Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
The presen-t invention relates to a device for guiding and holding cig-
arette batches in apparatus for transferring said batches from a conveyor
up to a machine for packing cigarettes into hinged-lid type packets.
According to what is known, the normal twenty-cigarette batches fed
to machines for packaging them into soft-type, or American, packets are made
up of two seven-cigarette layers between which a six-cigare-tte layer is in-
- terposed.
As shown in Fig. 1, such batches have a substantially rectangular
shape, symmetrical relative to the intermediate layer, and are provided - as
it will be better described thereinafter - with a structure which, during the
various transferring phases, proved to be sufficiently stable.
The machine for packing cigarettes into hinged-lid type packets can be
fed, as known, with batches s-tructured as shown in Fig. 1, as well as with
. batches structured as shown in Fig. 2.
' The structure of the batch shown in Fig. 2 is substantially obtained
from the structure shown in Fig. 1, simply by inverting the intermediate six-
- cigarette layer with one of the two seven-cigarette layers. This structure
is clearly less stable than -the structure of Fig. 1, but it has a particular
conformation suitable to the hinged-lid packet in which it is housed.
As shown in Fig. 3, the hinged-lid packet comprises a body 1, and a
lid 2 connected to the body 1 by means of a hinge 3. An inner element, or
'neck' 4 is made up of a central panel 5, and by two side panels 6. The
`~ inner element 4 is secured to the inside of body 1 in such manner as to ad-
~ here with its central panel 5 and the two side panels 6 respectively to the
front and to the side faces of the same body 1. The inner element protrudes
from the upper opening of the body to form - with lid 2 closed - a continu-
ous element between the body 1 and the lid 2.
~i From Fig. 3 it clearly appears that the two corners 7 of the inner
element 4 have been slightly bent, near the hinge 3, inwardly relative to
the body 1. This configuration facilitates the closing of the lid 2.
Thus it reasonably can be seen why the cigarette stack arrangement
shown in Fig. 2 is preferred: as shown in Fig. 3 the six-cigarette layer
lies against the rear panel of the body 1.
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Should the batch shown in Fig. 1 be housed into the hinged-lid packet
shown in Fig. 3, the pressing action of the extremities of a seven-cigarette
layer onto the bent corners 7 of the inner element 4 would cause the outward-
ly displacement of these corners 7, thus undoing the advantages deriving
from the inwardly bent construction.
Batches or stacks of the type shown in Fig. 1, when completed (for ex-
ample according to the Canadian Patents No. 792107 and No. 880136,) are se-
quentially fed - in a flap disposition - by a compartmented conveyor step-
wise advancing in a direction transverse to the cigarette axes to a transfer
station, wherein a pusher operates. The pusher is provided with a horizontal
and reciprocating motion in the direction of the cigarette axes, and with an
oscillating motion in the plane normal to the direction of said reciprocating
motion.
During each dwell of the compartmented conveyor, a cigarette batch is
~ ejected from the relative compartment by a pusher and transferred into a
- pocket of a multi-pocketed head, counterclockwise and s-tepwise rotated about
a horizontal axis.
When in the pocket, the batch lies with its lower longitudinal extre-
, mities on a first pair of horizontal blades secured to the rotating head.
- 20 Ihe introduction of the batch into the pocket is guided by a statiorary
plate positioned between the horizontal blades and coplanar with the latter.
A second pair of horizontal blades, parallel to the first pair, holds the
batch by acting on the upper longitudinal extremities thereof.
During the introduction of the batch in-to a pocket, the external side
of the same batch is guided, and then held, by a flat and vertical plate.
This plate, as described in Canadian Patents No. 996965 and No. 880136, is
secured to means which alternately move it toward and away from said exter-
nal side. The longitudinal extremities of the internal side of the batch
are held by two vertical plates secured to the rotating head, and between
these vertical plates there is provided a joining plate secured to the bed
of the machine, the joining plate acting also as guiding element during the
introduction of the batch into the pocket.
The rotating head - for example of the two oppositely disposed pocket
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type described in the Canadian Patent No. 996965 - is provided with two pliers
pivoted on axes parallel to the rotating axis of the head.
- The jaws of said pliers extend above and below the two pocke-ts and bi-
furcate into two arms, the extremity of each of which is provided with a
plate perpendicularly disposed relative to the development direction of -the
same arm.
