1349243 Packaging cigarettes HAUNIWERKE KORBER & CO KG 19 April 1971 [29 Oct 1969 5 Dec 1969 6 Aug 1970] 53015/69 59507/69 and 38034/70 Heading B8C In a method for packing articles in which partly finished open packets are prepared from components in a preparation path and are assembled with the articles and in which the packets are further manipulated, the empty packets are prepared independently of the feed of the articles, the empty packets are conveyed on at least one empty packet feed path and the empty packets on this feed path are assembled with articles after which further packing operations are performed on the packets assembled with articles in a packing path and the further packing operations on empty packets not assembled with articles are prevented. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, cigarettes are fed to a magazine 4 from a conveyer 22 and ejected by a plunger 7 into cells 9 on a drum conveyer 11 which runs over a cell drum 33 with holders 34 for the cells 9. At position A<SP>1</SP> on the drum 33 blocks 8 of cigarettes are transferred to holders 37 in a press turrett 36 by a plunger 37. Empty packets 41, Figs. 4a, 4b, are prepared on a path V on a packet turret 42, Fig. 4d, which includes folder mandrels 43. Tin foil wrapping material 73 is drawn from a reel between rolls 72a, 72b, is cut to length by a cutter 76 and is retained by a suction plate 81, Fig. 6. A carrier 83 connected to folders 84, 86 forms the foil to U-shape and then to tubular form as the mandrel 43 is passed between the folders 84, 86 at station B<SP>1</SP>. The carrier 83 is operated by a control device 98 including bi-stable devices 102, 103. The device 102 forms a control unit for the cutter 76 and the device 103 forms a control unit for the suction plate 81. A further bi-stable device 114 forms a control unit for controlling suction for the folders 84, 86. A rotatable folder 127, Fig. 4a, folds the bottom flaps of the tubular tin foil blank. A wrapper supply device 131 of known construction feeds printed paper blanks 132 in a paper feed path X to a station B<SP>11</SP>. Each blank drawn from a magazine 133 is held between suction chambers 138a, 138b and is gummed by a roller 143. A folder 146 folds the blank 132 to U-shape about the side of the tin-foil blank on the mandrel 43. Folding members 153, 154 form a tubular wrapper from the U-shaped blank 132. A folding device 161, Fig. 10, folds the narrow bottom tucks of the tubular tin-foil and paper wrappers. A further folder 173, Fig. 4a, corresponding to folder 127 folds one of the bottom flaps of the paper blank. A heated presser segment 176 folds the second bottom flap of the paper blank and thereafter presses down the adhesive coated flaps on to the mandrel 43. A heated pressure plate 177, presses and heats the side closure of the longer side of the paper blank to effect lateral closure of the empty packet. The turret 42 forms a storage conveyer and the path V forms a supply path from which the wrapper components can be demanded for assembly with the blocks 8 of cigarettes. Empty packets 41 are transferred from station B to a track Y on a packing conveyer turret 179, Fig. 4b, carrying holders 178 and which moves in the direction of arrow 181. A transfer device 187, Fig. 4c at a point C transfers cigarette blocks 8 from the path U to packets 41 which are then conveyed by the turret 179 to the track Y, Fig. 4b. Folding devices 194, 196 and a heated presser 198 complete the closure of the package 201. An applicator 199 applies auxiliary elements, e.g. sealing strips 202, and a pusher 204 at a point A<SP>11</SP> pushes the packages 201 into holders 206 of a strip turret 207. A pull rod 218 withdraws completed packages 201 from the holders 206 on to a conveyer 203. A blower nozzle 221 removes cigarette blocks 8 which have reached holders 206 without wrappers. Supervisory devices are provided, the signals from which are fed to an electro-pneumatic control unit described with reference to Figs. 13a-13c (not shown) which controls the various drives for the machine described with reference to Fig. 12 (not shown). In the arrangement according to Fig. 15 (not shown), the turret 42 does not serve as a storage conveyer, and a segregating device is provided at which a piston-rod (1527) serves to displace an empty packet 41 from the folder mandrel 43 into a shoot (1532) this being effected by modified electro-pneumatic circuitry associated with the control unit of Fig. 13a (not shown). In the arrangement according to Figs. 16-24, the empty packet turret conveyer of Figs. 1-14 is replaced by two horizontal conveyer paths interconnected by vertical conveyers and the folder mandrel is displaceable relative to