Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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The present invention relates to a process and
apparatus for shaping, or improving the shape of oblong packs,
more especially cigarette packs, the blank parts of which
(flaps, tabs, etc.) are connected together by means of adhesive.
Oblong cigarette packs are generally produced from
paF)er or cardboard blanks. In this process individual flaps,
tabs and other parts of the blank are folded and joined
together in such a way that the packs obtain an oblong shape.
Before the present invention, as the folding operations
in the production of these packs are effected extremely rapidly,
the finished packs have generally not been provided with the
precise oblong shape desired.
The apparatus according to the invention for improving
the shapes of parallepipedic packs each comprising a wrapper
formed from a blank having flaps or tabs which in the finished
pack are secured to other parts thereof by means of adhesive,
the apparatus comprising a rotary turret, a plurality of shaping
chambers mounted in succession to one another in the circumferen-
tial direction upon the rotary turret, conveying means for
~0 conveying the packs and inserting them into the shaping chambers,
and ejection means for ejecting the packs from the shaping
chambers, each shaping chamber having two pairs of opposed wall
parts, at least some of the said wall parts being displaceable
and spring-loaded for exerting resilient pressure against a
pack inserted into the chamber and to maintain the pack therein
in the parallepipedic shape throughout a period which elapses
between the insertionof the pack into and the ejection of the
pack from the chamber, some of said wall parts being formed as
removable wedge-shaped members and being common to shaping
chambers which are adjacent to each other in the circumferential
direction of the turret.
In a preferred form of the invention, the apparatus
for shaping the packs is heated, at least in the area of the
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sloping chambers. The heating temperature used is such that
the glued areas of the packs set and harden faster.
Other features of the invention relate to the
construction of the sloping chambers.
The present invention will now be described in more
detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a part of a
; comprehensive packaging machine comprising a turret according to
the invention.
Figure 2 is a side view, in partial section on an . . . .
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enlarged scale, of a part in the region of the periphery of the
turret.
Figure 3 is another enlarged scale view of a radial
section in the region of an individual molding chamber.
Figure 4 is an axial section of a molding chamber
according to Figure 3.
The embodiment represented is intended for the
processing of cigarette packs 10 and, more particularly, of so-
called hard box packs. These packs 10 have already been produced
in a plurality of folding steps and have been filled. In this
process, flaps, tabs, etc., of the pack blank are connected
together in a conventional manner by means of glue spots. A
specific period of time is generally required for the glue to
harden.
In the section of a comprehensive packaging machine
shown in Figure 1 the individual cigarette packs 10 are supplied
by a known lifter 11, which will not be described in detail, to
an intermediate turret 12, which will also not be described in
detail at this point. The intermediate turret 12 is provided
with openable and closeable compartments 13, each designed to
hold two cigarette packs. One cigarette pack 10 is each time fed
into the inner zone of the compartments 13 by the lifter 11.
The intermediate turret 12 conveys the cigarette packs
10 to a turret 14 which comprises a plurality of radially
arranged molding or shaping chambers 15 in the vicinity of its
periphery. When the inner region of the compartments 13 is in
overlapping relationship with one of the molding chambers 15 of
the turret 14, the cigarette packs 10 are dislodged axially
from the relevant compartment 13 and are inserted in a molding
chamber 15.
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The cigarette packs 10 remain in the molding chambers
15 of the turret 14 with their, as yet, incompletely set or
hardened glue spots, until these glue spots have hardened and
thus until the shape of the ~igarette pack has stabilized. In
the present case the cigarette packs 10 remain in the respective
molding chambers 15 throughout virtually a complete rotation of
the turret 14. When the respective molding chambers 15 are
again in an overlapping relationship with an outer region of a
compartment 13 of the intermediate turret 12, the cigarette
packs 10 are removed from the molding chamber 15 in an axial
direction and introduced into the respective compartment 13. This
ejection operation is performed by a double push rod 16 comprising
two heads 17 and 18, the latter penetrating the molding chambers
15 and ejecting the cigarette packs 10.
~ he double push rod 16 i~ mounted on an actuating arm 19
which is, in turn, displaceable by means of a push rod 20 mounted
coaxially to the turret 14.
The molding chambers 15 have a special design. The
walls of these molding chambers 15 are in contact with the pack
in the region of the (larger) front faces, of the (narrower) side
faces and in the region of one end face of the pack. The walls
of the molding chamber 15 are disposed in a precise relative
position with re~pect to one another such that the cigarette
pack 10 adopts a precisely oblong shape as a result of its
position.
