Hide feeding apparatus in lines for the treatment or working of hides
Patent Information
- Application Number
- EP2023817206
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-11-10
- Filing Date
- 2023-11-09
- Publication Date
- 2025-09-17
AI Technical Summary
In the tanning industry and other processes involving large-sized hides, accurately loading hides onto treatment and transport lines while ensuring complete flatness without folds, wrinkles, or irregularities is challenging due to the size, weight, and irregular profiles of the hides, hampering the quality of processing, especially in machines requiring a planar condition like spray application machines.
A hide feeding apparatus featuring movable catching means, such as rods or elongated elements, and air ejection systems to ensure the hides are spread and flattened on a conveyor belt, with programmable control coordinating mechanical and pneumatic systems to achieve optimal flatness, using a combination of rods and pneumatic jets to eliminate folds and creases.
The apparatus achieves almost perfect flatness of hides on the transport surface, ensuring high-quality processing with minimal labor and handling errors, even for irregularly shaped or heavy hides, by effectively spreading and smoothing out hides before processing, enhancing the efficiency and reliability of hide handling systems.
Smart Images
Figure 1.1
Abstract
Description
[0001] TITLE
[0002] HIDE FEEDING APPARATUS IN LINES FOR THE TREATMENT OR WORKING OF HIDES
[0003] DESCRIPTION
[0004] Field of the invention
[0005] The present invention relates to the field of lines or plants for treating or working flexible laminar elements.
[0006] Flexible laminar elements are defined as natural hides, synthetic leathers, fabrics, non-woven fabrics, flexible plastic materials and related or similar materials, in which thickness is much lower than the other two dimensions (length and width).
[0007] In particular, but not exclusively, the present invention is particularly suitable for use in the tanning industry for picking up, transporting and unloading hides, or synthetic leather, from one workstation to another, along hide treatment or working lines. In particular, the invention relates to a tendentially automatic or semi-automatic apparatus for loading incoming hides on one of such lines.
[0008] Background of the invention
[0009] In tannery processing, and more generally where large-sized hides must be handled, the problem of correctly loading the pieces onto the treatment and working lines is quite felt, and in particular onto the transport surfaces with which such lines are equipped. In fact, the loading of the individual pieces in sequence must ensure that they are positioned in an orderly manner and, above all, meet a condition of complete spreading of the hide on the surface, without overturned flaps, folds, wrinkles or irregularities in general. The machines which require such an absolutely planar condition to ensure the quality of processing include in particular machines for the spray application of a finishing liquid (resin or dye).
[0010] Various solutions of (partial or total) automation have been experimented, the success of which is hampered by the size, weight, irregular profile of the hides, and the nature of the material itself.
[0011] The present invention fits into such a scenario, offering a further solution which, thanks to an original combination of features, is capable of ensuring the result of an almost perfect flatness, understood as the absence of folds, wrinkles, raised flaps, etc., in a context of fully automated feeding of individual hides onto a work surface, such as (but not necessarily) the inlet conveyor of a spraying line.
[0012] Summary of the invention
[0013] The essential features of the hide feeding apparatus in lines for the treatment or working of hides according to the present invention are defined by the first of the appended claims. Other additional features are the subject matter of the other claims.
[0014] Brief description of the drawings
[0015] The features and advantages of the hide feeding apparatus in lines for the treatment or working of hides according to the present invention will become clearer from the following description of an embodiment thereof, made by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
[0016] - figure 1 is an axonometric view of the apparatus according to the invention, also schematically depicting a manipulator apparatus functionally associated with the apparatus, with movable catching means of the hides in the closed position;
[0017] - figure 2 is a top plan depiction of the group of figure 1 ;
[0018] - figure 3 is an axonometric view of the apparatus, similar to that of figure 1 but isolated and enlarged, and with the movable means moving towards an open position;
[0019] - figure 4 is a side view of the apparatus of figure 3;
[0020] - figure 5 is a rear, partial and further enlarged view of the apparatus of the previous figures;
[0021] - figures 6 and 7 are top views of a different embodiment of the invention, with the movable means respectively in a closure position and moving towards an opening position, figures 6a and 7a being an enlargement of the parts enclosed by the circles A of figures 6 and 7:
[0022] - figure 8 is an axonometric view of an apparatus in a further variant embodiment of the invention.
[0023] Detailed description of the invention
[0024] With reference to the above figures, and in particular for the time being to figures from 1 to 7a, the apparatus according to the invention comprises a transport surface ST which is typically the upper surface of a conveyor belt 11 , part of a frame 1 with its own support base 12, arranged upstream of the machinery to which the hides must be fed; the belt may also be integrated with the aforesaid machinery, i.e., be an inlet belt thereof.
