US2039033A

US2039033A - Cigarette wrapping machine

Info

Publication number: US2039033A
Application number: US25219A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rose Alfred German
Original assignee: Rose Brothers Gainsborough Ltd
Current assignee: Rose Brothers Gainsborough Ltd
Priority date: 1934-03-06
Filing date: 1935-06-06
Publication date: 1936-04-28
Anticipated expiration: 1953-04-28

Description

CIGARETTE WRAPPING MACHINE 2 Sheeits-Sheef 1 Filed June 6,

C IGARETTE WRAPPING MACHINE i e June 6, 1955 2 fillee'ts shee'l;

ill

ll atenteol pr. 9 l

@IGARlE'lP'llE WRAPPING MACHllNlE Alfred German Rose, Gainsborough, England, assignor to lltose Brothers (Gainsborough), Limited, Gainsborough, England, a British Application June 6, 1935, Serial No. 25,219 lln Great Britain llllarch 6, 1934 7 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for wrapping batches of cigarettes or other rod shaped articles in a wrapper. Each of the batches comprises two or more contiguous rows of cigarettes and forms a rectangular block of articles. Normally the rows contain equal numbers of articles. The object of this invention is to produce a packet in which the numbers of articles in the rows are not the same.

According to the present invention a method of wrapping cigarettes or other rod shaped articles comprises the steps of arranging the articles in two or more contiguous rows containing unequal numbers of articles and with the articles in the numerically superior row or rows touching, so spacing the articles in each numerically inferior row apart that the overall length of that row (measured transversely to the length of the article) is equal to the overall length of the numerically superior row or rows, to form a rectangular block of articles, and. folding a wrapper about the said block.

In a preferred method of wrapping cigarettes or other rod shaped articles, the articles are arranged in two or more contiguous rows containing equal numbers of contiguous articles and forming. a rectangular block, some only of the articles are fed in the direction of their length as a block which includes. at least one complete row and the end articles in each other row, the articles in the block thus fed are maintained in their original relative position during the feeding movement and the block thus fed is enclosed in a wrapper during the feeding movement.

A feature of this invention is that the block of articles is moved in the direction of the length of an article against a wrapper and then between two members which fold the wrapper against the sides of the block that are parallel to the planes of the rows and also exert a pressure transversely on said planes to prevent accidental displacement of the articles during further wrapping operations.

The invention also provides, as an article of manufacture, a rectangular block shaped sealed packet which contains a plurality of cigarettes or other rod shaped articles arranged in rows containing unequal numbers of articles and in which there is a gap in each numerically inferior row of such width that the overall length of the row is equal to that of each numerically superior row.

According to a further feature of this invention, a wrapping machine for enclosing a plurality of cigarettes or other rod shaped articles in a wrapper, comprises a channel arranged to re ceive a batch of the articles in two or more rows, means for feeding the articles endwise along the channel against a wrapper, folding devices for folding the wrapper about the articles and a spacing bar supported in the plane of one row of articles parallel to the length of the articles and of such width as to replace one or more articles in that row. In a construction according to this invention, there is provided means for delivering, into the channel on the side of the spacing bar remote from the wrapper, a batch of articles arranged in rows containing equal numbers of articles and a feeding member movable along the channel and arranged to engage all the articles except those in alignment with the spacing bar and to feed them along the channel.

A wrapping machine in accordance with the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:--

Figure 1 shows, in side elevation, a part of a wrapping machine. One side frame of the machine has been removed to show its construction.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 shows a feeding plunger employed in the machine,

Figure 5 shows a packet produced by the machine and Figure 6 shows a packet with part of the wrapper removed.

The machine shown in the accompanying drawings is intended to form a packet containing nine cigarettes, but the mechanism can be modified to produce packets containing other numbers of cigarettes.

The cigarettes are placed in a hopper Ill and the lowermost cigarettes descend through passages formed by partitions l l in the bottom of the hopper into a channel I2. The channel i2 is of such width and height that it can receive ten cigarettes arranged in two rows of five each.

