Package making – Wrapping machines – Cover-wiping passage or pocket for initial wrap
Reexamination Certificate
1998-02-25
2001-02-27
Hail, III, Joseph J. (Department: 3725)
Package making
Wrapping machines
Cover-wiping passage or pocket for initial wrap
C053S225000, C053S228000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06192654
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to apparatus for treating selected sections or regions of various commodities with a gaseus fluid. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in apparatus which can be utilized with advantage for the treatment of packets containing arrays of plain or filter cigarettes or other products of the tobacco processing industry. Still more particularly, the invention relates to improvements in apparatus wherein a rotary (such as indexible) conveyor is provided with pockets or other types of receptacles for commodities which should be treated by air or another gaseous fluid, for example, to avoid a defacing and/or other damage during transport along a predetermined path, e.g., for the purpose of effecting a setting of freshly applied films of adhesive.
It is known to transfer block-shaped (such as brick-shaped) packets, wherein arrays of, for example, twenty plain or filter cigarettes or other types of rod-shaped smokers' products are confined in so-called hinged-lid containers from a first conveyor (e.g., an endless belt or chain conveyor which advances freshly converted blanks of cardboard or the like past one or more adhesive applicators of the type known as pasters) into the pockets of a second conveyor wherein the freshly applied adhesive is expected to set, e.g., to reliably bond overlapping panels of sidewalls of successive containers to each other. The first conveyor can receive arrays of cigarettes or the like from a further conveyor wherein or whereon the arrays are confined in converted blanks of metallic foil or the like to form with such converted blanks a succession of brick-shaped assemblies ready to be confined in suitably configurated blanks which consist of cardboard or plastic sheet material and are folded and/or otherwise treated during conversion into hinged-lid containers surrounding the aforementioned assemblies. Certain overalapping panels of the containers are bonded to each other by a suitable adhesive which must be allowed to set while the mutually inclined and/or overlapping walls, flaps, tucks and other constituents of the freshly formed containers (packets) are held against any appreciable movement relative to each other in order to ensure that successive packets of a short or long series of packets will be imparted with identical sizes and identical shapes. All such operations must be carried out at an extremely high speed if a packing machine is to process the output of at least one modern high-speed cigarette making or filter tipping machine.
The next step in the making of customary packets of for example twenty elongated rod-shaped smokers' products each can involve confining successive packets in transparent outer envelopes of cellophane or another suitable wrapping material; such transparent envelopes are often provided with conventional tear strips serving to facilitate rapid removal of an outer envelope in order to afford access to the hinged lid of the packet.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved apparatus wherein successive commodities (such as hinged-lid packets containing arrays of cigarettes or the like) can be treated with a gaseous fluid in a novel and improved way.
Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which can promote the setting of adhesive serving to secure certain overlapping panels (such as walls, flaps and/or tucks) of hinged-lid packets or analogous commodities to each other.
A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which, in addition to enhancing the setting of one or more films of an adhesive substance, can also serve to prevent defacing of and/or other damage to successive commodities in the course of transport through one or more stations where the film or films of adhesive are to set in a predictable and time-saving manner.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved support for a rotary conveyor in a cigarette packing or an analogous machine.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which can subject hinged-lid packets or analogous commodities to one or more beneficial treatments in a small area and at a high frequency.
A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved method of assembling and processing a series of successive packets containing arrays of plain or filter cigarettes or other products of the tobacco processing industry.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved method of simultaneously (a) enhancing the stability and (b) preventing deformation or defacing of block-shaped commodities of the tobacco processing industry.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One feature of the present invention resides in the provision of an apparatus for treating selected sections of commodities with a gaseous fluid, for example, for treating films of adhesive between overlapping panels of hinged-lid packets with compressed atmospheric air. The improved apparatus comprises a support and a conveyor which is mounted in the support and has receptacles (e.g., in the form of pockets) for discrete commodities. The conveyor is rotatable (e.g., indexible) relative to the support to advance commodities in their receptacles along a predetermined path including a portion wherein the selected sections of the commodities advance along at least one portion of the support. The at least one portion of the support has openings arranged to direct gaseous fluid against each selected section of a commodity in the aforementioned portion of the path.
As a rule, the support is stationary, and such stationary support can include two components which flank the aforementioned portion of the path; the openings are provided in at least one of these components. It is often preferred to provide openings in each of the two components and the openings of each such component can be arranged to direct a pressurized gaseous fluid against one of two discrete sections of a commodity in the aforementioned portion of the path.
As already mentioned hereinbefore, the commodities can constitute substantially brick- or block-shaped packets for smokers' products, and each such packet can include elongated adhesive-carrying sidewalls. Each such sidewall constitutes one selected section of the respective packet, and the gaseous fluid is directed against the selected sections of commodities in the aforementioned portion of the path in a condition (e.g., at a predetermined temperature or having a predetermined moisture content) which is effective to promote a setting of the adhesive.
The openings can constitute gas-discharging orifices or ports or bores communicating with the receptacle in the aforementioned portion of the path for the receptacles of the rotary conveyor. The apparatus can further comprise a fluid-containing plenum chamber which is adjacent the support and communicates with at least some of the orifices.
The conveyor can be mounted in the support for rotation about a predetermined axis, and the support can include two discs which flank the aforementioned portion of the path. The centers of the discs can be located at (e.g., exactly on) the predetermined axis, and each such disc can be provided with a set of openings arranged to direct gaseous fluid against a discrete section of a commodity in that receptacle which advances along the aforementioned portion of the path. The predetermined axis can be horizontal or nearly horizontal, and each of the two discs can be provided with a surface which confronts the aforementioned portion of the path. The openings of the discs have discharge ends in their respective surfaces. The conveyor can include or constitute a wheel and its receptacles can include pockets which are provided in the peripheral surface of the wheel and extend at least substantially radially of the predetermined axis all the way between the two end surfaces of the wheel.
Each commodity can include a packet having a pair of at least substantially parallel sidewalls each constituting a discrete secti
Collin Jens
Georgitsis Nikolaos
Hail III Joseph J.
Spencer George H.
Topack Verpackungstechnik GmbH
Venable
Voorhees Catherine M.
LandOfFree
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