U.S. patent application number 10/370454 was filed with the patent office on 2003-08-28 for method and a unit for feeding elements of sheet material to a product wrapping line.
Invention is credited to Bertuzzi, Ivanoe, Draghetti, Fiorenzo, Tacchi, Alver, Ventura, Maurizio.
Application Number | 20030160378 10/370454 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 11439941 |
Filed Date | 2003-08-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030160378 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bertuzzi, Ivanoe ; et
al. |
August 28, 2003 |
Method and a unit for feeding elements of sheet material to a
product wrapping line
Abstract
Coupons are fed from a supply station to an assembly station
forming part of a wrapping line, where they are associated each
with a relative product. The coupons are engaged along one vertical
edge by the lugs of a looped conveyor belt, pushed a set distance
along a transfer line sliding internally of a guide channel, and
released by the belt only after entering the assembly station,
where the single coupon comes to rest interposed between a product
and a relative wrapper blank.
Inventors: |
Bertuzzi, Ivanoe;
(Casalecchio Di Reno, IT) ; Tacchi, Alver;
(Bologna, IT) ; Ventura, Maurizio; (Crespellano,
IT) ; Draghetti, Fiorenzo; (Medicina, IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
The Law Offices of Timothy J. Klima
Suite 330
One Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington
DC
20001
US
|
Family ID: |
11439941 |
Appl. No.: |
10/370454 |
Filed: |
February 24, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
271/10.01 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B 61/20 20130101;
B65H 2301/442 20130101; B65H 5/028 20130101; B65H 2301/33 20130101;
B65H 2301/34 20130101; B65H 2404/232 20130101; B65H 3/085
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
271/10.01 |
International
Class: |
B65H 005/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 27, 2002 |
IT |
BO2002A000096 |
Claims
What is claimed
1) a method for feeding elements of sheet material to a product
wrapping line, wherein the elements of sheet material are conveyed
from a supply station to an assembly station and united with
relative products, including at least a step of pushing the
elements of sheet material along a predetermined transfer line and
through a predetermined distance into the assembly station.
2) A method as in claim 1, wherein the pushing step comprises a
step of intercepting and engaging in contact with the element of
sheet material along a first edge substantially perpendicular to
the transfer line, a pushing step during which contact is
maintained with a predetermined area of the first edge, and a
release step during which contact with the first edge ceases.
3) A method as in claim 2, wherein the pushing step is brought
about by maintaining contact between the predetermined area of the
first edge of the element of sheet material, and relative pushing
means.
4) A method as in claim 2, wherein the pushing step, at least,
occurs along a guide channel extending along the transfer line,
presenting a bottom track disposed substantially parallel to the
transfer line and offered to a second edge of the element of sheet
material, and two restraining side walls.
5) A method as in claim 4, comprising a step of feeding the
elements of sheet material from a supply, coinciding with the
supply station, to the infeed end of the channel, wherein the
feeding step comprises a final step of taking up the element of
sheet material and inserting it into the channel, thereby ensuring
that each successive element of sheet material can be positioned
within the channel.
6) A method as in claim 5, wherein the step of feeding elements of
sheet material from the supply to the infeed end of the channel
involves a first rotational movement about an axis lying remote
from the plane occupied by the element of sheet material, and a
second rotational movement simultaneous with the first about an
axis lying in close proximity to the selfsame plane.
7) A method as in claims 1 to 6, comprising a step, occurring on
completion of the pushing step and at a point coinciding with the
assembly station, of interposing each element of sheet material
between a product and a respective wrapper blank.
8) A method as in claim 7, comprising a step in which the assembly
composed of the product, the relative element of sheet material and
a corresponding wrapper blank, is pushed along a path extending
transversely to the predetermined transfer line to the end of
bringing about a folding and wrapping operation.
9) A method as in claims 1 to 8, wherein the timing of the pushing
step is predetermined and coordinated with that of the steps by
which the elements of sheet material are fed, picked up and
inserted into the channel.
10) A unit for feeding elements of sheet material to a product
wrapping line, by which the elements of sheet material are conveyed
from a supply station to an assembly station and united with
relative products, comprising pushing means such as will direct the
elements of sheet material along a predetermined transfer line and
through a predetermined distance into the assembly station.
11) A unit as in claim 10, wherein pushing means comprise relative
pushing elements capable of movement occurring cyclically between a
position of interception and contact with a first edge of the
element of sheet material substantially perpendicular to the
transfer line, and a release position at which contact with the
first edge ceases, along the transfer line.
12) A unit as claim 11, wherein pushing means comprise conveyor
means capable of movement along forward and return legs of a closed
path of which the forward leg extends substantially along the
transfer line.