The middle cigarette in the uppermost row is masked by two similar depending portions l3 (of which one is shown in Figure 2) from the right and left hand (Figure 1) end walls of the hopper. Consequently this particular cigarette cannot be fed along the channel but the remaining nine cigarettes can be fed along the channel by means of a pushing member It (Figures l and 4:). This member is formed with a slot t l-a so that it can pass by the masks i3 and the masked cigarette and serves to feed the nine cigarettes to the left. The member M is secured to a slide l6 which slides in guide rails I! (Figures 1 and 2). The slide I6 is connected by a link 58 (Figure l) to the end of a lever [B pivoted at 2B. A block 25 engages a slot 22 in the lever and is carried by a constantly rotating crank 23.

As the crank rotates the lever 19 is oscillated and reciprocates the slide it and the pushing member M.

The pushing member M feeds a batch of nine cigarettes along the channel l2 underneath an inverted channel-shaped member 24 (see Figure 3) which forms a continuation of the channel l2. A spacing bar 25 is formed integrally with the member 2 1 and is of such width that it occupies the space of one cigarette in the upper row. The four cigarettes in the upper row thus occupy the same relative position as they did when they lay in the channel i2. It will be seen from Figure 3 that the nine cigarettes still form a rectangular block.

A wrapper W is fed by any convenient means not shown across the left hand end (Figure 1) of the channel member 24. The means for feeding the end of a web of wrapping material from a roll to the position of Figure l and then severing it may be arranged as shown in Armstrong, United States Patent No. 1,244,277. The pusher M feeds the batch of nine cigarettes through the channel member 2 3 against the wrapper W and then between the upper and lower folding plates 25 and 21 which fold the wrapper over against the two parallel surfaces of the batch of cigarettes that are parallel to the planes of the rows of the cigarettes. A pair of front end tuckers 28 (one of which is shown in Figure 1) fold in front end tucks in a usual manner. As the batch of cigarettes moves further to the left, a pair of b-ottom-side-flap folders 29 fold up bottom-sideflaps of the package. Later a pair of top-sideflap folders 38 fold down top-side-flaps of the package. This folding mechanism is of conventional construction and need not be described in more detail. t should be mentioned that adhesive is applied to the wrapper in a known manner and serves to seal the packet.

The nine cigarettes in a batch are maintained in the relative position shown in Figure 3 while the wrapper W is being folded about it by the plates 26 and 2'! owing to the action of the spacing bar 25. The plates 26 and 2'! are so spaced that they exert pressure on the cigarettes so as to maintain them in position while the top and bottom side-flaps are being folded.

Finally the pusher M feeds the partly completed packet to the bottom of a transfer tunnel 3!. In this position mechanism of any con venient construction completes the folding of the rearwardly extending flaps of the package in a known manner and the completed package is raised into the channel l3 in the usual manner and held up therein until the adhesive used to secure the flaps has dried. The means for performing these operations may be as described in the Armstrong patent previously referred to.

Figure shows the package produced by the machine. It will be seen that it is rectangular. As shown in Figure 6 there is a gap in the upper row of cigarettes which is thus the same overall length as the lower row of cigarettes so that the two rows form a rectangular block.

It will be appreciated that the mechanism can be modified to pack the cigarettes in more than two rows or with a gap of more than one cigarette in one row. Thus, for example, the mechanism can be modified to form packages containing only eight cigarettes by increasing the width of the masks l3 to cover the cigarettes and increasing the width of the spacing bar I4 correspondingly.

I claim:

1. A method of wrapping cigarettes or other rod-shaped articles, which comprises the steps of arranging the articles in a plurality of contiguous rows containing unequal numbers of articles and with the articles in each numerically superior row touching, whereby the articles are so arranged that the lines joining the axes of adjacent articles in adjoining rows are perpendicular to the line joining the axes of the articles in each row, so spacing the articles in each numercially inferior row apart that the overall length of that row (measured transversely of the length of the articles) is equal to the overall length of a numerically superior row, to form a rectangular block of articles, and folding a wrapper about said block.

