EP1706319A1

EP1706319A1 - Method and apparatus for packaging soft products, in particular pieces of processed cheese

Info

Publication number: EP1706319A1
Application number: EP04803478A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Federico Signoracci; Roberto Signoracci
Original assignee: Gruppo Smaic Macchinari Industriali Srl
Current assignee: Gruppo Smaic Macchinari Industriali Srl
Priority date: 2003-12-11
Filing date: 2004-12-03
Publication date: 2006-10-04
Anticipated expiration: 2024-12-03
Also published as: DE602004007300T2; DE602004007300D1; ITMI20032425A1; EP1706319B1; ATE365679T1; WO2005058701A1

Abstract

A packaging method and machine for packaging extrudible soft or doughy products, having any desired shapes, such as triangular pieces of processed cheese to be collected into circular packages, for example of eight pieces of processed cheese, wherein from a production strip (8) for providing shell die-cut portions (3), said die-cut portions (3) are cut-out with a longitudinal axis (A) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (B) of the strip (8), thereby, in the die-cut portions (3), the tapering end (3A) therefrom the free ends (7) of the tearable small strips (6) project is directly formed by an edge (5) of the production strip (8). The shearing or cutting station (11) is directly arranged above the movable supports (16, 17) supporting the die-cut portions (3) for conveying them to the following processing stations, respectively, by a rotation through, for example 90°, and a corresponding fitting to the processing pitch (S) of a pair of shell die-cut portions (3), thereby simplifying the packaging machine and enhancing the synchronization rate of the machine operating cycles, with a consequent increase of the packaging machine production rate.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING SOFT PRODUCTS, IN PARTICULAR PIECES OF PROCESSED CHEESE

