Abstract:
A multipurpose cartoning machine for packets of cigarettes, having a packet conveying assembly wherein a first conveyor feeds single packets, arranged in an orderly succession on edge, to an accumulating station for forming subgroups of packets placed flat one on top of the other, and a second conveyor is associated with the first conveyor to receive the packets conveyed by the first conveyor and to feed the packets to a packing device; the conveying assembly assuming a first configuration wherein the second conveyor is connected to the first conveyor at the accumulating station to receive, from the first conveyor, a succession of subgroups of packets laid flat, and a second configuration wherein the second conveyor is connected to the first conveyor upstream from the accumulating station to receive an orderly succession of single packets positioned on edge.

Description:
[0001]     The present invention relates to a multipurpose cartoning machine for packets of cigarettes.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     In the tobacco industry, rectangular parallelepiped-shaped cartons of packets of cigarettes are produced, in which the packets, normally ten in number, are arranged in a number of groups, normally five, arranged side by side along a longitudinal axis of the carton, and each of which comprises at least two packets placed flat one on top of the other, i.e. with their major lateral surfaces parallel to said longitudinal axis.  
         [0003]     Alternatively, rectangular parallelepiped-shaped cartons of packets of cigarettes are produced, in which the packets, normally ten in number, are arranged side by side along a longitudinal axis of the carton and on edge, i.e. with their major lateral surfaces perpendicular to said longitudinal axis.  
         [0004]     Each of the above two types of carton is produced on a specific type of cartoning machine.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     It is an object of the present invention to provide a cartoning machine for selectively producing both the above types of carton.  
         [0006]     According to the present invention, there is provided a cartoning machine as claimed in the attached Claims.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     A non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic side view of a preferred embodiment of the cartoning machine according to the present invention in a first operating configuration;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  shows a section along line II-II in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  shows a section along line III-III of the  FIG. 1  cartoning machine in a different operating position;  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  shows a schematic side view of the  FIG. 1  cartoning machine in a second operating configuration;  
         [0012]      FIGS. 5 and 6  show a larger-scale first detail of  FIGS. 1 and 4  in the  FIGS. 1 and 4  configurations respectively;  
         [0013]      FIG. 7  shows a larger-scale view in perspective of a second detail of  FIGS. 1 and 4 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]     Number  1  in  FIGS. 1 and 4  indicates as a whole a cartoning machine comprising an input conveyor  2  for feeding in a direction  3  an orderly succession of packets  4  of cigarettes, each of which is substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped and positioned flat on input conveyor  2 , i.e. with its major lateral surfaces parallel to direction  3 . In the example shown, each packet  4  is also positioned on input conveyor  2  with its longitudinal axis  5  crosswise to direction  3 .  
         [0015]     Cartoning machine  1  also comprises a known transfer wheel  6 , in turn comprising a central hub  7  rotating continuously about an axis  8  parallel to longitudinal axes  5  and crosswise to direction  3 ; and a number of known gripping heads  9  connected to central hub  7  and equally spaced about axis  8 . Each gripping head  9  is moved by central hub  7  along a circular path P substantially tangent to input conveyor  2  at a pickup station  10 , and is hinged to the periphery of central hub  7  to oscillate, in known manner and with respect to central hub  7 , about a respective axis  11  parallel to axis  8 , to grip a respective packet  4  at pickup station  10  in known manner and preferably by suction. Each gripping head  9  moves with central hub  7  about axis  8  to feed respective packet  4  along path P and to an input station  12  of a conveying assembly  13  interposed between transfer wheel  6  and a known packing device  14 , which is supplied by conveying assembly  13  with a succession of blanks  15 , and with a succession of groups  16 , each of which is packed in known manner in a respective blank  15  to form a respective carton (not shown) and comprises a given number of—normally ten—packets  4  arranged in a desired manner.  
         [0016]     In the  FIG. 1  example, each group  16  comprises a number of—in the example shown, five—side by side subgroups  18 , each defined by two packets  4  placed flat one on top of the other and positioned flat with their respective longitudinal axes  5  perpendicular to a feed direction  17  to packing device  14 .  
         [0017]     In the  FIG. 4  example, on the other hand, each group  16  comprises a number of—in the example shown, ten—packets  4  arranged side by side on edge, i.e. with their respective longitudinal axes  5  and major lateral surfaces perpendicular to feed direction  17 .  
