EP0242202A2 - Apparat zum Öffnen von Verpackungen - Google Patents

Apparat zum Öffnen von Verpackungen Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0242202A2
EP0242202A2 EP87303319A EP87303319A EP0242202A2 EP 0242202 A2 EP0242202 A2 EP 0242202A2 EP 87303319 A EP87303319 A EP 87303319A EP 87303319 A EP87303319 A EP 87303319A EP 0242202 A2 EP0242202 A2 EP 0242202A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
channel
roller means
rollers
array
package
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP87303319A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0242202A3 (de
Inventor
Alan Arthur Morris
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Imperial Tobacco Ltd United Kingdom
Original Assignee
Imperial Tobacco Ltd United Kingdom
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Imperial Tobacco Ltd United Kingdom filed Critical Imperial Tobacco Ltd United Kingdom
Publication of EP0242202A2 publication Critical patent/EP0242202A2/de
Publication of EP0242202A3 publication Critical patent/EP0242202A3/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B69/00—Unpacking of articles or materials, not otherwise provided for

Definitions

  • This invention relates to an apparatus for opening wrapped packages such as, but not exclusively, parcels or bundles of cigarettes, cigars, or other products of the tobacco industry.
  • One known mechanical method for unwrapping bundles involves cutting into the bundle with one or more knives and then bending the bundle about its opposite, uncut surface so as to release the contents. This method, in common with some other methods, is liable to result in the cigarettes within the bundle being shredded during the cutting process so that fragments of wrapping material, paper and filter tip material become mixed with the tobacco, thus making it very difficult to separate the tobacco from such a mixture.
  • the tobacco content of the released cigarettes may then be separated out by known methods or by a modification of the present invention.
  • an apparatus for opening a wrapped package of articles and separating the wrapping from the articles comprising first and second opposed longitudinal arrays of transverse roller means defining a progressively narrowing channel adapted to receive said wrapped package, means for positively driving the roller means so as to move the package through the channel towards the narrow end of the channel, the arrangement being such that the peripheral speeds of at least one pair of opposed individual roller means are unequal, thereby to exert a twisting or shearing action on the package as it passes along the channel so as to remove wrapping material from the package.
  • the roller means are preferably rollers.
  • Both channels 1114, 1124 narrow from their respective entrances towards their respective exits, and the exit to channel 1114 lies over the entrance to channel 1124.
  • First and second inlet chutes 1126, 1128 are provided leading respectively to the entrance to channel 1114 and from the exit to channel 1114 to the entrance to channel 1124.
  • Inlet chute 1126 enables wrapped bundles 1116 of packets of cigarettes to be fed into channel 1114.
  • Chute 1128 enables packets of cigarettes from unwrapped bundles to be fed from channel 1114 into channel 1124.
  • a third chute 1130 ⁇ is provided adjacent chute 1128 to receive waste wrapping material leaving channel 1114.
  • rollers 1140 ⁇ , 1142 of the arrays 1110 ⁇ , 1112 and the rollers 1144, 1146 of the arrays 1120 ⁇ , 1122 are motor driven so as to rotate in the directions indicated by arrows 9, the effect of which is to propel an object in the respective channel along the channel from the entrance to the exit.
  • the peripheral speeds of the rollers are controlled by gearing between the rollers (this gearing is not illustrated in Figure 1) so that the peripheral speeds of rollers 1140 ⁇ , 1144 in arrays 1110 ⁇ , 1120 ⁇ decrease from the entrance towards the exit of the respective channel, and the peripheral speeds of rollers 1142, 1146 in arrays 1112, 1122 increase from the entrance towards the exit of the respective channel.
  • the effect of the different peripheral speeds of opposing rollers is to exert a twisting and shearing action on the bundles 1116 in channel 1114 so as to tease the wrappers from the bundles and to spread packets 1118 of cigarettes resulting from the unwrapping along channel 1114, and, after the packets 1118 have been transferred to channel 1124, to break open the packets 1118 in channel 1124 so as to separate the cigarettes within the packaging material of the packets from the packaging material.
  • rollers 1140 ⁇ , 1142, 1144, 1146 are indicated in Figure 1 by the numbers within the circles depicting the rollers.
  • a paddle wheel 1132 the function of which is to separate the wrapping material finally from the bundles 1116 and to pass separated wrapping material into waste chute 1130 ⁇ and to pass separated packets of cigarettes 1118 down chute 1128 into channel 1124 for subsequent separation into individual cigarettes.
  • a vibratory conveyor 1134 is provided below the level of channel 1124 to receive from the exit to that channel depackaged cigarettes and their packaging material.
  • a screen 1136 that separates the depackaged cigarettes from their packaging material, the cigarettes falling through the screen into a compartment 1138 from which they are removed as indicated by arrow 8.
  • bundles 1116 of packages of cigarettes are fed down chute 1126 into channel 1114.
  • the rollers 1140 ⁇ , 1142 tease the bundle wrappers away from the enclosed packages and spread out the packages as the bundles proceed along the channel.
  • the paddle wheel 1132 transfers the bundle wrappers to the waste chute 1130 ⁇ and the packages 1118 down chute 1128 to channel 1124.
