Abstract:
On a packing machine, packets of cigarettes, selected from different alternative packets of cigarettes of at least a first and second type, are produced by transferring groups of cigarettes relative to the selected type of packet from a forming path to a first packing path, along which an inner sheet of packing material is folded about each group of cigarettes, and then to a second packing path, along which at least a collar is folded about each group of cigarettes and on top of the inner sheet of packing material; each group of cigarettes is then transfer red, depending on the type of packet selected, to a third packing path, along which folding of a first outer blank about each group of cigarettes is completed to form a packet of cigarettes of the first type, or to a fourth packing path, along which folding of a second outer blank about each group of cigarettes is completed to form a packet of cigarettes of the second type.

Description:
The present invention relates to a packing method and machine for producing packets of cigarettes. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   In the tobacco industry, groups of cigarettes are conditioned using a relatively large number of different types of packets, each of which differs in shape and/or size and/or, all other things being equal, simply as to the types of blanks used to manufacture it. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a packing method and machine designed to selectively produce packets of cigarettes of two different types. 
   According to the present invention, there are provided a packing method and machine for selectively producing packets of cigarettes of two different types, as claimed in the attached claims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A number of non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  shows an operating diagram of a packing machine in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIGS. 2 and 3  show plan views of blanks of a first type of packet producible using the method according to the present invention; 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  show schematics, with parts removed for clarity, of respective parts of a preferred embodiment of the packing machine according to the present invention, and employing the  FIGS. 2 and 3  blanks to produce the first type of packet using the method according to the present invention; 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  show plan views of blanks of a second type of packet producible using the method according to the present invention; 
       FIGS. 8 and 9  show schematics, with parts removed for clarity, of respective parts of a preferred embodiment of the packing machine according to the present invention, and employing the  FIGS. 6 and 7  blanks to produce the second type of packet using the method according to the present invention; 
       FIGS. 10 to 13  show a sequence of operating steps to fold the  FIGS. 6 and 7  blanks. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1  shows the sequence of operations performed on a packing machine  1  to produce a packet of cigarettes of a first type or, by changing certain parts of machine  1 , of a second type. 
   More specifically, the second type of packet may be the same shape and size as the first type, and differ solely as to the blanks employed, or it may be differ entirely from the first type. The alterations to packing machine  1  to produce the second type of packet are fairly extensive in the latter case, and less so in the former. 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , on packing machine  1 , a forming conveyor  2  feeds a number of forming pockets  3  along a forming path PF extending in front of outlets  4  of a cigarette hopper  5 . The cigarettes in hopper  5  are expelled axially in known manner from outlets  4 , and are fed axially in known manner into forming pockets  3  to form, inside each forming pocket  3 , a respective group  6  of cigarettes, which is fed by forming conveyor  2 , crosswise to the relative cigarettes and along forming path PF, to a transfer station  7 , where each group  6  of cigarettes is expelled axially, i.e. parallel to the axes of the relative cigarettes, from relative forming pocket  3 , and is transferred to a packing path P 1 . 
   Packing path P 1  is a straight path extending perpendicularly to path PF; and, once transferred to packing path P 1 , each group  6  of cigarettes is fed axially by a packing conveyor  8  along packing path P 1  and through a loading station  9 , where each group  6  of cigarettes is paired with a respective inner sheet  10  of packing material, which is folded about respective group  6  of cigarettes to form an inner wrapping as group  6  of cigarettes travels along packing path P 1 . 
   Packing path P 1  ends at a transfer station  11  where the wrapped groups  6  of cigarettes, i.e. enclosed in respective inner wrappings, are transferred axially to a packing assembly A perpendicular to packing path P 1  and parallel to, but offset with respect to, forming path PF. In other words, packing machine  1  has a Z-shaped layout, and packing path P 1  joins by a straight line a point along path PF, defined by transfer station  7 , to a point in packing assembly A, defined by transfer station  11 . 
   At transfer station  11 , the wrapped groups  6  of cigarettes are fed onto a further packing path P 2  extending inside packing assembly A, and along which the wrapped groups  6  of cigarettes are fed transversely, and at least one blank, defined by a collar  12 , is folded about each group  6  of cigarettes and on top of respective inner sheet  10  of packing material. 
   At this point, to produce a first type of packet, each group  6  of cigarettes, on receiving respective collar  12  on top of respective inner sheet  10  of packing material, is transferred, at a further transfer station  13 , onto a packing path P 3 , along which the wrapped groups  6  of cigarettes, complete with respective collars  12 , are fed transversely by a packing conveyor  14  forming part of packing assembly A; and at least one further blank, defined by an outer blank  15 , is folded about each group  6  of cigarettes and on top of respective inner sheet  10  of packing material and respective collar  12 . 
