Package making – Methods – Opening only
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-14
2001-09-11
Gerrity, Stephen F. (Department: 3721)
Package making
Methods
Opening only
C053S381200, C053S389100, C083S091000, C083S909000, C271S031100, C271S150000, C414S412000, C414S801000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06286292
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a method of feeding blanks on a packing machine.
The present invention may be used to advantage on cigarette packing machines, to which the following description refers purely by way of example.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Known cigarette packing machines normally comprise a blank feed device of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,834, wherein a substantially vertical feed channel houses a stack of blanks and terminates with a stop surface defined by a frame having a withdrawal opening closed partly by fixed teeth to retain the blanks inside the channel.
A suction pickup device engages the withdrawal opening cyclically to withdraw and feed the bottom blank in the stack to a follow-up operating unit on the packing machine.
The blanks are stocked close to the packing machine in groups of superimposed blanks held together by normally cardboard bands; and, according to one known method, the band of each group is removed before loading the group inside the feed channel. Once the band is removed, however, the group is unstable and is especially difficult to insert inside the feed channel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of feeding blanks on a packing machine, designed to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks, and which at the same time is straightforward and cheap to implement.
According to the present invention, there is provided a method of feeding blanks on a packing machine, the method comprising the steps of feeding, to an input station of a store having a horizontal axis, said blanks positioned perpendicular to said axis and arranged in groups, each of which has a respective retaining band extending about the group; feeding said groups along said store and towards a pickup station so as to pack said groups one against the other; removing said bands to form, in said store, a succession of blanks terminating at said pickup station; and withdrawing said blanks one by one from said pickup station.
The present invention also relates to a device for feeding blanks on a packing machine.
According to the present invention, there is provided a device for feeding blanks on a packing machine, the device comprising a store for housing said blanks and which has a horizontal axis, and an input station and a pickup station at opposite ends of the store; a supply device for supplying said input station with said blanks positioned perpendicular to the axis of the store and arranged in groups, each of which has a respective retaining band extending about the group; conveying means for feeding said groups along said store and towards said pickup station, so as to pack said groups one against the other; removing means for removing said bands to form, in said store, a succession of blanks terminating at said pickup station; and a pickup device for withdrawing said blanks one by one from said pickup station.
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Carini Franco
Spatafora Mario
G.D Societa' Per Azioni
Gerrity Stephen F.
Marshall O'Toole Gerstein Murray & Borun
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