Magazine for Temporarily Storing Flat-Folded and Upright Standing Package Sleeves for Supplying a Downstream Filling Machine with the Package Sleeves

Abstract

A magazine for temporarily storing at least one package sleeve group having a plurality of flat-folded and upright standing package sleeves and for equipping an unfolding device for the package sleeves following the magazine is represented and described, comprising a supply side supplying the package sleeves, a removal side arranged in a transport direction of the package sleeve group behind the supply side and at least one transport unit movable forwards and backwards along the transport direction to transport the package sleeve group from the supply side to the removal side. In order to ensure the uniform supply of the subsequent unfolding device and therefore to increase the productivity of the subsequent filling machine and also to achieve a constructively simple and simultaneously cost-effective configuration of the magazine, which can also be flexibly applied to different package sleeve sizes, it is proposed that the transport unit has at least two slide elements, arranged opposite one another and in each case resting at least partially on one side of the package sleeves, to align the package sleeves.

Description

The present invention relates to a magazine for temporarily storing at least one package sleeve group having a plurality of flat-folded and upright standing package sleeves and for equipping an unfolding device for the package sleeves following the magazine, comprising a supply side supplying the package sleeves, a removal side arranged in a transport direction of the package sleeve group behind the supply side and at least one transport unit movable forwards and backwards along the transport direction to transport the package sleeve group from the supply side to the removal side.

Package sleeves serve as semi-finished products for manufacturing foodstuff or beverage packages. Package sleeves are manufactured from flat blanks and can for example be manufactured by folding the blank and fusing or adhering a seam. A blank B known from the prior art is represented in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B shows a package sleeve P manufactured in the manner described.

Such a package sleeve is characterised in that it is sealed on a longitudinal side, but is open on two opposing sides. The package sleeve is supported in a flat-folded manner and for further transport, for example for further transport to a different location for the purpose of filling or manufacturing the finished package, is packed in so-called outer packages.

To this end, a plurality of package sleeves is generally flat-folded in a row and then combined as a package sleeve group in the outer package and transported further. The package sleeve group has to be unpacked (again) out of the outer package upon arrival at its intended location, for example the location of filling the beverage packages and the flat-folded package sleeves are generally firstly supplied to an unfolding device of a filling machine.

The magazine, to be further developed in the present case, for temporarily storing at least one package sleeve group having a plurality of flat-folded and upright standing package sleeves and for equipping an unfolded device for the package sleeve following the magazine also serves this purpose. Such a magazine for a filling machine is for example known from WO 2014/128224 A1.

In this case, the package sleeves are supplied upright to a supply side of the magazine either organised individually or preferably combined in a package sleeve group. The upright standing package sleeves are arranged for transport by the magazine such that they point with their two open sides in each case upwards or downwards, while the side having the closed longitudinal seam points to the side.

The package sleeve group is then conveyed from the supply side along a transport direction to a removal side of the magazine. The package sleeves are regularly removed separately at the removal side of the magazine arranged accordingly in the transport direction of the package sleeve group behind the supply side. Further processing stations can be provided adjoining the removal side. An unfolding device for individual package sleeves can in particular be arranged there in which an individual, flat-folded package sleeve is unfolded, then sealed on one side and therefore prepared for the subsequent step of filling.

The magazine has at least one transport unit movable forwards and backwards along the transport direction to transport the package sleeve group from the supply side to the removal side. The transport unit accordingly serves to convey the supplied package sleeves combined in the package sleeve group through the magazine. In this case, the transport unit can be moved forwards along the transport direction in order to transport an initially supplied first package sleeve group in the direction of the removal side. The transport unit can also be moved backwards along the transport direction in order to receive further package sleeves at the supply side and to transport them as a second or further package sleeve group in the direction of the removal side. The movability of the transport unit can be both automatically and individually driven, for example by means of a drive system such as a spring, a weight, a motor or also produced manually. The transport direction generally runs perpendicular to the upright standing package sleeves.

