Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
132~127
This application is a division of ~pplication
No. 510,377 filed May 30, 1986.
Description
.
The invention relates to a process for producing
S essentially cuboid packs, especially cigarette packs of
the hinge-lid type, from a blank having regions at least
for the front wall, rear wall, side tabs for side wal~s
and bottom wall. The invention also relates to an appa-
ratus for carrying out the process.
A considerable number of the cigarette packs on
the international market are designed as hinge-lid packs.
In the standard design, a pack part consists of front
wall, rear wall, side walls and bottom wall. A hinge
lid consisting of lid rear wall, lid top wall, lid front
wall and lid side walls is hinged to the rear wall. The
lid side walls are formed from lid side tabs arranged on
the lid rear wall and lid front wall.
The invention is concerned with a development in
the design of this type of pack and of other packs. Its
particular feature is that selected edges which are right-
angled on known packs, in particular longitudinal edges,
are bevelled (polygonal) or rounded. The dimensions of
the bevel or rounding are appropriately matched with the
diameter of the cigarettes.
The object on which the invention is based is,
therefore, to provide a process and an apparatus for pro-
ducing packs with bevelled or rounded (longitudinal)
edges.
To achieve this object, the process according to
the invention consists in that, to form a pack with
beveLled or rounded (longitudinal) edges, the front wall
together with the bottom wall, as well as the side
.
- 2 1325127
tabs arranged on the rear wall are simuLtaneously folded
into an upright Position relative to the rear wall, there-
by forming the rear bevelled or rounded longitudinal
, edges, that the side tabs arranged on the front wall are
thereafter folded into a position which is transverse
relative to the front wall, likewise thereby forming the
bevelled or rounded front longitudinal edges and that
finally folding of the pack is completed after the
~` latter has been filled.
1û The rear longitudinal edges, i.e. the longitudi-
nal edges facing the rear wall, on the one hand and the
front longitudinal edges on the other hand are thus fol-
ded, according to the invention, into their positions in
consecutive folding steps, at the same time forming the
; 15 bevel or rounding. During the first folding step the
blank is brought into an angular intermediate folding
position in a pocket of a folding turret, at the same
time erecting the side tabs in the region of the rear wall
and lid rear wall and forming the rear bevelled or roun-
ded longitudinal edges as a result of appropriately de-
; signed folding and shaPing tools. The blank regions
forming the lid form an extension of a horizontal blank
~eg. According to the invention, the lid side tabs in
the region of the lid front wall are likewise folded into
their upright position during a seParate working step, inparticular at the same time as the side tabs of the front
wall, thereby forming bevelled or rounded (longitudinal)
edges.
Further folding steps are then carried out in the
same station, in particular an inner tab arranged on the
radially outer end of the horizontal blank ~eg is folded
into its position on the inside of the lid front wall.
the lid side tabs which are initially formed into an up-
right position, thereby forming the bevelled or rounded
edges, are then brought back into an approximately
horizontal initial position before the b~ank, which has
been prefolded to this extent, is brought into a dif-
ferent folding position (advancing the folding turret).
The apparatus according to the invention is
132~127
-- 3
derived from that of German Offenlegungsschrift 2,44û,006.
The stations for filling and completing the pack in par-
ticular can be designed in the manner described in the
abovementioned Offenlegungsschrift.
S According to this, a plate-shaped folding turret
which is rotatable about a verticaL axis, and has pockets
open at the top and at the radially outer side for re-
ceiving one blank each time, is provided. The blanks are
supplied in a flat state along a blank-conveying track
above a first fold;ng station and, by means of a down-
ward movement of a shaping punch, are inserted into t~he
pocket of the folding turret. The pocket on the one hand
and the shaping punch and/or punch plate on the other
hand are designed, i.e. profiled, in such a way that by
pressing the blank or the horizontal blank leg against
the bottom of the pocket the side tabs are erected and
at the same time the bevelled or rounded longitudinal
edges in this region are formed.
The appropriate shaping of the side tabs arranged
on the front wall takes pLace in the region of the same
folding station by a folding member which can be moved
horizontally to and fro, interacts with an upright leg
of the punch plate and likewise forms the bevelled or
rounded longitudinal edges while the side tabs are
: 25 simultaneously being erected.
Further special features of the apparatus relate
to folding tools for shaping the lid side tabs arranged
on the lid front wall and for the inner tab likewise
arranged on the hinge lid, in each case in the region of
the same, first foLding station of the folding turret.