13) A unit as in claim 12, wherein conveyor means comprise a belt
looped around two pulleys, of which one is power driven, and
furnished with a plurality of equispaced projections constituting
the pushing elements.
14) A unit as in claim 13, wherein conveyor means comprise a guide
channel extending along the transfer line and presenting a section
of "U" profile composed of two restraining side walls and a bottom
track disposed substantially parallel to the transfer line, of
which the track is offered to a second edge of the element of sheet
material, and at least one of the side walls presents a
longitudinal slot affording a passage to the pushing elements.
15) A unit as in claims 10 to 14, comprising feed means, associated
with the assembly station, by which successive wrapper blanks are
directed along a feed path transverse to the transfer line and
positioned in a plane substantially parallel to the plane occupied
by the element of sheet material, also a pusher device, positioned
to engage a product occupying the assembly station and capable of
reciprocating movement along a path transverse to the plane
occupied by the wrapper blanks, wherein the element of sheet
material is interposed between a respective product and a
respective wrapper blank at the assembly station.
16) A unit as in claim 15, comprising reaction means located along
the path followed by the pusher device, of which the function is to
perform a folding operation.
17) A unit as in claim 14, comprising feed means by which the
elements of sheet material are conveyed from a supply to the infeed
end of the channel.
18) A unit as in claim 17, wherein feed means comprise a rocking
arm pivotable about a first axis of rotation substantially parallel
to the transfer line, of which the free end carries holder means
pivotable about a second axis of rotation parallel to the first
axis.
19) A unit as in claim 18, wherein the rocking arm is caused to
pivot about the first axis in a direction opposite to the direction
in which the holder means are caused to pivot about the second
axis.
20) A unit as in claim 18, wherein feed means comprise take-up and
insertion means by which the element of sheet material is
transferred from the holder means into the channel.
21) A unit as in claim 20, wherein the take-up and insertion means
comprise rollers by which the element of sheet material is gripped
and positioned in the channel.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a method of feeding
elements of sheet material to a product wrapping line.
[0002] The invention finds application to advantage in the tobacco
industry, where the wrapping line of a packaging machine, typically
a cigarette packer or cartoner, is supplied with slips of sheet
material consisting in particular of "plain" coupons that appear as
a single leaf, or "folded" coupons that present at least two
mutually overlapping portions connected along one side; direct
reference is made to this same field in the following
specification, albeit with no limitation implied.
[0003] It is standard practice in the tobacco industry for single
packets or pluralities of packets to be furnished with a respective
plain or folded coupon at an assembly station located along the
wrapping line aforementioned; the coupons are drawn from a supply
which, in view of the size and architecture of the packer or
cartoner, is located at a given distance from the assembly station.
In general, the coupons are directed from the supply to the
assembly station along a transfer line by a conveying element that
retains the single coupons by suction and feeds them in succession
to the station, synchronously with the operation of the wrapping
devices.
[0004] Whilst the technology in question is simple and inexpensive
to implement, it presents considerable problems in the event that
the coupons fed to the wrapping line are folded, as the conveying
element engages only one of the folded parts of the coupon by
suction, whereas there is no positional control of any kind over
the remaining folded portion or portions and these are liable to
flutter freely, becoming detached from the portion held by
suction.
[0005] To overcome this drawback and develop a conveying technology
suitable both for plain coupons and for folded coupons, the prior
art embraces conveying elements consisting in mutually opposed
rollers or belts by which the coupons are gripped positively and
carried thus toward the devices of the wrapping line.
[0006] This type of conveying technology betrays certain drawbacks
nonetheless, deriving from the fact that the coupons can lose
contact with the rollers or the belts and become incorrectly
positioned along the transfer path. In the case of folded coupons
moreover, this loss of contact can result in the overlapped
portions shifting one in relation to another, so that the correct
folded configuration of the actual coupon is disrupted.
[0007] A further drawback stems from the fact that, in order to
avoid contact with the wrapping devices, the conveying elements in
question must necessarily release the coupons at a given distance
short of the aforementioned assembly station; this means that the
coupons are effectively pitched into the station and their flight
is difficult to control.
[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a
conveying method that will allow both plain and folded coupons to
be transferred with no problems whatsoever.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The stated object is realized according to the present
invention in a method for feeding elements of sheet material to a
product wrapping line, whereby elements of sheet material are
conveyed from a supply station to an assembly station and united
with relative products, comprising at least the step of pushing the
elements of sheet material along a predetermined transfer line and
through a predetermined distance into the assembly station.