In the case of conventional magazines for temporarily storing the package sleeves and for equipping a subsequent unfolding device, the problem may occur when equipping the magazine itself with further package sleeves to be transported that the package sleeves subsequently supplied to the magazine have a lateral offset to the package sleeves previously supplied. A lateral offset is understood as successive package sleeves not being arranged one behind another approximately congruently. The package sleeves are offset such that in a direction of vision to the upright standing package sleeves in each case one of its lateral edges protrudes to the side over the package sleeve lying there before or behind. Accordingly, instead of a lateral offset, a horizontal lateral offset is also mentioned.

The lateral offset can also develop between individual successive package sleeves inside a package sleeve group previously repackaged together. This can for example come down to the fact that a repackaged package sleeve group is generally released after unpacking and when supplying to the magazine, i.e. the package sleeves are no longer held tightly resting on one another by the pressure exerted on them by means of the outer package. As a result, the individual successive package sleeves can be pushed towards one another.

It is desirable to avoid this lateral offset between successive package sleeves inside the magazine since such an offset can lead to problems when removing the individual package sleeves at the removal side. However, such an offset can prevent transport of the successive package sleeves that is as resistance free as possible. Due to the problems on the removal side of the magazine or when transporting the packaging sleeves, uniform and friction-less equipping of the unfolding device arranged after the magazine is not satisfactorily ensured. As a result, bottlenecks can result when supplying the filling machine with package sleeves. Overall, the productivity of the subsequent filling machine is limited as a result.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to design and further develop the magazine mentioned in the introduction to temporarily store at least one package sleeve group having a plurality of flat-folded and upright standing package sleeves and to equip an unfolding device for the package sleeve following the magazine such that the uniform supply of the subsequent unfolding device is ensured and therefore the productivity of the subsequent filling machine is increased. It is also desired to achieve a constructively simple and also cost-effective configuration of the magazine which can also be applied flexibly to different package sleeve sizes.

This object is achieved in the case of a magazine with the features of the preamble of claim 1 such that the transport unit has at least two slide elements arranged opposite one another and in each case resting at least partially on one side of the package sleeves to align the package sleeves.

The present invention recognised that the uniform supply of the subsequent unfolding device of the filling machine can be ensured when the alignment of the package sleeves in the magazine itself is carried out after equipping the magazine with the package sleeves. The removal of the individual package sleeves can take place in a simpler manner and therefore also more quickly when the package sleeves are aligned on the removal side of the magazine. The productivity of the subsequent unfolding device of the filling machine can be increased.

To this end, the present transport unit to transport the package sleeve group from the supply side to the removal side is equipped, in a constructively particularly simple manner, with an alignment means. This alignment means in the form of the opposing slide elements ensures that successive package sleeves, which have a horizontal lateral offset to one another, no longer have a horizontal lateral offset to one another after they have passed the slide elements. The slide elements are, to this end, arranged such that they align successive package sleeves, arranged in the transport direction before the slide elements and having a horizontal lateral offset to one another, to package sleeves, arranged behind the slide elements as substantially congruently behind one another, substantially without a horizontal lateral offset to one another.

The slide elements are in this case assigned to the transport unit, they are thus movable in particular together with said transport unit along the transport direction. As a result, a constructively simple solution is provided since the alignment means does not require a separate unit inside the magazine in the form of the slide elements, and it would be necessary to consider the movable transport unit in order to avoid for example collisions with the same.

An effective alignment of the package sleeves caused from two opposing sides can be exerted by the slide elements resting laterally on the package sleeves to be aligned and a uniform removal of the individual package sleeves at the removal side of the magazine can be achieved by the alignment of the package sleeves. The slide elements can in this case rest in each case approximately on the entire side of the package sleeves. However, they preferably rest only at roughly half the height on the package sleeve, since the friction can be reduced as a result. The force transmitted to the package sleeves during the alignment due to friction can be reduced further when the slide elements are formed in each case in multiple parts, for example as a plurality of runners and for example rest above and below only on two points in each case laterally on the package sleeve to be aligned. In this case, a multi-part slide element having for example a plurality of runners can also be formed in one part.

