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(11) | EP 0 963 913 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Method for driving manufacturing machines,in particular cigarette packaging machines |
| (57) A method of driving manufacturing machines, in particular of cigarette packaging
machines, or similar, of the type comprising a plurality of operating units, that
act in combination and in a synchronized manner between each other to carry out manufacturing
steps and that are driven individually or in groups by separate drive motors controlled
by a central control unit, some of the manufacturing steps that are carried out by
at least some of the operating units being such that the stopping of the machine and
of the said operating units entails the loss or damage of at least the part being
manufactured in one of the said operating units or in the concatenation of some operating
steps succeding each other and that take place in additional successive operating
units. The invention foresees an abovementioned method in which the operating units
are stopped or started individually or in groups in cascade connection between each
other that is at least in part at different times. The invention also relates to a
machine for realizing of said method. |
[0001] The invention relates to driving method of manufacturing machines, in particular of cigarette packing machines, or similar, of the type comprising a plurality of operating units, that act in combination and in a synchronized manner between each other to carry out manufacturing steps and that are driven individually or in groups by separate drive motors controlled by a central control unit, some of the manufacturing steps that are carried out by at least some of the operating units being such that the stopping of the machine and of the said operating units entails the loss or damage at least of the part being manufactured in one of the said operating units or in the concatenation of some operating steps succeding each other and that take place in additional successive operating units.
[0002] In the manufacturing machines that carry out complex processes, as for instance in the packaging industry, and in particular in the packaging of cigarettes, or similar, the materials involved in the process, are processed along preset path along which the individual operating units are provided that carry out the individual steps of manufacture. In this case, for example in the packaging of cigarettes, but also in the packaging of other materials or in performance of other processes, there are operating steps, for instance the forming of a packet from a blank or similar, that foresee the step of applying a glue on predefined overlapping flaps of the blank and the subsequent folding of the same around the product or in shape of the product, superimposing the flaps on which the glue is applied.
[0003] In the event that a manufacturing machine of this type stops, at present all the operating units are stopped, even if with a preset deceleration that takes into account the inertial masses involved. However a stop of this type entails the interruption of the manufacturing cycles or of the manufacturing steps the orderly completion of which is tied to the fact that also the subsequent operational steps are concluded within the preset times.
[0004] In the particular case of cgarette packing machines, for example, the packets are made by means of wrapping a blank around an orderly group of cigarettes. The blank has overlapping flaps on which glue is applied before the phase of joining it with the corresponding orderly group of cigarettes and before the final folding of the packet, as well as the discharge of the same on a drying buffer unit.
[0005] In case of stoppage of the machine stooping together all the operative units of the same, in the path from the glue apllicator unit along the packet forming units up to the buffer unit, a consirable number of blanks or packets being manufactured are not completely processed, with the result that the glue has dried when the operating conditions of the machine are restarted the packets and their respective contents in the manufacturing process must be rejected. This does not only constute a loss of product, but generally also a considerable burden of recycling, to separate the paper, the metal foil, the tobacco and the filters.
[0008] Therefore the invention has the aim to realize a manufacturing machine of the type described at the beginning, in such a manner that thanks to simple and inexpensive devices it becomes possible to largely avoid the above-mentioned drawbacks.
[0009] The invention attains the above-mentioned aims with a manufacturing machine of the type described at the beginning, in which the operating units are stopped individually or in groups in cascade between each other at least in part in different times, the operating units relative to the manufacturing steps being stopped immediately that do not modify the pieces in such a manner to make them unusable if the subsequent step of manufacture is not carried out within the preset times and as the operating units that carry out instead manufacturing steps such to require the completion of at least an additional successive manufacturing step or more additional manufacturing steps in order to obtain a constant finished product or a product in a stable intermediate finishing stage kept active until the last piece being processed in the corresponding successive manufacturing step is cleared.
[0010] Advantageously, the operating feeding unit or units of the operating manufacturing unit or of the additional subsequent operating manufacturing units that perform work on the piece requiring further finishing work or up to an intermediate stage, lest the piece be rejected, are stopped immediately or in any case in synchroized times to ensure that the last piece in manufacture is finished correctly.
