EP0233470B1 - Device for storing (cigarette) packages - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device for storing packs, in particular for setting glue points, with a revolver revolving around the circumference, which has pockets distributed around the circumference for a plurality of packs.

When producing packs for cigarettes and other goods to be packaged, folding flaps of the blanks forming the packs are to be glued together. Due to the high working speed of the packaging machines, special measures must be taken to give cigarettes sufficient dwell time in the course of the packaging process to set glue spots. For this purpose, revolvers (dry revolvers) are used for temporary recording the packs after gluing the folding flap known.

EP-A-0 149 822 describes a device for producing packs with folding flaps connected by adhesive, in which the packs are fed to a dry turret immediately after completion, at least one further dry turret being assigned to the latter. The other dry turret (s) each have pockets to hold a plurality of packs. The pockets are designed as through-openings, which are arranged parallel to the axis on the circumference and in which the packs are arranged with their narrow sides, in particular with their end faces, pointing inwards and outwards in the radial direction.

Dry turrets should be designed in such a way that they have a high capacity, ensure easy, quick insertion and removal of the packs and, moreover, do not impair the production flow of the packaging machine.

The invention relates to a device of the type mentioned, wherein the dry turret has the aforementioned properties as part of this device. The object on which the invention is based is to further increase the performance, in particular the capacity of the dry turret, to improve the handling, in particular the loading and emptying of packages, and in particular to compensate for disruptions in the delivery of packages.

To achieve this object, the device according to the invention is characterized in that chambers are formed for a pack in the approximately radially directed pockets by step-like formation of pocket side walls, the chambers being dimensioned such that the packs within the pockets on an adjacent pack and at missing pack in the neighboring chamber on one the chamber bounding paragraph are supported. As a result, the dry turret can be operated uniformly and continuously, regardless of any interruptions in the delivery of the packs. Any gaps in the delivery of the packs result in the bags not being completely filled, but without the specified one To change the relative position of the packs.

Another special feature of the invention is the loading and emptying of the pockets of the dry turret. During loading, a number of packs corresponding to the capacity of the pocket or the number of chambers is conveyed in the area of a filling station into a position adjacent to a pocket and aligned in each case with respect to the chambers thereof. The relevant group of packs is pushed into the pocket by means of a common transverse movement (approximately axially parallel direction). Likewise, after a partial revolution of the dry turret, the group of packs which have now been tied is conveyed out of the pockets by transverse or parallel displacement. These are therefore open on the side.

In the area of the loading station, the packs assigned to a bag are collected on a packing platform. This is equipped with a number of adjustable, namely scale-like, pivotable platforms, each for receiving a pack, corresponding to the number of packs in a bag. Through the relative adjustment of the individual platforms, these are brought into a scale-like position with the packs, which brings about an exact alignment of each pack with an assigned chamber of the bag. Now the group of packs can be inserted into the pocket in the staggered relative position.

Further features of the invention relate to the design of the dry turret and of the organs and units for feeding the packs to the dry turret and for emptying the pockets of the same.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Gesamtansicht der Vorrichtung mit Trocken-Revolver,

Fig. 2

den Trocken-Revolver in Seitenansicht mit zugeordneten Aggregaten und Organen,

Fig. 3

einen Ausschnitt des Trocken-Revolvers in Seitenansicht mit Organen zum Zuführen der Packungen in vergrößertem Maßstab,

Fig. 4

eine Einzelheit im Bereich einer Füllstation, nämlich eine Packungsbahn mit zugeordneten Aggregaten in Draufsicht,

Fig. 5

eine Einzelheit im Bereich der Füllstation in Ausgangsstellung in vergrößertem Maßstab,

Fig. 6

die Einzelheit gemäß Fig. 5 bei veränderter Relativstellung von Förderorganen,

Fig 7

die Einzelheit gemäß Fig. 5 und 6 bei nochmals veränderter Relativstellung von Förderorganen,

Fig. 8

eine Packungsbühne als Einzelheit aus dem Bereich der Füllstation in Seitenansicht in Ausgangsstellung,

Fig. 9

die Packungsbühne gemäß Fig. 8 bei veränderter Relativstellung von Organen,

Fig. 10

die Packungsbühne gemäß Fig. 8 und 9 in Draufsicht,

Fig. 11

Einzelheiten der Packungsbühne, nämlich Antriebsorgane für diese, teilweise im Schnitt,

Fig. 12

einen Ausschnitt des Faltrevolvers im Bereich einer Ausschubstation,

Fig. 13

eine Einzelheit des Faltrevolvers zum Fixieren von Packungen in Taschen in vergrößertem Maßstab.