In regards to the arrangement of the successive package sleeves after the passage of the slide elements, arranged substantially congruently behind one another and aligned or substantially without a horizontal lateral offset to one another are understood such that in the case of successive package sleeves, rear package sleeves protruding laterally behind the first package sleeves cannot be discerned when viewed with the naked eye from a direction of vision in the transport direction to package sleeves. In this case, this is in particular not due to the fact that the horizontal lateral offset is precisely zero in the mathematical sense.

According to a first preferred configuration of the magazine according to the invention, the slide elements can be formed in an interchangeable manner. In this manner, a magazine that is as flexible as possible can be provided which can be modified without significant effort to different package sleeve sizes. The slide elements can in particular be attached to the transport unit for this purpose with conventional connection means, such as for example screw connections.

When, alternatively or additionally, the slide elements in each case have a bearing region running substantially parallel to the transport direction and an alignment region tapering in the transport direction, with a distance of the opposing arranged slide elements, tapering perpendicular to the transport direction, decreasing from the alignment region to the bearing region, an effective alignment of the package sleeves can take place by the slide elements. Accordingly, the uniform removal of package sleeves from the magazine is ensured and the productivity of the subsequent filling machine is increased. The alignment region of the sliding elements is located viewed in the transport direction with regard to the magazine behind the supply side and before the removal side, the bearing region of the slide elements is located viewed in the same direction behind said region, i.e. behind the alignment region. A continuous, uniform alignment gentle to the package sleeves is achieved via the tapering of the slide elements via the alignment region.

According to a further configuration of the invention, a slide rod running substantially parallel to the transport direction can be provided and the transport unit can have a slide carriage movable forwards and backwards on the slide rod. In this manner, moving the transport unit inside the magazine is enabled in a constructively simple manner. The slide carriage can be driven individually by for example a drive system such as a motor being integrated. Furthermore, the slide carriage can also be driven passively by the slide carriage being pushed or moved forwards and backwards externally.

Alternatively or additionally, the transport unit can have at least two feed doors, with the feed doors in a close state resting at the rear side on the last package sleeve of the package sleeve group to be transported and being configured to feed the package sleeve group to be transported in the transport direction and with the feed doors in an opened state being configured to enable a supply of package sleeves to be transported between the feed doors. In this manner, the magazine can be easily equipped with further package sleeves to be transported. The feed doors are preferably provided on the rear side in the transport unit when viewed in the transport direction. Moving the transport unit backwards counter to the transport direction can cause the feed doors to open in the opened state, at which point, as soon as the transport unit is moved to behind the package sleeves to be subsequently transported, the feed doors change again into the closed state. The transport of the newly received package sleeves, including the still present package sleeves, is then possible in the transport direction by the transport unit moving forth along the transport direction once again. In order to equip the magazine with further package sleeves, they can be easily actively supplied to magazine along the transport direction. Alternatively, the package sleeves are provided passively and then the transport unit moved backwards counter to the transport direction such that the package sleeves to be transported are collected and received by the transport unit when moving backwards.

In order to enable a constructively simple configuration of the magazine, the feed doors can also be pivotable from the closed state into the opened state and back.

If the transport unit also has, for each feed door, a spring forcing the feed doors into the closed state by means of a restoring force, the magazine is constructively further simplified and the conveying of the package sleeve is further automated and facilitated. In this case, the feed doors are preferably pivotable into the opened state counter to the restoring force of the respective springs such that they can be forcibly pivoted back into the closed state by the restoring force of the respective springs.

According to a further configuration of the invention, the transport unit can have an access opening, formed by a U-shaped frame arranged in the transport direction before the package sleeve group to be transported, for the supply of package sleeves to be transported. As a result, a compact and also stable structure of the transport unit is achieved. In this case, the U-shaped frame can for example be formed of two opposing limbs arranged in each case on one side of the package sleeves and of a horizontal support connecting the two limbs above the package sleeves.

When the feed doors are also arranged, in the closed state, resting on an end face of a horizontal support of the U-shaped frame pointing in the transport direction, a constructively simple configuration of the transport unit is achieved. The feed doors can be easily secured in the closed state by the horizontal support of the U-shaped frame and held in the closed state. In the case of the embodiment with springs to pivot the feed doors in the closed state, the horizontal support can stop the closing movement of the feed doors resulting from the restoring force of the springs.