The individ~al molding chambers 15 consist of a rigid
baæe 21 which is formed on the side of the molding chamber 15
remote from the open insertion æide thereof. The end of the
cigarette pack 10 which iB inserted first into the molding chamber
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15 is disposed in contact with this base 21. The base 21 is
provided with passages 22 and 23 for the heads 17 and 18 of the
double push rod 16.
Rigid, radially inner and outer supporting walls 24
and 25 are integral with the base 21. These walls 24 and 25,
together with the base 21, form part of the supporting frame of
the turret 14. The actual molding walls, namely the side walls
26 and 27, are mounted on the support walls 24 and 25. These
side walls 26 and 27 consisting, for example, of plastic, are
in contact with the narrow side faces of the cigarette pack 10.
The side walls 26 and 27 are displaceably mounted.
For this purpose two push rods 28 and 29 are applied on each side
wall 26, 27. These penetrate with a support head 30 into a
recess 31 of the ~upport.ing walls 24 or 25. A pressure spring 32
is supported in the recess 31. The support head 30 of the push
rod 28 or 29 is in contact with the free end of the pressure
spring 32. The opposite free end of the push rods 28, 29 projects
from the rece~s 31 and is provided with a stop 33.
This arrangement, or mounting, of the side walls 26 and
27 ensures an accurate parallel relative displacement for
limiting the dimensions of the molding chamber.~ 15 according to
differing pack sizes. The resilient mounting of the side walls
ensures constant contact thereof with the lateral faces of the
cigarette pack 10. The stop 33 defines the inner end position
of the side wall~ 26 and 27. The supporting head 30 can also
be provided with differing dimensions to adapt it to differing
pack sizes (see Figure 2).
The molding chambers 15 are limited in the circum- .
ferential direction of the turret 14 by rigid, radially directed
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front walls 34. These each limit two molding chambers 15
disposed in succession in the circumferential direction. The
front walls 34 mold the two front faces or the front and rear
faces of the cigarette pack 10.
In the present embodiment, individual, separately
produced front walls 34, which are preferably made o~ plastic,
are interchangeably inserted in the turret 14. For ~his purpose,
the supporting walls 24, 25 extending coaxially in the circum-
ferential direction are provided with axially disposed grooves.
The front walls 34 are inserted in these grooves in an axial
direction by means of an appropriately formed extension 36.
In the immediate vicinity of the molding chamber 15,
the front walls 34 are provided with wedge-shaped widenings 37.
These are so designed that molding surfaces for limiting an
oblong molding chamber 15 are formed on each side of a front
wall 34. ~he dimensions, namely the thickness of theæe widenings
37 may vary according to the format of the cigarette packs to be
processed (see Figure 2).
The molding walls 26, 27 and 34, which define the
molding chamber 15 and are in contact with the cigarette pack 10,
are provided with feed chambers 38 or 39 on the edges facing
toward the insertion side of the packs. These chambers facili-
tate insertion of the cigarette packs 10 in the molding chambers
15.
The above-mentioned walls are also so designed and
disposed that the corner or the edges of the cigarette packs 10
are, for the most part, not in direct contact with the walls of
the molding chambers 15. As a re~ult, any glue leakage in this
zone does not come into contact with the walls of the molding
chamber 15.
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In the embodiment illustrated, the turret 14 and
molding chambers 15 are adapted to be heated within a range of
50 to 60C. This heating accelerates the hardening of the glue
arleas in packs 10.
The turret 14 is provided, on its radially external
and internal sides, with peripheral heating strips 40, 41.
These are arranged in corresponding grooves 42, 43 located
approximately centrally in the radially inn~r and outer sup-
porting walls 24, 25 which are therefore the areas mainly heated.
External heating strip 41 in groove 43 is provided, on its outer
face, with an insulating cover 44.
Strips 40, 41 are heated electrically through leads 45,
46 which connect the said strips to concentric slip-rings 47, 48.
Stationary brushes 49, 50 supply power to the said slip-rings
which rotate with turret 14.
In order to eliminate unwanted heat losses, the spokes
o the turret 14 are provided with discontinuities and inter-
vening, insulating connecting members 52. This ensures that the
heat produced in the vicinity of the radial, external ring formed
by molding chambers 15 is not dissipated inwardly through spokes
15.
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