Background of the invention The present invention relates to a packaging method and machine for packaging extrudible soft or doughy products, such as pieces of processed cheese, according to the preambles of the independent claims 1 and 8, respectively. It is already known to package in individual packages soft or doughy and extrudible products, such as molten cheese, butter, margarine, soup cubes, jams and the like, by packaging said products in aluminum, synthetic material, paper, twin paper foils and the like and, more specifically with any desired geometrical configurations, such as in the form of cubes (soup cubes), parallelepiped shapes (soup cubes, butter margarine, jams), discs and triangular circle sectors (cheese, in which the individual disc packages are housed in a cylindrical can-like box, whilst the triangular cheese pieces are at first collected to form a cheese piece circle including, for example, eight cheese pieces, and then being arranged in circular boxes) and so on. The packaging foils or sheets are at first drawn to form the extrudible product vessels and then being closed on themselves, or receiving at first a die-cut cover thereon the free edge of the die-cut product will be then perimetrically folded. This latter case is specifically related to triangular cheese pieces. In order to simplify the following disclosure, reference will be hereinafter made to the triangular cheese pieces as a representative product, in which the adapted to be drawn die-cut element to provide the cheese piece vessel will be called the "shell". In a case of triangular cheese pieces is moreover known to arrange inside the shells either one or two small strips, provided for projecting from the finished package, to allow an easy tearing opening of the package, the two strips being arranged in the shell in the form of a X. To provide a high production rate, said tearing small strips are not directly applied on the shell die-cut products or elements, but on the packaging strip as the latter is fed according to set feeding pitches for shearing the shells therefrom. Moreover, and always to provide a high production rate while reducing waste materials to a minimum, is also known to cyclically shear or cut from the shell production strip a pair of die-cut elements, which are provided in an adjoining relationship and arranged with their longitudinal axes parallel and mutually offset from the production strip longitudinal axis, the die-cut elements of said pair of die-cut elements, after shearing, being spaced from one another to allow following processing steps to be performed, such as a drawing step, a filling-in step in which said shells will be filled-in with cheese, and so on. Such a spacing will be hereinafter called the "processing pitch". Prior packaging methods, as performed by prior existing packaging machines, for example for packaging triangular cheese pieces, substantially provide a synchronization of the different operating cycles by pitches, as related, for example, to the making and feeding operating cycle for the shell die-cut elements, the making and feeding cycle for the cover die-cut elements, the conveying cycle for conveying said shells for drawing them, the filling-in, closing, withdrawing, collecting and end box-packaging cycles, wherein intermediate processing steps can also be provided, such as, for example, an application of an outer label on the shell bottoms and so on. In general, it can be said that, in prior packaging machines, is provided a supporting and pitch translation central wheel, therewith a plurality of satellitar supporting wheels cooperate, for performing different processing cycles such as, for example, feeding of the shells, filling-in, cover feeding operations, folding, glueing and closing operations, packaged cheese piece withdrawing operations, cheese piece collecting operations, and so on. From the above it should be clear that the individual operating assemblies and mechanisms for providing the above- mentioned different drives, have a comparatively complex construction and include a great number of operatively interconnected components. Even if prior packaging machines have been found as adapted to satisfactorily achieve their jobs, they have also been found as affected by several drawbacks and disadvantages. At first, they have a complex construction and a production rate, which cannot be further enhanced because of mechanical limits, related to their mentioned kinematically complex construction. Actually, it has been found that prior procedures for supplying and shearing the shell and cover die-cut elements necessarily requires to use drive or transfer elements for transferring said die-cut elements by a reciprocating movement. Such a reciprocating of the die-cut elements, in turn, results in uneven arrangements of the shell die-cut elements in their related supports in the drawing station. Moreover, it is also known that between an application of the tearing opening strips on the production strip and the shearing of said shells, it is necessary to provide specifically designed means for preventing the ends of the tearing opening strips projecting from the tapering and of the shell from being also cut during the shearing operation. Summary of the invention Accordingly, the aim of the present invention is that of improving the packaging method, and the packaging machine for performing said method, thereby allowing the packaging machine yield to be enhanced, as well as to be greatly simplified construction-wise, by greatly reducing the number of its components. According to the present invention, the above mentioned aim is achieved by a packaging method having the features of claim 1, and a packaging machine having the features of claim 8, respectively. The dependent claims define further improvements of advantageous embodiments of the invention. The packaging method and machine according to the invention provide the following important advantages. The provision of shell and cover die-cut elements having their longitudinal axes cross-arranged with respect to the longitudinal axis of the aluminium packaging strip allows, for the shells, an easy application from the top of the tearing opening strips, having ends which laterally project from the packaging strip, the shearing contour of the shell die-cut elements extending only inside the aluminum strip, thereby the tearing strip projecting ends are not affected by the shearing or cutting operation, and this without using means and components as those provided in the prior art. The alternating arrangement of the die-cut element contours allows to hold the same waste rate as that of prior strips with a row arrangement of longitudinally adjoining die-cut element. The arrangement of the die-cut elements contours according to the present invention allows to locate the shearing or cutting station directly above a processing station including a pair of supports for receiving and locking the die-cut elements immediately after their shearing, which supports are movable on the shell feeding wheel. Advantageously, the shell feeding wheel comprises a plurality of supports for receiving and locking the shell die-cut elements, for example in a number of four, which allows to easily perform a bottom label application step for applying a bottom label on the shell die-cut elements. The locking of the shell die-cut element pair directly after their shearing on the related transfer support, moreover, allows to provide the further advantage of assuring a proper and reliable location of the shell die-cut elements in all their transfers up to the drawing station, since any possible offset of the die-cut elements, which are of a very light and "floating" nature, as well as of their locking supports, is actually eliminated. Yet another important advantage is that, by eliminating prior die-cut element reciprocating driving means, for reciprocating said die-cut elements from the shearing or cutting station therefor onto the pneumatic locking and transfer supports, it is possible, from a side, to simplify construction-wise the packaging machine and, from the other side, to drastically reduce the passive time related to the mentioned transfer. Yet another advantage is that the teachings of the invention related to the shell die-cut elements can also be likewise adopted for the cover die-cut elements. Actually, even if the tearing opening strips are omitted from the latter, the cover die-cut elements provide the above mentioned locking and transfer advantages of said cover die-cut elements, from their shearing to the fitting thereof into the shells already filled-in by the cheese pieces. Thus, owing to the inventive improvements related to the packaging method and machine, it will be possible to enhance the packaging machine performance, while reducing its construction complexity and, according, its making cost.

