Package making – Wrapping machines – Cover-wiping passage or pocket for initial wrap
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-10
2001-05-08
Gerrity, Stephen F. (Department: 3721)
Package making
Wrapping machines
Cover-wiping passage or pocket for initial wrap
C053S167000, C053S393000, C053S396000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06226960
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method of cleaning packaging machines, in particular cigarette packaging machines, which have conveying devices, folding subassemblies, in particular folding turrets, pack dryers, in particular drying turrets, and other devices, it being the case that pack contents—cigarette group—and blanks of packaging material run through the packaging machine for the purpose of producing packs. The invention also relates to a packaging machine and cleaning devices.
In the case of high-capacity packaging machines, in particular cigarette packaging machines, the cleaning which is necessary poses a particular problem. Stoppage times of the packaging machine result in considerable reductions in production. Added to this is the fact that, for many subassemblies, devices, etc. of the complex packaging machine, (manual) cleaning cannot be carried out sufficiently, if at all.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to propose measures for effective cleaning of a packaging machine without adversely affecting the operating sequences to any great extent.
In order to achieve this object, it is proposed according to the invention that, instead of the pack contents—cigarette group—and/or the packaging material, cleaning devices or cleaning elements be conveyed through the packaging machine.
The invention is based on the finding that contaminants occur, in particular, in those regions and/or on those devices which are in contact with the packs, the pack contents or the packaging material during production of the packs. The solution to the problem according to the invention thus makes provision to convey through the packaging machine devices, elements or bodies which are dimensioned a manner corresponding to a pack, the pack contents or packaging material. The relevant cleaning devices thus come into contact with the machine devices and elements which are involved in the process for producing the packs. On account of appropriate configuration or pre-treatment of the cleaning elements, the relevant machine parts are automatically cleaned as a result of the cleaning elements running through.
In the case of cigarette packaging machines, the cleaning bodies or elements may be cuboidal bodies of the dimensions of a cigarette block (cigarette group wrapped in an inner blank) or of a cigarette pack. Furthermore, according to the invention, it is possible for blanks of paper or paper-like materials with cleaning properties to be directed through the packaging machine, to be precise in particular together with the (cuboidal) cleaning bodies. These are treated, within the packaging machine, in the same way as the packs or the packaging material, the one exception being constituted by any glue subassemblies, which are brought to a standstill during this cleaning phase.
According to a further proposal of the invention, the packaging machines themselves are geared towards the cleaning process, for example by virtue of the installation of subassemblies for treating the cleaning material or the cleaning bodies. For example, it is possible for the latter, as they are being fed to a folding turret, to be impregnated or coated with an active cleaning agent.
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Focke Heinz
Steinkamp Irmin
Foche & Co. (GmbH & Co.)
Gerrity Stephen F.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Tawfik Sam
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