Apparatus for the handling of blank stacks having a band

Apparatus for transporting blank stacks (14) surrounded by a band (15). During the transport of the blank stacks (14) in the direction of their longitudinal extension, the band (15) surrounding the blank stack (14) in the transverse direction is severed on the underside (bottom wall 19) by a stationary severing knife (35). The blank stack (14), together with the severed band (15), is conveyed further to a point above a magazine shaft (13, 13a). Here, the band (15) is held by suckers (39) and is sucked off via a lateral suction channel (40).

The invention relates to a process for transporting blank stacks surrounded 
by a band to a blank magazine of a packaging machine, the band being 
severed by a stationary severing knife during a relative transport 
movement of the blank stack before the introduction of the blank stack 
into the blank magazine. The invention relates, furthermore, to an 
apparatus for the transport and treatment of blank stacks having a band. 
Blanks for packs are often prefabricated in a separate operation and 
supplied as blank stacks to the packaging machine. This handling is 
customary primarily in respect of blanks for hinge-lid packs receiving 
cigarettes. 
In order to give the blank stacks a better hold, they have recently often 
been provided with a band consisting of paper or foil. This surrounds the 
blank stack of elongate, approximately rectangular blanks in the region of 
longitudinal sides. The band has to be eliminated before the processing of 
the blanks. For this purpose, the band is severed by hand or mechanically 
by means of a severing knife. The blank stack freed of the band is then 
introduced into a blank magazine of the packaging machine. 
The object on which the invention is based is to propose measures by which 
an elimination of the bands is possible in a simple way, without an 
interruption in the transport flow for the blank stacks and by the use of 
simple mechanical members. 
To achieve this object, the process according to the invention is 
characterized in that the band is severed by a stationary severing knife 
on the underside of the blank stack, and in that the band is severed 
immediately before the transfer of the blank stack to the blank magazine. 
In the invention, therefore, the operation of severing the band is brought 
into accord with the necessarily transport of the blank stacks to the 
blank magazine. During a final stage of transport, the blank stack is 
moved past the stationary severing knife which severs the band on the 
underside of the blank stack. According to a further feature of the 
invention, the freed band is eliminated by being sucked off. 
The blank stacks are delivered by a feed conveyor designed as a band 
conveyor, specifically with their longitudinal extension transverse to the 
conveying direction. The blank stacks are pushed off from the feed 
conveyor by a slide, acting as a transversely directed magazine conveyor, 
onto carrying members above the blank magazine. Between the feed conveyor 
and the blank magazine, the stationary severing knife is arranged below 
the path of movement of the blank stacks. 
The carrying members for the blank stacks above the blank magazine are 
designed as carrier plates which are movable in a horizontal plane and 
which are moved apart from one another in order to introduce the blank 
stack into the blank magazine. 
It Is important, furthermore, that the blank stacks, before being pushed 
off from the feed conveyor, that is to say before the execution of the 
severing cut, be aligned by straightening members which come to bear on 
the longitudinal sides of the blank stack. 
Further features of the invention relate to constructive particulars of the 
conveyors, severing knife, straightening members, carrier plates and 
suck-off members.

The exemplary embodiment illustrated in the drawings is concerned with the 
handling of blanks 10 for the production of hinge-lid packs for cigarettes 
or the like. Blanks 10 of this type are elongate and approximately 
rectangular with the contours typical of this pack. The blanks 10 are 
produced in a packaging machine 11, of which parts are shown 
diagrammatically in FIG. 1. A plurality of blanks 10 are located, for 
individual extraction, in a blank magazine 12. This in turn consists of 
two magazine shafts 13 and 13a located next to one another. 
The blanks 10 are delivered one above the other as blank stacks 14. Each 
blank stack 14 is surrounded by a band 15 consisting of paper or of 
another suitable material. The band 15 is located approximately in the 
middle region of the blank stack 14 having an upper wall 16, side walls 17 
and 18 and a bottom wall 19. Side walls and 18 extend in the region of 
elongate side faces 20 and 21 of the blank stack 14. 
Blank stacks 14 designed in this way are delivered by a feed conveyor 22 
which, in the present case, is designed as a band conveyor. The blank 
stacks 14 are supported on era upper conveying strand of the feed conveyor 
22 in a continuous series at short distances from one another, 
specifically with their longitudinal extension transverse to the conveying 
direction (from left to right in FIG. 1). 
The blank stacks 14 are transferred intermittently by the feed conveyor 22 
to a lifting conveyor 23. This consists, in the present exemplary 
embodiment, of a platform 24 movable up and down. This receives one blank 
stack 14 at a time and transports it to the level of a following stack 
conveyor 25. This is located on a plane which makes it possible to 
introduce the blank stacks 14 into the blank magazine 12 from above. 