   Alternatively, to produce a second type of packet, each wrapped group  6  of cigarettes, as it travels along path P 2 , is paired not only with collar  12 , but also with a further blank defined by a respective outer blank  16 ; and each group  6  of cigarettes, on receiving respective collar  12  on top of respective inner sheet  10  of packing material, and respective outer blank  16  on top of respective collar  12 , is transferred, at a transfer station  17 , to a packing path P 4  differing from packing path P 3  and extending inside packing assembly A. Transfer station  17  may coincide with transfer station  13 , as in the example shown, or may be located elsewhere along packing path P 2 , e.g. halfway between transfer stations  11  and  13 , as shown by the dash line in  FIG. 1 . 
   Along packing path P 4 , the wrapped groups  6  of cigarettes, complete with respective collars  12  and respective outer blanks  16 , are fed transversely by a packing conveyor  18 , and each outer blank  16 , already partly folded along packing path P 2 , is folded completely about respective group  6  of cigarettes. 
   On packing machine  1 , the choice between packing paths P 3  and P 4  depends mainly, but not solely, on the type of outer blank  15  or  16  employed. That is, if a “longitudinal” outer blank  15  is used, i.e. in which the main panels of the outer blank are aligned along an axis parallel to the axes of the cigarettes in relative group  6 , then packing path P 3  is preferably selected. Alternatively, if a “transverse” outer blank  16  is used, i.e. in which the main panels of the outer blank are aligned along an axis crosswise to the axes of the cigarettes in relative group  6 , then packing path P 4  is preferably selected. 
     FIGS. 4 and 5  show the configuration of machine  1  in the event the first type of packet for manufacture is, for example, an ordinary hinged-lid, rectangular-section packet  19  ( FIG. 5 ) formed from a collar  12  and an outer blank  15  ( FIG. 2 ), and wherein collar  12  is known and comprises ( FIG. 3 ) a central panel  20 , and two lateral wings  21  on opposite sides of and foldable squarely with respect to central panel  20 ; and outer blank  15  is a “longitudinal” type, is substantially rectangular, and comprises a central portion  22  extending along a longitudinal axis  23 , and in turn comprising a front lid panel  24  with a reinforcing flap  25 , a top lid panel  26 , a rear panel  27 , a bottom panel  28 , and a front panel  29 . Outer blank  15  also comprises two longitudinal lateral wings  30  located on opposite sides of central portion  22 , and each comprising a portion  31  extending along front lid panel  24 , a portion  32  extending along rear panel  27 , a portion  33  extending along front panel  29 , a tab  34  extending from portion  32  to portion  31 , and a tab  35  extending from portion  32  to portion  33 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , once expelled axially from respective outlets  4  of hopper  5 , groups  6  of cigarettes are fed axially into respective forming pockets  3  of forming conveyor  2 , which is a belt conveyor looped, in the example shown, about three pulleys (not shown), is substantially triangular-shaped, and comprises a substantially horizontal loading branch  36  extending in front of outlets  4 , and two conveying branches  37 ,  38 , coplanar with each other and with loading branch  36 , and of which branch  38  is substantially vertical and extends through transfer station  7 . 
   In the  FIG. 4  example, forming conveyor  2  moves forming pockets  3  forward in steps, each three times the length of the spacing of forming pockets  3 , so that, for each step of forming conveyor  2 , three full forming pockets  3  are arrested at transfer station  7 , and respective groups  6  of cigarettes are expelled simultaneously and fed axially through respective loading stations  9  and along respective packing paths P 1 , the packing conveyors  8  of which are defined at least partly by respective folding conduits  39  superimposed in a substantially vertical plane perpendicular to the substantially vertical plane of forming conveyor  2 . Each folding conduit  39  comprises, in substantially known manner, a number of fixed and movable folding devices (not shown) for folding an inner sheet  10  of packing material completely about a respective group  6  of cigarettes as group  6  of cigarettes travels towards transfer station  11 . 
