Sheet cutting-out device

Abstract

Provided is a device that can efficiently cut out a sheet from a sheet material even in a case of corrugated cardboard sheets with large dimensional differences.　This sheet cutting device includes: a sheet cutting machine that cuts a sheet material in a lateral direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction to separate a sheet; a longitudinal ruled line machine that forms a longitudinal ruled line in a longitudinal direction parallel to the conveyance direction of the sheet; a slot forming machine that forms a slot in the sheet on which the longitudinal ruled line has been formed; and a trimming machine that cuts and trims, in the longitudinal direction, both sides in the lateral direction of the sheet in which the slot has been formed.　The longitudinal ruled line machine includes a pair of longitudinal ruled line rollers that are provided at an interval in the lateral direction and can move each independently in the lateral direction. The slot forming machine includes a pair of slot rollers that are provided at an interval in the lateral direction and can move each independently in the lateral direction. The trimming machine includes a pair of trimming knives that are provided at an interval in the lateral direction and can move each independently in the lateral direction.

Description

Sheet cutting device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for cutting sheets of various sizes from a length of sheet material.

[0002] The cardboard packaging used in the logistics industry involves preparing multiple standard cardboard sheets, packing them into boxes according to the products to be contained, and then shipping them. When packing a wide variety of products and quantities of products, packaging them with pre-prepared standard cardboard sheets can result in unnecessary air gaps around the products, reducing transportation efficiency and incurring costs for excess cushioning material.

[0003] When cutting cardboard sheets from sheet material, the following five steps (1) to (5) are performed. Note that the order of the following steps is an example, and the order of the steps can be changed. (1) Sheet cutting: Cutting the sheet material to the required length to obtain cardboard sheets. (2) Vertical scoring: Forming vertical scores (creases) on the cardboard sheets. (3) Width scoring: Forming width scores (creases) on the cardboard sheets. (4) Slot forming machine: Forming slots, which are the cuts between flaps in the cardboard sheets. (5) Trimming: Cutting off excess material on both sides in the width direction and removing it.

[0004] Patent Document 1 provides a system (apparatus) for cutting out and producing box templates (corrugated cardboard sheets) of various dimensions from a sheet material. The apparatus in Patent Document 1 includes three rotatable tool rollers arranged adjacent to each other on the sheet material, and a corresponding support roller. Each of the three tool rollers is equipped with a tool such as a cutter or knife that has the function required to produce the box template. Specifically, with respect to the conveyance direction of the sheet material, the upstream tool roller is equipped with tools for cutting and horizontal scoring, the middle tool roller is equipped with tools for vertical scoring and trimming, and the downstream tool roller is equipped with tools for slot formation and seam formation.

[0005] In the system of Patent Document 1, the spacing between pairs of tools for vertical creases (VL) and trimming can be changed on the intermediate tool rollers. The spacing between pairs of tools for slot formation and seam formation on the downstream tool rollers can also be changed. The system of Patent Document 1 can produce corrugated cardboard sheets of different sizes by changing the spacing between the tools on the intermediate tool rollers and the downstream tool rollers.

[0006] Special Publication No. 2022-524082

[0007] In the system of Patent Document 1, the intermediate tool roller has two tools, one for vertical crease (VL) and one for trimming, on the same axis. Therefore, in the system of Patent Document 1, the tool for vertical crease (VL) and the tool for trimming may interfere with each other in the axial direction, making it impossible to change the desired spacing. This means that if there is a large difference in the dimensions of the cardboard sheets being handled, it is necessary to replace one or both of the tool roller and the tool. Furthermore, in the system of Patent Document 1, which has two tools on the same axis, accepting sheet materials of different thicknesses also requires tool replacement.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a device that can efficiently cut out sheets from cardboard sheets with large differences in dimensions and sheet materials with different thicknesses.

[0009] A sheet cutting device according to the present disclosure includes a sheet cutting machine that cuts a sheet material in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the conveying direction to divide the sheet, a vertical creasing machine that forms vertical lines in the sheet in a vertical direction parallel to the conveying direction, a slot forming machine that forms slots in the sheet on which the vertical lines have been formed, and a trimming machine that cuts both horizontal sides of the sheet on which the slots have been formed in the vertical direction to trim the sheet. The vertical creasing machine includes a pair of vertical creasing rollers spaced apart in the horizontal direction and independently movable in the horizontal direction, the slot forming machine includes a pair of slot rollers spaced apart in the horizontal direction and independently movable in the horizontal direction, and the trimming machine includes a pair of trimming knives spaced apart in the horizontal direction and independently movable in the horizontal direction.

[0010] According to the cutting device of the present disclosure, the rollers including the tools that can move laterally can move independently, so that their movements are not restricted. Therefore, even cardboard sheets with large dimensional differences can be efficiently cut from the sheet material. In addition, because the necessary tools can be moved independently in the vertical direction, it is easy to accommodate changes in the thickness of the sheet material.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a plan view of the cutting device according to the embodiment; FIG. 2 is a side view of the cutting device according to the embodiment; FIG. 3 is a view showing a process of cutting out a sheet material using the cutting device according to the embodiment; FIG. 4 is a view showing a process next to that of FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is a view showing a process next to that of FIG. 4; FIG. 6 is a view showing the processes of FIGS. 3 to 5 together; FIG. 7 is a timing chart showing the operation of the cutting device according to the embodiment; FIG. 8 is a view showing a modified example of the embodiment; FIG. 9 is a developed view of a cardboard box and a view of the cardboard box.

