An automatic machine for processing items of the tobacco industry

Abstract: In an automatic machine (1) for wrapping items for the tobacco industry, a manipulator (8) is designed to transfer at least one interchangeable processing tool (3) toward and away from an operating position, the processing tool (3) being mounted on a frame (2) of the automatic machine (1).

Description: The present invention relates to an automatic machine. In particular, the present invention relates to an automatic machine for processing items for the tobacco industry, which the present description will reference without thereby losing in generality. In the processing of items for the tobacco industry it is known to use automatic packaging machines for packaging sets of cigarettes in corresponding soft or rigid packs. Known packaging machines generally comprise: a feeder, designed to feed cigarettes to a device for forming sets of cigarettes; a conveyor with pockets, designed to receive in succession the sets of cigarettes just formed; and a wrapping line, designed to receive the sets of cigarettes carried by the pocket conveyor and in turn comprising a plurality of wrapping wheels which are arranged in succession along a set wrapping path. In packaging machines for producing cigarette packs of the rigid type, the wrapping line generally comprises a first wrapping wheel along which each set of cigarettes is wrapped in a respective protective enclosure, preferably made of metallized paper, in order to constitute a wrapped cigarette set; a transfer wheel, along which each wrapped cigarette: set is associated with a. respective inner frame and a second wrapping wheel, along which a cardboard blank is wrapped around each wrapped set of cigarettes and around the corresponding inner frame. In packaging machines used to produce cigarette packs of the soft type, the wrapping line generally comprises a first wrapping wheel, along which each set of cigarettes is wrapped in a respective protective enclosure, preferably made of metallized paper, in order to constitute a wrapped set of cigarettes; and a second wrapping wheel, along which an external wrapping sheet is wrapped around each wrapped set of cigarettes. Packaging machines of the kind described above are further provided with respective devices for feeding all the different wrapping materials used in the various steps of packaging the corresponding sets of cigarettes. Market requirements suggest that cigarette manufacturers should diversify their products and therefore provide several types of rigid packs and soft packs, which differ in terms of cigarette size, number and arrangement of the cigarettes inside the pack, and/or in the shape and appearance of the pack. It is also known, by the document WO 9746450, a packaging machine comprising an automatic selector wedge changing assembly including a carriage assembly which reciprocates along a horizontal guide rail in substantial alignment with a selector belt on the packaging machine. The carriage assembly includes a vertical guide rail for moving a wedge changing head vertically relative to the selector belt and storage pallets which hold series of selector wedges. The assembly removes a first series of selector wedges from the selector belt, places them of a first storage pallet, removes a second series of selector wedges from a second storage pallet and attaches them to the selector belt. In view of the above, it logically follows that each packaging machine has a fixed main structure and a series of interchangeable wrapping tools and attachments which allow the same automatic machine to be used to produce different types rigid packs and soft packs. These wrapping tools are generally quite heavy and bulky and, further, are fitted at points of the packaging machine which are difficult to access. A major drawback of the packaging machines described above is that the replacement of the wrapping tools in order to equip the machine according to the format of the packs being produced, is performed manually. The changeover procedures create serious operating difficulties for the personnel concerned and, even at the best of times, are lengthy and time-consuming. The aim of the present invention is to provide an automatic machine which is free from the above drawbacks. Accordingly, the present invention provides an automatic machine for processing items for the tobacco industry comprising the features expressed in claim 1. The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of the invention without restricting the scope of the inventive concept and in which: Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a preferred embodiment of the automatic machine according to the present invention, which is provided with an auxiliary manipulator shown in the inactive position; Figure 2 is a plan view of the automatic machine illustrated in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a sectional view through the plane III-III of Figure 2, with parts cut away to better illustrate others; and Figure 4 is a schematic side view of the automatic machine shown in Figure 1, with the auxiliary manipulator in different operating positions. With reference to Figure 1, the numeral 1 indicates as a whole an automatic machine for wrapping items for the tobacco industry. The machine 1 comprises a frame 2 which is substantially shaped like a prism with a rectangular base and supports a plurality of wrapping tools 3 which are detachably mounted on said frame 2. The machine 1 further comprises a control unit 4, which is provided with a plurality of electric controllers 4a, each of which is designed to control the operation of a corresponding tool 3. The tools 3 include pocket conveyors, transfer wheels, wrapping wheels, devices for feeding wrapping material or other items, and can be replaced with similar tools (not illustrated) according to the characteristics of the items to be wrapped and of the end product required. With reference to Figures 1 to 3, the frame 2 is limited, at the top, by a flat surface 2a whereon there is a rack 5, which runs in a substantially horizontal direction 6, and two straight guides 7, which run parallel to the direction 6 and are arranged on opposite sides of said rack 5; each guide consists of a C-section which is mounted in such a way that its concave region faces the rack 5. The two guides 7 slidingly support a robotized manipulator 8 which comprises a slider 9 consisting of a flat plate 10, fitted parallel to the surface 2a and having two lateral ribs 11 which are parallel to the direction 6 and protrude from the plate 10 toward said surface 2a, and two intermediate ribs 12, which are parallel to the ribs 11, lie between said ribs 11 sad protrude from the plate 10 toward the surface 2a. The two intermediate ribs 12 enter the space between the guides 7 and support respective sets 13 of wheels 14, each wheel being rotatably mounted on its shaft 15 and extending from the corresponding rib 12 toward the adjacent guide 7 transversely to the direction 6. The wheels 14 of each set 13 comprise wheels 14a, only one of which is shown, which cooperate with an upper surface of a wing 16 of the corresponding guide 7, and wheels 14b, only one of which is shown, which cooperate with a lower surface of said wing 16 of the corresponding guide 7 in order to control the position of the slider 9 at right angles to the surface 2a. Each wheel 14a has, at the end of it that is directed toward the corresponding rib 12, a respective protruding cylindrical collar 17 which is coaxial to said wheel 14a in order to allow the slider 9 to cooperate with the two guides 7 substantially without play horizontally and transversely to the direction 6. A fork 19 protrudes from the surface of the plate 10 that faces the surface 2a and rotatably supports a sprocket 20 which is mounted on said fork 19 and is driven by a motor 22 so as to rotate about its axis 21 which is parallel to the direction 18. The sprocket 20 meshes with the rack 5 in order to move the slider 9 along the guide 7 in the direction 6. The manipulator 8 further comprises a substantially cylindrical turret 23 which comprises a dome 24 which is rotatably mounted an the slider 9 in order to rotate about a vertical axis 26 with respect to said slider 9 and under the action of an actuation device 25 which meshes, in a known manner, with said dome 24. A telescopic arm 27 is hinged to the upper end of the dome 24 and is designed to rotate with respect to said dome 24 and under the action of a known type of actuation device 28, about a horizontal axis 29 whose orientation about the vertical axis 26 depends on the orientation of the dome 24 about said axis 26. The arm 27 comprises two elements 27a and 27b, the second of which is mounted so that it can slide axially inside the element 27a in order to slide axially, with respect to said element 27a, under the thrust action of a corresponding actuation cylinder 30. A telescopic arm 31 is rotatably mounted at the free end of the arm 27 and can rotate, with respect to the arm 27 and under the action of a known type of actuation device 32, about an axis 33 which is parallel to the axis 29. The arm 31 comprises three elements 31a, 31b and 31c the element 31b is mounted so that it can slide axially inside the element 31a in order to slide axially, with respect to said element 31a, under the thrust action of a corresponding actuation cylinder 34; and the element 31c is mounted so that it can slide axially in the element 31b in order to slide axially, with respect to said element 31b, under the thrust action of a corresponding actuation cylinder 35. A grip element 36, substantially shaped like a clamp, is connected to the free end of the arm 31 and is rotatably coupled to the arm 31 in such a way as to rotate, with respect to said arm 31 and under the action of conventional actuation devices (not illustrated), about an axis 37 which is parallel to the axes 29 and 33 and respectively about an axis 38 which is perpendicular to the axis 37. According to alternative embodiments (not illustrated), the grip element 36 shown in Figures 1 and 4 can be replaced with different grip elements 36, chosen according to the dimensions and shape of the tools 3 and of the electric controllers 4a to be moved. As shown in Figure 4, the manipulator 8 is made in such a way that it can access all the regions of the automatic machine 1, so as to act both on the wrapping tools 3 supported by the frame 2 and on the electric controllers 4a of the control unit 4. The presence of the manipulator 8 therefore makes it possible to quickly and easily remove and replace the wrapping tools 3 and the electric controllers 4a in order to appropriately equip the automatic machine 1 according to the dimensions and shape of the items being processed in the automatic machine 1. The operation of the manipulator 8 can be easily inferred from the above description and therefore requires no further explanation.