An embodiment of the device according to the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings. It shows:

Fig. 1

1 shows a schematic overall view of the device with a dry turret,

Fig. 2

the dry turret in side view with assigned units and organs,

Fig. 3

a section of the dry revolver in side view with organs for feeding the packs on an enlarged scale,

Fig. 4

a detail in the area of a filling station, namely a packaging line with associated units in plan view,

Fig. 5

a detail in the area of the filling station in the starting position on an enlarged scale,

Fig. 6

5 with a change in the relative position of conveying elements,

Fig. 7

5 and 6 with another change in the relative position of conveying elements,

Fig. 8

a packing stage as a detail from the area of the filling station in a side view in the starting position,

Fig. 9

8 with a changed relative position of organs,

Fig. 10

8 and 9 in plan view,

Fig. 11

Details of the packing platform, namely drive elements for this, partly in section,

Fig. 12

a section of the folding turret in the area of an extension station,

Fig. 13

a detail of the folding turret for fixing packs in bags on an enlarged scale.

The device shown in the drawings is used in connection with a packaging machine for cigarette packs, in particular for so-called soft cup packs. It is a question of temporarily storing the largely finished packs in such a way that glue spots in the area of folding tabs can set. During this phase, the packs consist of an inner wrapping (tinfoil cut) and a soft cup made of paper.

The heart of the device is a drying turret 20, to which the packs 21 coming from a packaging machine are fed by conveying members. In the present exemplary embodiment, the packs 21 are transported by a conveying drum 22 and by a transfer turret 23 connected to them. Both conveying members are provided along the circumference with conveying pockets 24 and 25, respectively, for receiving a pack 21.

The packs 21 are thus fed to a charging station 26 of the dry turret 20 at a distance from one another and are introduced into the dry turret 20 in groups — in the present case with six packs 21 each.

The drying turret 20, which is driven in cycles with small switching steps, is provided with a plurality of pockets 27, each for receiving a group of packs 21. The pockets 27 are distributed in the sealing position or at short distances from one another over the entire drying turret 20, in an approximately radially directed relative position. The deviation from the exact relative position by a small, acute angle enables the circular drying turret 20 to be better used of space.

The pockets 27 are designed in a special way. Pocket side walls 28 and 29, which extend in the axial direction of the drying turret 20 and in the longitudinal direction of the pockets 27, are sawtooth-shaped to form projections or shoulders 30. The pocket side walls 28 and 29 formed in this way, or the shoulders 30 thereof, define 27 chambers 31 within a pocket for receiving a pack. The scale-like offset relative position of the chambers 31 of a pocket 27 results in a correspondingly offset arrangement of the packs 21 within such a pocket. Revolver side walls 32 running in the circumferential direction are provided with approximately radially directed, sawtooth-shaped recesses which limit the pockets 27 with the contours described.

The size of the chambers 31 is matched to the dimensions of the packs 21, with their longitudinal extension being arranged axially parallel. The chambers 31 are somewhat larger in the longitudinal direction of the pockets 27 than the corresponding dimensions of the packs 21. This means that the packs 21 are supported with their narrow side faces 33 on one another when the bag 27 is completely full, with a scale-like offset relative to one another in accordance with the design of the bag 27. The paragraphs 30 of the chambers 31 are not touched by the packs 21 because these are supported exclusively on each other.

