Patent ID: 6854243

Claim:
A wrapper folding apparatus of a packaging machine, comprising: a packaging line along which a cigarette bundle is transported as the cigarette bundle is wrapped in an inner wrapper to form an inner pack, and in which an outer wrapper is folded around the inner pack to form a packed product of cigarettes; a folding turret having an inlet position and an outlet position for the cigarette bundle in the middle of said packaging line and designed so that a pocket is supplied with the cigarette bundle and the inner wrapper in the inlet position in a manner such that the inner wrapper is folded around the periphery of the cigarette bundle; first lug folding guides provided for the pocket of said folding turret and adapted to fold one-sided lug portions of the inner wrapper, formed by peripheral folding and located inside said folding turret with respect to the diametrical direction thereof, as the inner wrapper is peripherally folded, and to maintain the folded state until the outlet position is reached; end-flap folding means for folding end flaps of the inner wrapper to form the other-sided lug portions paired with the one-sided lug portions on the inner wrapper respectively, between the inlet and outlet positions of said folding turret, and maintaining the folded state until the outlet position is reached; discharge means for discharging a semifinished inner pack, formed of the cigarette bundle partially wrapped in the inner wrapper, from the pocket in the outlet position of said folding turret; second lug folding guides located in the outlet position and adapted to fold the other-sided lug portions of the inner wrapper to form a pair of side flaps respectively as the semifinished inner pack is discharged; side flap folding guides located immediately on the lower-stream side of the second lug folding guides as viewed in the direction of discharge of the semifinished inner pack and capable of folding one of the corresponding pair of side flaps after the other-sided lug portions are folded; a transportation turret located close to said folding turret; push means for pushing the discharged semifinished inner pack into a pocket of said transportation turret; and side flap folding edges provided for the pocket of said transportation turret and adapted to fold the other of the corresponding pair of side flaps as the semifinished inner pack is pushed in.