[0025] A first advancement direction X of the hides and a crosswise direction Y are defined by (and on) the conveyor belt 11 , so that the transport surface ST is in practice the materialisation of the geometric plane XY (see in particular figure 4). A third Cartesian direction Z is represented by the plane perpendicular to the XY plane.
[0026] A handling apparatus 2 for lifting individual hides, moving them and releasing them onto the transport surface ST, for example in this case - but not necessarily - picking them up from a stack on a platform C, may generally feature the combination of a separating device 21 and a robotic handling arm 22. For example, the separating device 21 provides a guidable and movable beam 21 a with a plurality of suction openings, each such as to apply a vacuum pressure on a flap of the hide arranged higher up in the stack and consequently a relative gripping force thereof. The hide thus detached can thus be engaged, lifted and moved by the arm 22, which then takes charge of releasing the hide. To this end, the arm 22 can provide a gripping head 22a with a movable belt apt to allow a control of the rate of release of the hide. In any event, the construction of the handling apparatus just briefly described does not fall within the scope of the present invention, as it may in general be the subject of alternative solutions, it being sufficient, for the purposes of the present invention, that the apparatus ensures the gradual release of a single hide onto the belt 11. The apparatus according to the invention can also be designed as an integral part of a handling system and / or treatment line downstream, or as a structurally and functionally independent unit.
[0027] The invention focuses precisely on the belt 1 1 , and relates to the aspect of effective planar spreading of the hide on its transport surface ST. To this end, movable catching means 3 are provided for catching the hides, comprising for example one or more pairs of rods 31 movable on a plane parallel to the plane XY, being for example hinged at first ends 31 a arranged on respective sides of the belt, and therefore of the transport surface ST, around hinge axes orthogonal to such a surface (i.e., parallel to the direction Z), and furthermore having longitudinal extension for example equal to about half, or slightly less than half, of the extension of said surface ST in the crosswise direction Y. The pivoting of the rods, controlled by respective actuators, therefore occurs between an opening position, in which they tend to be arranged along the sides of the belt 11 , almost completely clearing the space above, and a closure position in which they overhang the plane with an arrangement aligned with the crosswise direction Y. In this case, in the two positions the rods each cover an angle of 90° (arrows F1 in figure 2), affecting substantially the entire belt in width, and - in length (advancement direction X) - a certain area downstream of an inlet edge 1 1 a of the belt 1 1 (or in general of the surface ST), along or near such an edge, the rods being aligned according to the direction Y in the closed position. More generally, the two limit switch positions may be different and thus the pivoting therebetween cover a different angle.
[0028] As mentioned, several couples or stages of rods may also be used, with even partial or total overlapping of their range of action, speed and direction of rotation being the same or different, all with a view to stretching out any folds not effectively treated by the first (single) drive.
[0029] For example, in a particularly preferred embodiment illustrated in figures 6, 6a and 7, 7a, movable catching means 3 for catching the hide can be provided comprising two pairs of rods 31 ', 31" always movable on a plane parallel to the plane XY, in which, always by way of example, a first pair of rods 31 ', here of reduced length, pivots from a closure position (figures 6 and 6a), in a direction such as to reach the opening position, guiding the free ends towards the inlet edge of the belt (figures 7 and 7a), and a second pair of rods 31", arranged further downstream in the advancement direction, longer and pivoting in the opposite direction to the first, i.e., so as to bring the free ends towards the outlet edge of the belt (figures 7 and 7a again). The first pair of rods 31 ' may also enter into action with a more or less substantial delay with respect to the movement of the second pair of rods 31".
[0030] In general, the movable catching means 3 of the hides may have any useful form for allowing to spread the hide; It will also be understood that the term 'rods' includes both rods in the strict sense of the word, as described above and depicted in the figures, and elongated elements of other sections, such as paddles, blades, or shaped elements, even if not necessarily rectilinear, and in any case with lengths that may vary depending on the case (as is shown by the embodiment in figures 6 and 7).
[0031] The movable means 3 combine their action with that of first air ejection means 4, for example and preferably in the form of at least one tubular bar 41 apt to distribute a pneumatic flow, extending along the crosswise direction Y above the transport surface ST, and on which a plurality of ejection nozzles 42 open.
[0032] The bar and nozzles, arranged tendentially downstream of the movable means 3, with respect to the advancement direction X, and for example along a rear or outlet edge 11 b of the belt 1 1 , are configured to direct one or more air puffs or blades (arrows F2 of figure 2 and figure 5) on the laminar elements against the transport surface ST, at points which can be optimised based on the nature and shape of the hide (to this end, the nozzles being preferably guidable and adjustable also in relation to the power of the jet) but in any case with the result of assisting and completing the action of the movable means 3, ensuring that the spreading promoted by them is as successful as possible, in particular by inverting the folds which have formed upwards.