Brief description of the drawings Further characteristics, advantages and details of the packaging method and machine according to the present invention will become more apparent hereinafter from the following detailed disclosure of a preferred embodiment of a packaging machine according to the invention which is schematically illustrated, by way of an example, in the accompanying drawings, where figures 1 to 5 show the prior art, and figures 6 to 9 show the invention and, more specifically: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a conventional triangular piece of processed cheese, as packaged in an aluminium sheet or foil, with a shell and cover and including one or more tearing opening strip/s; Figure 2 shows the two shells and cover die-cut elements in a spaced relationship, said shell die-cut element being already drawn into its configuration for receiving the molten or fused cheese Figure 3 further shows the shell die-cut element including the tearing opening strips, before its drawings; Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the shell die- cut element already filled-in by cheese, and including the cover and already folded perimetrical closure edges, i.e. being shown in an already performed thermosealing condition, in a ready status for withdrawal; Figure 5 is a top plan view showing the production strip, for example made of an aluminium material, in which the solid line shows the shell die-cut elements to be sheared by pairs and the dashed line shows the bottom or section of the triangular cheese piece, the waste region for each pair of shell die-cut elements being shown in dashed configuration; Figure 6 is a further top plan view showing a production strip, for example of an aluminium material, for making shell die-cut elements according to the invention, where, likewise to figure 5, the solid line shows the contours of the shell die-cut element to be sheared, the dashed line shows the bottom or section of the triangular cheese piece, and the dashed pattern likewise showing the waste region; Figure 7 is a schematic top plan view showing a preferred embodiment of the packaging machine according to the invention; Figure 8 shows an enlarged detail of the rotary wheel for respectively receiving-locking and transferring a pair of shell die-cut elements of the packaging machine of figure 7, further processing stations being moreover illustrated; and Figure 9 shows a schematic view of the shell die-cut feeding, shearing and drawing principle. It should be apparent that, in the preceding drawings, only the parts necessary for clearly understanding the invention have been shown. Moreover, for facilitating their understanding, the figures have been shown on different scales. Furthermore, like elements are indicated by like reference characters.