         [0018]     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4 , conveying assembly  13  comprises a screw conveyor  19 , which receives packets  4  successively at input station  12  and feeds them in an orderly succession in a radial direction  20  with respect to axis  8 . The packets are fed along screw conveyor  19  on edge, i.e. with their respective longitudinal axes  5  and major lateral surfaces perpendicular to direction  20 .  
         [0019]     Screw conveyor  19  is fitted to a frame (not shown) hinged about axis  8 , and which rotates about axis  8  to move screw conveyor  19  about axis  8  between a vertical position ( FIG. 1 ) wherein input station  12  is located diametrically opposite pickup station  10  with respect to transfer wheel  6 , and a tilted position ( FIG. 4 ) wherein input station  12 , indicated  12 ′ in  FIG. 4 , is shifted, with respect to the vertical position and about axis  8  towards packing device  14 , by an angle equal to the angle between two adjacent axes  11 .  
         [0020]     With reference to  FIG. 2 , screw conveyor  19  comprises two screws  21  rotating in opposite directions about respective parallel axes  22  lying in the same plane through axis  8 . Screws  21  are located on opposite sides of path P and have respective cores  23 , which are separated by a distance at least equal to the length of a packet  4 , have respective threads  24 , and have respective input portions which together define input station  12 . At the opposite end to input station  12 , each screw  21  has a threadless end portion  25 , which, together with end portion  25  of the other screw  21 , defines an accumulating station  26 .  
         [0021]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , conveying assembly  13  also comprises a belt conveyor  27  interposed between screw conveyor  19  and packing device  14 , and defined by two conveyors  28  and  29 —of which, conveyor  29  is an idle conveyor—located on opposite sides of a path P 1  along which packets  4  are fed along belt conveyor  27 . Conveyor  28  is a powered endless conveyor having a conveying branch  30 , which comprises an intermediate portion  31  extending in contact with the outer periphery of a drive pulley  32  located on the opposite side of conveying branch  30  to conveyor  29 . Conveying branch  30  extends between two guide pulleys  33  and  34 ; guide pulley  33  rotates about an axis  35  parallel to axis  8 , and is located adjacent to screw conveyor  19 ; and guide pulley  34  rotates about an axis  36  parallel to axis  8 , and is located adjacent to packing device  14 . Drive pulley  32  defines, along conveying branch  30 , an input portion  37  extending between guide pulley  33  and intermediate portion  31 ; and an output portion  38  extending between intermediate portion  31  and guide pulley  34  and connected to packing device  14  by a fixed plate  38   a.    
         [0022]     Conveyor  28  also comprises a return branch  39 , which in turn comprises an intermediate portion extending a given angle about drive pulley  32 ; an input portion extending between guide pulley  34  and drive pulley  32 , and about a guide pulley  40  located on the opposite side of return branch  39  to conveying branch  30 ; and an output portion  41  extending between drive pulley  32  and guide pulley  33 , and about a tensioning device  42 .  
         [0023]     Tensioning device  42  is defined by a pulley  43  located on the opposite side of return branch  39  to conveying branch  30 , and rotating about an axis  44  parallel to axis  8  and movable transversely along a path P 2  in opposition to elastic means not shown; and by a pulley  45  interposed between conveying branch  30  and return branch  39 , and rotating about an axis  46  movable transversely along a path P 3  in opposition to elastic means not shown. More specifically, path P 2  is a substantially circular path extending about an axis of rotation  47 , parallel to axis  8 , of drive pulley  32 ; and path P 3  is a circular path extending about axis  44  and movable with axis  44  about axis  47 .  
         [0024]     Conveyor  29  is located above conveyor  28 , and is an endless conveyor comprising two guide pulleys  48  and  49 ; guide pulley  48  rotates about an axis  50  parallel to axis  8 , and is located adjacent to packing device  14 ; and guide pulley  49  rotates about an axis  51  parallel to axis  8 , and is located adjacent to screw conveyor  19 . Conveyor  29  comprises a conveying branch  52  extending between guide pulleys  48  and  49  and positioned facing and parallel to input portion  37  of conveying branch  30  to define, with input portion  37 , a channel  53  for feeding packets  4  towards packing device  14  and along path P 1 .  