During the introduction of the batch into a pocket, the jaws of mis
pocket are open, and they close at the completion of the introduction of the
. batch into the pocket. Thus, the plates engage the external side of the
batch, and on the two sides of the vertical movable plate. More exactly,
the two plates secured to the arms of the upper jaw will contact the upper
cigarette layer of the batch, and the two plates secured to the arms of the
lower jaw will contact the lower cigarette layer of the same batch.
The vertical movable plate is, therefore, free to retract, and the ro-
; tating head if rotated through 180, thus transferring the pocket to a station
wherein a horizontally reciprocating pusher operates. During the same 180
rotation, the other empty pocket will be transferred up to the position pre- -~
viously occupied by the first mentioned pocket.
The reciprocating pusher, in cooperation with a counter-pusher acting
on the external side of the batch, and after the opening of the jaws, will
- transfer the batch together wi-th a length of wrapping tin foil to the wrapp-
ing means of the packeting machine.
From the above it can be noted that the cigarette batches of the type
shown in Fig. l are guided and held - during the introduction phase into the
pocket of the rotating head, and during the subsequent transferring to the
wrapping means - by stationary and movable means substantially formed in their
entirety by four walls or plates, respectively contacting the two seven-cig-
arette layers, and the sides of the batch.
Such stationary and movable means have proved, in practice, to be per-
fectly suitable to their task, and sufficient for avoiding any displacement,
or sliding, or rolling of the cigarettes within -the batch.
It should be noted that the intermediate six-cigarette layer, also if
not contacting the stationary and movable means, is perfectly held - during
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the -transferring phases - by the two seven-cigarette layers.
Fig. 4 is a diagram of a machine for packeting cigarettes into hinged-
lid type packets. As above stated, said machine can be fed with cigarette
batches having the structure shown in Fig. 1, as well as the structure shown
in Fig. 2.
In said diagram, the reference numeral 8 indicates a hopper for feed-
ing and forming batches of cigarettes, the reference numeral 9 indicates a
compartmented conveyor means moved stepwise for transferring batches of cig-
- arettes to a station 10 formed by a head rotating about a horizontal axis.
From station 10 the cigarette batches are fed to a station 11, formed
by a head rotating about a horizontal axis, wherein said batches are wrapped
by a length of tin foil. From station 11 the batches are fed to another
station 12, formed by a head rotating about a vertical axis, wherein the
batches are provided, if required, with revenue labels, or advertising
pictures.
Station 12 is followed by a station 13, formed by a head rotating about
a vertical axis, wherein an inner element 4 is applied to the batches already
wound in the foil (for example as described in Canadian Patents No. 7074394
and No. 7071982).
In addition, the machine comprises a station 15, formed by a head rot-
ating about a horizontal axis, wherein the blanks 14 are formed in hinged-lid
type packet.
It should be noted, in particular, that the rotating heads forming
the stations 10 and 11 rotate about their axes, the first in a counterclock-
wise direction and the second in a clockwise direction, and that each has an
exit transfer position diametrically opposite relative to the inlet position.
The machine diagrammatically shown in Fig. 4, in that section compris-
ing the elements 8, 9, 10, 11 - i.e. those means for forming the cigarette
batches and up to the station for wrapping with tin foil the batches - has
substantially the same structure of the machine for packeting cigarettes into
soft type, or American, packets described, for example, in the Canadian pat-
ents No. 7004503 and No. 7077242.
It has to be noted that the machine shown in Fig. 4 will be provided
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with a station 10 having a jaw provided rotating head of the type above des-
cribed with reference to the soft type packet packeting machine, should said
machine be fed with cigarette batches of the type shown in Fig. 1.
Should the machine diagrammatically shown in Fig. 4 be fed with
batches of the type shown in Fig. 2, the batches are conventionally made as
described in the Canadian Patents No. 792107 and No. 880136. According to
what is known, and without any problem, also the transferring of said batches
from the formation are is made through the compartmented conveyor 9, up to
a pusher member having the task of transferring the individual batches into
the station 10.
The guiding and holding means used in the station 10 for the batches
shown in Fig. 1 (above described, and substantially comprising four flat mov-
able and stationary elements, two of which adhering to the upper and lower
- cigarette layers, and two to the sides of the batch) have proved themselves
inadequate and insufficient for avoiding shifting, or sliding, or rolling of
the cigarettes forming the batch of the type shown in Fig. 2. Ihis is true
either during the transferring phase into one of the compartments of said
head, as well as during the next transfer into station 11.
The main reason for the instability of the batches shown in Fig. 2,
during the various transferring phases of said batches, is the lack of guid-
ing and holding elements contacting the extremely disposed cigarettes of the
six-cigarette layer.