Mere too, the stack conveyor 25 is a belt conveyor with an individual 
conveyor belt 26 having a width which is somewhat smaller than the length 
of the blanks 10 or of the blank stacks 14. These are individually pushed 
in succession onto the stack conveyor 25 at a feed end by a pushing member 
27 movable to and fro, in such a way that the successively transported 
blank stacks 14 are at a greater distance from one another, namely 
corresponding approximately to the distance between the two magazine 
shafts 13 and 13a. For this purpose, the stack conveyor 25 is driven at a 
correspondingly higher speed. 
The blank stacks 14 are conveyed by the stack conveyor 25 to a point in 
front of the magazine shafts 13, 13a of the blank magazine 12. In the 
region of a transfer station 28, the blank stacks 14 are aligned with the 
associated magazine shaft 13, 13a and are then conveyed transversely 
relative to the stack conveyor 25 into a position above a filling orifice 
29 of one magazine shaft 13, 13a or the other. The transfer of the blank 
stacks 14 to the associated magazine shafts 13, 13a takes place by means 
of a cross-conveyor which pushes off the blank stacks 14 from the conveyor 
belt 26 and which conveys to the exact position above the magazine shaft 
13, 13a. In the present exemplary embodiment, this cross-conveyor is a 
slide 30 which grasps the blank stack 14 in the region of a narrow side, 
in the present case in the region of projecting collar inner tabs 31 of 
the blanks 10. The slide 30 is movable transversely until the blank stack 
14 has reached the position shown in FIG. 4. In the present case, the 
slide 30 is connected via a slide am 32 to a drive above the trans far 
station 28. This is, here, an elongate pressure-medium cylinder 33 having 
a laterally emerging extension 34 for connection to the slide arm 32 (FIG. 
3). 
On the (short) transport run of the blank stack 14 from the conveyor belt 
26 to the magazine shaft 13, 13a, the band 15 is severed, specifically by 
a stationary severing knife 35. This is arranged in the region between the 
stack conveyor 25 and blank magazine 12. The severing knife 35 takes 
effect on the underside of the blank stack 14 and severs the band 15 here 
approximately centrally (FIG. 6), that is to say in the region of the 
bottom wall 19. 
The severing knife 35 is designed in a special way, namely hook-shaped with 
an inner or downwardly directed cutting edge 36. As a result of this 
design, the severing knife 35 fores an inner gap or slit 37. The band 15, 
namely its bottom wall 19, penetrates into this during the cutting 
operation. The cutting edge 36 is directed slightly obliquely. 
In order to guarantee a reliable severing cut, the severing knife 35 is 
movable up and down in the present exemplary embodiment by means of a 
short-stroke cylinder 38. This is controlled so that the severing knife 35 
is raised out of a lower initial position as soon as the blank stack 14 is 
located above the severing knife 35. The latter is then pressed with 
slight pressure against the lower blank 10 of the blank stack 14. A 
particular cavity is thereby formed between the blank stack 14 and the 
bottom wall 19 of the band 15. The severing knife 35 can then slide along 
in this region during the execution of the severing cut, the blank stack 
14 being moved relative to the severing knife 35. 
The blank stack 14, together with the severed band 15, passes into the 
region above the magazine shaft 13, 13a. Here, the band 15 is grasped by 
(two) suckers 39 specifically in the region of the upper wall During the 
subsequent movement to lower the blank stack 14 into the magazine shaft 
13, 13a, the band 15 continues to be held by the suckers 39 and thereby 
comes free from the blank stack 14. 
For the complete elimination of the band 15, the latter is conveyed away, 
specifically sucked off. For this purpose, a sufficiently dimensioned 
suction channel 40 opens out in the region above the magazine shaft 13, 
13a. Each suction channel 40 is connected to a vacuum source and leads to 
a common collecting container, namely a bag 41, for receiving the bands 
15. The suction channel 40 takes effect respectively on a side wall 17 or 
18 of the band 15. The latter is drawn into the suction channel 40 as a 
result of the vacuum and is conveyed into the bag 41. 
In order to guarantee an accurate transport of the blank stacks 14 in the 
region of the transfer station 28, each blank stack 14 is aligned with the 
stack conveyor 25. Provided for this purpose are plate-shaped aligners 42, 
43 which bear on the elongate side faces 20, 21 of the blank stack 14. The 
width of the aligners 42, 43 is only slightly smaller than the length of 
the blank stacks 14. 
The aligners 42, 43 have primarily the function of aligning the blank stack 
14 exactly with the filling orifice 29 of the magazine shaft 13 or 13a, so 
that a rectilinear transverse movement leads to an exact positioning of 
the blank stack 14 above the respective filling orifice 29. For this 
purpose, the aligners 42, 43 are mounted pivotably, specifically each in a 
rotary bearing formed above the blank stack 14. In the present exemplary 
embodiment, this rotary bearing consists of a rotary rod 44, 45 lying in 
the longitudinal direction of the blank stack 14. The ends of the rotary 
rod 44, 45 are mounted rotatably in stationary mountings of the machine 
frame. An actuating member, namely an actuating cylinder 46, 47, is 
connected to the rotary rod 44, 45 via a transversely directed lever 48. 