the conveyers. As shown, blocks 3008 of cigarettes are transferred from magazines 3004b to holders 3039 in a presser turret 3036 and are sensed for the correct number of cigarettes in each block, faulty blocks being ejected from a feed path U3. Empty packets are prepared on a path V3a- V3e formed by a conveyer arrangement 3042 comprising a folder conveyer 3511, conveyers 3512, 3513, a transit store 3514 and a conveyer 3516. Folder mandrels 3043 are associated with conveyer 3516. The folder conveyer 3511 is in the form of a hook member 3519 which is reciprocated in the direction of arrows 3521 to transfer mandrels to positions in path V3a where tin-foil blanks 3071 are folded to U-shape and subsequently to tube shape. At each stoke of a feeder plate 3531 in the direction of arrows 3534, the plate feeds to the right two folder mandrels received from holders 3529, 3532. The mandrels are conveyed into holders 3546 to a paper supply region B3<SP>11</SP> where they are pushed on to a paper blank 3132 which is formed to U-shape. The mandrels with the foil and paper blanks thereon are then transferred to a conveyer 3512 by a plunger 3551 where the folding and sealing of the paper over the foil is completed. The completed empty packets on their mandrels are then transferred to the transit store 3514 by a plunger 3594. A gripper 3578 at the base of the store removes the completed packets on their mandrels to con- .veyer 3513 which conveys them to a mandrelwithdrawing device 3175 which transfers empty packets to a packing path Y3 formed by a turret conveyer 3179 having two-part U-shaped holders 3604, 3606. An assembly station, which may be that described with reference to Fig. 4, is located in the path Y3 and forms also a transfer point for transferring block 3008 of cigarettes from the path U3 to the path Y3 which also includes means for closing the packets. Monitoring devices are included in the track U3 to cause the device 3175 to initiate the transfer process of an empty packet to turret 3179 when a cigarette block has been detected. The sequence of operations in the formation of empty packets is described in detail with reference to Figs. 25a- 25m (not shown). In a further arrangement, Figs. 26a, 26b, an empty packet conveyer, serving also as an empty packet store, and in which the folding of wrapper materials is affected, includes two folder turrets 4044, 4046, a vertical conveyer and two horizontal conveyers. As shown, cigarette blocks 4008 are withdrawn from magazines (4004a) (not shown) and 4004b by plungers on both sides of a presser turret 4036 for transfer to holders 4039 of the turret at position A4<SP>1</SP>. The turret then moves to an automatic checking device 4505. A conveyer path V4a-V4e constitutes an empty packet preparation path and conveyer path 4042 along which folding devices are arranged. The conveyer 4042 includes a belt 4179 which also serves as a packing conveyer, and a second conveyer 4181. Folder mandrels 4043 of plastics material or metal are associated with the conveyer sections 4044, 4046, 4514, 4179 and 4181 in holders in the conveyers. Tin foil is drawn off a reel 4073 between rolls 4072 and is fed to the turret 4044, described in detail, with reference to Figs. 32a, 32b (not shown), where it is cut by a cutter 4076 into blanks 4071 which then travel to a feed point B4<SP>1</SP>. Mandrels 4043 are transferred at a station F4a to turret 4044 and the foil is subsequently folded and then transferred at a station F4b to turret 4046. Paper blanks 4132 are fed to turret 4046 to lie over holders 4052 and beneath a gumming device 4139. The blanks pass to folders 4053, 4054. A shift device 4056 described in detail with reference to Fig. 29 (not shown), at a station F4c transfers mandrels 4043 with the foil and blanks to a store from which they are withdrawn at station F4d and transferred to holders 4178 of the belt 4179 guided over drums 4182, 4183. The conveyer section 4181 is guided over drums 4185 (not visible) and 4186. A transfer device 4175, described in detail with reference to Fig. 30 (not shown), at station F4e transfers the loaded mandrels to the feed belt 4181. Holders 4161, 4162 may be operated to separate the packets from the mandrels and to transfer the packets to conveyer 4179. At an assembly point C4 a transfer device 4187, described in detail with reference to Fig. 31, moves the cigarette blocks 4008 into empty packets. Folder devices 4188, 4189 close the packets which are then passed to a labelling device 4199 and subsequently to a delivery belt 4200. The Specification describes numerous supervisory and detecting devices which render the machine fully automatic. Specifications 1,349,244 and 1,349,251 are referred to.