[0033] The nozzle configuration can be such that the angle a of the pneumatic jet F2 with respect to the direction Z (figure 5) is between two end limits equal to approximately 5° and 85° respectively, tendentially and preferably pointing outwards from the belt 11 (i.e., towards the side flanks parallel to the advancement direction X), without however excluding different orientations. In general, each nozzle can assume various orientations in space (e.g., also by pivoting the nozzle on the plane XZ).
[0034] Preferably the angle a can be comprised between about 20° and 60°, even more preferably it is about 45°. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, when the width of the transport surface ST (along the direction Y) is about 3400 mm, the nozzles 42 are two in number, each positioned at a distance of about 25 cm from the midpoint of the bar 41 and are inclined by 45° with respect to the direction Z, each directed towards the adjacent side flank of the belt 1 1 .
[0035] In fact, with such a number of nozzles, positioned at such a distance and directed at such an angle against the transport surface ST, it is possible to achieve high performance in spreading the folds, especially those inverted upwards, using a very small number of nozzles and thus simplifying and optimising the complexity and costs of the structure.
[0036] In a further embodiment of the invention, which corresponds to the example shown in the figures, the nozzles are four in number, spaced about 50 cm apart in pairs equidistant from the midpoint of the bar 41 ; this arrangement is particularly effective when, for example, the hide to be handled is particularly large and occupies the entire belt in a crosswise direction, or when pairs of hides are handled side by side, also occupying the entire belt in a crosswise direction.
[0037] The first ejection means are driven after the hide is positioned, simultaneously, earlier or with delay with respect to the rods. In this respect, a programmable control function (typically of a digital microprocessor nature), not shown, may be responsible for managing the apparatus automatically based on pre-set instructions, so as to coordinate the operation of the two mechanical and pneumatic systems. Such a function / control will have features which are known per se or obviously implementable in the context of industrial automation, which does not require a detailed description for the person skilled in the art. Similarly not illustrated or described for the same reasons are the features of the electrical, electronic and pneumatic circuitry, the specifications of the sensors and motorisation and actuation, and in general the specific construction methods of the mechanical connections.
[0038] Operationally, by dropping the hide on the transport surface ST it enters the range of action of the rods 31 , which initially in the closure position (i.e., aligned along the crosswise direction Y) catch the hide and then open so that it spreads out in all directions due to the aforesaid opening by pivoting, eliminating any undue folds in particular but not only on the front part of the hide. Pneumatic jets then also intervene to prevent the rods from creating unwanted folds or overlapping on the material and / or to complete the work of smoothing out any residual creases.
[0039] According to an embodiment variant, the rods 31 may in turn be equipped with second air ejection means, thus integrating the two functions in a single component (but also preserving the presence of first external ejection means). The use of hollow rods acting as air distributors and equipped with nozzles or with integrated air blades can therefore be provided, using in particular the return movement towards the closure position to also emit stabilising jets of the material.
[0040] Moreover, to avoid that single rods such as those described above may possibly catch on holes of the hides, there can be provided, as in the example of figure 8, doubled rods, at least at final portion 131 of their elongation. As an alternative, a fairing or shaping can be carried out on the rod or rods, making the said final portion shaped according to a paw configuration.
[0041] Further, crease control sensors (thickness sensors such as barriers, profilometers, or others can be provided to verify the presence of a crease, and to assess the effectiveness of the action of the (mechanical and pneumatic) spreading means in order to proceed with subsequent actions, such as repeating the drive itself or stopping the line to avoid damage or process issues.
[0042] Instead of belt conveyor, a bidirectional sphere conveyor may also be used. Such a conveyor permits a feed in the first direction X and in a second advancement direction orthogonal with the first one. In this sense, the two inlet and outlet edges of the conveyor will be consecutive and not opposed to each other. This variant of the conveyor may be appropriate to exploit the side of the line or apparatus to perform the automatic feeding, without an in-line encumbrance of the conveyor as in the previous embodiment.
[0043] The advantages of the apparatus according to the invention are evident from what is described above. A system is provided which ensures a load of hides for subsequent processing with an arrangement which is substantially free of folds or creases, wrinkles or any significant flatness defects, with an unprecedented degree of performance in the field and practically no labour. This is also the case if the treated hides are very irregular, heavy or have different degrees of porosity.
[0044] The apparatus described may be part of a plant for treating or working flexible laminar elements; in general, examples of lines which may include the apparatus may include all those which use conveyor belts of various types or machinery which use introduction belts / carpets.
