Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor – Means joining flexible indefinite length or endless bodies...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-19
2001-12-11
Osele, Mark A. (Department: 1734)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor
Means joining flexible indefinite length or endless bodies...
C156S159000, C156S502000, C242S552000, C242S553000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06328088
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device for splicing strips of thermoplastic material.
More specifically, the present invention relates to a device for splicing strips of thermoplastic material on a machine for conditioning packets of cigarettes, to which the following description refers purely by way of example.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
On machines for conditioning packets of cigarettes, the finished packets of cigarettes are wrapped in an overwrapping, normally comprising a sheet of polypropylene, to protect the cigarettes from the atmosphere. The sheets are formed from a strip of polypropylene, which is unwound of a reel and guided to a cutting station upstream from a folding station, and are cut off the strip, which is held taut by supporting and guide elements, as the strip is fed forward.
Given the extremely high output rate, and hence high strip consumption, of modern cigarette conditioning machines, these are equipped with automatic reel-change and strip splicing devices.
The reel-change device provides for replacing the running-out reel with a new one, and the splicing device for joining the strip on the new reel to that of the running-out reel and so ensuring continuity between the strips on the two reels without interrupting the wrapping work on the machine, which, pending splicing of the strips, is supplied by a strip store downstream from the splicing device.
Splicing the strips involves cutting the strip on the running-out reel and a surplus strip portion on the new reel by means of respective cutters, the respective blades of which are brought into contact with the respective strips and with respective counterblades.
Though satisfactory, splicing devices of the above type are structurally complex on account of the blades and respective counterblades. In addition to which, the blades require frequent sharpening and, consequently, frequent adjustment of the position of the blades with respect to the counterblades.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for splicing strips of thermoplastic material, designed to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks, and which, in particular, involves less maintenance.
According to the present invention, there is provided a device for splicing strips of thermoplastic material to splice at least a first strip extending along a first path, and a second strip extending along a second path; the device comprising first supporting and guide means for the first strip, and second supporting and guide means for the second strip, the first and second supporting and guide means being movable with respect to each other to bring together a portion of the first strip and a portion of the second strip; a heatseal block movable between a rest position and a work position to grip and heat seal said portions of the first and second strips between said heat-seal block and said second supporting and guide means; and movable cutting means for intercepting and cutting at least one of said first and second strips; said device being characterized in that said cutting means comprise a heatable element which is brought into contact with said strip to melt a portion of the strip.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2724426 (1955-11-01), Bell et al.
patent: 3610547 (1971-10-01), Anderson
patent: 3769124 (1973-10-01), Johnson
patent: 4815405 (1989-03-01), Young, Jr.
patent: 5273228 (1993-12-01), Yoshida et al.
patent: 5318646 (1994-06-01), Cardini et al.
patent: 5411223 (1995-05-01), Gatteschi
patent: 5618377 (1997-04-01), Kaneko et al.
patent: 5669998 (1997-09-01), Ward et al.
patent: 5863381 (1999-01-01), Magota et al.
patent: 19607495 (1997-09-01), None
patent: 2260532 (1993-04-01), None
Derwent Abstract of 19607495 Dated Sep. 18, 1997.
G. D Societa per Azioni
Ladas & Parry
Osele Mark A.
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