In order to align the successive package sleeves even more uniformly, the horizontal support of the U-shaped frame can also have a slide element pointing towards the bottom in the direction of the package sleeves to compensate for a vertical height offset of successive package sleeves.

According to another preferred configuration of the invention, in each case a stop stopping the transport unit after a maximum forward movement in the transport direction can be provided on the removal side on each transport unit. In this manner, the operational safety of the magazine can be increased. In addition, the automation of the magazine and therefore also the productivity of the subsequent unfolding device or filling machine can be further increased by the transport unit being automatically stopped at the end of its movement path. The stop can preferably be supported by means of a spring such that the impact of the transport unit moving to the end of the transport direction is cushioned.

When the stop is also arranged such that the transport unit impacts against the stop to stop after a maximum forward movement in the transport direction by means of the slide carriage, a constructively simple and particularly compact structure of the magazine is achieved. Therefore, additional elements to stop the transport unit after a maximum forward movement in the transport direction can be dispensed with on the transport unit side. To this end, the stop can also preferably be arranged on the slide rail itself at the end of the movement path when viewed in the transport direction.

In order to ensure a simple, low-friction transport of the package sleeves and therefore to further increase the productivity of the subsequent filling machine, in each case at least one slide rail running from the supply side to the removal side along the transport direction can, alternatively or additionally, be provided for each transport unit as a support for the package sleeves to be transported. Two slide rails are preferably provided. The slide rails are preferably arranged below the package sleeves to be transported such that the package sleeves transported by the magazine slide on the slide rails along the transport direction.

According to a further configuration of the invention, in each case two lateral boundary rails arranged opposite one another and in each case on one side of the package sleeves can be provided. In this manner, the operational safety of the magazine can be further increased. Thus, for the case where a new lateral offset of the package sleeves results after the actual alignment of the package sleeves due to external influences, this new deflection of the package sleeves is limited by the lateral boundary rails. The operation of the magazine accordingly does not have to be stopped such that overall the supply of the subsequent unfolding device is still ensured.

When the bearing region of the slide elements has an oversized portion, pointing perpendicular to the transport direction and in the direction of the package sleeves, compared to the corresponding lateral boundary rail, a uniform alignment of the package sleeves is still ensured by the alignment means in the form of the slide elements. The lateral boundary rails can only enter into contact with the package sleeves in the described case of failure such that in the normal case the slide elements alone are responsible for the ultimate positioning of the package sleeves.

In order to simplify the supply of further package sleeves to the magazine and therefore to further increase the productivity of the subsequent unfolding device through a continuous equipping, the lateral boundary rails can, alternatively or additionally, have a tapering region running in the transport direction on the supply side. The package sleeves to be supplied to the magazine can then also be supplied with less care via a wider inlet region of the lateral boundary rails such that the supply operation can be carried out more quickly and therefore the continuous removal at the removal side of the magazine can be ensured. Then, a first pre-alignment of the package sleeves results through the tapering region of the lateral boundary rails, before the actual alignment by the slide elements of the transport unit takes place.

According to a further teaching of the invention, in each case a clamp device can be provided on the supply side on each transport unit, with the clamp device having a retaining hook engaging a stopper provided on the transport unit. As a result, the equipping of the magazine by means of new package sleeve can be simplified and accordingly the supply of the subsequent unfolding device can be ensured. Thus, the transport unit can be easily held on the supply side by means of the clamp device in its starting position. This can, on the one hand, serve to equip the magazine through simply pushing package sleeves or increase the operational safety by it being possible to secure a transport unit in its starting position to stop the operation. Alternatively, the clamp device can also be configured such that it is provided on the transport unit together with a retaining hook and can engage a stopper provided on the supply side.

When the stopper is also arranged on the slide carriage of the transport unit, a constructively simple and particularly compact structure of the magazine is achieved. Additional elements to provide the stopper and therefore to hold the transport unit in the starting position can then be dispensed with on the transport unit side.

Lastly, according to a further configuration of the invention, each transport unit can be driven by means of a rope pull system. As a result, a constructively simple drive system can be implemented for the forward movement of the transport unit and therefore the transport of the package sleeves.

