GB2164622A - Packing machines - Google Patents

Abstract

A machine for packing papirosi cigarettes in a card packet, without foil, has a hopper (30) with two spaced outlets from which bundles of cigarettes are fed alternately into one of two boxes (43,44) which are each moved between a position adjacent one outlet and a common central position, where a continuous pusher (54) removes the cigarettes. Card blanks are fed from hopper (15), via gummer (25), across the path of the cigarettes, and folding of the blank around the cigarettes is initiated by a mouthpiece (60) through which the cigarettes are pushed. Side folds are made in folder (61) and a reciprocating shuttle (64), in which the trailing side and bottom tucks are made, transfers the packet to a platform (71). The packet is completed on being lifted into a drying stack (82). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Packing machines This invention relates to packing machines, and in particular to machines used for packing cigarettes in carton packets, of the type commonly employed in Russia for papirosi cigarettes.

The packets normally used in Russia to contain papirosi cigarettes have no inner wrapping, and comprising two large faces connected by a base, with pairs of overlapping side flaps at each side and at the top or fourth side, where the packet may be opened by the consumer. A common machine for forming such packets consists of an intermittent conveyor carrying regularly spaced pockets. At one station at which such pockets come to rest a blank is formed in each pocket with the side flaps being adhesively sealed together and the top held open. At subsequently respective stations a bundle of papirosi cigarettes is inserted, the top flaps are adhesively sealed, and the packet is ejected from the pocket.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved machine for packing cigarettes in such packets.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a packing machine comprising first forming means for forming bundles of cigarettes, a continuous conveyor formed with regularly spaced pushers each for conveying a group of cigarettes axially, feed means for feeding a blank in front of each conveyed bundle so that the bundle is plunged into the blank, and second forming means for forming each blank around the respective group.

The first forming means may comprise a pair of cigarette hoppers straddling said conveyor, means for ejecting a bundle of cigarettes from the exit of each hopper, a shuttle having a pair of compartments each movable alternately to one of said exits while the other compartment is aligned with the conveyor, so that as one compartment is being filled the other is being emptied, and wherein the shuttle is pivotally mounted for such movement.

Preferably the pivotal mounting is positioned above the exit from the hoppers.

The second forming means may include a reciprocating mouthpiece through which a bundle passes, the mouthpiece being engageable with the blank as the bundle is plunged therein, thereby initiating folding of the blank about the bundle.

The second forming means may further comprise a reciprocating conveyor at the downstream end of the continuos conveyor, including means for folding at least one flap at the trailing end of the partly formed packet. Downstream of the reciprocating conveyor may be a stacking device where the remaining flap at the end of the partly formed packet if folded as the packets are raised. The stacking device may be inhibited if a faulty packet is to be rejected, in that the reciprocating conveyor then pushes such a faulty packet out of the stack for rejection.

The feed means preferably comprises means for applying adhesive to the overlapping flaps of the packet.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank from which a cigarette packet is made, Figure 2 is a diagrammatic side view, partly in section, of apparatus for packing cigarettes in a box formed from the blank of Figure 1 and, Figure 3 is a section on the line Ill-Ill of Figure 2.

Referring first to Figure 1, the blank B comprises a bottom panel 1 to which is connected along respective crease lines 2, 3 a front body panel 4 and a rear body panel 5. Bottom side tabs 6 are also joined to the panel 1, along respective crease lines 7, 8. Inner side flaps 10 are connected to respective opposite sides of rear body panel 5 and outer side flaps 11 are connected to respective opposite sides of front body panel 4. An inner lid flap 12 is connected to the side of panel 5 opposite panel 1 and an outer lid flap 13 is similarly connected to panel 4. The outer ends of side flaps 11 have respective corner tabs 14 which fold in the formed packet against the inner lid flap 12.

Reference will now also be made to Figures 2 and 3. Blanks B are removed one at a time from the bottom of a stack or hopper 15. The blanks are supported in the hopper on a platform 16 having an aperture 17 into which a roller 18 projects, suction being applied through ports 19 in its periphery in known manner. The roller 18 is rotatably carried on one end of an arm 20, the other end of which is connected to a crank arm 21 which is driven in a clockwise direction on a shaft 22. As the crank 21 is rotated the roller 18 and also the platform 16 are moved horizontally to and from beneath the stack 15. With the roller 18 in the position shown in full lines in Figure 2, suction is applied to ports 19 to grip the lowermost blank B, and as the roller 18 and platform 16 move to the left the roller rotates in a clockwise direction and the blank is removed from the stack through the aperture 17.When the roller reaches the end of its leftward movement (shown chain-dotted in Figure 2) the suction is turned off and the blank is delivered into the nip between feed rolls 23. The roller 18 and platform 16 then return to their starting positions to pick up the next lowemost blank in the stack.