[0012] Hereinafter, a sheet cutting device 1 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The sheet cutting device 1 has independent components corresponding to each of the five processes required to cut out a sheet S2 from a long sheet material S1. In particular, the spacing between the multiple components, each of which has a pair of tools spaced apart in the lateral direction (W), can be changed independently.

[0013] [Configuration of Sheet Cutting Device 1: See FIGS. 1 and 2] The sheet cutting device 1 includes a processing unit 10 that cuts out a sheet S2 from a sheet material S1, and a control unit 100 that controls the operation of the processing unit 10. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the sheet cutting device 1, the side where the sheet material S1 is conveyed is defined as the upstream (U), and the side where the cut-out sheet S2 is conveyed is defined as the downstream (D). Furthermore, the direction parallel to the conveyance direction (TD) of the sheets S1 and S2 processed in the sheet cutting device 1 is defined as the longitudinal direction (L), and the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (L) is defined as the lateral direction (W). In FIG. 2, the sheets S1 and S2 are conveyed along a sheet conveyance path SL indicated by a dashed line.

[0014] [Processing Unit 10: See Figures 1 and 2] The processing unit 10 includes a sheet slitter 20, a vertical scoring machine 30, a horizontal scoring machine 40, a slotter 50, and a trimmer 60, arranged in this order from the upstream (U) side to the downstream (D) side. The sheet slitter 20, the vertical scoring machine 30, the horizontal scoring machine 40, the slotter 50, and the trimmer 60 are fixed in position in the longitudinal direction (L), i.e., in the conveying direction (TD). A long sheet material S1 waits in a folded state upstream (U) of the sheet cutting device 1, from which it is sequentially pulled out and conveyed toward the sheet slitting machine 20. In this embodiment, the long sheet material is referred to as the sheet material (S1), and the individual pieces cut from the sheet material (S1) are referred to as sheets (S2). The sheet material (S1) and the sheet (S2) are typically cardboard sheet materials and cardboard sheets.

[0015] [Sheet Cutting Machine 20] The sheet cutting machine 20 includes a cutting roller 21 that cuts the sheet material S1 parallel to the lateral direction (W) and a support roller 23 that faces the cutting roller 21 in the vertical direction (V). The cutting roller 21 includes a cylindrical roller body 21A and a cutting tool 21B fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the roller body 21A. The cutting tool 21B has a straight shape that is parallel to or inclined at a small angle to the central axis C21 of the cutting roller 21 and is fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the cutting tool 21B. The support roller 23 supports the sheet material S1 from below in the vertical direction (V) when the sheet material S1 is cut by the cutting tool 21B, thereby supporting the cutting of the sheet material S1 by the cutting tool 21B. The sheet cutting machine 20 has a lateral dimension (W) that allows it to cut the sheet material S1 with the maximum lateral dimension (W) including the cutting tool 21B. The same applies to the vertical scoring machine 30, horizontal scoring machine 40, slot forming machine 50 and trimming machine 60 described below.

[0016] The cutting roller 21 and the support roller 23 are rotatably supported around their respective central axes C21 and C23. The cutting roller 21 sandwiches the sheet material S1 conveyed from the upstream (U) between them and cuts the sheet material S1 at a predetermined position. The cutting roller 21 is rotatable by the rotational driving force of an electric motor (not shown). By controlling the rotation of this electric motor, the sheet material S1 can be cut at a desired position. The support roller 23 preferably rotates on its own axis, but may also rotate in response to an external force, i.e., rotate freely. The cutting roller 21 and the support roller 23 are preferably configured to be able to move up and down in the vertical direction (V), allowing the distance between them to be adjusted. This positional change includes at least a change between a processing position where the sheet material S1 is cut and a standby position where the sheet material S1 is not cut. Adjusting the distance between them is effective for processing sheet materials S1 of different thicknesses. The same adjustment of the spacing applies to the vertical scoring machine 30, the horizontal scoring machine 40, the slot forming machine 50 and the trimming machine 60.

[0017] In the sheet cutting machine 20 shown here, the cutting roller 21 is provided above the sheet material S1 and the support roller 23 is provided below the sheet material S1, but the vertical positional relationship between the cutting roller 21 and the support roller 23 can also be reversed. The same applies to the vertical scoring machine 30, horizontal scoring machine 40, slot forming machine 50 and trimming machine 60 described below.

[0018] [Vertical Crisping Machine 30] The vertical creasing machine 30 includes upper creasing rollers 31A and 31B arranged above the sheet material S1, and lower creasing rollers 33A and 33B arranged below the sheet material S1. The upper creasing roller 31A and the lower creasing roller 33A are arranged opposite each other in the vertical direction (V), and the upper creasing roller 31B and the lower creasing roller 33B are arranged opposite each other in the vertical direction (V). The vertical creasing machine 30 sandwiches the sheet S2 cut by the sheet cutting machine 20 between the upper creasing rollers 31A and 31B and the lower creasing rollers 33A and 33B to form creasing lines (vertical creasing lines (VL), score) in the vertical direction (L).