The movable and stationary side walls, inside the compartments,
should be integrated - for this reason - with filling elements laying on the
same level of said six-cigarette layer.
In other words, in order to impart to the individual batches a good
and constant control during the transferring phases for avoiding any possi-
bility of relative shifting of the cigarettes, it has proved to be necessary
to provide the compartments of the rotating head with a constriction with
respect to the six-cigarette layer.
It has now to be noted that, in the machine diagram~atically shown
in Fig. 4, for having a correct position in packets of the type shown in
: Fig. 3 of cigarette batches of the type shown in Fig. 2 it is a necessary
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condition -that said batches be fed to the rotating head of station 13 with
the six-cigarette layer upwardly positioned.
If consideration is made of the fact that each cigarette batch - dur-
ing its transfer through the rotating heads forming the stations 10, 11 and
12 - is rotated through 360 about its longitudinal axis (i.e. 180 in station
10, and 180 in station 11 - see Fig. 4), to satisfy the above condition each
batch must be fed to the first station 10 with its six-cigarette layer upward-
ly directed.
Such a disposition of the batch, together with the fact that the head
forming the station 10 is counterclockwise rotated, does not solve the problem
of the instability of the batch in the easier way, i.e. by positioning - for
obtaining said narrowing filling elements in contact with the extremely posi-
tioned cigarettes of the upper layer. Such elements would oppose themselves
to the rotation of the head.
The object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a rotat-
ing head of the type described with reference to a soft-type packet packeting
machine, and also used in hinged-lid type packet packeting machine fed with
cigarette batches of the type shown in Fig. 1 and which has guiding and hold-
ing means adapt to allow the packeting of the particularly instable cigarette
batches shown in Fig. 2.
; More in general, and in conformity with the above object, a further
object of the invention is to overcome the various problems arising from the
packeting by a machine of the type diagra~matically shown in Fig. 4, of cig-
arette batches of the type shown in Fig. 2.
These and other objects are all attained with the device, according
to the invention, for guiding and holding cigarette batches in an apparatus
for transferring said batches from a conveyor up to a machine for packeting
cigarettes into hinged-lid type packets, said packeting machine having a
rotating head of the type comprising a plurality of equispaced radially dis-
posed compartments, each compartment being formed by two pairs of stationary
plates, the plates of each pair being spaced apart in the direction of the
rotating axis of the head of a distance substantially equal to the length of
the cigarettes, and the same plates of each pair being spaced apart of a
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distance equal to the thickness of said cigarette batch, and by two pairs of
plier shaped movable elements in which the elements of each pair are coplanar
and oppositely positioned relative to the stationary plates of the correspond-
ing pair; a first, a second, and a third wall lying - during a dwell of said
rotating head - between the pair of stationary pla-tes of one of said radial
compartments forming the guiding and holding surfaces for the cigarette
~ batches, the first wall being tangential and radially movable relative to
the compartment, the second wall being radially positioned inside the com-
partment and facing said first movable plate, and the third wall being co-
planar with one of the stationary plates of the corresponding pair, said de-
vice being characterised in that said second wall com rises a stationary
part and a movable part, said movable part being secured to one end of a
lever oscillatable about a shaft parallel to the rotating axis of said head, -
and passing through an in-termediate point of said oscillatable lever; a link-
ing element being pivoted with one end to a projection of the first movable
wall, and with the other end to the other end of said lever, for imparting
an approaching and removal motion to said movable part and to the upper end
of the first movable wall, the upper ends of said first movable wall and of
said movable part projecting inwardly of said compartment.
Further features and advantages will be more apparent from the follow-
ing description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of the device
according to the invention, as shown by way of example in the accompanying
drawing, in which:
Figs. 1 and 2 show, in the direction of the cigarette axes, two diff-
erently structured cigarette batches;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a hinged-lid type cigarette packet,
containing a batch of cigarettes of the type shown in Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 is a perspective, and diagra~matic view of the various subse-
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quent members forming the wrapping line of a hinged-lid-type packet packeting
machine;
Fig. 5 is a front view of one of the members of Fig. 4 comprising the
device according to the present invention, taken in partial section along the
- ~ ~ line V-V of Fig. 6;
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Fig. 6 is a top view of the same member of Fig. 5, with some parts
removed for a better showing of other parts; and
Fig. 7 shcws the graphs, plotted relative to a common reference, of
the motion laws of important parts of the members shown in Figs. 5 and 6 dur-
ing one machine cycle.