The blank is then fed between a further pair of feed rolls 24 and past a gumming device 25 which applies adhesive to the outer side flaps 11 and outer lid flap 13. From the device 25 the blank passes through two pairs of feed rolls 26, 27 and along an intermediate guide 28 to be fed vertically downwards across a path along which bundles of cigarettes are fed, as will be described below. The blank is fed to a position P such that its leading edge (i.e. the edge of inner lid flap 12) contacts a fixed stop 29. When in this position the bottom panel 1 is in line with the bundle of cigarettes about which the blank will be formed.

Cigarettes are contained in a hopper 30 and gravitate down passages formed between vanes 31 in well known manner. The hopper has two sets 32 of vanes which are spaced apart as shown in Figure 3. At the lower ends of the vanes the cigarettes are supported on a base plate 33. A bundle of cigarettes in removed from the bottom of each set of vanes in known manner by a respective plunger 34, only one of which is shown in the drawing. The vanes 31 and plungers 34 are arranged such that each bundle consists of a lower row of eight cigarettes, a middle row of nine cigarettes, and an upper row of eight cigarettes. As both plungers 34 are similar only one will be described.

The plunger 34 is connected by a link 35 to one end of an arm 36, the other end of which is fixed to a shaft 37. Also fixed to the latter are two levers 38 each carrying a roller 39 which respectively engages one of a pair of conjugate cams 40, 41. The arrangement is such that the two plungers 34 are operated to remove a bundle of cigarettes from respective sets of vanes 32 alternately, as will be described.

Positioned on the opposite side of the vanes 31 to the plungers 34 is a swinging shuttle or carriage 42 (Figure 3) to which two transfer compartments 43, 44 are fixed. The carriage 42 is carried on the free ends of two parallel links 45 pivoted at 46 to a fixed part of the machine to form a parallelogram linkage to hold the compartments 43, 44 horizontal.

The carriage 42 is swung about the pivots 46 by a pair of conjugate cams 48, 49 through followers 50, 51 arm 52 and link 53.

With the compartments 43, 44 in the positions shown in Figure 3, the plunger 34 opposite compartment 43 is operated to push a bundle of cigarettes from the corresponding set of vanes 32 into the compartment 43. The carriage 42 is then swung to the right in Figure 3, to the extent of the throw of cams 48, 49. At this time the compartment 43 will be in the same position as that occupied by compartment 44 in Figure 3 and compartment 44 will be positioned opposite the other plunger 34.

The bundle of cigarettes in compartment 43 is then removed therefrom by a pusher 54 carried on a continuously driven endless conveyor 55 which extends between pulleys 56, 57. Although only one pusher 54 is shown there are a number of such pushers equispaced along the conveyor 55. The bundle is pushed into a channel 58 and while moving along it a detector 59 positioned alongside detects whether the bundle contains the required number of cigarettes, in known manner. While the pusher 54 is passing through the compartment 43 the other plunger 34 pushes a bundle of cigarettes from the other set 32 of vanes in to the compartment 44. When the pusher 54 has passed through the compartment 43 the carriage 42 is swung to the left in Figure 3 to bring the various parts back to the positions shown in Figure 3.The next pusher 54 on conveyor 55 then removes the bundle of cigarettes from compartment 44 and the cycle described is repeated.

When the bundle of cigarettes reaches the left hand end of channel 58, as viewed in Figure 2, it is pushed into a hollow mouthpiece 60. When the leading end of the cigarette bundle reaches a position just before the leading end of the mouthpiece 60, the latter is moved to the left at the same speed as the bundle. The manner in which the mouthpiece 60 is moved is not shown, but it could, for example, be a crank arm similar to crank 21.

As the mouthpiece 60 plunges into the blank its leading edges engage the crease lines 2, 3, 7 and 8 of the blank B at position P and break the creases against the edges of a folding passage 61. Once the creases have been broken the mouthpiece 60 is moved to the right ready to receive the next cigarette bundle.

As the pusher 54 pushes the cigarette bundle and the blank into the passage 61 the front and rear body panels 4, 5 and the bottom side tabs 6 are all folded through 90 , all in known manner.

