Apparatus and method

Abstract

An apparatus for forming sheet material in order to obtain containers comprises conveying means arranged for advancing the sheet material, a welding unit arranged for welding the sheet material along peripheral edges of the containers to be formed, a forming unit arranged for forming the sheet material in order to obtain the containers, at least one of said units being mounted on guiding means so that it is possible to adjust the longitudinal position of the at least one unit with respect to the other unit(s).

1 . Apparatus comprising a plurality of operating units arranged for forming containers, characterised in that at least one operating unit is so mounted on a guide arrangement that it is possible to adjust the longitudinal position of said at least one operating unit with respect to adjacent operating unit(s):  
   
   
       2 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one operating unit is so mounted as aforesaid as to be adjustable along said guide arrangement independently of said adjacent operating unit(s).  
   
   
       3 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said guide arrangement comprises a threaded rod-and-nut arrangement for enabling accurate adjustment of the position of said at least one operating unit.  
   
   
       4 . Apparatus comprising at least one operating unit arranged for operatively interacting with sheet material and for forming containers from said sheet material, characterised in that said operating unit is provided with mould portions driven translatingly by a mechanical actuator for moving the mould portions towards and away from each other in order to clamp and release, respectively, said sheet material.  
   
   
       5 . Apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein said mechanical actuator comprises a motor-driven screw engaging in an internally threaded member.  
   
   
       6 . Apparatus according to claim,  5 , wherein said motor comprises a brushless motor.  
   
   
       7 . Apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein said internally threaded member is firmly connected with a plate to which there are fixed a first rod that controls a first supporting plate to which a first portion of said mould portions is fixed, and a second rod that controls a second supporting plate to which a second portion of said mould portions is fixed.  
   
   
       8 . Apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the first mould portion and the second mould portion are driven towards and away from each other, by elongate members slidingly coupled with a frame of said apparatus.  
   
   
       9 . Apparatus comprising at least one operating unit arranged for operatively interacting with sheet material in order to obtain containers from said sheet material, characterised in that said operating unit is provided with a mould portion connected with a support by means of a hinge.  
   
   
       10 . Apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein said hinge means comprises a spherical joint.  
   
   
       11 . Apparatus comprising a conveying arrangement for advancing sheet material, and at least one operating unit arranged for forming containers from said sheet material, characterised in that said conveying arrangement comprises a movable supporting arrangement with which a grabbing arrangement for said sheet material is associated.  
   
   
       12 . Apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein said supporting arrangement extends through said at least one operating unit.  
   
   
       13 . Apparatus according to  claim 11 , and further comprising a motor arranged for driving said supporting arrangement with reciprocating rectilinear motion.  
   
   
       14 . Apparatus according to  claim 11 , and further comprising a guiding arrangement, fixed to a frame of said apparatus, whereon said supporting arrangement slides.  
   
   
       15 . Apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein said grabbing arrangement comprises a plurality of single grabbing units.  
   
   
       16 . Apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein the grabbing units comprise pneumatically driven jaws.  
   
   
       17 . Apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein said grabbing arrangement is conformed so as to be suitable for being moved along said supporting arrangement in order to be placed at pre-established positions.  
   
   
       18 . Apparatus comprising a transporting chain arranged for transporting sheet material by acting on regions near its border by an intercepting arrangement, characterised in that said intercepting arrangement comprises a pinching arrangement.  
   
   
       19 . Apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein said pinching arrangement is fixed to links of said transporting chain.  
   
   
       20 . Apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein said pinching arrangement comprises a pair of jaws mutually hinged and oscillatable around an axis between a rest position, wherein said pinching arrangement is open and not interacting with said sheet material, and an operating position wherein said pinching arrangement is closed and grabs said sheet material.  
   
   
       21 . Apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein a first jaw of said pair of jaws is provided with a hole arrangement for receiving a sharp end of a device associated with a second jaw of said pair of jaws.  
   
   
       22 . Apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein said device comprises a threaded dowel screwed to said second jaw.  
   
   
       23 . Apparatus according to  claim 20 , and further comprising a pressing arrangement serving to interact with said pair of jaws in order to bring said pinching arrangement from said rest position to said operating position.  
   
   
       24 . Apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein said pressing arrangement comprises a roller.  
   
   
       25 . Apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein said transporting chain advances said pinching arrangement inside a guiding groove arrangement.  
   
   
       26 . Apparatus according to  claim 25 , wherein between said pinching arrangement and said guiding grove arrangement there is provided a clearance.  
   
   
       27 . Apparatus comprising at least one operating unit arranged for forming containers from sheet material, said at least one operating unit comprising a deforming arrangement serving to produce in said sheet material transversally extending folds, characterised in that said apparatus further comprises a shearing unit arranged for removing from said sheet material appendages of said sheet material resulting from said folds after forming of said containers.  
   