With particular reference to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the above mentioned
station 10 is formed by a rotating head, generically indicated with 16.
The rotating head 16 is fed with cigarette batches of -the type shown
in Fig. 2, intermittently advanced by the compartmented conveyor 9. The
head 16, in its turn, feeds the second rotating head forming the station 11,
wherein the cigarette batches are wound in with the inner tin foil wrapper.
The rotating head 16 is supported by a horizontal shaft 17, exiting from the
bed (not shown) of the packeting machine, conventionally and intermittently
moved in a counterclockwise direction: shaft 17 makes a 180 rotation at
every operational step.
Secured to and coaxial with shaft 17 is a sleeve 18 on the extremities
of which two vertical plates 19 and 20 are secured, said plates 19 and 20
being spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to the length of a
cigarette.
The rotating head 16 is provided with two radial compartments, or poc-
kets 21 and 22 diametrically opposite one another and having an antisymetri-
cal structure relative to the intermediate radial plane. Compartments 21 and
22 are so dimensioned to contain a cigarette batch of the type shown in Fig.
2, and with the axes of the cigarettes parallel to the shaft 17.
By considering, for example, the compartment 21 (the left one as seen
in Figs. 5 and 6) with head 16 stationary, and by indicating with the same
reference numerals -the corresponding antisymmetrical elements of the compart-
i ment 22, said compartment is upwardly delimited by a first pair of rectangu-
lar, horizontal and coplanar small plates 23 and 24, respectively secured to
the plates 19 and 20, and downwardly delimited by a second pair of rectangular,
horizontal and coplanar small blades 25 and 26 (shown only on the left com-
partment 22) respectively secured to the plates 19 and 20, and spaced apart
from said first pair of a distance equal to the thickness of a cigarette
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` batch of the type shown in Fig. 2.
Fixed to the rotating head 16, and associated to each compartment 21,
22 is a pliers 27 the jaws of which each comprise two separate arms 28, piv-
oted on shaft 29 parallel to shaft 17 and supported on the extremities by
the two plates 19 and 20.
With reference, for example, to the right conpartment 21, the ja~s
of the relating pliers 27 project their own arms 28 above and belcw said com-
partment, and in correspondence of its extremities. -
The free ends of the two lower arms 28 are each provided with a small
10 plate 30 which assumes a vertical disposition when the pliers 27 are closed.
The free ends of the two upper arms 28 are also provided with a block member
31 chamfered on the side facing the compa~ment.
~- What has been stated for the right hand pair of pliers, is also valid
for the pair of pliers associated to the left compartment 22, with the only
difference that the plates 30 and the block members 31 assume, relative to
the corresponding elements of the right pliers, an antisymmetric position
with respect to the intermediate radial plane between the two compartments.
The upper and lower jaws of the two pliers are interconnected, res-
pectively, by a first and a second pair of springs 32 and 33.
The two pliers are further provided with an opening and closing move-
ment derived by conventional means, described in the above cited patent No.
996965 and operating as therein explained.
The cigarette batches of the type shown in Fig. 2, flatwise position-
ed and resting on the external seven-cigarette layer, are individually engag-
ed by a pushing means (not shown) reciprocatingly and transversally moved
relative to the conveyor 9, and oscillating in a plane nor~al to the direction
of said reciprocating motion, and transferred in the direction of the cigar-
ette axes into the right compartment 21 of the rotating head 16, now in a
dwelling condition.
At the beginning of the introduction, the seven-cigarette layer rests
' onto the blade 25, and the six-cigarette upper layer engages the blade 23.
The left side of the batch engages the edge 19' of plate 19, which edge has
; ~ a projection 19" at the same level of the six-cigarette layer, i.e. is shaped
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in such manner to be tangent to the three layers.
A movable wall 34 is further provided for acting as a guiding and hold-
ing element of the right side of the batch. Said wall has a profile specular
to the edge 19' and projection 19", thus contactin~ the three layers, and is
reciprocatingly moved in a direction normal to shaft 17.
The wall 34 is secured to a horizontal shaft 35, conventionally moved
as described in the above cited patent No. 880136.
During prosecution of the introduction of the batch into the compart-
ment, the leading extremity of the batch slides, after having overcome the
blade 25, onto a plate 36, secured to a support 37 fast to the bed of the
machine, and acting as joining element between blades 25 and 26, and coplanar
with the latter.