Description of the preferred embodiments Reference is at first made to figure 1, in which a triangular piece of processed cheese 1 is packaged in an aluminium foil package 2, constituted by a holder die-cut element or "shell" 3 and a cover die-cut element 4, as shown in figure 2. As shown, for example, in figure 3, the reference number 6 shows prior tearing opening small strips, which can comprise a single strip element or two strip elements arranged substantially in a X-conflguration. This individual or double opening tearing strips have a respective end 7, which projects at first from the tapering end 3 a of the die-cut element 3 and then from the pointed tip of the cheese piece 1 for opening by tearing the cheese package 1. After having glued the tearing strips 6 on the on the production strip 8, and having sheared or cut the shell die-cut elements 3, said die-cut elements 3 are so arranged as to form the wheel or shell for receiving the fused cheese piece by a known drawing operation and by a corresponding shape punch and folding operation, as illustrated in figures 2 and 9. After having performed the cheese fill-in operation and applied the cover die-cut element 4 on the filled-on cheese, the top perimetrical edge 3B of the shell is inward folded by progressive folding steps (figures 4 and 8). Then, a thermosealing step is performed ~ for which the aluminium strip is arranged -- for sealing the shell folded edge, on the cover, and then being performed, in a per se and known shown manner, the operating steps for taking, collecting and transferring to the packaging box, finished cheese pieces 1. According to a prior method, from the feeding production strip 8 two shell die-cut elements 3 are simultaneously sheared or cut (figure 5), said shell die-cut elements 3 having their longitudinal axis A parallel to the longitudinal axes B of the production strip 8, the two die-cut elements 3 of the respectively sheared pair being mutually longitudinally offset to provide a waste as minimum as possible of the production strip or tape 8. Thus, according to the prior art, from the production strip or tape 8, two respective pairs of said die-cut elements 3, following one another as shown in figure 5, i.e. with the ends 7 of the strips 6 projecting from the tapering end 3A will be obtained. This arrangement provides the disadvantages, which have been stated in the introductory portion of the disclosure. Such disadvantages are substantially overcome by the invention, which, differently from the prior art, provides a different use of the die-cut element packaging strips, and, more specifically, providing the longitudinal axes A of the die-cut elements 3 arranged perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis B of the production strip or tape 8, as shown in figure 6 for the shell die-cut elements. Figure 6 shows moreover that the shearing or cutting of respectively two adjoining die-cut elements is performed, preferably, with an alternating arrangement of the contours of said die-cut elements, i.e. with the side of the tapering end 3A alternately facing one and the other longitudinal edge 5 of the production strip 8. Thus, the waste amount will substantially correspond to that of prior strips allowing a simultaneously cutting of two adjoining die-cut elements with a longitudinal axis A parallel to the longitudinal axis B of the strip, but, however, with the advantage of allowing an arrangement of the tearing strips 6 having the ends 7 projecting from the longitudinal edges 5 of the production strip 8, i.e. in a region which is not affected by the shearing or cutting operation, see figure 6. Thus, the application of the tearing strips 6 having their ends 7 laterally projecting from the production strip 8 according to the present invention can be performed at any points of the packaging machine upstream of the shearing station 11 and, more specifically, without the need of providing any lifting device for lifting said projecting ends 7 before the shearing operation. The application station for applying the tearing strips on both sides of the production strip 8 have been indicated at 30 and 31 in figure 7. Said stations can be arranged at any desired point along the feeding path of the production strip 8. Said strip 8, in coiled form, is intermittently fed by any suitable feeding device, for example by a step-by-step motor. In addition to this simplification, the new procedure for shearing the die-cut elements according to the invention allows to perform the shearing or cutting operation directly on the die-cut element receiving and locking movable supports, which can successively be driven at will, and with a mutual spacing from the slightly spaced shearing position to assume the processing pitch, without the risk of being affected by displacements from the related support, which would result in a defective location of the die-cut elements in the drawing stations, for the shell die-cut elements, and of the application of the application of the covers, for the cover die- cut elements, said defective locations being susceptible to result in defective packages to be possible rejected. In actual practice, the shearing station 11 for shearing the shell die-cut elements 3 can be advantageously arranged in-line with the production strip 8 supply and, preferably, in cooperation with the drawing station 13, figures 7, 8 and 9, it will allow to arrange a plurality, for example four, of pairs of movable supports 16 and 17 in a transfer rotary wheel 12, provided