Cigarette Packing Machine for Producing Rigid, Hinged-Lid Packets

Abstract

A cigarette packing machine for producing rigid packets with a hinged-lid, the packing machine having a horizontal first packing wheel having a number of first pockets, each of which is supplied with an inner package, and is supplied upwards with a collar; a first feed unit for feeding the collars to the first pockets of the first packing wheel; a horizontal second packing wheel having a number of second pockets, each of which receives an inner package, complete with a collar, from a first pocket of the first packing wheel; a vertical third packing wheel having a number of third pockets, each of which receives a blank, and receives an inner package, complete with a collar, from a second pocket of the second packing wheel to fold the blank about the inner package and over the collar; and a second feed unit for feeding the blanks to the third pockets of the third packing wheel.

1 ) A cigarette packing machine for producing rigid, 
 a horizontal first packing wheel ( 35 ) rotating about a vertical first axis ( 36 ), and having a number of first pockets ( 37 ), each of which is supplied with an inner package ( 3 ), and is supplied upwards with a collar ( 12 );    a first feed unit ( 38 ) for feeding the collars ( 12 ) to the first pockets ( 37 ) of the first packing wheel ( 35 );    a horizontal second packing wheel ( 39 ) rotating about a vertical second axis ( 40 ), and having a number of second pockets ( 41 ), each of which receives an inner package ( 3 ), complete with a collar ( 12 ), from a first pocket ( 37 ) of the first packing wheel ( 35 );    a vertical third packing wheel ( 43 ) rotating about a horizontal third axis ( 44 ), and having a number of third pockets ( 45 ), each of which receives a blank ( 20 ), and receives an inner package ( 3 ), complete with a collar ( 12 ), from a second pocket ( 41 ) of the second packing wheel ( 39 ) to fold the blank ( 20 ) about the inner package ( 3 ) and over the collar ( 12 ); and    a second feed unit ( 46 ) for feeding the blanks ( 20 ) to the third pockets ( 45 ) of the third packing wheel ( 43 );    the packing machine ( 27 ) being characterized in that the first feed unit ( 38 ) comprises:    a first hopper ( 49 ) housing a stack of collars ( 12 ) and having a bottom outlet;    a horizontal first pickup wheel ( 50 ), which rotates about a vertical fourth axis ( 51 ), has a number of first suction seats ( 52 ), and is located beneath the bottom outlet of the first hopper ( 49 );    a first pickup device ( 53 ), which withdraws the collars ( 12 ) successively from the bottom outlet of the first hopper ( 49 ), and feeds the collars ( 12 ) to the first suction seats ( 52 ) of the first pickup wheel ( 50 ); and    a vertical first feed wheel ( 55 ), which rotates about a horizontal fifth axis ( 56 ), has a number of second suction seats ( 57 ), and is located between the first pickup wheel ( 50 ) and the first packing wheel ( 35 ) to receive the collars ( 12 ) successively from the first pickup wheel ( 50 ) and feed the collars ( 12 ) to the first packing wheel ( 35 ).    
   
   
       2 ) A packing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first pickup device ( 53 ) comprises a first suction pickup head ( 54 ), which moves vertically up and down through a first suction seat ( 52 ) of the first pickup wheel ( 50 ) arrested facing the bottom outlet of the first hopper ( 49 ).  
   
   
       3 ) A packing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first feed unit ( 38 ) comprises a second hopper housing a stack of coupons, and having a bottom outlet over the first pickup wheel ( 50 ).  
   
   
       4 ) A packing machine as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the second hopper is located upstream from the first hopper ( 49 ) in the rotation direction of the first pickup wheel ( 50 ).  
   
   
       5 ) A packing machine as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein each first suction seat ( 52 ) of the first pickup wheel ( 50 ) has two different suction areas, one for retaining a collar ( 12 ), and the other for retaining a coupon.  
   
   
       6 ) A packing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , and comprising a third feed unit ( 42 ) for feeding a packing material to each second pocket ( 41 ) of the second packing wheel ( 39 ); each second pocket ( 41 ) of the second packing wheel ( 39 ) receiving an inner package ( 3 ), complete with a collar ( 12 ), from a first pocket ( 37 ) of the first packing wheel ( 35 ), and receiving a packing material from the third feed unit ( 42 ).  
   