[0011] According to an advantageous form of execution, the method provides that the paths of the different pieces in manufacture be separated that are together or linked between each other subdivided in by-paths that wind between different operating units, as these are grouped for function logically in a by-paths tied to the completion of a sub-cycle of manufacture that leads to a finshed product or to an intermediate manufacturing stage in which the piecer or pieces have features of stability and non-perishability realitive to their re-use in the manufacturing cycle and for periods of machine downtime of standard length.
[0012] This allows to group together the operating units and to activate those of one or more groups or of at least one sub-group by means of a single drive unit. This simplifies considerably the constructive load of the installation and of the control cabinet reducing consideraby the costs and the constructive difficulties.
[0013] With reference to a cigarette packing machine comprising a unit to form a succession of orderly groups of cigarettes, a subsequent unit to form the inner envelope of foil or similar around each orderly group of cigarettes, with the associated feeding units of the foil sheet, a plurality of units of sub-work and/or simple transfer, a blank feeding unit to form around the orderly group of cigarettes wrapped in a foil sheet of a rigid packet, a unit for applying glue to the glueing flaps or wings of the blank, a unit to feed and apply the inner frames and or other elements to join with the packet, a wheel folding the blank to the finished shape of the packet, around the group of cigarettes previuosly wrapped in the inner envelope and discharge conveyor of the buffer type, it is advantageous to provide a synchronized stopping of the feed units of the orderly groups of cigarettes, of the blanks and of the sheets of foil in such a manner, whereby the last blank fed to the glue applicator is certainly still processed up to completion of a finished packet.
[0014] In combination with the machine stop features, the methods provides also for the restarting of the machine to follow the logic to start up the individual operating units in cascade and in a synchrozied manner between each other to avoid the rejection of pieces in manufacture or to minimize the same, in particular with the same levels or order of times provided for the stopping.
[0016] The features of the invention and the advantages deriving therefrom are better evidenced in the following description of a non limiting executive example illustrated in the attached drawings, in which:
Fig.s 1A, 1B and 1C show the entire machine and right hand and left hand side of a perspective of a cigarette packing machine, divided along the line I-I.
The Fig. 2 llustrates a representation in form of block diagram of the machine according to the claim 1, in which the individual operating units of the individual by-paths of manufacture are indicated and that can be activated and deactivated in moments of time different between each other corresponding to the principal of eliminating or minimize the rejects.
[0017] With reference to the Fig.s 1A and 1B, a cigarette packing machine comprises a first section (Fig. 1B) in which are provided an operating unit to form the group of orderly cigarettes formed by a hopper with three channels of descent 101 to form three layers of cigarettes superimposed on each other and fed in succession to a pluratity of housings 102 of a so called pocket conveyor belt 2. The orderly group of cigarettes are collated in such a manner that they already take up the correct position relative to each other and which they have to take up in the packet. The pocket conveyor belt 2 feeds in succesion in combination with transfer means 3 the individual orderly groups of cigarettes to a first forming wheel 4 in which the same are wrapped in a wrapping sheet to form the inner envelope of the finished packet. The wrapping sheets generally of foil are fed to the forming wheel by a group of feeder/cutter 5 that unwinds the same from bobbins 6 provided in section of the lower end of the machine.
[0018] Subsequently the groups of cigarettes are conveyed by the transfer wheels 7 and 8 to a second forming wheel of the rigid packet globally indicated with 9. The wheels 7 and 8 part from transferring the orderly group of cigarettes wrapped in the inner envelope, can also carry out further additional functions which constitute packing steps not strictly necessary, as for instance the joining of said orderly group of cigarettes with publicity cards or other manufacturing steps.
[0019] The individual blanks from which by means of folding and glueing the finished packets are made are fed to the forming wheel of the rigid packet. The blanks grouped in stacks P are picked up by conveyors 10 from a reservoir and deposited in stacks in the feed hopper 11 that has pick up/singularizing means 12 that pick up one blank at the time from the bottom of the hopper and deposit it on a conveyor 13 that takes the same first to an operating unit 14 for applying the glue on the flaps or on the wings of the blank glued in the folded and finished condition and subsequently to a station not illustrated in detail for apllying the inner frame and finally to a station 15 to join each blank with the corresponding inner frame with a group of orderly cigarettes wrapped in the inner envelope as well as feeding the assembly of blank, inner frame and ordered group of cigarettes with inner envelope to the forming wheel 9 of the packet.