for turning by pitches by straddling successively a prior application station 15 for optionally applying a label, not shown, on the bottom side of the die-cut elements 3 and on the drawing station 13, in which the die- cut elements 3 are drawn and conveyed to the underlying processing wheel 14 which can be driven by pitches to the different processing stations as provided and formed, in the shown example, by a fill-in station 20 for filling-in the shells 3, an application station 21 for applying the covers 4, a first folding station 22 for folding the rounded edge 3B of the shell, a second folding station 23 for folding the edges 3A of the straight sides of the shell, a thermosealing station 24 for thermosealing the folded edges of the shells and underlying cover, and a withdrawing and collecting station 25 for withdrawing and collecting the finished cheese pieces 1 to form a disc 26, for example of eight cheese pieces to be packaged, in a per se and non shown manner, in the related packaging circular boxes, see figures 7. According to the invention, in addition to eliminating prior devices for preventing the projecting ends 7 of the strips 6 from being cut during the shearing operation, there are likewise eliminated prior reciprocating means for reciprocately driving the shell die-cut elements to transfer them from the shearing station to the drawing station. According to the invention, the production strip 8 is supplied to the shearing station 11 by causing it to be fed by pitches of respectively a strip portion respectively corresponding to two shell die-cut elements 3, figure 9, in which station 1 1 the two die-cut elements 3 are cut and arranged on a respective pair of movable supports 16 and 17 providing a further locking operation, for example of a pneumatic type. Said movable supports 16 and 17 are clamped to a respective arm 16A and 17A, of which the arm 17A can turn about a rotary point 19 which is arranged in a fixed position, whereas the arm 16A can turn about a rotary point 18 which is movable along a curved path 29 to alternatively provide a spacing of the movable supports 16 and 17 from one another to assume the above mentioned "processing pitch" S, figure 8, in the downstream processing stations, and an approaching to one another of said movable supports 16 and 17. According to the invention, said downstream stations comprise a label application station 15, for applying an outer label, not shown on the bottoms of the shell die-cut elements 3 and a following drawing station 13, figures 7 and 8. However, as clearly shown in figure 8, in the exemplary embodiment shown, the pair of movable supports 16 and 17 can cyclically translated in the wheel 12 respectively by pitches or steps of 90° between the shearing station 11, the following bottom label application station 15, a "dead or passive" station 28 for moving the movable supports 16 and 17 closer to one another, the drawing station 13, for returning then to the shearing station for repeating the rotary cycle. Figure 8 shows moreover that the curved path portions from the rotary point 18 of the arm 16A of the movable support 16 to the different rotary pitches or steps through 90° of the wheel 12 provide respectively an elliptical curve portion 29, to perform the above mentioned following moving away and approaching movements of the supports 16 and 17, and that the station 28, in the shown exemplary embodiment, is not an operating station but is exclusively provided to allow the movable supports 16 and 17 to be intermediately moved toward one another between the processing stations 15 and 13. The rotary directions of the wheels 12, 14, 21 and 25 being indicated by the respective arrows. Figure 8 does not show the pneumatic circuit for locking the shell die-cut elements 3 on the supports 16 and 17, since it is known per se, and can be made without any difficulties by one skilled in the art. The bearing system for supporting the movable supports 17 and 16 of which the first performs a simple rotary movement and the second a composite rotary and displacement movement with respect to the first during a rotary through 360°, forms a mechanically simple and greatly reliable approach allowing to obtain high processing speeds. The above disclosure related to the packaging aluminium strip and the shearing thereof is likewise true for the cover die-cut elements, where the spacing system for spacing the cover die-cut elements, as sheared, by the close position to the "processing pitch or step" S for engaging the covers into the shells, can be simplified, since no interemdiate approaching step for approaching the movable support is necessary. Accordingly, in the method according to the invention, the operating step for applying or glueing the tearing opening strips 6 on the production strip 8 is performed substantially transversely of the production strip, thereby the projecting ends 7 will laterally 5 project from an edge 5 of the production strip 8 which will form the tapering end 3 A of the die-cut element 3 made without cutting, the production strip or tape 8 being supplied by a pitch corresponding to two adjoining die-cut elements having longitudinal axes A transverse of the longitudinal axis of the production strip 8, and l o preferably mutually turned through 180°. In the packaging method according to the invention, the shearing of the die-cut elements 3 in the shearing station is performed by immediately locking them, for example pneumatically, on a respective movable support and by

