Sheet placing apparatus and related feeding device and method

Abstract

Sheet placing apparatus, configured to lay a protective cover sheet over a palletized load, includes movement means that support and/or move the palletized load, a picking up and positioning device for the cover sheet and a feeding device having a reel assembly configured to rotatably support a reel of film from which a plurality of the sheets can be obtained, by unwinding and cutting the film of the reel. The reel assembly is configured to be positioned in an operating position below the palletized load along the advancement line of the palletized load by making available an edge of the film which comes out of the movement means to be grasped by the picking and positioning device which lifts the film from below to the top of the palletized load.

1 . Sheet placing apparatus ( 100 ) configured to lay a protective cover sheet ( 510 ) over palletized load ( 500 ) comprising movement means ( 10 ) suitable for supporting and/or moving the palletized load ( 500 ), a picking up and positioning device ( 20 ) for the cover sheet ( 510 ) and a feeding device ( 30 ) comprising a reel assembly ( 31 ) configured to rotatably support a reel ( 520 ) of film ( 530 ) from which a plurality of said sheets ( 510 ) can be obtained, by unwinding and cutting the film ( 530 ) of said reel ( 520 ), characterized in that said reel assembly ( 31 ) is configured to be positioned in an operating position (O) below the palletized load ( 500 ) along the advancement line of said palletized load ( 500 ) by making available an edge ( 511 ) of the film ( 530 ) which emerging from the movement means ( 10 ) to be grasped by the picking and positioning device ( 20 ) which lifts said film ( 530 ) from below to the top of the palletized load ( 500 ). 
     
     
         2 . The sheet placing apparatus ( 100 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the feeding device ( 30 ) is arranged such that the reel assembly ( 31 ) is configured to have the reel ( 520 ) with its axis of rotation (X) orthogonal to the advancement direction of the palletized load ( 500 ) 
     
     
         3 . The sheet placing apparatus ( 100 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the feeding device ( 30 ) cooperates with the picking and positioning device ( 20 ) so that said sheet ( 510 ), is unwound, cut and picked up in a position in front of and/or behind the palletized load ( 500 ) along its advancement line. 
     
     
         4 . The sheet placing apparatus ( 100 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the reel assembly ( 31 ) is configured to be extractable in an extracted position (E) external to the movement means ( 10 ) to a side of said movement means ( 10 ) in which to perform the reel change ( 520 ). 
     
     
         5 . The sheet placing apparatus ( 100 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the feeding device ( 30 ) comprises an additional reel assembly ( 32 ) configured to rotatably support an additional reel ( 521 ) of film ( 530 ) from which a plurality of said sheets ( 510 ) are obtainable by unwinding and cutting the film ( 530 ) of said additional reel ( 521 ). 
     
     
         6 . The sheet placing apparatus ( 100 ) according to  claim 5 , wherein the additional reel assembly ( 32 ) is positioned in an operating position ( 0 ) below the movement means ( 10 ) and in a position adjacent to the reel assembly ( 31 ). 
     
     
         7 . The sheet placing apparatus ( 100 ) according to  claim 6 , wherein the additional reel assembly ( 32 ) is configured to be extractable in an extracted position (E) external to the movement means ( 10 ) to the side of said movement means ( 10 ) in order to perform a reel change ( 520 ). 
     
     
         8 . The sheet placing apparatus ( 100 ) according to  claim 5 , wherein the reel assembly ( 31 ) and the additional reel assembly ( 32 ) are configured to cooperate with the picking and positioning device ( 20 ) one at a time. 
     
     
         9 . The sheet placing apparatus ( 100 ) according to  claim 7 , wherein the film placing apparatus ( 100 ) is configured to continue to operate by means of the additional reel ( 521 ) of the additional reel assembly ( 32 ) placed in the operating position (O) when the reel assembly ( 31 ) is placed in the extracted position (E) and vice versa. 
     
     
         10 . The sheet placing apparatus ( 100 ) according to  claim 7 , wherein the reel assembly ( 31 ) and/or the additional reel assembly ( 32 ) comprises a carriage ( 310 ,  320 ) for moving from the operating position (O) to the extracted position (E). 
     
     
         11 . The sheet placing apparatus ( 100 ) according to  claim 5 , wherein both the reel assembly ( 31 ) and the additional reel assembly ( 32 ) respectively comprise a first and a second retaining device ( 33 ,  34 ) for the film ( 530 ) configured to cooperate with the respective reel ( 520 ) or the additional reel ( 521 ) to retain the edge ( 511 ) of the film ( 530 ). 
     
     
         12 . The sheet placing apparatus ( 100 ) according to  claim 11 , wherein said first and second retaining devices ( 33 ,  34 ) are configured to assume at least one of a working position (L 1 ) or an out-of-the-way position (L 2 ), wherein the working position (L 1 ) provides that the edge ( 511 ) of the film ( 530 ) is in a position where the edge of the film can be grasped and lifted by the picking and positioning device ( 20 ). 
     
     
         13 . The sheet placing apparatus ( 100 ) according to  claim 12 , wherein when the first retaining device ( 33 ) is in the working position (L 1 ), the second retaining device ( 34 ) is in the out-of-the-way position (L 2 ) and vice versa. 
     
     
         14 . The sheet placing apparatus ( 100 ) according to  claim 12 , wherein the feeding device ( 30 ) comprises a swapping device ( 35 ) configured to cooperate with the first and/or second retaining device ( 33 ,  34 ) so as to simultaneously swap them from the out-of-the-way position (L 2 ) to the working position (L 1 ), when the reel assemblies ( 31 ,  32 ) are in the operating position (O). 
     
     
         15 . A feeding device ( 30 ) according to,  claim 1  installable on a sheet placing apparatus ( 100 ) configured to lay a protective cover sheet ( 510 ) over the palletized load ( 500 ). 
     
     
         16 . Method for laying a protective cover sheet ( 510 ) over a palletized load ( 500 ) comprising:
 picking said cover sheet from a reel ( 520 ,  521 ) of film ( 530 ) placed below the palletized load ( 500 ) along an advancement line thereof, placed below the movement means ( 10 ) suitable for supporting and/or moving the palletized load ( 500 ), and   grasping an edge ( 511 ) of the film ( 530 ) to make and lift the cover sheet ( 510 ) to a position in front of and/or behind the advancement of the palletized load ( 500 ).   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the film ( 530 ) is taken from a reel ( 520 ) or an additional reel ( 521 ), which are placed side-by-side below the movement means ( 10 ). 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein at the end of the film ( 530 ) of the reel ( 520 ) or additional reel ( 521 ), the method further comprises replacing said empty reel by pulling the empty reel out to a side of the movement means without stopping the work cycle.