  • rollers 1144, 1146 similarly remove packaging from the cigarettes and transfer the packaging and the cigarettes to the vibratory conveyor 1134 where final separation of the cigarettes takes place, as described above.
  • arrows 7 show the route taken by the bundles
  • arrows 8 show the route taken by the packages and cigarettes
  • arrows 6 show the route taken by waste packaging material.
  • Figures 2 and 3 show essentially the apparatus of Figure 1 separated into two units, one for opening bundles (Figure 2), and the other for opening packets (Figure 3).
  • a feature in Figure 2 or 3 that corresponds to a feature in Figure 1 will be given the number of that feature in Figure 1 but starting with “2" or "3" respectively instead of "1".
  • FIG. 2 there is shown a gantry 2160 ⁇ supporting upper and lower respective opposed arrays 2110 ⁇ , 2112 of transverse rollers 2140 ⁇ , 2142 defining a progressively narrowing horizontally disposed channel 2114. Wrapped bundles of packets of cigarettes are fed into the channel 2114 in the direction of arrow 7 by means of a motor-driven infeed belt 220 ⁇ 6.
  • the spacing of the upper array 2110 ⁇ from the lower array 2112, and the angle between them, are adjustable by screw devices 2162 in the gantry supports 2160 ⁇ , thus enabling the ends of the upper array to be slid up and down as necessary in slots 2210 ⁇ in the gantry.
  • the rollers 2140 ⁇ , 2142 are driven as sets by electric motors 220 ⁇ 2, 220 ⁇ 4 respectively so as to urge a bundle of packets along the channel 2114 in the direction of arrow 7.
  • the speeds (in r.p.m.) of the top rollers 2140 ⁇ are stepped by gears in the following manner in the direction of arrow 7: 71, 77, 61, 66, 52, 57, 45, 48, 38, 42, the rotational speed of each alternate roller being higher than the speeds of the rollers immediately preceding and succeeding it , but the rotational speeds of the set of top rollers nevertheless exhibiting an overall decrease along the channel 2114 from entrance to exit.
  • the speeds of the lower rollers 2142 in contrast exhibit a gradual increase from 71 to 143 r.p.m. along the channel 2114 in the direction of arrow 7; this, in combination with the overall decrease in speed of the top rollers, exerts twisting and shearing forces on the bundles within the channel 2114 and teases the wrapping from the bundles.
  • a blower 220 ⁇ 8 blows the wrapping through a duct 2130 ⁇ into a perforated waste bag 2162.
  • FIG. 3 there is shown a gantry 3160 ⁇ supporting upper and lower respective opposed arrays 3110 ⁇ , 3112 of transverse rollers 3140 ⁇ , 3142 defining a progressively narrowing horizontally disposed channel 3114. Packets of cigarettes are fed into the channel 3114 in the direction of arrow 7 via a band conveyor 3292 from an elevator 3290 ⁇ .
  • the spacing of, and angle between the arrays 3110 ⁇ , 3112 is adjusted in a similar manner to that described in Figure 2.
  • the rollers 3140 ⁇ , 3142 are likewise driven as sets by electric motors 320 ⁇ 2, 320 ⁇ 4 respectively so as to urge the packets along channel 3114, and are of similar size, speed, gearing and configuration to those described in Figure 2.
  • the packets pass between the arrays 3110 ⁇ , 3112 of rollers, the packets are split open in the same fashion as the bundles described above and the packet wrapping is teased away from the cigarettes within. Packet wrappings and cigarettes then fall into an inclined slatted rotary drum 330 ⁇ 0 ⁇ where the cigarettes fall through the slats onto a cigarette take-off conveyor 3134 below and the packet wrappings travel through to the end of the drum where they are discharged as waste.
  • the roller diameters are 67 mm
  • the speeds in r.p.m. of the top rollers (2140 ⁇ , 3140 ⁇ ) are: 70 ⁇ , 55, 60 ⁇ , 45, 55, 40 ⁇ , 45, 35, 40 ⁇ , 35 from infeed to discharge
  • the speeds in r.p.m. of the bottom rollers (2142, 3142) are: 10 ⁇ 5, 115, 130 ⁇ , 140 ⁇ , 160 ⁇ , 170 ⁇ , 195, 215, 240 ⁇ , 265 from infeed to discharge.
  • an air separation device is provided at the discharge end of the drum 330 ⁇ 0 ⁇ to allow any unopened packets to fall vertically from the drum through the curtain into a bin for adding back to the elevator 3290 ⁇ for a second pass through the rollers, while the opened packets (the waste) is blown as it passes through the air curtain into a separate bin for disposal.
  • a further channel defined by further arrays of rollers may be provided to separate cigarettes into tobacco and waste wrapping, the waste wrapping comprising cigarette paper and filter plugs.
  • one array of rollers may have a constant overall peripheral roller speed while the overall peripheral roller speed of the other array increases or decreases from the entrance to the exit of the channel, or both arrays of rollers may each have an overall decrease in peripheral roller speed in the same direction along the channel but the peripheral roller speed of one array decreases at a greater rate than that of the other, the overriding principle being that there is an overall peripheral speed differential between the arrays of rollers along the channel.
  • roller means in an array may be provided by a series of conveyor belts or bands, the peripheral speed of each belt being controlled individually by a motor or by gearing.
  • peripheral speeds and diameters of the rollers will depend on the circumstances, in particular the dimensions of the articles being dewrapped and the nature of the wrapping material.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Wrapping Of Specific Fragile Articles (AREA)
  • Control And Other Processes For Unpacking Of Materials (AREA)
EP87303319A 1986-04-18 1987-04-15 Apparat zum Öffnen von Verpackungen Withdrawn EP0242202A3 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8609483 1986-04-18
GB868609483A GB8609483D0 (en) 1986-04-18 1986-04-18 Package opening apparatus