         [0025]     In belt conveyor  27 , axes  36 ,  47  and  50  are fixed; axes  44  and  46 , as stated, are movable transversely, in opposition to elastic means not shown, along path P 2  and path P 3  respectively; and axes  35  and  51  are connected to each other by a connecting rod  54 , and are movable, about axis  50  and by an actuating device not shown, between a raised position ( FIG. 1 )—in which, input portion  37  and output portion  38  of conveying branch  30  are aligned horizontally with each other and parallel to conveying branch  52 , and guide pulley  33  is located at accumulating station  26  in the position assumed when screw conveyor  19  is in the vertical position—and a tilted position ( FIG. 4 )—in which, conveying branch  52  and input portion  37  of conveying branch  30  are parallel to the feed direction  20  of packets  4  along screw conveyor  19 , and on opposite sides of the feed path of packets  4  along screw conveyor  19  when screw conveyor  19  is in the tilted position ( FIG. 4 ).  
         [0026]     For this purpose, the angle by which screw conveyor  19  oscillates about axis  8  is complementary to the angle by which conveying branch  52  oscillates about axis  50 .  
         [0027]     When conveying branch  52  and input portion  37  of conveying branch  30  are in the tilted position, the height of channel  53  is reduced to substantially equal the width of packets  4  which, travelling in an orderly succession on edge along screw conveyor  19 , engage conveying branch  30  on edge and channel  53  before reaching accumulating station  26 .  
         [0028]     In connection with the above, it should be pointed out that, when input portion  37  of conveying branch  30  is in the tilted position ( FIG. 4 ), pulley  33  is located—as a result of both pulley  33  translating transversely about axis  50 , and conveying branch  30  winding partly about drive pulley  32 —at a distance from the outer periphery of central hub  7  greater than the length of a gripping head  9  carrying respective packet  4 , so as not to interfere with path P.  
         [0029]     Conveyor  29  and input portion  37  of conveying branch  30  may obviously be oscillated jointly about an axis other than axis  50 , e.g. axis  47 . In which case, the only precaution necessary is to prevent guide pulley  33 , when input portion  37  is in the tilted position, from interfering with the path P of packets  4  about axis  8 . This can be achieved (as in a variation not shown) by mounting guide pulley  33  on a slide movable parallel to input portion  37 , and moving the slide towards drive pulley  32  as input portion  37  moves into the tilted position.  
         [0030]     When screw conveyor  19  is in the vertical position, each screw  21  is positioned coaxial with a respective housing  55  of a rotary push device  56  for feeding, as explained in detail below, an orderly succession of subgroups  18  from accumulating station  26  to input portion  37  of conveyor  28  of belt conveyor  27 . For this purpose, housings  55  rotate in opposite directions, and each comprise, on the side facing respective screw  21 , a respective number of peripheral axial pins  57  equally spaced about relative axis  22  and projecting from housing  55  towards accumulating station  26 . Each pin  57  moves through accumulating station  26  in time with a relative pin  57  on the other housing  55  to transfer subgroups  18  successively from accumulating station  26  to belt conveyor  27 .  
         [0031]     On cartoning machine  1 , transfer of packets  4  from belt conveyor  27  to packing device  14  along plate  38   a  is controlled by a push device  58  comprising a linear electric motor  59 , in turn comprising a stator, which is defined by a rail  60  extending parallel to output portion  38  of conveying branch  30  and located below output portion  38  and plate  38   a  and to the side of belt conveyor  27 ; and a movable assembly  61  mounted to slide along rail  60 .  
         [0032]     Movable assembly  61  comprises an upright  62 ; and a rail  63  integral with the top of upright  62 , extending crosswise to direction  17 , and along which runs a slide  64  of a powered L-shaped pusher  65  comprising a paddle  66 . As slide  64  moves along rail  63 , paddle  66  is moved between a withdrawn position of non-interference and a forward position of interference with path P 1  along which packets  4  are fed in feed direction  17  to packing device  14 .  
         [0033]     In a variation not shown, paddle  66  is hinged to the top of upright  62  to rotate between said withdrawn and forward positions about an axis parallel to feed direction  17 .  
         [0034]     Paddle  66  is fitted with a detect-and-count device  67 , which moves with movable assembly  61  to count the packets  4  or subgroups  18  of packets  4  moving past paddle  66  when paddle  66  is in the withdrawn position and travelling along rail  60  in the opposite direction to feed direction  17 .  
