EP0677441B1 - Device for forming and feeding ordered groups of fragile rod-shaped objects, particularly cigarettes - Google Patents

Device for forming and feeding ordered groups of fragile rod-shaped objects, particularly cigarettes Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0677441B1
EP0677441B1 EP95105150A EP95105150A EP0677441B1 EP 0677441 B1 EP0677441 B1 EP 0677441B1 EP 95105150 A EP95105150 A EP 95105150A EP 95105150 A EP95105150 A EP 95105150A EP 0677441 B1 EP0677441 B1 EP 0677441B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
cigarettes
rows
row
transfer
transfer station
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP95105150A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0677441A1 (en
Inventor
Valter Spada
Giuseppe Tosi
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.)
Sasib Tobacco SpA
Original Assignee
Sasib Tobacco SpA
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 Sasib Tobacco SpA filed Critical Sasib Tobacco SpA
Publication of EP0677441A1 publication Critical patent/EP0677441A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0677441B1 publication Critical patent/EP0677441B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime 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
    • B65B19/00—Packaging rod-shaped or tubular articles susceptible to damage by abrasion or pressure, e.g. cigarettes, cigars, macaroni, spaghetti, drinking straws or welding electrodes
    • B65B19/02—Packaging cigarettes
    • B65B19/04—Arranging, feeding, or orientating the cigarettes
    • B65B19/10—Arranging cigarettes in layers each comprising a predetermined number