[0019] As shown by the double-headed arrows in FIG. 1 , the upper creasing rollers 31A, 31B and the lower creasing rollers 33A, 33B are independently movable in the horizontal direction (W). The upper creasing rollers 31A, 31B and the lower creasing rollers 33A, 33B are moved in the horizontal direction (W) to maintain symmetry with respect to the center of the horizontal direction (W). This is to change the horizontal position (W) of the sheet S2 on which the vertical lines (VL) are to be formed, and to form vertical lines (VL) at different positions on sheets S2 of different dimensions. When forming the vertical lines (VL), the upper creasing roller 31A and the lower creasing roller 33A are positioned so that their horizontal positions match, and the upper creasing roller 31B and the lower creasing roller 33B are positioned so that their horizontal positions match.

[0020] The upper creasing rollers 31A, 31B and the lower creasing rollers 33A, 33B are movable up and down in the vertical direction (V), and the distance between them can be adjusted.

[0021] The vertical creasing machine 30 may form vertical creases (VL) on only one of the front and back surfaces of the sheet S2, or may form vertical creases (VL) on both the front and back surfaces of the sheet S2. When forming vertical creases (VL) on only one of the front and back surfaces, the steel upper creasing rollers 31A and 31B have a convex shape on the outer periphery that can form vertical creases (VL). As an example, the upper creasing rollers 31A and 31B rotate passively, while the lower creasing rollers 33A and 33B rotate actively. Because the lower creasing rollers 33A and 33B receive the upper creasing rollers 31A and 31B, they need only be fixed to the conveying line in a position that holds the lower surface of the sheet S2. When forming vertical lines (VL) on both the front and back surfaces, the outer peripheries of the upper scoring rollers 31A, 31B and the lower scoring rollers 33A, 33B are provided with an uneven shape that can form vertical lines (VL).

[0022] [Horizontal Crisping Machine 40] The horizontal creasing machine 40 forms horizontal (W) creasing lines (horizontal creasing lines) on the sheet S2 on which the vertical creasing lines (VL) have been formed by the vertical creasing machine 30. The horizontal creasing machine 40 includes a horizontal creasing roller 41 that forms horizontal creasing lines (HL) on the sheet S2, and a support roller 43 that is disposed opposite the horizontal creasing roller 41 in the vertical direction (V). The horizontal creasing roller 41 includes a cylindrical roller body 41A and a creasing tool 41B fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the roller body 41A. The creasing tool 41B has a straight shape parallel to the central axis C41 of the horizontal creasing roller 41 and is fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the support roller 43. When forming horizontal lines (HL) on sheet S2 with line tool 41B, support roller 43 supports sheet S2 from below in the vertical direction (V), thereby supporting the formation of horizontal lines (HL) on sheet S2 by line tool 41B.

[0023] The horizontal creasing roller 41 and the support roller 43 are supported rotatably about their respective central axes C41 and C43, and sandwich the sheet S2 conveyed from the upstream (U) between them to form horizontal creases (HL) on the sheet S2. The horizontal creasing roller 41 is rotatable by the rotational driving force of an electric motor (not shown). By controlling the rotation of this electric motor, horizontal creases (HL) can be formed at desired positions on the sheet S2. The support roller 43 preferably rotates on its own axis, but may also rotate in response to an external force, i.e., rotate freely. The distance between the horizontal creasing roller 41 and the support roller 43 in the vertical direction (V) is preferably adjustable.

[0024] [Slot Forming Machine 50] The slot forming machine 50 forms slots (SL) in a sheet S2 with vertical creases (VL) and horizontal creases (HL). A slot (SL) refers to a grooved portion between each flap of a cardboard box. The slot forming machine 50 includes a pair of slot rollers 51, 51 aligned in the horizontal direction (W) to form slots (SL) in the sheet S2, and a support roller 53 positioned opposite the slot rollers 51, 51 in the vertical direction (V). Each slot roller 51 includes a cylindrical roller body 51A and a slot tool 51B fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the roller body 51A. The slot tool 51B has the same shape as the slot to be formed, and is parallel to or inclined at a small angle to the central axis C41 of the slot roller 51. It is fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the roller body 51A. When the slot tool 51B forms a slot (SL) in the sheet S2, the support roller 53 supports the sheet S2 from below in the vertical direction (V), thereby supporting the slot tool 51B in forming the slot in the sheet S2.

[0025] The slot forming machine 50 has a width (W) dimension that can form the slot (SL) required for the sheet S2 having the largest width (W) dimension, including the slot tool 51B.

[0026] The slot roller 51 and the support roller 53 are supported rotatably about their respective central axes C51 and C53, sandwiching the sheet S2 conveyed from the upstream (U) between them and forming a slot (SL) at a predetermined position in the sheet S2. The slot roller 51 is rotatable by the rotational driving force of an electric motor (not shown). It is preferable that the support roller 23 rotates on its own axis, but it may also rotate in response to an external force, i.e., rotate freely.