Interruptions can occur in the feed of the packs 21 to the drying turret 20. However, this should not change the switching cycle of the dry turret. This means that pockets 27 may be filled with a smaller number of packs 21. In this case, the outer or inner packings in the radial direction are supported on a shoulder 30 of the relevant chamber 31. A sealing sequence of packs 21 is thereby maintained despite the lower number per pocket. Radial displacements of the packs 21 in the pocket 27 are also excluded regardless of the number of packs.

The pockets 27, which are accordingly open on both sides (seen in the axial direction), are covered over part of the circumference of the drying turret 20 by a stationary guide wall 34 on both sides of the drying turret 20. The guide walls 34 extend outside the area of the loading station 26 and outside an emptying station 35.

The packs 21 in the outer chamber 31 of the pockets 27 are subjected to an elastic holding force which, if present, is transferred to neighboring packs 21 in the same pocket 27. As shown in detail in FIG. 13, elastic tappets 36 are mounted in a pocket cover 37 along the circumference of the drying turret 20 in the region of the pockets 27. The pressure plunger 36 are by a (helical) compression spring 38 in the direction against a side surface 33 of the pack 21 charged. For the insertion and ejection of the packs 21 into or out of the pocket 27, the pressure rams 36 are temporarily withdrawn from the shown pressing position, namely by an actuating member 39, which is effective in the area of the loading station 26 and in the area of the emptying station 35 . A head 40 of the plunger 36 is gripped by a claw 41 of the actuator 39. The plunger 36 is lifted from the pack 21 by radial movement of the latter. The relative position of the actuating member 39 is such that the head 40 moves into the claw 41 by rotating the drying turret 20.

The loading station 26 is arranged in the upper region of the upright drying turret 20 in the direction of rotation at a distance from the central vertical plane. The packs 21 are thereby inserted into the pockets 27 on an inclined conveying plane.

The transfer turret 23 successively feeds the packs 21 to a straight-line pack conveyor 42 running parallel to the pockets 27 and next to the drying turret 20. This transports a group of (six) packs 21 - as far as conveyed - into an insertion position adjacent to a pocket 27 in the area of the loading station 26. The packs 21 of this group are initially in a straight-line sealing position and are then moved into the scale-like position and then inserted together into the pocket 27 or the associated chambers 31 thereof.

The pack conveyor 42 consists of two lateral belt conveyors 43 in the entrance area, that is to say in the area of the transfer turret 23. These run in the effective conveying area on both sides of a conveyor track for the packs 21 over two adjacent to each other lying deflection rollers 44 and 45. These are designed and arranged in such a way that when the radially outer deflection roller 45 is in a certain position, a conveyor run 46 running parallel to the packs 21 is formed. This detects a pack 21 on opposite end faces 27.

The outer deflection roller 45 is formed with two flattenings 48. These have the effect that, due to the abutment of the conveyor run 46, a funnel-shaped, converging position of the conveyor run 46 of the belt conveyor 43 is temporarily, namely due to the rotation of the deflection roller 45. During this phase, a subsequent package 21 is fed into the mouthpiece formed by the belt conveyor 43.

The conveyor pockets 25 of the transfer turret 23 are of an angular design, namely open on the radially outer side and the front in the transport direction. This enables the packs 21 to be transferred to and carried along by the belt conveyors 43. The conveyor bags 26 are currently moved into the area between the belt conveyors 23.

In order to ensure the transfer of the packs 21 from the transfer turret 23 to the pack conveyor 42, a further conveying element for the packs is arranged on the side opposite the transfer turret 23, namely a turret turret 49. This is along the circumference with specially designed tappet members 50 equipped, which run synchronously with the conveyor bags 25, such that, in cooperation with these, the packs 21 are reliably transferred to the pack conveyor 42. For this purpose, the entrainment members 50 are designed as pivotable gabein, the prongs 51 of which enter slot-shaped recesses 52 in the upright rear wall 53 of the conveyor bag 25 and, due to the movement characteristics, the Move packing 21 out of the conveyor bag 25.