15 successively transferring said die-cut elements 3 to the following processing station, where, during said transfer, the movable supports, i.e. the die-cut elements supported thereby, are spaced with the processing pitch S through a rotary movement for example of 90°.

20 In the inventive method, between the shearing or cutting station and drawing station a label application station for applying a label on the outer face of the shell die-cut elements 3 being preferably provided. Moreover, in the inventive packaging method, the

25 operating steps for spacing from one another and moving closer to one another the movable molds supporting the shell die-cut elements are performed by providing said rotary movable supports, and more precisely one about a fixed rotary point and the other about a rotary point following a curved path, where, by providing

30 an elliptical curved path during a full rotation of the movable supports, the latter will perform an operating cycle with a spacing step, for performing a processing operation, for example for applying a bottom label, an approaching step or operation and a following spacing step for a further processing step, for example the drawing of the shells and, finally, a novel operating step, for approaching and returning to a close position in the shearing station, where said spacing-approaching steps are performed by a rotary movement through 90°. The operation of the packaging machine, as shown in its illustrated preferred embodiment, and the different operating steps of the packaging method according to the invention can be easily deduced from the above constructional and functional disclosure, which, moreover, clearly shows that the packaging method and machine according to the invention efficiently solve the invention aim and provide the mentioned advantages. In particular, the great simplicity and reliability of the proposed mechanisms and the great simplification of the packaging machine and the enhancing of its production rate, owing to the elimination of the dead times of prior packaging machines and due, inter alia, to an intermediate transfer of the shell die-cut elements from the shearing station are to be pointed out. Moreover, it should be apparent that the packaging machine has a reduced size, and very simple components for synchronizing the operating steps and cycles, with a consequent reduction of the making cost. In practicing the invention, those skilled in the art can provide several modifications related, for example, to the shapes of the packaged products, the sheared die-cut element holding means, for example in the form of grippers, pressing elements or the like, as well as related to the different possible materials of the production or feeding strip and so on, with optional integrating steps depending on the packaged product and its shape, without departing from the scope of the invention as shown and claimed.

Claims

1. A method for packaging extrudible soft products, such as a fused cheese piece, in a packaging strip, for example of aluminium, comprising:

- an application step for applying tearing opening strips on the packaging strip as supplied for providing shell die-cut elements including tearing opening strips having projecting ends which project from a tapering end of the die-cut elements, - a shearing step for shearing the shell die-cut elements from said production strip, preferably for simultaneously shearing two adjoining die-cut elements, as well as further processing steps, characterized in that

- in the fed production strip shearing station, said shell die-cut elements are sheared, by pairs, with a longitudinal axis arranged transversely of the longitudinal axis of the production or packaging strip, said die-cut elements having the tapering ends thereof formed by a longitudinal edge of the production or packaging strip, and

- wherein said die-cut elements are preferably made with their tapering ends alternatively facing either one or the other longitudinal edge of the strip.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the shell die-cut element shearing station, the shearing step is directly followed by a locking step, for example of pneumatically type, for locking the sheared die-cut elements on respective close movable supports for housing the sheared die-cut elements, and in that said die-cut element locking step is followed by a die-cut element transfer step for transferring said die-cut elements onto their movable supports to the following processing station with a simultaneous spacing away of said movable supports by the processing pitch, wherein said transfer step is performed by turning said movable supports for example through 90°.

3. A method according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said die-cut elements are transferred from said die-cut element shearing station to an outer label application station for applying an outer label on the two shell die-cut elements, wherein said shell die-cut element label application station is followed by a transfer station for transferring said die-cut elements to a drawing station.

4. A method according to one or more of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said steps for spacing away from one another and moving towards one another the shell die-cut element supporting movable molds are performed by providing said movable supports with a rotary movement, and, more precisely, one about a fixed rotary point and the other about a rotary point following a curved path, wherein, by providing an elliptical curved path during a full rotation of the pairs of movable supports, said movable supports perform a cycle with a spacing away step, for carrying out a processing step, for example for applying a bottom label, an approaching step and a following spacing step for a further processing step, for example for drawing said shells, and finally a novel approaching and shearing station return step, wherein said spacing away-approaching steps are performed by a rotary movement through 90°.