In this stage, as soon as the edge 19' has been overcome, the lower
portion of the left side of the batch is guided by a vertical edge 38 of
plate 36, said edge 38 being tangentially positioned relative to the two
lower seven-cigarette layers, while the upper six-cigarette layer come close
to a rod 39.
The rod 39 can be oscillated relative to said guiding position, and
is secured to the upper end of a lever 40, pivoted in 40' onto the machine
bed. The lower end of lever 40 is pivoted at one end of an adjustable rod
41, the other end of which is pivoted to a projection 42 of wall 34: the
lever 40 is thus controlled by the reciprocating shaft 35.
It is clear from the above that the wall 34 and the rod 39 are simul-
taneously operated, and they come close to and move away from the sides of
the cigarette batch, and substantially operate in a pliers fashion, control-
led by the reciprocating motion of shaft 35.
; Guided by these stationary and movable members, the cigarette batch
is thus completely introduced into compartment 21.
.~ In the final stage of the introducti on, the leading end of the cigar-
ette batch overlies the blade 26, while its left side comes to adhere to an
edge 20' of the plate 20, also said edge 20' being provided with a projection
20" so that said edge comes to adhere to the three layers of the cigarette
A batch.
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In order to facilitate the introduction of the batch into the compart-
ment, and to avoid jaming of the cigaret-tes, the various guiding elements
are provided with suitable chamfered portions on the sides along which the
introduction is carried out.
As soon as the introduction of the batch into the compartment is com-
pleted, the pliers 27 closes, and the extremities of its lower arms pass
through openings made in the blades 25 and 26, and approach the lower cigar- -
ette layer of the batch, thus carrying the plates 30 in contact with the two
ends of the intermediate and lower seven-cigarette layers in correspondence
with the right side of the batch. The two upper arms are simultaneously ad-
vanced, passing through openings made in the blades 23 and 24, to the upper
six-cigarette layer, thus taking the block elements 31 in contact with the
two ends of the upper six-cigarette layer in correspondence of the right
side of the batch, and of the intermediate seven-cigarette layer.
Shaft 35 is now controlled to make its backward stroke, thus removing
the wall 34 and the rod 39 from the sides of the cigarette batch.
Head 16 is counterclockwise rotated through 180, thus transferring
the compartment 21 to the discharging position, i.e. feeding ?osition, of
station 11, and the empty compartment 22 to the position previously occupied
by the compartment 21, awaiting a new cigarette batch in the same manner as
described with reference to compartment 21.
In the discharging position (left, as seen in Figs. 5 and 6) there is
provided a pusher member 43 secured to one end of a shaft 44. Ihe shaft 44
is carried by the support 37, and is reciprocatingly moved, horizontally
and radially relative to the rotating head 16.
The pushing surface of the pusher member 43 has the same profile of
, the plates 19 and 20, is moved in the area delimited by said two plates 19
and 20, and engages the right side (as seen in Figs. 5 and 6) of the cigar-
ette batch, thus transferring the latter, together with a length of wrapping
material (tin foil), into the rotating head forming the station 11.
A new cigarette batch is introduced into the empty com?artment 22,
A and the machine cycle repeated.
The graphs of Fig. 7 diagrammatically show, in function of the
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rotation degree of a common driving shaft (cyclic shaft), the motion laws
of the rotating head 16, of the shaft 35 to which are connected the wall 34
and the rod 39, and of the pusher member 43.
In the graph relating the rotating head 16, the portion coinciding
with the horizontal axis indicates the dwelling time of said head, and the
dashed portion indicates the movement time. In the graphs relating the mem-
- bers 35 and 43, the horizontal portions indicate the dwelling times, the up-
wardly directed portions indicate the movement times of the forward stroke
of said members 35 and 43, and the downwardly directed portions indicate the
10 movement times of the backward stroke of the same members.
From the graphs it can be noted that the shaft 35, after introduction
of a cigarette batch into the compartment, is briefly advanced (portion com-
prised between 55 and 75), thus pressing the elements 34 and 39 against
; the two opposite sides of the cigarette batch. This is done to exert a
stabilizing action on the cigarettes, and to avoid - during the closing phase
of pliers 27 - any interference between cigarettes and plates 30 or block
members 31.
As it appears from the above, the present device allows to wrap of
cigarette batches of the type shown in Fig. 2 by a packeting machine of the
20 type diagrammatically shown Fig. 4. More in particularly, the guiding
element 39 and the associated element 34 avoid, during the transfer of the
cigarette batch into the cQmpartment, any shifting of the cigarettes rela-
; tive to the batch.
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