         [0035]     To produce cartons (not shown) comprising groups  16  of side by side subgroups  18 , cartoning machine  1  is set to the  FIG. 1  configuration, i.e. with screw conveyor  19  positioned vertically, with conveying branch  30  of conveyor  28  positioned horizontally with guide pulley  33  located at accumulating station  26 , and with conveyor  29  in the raised horizontal position defining, with conveying branch  30 , a channel  53  of a height greater than that of subgroups  18 .  
         [0036]     In the above configuration of cartoning machine  1 , packets  4  are picked up successively by transfer wheel  6  off input conveyor  2  at pickup station  10 , and are transferred successively to screw conveyor  19  at input station  12 .  
         [0037]     The packets are then fed successively by screws  21  in direction  20  to accumulating station  26  where they are stacked. When the desired number of packets  4 —two in the example shown—are stacked at accumulating station  26 , housings  55  of rotary push device  56  are moved forward one step to transfer a subgroup  18  from accumulating station  26  to input portion  37  of conveying branch  30  of conveyor  28 . A continuous succession of subgroups  18  is thus formed on conveying branch  30  of conveyor  28 , and is fed in direction  17  past pusher  65  in the withdrawn position. When detect-and-count device  67  detects the passage of a sufficient number of subgroups  18 —five in the example shown—to form a group  16 , pusher  65  moves into the forward position, and linear electric motor  59  is operated to move paddle  66  along conveying branch  30  towards packing device  14  faster than the travelling speed of conveying branch  30 , so as to compact subgroups  18  into a group  16 , which is fed by push device  58  directly into packing device  14 .  
         [0038]     Pusher  65  is then restored to the withdrawn position, and linear electric motor  59  is inverted to move pusher  65  back in the opposite direction to feed direction  17 . As it moves back, pusher  65  travels past the incoming subgroups  18 , and, upon detect-and-count device  67  counting a number of subgroups  18  equal to the number in group  16 , moves back into the forward position, and linear motor  59  is again inverted to compact and feed another group  16  to packing device  14 .  
         [0039]     Push device  58  is therefore highly flexible, by its operating range being easily adjustable by adjusting the start point, and by the length of its travel being self-adjustable as a function of the feedthrough rate of subgroups  18 . Moreover, since the return travel of movable assembly  61  only terminates upon detect-and-count device  67  “sweeping” the set number of subgroups  18  in assembly  16 , push device  58  also provides for compensating any gaps (one or more missing subgroups  18 ) along conveying branch  30 .  
         [0040]     Finally, since the return travel is performed without cutting off supply of packets  4  in feed direction  17 , operation of push device  58  involves no downtime.  
         [0041]     To produce cartons (not shown) comprising groups  16  of a given number of side by side packets  4  on edge, cartoning machine  1  is set to the  FIG. 4  configuration, i.e. with screw conveyor  19  in the tilted position, with input portion  37  of conveying branch  30  of conveyor  28  tilted and extending partly along the path travelled by packets  4  as they are fed by conveyor  19  in direction  20 , and with guide pulley  33  located outwards of transfer wheel  6  and close to input station  12 ′. At the same time, conveyor  29  is set to the tilted position to define, with input portion  37 , a channel  53  of a height, as stated, substantially equal to, but preferably slightly less than, the width of packets  4 . In a variation, the height of channel  53  is slightly more than the width of packets  4 , and conveyor  29  has a number of equally spaced projections (not shown) which, along conveying branch  52 , cooperate with conveying branch  30  to feed packets  4 , equally spaced, along channel  53 .  
         [0042]     In both cases, packets  4  engage belt conveyor  27  upstream from accumulating station  26 , and are therefore kept separate and transferred on edge from screw conveyor  19  to belt conveyor  27 . Output portion  38  of conveyor  28  is thus fed with an orderly succession of equally spaced packets  4 , which are compacted by push device  58  in the same way as subgroups  18  described above.  
         [0043]     It should be pointed out that, in the  FIG. 4  configuration, the operating range of push device  58  is restricted to output portion  38  and plate  38   a , as opposed to the whole length of conveying branch  30  and plate  38   a , as in the  FIG. 1  configuration of cartoning machine  1 . However, since linear electric motor  59  provides for easily adjusting the movement of movable assembly  61 , and therefore the extent and location of the operation range of push device  58 , the reduction in the operating range of push device  58  caused by tilting input portion  37  poses no problem.