[0027] The slot roller 51 and the support roller 53 are preferably adjustable in the vertical direction (V) between them. This position change includes at least a change between a processing position where a slot is formed in the sheet S2 and a standby position where a slot is not formed in the sheet S2.

[0028] The pair of slot rollers 51, 51 are movable in the lateral direction (W) according to the dimensions of the sheet S2. One slot roller 51 forms a slot (SL) on one side of the lateral direction (W) of the sheet S2, and the other slot roller 51 forms a slot (SL) on the other side of the lateral direction (W) of the sheet S2. In contrast to the above, the support roller 53 is formed as an integral member having a dimension in the lateral direction (W) that allows it to support the pair of slot rollers 51, 51 that are furthest apart in the lateral direction (W).

[0029] Although only the formation of the slot (SL) in the sheet S2 has been mentioned above, the slot forming machine 50 may also be provided with a function for forming a seam. This is realized by providing the slot roller 51 with a tool for forming a seam.

[0030] [Trimming Machine 60] The trimming machine 60 cuts and removes excess portions from both sides of the sheet S2 in the width direction (W) on which vertical creases (VL), horizontal creases (HL), and slots (SL) have been formed. The trimming machine 60 includes upper trimming knives 61A and 61B positioned above the sheet S2 and lower trimming knives 63A and 63B positioned below the sheet material S1. The upper trimming knife 61A and the lower trimming knife 63A are positioned opposite each other in the vertical direction (V), and the upper trimming knife 61B and the lower trimming knife 63B are positioned opposite each other in the vertical direction (V). When the sheet S2 passes between the upper trimming knives 61A and 61B and the lower trimming knives 63A and 63B, the trimming machine 60 trims both sides of the sheet S2 to form a sheet with a predetermined width.

[0031] The upper trimming knives 61A, 61B and the lower trimming knives 63A, 63B are each independently movable in the lateral direction (W). This is to allow the lateral position (W) to be changed depending on the size of the sheet S2 to be trimmed. When forming a predetermined sheet width, the upper trimming knife 61A and the lower trimming knife 63A are positioned so that their lateral positions (W) match, and the upper trimming knife 61B and the lower trimming knife 63B are positioned so that their lateral positions (W) match.

[0032] [Conveying mechanism: 70] The processing section 10 is equipped with a conveying mechanism 70 that conveys the sheet material S1 and the sheet S2 from the sheet cutting machine 20 to the trimming machine 60. The conveying mechanism 70 is equipped with a plurality of pinch rollers. Specifically, they are as follows. The pinch rollers are rollers that convey the material while pressing it with a constant pressure in the thickness direction, and can accurately control the conveying position. It is preferable that each pinch roller is rotated by an electric motor (not shown), particularly a servo motor, with accurate rotation speed and rotation position. Upstream (U) of the sheet cutting machine 20: Pinch rollers 71, 72 Between the sheet cutting machine 20 and the vertical creasing machine 30: Pinch rollers 73, 74 Between the vertical creasing machine 30 and the horizontal creasing machine 40: Pinch rollers 75, 76 Between the horizontal creasing machine 40 and the slot forming machine 50: Pinch rollers 77, 78 Between the slot forming machine 50 and the trimming machine 60: Pinch rollers 79, 80

[0033] [Control unit 100] The control unit 100 controls the operation of each element of the processing unit 10 described above. In particular, in order to produce sheets S21, S22, etc. of different sizes, the control unit 100 holds various dimensional data relating to the sheets S21, S22, etc., and the control unit 100 controls the operation of each element of the processing unit 10 based on the held dimensional data.

[0034] [Operation of the sheet cutting device 1: See FIGS. 3 to 6] The following describes a procedure for producing a sheet S2 in which vertical lines (VL), horizontal lines (HL), and slots (SL) are formed from a sheet material S1 and excess portions are trimmed using the sheet cutting device 1. As an example, the following describes a procedure for producing a large-sized sheet S21 by cutting it out from the sheet material S1, followed by producing a small-sized sheet S22, and then producing a large-sized sheet S23.

[0035] [Cutting of Sheet S21: S1 and S2 in FIGS. 3 and 6] Processing unit 10 is prepared for producing sheet S21 in accordance with instructions from control unit 100. In particular, the distance between upper creasing rollers 31A, 31B and lower creasing rollers 33A, 33B of vertical creasing machine 30, the distance between slot rollers 51, 51 of slot forming machine 50, and the distance between upper trimming knives 61A, 61B and upper trimming knives 63A, 63B of trimming machine 60 are set to D30L, D50L, and D60L to accommodate the large-sized sheet S21.

[0036] When the conveyed sheet material S1 passes through the sheet cutter 20 and reaches a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction (L), the conveyance of the sheet material S1 is stopped, and the sheet material S1 is cut in the transverse direction (W) by the sheet cutter 20 to produce a sheet S21 (FIG. 3, S1). The conveyance and stopping of the sheet material S1, S21, etc. are initiated and stopped by driving and stopping the driving of the corresponding pinch rollers. The stopping of conveyance here is initiated by stopping the driving of pinch rollers 71 and 72 that had been driven for the sheet material S1, and by stopping the driving of pinch rollers 73 to 80 that had been driven for the sheet S21.