5. A method according to one or more of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that four pairs of movable supports for the sheared shell die-cut elements are provided, which support pairs are housed in a rotary wheel which can be turned step by step for example through 90° for straddling the production or packaging strip receiving station, the shell die-cut element label application station and the shearing station, wherein between said label application station and shearing station a dead intermediate station is provided for performing necessary spacing away-approaching steps of said movable supports, by using a loop path for displacing said movable supports adapted to be spaced from one another and approached to one another.

6. A method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said sheared shell die-cut elements are locked on the movable supports therefor, by gripping elements, pressing elements or the like.

7. A method according to claim 1 and one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said production or packaging strip comprise the strip for making cover die-cut elements.

8. A packaging machine for packaging extrudible soft products, for example triangular cheese pieces packaged in a shell die-cut element with opening tearing strips and a cover die-cut element of aluminium, with processing stations comprising, for example, tearing opening strip application stations for applying tearing opening strips on the shell die-cut element production strip, shell and cover die-cut element shearing stations, a label application station for applying labels on said shell die-cut elements, a drawing station, and further stations for filling-in said shells, applying said covers, folding and closing said shells, thermosealing said shells and covers, withdrawing packaged cheese pieces, collecting cheese pieces to be packaged in boxes, for carrying out a method according to one or more of the preceding claims 1 to 7, characterized in that as a strip for making said shell die-cut elements is used a packaging strip (8) having a width corresponding to the length of said shell die-cut elements (3) along their middle longitudinal axes

(A) arranged in a perpendicular relationship with respect to the longitudinal axis (B) of the strip (8), wherein, preferably, the tapering ends (3 A) of the die- cut elements (3) to be sheared are alternatively facing either toward one or the other longitudinal edge (5) of the strip (8), thereby said tapering ends (3A) of said die-cut elements therefrom the free end (7) of the tearing strips (6) projects, are formed by said edges (5) of said strip (8), which are not sheared, two stations (30, 31) for applying the tearing strips (6) of the strip (8) at any desired position being provided upstream of the shearing station (11), and in that the shearing station (11) is directly arranged above said movable supports (16, 17) for receiving the sheared shell die-cut elements (3), which supports are adapted to lock, for example pneumatically, said die-cut elements upon shearing them, and to transfer them directly to a following processing station, with a simultaneous spacing of said shell die-cut elements (3) according to a processing pitch or step (S).

9. A packaging machine according to claim 7 and/or 8, characterized in that on a rotary wheel (12) which can turn by pitches in straddling the shearing station (11), a station (15) for applying outer labels on the shell die-cut elements, a dead intermediate station (28) and the drawing station (13), are housed four pairs of movable supports (16, 17) for the sheared die-cut elements (3), which pairs (16, 17) are evenly distributed with a spacing of 90°, wherein each support (16, 17), by a respective arm (16A, 17 A) is rotatably supported, for example through 90°, wherein said rotary point (19) of said arm (17A) of a support (17) is locally fixed whereas the rotary point (18) of the arm (16A) of the other support (16), during said rotary movement, is movable along a curved path (29).

10. A packaging machine according to claims 8 and 9, characterized in that also the cover die-cut elements (4) are sheared from the production or packaging strip (8) with a longitudinal axis (A) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (B) of the strip (8), wherein the tapering ends (3 A) are alternatively facing either one or the other edge (5) of the strip (8).

11. A packaging machine according to claim 10, characterized in that the sheared cover die-cut elements (4) receiving movable supports (16, 17) are adapted to immediately lock thereon, for example pneumatically, said die-cut elements (4) and perform a spacing from one another of said die-cut elements (4) according to the processing pitch (S) as said die-cut elements (4) are driven to the station (21) for applying the covers on the filled-in shells.