[0010] The aforementioned object is realized similarly in a unit
according to the present invention for feeding elements of sheet
material to a product wrapping line, by which elements of sheet
material are conveyed from a supply station to an assembly station
and united with relative products; the unit disclosed is equipped
with pushing means such as will direct the single elements of sheet
material along a predetermined transfer line and through a
predetermined distance into the assembly station.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The invention will now be described in detail, by way of
example, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates a unit embodied in accordance with the
present invention for feeding elements of sheet material to a
station of a packaging machine at which they are assembled with
relative products, viewed schematically in perspective with certain
parts omitted;
[0013] FIG. 2 shows the unit of FIG. 1 in a schematic plan view,
with certain parts omitted;
[0014] FIG. 3 shows the unit of FIG. 1 in a schematic side
elevation, with certain parts omitted;
[0015] FIG. 4 shows an enlarged detail of the unit in FIG. 1 and
FIG. 3, viewed schematically and in perspective;
[0016] FIG. 5 shows a detail of FIG. 3, viewed schematically and in
perspective;
[0017] FIGS. 6 and 7 show a detail of FIG. 1, viewed schematically
and in perspective and illustrated in two successive operating
steps.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, 1 denotes a unit, in
its entirety, for feeding elements 2 of sheet material to a
packaging machine of which the drawings show a wrapping line 3.
[0019] More exactly, the elements 2 of sheet material present a
substantially rectangular outline and consist in coupons of either
"plain" or "folded" type, which are drawn from a supply 4 serving
as a distribution station and consisting in a stack 5 of the
elements 2 of sheet material. The elements 2 are taken up by
respective feed means 6 and placed at the infeed end of a transfer
line 7 extending along a substantially horizontal first feed path
P1 toward an assembly station 8 located at the entry point of the
wrapping line 3.
[0020] This same assembly station 8 is in receipt of substantially
parallelepiped products 9, appearing in the example of the drawings
as single packets of cigarettes 10 ordered into groups and directed
thus along a second feed path P2 substantially parallel to the
first feed path P1.
[0021] Also directed into the assembly station 8, along a
substantially vertical third path P3 and through the agency of
respective feed means 11, are single sheets of wrapping material
consisting in diecut blanks 12 taken from a stack 13 and destined
each to provide the wrapper for a respective carton 14 emerging
from the wrapping line 3, which extends along a substantially
horizontal fourth path P4 transverse to the first and second paths
P1 and P2. The products 9 and the relative wrapper blanks 12 are
brought together at the assembly station 8, positioned one facing
another transversely to the wrapping line 3.
[0022] Observing FIGS. 1 to 5 it will be seen that the feed means 6
comprise a rocking arm 15 anchored pivotably at one end to a shaft
16 of which the axis 17 extends parallel to the first feed path P1,
mounted to a frame 18 and capable thus of angular movement about
the axis 17 through the agency of a first motor 19 connected to the
shaft 16 by way of a mechanical linkage 19a (FIGS. 2 and 5),
between a first raised position indicated by solid lines in FIG. 3,
and a second lowered position indicated by phantom lines in FIG.
3.
[0023] The free end of the arm 15 carries a pneumatic holder 20
mounted to a respective shaft 21 of which the axis 22 extends
parallel to the axis 17 first mentioned. The holder 20 consists in
a block 23 keyed to the free end of the shaft 21 and equipped with
a plurality of suction cups 24 able to attract and retain the
elements 2 of sheet material.
[0024] Referring to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 in particular, the rocking arm
15 incorporates a first drive 25 comprising a wheel 26 mounted
rotatably to the one shaft 16 and fixed relative to the frame 18,
also a pulley 27 (FIG. 4) keyed to the other shaft 21 and free to
rotate relative to the arm 15.
[0025] The same first drive 25 also comprises a belt 28, looped
around the wheel 26 and the pulley 27 and tensioned by a jockey
roller 29. The arrangement of the drive 25 is such that in
operation, when the shaft 16 is made to rotate (clockwise in FIG.
3) by the first motor 19 about the relative axis 17, which lies
remote from the plane occupied by the element 2 of sheet material,
the wheel 26 remains stationary whilst the arm 15 is caused to
rock, and the resulting movement induced in the belt 28 thus causes
the pulley 27 to rotate (counterclockwise in FIG. 3) about the
corresponding axis 22, which lies substantially parallel to the
plane occupied by the element 2 of sheet material.
[0026] The function of the wheel 26, accordingly, is to determine
the orientation of the block 23 relative to the corresponding axis
22 whenever the shaft 16 is set in rotation.