[0045] The present invention has been described hereto with reference to preferred embodiments thereof. It is intended that other embodiments may exist which relate to the same inventive core, all falling within the scope of protection of the claims indicated below.
Claims
CLAIMS1 . An apparatus for feeding flexible laminar elements to a treatment of working line of said flexible laminar elements, said apparatus comprising a transport surface (ST) apt to transport the elements according to at least one first advancement direction (X), and spreading means for spreading single flexible laminar elements assisting their planar arrangement on said transport surface (ST), the apparatus being associated or apt to be associated to feeding and releasing means (2) for feeding and releasing single flexible laminar elements onto said transport surface (ST) and being characterized in that said spreading means comprise: movable catching means (3) for catching the flexible laminar elements released from said feeding and releasing means, said movable catching means being operatively arranged at a height over said transport surface (ST) and having at least one motion component parallel to said transport surface (ST); said spreading means further comprising first air ejection means (4) configured to direct one or more air puffs or blades on said flexible laminar elements against said transport surface (ST).
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising programmable control means configured to drive at least said movable catching means (3) and said first air ejection means (4) in a coordinated manner.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said movable catching means (3) have at least one motion component according to a crosswise direction (Y) orthogonal to said first advancement direction (X).
4. The apparatus according to any of the previous claims, wherein said movable catching means (3) comprise one or more movable members (31 ) moving over a plane (XY) parallel to said transport surface (ST).
5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said movable catching means (3) comprise one or more pivoting members (31 ) pivoted around a hinge axis orthogonal to said transport surface (ST).
6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said pivoting members comprise rods (31 ) arranged in one or more couples along said transport surface (ST), in each couple the rods being hinged with an end at respective sides of said transport surface (ST) and being movable between a closure position, towards mutual alignment according to said crosswise direction (Y), e.g. along an inlet edge of said transport surface (ST) or close to said inlet edge, and an opening position in which the rods are rotated towards aparallel position with respect to said advancement direction (X) clearing at least partially the space over said transport surface (ST).
7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said control means are configured to drive said one or more couples of rods in a coordinated manner.
8. The apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, wherein two or more couples of rods are provided, having distinct, partially or completely interfering working ranges, and speed and direction of rotation mutually consistent or different.
9. The apparatus according to claim 8, comprising a first and a second couple of rods (31 ’, 31 ”) arranged in sequence along said advancement direction (X), in which a first couple of rods (31 ’) is configured to rotate starting from said closure position in a direction such that to reach said opening position by pointing the free ends towards said inlet edge of said transport surface (ST), and a second couple of rods (31 ”), rotating in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the first couple, that is by bringing their free ends towards an outlet edge of said transport surface (ST).
10. The apparatus according to any of the claims from 6 to 9, wherein said rods have a doubled structure at least along a final portion (131 ) thereof, or said final portion is shaped according to a paw-like configuration.
11. The apparatus according to any of the claims from 4 to 10, wherein said pivoting members (31 ) comprise second air ejection means.
12. The apparatus according to any of the claims from 4 to 11 , wherein said first air ejection means comprise at least one tubular bar (41 ) apt to distribute a pneumatic flow, extending above said transport surface (ST), and a plurality of ejection nozzles (42) opening along said bar.
13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said bar (41 ) is arranged along said crosswise direction downstream of said movable catching means along said advancement direction (X), e.g. along an outlet edge of said transport surface (ST).
14. The apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, wherein said nozzles (42) are configured to direct a pneumatic flow at an angle (a) comprised between about 5° and 85° with respect to a direction (Z) orthogonal to said transport surface (ST).
15. The apparatus according to any of the previous claims, wherein said transport surface (ST) is an upper surface of a conveyor belt (1 1 ).
16. The apparatus according to claim 14 or 15, wherein said nozzles are adjustable and / or directable at least over the plane defined by said advancement direction (X) and by said direction (Z) orthogonal to said transport surface (ST).
17. The apparatus according to any of the claims from 12 to 16, wherein said nozzles (42) are two in number, arranged each at a distance of about 25 cm from the midpoint of said bar (41 ), each configured to direct the pneumatic flow towards an adjacent side flank of said transport surface (ST), said side flank being parallel to said advancement direction (X).
18. The apparatus according to any of the claims from 12 to 16, wherein said nozzles (42) are four in number, mutually spaced of about 50 cm and in couples at the same distance from the midpoint of said bar (41 ).
19. The apparatus according to any of the previous claims, comprising a control sensor system apt to detect folds of said flexible laminar element on said transport surface (ST).
20. A working or treatment plant or line for treating or working flexible laminar elements comprising an apparatus according to any of the previous claims.