Patent GB-1440923-A (GB)
Title: Machine for packaging rod-shaped articles
IPC: B65B11/32
Filed: 1972-10-19
Abstract: 1440923 Machine for packaging rod-shapad articles A SCHMERMUND 20 Sept 1973 [19 Oct 1972] 48186/72 Heading B8C A machine for wrapping groups of rodshaped articles, e.g. cigarettes, comprises input means 5, 6, Fig. 1, to receive a plurality of rodshaped articles, a plurality of individually rotatabletranslatormembers 23,24,25, also designated stages I, II, III, mounting means 57, 56, 55, Fig. 3, supporting the translator members to be each rotatably displaceable about a respective one of mutually parallel axes 55-57 of rotation to be mutually spaced apart in a direction parallel to the axes of rotation and to locate next adjacent ones of the translator members in at least partially mutually overlapping relationship, Fig. 1, a plurality of pairs of substantially parallel, axially extending, side wall members and a plurality of base wall members each interconnecting radially inner portions of a respective pair of side wall members in each translator member to define therein a corresponding plurality of compartments each extending generally radially to the respective axis of rotation and each being capable of receiving a group of such articles, and insertion means 12 to transfer a group of articles from the input means 5, 6 into a compartment in the first translator member. Also, according to the invention, drive means is coupled to the translator members to impart angular displacement thereto and thereby to locate any of the compartments in any one of the translator members in selective end-to-end relationship with any one of the compartments in any one of the compartments in a further translator member next adjacent the one translator member, at least one pusher means 13, or 14, Fig. 3, to pushably transfer a group of such articles between said mutually end-to-end aligned compartments of next adjacent translator members, and at least one wrapper feeder means 33, 34, Figs. 2, 3, synchronized with the angular displacement of a respective one of translator members to feed a wrapper, 63, or 64, into an empty compartment in the, or each further, translator member. According to the invention the machine further comprises at least one wrapper folder means to fold at least one projecting wrapper portion over a group of such articles in a respective compartment, extractor means 15, Fig. 3, to extract a wrapped group of such articles from one of the compartments when in operative juxtaposition with the extractor means, and output means to receive the wrapped group of such articles from the extractor means. In operation as shown by the arrows, Fig. 5, the stage I translator is angularly displaced in a clockwise direction the stage II and III translators being angularly displaced in the opposite sense. In position A, a block of twenty cigarettes supplied from a hopper 5 having agitating rollers 6, Fig. 1, is transferred by one of a pair of tandem-operable cigarette ejectors 8, 9 and a pusher member 10, Figs. 2, 3, into a compartment of the translator 23 and, after a 90 degree clockwise rotation to position B, is checked for number and quality of cigarettes, by monitoring elements 51, 52, Fig. 3. After a further quarter of a revolution the cigarette block is in position C axially opposite an overlapping compartment at its position E of the second rotary device II, an inner sheet 63, Fig. 1, of packing material having previously been fed, by rollers 30, 31 from a roll 32, past a rotary cutter 28, 29 and rollers 26, 27, and transferred by a pusher 33, into the compartment at position H. In the latter position the sheet 63 is drawn against the walls of the compartment by vacuum, supplied to the walls by ducts. The block of cigarettes is transferred, by a pusher 13, into the sheet 63 in the device II, and before moving from position E, the upper outer edge of the wrapper is folded down by a folding device 68, 68a which is mounted for pivotal and vertical movement. The opposite, radially-extending, outer edge of the packaging strip 63 is folded up by a casing 61, Fig. 1, which encloses the lower part of the translator II, as the compartment rotates to position F where upper and lower folding members 67, 66 at each side of the compartment, fold over the short edges along the block to form the folds as shown. In this position F also plate-folding, components 71, 72 effect the last two folds along the breadth, at each side of the block. The plate 71 being mounted on a carriage for simultaneous translational, and pivotal motion, and the plate 72 being stationary, Fig. 4. A pusher 14, Fig. 3, is now employed to push the cigarette block axially into the compartment of the translator III at the position J, the compartment having been previously loaded, at position M with an outer wrapping sheet 64, Fig. 1, and held by suction within the compartments the sheet being drawn, by a suction roller 38 from a magazine 39, Fig. 2, glued at 40, and passed successively by a gripper cylinder 37 and belt transport 35, 36, to a pusher 34, Fig. 1. After insertion of the block at position J no projecting edges of wrapper project from the axial end of the compartment facing the pusher 14. The folding of the wrapper 64 at positions J and K is similar to that at positions E, and F for the inner wrapper 63 except that folds by folders 66, 67 and 71, 72 are only effected at the axial end of the block opposite the pusher 14. A sealing sticker, supplied from a magazine 47, Fig. 2, via rollers 46-44 and a glue roller 45, is applied to the end of the block not covered by the outer wrapper at position K. After a 90 degree rotation to position L a pusher 15 ejects the wrapped block from translator III to position N on a conveying path, Fig. 5, leading to output means of the machine in which the blocks are stacked at 54, Fig. 1, abutments adjacent the conveying path folding the projecting end portions of the sticker against the sides of the package. Two, or more than three, rotary translator devices may be employed.