The apparatus is particularly suitable for pro-
ducing hinge-lid packs having bevelled longitudinal
edges, but is also suitable for other pack types, e.g.
cup-shaped packs, likewise having bevelled or rounded
longitudinal edges.
An exemplary embodiment of a hinge-lid pack hav-
ing bevelled longitudinal edges and an exemPlary embodi-
; ment of an apparatus for producing packs of this type are
explained below with reference to the drawings:
~;
4 _ 132~127
Figure 1 shows a blank for a hinge-lid pack with
bevelled longitudinal edges in an angular intermediate
folding position,
figure 2 shows a section II-II in Figure 1,
S Figure 3 shows a detail of the apparatus, in par-
ticular a folding turret in the region of a first folding
station, in plan,
Figure 4 shows a detail of the folding turret
with folding tools in the region of the first folding
station, likewise in plan,
Figure S shows a radiaL section through the fold-
ing turret in the region of the first folding station,
Figure 6 shows a further radial section in the
- region of the first folding station with the relative
position of the folding tools changed,
Figure 7 shows a cross-section through a pocket
- in the folding turret in the sectional plane VII-VII of
Figure 4,
Figure 8 shows a corresponding cross-section in
the sectional plane VIII-VIII of Figure 4,
Figure 9 shows a further cross-section in the
sectional plane IX-IX of Figure 4,
Figure 10 shows a cut-out of the folding turret
or a pocket of the turret with further folding members,
in Plan.
The blank 20 shown in an intermediate folding
position in Figures 1 and 2 is intended for a (cigarette)
pack of the hinge-lid type. For this purpose, regions
are defined within the blank for forming front wall 21,
bottom wall 22 and rear wall 23. Side tabs 24 are ar-
ranged on the front wall 21 and further side tabs 25 are
arranged on the rear wall 23, which, while partially
overlapping, form narrow side walls of the essentialLy
cuboid pack. Bottom corner tabs 26 are arranged on the
lower ends of the side tabs 25 and, in the finished
`` pack, are foLded against the inside of the bottom wall
22. The blank parts described to this extent form a
part 27 of the pack.
The rear wal~ 23 is adjoined by a hinge l-d 29
~ _ 5 _ 1325127
via a hinge 28. This hinge-lid consists of the lid rear
wall 30, lid top wall 31 and lid front wall 32 blank parts.
The lid rear wall 30 and lid front wall 32 are each ad-
joined on the sides by lid side tabs 33 and 34 for forming
the lid side walls as a continuation or extension of the
side walls of the pack part 27. Furthermore, in each case
a lid corner tab 35 which is folded against the inside of
the lid top wall 31 is attached as a continuation of the
lid side tabs 33. An inner tab 36 arranged at the end of
the blank, in particular at the free side of the lid front
wall 32 is folded against the inside of the lid front wall
32 and is used to reinforce the latter.
In the present pack the (upright) longitudinal
edges 37 and 38 thereof are designed in a specia~ way.
The longitudinal edges 37 and 38 of the pack part 27 as
well as the lid longitudinal edges 39 and 40 are designed
as a bevel or bevelled edge. The pack is thereby given
an altogether octagonal cross-section. Each of the longi-
tudinal edges 37 to 40 consists of two individual edges
41 and 42, between which a blank strip 43 of limited
width extends diagonally. The angles included in the
region of the individual edges 41, 42 are equally large.
The width of the blank strip 43 is matched with the dia-
meter of a cigarette so that the latter can adapt, in a
space-saving manner, to the contour of the blank in the
region of the longitudinal edges 37 to 40.
The bottom wall Z2 and lid top wall 31 are matched
to the above-described pack design, specifically each
has a octagonal plan.
When producing a hinge-lid pack from a blank of
the design described, the procedure adopted is one in
; which, in a first working or folding cycle, the blank is
brought into an angular position (Figure 1). A horizon-
tally oriented blank leg 44 is essentially formed by the
rear wall 23 with the adjoining side tabs 25 and by the
- blank parts for the hinge lid 29. An upright blank leg
45 consists of the bottom wall 2Z, front wall Z1, and
the adjoining side tabs 24. In this first common folding
cycle the bottom corner tabs Z6 are brought into their
- 6 _ 132~127
position (up against the inside of the bottom wall 22).
Moreover, the side tabs 25 and the lid side tabs 33 are
erected, thereby specifically forming the bevelLed longi-
tudinal edges 38 and 39 in this blank region.