[0037] In addition to passing through the sheet cutting machine 20, part of the sheet S21 passes through the vertical creasing machine 30 and the horizontal creasing machine 40. Therefore, vertical lines (VL) and horizontal lines (HL) are formed in the part that has passed through.

[0038] Once the sheet S1 is cut to produce the sheet S21, the conveyance of the sheet S1 is temporarily stopped, but the sheet S21 continues to be conveyed downstream (D) (FIG. 3, S2). In addition to forming vertical creases (VL) and horizontal creases (HL), the sheet S21 also has slots (SL) formed by the slot forming machine 50. When the sheet S21 passes through the vertical creasing machine 30 (FIG. 3, S2), the horizontal (W) spacing between the upper creasing rollers 31A, 31B and the lower creasing rollers 33A, 33B of the vertical creasing machine 30 is narrowed to D30S to accommodate the next smaller-sized sheet S22 to be produced. The vertical creasing machine 30 is now ready to produce the sheet S22. This spacing change is in response to an instruction from the control unit 100. The dimensions D50L and D60L remain unchanged.

[0039] [Cutting of Sheet S22: S3 and S4 in FIGS. 4 and 6] After the horizontal (W) distance between the upper creasing rollers 31A, 31B and the lower creasing rollers 33A, 33B is changed to D30S, conveyance of the sheet material S1 is resumed (S3 in FIG. 4). When the sheet material S1 is conveyed to a predetermined position, it is cut by the sheet cutter 20 to obtain the sheet S22. At this stage, the sheet S21 is conveyed further downstream (D), passes through the horizontal creasing machine 40 and the slot forming machine 50, and partially passes through the trimming machine 60. Therefore, the sheet S21 has vertical creases (VL), horizontal creases (HL), slots (SL), and seams SM formed therein, and is also partially trimmed. When the sheet S21 passes through the slot forming machine 50, the widthwise (W) distance between the slot rollers 51, 51 of the slot forming machine 50 is narrowed from D50L to D50S to accommodate the sheet S22. The slot forming machine 50 is now ready to produce the sheet S22. This distance change is in response to an instruction from the control unit 100.

[0040] After the gap between the slot rollers 51, 51 of the slot forming machine 50 is narrowed, the sheet S22 reaches the slot rollers 51, 51. The sheet S22 passes through the vertical creasing machine 30 and reaches the slot forming machine 50 ( S4 in FIGS. 4 and 6 ). After the sheet S22 passes through the vertical creasing machine 30, the widthwise (W) gap between the upper creasing rollers 31A, 31B and the lower creasing rollers 33A, 33B of the vertical creasing machine 30 is widened to D30L to match the width of the sheet S23. The vertical creasing machine 30 is now ready to produce the sheet S23. This gap change is in response to an instruction from the control unit 100.

[0041] As the sheet S21 passes through the trimming machine 60, excess portions on both sides in the lateral direction (W) are cut and removed. After being cut by the sheet cutting machine 20, the sheet S21 passes through the trimming machine 60 without being stopped. The sheet S21 is conveyed out of the processing unit 10. As the sheet S21 passes through the trimming machine 60, the upper trimming knives 61A, 61B and the upper trimming knives 63A, 63B of the trimming machine 60 are narrowed from D60L to D60S to accommodate the next sheet S22. This change in spacing occurs between the time the sheet S21 passes through the trimming machine 60 and the time the next sheet S22 to be trimmed reaches the trimming machine 60. The sheet S21 can be conveyed at the same speed from the time it enters the sheet cutting machine 20 until it passes through the trimming machine 60.

[0042] [Cutting of Sheet S23: S5 and S6 in Figures 5 and 6] After the horizontal (W) distance between the upper creasing rollers 31A, 31B and the lower creasing rollers 33A, 33B is changed to D30L, conveyance of the sheet material S1 is resumed (S5 in Figure 5). When the sheet material S1 is conveyed to a predetermined position, it is cut by the sheet cutter 20 to obtain sheet S23. At this stage, the sheet S22 is conveyed further downstream (D), passing through the horizontal creasing machine 40 and the slotting machine 50, and partially passing through the trimming machine 60. Therefore, the sheet S21 has vertical creases (VL), horizontal creases (HL), and slots (SL), and is also partially trimmed. When the sheet S22 passes through the slotting machine 50, the horizontal (W) distance between the slotting rollers 51 of the slotting machine 50 is widened from D50S to D50L to accommodate the sheet S23. This completes preparations for producing the sheet S23 in the slot forming machine 50. The interval is changed in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 100.

[0043] After the spacing between the slot rollers 51 of the slot forming machine 50 has been widened, the sheet S23 reaches the slot rollers 51. The sheet S23 passes through the vertical creasing machine 30 and reaches the slot forming machine 50 (FIGS. 5 and 6, S6). When the sheet S22 passes through the vertical creasing machine 30, the horizontal (W) spacing between the upper creasing rollers 31A and 31B and the lower creasing rollers 33A and 33B of the vertical creasing machine 30 is narrowed to D30S to match the spacing between the sheet S23. The vertical creasing machine 30 is now ready to produce the sheet S24. This spacing change is in response to an instruction from the control unit 100.