[0020] This one in turn cooperates in coincidence with a discharge station with means 16 to transfer the formed packets to one or more discharge conveyors 17 that have at the same time also the function of a buffer for drying and keeping the finished packets in register.
[0021] As evidenced, the fulcrum of the construction is formed by the forming wheel 9 of the rigid packet towards which converge or from which depart with a starlike structure the line feeding the blanks, the line feeding the orderly group of cigarettes wrapped in the inner wrapper and the line of discharge formed by the conveyor 17 with the function of a drying buffer.
[0022] The wheel 4 forming the inner wrap forms a kind of sub-fulcrum towards which converge with a star-shaped structure the tracks feeding the ordered group of cigarettes, the sheets of foil and from which departs the line supplying the group of cigarettes wrapped in the inner wrap by the wheel 4 forming the said inner wrap to the packet forming wheel 9.
[0023] In the Fig. 2, for for ease of understanding, the groups of operative units are illustrated that can be, in case of stoppage or start up, activated or deactivated together without any scrap or reject or reducing the same to a minimum.
[0024] The group indicated with 20 comprises the units for forming the oredered groups of cigarettes and for transfering the same to the forming wheel 4, the said units are individually shown in the Fig.s 1, 2, 3. Said group 20 also comprises the wheel 4 forming the inner envelope and the feeding and cutting unit 5 of the inner wrapping sheets.
[0025] The group 20 is driven by a dedicated feed unit 21 that is equipped with its own drive motor and that is dynamically connected 22 to the operating unit 20.
[0026] Similarly the group of operating units 20 comprises the wheels for transfer and for execution of additional operating steps indicated with 7 and 8 in the Fig.s 1A and 1B.
[0027] The operating group 30 is also driven by a separate operating unit 31 equipped with its own drive motor and that unit is dynamically connected 32 to the said operating units 7, 8.
[0028] An additional group 40 formed by the packet forming wheel 9, by the unit for applying the inner frame and joining the orderly group of cigaretts 15, as well as the wheel 16 transferring the finished packets to the conveyor bands 17.
[0029] Also in this case an operating supply unit 41 is provided with its own motor and that is dynamically connected 42 to the units of the group 40.
[0030] Finally, an additional group comprising the unit 14 for applying the glue to the glueing flaps or the wings of the blank und the unit 12 of pick up and singularization of the blanks from the feed hopper 1. Each has its own moto and its own drive unit indicated with 51, 61 respectively.
[0031] The drive units 21, 31, 41, 51, 61, or more precisley the motors of the same are connected by means of a control line 18 to a control cabinet 19 that can be of any type and that comprises a management program of the stopping and start up phases of the machine and other programs for operational control of no interest in this case.
[0032] For example, in the control unit 19 of the programmable type are loaded the programs for controlling the drive units 21, 31, 41, 51, 61 and a protocoll on the modalities and the times for activating of said units with reference to the fact to avoid or in any case reduce to a minimum the materials to be rejected both during the start up as well as during the stopping phase of the packing machine.
[0033] In this case, as evidenced by the preceding description if all the operative units of the machine were to be stopped at the same time and not in times different between each other, one would obtain that the blanks to which glue has been aplied and that are distributed along the path to the packet forming wheel 9 and along the same up to the transfer unit 16 to the delivery conveyor bands 17, are stopped in correspondence of the intermediate operating steps, with the result that the glue drying times can no longer be respected and that therefore all the product partially processed in the path from the glue applicator unit 14 are bound to be rejected at restarting of the machine. This not only has an effect on the rejection of materials but also on the fact that before picking up again the correct cycle the machine has to carry out a considerable number of reject operations.
[0034] According to the present invention, instead, the stopping phase foresees the stoppage in succession of the different operating units that contribute to the correct making of the packet in such a manner whereby the operating units are all stopped only when the last blank to which glue has been applied has been formed into a finished packet.
[0035] In particular, the operating units on the side feeding the blanks and upstream to the gluer are stopped in the first place. This one will be stopped after having applied the glue to the last blank supplied, while the remaining operating units continue to be active, until the last blank has not been joined with a group of cigarettes wrapped in the inner envelope and subjected to the folding process as well as being eventually unloaded onto the buffer conveyor. At this point, the operating units still active have all been gradually stopped. The stopping times have been advantageously calculated in such a way, that during the restarting phase in inverse succession of the operating units, in correspondence to the forming wheel arrive at the same time and in a correctly synchronized manner the blank, the inner frame and the orderly group of cigarettes wrapped in the inner wrap.
