wherein the conveyor means includes at least one conveyor belt and separating cutter means disposed along said conveyor belt along said path of travel, said separating cutter means including a first linear cutter having a pair of cutters arranged on opposite sides with respect to a first plane of symmetry, which is longitudinal in relation to said path of travel, said cutters each having at least one straight cutting blade disposed for location in a cutting plane, said cutting plane being perpendicular to the first plane of symmetry, said straight cutting blades being disposed at a first angle relative to the first plane of symmetry, wherein said straight cutting blades have a predetermined length and converge in the direction of the path of travel;

said device further including a round cutter arranged along the path of travel following said first linear cutter, said round cutter having a pair of rotatable circular cutters arranged symmetrically on opposite sides with respect to said first plane of symmetry;

wherein a second linear cutter is disposed along the path of travel upstream relative to the first linear cutter such that work pieces engage said second linear cutter prior to engaging said first linear cutter, said second linear cutter including a pair of cutting blades disposed on opposite sides of the first plane of symmetry at a second angle relative to the plane of symmetry, such that said second angle is smaller than said first angle.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein said first angle is between about 5°

to about 15°

relative to the first plane of symmetry and wherein said second angle is about 1°

to about 5°

relative to the first plane of symmetry.

6. The device according to claim 4, further including cutter guides disposed along said path of travel, wherein a first cutter guide is disposed on one side of the path of travel and a second cutter guide is disposed on the other side of the path of travel, said cutter guides being disposed on opposite sides of said first plane of symmetry, wherein said first cutter guide carries one of said pair of cutters of said first linear cutter and one of said pair of rotatable circular cutters of said round cutter, wherein said second cutter guide carries the other of said pair of cutters of said first linear cutter and the other of said pair of rotatable circular cutters of said round cutter, wherein said second linear cutter overlaps longitudinally with said first linear cutter and wherein said rotatable circular cutters overlap said first plane of symmetry, said circular cutters being disposed to overlap at a location downstream of said first linear cutter.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein each of said first and second cutter guides comprises a first part and a second part, said second part adapted to be placed on top of said first part to form said cutter guide, and wherein each of said first and second cutter guides partially covers one of the pair of said circular cutters, wherein each of said first and second cutter guides has one side facing said first plane of symmetry and another side facing away from said first plane of symmetry, wherein said circular cutters are fully covered on said side of said cutter guide facing away from the first plane of symmetry and wherein said circular cutters are exposed on the side of said first and second cutter guides facing said plane of symmetry.

9. The device according to claim 4, including first and second cutter guides wherein each of said first and second cutter guides is configured as a centering strip disposed on each side of the first plane of symmetry and facing said first plane of symmetry, said centering strip being of a height less than that of each respective first and second cutter guides.

10. The device according to claim 4, wherein said circular cutters are defined by a diameter and are rotatably mounted for engagement with work pieces, said circular cutters having thin blades with a blade thickness of approximately 0.5 to 2 mm, and wherein the diameter of each circular cutter is approximately 1/2 to 5/6 said predetermined length of said straight blades of said first linear cutter.

11. The device according to claim 4, wherein said second linear cutter cutting blades are straight blades having one or the other of a cylindrical grinding and a tooth contour.

12. The device according to claim 4, wherein said first angle is between about 5°

to about 15°

relative to the first plane of symmetry and wherein said second angle is about 1°

to about 5°

relative to the first plane of symmetry.

13. A device for mechanical separation of work pieces which comprise hollow plastic packages joined together in pairs at one end thereof to define a zone of separation, said device comprising:

feeder means for feeding work pieces along a path of travel, said feeder means including conveyor means with guiderails and drivers, wherein the conveyor means includes at least one conveyor belt and separating cutters disposed along said conveyor belt along said path of travel, said separating cutters including a first linear cutter having a pair of cutters arranged on opposite sides with respect to a first plane of symmetry, which is longitudinal in relation to said path of travel, said cutters each having at least one straight cutting blade disposed for location in a cutting plane, said cutting plane being perpendicular to the first plane of symmetry, said straight cutting blades being disposed at an angle relative to the first plane of symmetry, wherein said straight cutting blades converge along the path of travel;

said device further including a round cutter arranged along the path of travel downstream from said first linear cutter, said round cutter having a pair of rotatable circular cutters arranged symmetrically on opposite sides with respect to said first plane of symmetry, and including a first cutter guide disposed on one side of the path of travel and a second cutter guide disposed on the other side of the path of travel, wherein each of said first and second cutter guides comprises a first part and a second part, said second part adapted to be placed on top of said first part to form one of said first and second cutter guides, and wherein each of said first and second cutter guides partially covers one of the pair of said circular cutters, wherein each of said first and second cutter guides has one side facing said first plane of symmetry and another side facing away from said first plane of symmetry, wherein said circular cutters are fully covered on said side of said cutter guide facing away from the first plane of symmetry and wherein said circular cutters are exposed on the side of each of said first and second cutter guides facing said plane of symmetry.

14. A device for mechanical separation of work pieces which comprise hollow plastic packages joined together in pairs at one end thereof to define a zone of separation, said device comprising:

feeder means for feeding work pieces along a path of travel, said feeder means including conveyor means with guiderails and drivers, wherein the conveyor means includes at least one conveyor belt and separating cutters disposed along said conveyor belt along said path of travel, said separating cutters including a first linear cutter having a pair of cutters arranged on opposite sides with respect to a first plane of symmetry, which is longitudinal in relation to said path of travel, said cutters each having at least one straight cutting blade disposed for location in a cutting plane, said cutting plane being perpendicular to the first plane of symmetry, said straight cutting blades being disposed at an angle relative to the first plane of symmetry, wherein said straight cutting blades converge in the direction of the path of travel;

said device further including a round cutter arranged along the path of travel downstream from said first linear cutter, said round cutter having a pair of rotatable circular cutters arranged symmetrically on opposite sides with respect to said first plane of symmetry, wherein said circular cutters are rotatably mounted for engagement with work pieces, said circular cutters having thin blades with a blade thickness of approximately 0.5 to 2 mm, and wherein the diameter of each circular cutter is approximately 1/2 to 5/6 the length of said straight blades of said first linear cutter.