To-and-fro rotational movements are thus transmitted to the aligners 42, 
43 by the actuating cylinder 46, 47. 
The mode of operation of the aligner. 42, 43 is designed in such a way that 
a blank stack 14 arriving on the stack conveyor 25 runs up against the 
aligner 43 which is the second in the conveying direction. This is 
accordingly located in the upright position and serves as a stop for the 
arriving blank stack 14. The other aligner 42, which is the first in the 
conveying direction, is located, during this phase, in an upper or 
horizontal position (represented by dot-and-dash lines in FIG. 5). The 
blank stack 14 can therefore run unimpeded past this aligner 42. 
After a blank stack 14 has come to bear on the aligner 43, the aligner 42 
is moved into the lower or upright aligning position (FIG. 5). The two 
aligner. 42, 43 thus bear on the side faces 20, 21, specifically over the 
full height, of the blank stack 14. The latter at the same time also 
aligned in respect of the relative position of the individual blanks 10 
before the transfer to the blank magazine 12. 
For transporting away the blank stack 14 to the blank magazine 12, the two 
aligner. 42, 43 are retracted from the side faces 20, 21 of the blank 
stack 14. 
The transfer stations 28 for the two magazine shafts 13, 13a are supplied 
by the common stack conveyor 25. The transfer stations 28 are formed in 
succession in the conveying direction. When the transfer station 28 which 
is the second in the conveying direction is to be fed (magazine shaft 
13a), the two aligners 42, 43 of the magazine shaft 13 are moved out of 
the path of movement of the blank stacks 14, namely by pivoting, so that 
the respective blank stack 14 can be transported to the transfer station 
28 which is the second in the conveying direction. 
The slide 30 designed as a vertical web takes effect in the region of a 
special design of the conveyor belt 26 of the stack conveyor 25. In this 
region, the conveyor belt 26 is guided via three deflecting rollers 49, 
50, 51. The middle deflecting roller 51 is located below the upper 
deflecting rollers 49, 50. A loop is thereby drawn in the conveyor belt 
26. This loop in turn generates a gap 52 in the upper transport plane for 
the blank stacks 14. The slide 30 takes effect in the region of this gap 
52 and can thereby grasp the blank stack 14 reliably over the entire 
height or project slightly beyond the blank stack 14 at the bottom (FIG. 
5). 
In the region of the blank magazine 12 or of the magazine shafts 13, 13a, 
lateral guides 53, 54 are formed in a stationary manner above the filling 
orifices 29 as part of the machine frame. The lateral guides 53, 54 on 
both sides of each filling orifice 29 receive, in a recess, carrying 
members for the blank stack 14 to be introduced into the magazine shaft 
13, 13a. These are carrier legs 55, 56 arranged on both sides of the 
filling orifice 29. These serve for the temporary support of a blank stack 
14 exactly above the filling orifice 29. The carrier legs 55, 56 grasp the 
blank stack 14 on the underside in the region of longitudinal edges of the 
respective lower blank 10. 
The carrier legs 55, 56 are attached to lateral carrying members, namely to 
holding walls 57, 58. The carrier legs 55, 56 are movable transversely, 
specifically in the plane of the lower limitation of the blank stack 14, 
for the transfer of a blank stack 14 to a magazine shaft 13, 13a. For this 
purpose, in the present case, the holding walls 57, 58 are mounted 
displaceably above the magazine shafts 13, 13a. A transversely directed 
holding piece 59, 60 is mounted displaceably on two carrier rode 61, 62 
arranged at a distance from one another. The carrier legs 55, 56 can 
thereby be moved, together with the holding walls 57, 58, in a direction 
towards one another into a carrying position (FIG. 6) and apart from one 
another into a position, in which the filling orifice 29 is freed. 
The actuation of the carrier legs 55, 56 via the holding walls 57, 58 and 
the holding pieces 59, 60 takes peace by means of a common adjusting 
cylinder 63. In the present case, this is connected directly to a holding 
piece 60. The latter is accordingly moved to and fro directly on the 
carrier rods 61, 62 by means of the adjusting cylinder 63. This movement 
is transmitted via an oppositely directed connecting gear to the other 
holding piece 59 and therefore to the other carrier leg 55. The connecting 
gear consists, here, of the links 64 and 65 and of a central rotary piece 
66 arranged in the middle. The latter is rotatably mounted centrally above 
the filling orifice 29 on a connection piece 67 for the two carrier rods 
61, 62. The links 64, 65 are connected pivotably to the rotary piece 66 on 
opposite sides of an axis of rotation of the latter. This results in an 
exact mutually coordinated and opposed movement of the carrier legs 55, 56 
as a result of actuation by means of a common adjusting cylinder 63. 
In the present example, the suction channel 40 passes through a holding 
wall 57 in the region of a recess 68.