   
       7 ) A packing machine as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the third feed unit ( 42 ) comprises: 
 a third hopper ( 58 ) housing a stack of packing materials, and having a bottom outlet;    a horizontal second pickup wheel ( 59 ), which rotates about a vertical sixth axis ( 60 ), has a number of third suction seats ( 61 ), and is located beneath the bottom outlet of the third hopper ( 58 );    a second pickup device ( 62 ), which withdraws the packing materials successively from the bottom outlet of the third hopper ( 58 ), and feeds the packing materials to the third suction seats ( 61 ) of the second pickup wheel ( 59 ); and    a vertical second feed wheel ( 64 ), which rotates in steps about a horizontal seventh axis ( 65 ), has a number of fourth suction seats ( 66 ), and is located over the second pickup wheel ( 59 ) and alongside the second packing wheel ( 39 ) to receive the packing materials successively from the second pickup wheel ( 59 ) and feed the packing materials to the second packing wheel ( 39 ).    
   
   
       8 ) A packing machine as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the second pickup device ( 62 ) comprises a second suction pickup head ( 63 ), which moves vertically up and down through a third suction seat ( 61 ) of the second pickup wheel ( 59 ) arrested facing the bottom outlet of the third hopper ( 58 ).  
   
   
       9 ) A packing machine as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the third feed unit ( 42 ) comprises a horizontal feed arm ( 67 ) having a suction pickup head ( 69 ), and which feeds the packing materials from the fourth suction seats ( 66 ) of the second feed wheel ( 64 ) to the second pockets ( 41 ) of the second packing wheel ( 39 ).  
   
   
       10 ) A packing machine as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the horizontal feed arm ( 67 ) rotates back and forth about a vertical eighth axis ( 68 ) to move the suction pickup head ( 69 ) cyclically from a fourth suction seat ( 66 ) of the second feed wheel ( 64 ) to a second seat ( 41 ) of the second packing wheel ( 39 ), and vice versa.  
   
   
       11 ) A packing machine as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the packing materials fed by the third feed unit ( 42 ) to the second pockets ( 41 ) of the second packing wheel ( 39 ) comprise slides ( 17 ), each of which supports the lid ( 4 ) of a packet ( 1 ) of cigarettes to permit longitudinal slide of the lid ( 4 ).  
   
   
       12 ) A packing machine as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein each collar ( 12 ) comprises a front wall ( 13 ); a bottom wall  15 ; and two lateral walls ( 14 ), each comprising a rear wing ( 16 ) which is folded squarely with respect to the lateral wall ( 14 ); the second packing wheel ( 39 ) having first fixed folding rails located downstream from the third feed unit ( 42 ) in the rotation direction of the second packing wheel ( 39 ), and which fold the rear wings ( 16 ) of each collar ( 12 ) onto an inner package ( 3 ) and over a slide ( 17 ).  
   
   
       13 ) A packing machine as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein each slide ( 17 ) comprises two tabs ( 19 ), which are folded squarely with respect to the slide ( 17 ) onto the lateral walls ( 14 ) of a collar ( 12 ) to limit upward slide of the slide ( 17 ); the tabs ( 19 ) of each slide ( 17 ) being folded onto an inner package ( 3 ) and onto the lateral walls ( 14 ) of a collar ( 12 ) as the inner package ( 3 ) is transferred from a second pocket ( 41 ) of the second packing wheel ( 39 ) to a third pocket ( 45 ) of the third packing wheel ( 43 ).  
   
   
       14 ) A packing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each collar ( 12 ) is fed flat to a first pocket ( 37 ) of the first packing wheel ( 35 ), and is folded about the inner package ( 3 ) as the inner package ( 3 ) is pushed out of the first pocket ( 37 ) and transferred to a second pocket ( 41 ) of the second parking wheel ( 39 ).  
   
   
       15 ) A packing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the horizontal second packing wheel ( 39 ) is located below the first packing wheel ( 35 ), and is overlapped by the first packing wheel ( 35 ), so that a first pocket ( 37 ) of the first packing wheel ( 35 ) is superimposed over and aligned perfectly with a second pocket ( 41 ) of the second packing wheel ( 39 ), and an inner package ( 3 ) can be transferred vertically from the first pocket ( 37 ) of the first packing wheel ( 35 ) to the second pocket ( 41 ) of the second packing wheel ( 39 ).  
   