   In the  FIG. 4  example, packing path P 2  is defined by an octagonal packing wheel  40 , which has a number of sides  41 , is parallel to forming conveyor  2 , and is fitted to a shaft  42  having a substantially horizontal axis  43  parallel to packing paths P 1 . Each side  41  of packing wheel  40  supports three packing pockets  44 , and packing wheel  40  rotates in steps (clockwise in  FIG. 4 ) to stop each side  41  firstly at a loading station  45 , where the relative three packing pockets  44  are fed simultaneously and radially with respective collars  12 , which are folded into a U inside respective packing pockets  44 . Said side  41  is then stopped firstly at transfer station  11 —where each packing pocket  44  is aligned with a respective folding conduit  39  to receive axially, i.e. in a direction parallel to axis  43 , a respective group  6  of cigarettes wrapped in respective inner sheet  10  of packing material—and finally at transfer station  13 . At transfer station  11 , each wrapped group  6  of cigarettes is slid axially into respective packing pocket  44  and on top of respective collar  12 , so that collar  12  is positioned on the outside of respective inner sheet  10  of packing material. 
   In the  FIG. 5  example, packing conveyor  14 , defining at least part of packing path P 3 , is defined by a packing wheel—hereinafter also indicated  14 —which receives groups  6  of cigarettes, complete with respective inner sheets  10  of packing material and respective collars  12 , at transfer station  13 , and packs them at least partly in respective outer blanks  15 . 
   Packing wheel  14  comprises a body  46  substantially in the form of a flat disk coplanar with packing wheel  40 , and fitted to a drive shaft  47  rotating (anticlockwise in  FIG. 5 ) about a respective axis  48  parallel to axis  43 . Body  46  supports a number of equally spaced groups  49  of packing pockets  50  along a peripheral portion of body  46 . More specifically, in the example shown, each group  49  comprises three packing pockets  50 , each of which is connected to the end of a respective shaft  51 , which oscillates, with respect to body  46 , about its own axis (not shown) and about a respective further axis (not shown), both parallel to axis  48 . By means of this twofold oscillation, packing pockets  50  in each group  49  can be positioned aligned and coplanar with one another at a loading station  52  located upstream from transfer station  13 , and where each packing pocket  50  is fed radially with a respective outer blank  15  fed to loading station  52  by a conveyor  53 ; at transfer station  13 , where each group  6  of cigarettes, complete with respective inner sheet  10  of packing material and respective collar  12 , is expelled radially from respective packing pocket  44  and fed radially into respective packing pocket  50 ; and at an unloading station  54 , where each packet  19 , by now substantially finished, is expelled radially from respective packing pocket  50  and completed as it is transferred to a drying conveyor  55  coplanar with packing wheels  14  and  40 . 
   In actual use, each outer blank  15  is loaded into a respective packing pocket  50  with rear panel  27  contacting the bottom of packing pocket  50 ; with front lid panel  24 , top lid panel  26 , bottom panel  28 , and front panel  29  projecting axially (i.e. in a direction parallel to axis  48 ) outwards of packing pocket  50 ; and with at least portion  32  of each longitudinal lateral wing  30  folded squarely. At transfer station  13 , each group  6  of cigarettes, complete with respective inner sheet  10  of packing material and respective collar  12 , is inserted radially into respective packing pocket  50 , onto rear panel  27  and between the folded portions  32  of longitudinal lateral wings  30  of respective outer blank  15 , which is folded partly about respective group  6  of cigarettes in known manner (not shown) as respective packing pocket  50  is fed to unloading station  54 , and is completed, as stated, during transfer to drying conveyor  55 . 
     FIGS. 8 and 9  show the configuration of machine  1  for producing, as opposed to packet  19 , a second type of packet comprising, for example, a hinged-lid, triangular-section, rounded-edged packet  56  ( FIG. 9 ) formed from a collar  12 ′ ( FIG. 7 ) and a “transverse” outer blank  16  ( FIG. 6 ). Collar  12 ′ comprises two front panels  57  separated by a creased axial band  58  and connected to respective longitudinal lateral wings  59  by respective further creased axial bands  58 ; and front panels  57  have a recess  60  at one axial end, and respective tabs  61  at the other axial end. Outer blank  16  is substantially rectangular, and comprises two front panels  62  separated by a creased central axial band  63  and connected to respective longitudinal lateral wings  64 ,  65  by respective creased lateral axial bands  66 . Longitudinal lateral wings  64  and  65  are superimposed to define a rear wall  67  ( FIG. 12 ) of packet  56 ; each front panel  62  has an axial tab  68  at each axial end; and, at each axial end, longitudinal lateral wing  64  has an axial tab  69  of the same shape and size as the cross section of packet  56 , while longitudinal lateral wing  65  has no end tabs. 