   
       28 . Apparatus according to  claim 27 , wherein said shearing unit comprises shearing mould portions.  
   
   
       29 . Apparatus comprising a receiving arrangement for receiving sheet material provided with containers obtained from deformed regions of said sheet material and mutually joined by undeformed regions of said sheet material, and an inducing arrangement for inducing separation indications serving to indicate in said undeformed regions lines of intended separation of said containers, characterised in that said inducing is conformed so as to act selectively on some of said regions and not act on the remaining regions.  
   
   
       30 . Apparatus according to  claim 29 , wherein said inducing arrangement serves to weaken said sheet material.  
   
   
       31 . Apparatus according to  claim 29 , wherein said inducing arrangement comprises an incising arrangement.  
   
   
       32 . Apparatus according to  claim 31 , wherein said incising arrangement comprises a knife arrangement whose condition may be adjusted so that said knife arrangement moves between a rest position, wherein said knife means does not interfere with said sheet material, and an operating position wherein said knife arrangement interferes with said sheet material.  
   
   
       33 . Apparatus according to  claim 32 , wherein said knife arrangement comprises fixed knives associated with moving knives, each of said moving knives cooperating with a respective fixed knife in order to produce said lines of intended separation.  
   
   
       34 . Apparatus according to  claim 32 , wherein said incising arrangement further comprises, downstream of said knife arrangement, a separating arrangement serving to cut said sheet material in said few of said regions in order to separate from said sheet material portions of sheet material comprising a pre-established number of said containers.  
   
   
       35 . Method comprising providing a sheet material provided with containers obtained from deformed regions of said sheet material and mutually joined by undeformed regions of said sheet material, and indicating in said undeformed regions lines of intended separation of said containers, characterised in that said indicating comprises selectively acting on some of said regions and not acting on the remaining regions.  
   
   
       36 . Method according to  claim 35 , wherein said selectively acting comprises weakening said sheet material.  
   
   
       37 . Method according to  claim 35 , wherein said selectively acting comprises incising said sheet material in order to produce in said few of said regions said lines of intended separation.  
   
   
       38 . Method according to  claim 35  and further comprising, simultaneously with said selectively acting, cutting said sheet material in said few of said regions in order to separate from said sheet material portions of sheet material comprising a pre-established number of said containers.  
   
   
       39 . Tape comprising a sheet material formed so that a plurality of containers is present therein, and lines of intended separation in regions between adjacent containers of said tape to facilitate separation of said containers, characterised in that said lines of intended separation are present only in some of said regions.  
   
   
       40 . Tape according to  claim 39 , wherein said lines of intended separation comprise incision lines.  
   
   
       41 . Tape according to  claim 40 , wherein said lines of intended separation comprise perforation lines.  
   
   
       42 . Tape according to  claim 39 , wherein, in said tape, groups each formed by a pre-established number of regions provided with lines of intended separation follow each other, and these groups are separated by a single region free from lines of intended separation.  
   
   
       43 . Apparatus comprising at least one operating unit arranged for forming containers from sheet material, and a cutting arrangement serving to separate from said sheet material sections of said sheet material comprising a pre-established number of said containers, characterised in that the apparatus further comprises a collecting arrangement serving to collect said sections in order to constitute stacks comprising a pre-established number of said sections.  
   
   
       44 . Apparatus according to  claim 43 , wherein said collecting arrangement comprises a rotating arrangement serving to rotate some of said sections around respective longitudinal axes.  
   
   
       45 . Apparatus comprising at least one operating unit arranged for forming containers from sheet material, said at least one operating unit comprising a deforming arrangement serving to produce, in said sheet material, transversely extending folds, characterised in that the apparatus further comprises an actuating arrangement for actuating said deforming arrangements independently one from the other.  
   
   
       46 . Apparatus according to  claim 45 , wherein said actuating arrangement comprises a pneumatic actuator arrangement.  
   
   
       47 . Apparatus according to  claim 45 , and further comprising a position referencing arrangement serving to adjust an operating stroke of at least one of said deforming arrangements.  
   
   
       48 . Apparatus comprising a plurality of operating units arranged for forming filled containers from sheet material advanced along a path, said operating units including a filling unit including a filler displaceable between an in-line position in which said filler serves to deliver fluid product to said containers and an off-line position in which said filler serves to deliver such fluid product to at least one check container.  
   
   
       49 . Apparatus according to  claim 48 , and further comprising a bracket for supporting said check container in a ready-to-fill condition.  
   
   
       50 . A method comprising forming containers from sheet material, operating a filler in an in-line position to deliver fluid product to said containers, displacing said filler to an off-line position, and operating said filler in said off-line position to deliver such fluid product to at least one check container.  
   
   
       51 - 52 . (canceled)