   
       16 ) A packing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the second feed unit ( 46 ) comprises: 
 a fourth hopper ( 70 ) housing a stack of blanks ( 20 ), and having a bottom outlet through which the blanks ( 20 ) are withdrawn one by one;    a vertical third pickup wheel ( 71 ) rotating about a horizontal ninth axis ( 72 ), and supporting a number of suction pickup heads ( 73 );    a vertical intermediate wheel ( 74 ) rotating about a horizontal tenth axis ( 75 ), and having a number of fifth suction seats ( 76 ); and    a belt feed conveyor ( 77 ), which has a belt ( 78 ) looped about two end pulleys ( 79 ), and is located partly beneath the third packing wheel ( 43 ).    
   
   
       17 ) A packing machine as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein each suction pickup head ( 73 ) is hinged to the third pickup wheel ( 71 ) to rotate, with respect to the third pickup wheel ( 71 ) and under the control of a cam actuating system, about an eleventh axis parallel to the ninth axis ( 72 ).  
   
   
       18 ) A packing machine as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the second feed unit ( 46 ) comprises a gumming device located at the intermediate wheel ( 74 ) to gum each blank ( 20 ).  
   
   
       19 ) A packing machine as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein each blank ( 20 ) comprises at least one reinforcing flap ( 24 ) for reinforcing the lid ( 4 ), and which is separated from the blank ( 20 ) by a fold line ( 25 ), and is folded  1800  onto the blank ( 20 ); and the second feed unit ( 46 ) comprises: 
 a first folding device ( 80 ) located at the intermediate wheel ( 74 ) to prefold the reinforcing flap ( 24 ) of the lid ( 4 ) of each blank ( 20 ) about the fold line ( 25 ); and    a second folding device ( 81 ) which completes the folding the reinforcing flap ( 24 ) of the lid ( 4 ) about the fold line ( 25 ) and onto the blank ( 20 ).    
   
   
       20 ) A packing machine as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the second folding device ( 81 ) is located at the feed conveyor ( 77 ).  
   
   
       21 ) A packing machine as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the second folding device ( 81 ) is located at the intermediate wheel ( 74 ), downstream from the first folding device ( 80 ).  
   
   
       22 ) A packing machine as claimed in  claim 19 , fixed folding rails.  
   
   
       23 ) A packing machine as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein each blank ( 20 ) comprises two reinforcing flaps ( 24 ) for reinforcing the lid ( 4 ), and which are defined by two oblique, oppositely-inclined fold lines ( 25 ).  
   
   
       24 ) A packing machine as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the first folding device ( 80 ) prefolds the reinforcing flap ( 24 ) of the lid ( 4 ) of each blank ( 20 ) by an angle of at least 900 about the fold line ( 25 ).  
   
   
       25 ) A packing machine as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the first folding device ( 80 ) comprises a vertical folding wheel ( 82 ) rotating about a horizontal twelfth axis ( 83 ), and supporting a number of folding bodies ( 84 ) equally spaced about the periphery of the folding wheel ( 82 ); and each folding body ( 84 ) comprises a folding head, and a connecting rod fitted movably to the folding wheel ( 82 ) and operated by a cam actuating system.  
   
   
       26 ) A packing machine as claimed in  claim 25 , wherein the folding head is wedge-shaped and has a triangular cross section; each blank ( 20 ) has two reinforcing flaps ( 24 ) for reinforcing the lid ( 4 ), and which are defined by two oblique, oppositely-inclined fold lines ( 25 ); and, in use, each folding body ( 84 ) is inserted between the two reinforcing flaps ( 24 ) of a blank ( 20 ) to position the folding head on the blank ( 20 ), and the folding body ( 84 ) is then lowered with respect to the blank ( 20 ), so that the folding head folds the two reinforcing flaps ( 24 ) with respect to the blank ( 20 ).  
   
   
       27 ) A packing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , and comprising a vertical transfer conveyor ( 47 ) which receives the packets ( 1 ) of cigarettes successively from the third packing wheel ( 43 ); and a horizontal drying conveyor ( 48 ) which receives the packets ( 1 ) of cigarettes successively from the transfer conveyor ( 47 ).