The conveyor pockets 25 of the transfer turret 23 and the driver elements 50 of the driver turret 49 are movably mounted and are controlled in the area of the transfer of the packages 21 to the package conveyor 42 such that a translational movement in the conveying direction of the package conveyor 42 is present at the moment. For this purpose, entrainment members 50 and - as shown - the conveyor pockets 25 are mounted on swivel arms 54, the swivel movements of which are effected via handlebars 55. The latter run on a cam plate 57 with feeler rollers 56. The design of the same is chosen so that the described straight-line movement is achieved in the area of the transfer and transfer of packs 21 by correspondingly opposite pivoting movement of the pivoting arms 54.

The pack conveyor 42 is equipped with two support rails 58, 59 running parallel to the direction of the pockets 27. These are angular in cross-section with a support leg 60 and a lateral guide leg 61. The latter are arranged at a distance corresponding to the height of a pack 21, so that the packs - if supplied accordingly - are successively conveyed onto the support rails 58 and 59 in a sealing position . End stops 62 of the support rails 58 and 59 determine the exact end position of the packs.

To insert into an associated pocket 27, it is necessary to move the packs aligned on the support rails 58, 59 into the scale-like relative division corresponding to the contour of the pockets 27. For this purpose, a packing platform 63 is provided in the area of the loading station 26, which has a number of pivoting platforms 64 corresponding to the number of packing 21 of the group. The packing stage 63 is located in the starting position (FIG. 3) below the support rails 58, 59, the swivel platforms 64 or platforms 65 of the same being aligned in one plane - parallel to the packs 21 on the support rails 58, 59.

In order to position the packs 21 adjacent to the bag 27 to be loaded, the pack stage 63 is moved against the underside of the packs 21, specifically in the area between the support rails 58, 59 or the support legs 60 thereof. One platform 65 is moved against the underside (front or back) of the pack and lifts it off the support rails 58, 59. During the further movement of the packing stage 63 with the packs 21, the pivoting stages 64 are adjusted relative to one another such that their platforms 65 are offset in a scale-like manner and consequently the packs 21 come into a corresponding relative position to one another (FIG. 9). At the same time, the packing stage 63 is displaced in total in the radial direction and thereby reaches an end position from the initially displaced outward position, in which the individual packs 21 are aligned with the chambers 31 of the pocket 27.

For this purpose, the packing platform 63 in the present exemplary embodiment consists of a (upright) support plate 66 on which the individual pivoting platforms 64 are pivotably mounted via journal bearings 67. A lower extension 68 of each swivel platform 64 is connected to a common coupling rod 70 via a swivel bearing 69. The swivel platforms 64 thus act like two-armed levers. The coupling rod 70 is supported on cam rollers 71 on (two) cam plates 72. These in turn are also mounted on the support plate 66 via main bearings 73. The main bearing 73 or its journal is fixed with a crank arm 74 two mounted cranks 75 connected.

By rotating the cranks 75, the unit of the packing platform 63 is first moved from the starting position according to FIG. 3 against the underside of the packing 21. As a result of the rotary movement of the cam plates 27 relative to the cam rollers 71 of the coupling rod 70, the pivoting platforms 64 are then tilted into the position according to FIG. 9. When the crank arms 74 are rotated further, the pivoting platforms 64 return to the aligned position and the packing platform 63 as a whole in the starting position.

The packs 21 brought in this way into the aligned position adjacent to the pocket 27 to be filled are placed on intermediate carriers. In the present exemplary embodiment, this is, on the one hand, a support bar 76 on which one end region of the packs 21 rests and, on the other hand, the top of the correspondingly dimensioned guide leg 61 of the support rail 59 facing the drying turret 20. Support bar 76 and guide leg 61 are shown in FIG aligned in one plane with respect to the support surfaces. Furthermore, the support bar 76 and guide leg 61 of the support rail 58 are sawtooth-like on the upper side in accordance with the scale-like relative position of the packs 21 in order to ensure this relative position (FIG. 3).

After the group of packs 21 has been deposited on the aforementioned intermediate carriers, an insert 77 which can be moved in the insertion direction (parallel to the axis) and which simultaneously pushes the group of packs 21 into the pocket 27 becomes effective. The slider 27 is also sawtooth-shaped, corresponding to the contour of the pocket 27.