[0044] As sheet S22 passes through trimming machine 60, excess material on both sides in the lateral direction (W) is cut and removed. After sheet S22 is cut by sheet cutting machine 20, it passes through trimming machine 60 without being stopped. Sheet S22 is discharged from processing unit 10. As sheet S22 passes through trimming machine 60, the width of upper trimming knives 61A, 61B and upper trimming knives 63A, 63B of trimming machine 60 is widened from D60S to D60L to accommodate the next sheet S23. This change in width occurs after sheet S23 passes through trimming machine 60 and before the next sheet S24 to be trimmed reaches trimming machine 60.

[0045] [Summary of Operation of Sheet Cutting Device 1] The summary of the operation of the sheet cutting device 1 described above is as follows. In the following description, the cardboard sheet (S21) that is cut out first will be referred to as the "preceding sheet," and the cardboard sheet (S22) that is cut out after the "preceding sheet" will be referred to as the "subsequent sheet." Note that the "subsequent sheet" is also the "preceding sheet" in relation to the cardboard sheet (S23) that is cut out next.

[0046] <Preceding Sheet> The first preceding sheet (S21) cut while being conveyed by the sheet cutter 20 continues to be conveyed. This conveyance speed can be kept constant. That is, for the preceding sheet (S21), operations from making vertical lines (VL) by the vertical creasing machine 30 to trimming by the trimming machine 60 are continuously performed while being conveyed.

[0047] <Subsequent Sheet> After the preceding sheet (S22) is cut by the sheet cutting machine 20, the conveyance of the sheet material S1 for producing the subsequent sheet (S22) is temporarily stopped, but when the horizontal spacing (W) of the vertical creasing machine 30 is changed, the conveyance of the sheet material S1 is resumed. After the conveyance is resumed, the operations from cutting by the sheet cutting machine 20 to trimming by the trimming machine 60 are continuously performed while the sheet material S1 is being conveyed.

[0048] <Spacing Change> In the cutting device 1, the spacing changes are made to the vertical creasing machine 30, the slot forming machine 50, and the trimming machine 60. In other words, the elements that require spacing changes are independent, so the distances at which the spacing changes are made are not restricted by each other. Moreover, when the sheet S2 passes through each of the vertical creasing machine 30 to the trimming machine 60, the spacing is changed without waiting for the spacing of the other elements to be changed. In this way, the spacing changes are made in stages with a time lag between the vertical creasing machine 30 to the trimming machine 60.

[0049] [Timing Chart: See FIG. 7] The above operations are summarized in the timing chart shown in FIG. 7. In the timing chart shown in FIG. 7, the operations of the sheet cutting machine 20 to the trimming machine 60 are shown, with the horizontal axis representing elapsed time T, and the hatched convex portions of the lines representing each operation indicate that the operation is being performed. Also, in FIG. 7, for example, the hollow convex portions of the lines indicate that the spacing is being changed. Furthermore, the conveying operations of the sheets S1 and S2 differ across the boundary between the sheet cutting machine 20 and the vertical creasing machine 30. That is, when the sheet material S1 is cut into sheets S2 by the sheet cutting machine 20 on the upstream side (U) of the sheet cutting machine 20, the conveying operations upstream (U) of the sheet cutting machine 20 are temporarily stopped, but on the downstream side (D) of the sheet cutting machine 20, the conveying operations continue without being stopped.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 7 , except for the stoppage of conveyance upstream (U), the sheet material S1 and sheet S2 are continuously processed by the sheet cutting machine 20, vertical creasing machine 30, horizontal creasing machine 40, slotting machine 50, and trimming machine 60. The vertical creasing machine 30, slotting machine 50, and trimming machine 60, which have spacing change functions, change the spacing immediately after performing the vertical creasing (VL), slotting, and trimming operations, respectively. After each spacing change, the next sheet S2 is processed. For example, after forming the vertical creasing (VL) on sheet No. 1 S2, the spacing is changed to match the size of sheet No. 2 S2 to be processed next. After forming the vertical creasing (VL) on sheet No. 2 S2, the spacing is changed to match the size of sheet No. 3 S2 to be processed next. Thereafter, similar vertical creasing (VL) and spacing changes are alternately repeated. Furthermore, slot formation and spacing change are alternately repeated in the slot forming machine 50, and trimming and spacing change are alternately repeated in the trimming machine 60. In this way, sheets S2 of different sizes can be efficiently produced.

[0051] [Effects of Sheet Cutting Device 1] <First Effect> The sheet cutting device 1 independently provides the vertical creasing machine 30 and the trimming machine 60, whose spacing in the horizontal direction (W) can be changed. Therefore, changing the spacing between the upper creasing rollers 31A, 31B and the lower creasing rollers 33A, 33B in the vertical creasing machine 30 does not restrict changing the spacing between the upper trimming knives 61A, 61B and the lower trimming knives 63A, 63B. Therefore, with the sheet cutting device 1, it is not necessary to replace tools such as the upper creasing rollers 31A, 31B, even for sheets S2 with significantly different dimensions.