Claims: An automatic machine (1) for processing items for the tobacco industry, said automatic machine (1) comprising a frame (2) and at least one processing tool (3) which is detachably mounted on said frame (2) in a preset operating position, said automatic machine comprising at least one manipulator (8) for moving said processing tool (3) with respect to said frame (2) toward and away from said operating position, characterized in that it comprises a control unit (4) provided with at least one removable electric controller (4a); said manipulator (8) being also designed to move said removable electric controller (4a) during the replacement of the removable electric controller (4a). The automatic machine according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises guiding means (7) which are axially connected to said frame (2) and actuation means (5, 20) designed to move the manipulator (8) along said guiding means (7). The automatic machine according to claim 2, characterized in that said manipulator (8) comprises at least two sets (13) of wheels (14), each set comprising a plurality of wheels (14) which are vertically offset in such a way that the manipulator (8) is coupled to the guiding means (7) substantially without vertical play. The automatic machine according to any of the foregoing claims from 1 to 3, characterized in that the manipulator (8) comprises at least one telescopic arm (27, 31) which in turn comprises at least one first portion and at least one second portion (27a, 27b; 31a, 31b); said second portion (27b; 31b) being mounted so that it can slide inside said first portion (27a; 31a). The automatic machine according to claim 4, characterized in that the manipulator (8) comprises a grip element (36) which is rotatably mounted at a free end of the telescopic arm (27, 31) in such a way as to rotate, with respect to said telescopic arm (27, 31), about a first axis (37) and, respectively, about a second axis (38); said first and second axes (37, 38) being perpendicular to one another. The automatic machine according to claim 5, characterized in that the manipulator (8) is designed to rotate about a third axis (26) which is perpendicular to the first axis (37).

Inventors: SPATAFORA MARIO, SPATAFORA, MARIO
Applicants: GD SPA, G.D S.P.A.
Application year: 1999
Main classification: B65B59
IPC codes: B65B59