Patent ID: 7631677
Filing Date: 2009-12-15
Classification: B65C,Y10T

Abstract:
1. Apparatus for applying tax stamps onto cigarette packages disposed within cigarette cartons which have predeterminedly different height dimensions, comprising: a plurality of operational stations, longitudinally spaced from each other along a longitudinally extending processing line, respectively comprising a plurality of operational components for respectively performing a plurality of operations upon each one of a plurality of cigarette cartons having the predeterminedly different height dimensions, and comprising at least a cigarette carton opening station at which top flap members of each cigarette carton are moved to an OPENED position in preparation for having tax stamps applied to the cigarette packages contained within each cigarette carton, a tax stamp application station at which tax stamps are applied to the cigarette packages contained within each one of the cigarette cartons, and a cigarette carton closing station at which the top flap members of each cigarette carton are moved to a CLOSED position after the tax stamps have been applied to the cigarette packages contained within each one of the cigarette cartons; means defining a support surface, extending along said longitudinally extending processing line, upon which the plurality of cigarette cartons, having the predeterminedly different height dimensions, are adapted to be movably supported; conveyor means for serially conveying the plurality of cigarette cartons, having the predeterminedly different height dimensions, along said support surface in a predetermined conveying direction and in an intermittent cyclic manner for permitting each one of the plurality of cigarette cartons, having the predeterminedly different height dimensions, to be periodically stopped at each one of said plurality of operational stations such that each one of said plurality of operational components disposed at each one of said plurality of operational stations can respectively perform their operations upon each one of the plurality of cigarette cartons having the predeterminedly different height dimensions; a contact member movably disposed at a cigarette carton height determination station for movement into engagement with an upper surface portion of a particular one of the plurality of cigarette cartons, having the predeterminedly different height dimensions, when the particular one of the plurality of cigarette cartons, having the predeterminedly different height dimensions, is disposed at said cigarette carton height determination station; sensor means, disposed at said cigarette carton height determination station, for sensing the distance of said contact member, disposed in contact with the upper surface portion of the particular one of the plurality of different cigarette cartons, having the predeterminedly different height dimensions, which is disposed at said cigarette carton height determination station, from said sensor means and therefore for determining the particular height dimension of the particular one of the plurality of cigarette cartons, having the predeterminedly different height dimensions, disposed at said cigarette carton height determination station, and for generating data indicative of the particular height dimension of the particular one of the plurality of different cigarette cartons, having the predeterminedly different height dimensions, which is disposed at said cigarette carton height determination station; single actuator means for adjusting the elevational disposition of said means defining said support surface upon which the plurality of cigarette cartons, having the predeterminedly different height dimensions, are adapted to be movably supported as the plurality of cigarette cartons, having the predeterminedly different height dimensions, are conveyed along said processing line from one of said plurality of operational stations to another one of said plurality of operational stations; and control means for receiving said height dimension data from said sensor means for determining the particular height dimension of the particular one of the plurality of different cigarette cartons, having the predeterminedly different height dimensions, which is disposed at said cigarette carton height determination station, and for controlling said single actuator means so as to adjust the elevational disposition of said means defining said support surface, upon which the plurality of different cigarette cartons, having the predeterminedly different height dimensions, are adapted to be movably supported as the plurality of different cigarette cartons, having the predeterminedly different height dimensions, are conveyed along said processing line from one of said plurality of operational stations to another one of said plurality of operational stations, in accordance with said height dimension data, as determined by said sensor means disposed at said cigarette carton height determination station, characteristic of the particular one of the plurality of different cigarette cartons, having the predeterminedly different height dimensions, disposed at said cigarette carton height determination station, such that the plurality of different cigarette cartons, having the predeterminedly different height dimensions, are always disposed at predeterminedly correct elevational levels with respect to said plurality of operational components respectively disposed at said plurality of operational stations whereby said operational components respectively disposed at said plurality of operational stations can properly perform their operations upon the plurality of different cigarette cartons, having the predeterminedly different height dimensions, regardless of the particular height dimension of the particular one of the plurality of different cigarette cartons having the predeterminedly different height dimensions; said tax stamp application station comprising means for holding a roll of tax stamp paper upon which a plurality of tax stamps, disposed within a predetermined row and column array, is disposed; a stamping iron comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced stamping shoes for engaging predeterminedly spaced ones of the tax stamps disposed within the predetermined row and column array of tax stamps tax stamps disposed upon the roll of tax stamp paper; and means for indexably moving said roll of tax stamp paper in a longitudinal direction, with respect to said cigarette package tax stamp application station and said stamping iron, and in predetermined incremental steps such that said longitudinally spaced stamping shoes can engage predetermined sets of the predeterminedly spaced tax stamps each time said roll of tax stamp paper is incrementally moved one step whereby a predetermined number of the plurality of different cigarette cartons can have tax stamps, from the rows of tax stamps disposed upon the tax stamp paper, applied to their cigarette packages before the tax stamp paper must be advanced so as to present new rows of tax stamps, of the predetermined row and column array of tax stamps, to said stamping shoes of said stamping iron.