The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of a drawing representing merely preferred exemplary embodiments. In the drawing is shown:

FIG. 1A a blank known from the prior art for manufacturing a package sleeve,

FIG. 1B a package sleeve known from the prior art, which is formed from the blank represented in FIG. 1A, in the flat-folded state,

FIG. 2 a magazine according to the invention for temporarily storing flat-folded and upright standing package sleeves and equipping an unfolding device following the magazine in a perspective view,

FIG. 3A the magazine according to the invention from FIG. 2 in a side view

FIG. 3B the magazine according to the invention from FIG. 3A in a plan view from the direction III B in FIG. 3A,

FIG. 3C the detail view III C of the magazine according to the invention from FIG. 3B,

FIG. 3D the detail view III D of the magazine according to the invention from FIG. 3B, and

FIG. 4 the transport unit of the magazine according to the invention in a perspective view.

A blank B known from the prior art is represented in FIG. 1A, from which a package sleeve P can be formed. The blank B can comprise a plurality of layers of different materials, for example paper, cardboard, plastic or metal, in particular aluminium and is generally laminated. The blank B has a plurality of fold lines which should facilitate the folding of the blank B and divide the blank B into a plurality of surfaces. A package sleeve P can be formed from the blank B by the blank B being folded such that a sealing surface C to be discerned on the right side of the blank B is connected, in particular sealed with the left edge of the blank B.

A package sleeve P known from the prior art, folded and sealed in the above-described manner having a longitudinal seam is represented in the flat-folded state in FIG. 1B. In the flat-folded state, a plurality of package sleeves P can be combined in a particularly space-saving manner into one unit, in particular placed upright and in a line beside one another, for example organised together in a package sleeve group G not represented in this figure. The package sleeves P are for example combined at the location of manufacture and transported in batches to their intended location, such as the filling operation. The package sleeves P can be supplied to a filling machine there. The package sleeves P have to firstly be unfolded by an unfolding device in order to be able to later fill them with a product, for example a liquid foodstuff. The upright standing package sleeves P to be combined into batches and transported further are open on two opposing sides, in the representation according to FIG. 1B at the top and bottom.

A magazine according to the invention for temporarily storing at least one package sleeve group G having a plurality of flat-folded and upright standing package sleeves P not represented here and for equipping an unfolding device for package sleeves P not represented and following the magazine is represented in FIG. 2. The magazine serves, on the one hand, to transport individual, lined up, upright standing package sleeves P which can be transported arranged successively in the magazine in a package sleeve group G not represented. To this end, the magazine has a supply side 1 receiving the package sleeves P via which the package sleeves P can be supplied individually or combined in groups. The upright standing package sleeves P are conveyed in the magazine along the transport direction T from the supply side 1 to a removal side 2. The removal side 2 can for example correspond to a subsequent unfolding device of a filling machine or adjoin such an unfolding device on the removal side 2 in which the flat-folded package sleeves P are removed individually and unfolded. The magazine serves, on the other hand, also to temporarily store the package sleeves P before they can be supplied individually to the subsequent unfolding device of the filling machine. In this respect, the magazine provides a type of buffer such that permanent equipping of the unfolding device or filling machine P with package sleeves P takes place.

In order to transport the package sleeves P not represented, the magazine has at least one transport unit 3 which can move forwards and backwards along the transport direction T.

The exemplary embodiment represented and in this respect preferred has four transport units 3 arranged in parallel. In order to advance the individual transport units 3 independently, the magazine also has a slide rod 4 for each transport unit 3 and each transport unit 3 itself has a slide carriage 5 which comprises the slide rod 4 and is configured to slide on the slide rod 4. A rope pull system can for example be provided to drive the slide carriage 5 which is connected to the slide carriage 5 such that it is moved forward along the transport direction T by weights provided in the rope pull system such that the downstream unfolding device is uniformly supplied with package sleeves P. Alternatively, the slide carriage 5 could also have a motor as the drive system. Exemplary embodiments with a lower or higher number of transport units 3 arranged in parallel, for example six transport units 3 arranged in parallel may also be preferred.