For exact alignment of the packs in this insertion position or during the insertion movement, a stop bar 78 is fixed in place on the top. This also has a sawtooth-shaped profile on the side facing the packs 21. The stop bar 78 causes the packs 21 to be aligned in the insertion position with the contour of the pocket 27.

In the present exemplary embodiment, support bar 76 and slide-in device 77 are connected to common support rods 81 via support arms 79, 80. The support rods 81 are fixed outside the area of the drying turret 20. The support arms 79, 80 are separately and displaceably mounted separately in the direction parallel to the axis via the support arms 79 and 80, each associated with separate sliding bodies 82. Accordingly, the support bar 76 and the insert 77 can be moved in the manner described via the support arms 79, 80 or the associated sliding bodies 82.

When the packs 21 are inserted into the pockets 27 and thereafter, the side guide walls 34 play a role. The pockets 27 are dimensioned in the axial direction of the drying turret 20 so that the packs 21 protrude slightly from the pockets 27 on both sides. The guide walls 34 arranged on both sides serve as stops for the exact alignment of the packs 21 in the pockets 27. These are arranged to be movable in the axial direction. While the drying turret 20 is at a standstill, the guide walls 34 are moved towards the end faces 47 of the packs for centering and shaping. During the rotation cycle, the guide walls 34 are lifted off the packs 21 (see dash-dotted position in FIGS. 5-7).

During the insertion of the packs 21 into the pocket 27, the pressure plunger 36 is lifted off, namely by an actuating arm 83 equipped with a claw 41.

The packs 21 now pass through a sufficiently long drying section in the pocket 27 to the emptying station 35 adjacent to the loading station 26. An ejector 84 is effective in the region of an approximately horizontally oriented pocket 27, the slide plate of which has the contour of the pocket 27. The pusher 84 is mounted on slide rods 86 so as to be movable in the axial direction via a slide carrier 85. The ejected group of packs reaches a horizontal removal conveyor 87 (FIG. 1) which runs next to the drying turret 20.

Upstream of the emptying station 35 are two test stations 88 and 89. In the area of the same, the packs are checked by test organs 90 which are moved up to the free end faces 47 of the packs 21. The arrangement is such that three packs 21 or chambers 31 are tested in each test station 88, 89.

Claims (20)

