EP0787649B1 - Verfahren zum Zuführen von Zuschnitten in einer Zigarettenverpackungsmaschine - Google Patents

Verfahren zum Zuführen von Zuschnitten in einer Zigarettenverpackungsmaschine Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0787649B1
EP0787649B1 EP97101475A EP97101475A EP0787649B1 EP 0787649 B1 EP0787649 B1 EP 0787649B1 EP 97101475 A EP97101475 A EP 97101475A EP 97101475 A EP97101475 A EP 97101475A EP 0787649 B1 EP0787649 B1 EP 0787649B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
blanks
blank
pitch
arrangement
overlapping
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Expired - Lifetime
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EP97101475A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP0787649A1 (de
Inventor
Fiorenzo Draghetti
Fulvio Boldrini
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GD SpA
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GD SpA
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    • 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
    • B65B19/22—Wrapping the cigarettes; Packaging the cigarettes in containers formed by folding wrapping material around formers
    • B65B19/228—Preparing and feeding blanks

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method of feeding blanks on a cigarette packing machine.
  • a succession of blanks is fed to the wrapping wheel of a packing machine by means of conveyors, e.g. of the type described in British Patent n. 1,571,465, which withdraw the blanks successively from a feedbox and feed them successively, side by side and a given distance apart, to a transfer device for transferring the blanks on to the wrapping wheel.
  • conveyors e.g. of the type described in British Patent n. 1,571,465, which withdraw the blanks successively from a feedbox and feed them successively, side by side and a given distance apart, to a transfer device for transferring the blanks on to the wrapping wheel.
  • the present invention provides for borrowing a technique which is normally used, for space saving purpose only, for feeding in succession, and at a relatively low frequency, large pieces of cardboard, sacks or the like along a feeding path to a user station.
  • Such technique is disclosed in principle, for example, in FR-A-2 375 097 or FR-A-2 314 103.
  • a method of feeding blanks on a cigarette packing machine comprising the steps of feeding a number of blanks, so arranged to form a succession of side by side overlapping blanks with a given pitch, in a given traveling direction and at a first speed along a first portion of a supply path; feeding the blanks with said overlapping arrangement and at said first speed to a pitch-change station located at an output end of said first portion of said path; varying said pitch at said pitch-change station by accelerating each blank in relation to an adjacent blank located upstream in said traveling direction, and by retaining said adjacent blank so as to cause same to advance at said first speed, to eliminate said overlapping arrangement and form a further side by side arrangement of the blanks in said succession; and feeding the blanks, arranged in said further arrangement and at a second speed, along a second portion of said path.
  • the overlapping arrangement of the blanks described above provides, for a given output speed, for reducing the traveling speed of the blanks along said first portion of the supply path to less than a third of that of known blank conveyors, thus greatly reducing the ventilation forces to which the blanks are subjected.
  • the upstream blank in the traveling direction of the blanks towards the wrapping wheel acts as a retaining element for the adjacent downstream blank, any external retaining elements, which are a major source of damage to the outside of the blanks, may be substantially eliminated.
  • Number 1 in Figure 1 indicates a machine for packing cigarettes in rigid hinged-lid packets (not shown) formed by feeding substantially elongated rectangular blanks 2 of cardboard or similar, in a direction 3 crosswise to their longitudinal axis, to a known wrapping wheel 4 rotating anticlockwise (in Figure 1) about its axis 5.
  • Machine 1 comprises a supply line 6 for feeding blanks 2 to wrapping wheel 4, and which comprises a conveyor 7 presenting an air-permeable belt 8 looped about two transmission pulleys 9 and 10.