S In the subsequent folding cycle the side tabs 24
are folded, thereby forming the bevelled longitudinal edges
37, into a position transverse relative to the terected)
front wall 21. Furthermore the lid side tabs 34 connected
with the lid front wall 32 are erected simultaneously
forming the lid longitudinal edges 40.
The next folding step consists in folding the
inner tab 36, which has already been brought into an
oblique position, against the inside of the lid front
wall 32. At the same time the previously erected lid
side tabs 34 are moved back into an approximately hori-
zontal initial position. The blank prefolded to this
extent is thus open at the top and on the radially outer
side (region of the hinge lid 29) so that the pack con-
tent ~cigarette block) can be inserted into the blank in
the radial direction.
The apparatus for car;ying out the foldings des-
cribed corresponds in its design largely to that accord-
ing to German Offenlegungsschrift 2,440,006. This applies
in particular to the stations for filling and completing
the pack.
The essentia~ element of the apparatus is a fold-
ing turret 46 having a plurality of pockets 47 arranged
along the periphery and each intended for receiving a
blank 2û. The folding turret 46 is designed as a flat
plate and is rotatable about an upright axis (clockwise).
In the region of a first folding station A the
flat blanks 20 are fed to the folding turret 46. For
this purpose, there extends above the folding turret 46
in the region of the folding station A a blank-conveying
track 48 pointed oblicluely downwards in the conveying
- direction. Between a top guide 49 and a bottom guide 50
the blank 20 is supplied by conveying rollers 51 up to
- an end position in an exact relative position above a
pocket 47 in the region of the folding station A. In the
132~127
-- 7
end position the blank 20 with the front end (inner tab
36~ comes to rest against a stop piece 52. The bLank 20
is laterally aligned in this position by means of a side
alignment member 54 which can be moved to and fro in the
transverse direction and is moved up laterally against
the blank 20 so that the latter becomes aligned in the
blank-conveying track 48 on the opposite side (see Figure
7).
After positioning the blank 20 or at the same
time as this positioning, the bottom corner tabs 26 are
preformed or prefolded by angling or erecting the latter.
For this purpose there is located in the region of the
blank-conveying track 48 a corner tab folder 53 so as to
be displaceabLe in parallel, in particular on the parallel
lever 55. The C-shaped corner tab folder 53 is equipped
with folding fingers 56, 57 which project from the sides
into the region of the two bottom corner tabs 26. Up-
ward movement or transverse movement relative to the blank
20 (Figure 6) results in the bottom corner tabs 26 being
erected, and thus prefolded, by the folding fingers 56,
57.
The blank 20 is now inserted into the pocket 47
of the folding turret 46 by means of a downward movement,
in particular by means of a shaping punch 58 having a
punch plate 59, which can be moved up and down. In the
present case, the shaping punch 58 is attached to an ang-
led or arc-shaped pressure lever 60 which is pivotably
mounted and effects movement of the shaping punch 58
along the orbit 61.
The punch plate 59 of the shaping punch 58 is
dimensioned so that rear wall 23, lid rear wall 30, lid
top wall 31 and lid front wall 32 are covered. The di-
mensions of the pocket 47 are such that rear wall 23 as
well as lid rear wall 30 are pressed against a pocket
bottom 62 by means of the punch plates 59.
The designs of the punch plate 59 and pocket bot-
tom 62 are matched with one another As can be seen,
- for e~ample, from Figure 7 the punch plate 59 is designed
with a polygonal cross-section, in particular with outer
132~127
-- 8
corners 63 and 64 for forming the individual edges 41 and
42 in the region of the rear longitudinal edges 38 and
39 when pressing the corresponding blank parts into the
pocket 47. Accordingly, the pocket 47, which is of dish-
S shaped cross-section, is provided, in the region of the
transition betwern the pocket bottom 62 and the pocket
side walls 65, with inner corners 66, 67 opposite the
outer corners 63 and 64. Thus, the punch plate 59 and
pocket 47 bear the same relation to one another as the
male mold to the female mold.
ln the present exemplary embodiment the shaping
surfaces, facing each other, of the pocket side walls 65
on the one hand and of the punch side surfaces 68 on the
other hand are arranged obliquely, in particular diverg-
ing upwards. The blank 20 and the side tabs 25 and lidside tabs 33, respectively, are thereby brought into an
intermediate folding position diverging upwards (Figure
7).