Further along the passage the inner side flaps 10 are folded up through 90 by plough folders 62 and outer side flaps 11 are folded down through 90 by plough folders 63, so that the flaps 11 adhere to the flaps 10.

From the passage 61 the cigarette bundle, which now has a blank partly formed round it, is pushed by pusher 54 into a reciprocating conveyor or shuttle 64. The shuttle 64 is reciprocated in a horizontal path by means of a crank disc 65 to which is attached one end of a connecting rod 66, the other end of which is connected to a lever 67 pivoted to a fixed part of the machine at 68. The free end of lever 67 carries a link 69 which is pivotally fixed to the shuttle. When the partly formed packet is fully in the shuttle 64, the latter is moved to the left in Figure 2 at such a speed that the cigarette bundle is moved away from the pusher 57 which then turns round the pulley 57. During movement of the shuttle 64 the tabs 14 connected to the flaps 11 are folded about the respective crease lines so as to lie along the rear face of the cigarette bundle.The means for folding the tabs 11 is not shown but is well known: it may for example comprise a pair of pivotal tuckers mounted on the shuttle 64 which are operated to fold the tabs 11 by fixed cams mounted alongside the moving shuttle.

When the shuttle has reached the position shown in chain-dot lines in Figure 2 and has come to rest, a pusher 70 engages the inner lid flap 12 and folds it upwards against the tabs 14. At the same time the pusher 70 moves to the left and pushes the packet out of the shuttle and on to a platform 71. The pusher 70 is moved to and fro by being carried on one arm 73 of a double arm lever 72 pivotally mounted at 74, the other arm 75 being pivoted at 76 to the connecting rod 66. As the pusher 70 is moved back to the right it moves downwards so as to clear the path of the shuttle 64 when the shuttle returns to the left on its next stroke. A roller 77, carried on the pusher 70, engages fixed cam surfaces (not shown) to provide the necessary up and down movements at opposite ends of its to and fro movement. The arrangement is such that the shuttle 64 and pusher 70 move at the same time, but in opposite directions.

When a packet arrives on the platform 71, the latter is raised by conjugate cams 78, 79 through followers 80 and arm 81 into a stacking device 82.

As each packet in turn is lifted up on platform 71 it is pushed past spring loaded catches 83 which support the stack and allow the platform to return to its lower position ready to receive the next packet. Also, as the packet is lifted into the device 82, the outer lid flap 13 is folded down by side wall 84 to adhere to the inner lid flap 12 to complete the forming of the packet round the cigarette bundle.

Heaters (not shown) may be provided in the sides of the stacking device 82 so that when the packets are removed from the top of the device 82 by a pusher 85 the adhesive is dry. The packets are then moved onwards for further operations to be carried out, which form no part of the present invention.

In addition to the detector 59 an ends detector (not shown) of any known type may be provided adjacent vanes 31 of each hopper 30 to check that the tobacco ends of the cigarettes are satisfactory.

In the event of either of these detectors signalling a fault, the corresponding packet is required to be rejected. In this case a known control delay device inhibits operation of the platform 71 when the defective packet arrives on the platform so that when the next packet is pushed onto the platform it pushes the defective packet down a chute 86 to a waste bin.

Claims (7)

1. A packing machine for cigarettes comprising first forming means for forming bundles of cigarettes, a continuous conveyor formed with regularly spaced pushers each for conveying a bundle of cigarettes axially, feed means for feeding a blank in front of each conveyed bundle so that the bundle is plunged into the blank, and second forming means for forming each blank around the respective bundle.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1 in which said first forming means comprises a pair of cigarette hoppers straddling said conveyor, means for ejecting a bundle of cigarettes from the exit of each hopper, a shuttle having a pair of compartments each movable alternately to one of said exits while the other compartment is aligned with the conveyor, so that as one compartment is being filled the other is emptied, and wherein the shuttle is pivotally mounted for such movement.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 2 in which the pivotal mounting is positioned above the exit from the hoppers.

4. A machine as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which said second forming means includes a reciprocating mouthpiece through which a bundle passes, the mouthpiece being engageable with the blank as the bundle is plunged therein, thereby initiating folding of the blank about the bundle.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 4 in which said second forming means further includes a reciprocating conveyor at the downstream end of the continuous conveyor, including means for folding at least one flap at the trailing end of the partly formed packet.

6. A machine as claimed in any of the preced ing claims in which downstream of the reciprocat ing conveyor is a stacking device where the remaining flap at the end of the partly formed packet is folded as the packets are raised.

7. A packing machine for cigarettes substan tially as described herein with reference to the ac companying drawings.