   As regards forming path PF and packing path P 1 , the  FIGS. 8 and 9  configuration of packing machine  1  for producing packet  56  is substantially the same as the  FIGS. 4 and 5  configuration for producing packet  19 . Obviously, since packet  56  chosen by way of example differs totally in shape from packet  19 , the cross sections of groups  6  of cigarettes, of outlets  4  of hopper  5 , of forming pockets  3 , and of folding conduits  39  differ in the  FIGS. 8 and 9  packing machine  1 . Also, for reasons explained below, forming conveyor  2  advances in steps, each twice the length of the spacing of forming pockets  3 , and only two conduits  39  are used. 
   In connection with the above, it should be pointed out that, if packet  56  were the same shape and size as packet  19 , but formed from a “transverse” outer blank  16 , the cross sections of groups  6  of cigarettes, of outlets  4  of hopper  5 , of forming pockets  3 , and of folding conduits  39  would be unchanged. 
   In packing machine  1  for producing packet  56 , packing path P 2  is defined by changing packing wheel  40  on shaft  42  with a packing wheel  70 , which comprises an octagonal plate  71  having, along each side  72 , two tubular through spindles  73  parallel to axis  43 . Each tubular spindle  73  projects from the front of octagonal plate  71 , has a first rounded edge  74  facing radially outwards and parallel to axis  43 , and two further rounded edges  75  facing axis  43 , and defines a through conduit  76  of the same shape in cross section as groups  6  of cigarettes, and which is fed axially, at transfer station  11 , with a respective group  6  of cigarettes complete with inner sheet  10  of packing material and issuing from respective folding conduit  39 . 
   As shown more clearly in  FIG. 10 , each tubular spindle  73  is fed simultaneously, at loading station  45 , with respective collar  12 ′ and respective outer blank  16 , which are superimposed beforehand so that the central axial band  63  of the blank is parallel to axis  43  and faces both the central axial band  58  of collar  12 ′ and edge  74 . 
   In a variation not shown, collar  12 ′ and outer blank  16  are fed successively onto tubular spindle  73 . 
   Since collar  12 ′ and relative outer blank  16  are supplied flat to loading station  45 , and packing wheel  70  is the same size as packing wheel  40 , three tubular spindles  73  cannot be provided along each side  72  of packing wheel  70 . Consequently, the number of tubular spindles  73  per side  72 , the number of folding conduits  39 , and the number of forming pockets  3  loaded simultaneously are reduced to two. 
   Next ( FIG. 11 ), collar  12 ′ and relative outer blank  16  are lowered simultaneously onto edge  74  and folded gradually ( FIGS. 12 ,  13 ) about tubular spindle  73 ; and an end wall  78  of packet  56  is simultaneously formed over the outlet  77  of conduit  76  by squarely folding each axial tab  68  and relative tab  61  projecting axially outwards of outlet  77 , and then squarely folding relative axial tab  69 . Before reaching transfer station  17 , a cup-shaped package  79  is thus formed on each tubular spindle  73 , and the end wall  78  of which closes outlet  77  of conduit  76 . 
   Each group  6  of cigarettes, complete with respective inner sheet  10  of packing material, is first pushed axially into conduit  76  of respective tubular spindle  73  and into contact with end wall  78  of respective cup-shaped package  79  at transfer station  11 , and is then pushed further axially at transfer station  17  (which, in the  FIGS. 8 and 9  example, coincides with transfer station  13 ) so as to slide out of tubular spindle  73 , taking respective cup-shaped package  79  with it, and penetrate axially, together with cup-shaped package  79 , inside a respective tubular packing pocket  80  of an endless-belt packing conveyor  81  defining packing path P 4  and moving in steps in a direction perpendicular to packing pockets  80 . 
   In connection with the above, it should be pointed out that cup-shaped package  79  and relative collar  12 ′ are unloaded simultaneously from relative tubular spindle  73  at transfer station  17  by virtue of collar  12 ′ comprising tabs  61 , which, once folded squarely over outlet  77  of tubular spindle  73 , form an integral part of end wall  78 . Tabs  61  may obviously be replaced with any mechanical system for fastening outer blank  16  to relative collar  12 ′, or simply by a spot of glue. 
   As it travels along path P 4 , each packet  56  is completed by squarely folding axial tabs  68  and  69 , at the opposite end to end wall  78 , by means of known folding devices (not shown), and is expelled axially from relative packing pocket  80  at an unloading station  82  and fed to a drying conveyor (not shown). 
   As shown in  FIG. 9 , packing conveyor  81  is preferably supported by a box frame  83 , which is connected to the frame of packing machine  1  over, and without dismantling, packing wheel  14 .