[0027] The pulley 27, being keyed to the shaft 21 as mentioned
previously, causes the block 23 also to rotate in the same
counterclockwise direction and to move, as the arm 15 rotates, from
the position illustrated by solid lines in FIG. 3, in which the
suction cups 24 actively engage the bottom of the stack 5, to the
position illustrated by phantom lines in FIG. 3 in which the
element 2 of sheet material is positioned vertically over the
transfer line 7.
[0028] As discernible in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the feed means 6 also
include take-up and insertion means 30 serving to carry out a final
step of transferring the elements 2 of sheet material from the
suction cups 24 into a guide channel 31 extending along the feed
path P1 followed by the transfer line 7.
[0029] The take-up and insertion means 30 comprise a first pair of
rollers 32 mounted to the opposite ends of a shaft 33 extending
parallel to the first path P1, carried between a pair of uprights
34 supported on the frame 18, and a second pair of rollers 35
mounted freely to respective pivots 36 carried by the selfsame
uprights 34 and operating in conjunction with the first rollers 32
in such a way as to take up the element 2 of sheet material from
the suction cups 24, with the aid also of a chute denoted 37, and
insert it into an infeed end of the guide channel 31.
[0030] The channel 31 presents a profile substantially of "U" shape
when seen in section, composed of a front side wall 38, a bottom
track 39 and a rear side wall 40 (FIGS. 1 and 2), extending from
the infeed end through a predetermined distance as far as the
assembly station 8, of which the front side wall 38 affords a slot
41 disposed parallel to the first feed path P1.
[0031] Following the final transfer step effected by the rollers 32
and 35, the element 2 of sheet material occupies the guide channel
31 with a first edge 2a disposed perpendicular to the bottom track
39 of the selfsame channel, addressing the infeed end, and a second
edge 2b in contact with the track 39.
[0032] Observing FIGS. 1 to 4, the unit 1 comprises pushing means
42 positioned alongside the guide channel 31, such as will maneuver
each element 2 of sheet material along the transfer line 7 from the
infeed end of the channel 31 to the assembly station 8.
[0033] The pushing means 42 in question include conveyor means 43,
describing and capable of movement along a closed path comprising a
forward leg that extends the full length of the channel 31. In
particular, the conveyor means 43 incorporate a belt 44 looped
around two pulleys of which one, denoted 45, is positioned at the
infeed end of the channel 31 and mounted to the vertically disposed
shaft 46 of a second motor 47, and the other, denoted 48, is
positioned near the assembly station 8 and mounted to a shaft 49
disposed parallel to the shaft 46 of the motor 47.
[0034] The looped belt 44 is furnished with pushing elements
appearing as equispaced projections 50, and disposed with one
branch 51, extending along the aforementioned forward leg of the
looped path, that runs breasted with and along the slot 41 in such
a way that the projections 50 are able to pass internally of the
channel 31. The pushing elements afforded by the projections 50 are
set in motion cyclically between a position of interception and
contact with the aforementioned first edge 2a of an element 2
positioned at the infeed end of the guide channel 31, and a
position coinciding substantially with the assembly station 8, at
which the element 2 is released when contact between the projection
50 and the first edge 2a of the element 2 ceases.
[0035] It will be observed (referring to FIG. 2), that the rollers
32 are set in rotation by the first motor 19, independently of the
second motor 47, through the agency of a second drive denoted 52,
and (referring to FIGS. 1, 6 and 7) that the assembly station 8 is
equipped with a push rod 53 reciprocating along the fourth path P4
and serving to advance each product 9 together with a relative
wrapper blank 12, between which an element 2 of sheet material is
inserted transversely to the wrapping line 3. Entry to the assembly
station 8 is afforded by a pair of walls 54 and 55 positioned
respectively above and below the wrapping line 3, combining to
function as the mouth 56 of a folding tunnel, and consequently as
reaction means with which the group of packets 10 and the
respective blank 12 are caused to interact after an element 2 of
sheet material has been interposed between them. Thereafter, as
readily discernible from FIG. 1, the operation of folding the blank
12 around the packets 10 and the element 2 of sheet material is
completed along the wrapping line 3 by conventional folder means
not illustrated in the drawings.
[0036] The operation of the unit will be obvious to a person
skilled in the art having read the foregoing description.
[0037] It may usefully be reiterated nonetheless that, once the
first edge 2a presented by the element 2 of sheet material is
engaged by a projection 50 on the belt 44 of the conveyor means 43,
a situation of constant contact is established between the first
edge 2a of the element 2 and the relative projection 50, resulting
in a pushing action that continues along the entire length of the
transfer line 7 from the infeed end of the channel 31 to the
assembly station 8, terminating only at the release position when
contact between the edge 2a and the projection 50 can no longer be
maintained.
* * * * *