Pocket 47 and punch plate 59 are designed uith a
- 20 cross-section which changes across their length. In the
region of the lid rear wall 30 the cross-section of poc-
ket 47 and punch plate 59 corresponds roughly to the re-
presentation according to Figure 9, that is to say with
;~ an upright inner side of the pocket side wall 65 and cor-
respondingly upright outer surfaces of the punch plate
59. As a result, the lid side tabs 33 are folded into a
vertical position in the region of the lid rear wall 30,
that is to say with a small angular offset relative to
the side tabs Z5 in the region of the rear wall 23. This
results in a bevelled edge 69 formed between the side
tabs 25 on the one hand and 33 on the other hand being
exposed so that a holding member for fixing the blank in
the pocket 47 can come to rest against this bevelled edge
69.
The pocket 47 terminates approximately in the
region of the transition between the lid rear wall 30 and
the lid top wall 31. The latter is exposed outside the
pocket 47. There is also no limitation for the lid cor-
ner tabs 35 on the sides, since the latter are automatically
-
132~127
erected together with the lid side tabs 33.
Fo~ding the lid side tabs 34 arranged on the Lid
front wall 32 as well as shaping the lid longitudinal
edges 40 which extend at this point - outside the folding
turret 46 or the pocket 47 - is carried out by separate
folding tools which are fixed in the region of the fold-
ing station A. A side tab folder 70 can be supplied from
below and effects, because of its design and together
with a counter-tool, the folding of the lid side tabs 34
including the lid longitudinal edges 40 Viewed in the
radial direction the side tab folder 70 is designed fork-
shaped (Figure 9). Lateral folding tappets 71 and 72
are designed with obliquely directed folding surfaces 73
and upright folding surfaces 74 for erecting the lid side
tabs 34 and forming the individual edges 41, 42 in this
region. The side tab folder 70 is attached to a central
- ram 75 which can be moved up and down in a guide 76.
The counter folding member, which acts on the in-
side relative to the blank 20, used in the region of the
lid front wall 32 is the appropriately dimensioned and
designed punch plate 59. The latter is of reduced cross-
section in the region of the lid top wall 31 but rests
on top of the latter. ln the region of the lid front
wall 32 the punch plate 59 projecting from the pocket 47
is provided with a head piece 77 which has the cross-
section shown in figure 9, that is to say has vertical
side surfaces and outer corners 63 and 64 which corres-
pond to the corners formed by the folding surfaces 73 and
74 of the side tab folder 70 so that, in cooperation with
the side tab foldef 70, the lid longitudinal edges can be
formed.
The blank 20 is fixed in the pocket 47 by means
of lateral blank holders 78 which are pivotab~y attached,
`~ as two-armed levers, next to each pocket 47, in a bearing
79 on the folding turret 46. The free end of the blank
holder 78 is mounted, by appropriate design, below the
folding turret 46 or the pocket bottom 62 and provided
with a guide roller 80 which, to control the movements,
132~127
~o
runs on a cam disk 81 located below the folding turret 46
in the region of the folding station A. Tension springs
82 which pivot the blank holders 78 into the holding
position take effect outside the region of the cam disk
81.
In this holding position a holding lug 83 located
on the radially outer end of the blank holder 78 comes to
rest against the: bevelled edge 69 of the side tabs 25 and
in this way fixes the blank against radial movements. A
top holder 84 likewise arranged on the blank holder 78
bears against a top edge of the side tabs 25 and thus
prevents upward movements. Finally there is provided a
transverse ram 85 which likewise comes to rest against the
side tabs 25 and holds the latter in the prescribed
position.
A cam disk analogous to the cam disk 81 is also
arranged in the region of an ejection station of the fold-
, ing turret for opening the pockets.
` The punch plate 59 of the shaping punch 58 is of
angular design when viewed in the radial direction. Anupright pressing leg 86 arranged on the inner edge is
used for erecting the upright blank leg 45 in cooperation
with an upright counter-wall on the inside of the pocket
47. The latter has a markedly lower height than the up-
right blank leg 45 and extends only over a part regionof the width of the front wall 21 (Figure 4). On the
other hand the pressing leg 86 extends essentially over
the entire height of the front wall 21.