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a device for forming and feeding ordered groups of fragile rod-shaped objects, particularly cigarettes, of the type comprising:
  • a device of this type is known from the document GB-A-2.120.993.
  • the said guides are fixed in their operative position with respect to the conveyor belt and to the transfer stations. Since the cigarette packing machines of this kind generally operate at very high speeds, there is a considerable risk that the cigarettes of the rows inserted in the tubular housings in the first transfer stations may move and become disposed incorrectly, as a result of the rapid accelerations and decelerations. In this case, the cigarettes in the row inserted subsequently are inevitably damaged, causing a fall in output or an increase in wastage, and possibly necessitating the stopping of the machine to remove the damaged cigarettes.
  • the object of the invention is to provide a device according to the pre-characterizing part of claim 1, with which it is possible to avoid in a certain and extremely simple and economical way the disadvantages mentioned above, without restricting in any way the operating speed of the machine and without requiring additional moving parts which would have to be operated in synchronization with the remaining operating units of the machine, by rendering accessible the tubular housings, thus simplyfing noticeably the operations for adjusting the alignment between the cigarettes in the transfer stations and the corresponding tubular housing.
  • the invention achieves the above object with a device of the type according to the preamble of claim 1 and characterized in that one or both guides are supported in a freely displaceable way from their operative positions with respect to the conveyor belt and to the stations.
  • one or both guides are hinged in an angularly displaceable way around an axis parallel to their longitudinal axis and in such a way as to be angularly raiseable away from their operative position, i.e. away from the conveyor belt.
  • the illustrated device relates in particular to a cigarette packing machine, in which the packets of cigarettes are formed by wrapping around a group of cigarettes, arranged in the same order as that of the cigarettes in the finished packet, the various layers of packaging material which form the packet.
  • the machine is therefore provided, before the operating units for the formation of the packet, with a device for forming ordered groups of cigarettes.
  • the said device comprises a vertical feed hopper in which the individual cigarettes are housed and which has three channels 1, 1', 1'' for forming rows of cigarettes, these channels being known in themselves and each being capable of depositing a row of adjacent cigarettes with a predetermined number of cigarettes on a horizontal surface 2 in an associated transfer station S1, S1', S1''.
  • the channels 1, 1', 1'' for forming rows of cigarettes are disposed at equal distances from each other and are aligned with each other transversely with respect to the axes of the cigarettes.
  • the transfer surfaces 2 are made to be staggered parallel to each other at different heights, increasing by an amount substantially equal to the diameter of the cigarettes in the direction of advance of a continuous conveyor device which is provided with a plurality of tubular housings, known as a cassette belt.
  • the cassette conveyor consists of a conveyor belt 3, whose upper conveyor section extends horizontally and before and parallel to the row of transfer stations S1, S1', S1''.
  • the said belt 3 is run around pulleys 103, 203, at least one of which is rotated by a motor M and carries a plurality of tubular housings 4 which are distributed at equal distances from each other on the belt.
  • the tubular housings 4 are open at their ends and are orientated with their axis transverse with respect to the conveyor belt 3 and parallel to the axes of the cigarettes in the transfer stations S1, S1', S1''. They have a rectangular transverse section capable of housing three superimposed rows of cigarettes.
  • the upper section of the conveyor belt 3 extends at a level with respect to the transfer surfaces 2 such that at each transfer station S1, S1', S1'' the corresponding rows of cigarettes are provided at a level corresponding to that of the filling layer of the tubular housing 4 which the said row is intended to occupy at the time of insertion into the housing 4.
  • the rows of cigarettes are inserted by axial pushers 5 of a known type.
  • the rows may advantageously be slightly compressed transversely with respect to their axes by opposing closing means 6 before their insertion, while the ends of the tubular housings 4 facing the transfer stations S1, S1', S1'' are suitably flared to facilitate entry.
  • the conveyor belt 3 is made to advance in steps by which each tubular housing 4 is brought successively up to the next transfer station S1, S1', S1'', in the position of axial insertion of the corresponding row of cigarettes.
  • the tubular housings 4 are also made shorter than the axial length of the cigarettes, at least on their vertical sides and on the upper side further from the belt 3, so that at the insertion position the cigarettes project beyond both ends of the said tubular housings 4.
  • a first stationary guide 7 which consists of a shaped strip 7 suspended from above by two brackets 307.
  • the brackets 307 are hinged at 407 to the frame of the device so that they can oscillate about a horizontal axis parallel to the stationary guide 7, enabling the guide to oscillate between a position lowered against the cassette belt and a position raised angularly away from the belt, so that the tubular housings 4 are easily accessible from the said end for manual servicing or maintenance operations.
  • the said first stationary guide 7 has a profile widening by steps towards the facing end of the tubular housings on the side facing the tubular housings, and from the lower to the upper side of the guide 7.
  • it has three steps, whose vertical sides 107, parallel to the ends of the cigarettes, form axial end stops for the introduction of the cigarettes and have heights substantially equal to or preferably slightly greater than the diameter of the cigarettes.
  • each tubular housing The individual rows of cigarettes in each tubular housing are therefore disposed so that they are staggered axially with respect to each other according to the reciprocal axial staggering of the vertical sides 107 of the steps, while the horizontal sides 207 of the steps projecting towards the ends of the tubular housings 4 form horizontal surfaces which are superimposed with a suitable free space on the terminal portions at the facing ends of the cigarettes in the corresponding rows. Because of this arrangement, in the condition of partial filling of the tubular housings the corresponding rows of cigarettes are retained at least at one of their ends in their correct insertion position, preventing them from being displaced into positions such that they interfere with the rows of cigarettes which are introduced in a following transfer station with consequent damage to the product. Obviously, the horizontal projection of the steps in the axial direction, in other words of their horizontal sides 207, is such that the stationary guide 7 is sufficient spaced from the corresponding ends of the tubular housings 4.
  • a second retaining guide 8 is provided between the corresponding ends of the tubular housings 4 and the output end of the transfer stations, and is supported in a way similar to the first guide 7 and has similar functions to the first guide.
  • the rows of cigarettes are staggered in the opposite way, the ends of the cigarettes in the upper layers projecting beyond those in the lower layers (Figs. 4 to 8).
  • the guide 8 has a plurality of successive portions which extend from the up-line end of a transfer station S1, S1' to the up-line end of the following transfer station S1', S1'', while the portion of guide next to the final transfer station S1'' is made in such a way as to provide a vertical realignment of the rows of cigarettes in the tubular housings 4.
  • each portion of the guide 8 has a horizontal superimposition surface 208, 208' at the free upper side of the ends of the cigarettes of the row inserted at the transfer station S1, S1' associated with the said portion.