  • Pulley 10 is fitted to a shaft 11 parallel to axis 5 and connected to an encoder 12 and to the output of a fixed motor 13 for rotating shaft 11 clockwise (in Figure 1); and pulley 9 is fitted idly to a shaft 14 parallel to shaft 11 and in turn fitted to a load cell 15 for emitting a signal proportional to the transverse load applied to shaft 14, i.e. proportional to the tension of belt 8.
  • the upper branch 16 of belt 8 travels in direction 3 along a suction box 17 extending along substantially the whole length of branch 16, and defines the input portion of a path P along which blanks 2 are supplied to wheel 4.
  • the output portion of path P is defined by two rollers 18 and 19, the first of which is a powered accelerating roller rotating anticlockwise (in Figure 1) about an axis parallel to axis 5 and at a surface speed greater than the traveling speed of belt 8.
  • Roller 18 is located a given distance from and downstream from pulley 10 in direction 3, defines a passage with pulley 10, and is tangent to a roller 20 of a gumming device 21; and roller 19 is parallel and tangent to roller 18 and wheel 4, and rotates clockwise (in Figure 1) at the same surface speed as wheel 4 and roller 18.
  • Line 6 also comprises a reel-holder device 22 in turn comprising a fixed frame 23 over branch 16 of belt 8, and an inclined arm 24 located over and to the side of branch 16 and connected at the top end to frame 23 by a pin 25 parallel to axis 5.
  • Arm 24 is rotated about pin 25 by a linear actuator 26 interposed between frame 23 and an intermediate point of arm 24, and is fitted in rotary manner at the bottom end with a pin 27 parallel to pin 25 and movable axially by a known actuating device (not shown) between a withdrawn position and a position projecting from arm 24 directly over branch 16.
  • pin 27 engages an end portion of the central hole (not shown) through the central core 28 of a reel 29 defined by a supporting strip 30 wound about core 28 to form successive turns, each of which is separated from the adjacent turn by an intermediate layer comprising a succession 31 of overlapping blanks 2, i.e. arranged so that the longitudinal axes of each pair of adjacent blanks 2 are separated by a distance smaller than the width of each blank, and the leading blank 2, i.e. closest to the free end of strip 30, overlaps the adjacent following blank 2.
  • blanks 2 present projecting portions 32; and strip 30 is defined by two belts 33 so located as not to contact portions 32, and of a thickness at least equal to that of portions 32, so that the thickness of portions 32 is compensated by that of belts 33 and in no way affects the diameter of reel 29.
  • Line 6 comprises a diverting roller 34 located beneath roller 18 and upstream from roller 20, and defining, with roller 18, a pitch-change device or station 35; and line 6 also comprises an unwinding assembly 36 located beneath the output end of conveyor 7 and in turn comprising a roller 37 connected to the output of a motor 38, and a pressing roller 39, which is pushed on to roller 37 by a known spring-loaded arm 40.
  • Motor 38 is controlled both by encoder 12 and by a known torque-limiting device 41 interposed between motor 38 and a motor 42 connected to pin 27, and which provides for activating motor 42 when the resisting torque of motor 38 exceeds a predetermined value.
  • Line 6 also comprises a brake device 43 shown in detail in Figure 2 and in turn comprising a step motor 44, which is controlled both by encoder 12 and by a sensor 45 facing branch 16 of belt 8 immediately upstream from pulley 10, and provides for rotating (anticlockwise in Figure 2) a cylindrical head 46 presenting a radial appendix 47.
  • the free end of appendix 47 is separated from the axis of rotation of head 46 by a distance at least equal to the distance between said axis of rotation and branch 16 of belt 8, travels at least along part of its path at the same speed as belt 8, and engages branch 16 with a given contact pressure at each turn of head 46.
  • line 6 comprises a control unit 48 in turn comprising a central control unit 49 for controlling the operation and delivery of a pump 50 supplying actuating fluid to actuator 26 as a function of signals received from cell 15 and from a detector 51 for determining the angular position of arm 24.