[0052] For example, if two tools (for vertical scoring and trimming) are provided coaxially as in Patent Document 1, mechanical interference occurs when the tools move in the axial direction, limiting how close the vertical scoring and trimming positions can be. Referring to Figure 9, this mechanical interference places a restriction on the minimum dimension of the flap width H2, limiting the reduction of the dimension B1 (B2) in the figure. In other words, since H2 = B1 (B2) / 2, if there is a restriction on the flap width H2, it becomes impossible to produce a cardboard box with a small dimension B.

[0053] Moreover, according to the sheet cutting device 1, after the sheet S2 is cut by the sheet cutting machine 20, the conveyance of the sheet S2 continues at the same speed until it is trimmed by the trimming machine 60. Therefore, sheets S2 of different sizes can be produced in a short cycle time. In addition, because the conveyance can be carried out at a constant speed, there is no need for sudden acceleration or deceleration in the processes of the vertical creasing machine 30, the horizontal creasing machine 40, the slot forming machine 50, and the trimming machine 60, thereby achieving high processing accuracy.

[0054] <Second Effect> The sheet cutting device 1 is provided with the vertical creasing machine 30, the slot forming machine 50, and the trimming machine 60 independently, and when the sheet S2 passes through, the spacing can be changed in each machine in turn. Therefore, with the sheet cutting device 1, the spacing can be changed without waiting for the spacing of other machines to be changed, so that the device can quickly be prepared to receive the following sheets.

[0055] <Third Effect> The positions of the sheet cutting device 20 to the trimming device 60 that make up the sheet cutting device 1 in the longitudinal direction (L) are fixed. Therefore, according to the sheet cutting device 1, the dimension in the longitudinal direction (L) can be reduced.

[0056] <Fourth Effect> The sheet cutting device 1, consisting of the sheet cutter 20 to the slot former 50, can each independently move up and down in the vertical direction (V). Therefore, simply by switching between different thickness directions and feeding different sheet materials S1, it is possible to cut out sheets S2 of different thicknesses. In contrast, if two tools are coaxially arranged, as in Patent Document 1, it is not easy to accommodate sheets S2 of different thicknesses. One tool has conflicting characteristics: the vertical (V) position of one tool must be adjusted according to the thickness of the sheet S2, while the vertical (V) position of the other tool is preferably maintained constant. For example, if the vertical (V) position of a tool for creating creases (vertical and horizontal) in the sheet S2 is not adjusted according to its thickness, the creases required for folding may not be formed. Conversely, if the creases are too deep, the sheet S2 may tear along the creases. For example, a cutting tool may cut by inserting a knife into a support roller. It is preferable that the knife penetration depth be constant even if the thickness of the sheet S2 varies. If the penetration depth is large, the support roller will wear out quickly, and if the penetration depth is small, poor cutting of the sheet S2 may occur. Therefore, if two tools with opposing characteristics are provided coaxially, it will be necessary to replace the tools with different specifications, making it difficult to accommodate sheets S2 of different thicknesses.

[0057] In addition to the above, it is possible to select and discard the configurations described in the above embodiments, or to change to other configurations as appropriate. For example, in the above embodiments, an example was shown in which the sheets S21 to S23 all have different dimensions, but in the present disclosure, when cutting out and processing sheets S2 of the same dimensions in succession, the next sheet S2 is received while maintaining the intervals between the vertical creasing machine (30), the slot forming machine 50, and the trimming machine 60.

[0058] Furthermore, the order of the sheet cutting machine 20 to the trimming machine 60 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 1. For example, the order of the horizontal creasing machine 40 and the vertical creasing machine 30 can be reversed as shown on the left side of Fig. 8, or the order of the trimming machine 60 and the slot forming machine 50 can be reversed as shown on the right side of the same figure.