  • the horizontal superimposition surface 208, 208' of the individual guide segments are staggered vertically with respect to each other with steps in the direction of advance, corresponding to the associated rows of cigarettes.
  • the individual segments of the guide 8 have vertical guide surfaces 108, 108' interacting with the ends of the cigarettes which extend only between the down-line end of a transfer station S1, S1' and the up-line end of the following transfer station S1', S1'', and which are staggered with respect to each other with a step corresponding to the axial staggering of the row of cigarettes inserted in the tubular housings 4 at the transfer station S1, S1' directly up-line from the said surface 108, 108'.
  • apertures 308 are formed next to the transfer stations S1, S1', S1''.
  • the transfer surfaces 2 are extended in the direction of the tubular housings 4 with superimposition blades 9 which terminate at a certain distance from the tubular housings, but are superimposed in a similar way to the horizontal surface 208, 208' of the preceding portion of guide 8 at the ends of the cigarettes of the row directly underlying the row to be inserted.
  • the ordered group of cigarettes consists of three superimposed rows, in which each outer row has an identical number of cigarettes while the intermediate row has one cigarette less and is disposed in a quincuncial arrangement with the other two, the thickness of the first two rows of cigarettes in the said disposition is less than twice the diameter of the cigarettes. Since the superimposition blade 9 prevents a quincuncial disposition of the intermediate row of cigarettes at least in the area of the corresponding ends (Figs. 6 and 7), the horizontal surface of the portion of guide 8 associated with the transfer station S1' of the said intermediate row and extending to the up-line end of the following transfer station S1'' for the third and final row of cigarettes has, as shown in Fig.
  • an initial horizontal portion provided at a level substantially equal to or slightly greater than twice the diameter of the cigarettes and a subsequent portion 208''' inclined slightly downwards, to compensate for the difference in thickness between the superimposed rows when the two rows are disposed in a quincuncial arrangement in the area between the two stations S1' and S1''.
  • the guide 8 and the guide 7 also extend beyond the final transfer station S1'' for the final row of cigarettes to be inserted into the tubular housings 4.
  • the guide 7 at the ends of the tubular housings 4 further from the transfer stations S1, S1', S1'' has a vertical surface 107'' which is aligned with the vertical surface of the elevation of the lowest step interacting with the lowest row of cigarettes projecting furthest from the tubular housing 4 (Figs. 4, 8 and 9).
  • the said surface 107'' extends over the whole height of the tubular housings 4.
  • the said terminal portion also has a horizontal surface 207'' which forms an extension of the horizontal surface 207 of the final uppermost step of the guide 7 and which extends over a length equal to the overall staggering of the rows with respect to each other.
  • the corresponding terminal portion of the opposing guide 8 has a vertical surface 108'' which is inclined in the axial direction with respect to the cigarettes towards the opposing guide 7, the end next to the down-line end of the transfer station S1'' being spaced from the facing vertical surface 107'' of the opposing guide 7 by an amount corresponding to the length of the cigarettes plus the axial projection of the final uppermost row of cigarettes with respect to the lowest, while the downline end of the said inclined vertical surface 108'' is disposed at a distance from the opposing vertical surface 107'' substantially equal to or preferably slightly greater than the length of the cigarettes.
  • the passage of the tubular housings 4 between the two terminal portions of the two opposing guides 7 and 8 causes the progressive vertical alignment of the ends of the cigarettes with each other, thus removing the axial staggering produced at the stage of progressive filling of the tubular housings 4.
  • the said terminal portion of the guide 8 also has a horizontal superimposition surface 208'' at the ends of the cigarettes of the final uppermost row inserted at the said final station S1'', in a similar way to the portions of the said guide provided up-line.
  • the guides 7 and 8 being both supported by the pivotable brackets 307 and 408 can be raised angularly away from the conveyor belt 3. In the raised position the cigarettes in the stations S1, S1',S1'' and the facing sides of the tubular housings 4 can be directly seen, thus simplyfing noticeably the operations for adjusting the alignment between the cigarettes in the stations S1, S1' and S1'' and the corresponding tubular housing 4.
  • the guides 7 and 8 i.e. the brackets 307, 408 are freely pivotable and the guides 7, 8 provided in combination with means for detecting the angular displacement of the same ones.
  • the guides 7 and 8 are associated to electro-optical displacement detectors which are formed by an integrated light beam emitter/receiver unit 10 which is supported by a stationary part of the frame 11 and which is oriented with the axis of the emitted beam parallel to the longitudinal axis of the corresponding guide 7 and 8 facing the emitter/receiver unit 10.
  • the reflectors 12 have a reflecting surface which is transversal to the emitted beam and to the longitudinal axis of the guides 7,8. This surface shows a hole 112 being placed in such a way that in the operative position of the guides 7 and 8 it is coaxial to the emitted beam which passes through it without being reflected.
  • An angular displacement of the guides 7,8 causes a displacement of the hole 112 with respect to the emitted beam which falls onto the reflecting surface around the hole 112.
  • the emitter/receiver unit 10 generates a control signal which can be fed to a central control unit for example for stopping the machine or at least the pushers 5 and perhaps also the belt 3.
  • the rapidity in stopping the machine or at least the pushers has a great importance in order to avoid damaging of the operational rogans and devices which might be caused by the continuous progressive compression of successive cigarettes on the jammed ones between the stations and the tubular housings forming a very compact obstacle.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Wrapping Of Specific Fragile Articles (AREA)
  • Manufacturing Of Cigar And Cigarette Tobacco (AREA)
EP95105150A 1994-04-15 1995-04-06 Device for forming and feeding ordered groups of fragile rod-shaped objects, particularly cigarettes Expired - Lifetime EP0677441B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ITGE940048 1994-04-15
IT94GE000048A ITGE940048A1 (it) 1994-04-15 1994-04-15 Dispositivo formatore-alimentatore di gruppi ordinati di oggetti astiformi delicati, in particolare di sigarette.

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0677441A1 EP0677441A1 (en) 1995-10-18
EP0677441B1 true EP0677441B1 (en) 1998-09-16

Family

ID=11354575

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP95105150A Expired - Lifetime EP0677441B1 (en) 1994-04-15 1995-04-06 Device for forming and feeding ordered groups of fragile rod-shaped objects, particularly cigarettes

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0677441B1 (it)
DE (1) DE69504736T2 (it)
IT (1) ITGE940048A1 (it)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
IT1286269B1 (it) * 1996-10-22 1998-07-08 Gd Spa Metodo ed unita' per la formazione di gruppi di sigarette coniche

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4471866A (en) * 1982-04-30 1984-09-18 Hauni-Werke Korber & Co. Kg. Apparatus of assembling arrays of cigarettes in packing machines
IT1180502B (it) * 1984-06-22 1987-09-23 Gd Spa Metodo per la formazione, in una macchina impaccettatrice di sigarette, di gruppi di sigarette incompleti

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0677441A1 (en) 1995-10-18
ITGE940048A0 (it) 1994-04-15
ITGE940048A1 (it) 1995-10-15
DE69504736D1 (de) 1998-10-22
DE69504736T2 (de) 1999-05-20

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