  • a full reel 29 is placed close to machine 1; actuator 26 is operated to rotate arm 24 clockwise (in Figure 1) so that pin 27 is separated from branch 16 of belt 8 of conveyor 7 by a distance greater than the diameter of reel 29; pin 27 is then set to the extracted position and reel 29 fitted on to pin 27 in the unwinding position; central control unit 49 activates pump 50 to rotate arm 24 anticlockwise about pin 25 and so bring the periphery of reel 29 up to branch 16 of belt 8; and a given initial length of strip 30, with no blanks 2, is unwound off reel 29 and fed manually along branch 16, beneath brake device 43, through the passage between pulley 10 and roller 18, between rollers 18 and 34 of pitch-change device 35, and between rollers 37 and 39 of assembly 36.
  • strip 30 begins feeding succession 31 of overlapping blanks 2 along branch 16 of belt 8, so that blanks 2 travel successively beneath brake device 43, the appendix 47 of which contacts each blank 2 just behind the rear edge of the foregoing blank 2 as the foregoing blank 2 reaches device 35 and is engaged by roller 18.
  • Appendix 47 is so sized that the blank 2 engaged by it is pressed on to branch 16 of belt 8, thus preventing the removal of two or more blanks 2 at a time by roller 18, and enabling roller 19, and hence wheel 4, to be supplied with a succession 31a of blanks 2, in which, as opposed to overlapping, blanks 2 present a constant pitch at least equal to their width measured in traveling direction 3.
  • the rotation speed of appendix 47 is controlled by encoder 12 over the portion of its travel in contact with blank 2, and by sensor 45 over the remainder of its rotation; and sensor 45 detects the passage of the rear edge of each blank, and so controls motor 44 that appendix 47 is brought into contact with each blank 2 immediately downstream from the rear edge of the foregoing blank 2.
  • Blanks 2 in succession 31 are therefore arranged with a relatively small pitch as compared with that of succession 31a, so that, for a given number of blanks 2 supplied per unit of time to wheel 4, the traveling speed of blanks 2 in succession 31 is relatively slower than, and in the example shown almost a third of, that of blanks 2 in succession 31a.
  • the blanks in succession 31 therefore require no retaining or guide devices.
  • line 6 comprises a reel-change device 52 located between arm 24 and brake device 43, over branch 16 of belt 8, and in turn comprising an arm 53 located over branch 16 and on the opposite side of branch 16 to arm 24.
  • Arm 53 is connected at one end to frame 23 by a pin 54 parallel to pin 25, and is rotated about pin 54 under the control of an angular position detector 55 and by a linear actuator 56 interposed between frame 23 and an intermediate point of arm 53 and supplied by a pump 57 controlled by central control unit 49.
  • the free end of arm 53 is fitted in rotary manner with a pin 58 parallel to pin 54 and projecting from arm 53 directly over branch 16.
  • Pin 58 is movable axially in relation to arm 53 by a known actuator (not shown) to engage an end portion of the central hole (not shown) through core 28 opposite the end portion engaged in use by pin 27, and is normally maintained by arm 53 in a standby position ( Figure 1) along the circular trajectory 59 of pin 29 about pin 25.
  • Device 52 also comprises a known splicing device 60 located facing branch 16 between arm 53 and brake device 43; and a known cutting device 61 located between arm 53 and branch 16.
  • arm 24 is free to move back and receive a new reel 29, while the old reel continues to be unwound on pin 58; arm 24 is set to a standby position; and a portion of strip 30 with no blanks 2 is laid along branch 16 up to a point just upstream from the reel 29 being unwound.
  • detector 55 activates both suction box 17, which makes strip 30 of the new reel 29 and branch 16 integral with each other, and cutting device 61, which cuts the trailing end portion of strip 30 of the run-out reel 29 and places it on top of the leading end portion of strip 30 of the new reel.
  • suction box 17 the two superimposed end portions of strip 30 proceed at the same speed towards assembly 36 and are spliced by device 60.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Wrapping Of Specific Fragile Articles (AREA)
  • Replacement Of Web Rolls (AREA)
  • Manufacturing Of Cigar And Cigarette Tobacco (AREA)