[0059] <Additional Notes> The present disclosure can be understood as follows: [Additional Note 1] A sheet cutting device (1) includes a sheet cutting machine (20) that cuts a sheet material (S1) in a horizontal direction (W) perpendicular to a conveying direction (TD) to divide the sheet (S2), a vertical creasing machine (30) that forms vertical creases (VL) in the sheet (S2) in a vertical direction (L) parallel to the conveying direction (TD), a slot forming machine (50) that forms slots (SL) in the sheet (S2) on which the vertical creases (VL) have been formed, and a trimming machine (60) that cuts both sides of the horizontal direction (W) of the sheet (S2) on which the slots (SL) have been formed in the vertical direction (L) to trim the sheet, and the vertical creasing machine (30) includes a pair of vertical creasing rollers (31A, 31B) that are spaced apart in the horizontal direction (W) and that are independently movable in the horizontal direction (W). The slot forming machine (50) comprises a pair of slot rollers (51, 51) spaced apart in the horizontal direction (W) and each independently movable in the horizontal direction (W), and the trimming machine (60) comprises a pair of trimming knives (61A, 61B) spaced apart in the horizontal direction (W) and each independently movable in the horizontal direction (W). [Supplementary Note 2] In the vertical creasing machine (30) of Supplementary Note 1, preferably, after the pair of vertical creasing rollers (31A, 31B) form the pair of vertical creasing lines (VL) in the sheet (S2), the gap between the pair of vertical creasing rollers (31A, 31B) is changed or maintained. [Supplementary Note 3] In the slot forming machine (50) of Supplementary Note 1 or Supplementary Note 2, preferably, after forming the plurality of slots (SL) in the sheet (S2) with the pair of slot rollers (51, 51), the interval between the pair of slot rollers (51, 51) is changed or maintained. [Supplementary Note 4] In the trimming machine (60) of any of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3, preferably, after performing trimming with the pair of trimming knives (61A, 61B), the interval between the pair of trimming knives (61A, 61B) is changed or maintained.[Supplementary Note 5] The sheet (S2) after being cut by the sheet cutting machine (20) of any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 4 preferably passes through the vertical creasing machine (30), the slot forming machine (50), and the trimming machine (60) without stopping, and the processes of forming vertical creases (VL), forming slots (SL), and trimming are performed in that order. [Supplementary Note 6] In any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 5, preferably, conveyance of the sheet material (S1) from which the sheet (S2) has been cut by the sheet cutting machine (20) is temporarily stopped, and after the spacing between the pair of vertical creasing rollers (31A, 31B) is changed in the vertical creasing machine (30), conveyance of the sheet material (S1) is resumed, and the sheet material (S1) is cut by the sheet cutting machine (20). [Appendix 7] In any of Appendices 1 to 6, preferably, a horizontal creasing machine (40) that forms horizontal creases (HL) in the horizontal direction (W) of the sheet (S2) is provided between the sheet cutting machine (20) and the vertical creasing machine (30), or between the vertical creasing machine (30) and the slot forming machine (50). [Appendix 8] In any of Appendices 1 to 7, preferably, the sheet cutting machine (20), the vertical creasing machine (30), the horizontal creasing machine (40), the slot forming machine (50), and the trimming machine (60) are fixed in position in the conveying direction (TD). [Appendix 9] In any of Appendices 1 to 8, preferably, the pair of vertical creasing rollers (31A, 31B), the pair of slot rollers (51, 51), and the pair of trimming knives (61A, 61B) are movable up and down in the vertical direction (V).

[0060] 1 Sheet cutting device 10 Processing unit 20 Sheet cutting machine 21 Cutting roller 21A Roller body 21B Cutting tool 23 Support roller 30 Vertical creasing machine 31A, 31B Upper creasing roller 33A, 33B Lower creasing roller 40 Horizontal creasing machine 41 Horizontal creasing roller 41A Roller body 41B Crease tool 43 Support roller 50 Slot forming machine 51 Slot roller 51A Roller body 51B Slot tool 53 Support roller 60 Trimming machine 61A, 61B Upper trimming knife 63A, 63B Lower trimming knife 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80 Pinch roller 100 Control unit

Claims

1. A sheet cutting device comprising: a sheet cutting machine which cuts sheet material in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the conveying direction to divide the sheet; a vertical creasing machine which forms vertical lines in the sheet in a vertical direction parallel to the conveying direction; a slot forming machine which forms slots in the sheet on which the vertical lines have been formed; and a trimming machine which cuts both horizontal sides of the sheet on which the slots have been formed in the vertical direction to trim the sheet, wherein the vertical creasing machine comprises a pair of vertical creasing rollers spaced apart in the horizontal direction and each of which can move independently in the horizontal direction; the slot forming machine comprises a pair of slot rollers spaced apart in the horizontal direction and each of which can move independently in the horizontal direction; and the trimming machine comprises a pair of trimming knives spaced apart in the horizontal direction and each of which can move independently in the horizontal direction.

2. The sheet cutting device according to claim 1, wherein in the vertical creasing machine, after the pair of vertical creasing rollers form the pair of vertical creasing lines on the sheet, the distance between the pair of vertical creasing rollers is changed or maintained.

3. The sheet cutting device according to claim 1, wherein in the slot forming machine, after forming a plurality of the slots in the sheet by the pair of the slot rollers, the distance between the pair of the slot rollers is changed or maintained.

4. The sheet cutting device according to claim 1, wherein in the trimming machine, after the trimming is performed by the pair of trimming knives, the interval between the pair of trimming knives is changed or maintained.

5. A sheet cutting device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sheet after being cut by the sheet cutting machine passes through the vertical creasing machine, the slot forming machine and the trimming machine without stopping, so that the processes of forming the vertical creasing lines, forming the slots and trimming are carried out in order.

6. A sheet cutting device as described in claim 5, wherein conveyance of the sheet material from which the sheet has been cut by the sheet cutting machine is temporarily stopped, and in the vertical creasing machine, after the distance between a pair of vertical creasing rollers is changed, conveyance of the sheet material is resumed, and the sheet material is cut by the sheet cutting machine.

7. The sheet cutting device according to claim 1, further comprising a horizontal creasing machine disposed between the sheet cutting machine and the vertical creasing machine, or between the vertical creasing machine and the slot forming machine, for forming horizontal lines in the horizontal direction of the sheet.

8. The sheet cutting device according to claim 7, wherein the sheet cutting machine, the vertical creasing machine, the horizontal creasing machine, the slot forming machine and the trimming machine are fixed in position in the conveying direction.

9. The sheet cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the pair of vertical creasing rollers, the pair of slot rollers, and the horizontal creasing rollers constituting a horizontal creasing machine that forms horizontal creasing lines in the horizontal direction of the sheet are capable of being raised and lowered in the vertical direction.

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