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0242202A2 true EP0242202A2 (de) 1987-10-21
EP0242202A3 EP0242202A3 (de) 1988-11-02

Family

ID=10596425

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP87303319A Withdrawn EP0242202A3 (de) 1986-04-18 1987-04-15 Apparat zum Öffnen von Verpackungen

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0242202A3 (de)
GB (2) GB8609483D0 (de)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0634330A1 (de) * 1993-07-13 1995-01-18 Ntm Limited Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Trennen der Aussenhülle von einem Gegenstand
US9833021B2 (en) 2014-10-02 2017-12-05 Digirettes, Inc. Disposable tank electronic cigarette, method of manufacture and method of use

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5203665A (en) * 1991-10-11 1993-04-20 Lars Lande Apparatus for removing compost from plastic bags

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CH547743A (de) * 1972-02-15 1974-04-11 Zellweger Uster Ag Tragtaschenspeicher fuer die aufnahme eines stapels von tragtaschen, mit mittel zur entnahme einer tragtasche aus diesem stapel.
FR2293878A1 (fr) * 1974-12-13 1976-07-09 Seita Dispositif et procede pour defaire des paquets de cigarettes ou articles analogues
US4036380A (en) * 1976-06-15 1977-07-19 Loews Theatres, Inc. Apparatus for opening cigarette cartons and packs and removing the cigarettes
NL8303265A (nl) * 1983-09-23 1985-04-16 Vam Nv Inrichting voor het bewerken van met afvalmateriaal gevulde zakken.

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0634330A1 (de) * 1993-07-13 1995-01-18 Ntm Limited Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Trennen der Aussenhülle von einem Gegenstand
US9833021B2 (en) 2014-10-02 2017-12-05 Digirettes, Inc. Disposable tank electronic cigarette, method of manufacture and method of use
US10278428B2 (en) 2014-10-02 2019-05-07 Digirettes, Inc. Disposable tank electronic cigarette, method of manufacture and method of use
US10299513B2 (en) 2014-10-02 2019-05-28 Digirettes, Inc. Disposable tank electronic cigarette, method of manufacture and method of use
USD857985S1 (en) 2014-10-02 2019-08-27 Digirettes, Inc. Vaping device
USD863676S1 (en) 2014-10-02 2019-10-15 Digirettes, Inc. Vaping device tank
USRE50713E1 (en) 2014-10-02 2025-12-30 Cue Vapor Limited Disposable tank electronic cigarette, method of manufacture and method of use

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB8609483D0 (en) 1986-05-21
GB2189213B (en) 1989-11-29
EP0242202A3 (de) 1988-11-02
GB2189213A (en) 1987-10-21
GB8709087D0 (en) 1987-05-20

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Inventor name: MORRIS, ALAN ARTHUR