Lastly, the transport unit 3 still comprises a U-shaped frame 6 which is connected to the slide carriage 5. In this manner, the U-shaped frame 6 together with the slide carriage 5 can move forwards and backwards along the transport direction T. The U-shaped frame 6 open at the bottom also forms an access opening 7 through which package sleeves P can be pushed to equip the magazine.

The package sleeves P are received in the magazine on the supply side 1, by firstly being supplied to a tapering region 8. The tapering region 8 tapers in the direction of the transport direction T such that package sleeves P supplied here already undergo a first alignment. The package sleeves P are then transported on slide rails 9 by the magazine. Furthermore, lateral boundary rails 10 are provided which limit an undesired lateral deflection of package sleeves P behind the transport unit 3. The described tapering regions 8 are part of the lateral boundary rails 10 in the exemplary embodiment represented and in this respect preferred.

A stop 11 is also provided in each case on the removal side 2 for each transport unit 3. The stop 11 serves to stop the transport unit 3 after a maximum forward movement of the transport unit 3 in the transport direction T. To this end, the transport unit 3 impacts on the stop 11 by means of the slide carriage 5 which is provided with a spring to cushion the impact. In this case, the stop 11 together with the spring surrounds the slide rod 4.

The magazine from FIG. 2 is represented in a side view in FIG. 3A. In this case, the package sleeves P organized in a package sleeve group G are aligned on the removal side 2 of the magazine in a state arranged substantially congruently behind one another. In other words, the package sleeves P have on the removal side 2 no horizontal lateral offset to one another which leads back to the fact that the package sleeves P are located behind the transport unit 3 having the slide elements when viewed in the transport direction T. Even if the package sleeves P have been previously supplied to the supply side 1 of the magazine with a horizontal lateral offset, this is compensated once again by the slide elements on the removal side 2 of the magazine. For the sake of clarity, only one package sleeve group G arranged behind the transport unit 3 is represented, while a representation of further package sleeves P supplied to the magazine has been dispensed with.

As already described, the transport unit 3 can be moved forwards and backwards on the slide rod 4 along the transport direction T with the slide carriage 5. To this end, the transport unit 3 can be driven externally, for example by means of a rope pull system not represented, which implements an automatic feed of the transport unit 3 along the transport direction T via weights. The transport unit 3 can then be moved backwards manually via a grip element 12 counter to the transport direction T.

In order to secure the transport unit 3 in a starting position on the supply side 1, a clamp device 13 is provided on the supply side 1. To this end, the clamp device 13 has a retaining hook 14 which engages a stopper 15 provided on the transport unit 3 on the slide carriage 5 and can therefore hold the transport unit 3.

FIG. 3B shows the magazine from FIG. 3A in the plan view from the direction III B in FIG. 3A. In this case, in addition to the package sleeve group G arranged behind the transport unit 3, further package sleeves P′ subsequently supplied to the magazine can also be represented. They are package sleeves P′ arranged before the transport unit 3 when viewed in the transport direction T and partly having a horizontal lateral offset to one another.

The transport unit 3 has two slide elements 16 to align these package sleeves P′. The two slide elements 16 are arranged opposite one another in each case partially resting on one side of the package sleeves P′. To this end, the slide elements 16 have in each case a bearing region 17 which runs parallel to the transport direction T. Furthermore, the slide elements 16 in each case have an alignment region 18 which tapers in the transport direction T. In other words, the slight distance, running perpendicular to the transport direction T, of both slide elements arranged opposing one another decreases from the alignment region 18 to the bearing region 17.

The package sleeves P′ supplied in an unaligned manner to the magazine are aligned by passing the slide elements 16 namely firstly pre-aligned by the alignment region 18 and then definitively aligned by the bearing region 17. As a result, the package sleeves P″ arranged behind the slide elements 16 are aligned package sleeves P″ which are arranged substantially congruently behind one another and do not have any horizontal lateral offset to one another.