2. A method of wrapping cigarettes or other rod-shaped articles, which comprises the steps of arranging the articles in a plurality of contiguous rows containing equal numbers of contiguous articles and forming a rectangular block, the articles being so arranged that the lines joining the axes of adjacent articles in adjoining rows are perpendicular to the line joining the axes of the articles in each row, feeding some only of the articles in the direction of their length as a block which includes at least one complete row and the end articles in each other row maintaining the articles in the block thus fed in their original relative position during the feeding movement, and enclosing them in a wrapper during the feeding movement.

3. A wrapping machine for enclosing a plurality of cigarettes or other rod-shaped articles in a wrapper, comprising a channel, means for delivering a batch of cigarettes arranged in a plurality of rows into the channel, the articles being so arranged that the lines joining. the axes of adjacent articles in adjoining rows are perpendicular to the line joining the axes of the articles in each row, a spacing bar supported in the plane of one row of articles parallel to the length of the articles and of such width as to replace at least one article in that row intermediate the ends thereof, means for feeding the articles endwise along the channel against a wrapper and folding devices for folding the wrapper about the articles.

4. A wrapping machine for enclosing a plurality of cigarettes or other rod-shaped articles in a wrapper, comprising a channel, means for delivering a batch of articles arranged in rows containing equal numbers of articles into the channel, so that the lines joining the axes of adjacent articles in adjoining rows are perpendicular to the line joining the axes of the articles in each row, means for moving the articles endwise along the channel against a wrapper, a spacing bar secured in the channel in the path of at least one of the articles intermediate the ends of the row, and of the same width as that article whereby a row will be formed with one more or less articles therein but with the same overall dimensions, and folding devices for folding the wrapper about the articles as they move along the channel.

5. A wrapping machine for enclosing a plurality of cigarettes or other rod-shaped articles in a wrapper, comprising wrapping means, a channel, a hopper arranged over the channel and having an opening through which a batch of cigarettes arranged in a plurality of rows can descend into the channel, the articles in each row being so arranged that the lines joining the axes of adjacent articles in adjoining rows are perpendicular to the line joining the axes of the articles in each row, a feeding member movable along the channel and arranged to engage all of the articles in at least one row and the end articles in another row and move them endwise along the channel directly to the wrapping means, a spacing bar fixed in the channel in alignment with the article that is not engaged by the feeding member and which is of such dimensions as to replace the said article in the batch of articles and folding devices for folding the wrapper about the articles as they move along the channel.

6. A wrapping machine for enclosing a plurality of cigarettes or other rod-shaped articles in a wrapper, comprising a channel, means for delivering a batch of articles, arranged in a plurality of rows into the channel, the articles in each row being so arranged that the lines joining the axes of adjacent articles in adjoining rows are perpendicular to the line joining the axes of the articles in each row, means for feeding the articles endwise along the channel against a wrapper, a spacing bar fixed in the channel and adapted to replace an article in one of the rows intermediate the ends thereof, a pair of folding members between which the articles and a wrapper are fed and. which fold the wrapper against opposite sides of the batch of articles that are parallel to the plane of the rows and which are so spaced apart as to apply pressure to the batch transversely of said rows and other folding devices for folding the wrapper against the remaining sides of the batch while the latter is subjected to the said pressure.

'7. A wrapping machine for enclosing a plura1- ity of cigarettes or other rod-shaped articles in a wrapper, comprising means for arranging the articles in a plurality of contiguous rows containing equal numbers of articles so as to form a rectangular block, the lines joining the axes of adjacent articles in adjoining rows being perpendicular to the long dimension of the end of the package, means for feeding some only of the articles in the direction of their length as a block which includes at least one complete row and the end articles in each other row, means for maintaining the articles in the block thus fed in their original relative positions during the feeding movement, and means for applying a wrapper to the block of articles during the feeding movement.

ALFRED GERMAN ROSE.