Claims (9)

  1. Verfahren zum Zuführen von Rohlingen (2) in einer Zigarettenverpackungsmaschine (1), das die folgenden Schritte umfaßt: Zuführen mehrerer Rohlinge (2), die so angeordnet sind, daß sie eine Aufeinanderfolge (31) von nebeneinander liegenden überlappenden Rohlingen (2) mit einer vorgegebenen Schrittweite bilden, in einer vorgegebenen Bewegungsrichtung (3) und mit einer ersten Geschwindigkeit längs eines ersten Abschnitts eines Zuführwegs (P); Zuführen der Rohlinge (2) mit der überlappenden Anordnung und mit der ersten Geschwindigkeit an eine Schrittweitenänderungsstation (35), die an einem Ausgabeende des ersten Abschnitts des Wegs (P) angeordnet ist; Ändern der Schrittweite in der Schrittweitenänderungsstation (35) durch Beschleunigen jedes Rohlings (2) in bezug auf einen benachbarten Rohling (2), der stromaufwärts in der Bewegungsrichtung (3) angeordnet ist, und durch Festhalten des benachbarten Rohlings (2), um zu bewirken, daß sich dieser mit der ersten Geschwindigkeit vorwärtsbewegt, um die überlappende Anordnung zu eliminieren und eine im weiteren nebeneinanderliegende Anordnung der Rohlinge (2) in der Aufeinanderfolge (31) zu bilden; und Zuführen der Rohlinge (2), die in der weiteren Anordnung angeordnet sind, mit einer zweiten Geschwindigkeit längs eines zweiten Abschnitts des Wegs (P).
  2. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß in der überlappenden Anordnung jeder Rohling (2) mit dem benachbarten Rohling (2), der in der Bewegungsrichtung (3) unmittelbar stromaufwärts angeordnet ist, überlappend positioniert ist.
  3. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1 oder 2,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß in der Schrittweitenänderungsstation (35) die Schrittweite so vergrößert wird, daß die überlappende Anordnung benachbarter Rohlinge (2) eliminiert wird; wobei die weitere Anordnung eine Anordnung ist, bei der die Rohlinge (2) nebeneinander angeordnet sind.
  4. Verfahren nach Anspruch 3,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die weitere Anordnung eine Anordnung ist, bei der die Rohlinge (2) um eine Strecke voneinander beabstandet sind, die größer als null ist.
  5. Verfahren nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß in der Schrittweitenänderungsstation (35) der Rohling (2), der in der Bewegungsrichtung (3) stromaufwärts angeordnet ist, in bezug auf jeden beschleunigten Rohling (2) durch bewegliche Bremsmittel (43) wenigstens während derjenigen Zeitdauer festgehalten wird, die der beschleunigte Rohling (2) benötigt, um von dem festgehaltenen Rohling (2) gelöst zu werden.
  6. Verfahren nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Rohlinge (2) auf einem Haltestreifen (30) in der überlappenden Anordnung angeordnet sind, wobei die Rohlinge (2) mit der ersten Geschwindigkeit zugeführt werden, indem der Haltestreifen (30) längs des ersten Abschnitts des Wegs (P) zugeführt wird.
  7. Verfahren nach Anspruch 6,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Haltestreifen (30) auf eine Haspel (29) gewickelt ist, in der die überlappenden Rohlinge (2) zwischen benachbarten Windungen gehalten werden; wobei die Haspel (29) allmählich abgewickelt wird, um den Haltestreifen (30) längs eines ersten Abschnitts des Wegs (P) zuzuführen.
  8. Verfahren nach Anspruch 6 oder 7,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Haltestreifen (30) an der Schrittweitenänderungsstation (35) von dem Weg (P) abgelenkt wird.
  9. Verfahren nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche 6 bis 8,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Rohlinge (2) vorstehende Abschnitte (32) enthalten; wobei der Haltestreifen (30) durch wenigstens zwei Riemen (33) definiert ist und die Rohlinge auf diesem Riemen (33) so angeordnet sind, daß die vorstehenden Abschnitte (32) nicht mit den Riemen (33) in Kontakt gelangen.
EP97101475A 1996-02-02 1997-01-30 Verfahren zum Zuführen von Zuschnitten in einer Zigarettenverpackungsmaschine Expired - Lifetime EP0787649B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ITBO960048 1996-02-02
IT96BO000048A IT1285512B1 (it) 1996-02-02 1996-02-02 Metodo per l'alimentazione di sbozzati in una macchina impacchettatrice di sigarette

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0787649A1 EP0787649A1 (de) 1997-08-06
EP0787649B1 true EP0787649B1 (de) 2002-12-18

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP97101475A Expired - Lifetime EP0787649B1 (de) 1996-02-02 1997-01-30 Verfahren zum Zuführen von Zuschnitten in einer Zigarettenverpackungsmaschine

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0787649B1 (de)
CN (1) CN1160004A (de)
DE (1) DE69717874T2 (de)
IT (1) IT1285512B1 (de)

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2526432C3 (de) * 1975-06-13 1984-03-08 Windmöller & Hölscher, 4540 Lengerich Vorrichtung zum Speichern und Zuführen von Ventilsäcken zu Füllmaschinen
IT1069483B (it) 1976-05-06 1985-03-25 Gd Spa Dispositivo trasportatore per l alimentazione di tratti di materiale in foglio..particolarmente di sbozzati o fustellati di cartoncino e simili..ad un macchina utilizzatrice..particolarmente ad una macchina condizionatrice di sigarete in pacchetti del tipo con coperchio incernierato hinged lid
DE2658294C2 (de) 1976-12-22 1984-04-12 Windmöller & Hölscher, 4540 Lengerich Vorrichtung zum Vereinzeln und Zuführen von mit Haltebändern in einer Schuppenbandrolle gespeicherten flachen Gegenständen zu nachfolgenden Stationen
DE2804178C3 (de) * 1978-02-01 1985-03-14 Haver & Boecker, 4740 Oelde Vorrichtung zum Abrollen und Vereinzeln schuppenförmig zu einer Sackrolle aufgewickelter, oben offener Säcke

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69717874D1 (de) 2003-01-30
ITBO960048A1 (it) 1997-08-02
IT1285512B1 (it) 1998-06-08
ITBO960048A0 (it) 1996-02-02
EP0787649A1 (de) 1997-08-06
DE69717874T2 (de) 2003-09-18
CN1160004A (zh) 1997-09-24

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