Every transport unit 3 has two feed doors 19 which are represented in a closed state. In the closed state, the feed doors 19 rest at the rear side on the last package sleeve P′ of the package sleeve group G to be transported such that the feed doors 19 are moved forwards along the transport direction T by the feeding of the transport unit 3 along the transport direction T and the package sleeve group G arranged before the feed doors 19 and resting thereon is moved forwards along the transport direction T. The feed doors 19 are attached to two limbs 20 of the U-shaped frame 6, with the one limb 20 also being connected to the slide carriage 5. In this manner, the feeding of the slide carriage 5 to the package sleeve group G to be transported is transferred.

The feed doors 19 are configured so as to be pivotable about vertical axes and namely such that they can be pivoted in an opened state not represented. This opened state allows the feeding of further package sleeves P′ to be transported. The package sleeves P′ can be received by the transport unit 3 for transport by being pushed either along the transport direction T or by the transport unit 3 being moved backwards counter to the transport direction T. The feed doors 19 represented in the closed state are pivoted into the opened state through this active or passive passing of the package sleeves P′ to be fed. In this case, the restoring force provided by springs 21 provided in the feed doors 19 must be overcome. After the transport unit 3 has passed the package sleeves P′ to be fed counter to the transport direction T, the feed doors 19 are then once against pivoted back into the closed state by the restoring force of the springs 21 and cause the secure support of the package sleeve group G from behind.

Through the backwards movement of the transport unit 3 and the associated passing of the package sleeves P′ to be aligned, the slide elements 16 are also simultaneously passed by the package sleeves P′ such that the alignment of the unaligned package sleeves P′ to the aligned package sleeves P″ takes place as a result.

The slide elements 16 are in each case attached to lateral flanks 22 of the transport unit 3. The lateral flanks 22 extend from the limbs 20 of the U-shaped frame 6 parallel to the transport direction T. The slide elements 16 are preferably mounted so as to be interchangeable on the lateral flanks 22.

The lateral boundary rails 10 of the magazine comprise in each case a guide edge 23 pointing in the direction of the package sleeves P′, P″ to be transported and accordingly perpendicular to the transport direction T. These opposing guide edges 23 serve to limit any undesired lateral pushing of the package sleeves P″ currently already aligned occurring behind the slide elements 16.

The detail view III C of the magazine from FIG. 3B is represented in FIG. 3C, while FIG. 3D shows the detail view III D of the magazine from FIG. 3B. In this case, it is discernible how two successive, unaligned package sleeves P′ have a horizontal offset a to one another. This horizontal offset a can, on the one hand, occur in the case of two successive package sleeves P′ inside a package sleeve group G (FIG. 3C) or also in the case of two successive package sleeves P′ in the form of the last package sleeve P′ of a front package sleeve group G and a first subsequent package sleeve P′ to be fed from the magazine (FIG. 3D).

The slide elements 16 are arranged such that the horizontal lateral offset a of the successive unaligned package sleeves P′ is compensated behind the slide elements 16 when viewed in the transport direction T and package sleeves P″ aligned accordingly are provided without horizontal offset a.

Furthermore, it is represented that the bearing region 17 of the slide elements 16 has an oversized portion b which points perpendicular to the transport direction T and in the direction of the package sleeves P′, P″. As a result, aligning the package sleeves P′ only by the slide elements is ensured during normal operation.

The transport unit 3 of the magazine according to the invention is represented in FIG. 4 in a perspective view. Identical features have been labelled with the same reference numerals such that in this respect reference is made to the preceding description.

An upright standing package sleeve P aligned straight is indicated with a dashed line, with the package sleeve P laying with its lower edge on the two slide rails 9 and resting with its lateral edges on the bearing regions 17 of the opposing slide elements 16. As a result, the alignment of each package sleeve P takes place.

In addition to the preceding description, it is also discernible that the U-shaped frame 6 of the transport unit 3 has the two lateral limbs 20 and a horizontal support 24 connecting the two limbs 20. The horizontal support is arranged above the package sleeves P, P′, P″.

The access opening 7 is formed by the “inverted” U-shaped frame 6 via which package sleeves P, P″ to be transported can be fed. The feed doors 19 pivotable corresponding to the double arrow rest in the represented closed state of the feed doors 19 on an end side 25 of the horizontal support 24 of the U-shaped frame 6. In this manner, and due to the restoring force of the springs 21, the feed doors 19 are held in the closed state.