1. Apparatus for the storage of packs, especially for the setting of glue spots, with a rotating turret which has pockets distributed along the circumference and intended respectively for a multiplicity of packs, characterized in that chambers (31), each for a pack (21), are formed in the approximately radially directed pockets (27) as the result of a step-like design of pocket side walls (28, 29), the dimensions of the chambers (31) being calculated so that the packs (21) within the pockets (27) are supported on an adjacent pack (21) and, in the absence of a pack in the adjacent chamber (31), on a step (30) limiting the chamber (31).
2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, characterized in that the pockets (27) are arranged slightly offset relative to the radial direction of the drying turret (20).
3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 and one or more of the further claims, characterised in that the packs (21) can be pushed into the pockets (27) and out of them in an axis-parallel direction, preferably in a group corresponding to the number of chambers (31) in a pocket (27) and aligned with the chambers (31).
4. Apparatus according to Claim 1 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that, in a feed station (26), a group of packs (21) can be conveyed into a position adjacent to a pocket (27) and aligned with the chambers (31) and can be pushed into the pocket (27) as a result of a joint transverse movement (axis-parallel relative to the drying turret 20).
5. Apparatus according to Claim 4 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that the packs (21) of a group, before being pushed into the pocket (27), can be moved into a (staggered offset) relative position corresponding to the arrangement of the chambers (31), especially by means of a pack platform (63) which is arranged next to the drying turret (20) and extends parallel to a pocket (27) to be fed and which has adjustable pivoting stages (64) each for receiving a pack (21).
6. Apparatus according to Claim 4 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that the packs (21) can be delivered close to one another in a row on a pack conveyor (42) arranged next to the drying turret (20) and parallel to the pocket (27) to be fed and can be lifted off from the pack conveyor (42) by means of the pack platform (63) and delivered to the pocket (27).
7. Apparatus according to Claim 4 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that the packs (21), arranged according to the formation of the pocket (27) can be put down on an intermediate holder next to the latter and can be jointly pushed into the pocket (27) by a pushing-in device (77).
8. Apparatus according to Claim 7 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that the intermediate holder consists of two lateral supporting members, of which a supporting strip (76) remote from the drying turret (20) can be moved in the axial direction out of an initial position and under the group of packs (21), the bearing surfaces being made sawtooth-like according to the relative position of the packs (21).
9. Apparatus according to Claim 5 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that the pivoting stages (64) of the pack platform (63) are designed as pivotable, especially two-armed levers and can be moved out of an aligned position into an offset staggered position by means of a common actuating member (connecting rod 70).
10. Apparatus according to Claim 9 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that the connecting rod (70), together with further members of the pack platform (63), is mounted on a carrier plate (66) which can be moved relative to the drying turret (20) out of an initial position for receiving the packs (21) into a position in which these are taken up by the intermediate holder (supporting strip 76).
11. Apparatus according to Claim 9 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that the pack platform (63) can be moved by a crank mechanism (crank arm 74, crank 75), and during a cycle of movement the pivoting stages (64) can be moved into an offset position and back into the aligned position as a result of the relative movement of the connecting rod (70).
12. Apparatus according to Claim 1 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that the feed station (26) is arranged relative to the drying turret (20) rotating in a vertical plane, in such a way that the packs (21) can be delivered to the pocket (27) on a pack track (pack conveyor 42) directed obliquely downwards.
13. Apparatus according to Claim 12 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that the packs (21) arriving in succession can be conveyed, by lateral feed bands (belt conveyors 43) with a converging feed strand (46), onto fixed supporting rails (58, 59) for receiving the packs (21) arranged close to one another.
14. Apparatus according to Claim 13 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that, in the region of conveyance of the packs (21), the belt conveyor (43) is in each case guided over two deflecting rollers (44, 45) which are arranged at a distance from one another and of which the radially outer one has flattened portions (48) for forming a funnel-shaped run-in region of the belt conveyors (43).
15. Apparatus according to Claim 12 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that the pack conveyor (42) is preceded by a rotating transfer turret (23) with conveying pockets (25) for receiving a pack (21), the conveying pockets (25) being mounted pivotably and being controllable in such a way that, in the region of transfer to the pack conveyor (42), the packs momentarily execute a translational movement.
16. Apparatus according to Claim 15 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that a take-up turret (49) is arranged on the side of the pack conveyor (42) located opposite the transfer turret (23) and along a periphery has take-up members (50) for the packs (21), especially prongs (51) which penetrate into recesses (52) in a rear wall (53) of the conveying pockets (25) of the transfer turret (23).
17. Apparatus according to Claim 12 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that the packs (21) can be pushed from the belt conveyors (43) onto supporting rails (58, 59) which extend laterally next to the drying turret (20) and parallel to the pocket (27) to be fed.
18. Apparatus according to Claim 1 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that each pocket (27) of the drying turret (20) has assigned to it on the outer periphery a clamping member, especially a press plunger (36) which rests elastically against the radially outer pack (21) and which can be moved out of the clamping position by an actuating member (39) in the feed station (26) and in the emptying station (35).
19. Apparatus according to Claim 1 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that the drying turret (20) with laterally open pockets (27) has assigned to it, on both sides of the drying turret (20), fixed guide walls (34) which can be lifted off from the drying turret (20) in the axial direction in synchronism with the intermittent rotary movements of the latter and which, in the position facing the drying turret (20), rest against the packs (21) projecting laterally from the pockets (27).
20. Apparatus according to Claim 1 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that, in the region of the emptying station (35), the packs (21) located in a horizontally directed pocket (27) can be pushed out of the pocket (27) in the axial direction by a pushing-out device (84) matching the contours of the latter, preferably onto a discharge conveyor (87) arranged adjacent to the drying turret (20).

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