GB2250730A

GB2250730A - Applying sealing strips or labels to packages

Info

Publication number: GB2250730A
Application number: GB9125718A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Fiorenzo Draghetti
Original assignee: GD SpA
Current assignee: GD SpA
Priority date: 1990-12-03
Filing date: 1991-12-03
Publication date: 1992-06-17
Also published as: IT1242610B; IT9003760A1; IT9003760A0; BR9105233A; DE4139406A1; GB9125718D0; JPH04279440A

Abstract

In a method and device 1 for applying sealing strips 2 to packages 3 such as cigarette packets, the strips 2 are applied to the packages 3 as these travel side by side along a path extending in a direction 5 substantially perpendicular to the larger lateral surfaces of the packages 3. A center portion of each "banderole" strip 2 is applied to an end surface 6 of the package 3 by means of a conveyor belt 21 facing the end surfaces 6 which supports the strips 2 perpendicular to the path of the packages 3, travels along the path at the same speed as the packages 3, and, along the path, is bent in a U about the side faces of the packages 3. The belt may be bent by two pairs of rollers 27 located at opposite ends of the belt 21 (Figs. 2 and 3), and the packages may be fed by two in-line conveyers 7, 8. The speed at which the packages are conveyed may be controlled by means 29 for sensing the position of the strip on the packet. <IMAGE>

Description

2 2 5 0 7 METHOD AND DEVICE FOR APPLYING SEALING STRIPS TO PACKAGES The

present invention relates to a method of applying sealing strips to packages.

In particular, the present invention relates to a method of applying to a package substantially in the form of a rectangular parallelepipedon, such as a packet of cigarettes. a so-called "banderole" strip, i.e. a strip applied to and parallel to the longer axis of a base of the package, and longer than the base so as to present two opposite end portions which are folded over on to the lateral faces of the package adjacent to the base.

Strips of the aforementioned type are usually applied by feeding the packages successively inside a duct over the inlet of which the strips are fed successively. Thus, as each package is inserted inside the duct, the width of which is substantially the same as that of the package, a strip is folded in a U about the front end of the package where it adheres to the front ba.se and adjacent lateral surfaces of the same.

The packages inserted inside the duct are pushed forward, by those inserted behind, to the outlet end of the duct, which thus also provides for drying the strips. These, in fact, are maintained contacting the base and lateral surfaces of the packages for as long as they remain inside the duct.

The above method presents a number of drawbacks, mainly due to the fact that, as the strips are dried, the packages traveling along the drying duct rub against the walls of the duct, and in direct contact with the ends of the adjacent packages.

Such rubbing and end contact may result in slippage of the strips, as yet not perfectly dry, and in the ends of the packages adhering to each other.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of applying sealing strips to packages, designed to overcome the above drawbacks.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method of applying sealing strips to packages, the strips being applied to the respective packages as these travel, at a given speed and with their lateral surfaces arranged substantially side by side, along a path extending across said lateral surfaces; characterised by the fact that the center portion of each "banderole" strip is applied to an end surface of said package by means of a strip feed device comprising a conveyor belt having a portion extending along said path and facing said end surface; said belt portionsupporting said strips perpendicular to said path, traveling along said path at said speed, and being elastically deformed in a U across said path and about the facing ends of said packages.

The above method clearly provides for eliminating end contact of the packages, and for drying the strips, with no rubbing, as the packages and strips advance on said U-shaped belt, the relative motion of which is zero in relation to the packages.

The present invention also relates to a device for applying sealing strips to packages.

According to the present invention, there is provided a device for applying sealing strips to packages, said device comprising conveying means for feeding said packages, at a given speed and with their lateral surfaces arranged substantially side by side, along a path extending across said lateral surfaces; characterised by the fact that it also comprises a "banderole" strip feed device for successively applying the center portion of each said strip to an end surface of a respective said package; said feed device comprising a conveyor belt having a portion extending along said path and facing said end surfaces; said belt portion supporting said strips perpendicular to said path; actuating means being connected to said belt for moving said belt portion along said path at said speed; and guide means being connected to said belt portion for 4 elastically deforming the same in a U across said path and about the facing ends of said packages.

A non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig.1 shows a schematic plan view of a preferred embodiment of the device according to the present invention; Fig.2 shows a front elevation of the Fig.1 device; Fig.3 shows a section along line III-III in Fig.l. Number 1 in Fig.1 indicates a device for applying sealing strips 2. in particular "banderole" strips. to packages 3, in particular packets of cigarettes.

Device 1 comprises a conveyor 4 for feeding packages 3 along a substantially straight path and substantially side by. side in the direction of arrow 5. In particular. packages 3 are substantially in the form of a rectangular parallelepipedon, and conveyor 4 with their larger are arranged on lateral surfaces substantially contacting across arrow 5 and perpendicular to the Fig.1 plane, and with respective end surfaces 6 arranged laterally outwards of conveyor 4, parallel to arrow 5, with the longer axis perpendicular to arrow 5 and the Fig.1 plane.

As shown more clearly in Fig.2, conveyor 4 comprises two conveyors 7 and 8 arranged in line in the direction of arrow 5 and separated by a distance smaller than the thickness of package 3. Conveyor 7 comprises two belts 9 and 10 looped about respective pairs of pulleys 11 and 12, at least one of which is powered, and which present parallel axes of rotation perpendicular to arrow 5, and support belts 9 and 10 in such a manner as to define, between belts 9 and 10, a first portion of a channel 13 of substantially the same width as packages 3. similarly, conveyor 8 comprises two belts 14 and 15 looped about respective pairs of pulleys 16 and 17, at least one of which is powered, and which present parallel axes of rotation parallel to the axes of pulleys 11 and 12, and support belts 14 and 15 in such a manner as to define, between belts 14 and 15, a further portion of channel 13.