The slide elements 16 are mounted on the lateral flanks 22 of the transport unit 3 via screw connections 26. In this manner, the slide elements 16 are configured to be interchangeable such that the magazine can also be modified to differently sized embodiments of the package sleeves P. To this end, the slide elements 16 can be easily interchanged for other slide elements of different sizes or alternatively additional spacers can be mounted.

Claims

1. A magazine for temporarily storing at least one package sleeve group having a plurality of flat-folded and upright standing package sleeves and for equipping an unfolding device for the package sleeves following the magazine, comprising: a supply side supplying the package sleeves,a removal side arranged in a transport direction of the package sleeve group behind the supply side andat least one transport unit movable forwards and backwards along the transport direction to transport the package sleeve group from the supply side to the removal side,wherein the transport unit has at least two slide elements, arranged opposite one another and in each case resting at least partially on one side of the package sleeves, to align the package sleeves,characterised in thatthe slide elements in each case have a bearing region running substantially parallel to the transport direction and an alignment region tapering in the transport direction, wherein a distance, running perpendicular to the transport direction, of the slide elements, arranged opposite one another, decreases from the alignment region to the bearing region.

2. Magazine according to claim 1, characterised in thatthe slide elements are formed so as to be interchangeable.

3. (canceled)

4. The magazine according to claim 1, characterised in thata slide rod running substantially parallel to the transport direction is provided and in that the transport unit has a slide carriage movable forwards and backwards on the slide rod.

5. The magazine according to claim 1, characterised in thatthe transport unit has at least two feed doors, wherein the feed doors rest in a closed state at the rear side on the last package sleeve of the package sleeve group to be transported and are configured to push the package sleeve group to be transported in the transport direction and wherein the feed doors are configured in an opened state to enable a supply of package sleeves to be transported between the feed doors.

6. The magazine according to claim 5, characterised in thatthe feed doors are pivotable from the closed state into the opened state and back.

7. The magazine according to claim 6, characterised in thatthe transport unit has, for each feed door, a spring forcing the feed doors into the closed state by means of a restoring force.

8. The magazine according to claim 1, characterised in thatthe transport unit has an access opening formed by a U-shaped frame arranged in the transport direction before the package sleeve group to be transported for the supply of package sleeves to be transported.

9. The magazine according to claim 8, characterised in thatthe feed doors are arranged in the closed state resting on an end side, pointing in the transport direction, of a horizontal support of the U-shaped frame.

10. The magazine according to claim 9, characterised in thatthe horizontal support of the U-shaped frame has a slide element, pointing towards the bottom in the direction of the package sleeves, to compensate for a vertical height offset of successive package sleeves.

11. The magazine according to claim 1, characterised in thatin each case a stop stopping the transport unit after a maximum forward movement in the transport direction is provided on the removal side for each transport unit.

12. The magazine according to claim 11, characterised in thatthe stop is arranged such that the transport unit impacts against the stop to stop after a maximum forward movement in the transport direction by means of the slide carriage.

13. The magazine according to claim 1, characterised in thatin each case at least one slide rail running from the supply side to the removal side along the transport direction is provided for each transport unit as a support for the package sleeves to be transported.

14. The magazine according to claim 1, characterised in thatin each case two lateral boundary rails arranged opposite one another and in each case on one side of the package sleeves can be provided for each transport unit.

15. The magazine according to claim 14, characterised in thatin each case the bearing region of the slide elements has an oversized portion, compared to the corresponding lateral boundary rail, said oversized portion pointing perpendicular to the transport direction and in the direction of the package sleeves.

16. The magazine according to claim 14, characterised in thatthe lateral boundary rails have, on the supply side, a tapering region running in the transport direction.

17. The magazine according to claim 1, characterised in thatin each case a clamp device is provided on the supply side for each transport unit, wherein the clamp device has a retaining hook engaging a stopper provided on the transport unit.

18. The magazine according to claim 17, characterised in thatthe stopper is arranged on the slide carriage of the transport unit.

19. The magazine according to claim 1, characterised in thateach transport unit is driven by means of a rope pull system.