The side tabs 24 arranged on the front wall 21
are folded by a separate folding member, in particular a
- side tab former 88. The latter can be moved from a re-
tracted position (Figure 6, Figure 10) with folding legs
89 arranged in the shape of a fork up to the upright
blank leg 45 until it comes to rest against the counter
wall 87 (in the central region). The folding legs 89
which have a profile analogous to the side tab folder 70,
that is to say have oblique folding surfaces 90, result
in the side tabs 24 being folded into a position trans-
verse relative to the front wall 21, thereby specifically
: ~,
1325127
"
simultaneously forming of the bevelled longitudinal
edges 37. ~y means of a transverse actuating arm 91 the
side tab former 88 is moved in the radial direction. The
counter-tool used is the pressing leg 86 which extends on
the opposite side of the front waLl 21 and is provided
with a corresponding profile for forming the bevelled
longitudinal edges 37.
~ hen inserting the blank 20 into the pocket 47
in the region of the folding station A blank regions are
preshaped or prefolded. The bottom guide Sû of the blank-
conveying track 48 is directed, by a dounuard-directed
oblique guide leg 92, touards the pocket 47 and termin-
ates directly above the counter-wall 87 of the latter-.
Moreover, converging guide walls 93 are arranged on both
sides of the pocket 47. These guide walls effect erect-
ing of the side tabs of the blank during the downuard
movement executed by the shaping punch 58. The guide
walls 93 form a constructional unit with the blank-con-
veying track 48.
The inner tab 36 located on the outer end of the
blank 20 is likewise preshaped during the downward move-
ment. The stop piece 52 at the end of the blank-convey-
ing track 48 is provided at the bottom with an arc-shaped
guide extension 105. The latter is shaPed such that the
inner tab sliding along this guide extension 105 is erec-
ted and fixed in this position in the pocket 47 also
(Figure 5).
Folding the inner tab 36 against the top side of
the lid front wall 32 is likewise carried out in the re-
gion of the folding station A. A folding and pressinglever is movable as a two-armed lever about a fixed pivot
bearing 95 so that, by pivoting the folding and pressing
lever 94 from the top position shoun in Figure 1 into the
position shown with dash-and-dot lines or into the posi-
tion according to Figure 6 the inner tab 36 is foldedfrom the erected position until it comes to rest against
the lid front wall 32 and is pressed against the latter.
For this purpose, the end of the folding and pressing
lever 94 is provided with a pressing head 96 which grips
- 12 - I 3 2 ~ I 27
and presses the inner tab 36. As can be seen from Figure
3 the folding and pressing lever 94 consists of two struts
97 and 98 which are arranged at a distance from each other
and on each end of which a pressing head 96 is formed.
Furthermore, laterally projecting pressure wings 99 are
arranged on the ends of the folding and pressing lever 94
and the struts 97, 98. These pressure wings have the
task, during the closing movement of the folding and
pressing lever 94, that is to say while pressure is
exerted on the inner tab 36, of folding the previously
erected lid side tab 34 in the region of the lid front
wall 32 downwards again, approximately back into the
~' initial position.
In the region of the above-described folding mem-
bers, that is to say outside the region of the pocket 47,
a fixed pressure member 100 forms the bottom counter-
bearing for the folding members. The blank regions pro-
jecting from the pocket 47 rest on the pressure member
100. This member extends over a relatively long region
along the periphery of the folding turret 46, concentri-
cally with the latter. In the region of the folding sta-
tion A the pressure member 100 is provided with passage
recesses 101 which permit passage of the folding tappets
71, 7Z of the side tab folder 70 from below.
Outside the region of the folding station A there
is arranged at a small distance above the pressure member
100 a guide segment 102. This guide segment holds the
folded back lid side tabs 34 in the flat position during
the advance of the blank by rotation of the folding
turret.
The folding and pressing lever 94 on the one hand
and the pressure lever 60 on the other are coupled to one
another via a gear. A steering lever 104 is interposed
as a coupling member between the pressure lever 60, which
is pivotable about the pivot bearing 103, and the folding
and pressing lever 94. The connection is such that,
- during an upward movement of the pressure lever 60 into
the upper initial position shown, for example, in Figure
6, the folding and pressing lever 94 is at the same time
~ 13 - 132~127
pivoted into the fo~ding and pressing position. Corre-
spondingly, the movement goes in the opposite direction
during lowering of the pressure lever 60. The pivot
bearing 95 for the folding and pressing lever 94 and the
S pivot bearing 103 of the pressure lever 60 are arranged on
a common support, in particular on a suPporting wall 106
of the machine.