As shown more clearly in Fig.s 2 and 3, belts 9 and 14 on one side and belts 10 and 15 on the other extend contacting respective smaller lateral surfaces 18 and 19 adjacent to surface 6 of packages 3.

As shown in Fig.1, device I also comprises a device 20 for successively feeding strips 2 to conveyor 4 in such a manner as to apply the center portion of each strip 2 to end surface 6 of package 3, and the opposite end portions of strip 2 to lateral surfaces 18 and 19 of package 3.

Device 20 comprises a conveyor belt 21 permeable by air and looped about two pulleys 22 and 23 and in contact with an external pulley 24, the axes of which pulleys are parallel to surfaces 6 and perpendicular to the axes of pulleys 11, 12, 16 and 17. Pulleys 22 and 23, the - 6 former of which is larger in diameter, are arranged substantially tangent to the surface defined by surfaces 6 of packages 3 traveling along conveyor 4. and support a branch 25 of belt 21 extending in contact with surfaces 6 and fed forward by pulley 22, which turns anticlockwise in Fig. 1, in the direction of arrow 5, and at the same speed as packages 3 on conveyor 8.

Via known means not shown. strips 2 are fed successively on belt 21 on to the outer periphery of pulley 22. which is a known type of suction pulley by which strips 2 are maintained contacting the outer surface of belt 21. with their gummed surface facing outwards. as far as a loading station 26 located between conveyors 7 and 8. at the point of tangency between pulley 22 and the surface defined by surfaces 6.

Strips 2 are substantially as long as the width of belt 21 and longer than the height of channel 13, and are carried on belt 21 perpendicular to their axis and to the Fig.1 plane, so as to apply a center portion of strip 2 to surface 6 of p ackage 3 at station 26. Downstream from station 26 in the direction of arrow 5, device 20 comprises two pairs of rollers 27 located substantially at the opposite ends of branch 25 of belt 21. Rollers 27 in each pair are located on opposite sides of channel 13, parallel to pulleys 11, 12, 16 and 17, and are supported, by a bracket not shown, substantially contacting the opposite lateral surfaces 18 and 19 of packages 3, so as to engage branch 25 of - 7 belt 21 and bend it elastically outwards in a U about the ends of packages 3 facing device 20. Branch 25 of belt 21 thus causes the end portions of each strip 2 to adhere to surfaces 18 and 19 of package 3. and provides for maintaining each strip 2 firmly, with no friction, on package 3, for as long as this takes to travel along the portion of conveyor 8 extending along branch 25 of belt 21. and in contact with a guide 28 located on the opposite side of packages 3 to device 20.

A photocell 29 is provided along branch 25 of belt 21, close to station 26, for checking the position of each strip 2 on surface 6 of package 3. Should strip 2 be positioned wrongly, by means of a known circuit (not shown), photocell 29 emits an error signal for continuously controlling the speed of conveyors 7 and 8 by means of a known closed circuit (not shown), and so eliminating the positioning error.

Claims

1) - A method of applying sealing strips to packages he strips being applied to the respective packages as these travel. at a given speed and with their lateral surfaces arranged substantially side by side, along a path extending across said lateral surfaces; characterised by the fact that the center portion of each "banderole" strip - is applied to an end surface of said package by means of a strip feed device a portion end surface strips comprising a conveyor belt having extending along said path and facing said said belt portion supporting said perpendicular to said path, traveling along said path at said speed, and being elastically deformed in a U across said path and about the facing ends of said packages 2) - A method as claimed in Claim 1, characterised by the fact that said portion of said belt is bent in a U by two pairs of rollers at opposite ends of said belt portion the rollers in each pair being located on opposite sides of said belt and extending perpendicular to the surface of and to the traveling direction of said belt 3) - A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised by the fact that said packages are fedalong said path by means of a conveyor comprising two in-line conveyors aligned in the traveling direction - 9 of said packages parallel to said end surface of said packages the traveling speed of said packages being controlled by means for detecting the position of each said strip on said end surface 4) - A device for applying sealing strips to packages, said device comprising conveying means for feeding said packages, at agiven speed and with their lateral surfaces arranged substantially side by side, along a path extending across said lateral surfaces; characterised by the fact that it also comprises a "banderole" strip feed device for successively applying the center portion of each said strip to an end surface of a respective said package said feed device comprising a conveyor belt having a portion extending along said path and facing said end surfaces, said belt portion supporting said strips perpendicular to said beina connected to said belt path; actuating means for moving said belt portion along said path at said speed; and guide means being connected to said belt portion for elastically deforming the same in a U across said path and about the facing ends of said packages 5) - A device as claimed in Claim 4. characterised by the fact that said guide means comprise two pairsof rollers at opposite ends of said portion of said belt; the rollers in each pair being located on opposite sides of said belt and extending perpendicular to the surface of and to the traveling directio n of said belt A device as claimed in Claim 4 or 5, characterised by the fact that said conveying means comprise two in-line conveyors aligned in the traveling direction surfaces of the same; sensor means provided for controlling the traveling speed of said packages as a function of the position of each said strip on said end surface 7) - A method of applying sealing strips to packages, substantially as described and illustrated herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8) - A device for applying sealing strips to packages, substantially as described and illustrated herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

of said packages parallel to said end beina