Claims
- 1. A production line, particularly for wrapping reams of paper sheets or analogous piles into sheets of wrapping material, comprising a source of piles; a variable-speed wrapping apparatus having means for confining successive piles in sheets of wrapping material, said confining means comprising means for applying sheets of wrapping material to the piles; conveyor means for delivering piles from said source to said confining means at regular and/or random intervals; and means for electronically synchronizing the timing of operation of said wrapping apparatus with the rate of delivery of piles by said conveyor means, said synchronizing means comprising phase adjust loop means for automatically placing the operation of the wrapping apparatus in phase with operation of the source, means for automatically adjusting the spacing between the piles on said conveyor means prior to delivery to said wrapping apparatus including means for changing the speed of the piles, and means for controlling the delivery of piles to said applying means so as to effect such delivery in phase with the operation of said applying means.
- 2. The production line of claim 1, wherein said synchronizing means further comprises first signal generating means which is mechanically coupled to said source and is arranged to generate a first position and velocity reference signal, second signal generating means which is mechanically coupled to said wrapping apparatus and is arranged to generate a second position and velocity reference signal, means for comparing the first and second signals and for generating a third signal which is proportional to he position error of the source and the wrapping apparatus, and means for adjusting the timing of operation of the wrapping apparatus in response to said third signal and the velocity portion of said first signal.
- 3. The production line of claim 2, wherein said first signal generating means comprises a master resolver and a master tachometer generator both mounted on said source and respectively arranged to provide the position and velocity portions of said first reference signal.
- 4. The production line of claim 3, wherein said second signal generating means comprises a slave resolver mounted on said wrapping apparatus and arranged to provide said second reference signal.
- 5. The production line of claim 4, wherein said signal comparing means comprises a transducer interface board for summing the position signals received from said master and slave resolvers and for transmitting an analog third signal which is proportional to the position error of the master and slave resolvers.
- 6. The production line of claim 5, wherein said means for adjusting the timing of operation of said wrapping apparatus in response to said third signal comprises a pulse width modulated drive and a motor, said third signal in conjuction with the velocity portion of said first signal providing the reference command for the pulse width modulated drive which, in turn, controls the velocity of said motor.
- 7. The production line of claim 1, wherein said phase adjust loop means comprises means for detecting the presence of piles in the region of the infeed position of said wrapping apparatus, means for generating pulses based on the operation of said wrapping apparatus in response to to activation by said detecting means, signal generating means for monitoring said pulse generating means, and means for adjusting the timing of operation of said wrapping apparatus in response to signals from said monitoring means.
- 8. The production line of claim 7, wherein said adjusting means comprises a slave resolver for controlling the position of the wrapping apparatus and a stepping motor for advancing or retarding said slave resolver.
- 9. The production line of claim 1, wherein said means for adjusting the spacing between the piles on said conveyor means comprises means for slowing down the piles which are about to be wrapped and means for thereafter accelerating the piles.
- 10. The production line of claim 9, further comprising means for monitoring the spacing between successive piles and means for holding the piles against further movement in the absence of desired spacing.
- 11. The production line of claim 10, wherein said monitoring means comprises a photoelectric detector and said holding means comprises fluid-operated openable and closable gates and valves which control the operation of said gates.
- 12. The production line of claim 11, further comprising means for delaying the closing of said gates to thus prevent the gates from interfering with the delivery of piles.
- 13. The production line of claim 12, wherein said phase adjust loop means comprises means defining a timing window corresponding to those portions of the operation of said wrapping apparatus during which the wrapping apparatus is capable of receiving piles for wrapping and means for delaying reopening of said gates until said timing window is registered.
- 14. A method of wrapping block-shaped commodities, particularly piles of paper sheets which are received by a wrapping apparatus from a sheeter or an analogous source, into sheets of paper or like wrapping material, comprising the steps of electronically coupling the wrapping apparatus to the source; and continuously and automatically synchronizing the timing of operation of the wrapping apparatus with the rate of delivery of commodities from the source, including automatically adjusting the phase relationship of the wrapping apparatus relative the source, automatically adjusting the spacing between commodities which are being delivered from the source prior to introduction of such commodities into the wrapping apparatus and controlling the delivery of the commodities to said wrapping apparatus so as to effect such delivery in phase with the operation of said wrapping apparatus.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation, of application Ser. No. 543,085, filed Oct. 18, 1983 abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2093425 |
Sep 1982 |
GBX |
302885 |
Apr 1971 |
SUX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
543085 |
Oct 1983 |
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