[0036] Since in the present case , the cycle of manufacture relative to the operating units 20 and 30 do not require particular attention with regards to the fact that a product stopped in an intermediate operating cycle must be rejected somehow, these said units can be stopped last. This implies that along the manufacturing path pieces of the manufacturing succession remain present, that is the line remains full in any case. Therefore, to guarantee the coincidence of time of the first blank and innner frame with the orderly group of cigarettes wrapped in the inner envelope it is necessary to start in succession first the operating units for feeding the blank and the glue applicator and then in a second time and at a defined distance of time the operating units of the groups 20 and 30, as well as the packet forming wheel and the transfer one and the buffer storage conveyors.
[0037] In this case, therefore the control cabinet 19 activates and deactivates in succession, the drive unit 61 of the pick up/singularizing means of the blanks from the hopper, the drive unit 51 of the glue application means, then when all the blanks still in the manufacturing cycle have been transformed into finished packets, with the group of cigarettes inside and when the last of the same has reached the buffer conveyor the drive units 21, 31, 41 of the units 20, 30, 40 will be deactivated. In the start up cycle the drive units 61 and 51 are activated and in a synchronized manner relative to the coincidence of time of an orderly group of cigarettes wrapped in an inner envelope and of a blank joint with the two parts in the transfer station to the packet forming wheel 9, the drive units 21, 31, 41.
[0038] Obviously the example illustrated refers to a particular typolgy of a manufacturing machine and with a particular geometry of the path of the pieces in manufacture. The same inventive concept can also be applied to other typologies of manufacturing machines with different structures.
[0039] In this case, the analyses of the operations to be carried out will lead to the creation of the paths and by-paths and to a grouping of the operative units along the sub-tracks and with reference to the feeding by means of a common operating unit different from the one illustrated, but always logically analogous.
1. Method for driving manufacturing machines, in particular for cigarette packing machines,
or similar, of the type comprising a plurality of operative units, that act in combination
and in a synchronized manner between each other to perform the manufacturing steps
and that are driven individually or in groups by separate drive motors controlled
by a central control unit, as some of the operative steps that are being performed
by at least some of the operating units are such whereby the stopping of the machine
and of the said operating units involves the loss or damage at least of the piece
in manufacture in one of the said operating units or in the concatenation of some
operating steps succeding each other that take place in a number of successive operating
units characterized by the fact, that the operati units are stopped or started individually
or in groups in cascade to each other that is at least in part in different times,
stopping first the operating units relative to steps that do not modify the pieces
in such a manner as to render them unusable if the subsequent manufacturing step is
not carried out in preset times and the operating units that instead carry out manufacturing
steps such as to require the completion of at least one subsequent manufacturing step
or more manufacturing steps and those for the said additional manufacturing steps
to obtain a stable finished product or a product in an intermediate finishing cycle
being maintained active until the last piece in process in the corresponding succession
of manufacturing steps has been used.
2. Method according to the claim 1, characterized by the fact that the operating units
of supply of the operating units of manufacture or of the successive operating units
of manufacture that carry out work on the piece that make additional work necessary
to finish or up to an intermediate stage, lest the piece itself be rejected, are stopped
immediately or in any case in synchronized times to ensure that the last in the process
is finished correctly.
3. Method according to the claims 1 or 2, characterized by the fact that it foresees
different paths for different parts in manufacture that contribute to the formation
of the finished part and that the paths of the different parts in manufacture both
separately and in common or joint together, are subdivided in by-paths that wind between
the different operating units, as these are grouped together by function logically
in a by-path or along a by-path tied to the complete performance of a sub cycle of
manufacture that leads to a finished product or to an intermediate stage of manufacture
in which the part or parts have features of stability and non perishability with regards
to their reuse in the manufacturing cycle and for periods of downtime of the machine
of normal length.
4. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact
that the operating units are grouped together and that the ones of one or more groups
or at least a sub-group are driven by a single drive unit.
5. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact
that in a cigarette packing machine are provided a forming unit of a succession of
ordered group of cigarettes, a sebsequent unit forming the inner envelope of foil
or similar around each orderly group of cigarettes, with the associated feed units
of the sheets of foil, a plurality of units of sub-manufacture and/or of simple transfer,
a feeding units for blanks to be formed around the orderly group of cigarettes wrapped
in a foil sheet of a rigid packet, a unit for applying the glue to the glueing flaps
or the wings of the blank, a unit for feeding and joining the inner frame and/or other
elements to mate with the packet, a wheel for folding the blank into the finished
shape of the packet, around the group of cigarettes wrapped in the inner envelope,
and discharge conveyor of the buffer type, characterized by the fact that the synchronized
stopping is provided of the units feeding the orderly group of cigarettes, the blanks
and the sheets of foil in such a manner, that the last blank fed to the glue applicator
unit will certainly still be processed up to obtaining a finished packet.
6. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact
that the pick up and singularization units of the blanks and the unit feeding of the
same to the glue applicator unit are stopped first as well as the said gluer applicator
unit, the same being stopped in succession in such a manner that after the last blank
fed to the glue applicator unit no further blanks are fed and the said glue applicator
unit is stopped after completion of the step of applying the glue on the said last
blank, while further operative units required in order to obtain a finished packet
from the said last blank on which the glue has been applied are stopped when the said
packet has been formed and is in a cycle of manufacture that ensures the stability
of the product or when the same has been unloaded by the last unit of delivery or
storage of the machine, or rather has arrived in the operating unit relative to the
drying cycle and register.
7. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact
that it provides for the preperation of more parts intended to form the finished part,
or of more parts of the packet intended to form the finished cigarette packet that
are processed along by-paths, that converge towards the starting station of a by-path
for joining the parts and processing the same to obtain a finshed part and the operating
units of which are driven separately and at least in part in groups for each by-path,
as the by-paths and the path of discharge of the finished packet, or of the cigarette
packet are structured in shape of a star with the fulcrum or origin of the by-paths
in correspondnece to the said starting station of the by-path for joining and finishing
the packet.
8. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact
that a machine for forming rigid packets the fulcrum of the construction is formed
by the wheel (9) to form the rigid packet towards which converge or from which depart
with a starlike structure the line feeding the blanks, the line feeding the orderly
groups of cigarettes wrapped in the inner envelope and the discharge line constituted
by the conveyor 17 with the function of a drying buffer.
9. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact
that the wheel 4 for forming the inner envelop of the packet constitutes a kind of
sub-fulcrum towards which converge with starlike structure the by-paths feeding the
orderly group of cigarettes, the sheets of foil and from which depart the lines feeding
the the group of cigarettes wrapped in the inner envelope from the wheel 4 forming
the said inner envelope to the wheel 9 forming the packet.
10. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims,characterized by the fact
that the pick up/singularizing unit of the blanks, the conveyor feeding the blanks
to the glue applicator unit and the glue applicater unit are stopped in cascade, while
the units for forming the the orderly groups of cigarettes, the units for forming
the inner bundle around the group of orderly cigarettes, the units for joining the
the blanks exiting from the glue applicator with the orderly group of cigarettes wrapped
in the inner envelope and the units for joining the said two parts with the inner
frame and/ or other parts are substantially stopped at the same time, as well as the
wheel forming the packet by folding the blanks around the associated group of the
cigarettes and the units transferring the packets exiting from the forming wheel of
the same to a discharge buffer conveyor.
11. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact
that in combination with the features of the machine stoppage, it provides also for
the restarting of the machine to follow the logic to start the individual operating
units in cascade and in a synchronized manner between each other to prevent there
be rejects of parts in manufacture or for minimizing the same, in particular with
the same sequence or order of time foreseen for the stoppage.
12. Automatic manufacturing machine for realizing the method according to one or more
of the preceding claims and comprising a plurality of operating units to automatically
perform a succession of operating steps of manufacture, means to drive the operating
units and means to control the said driving means, characterized by the fact that
the control means are programmed in such a way as to deactivate or activate in cascade
the drive units of the operating units singularly or in groups that is at least in
part at different times, in such a way to stop immediately the operating units relative
to the steps of manufacture that do not modify the parts in such a manner to render
them unusable if the subsequent step of manufacture is not carried out within preset
times and the operating units that instead perform manufacturing steps such as to
require the completion of at least one further manufacturing step or of more additional
manufacturing steps and those for the said additional manufacturing steps in order
to obtain a stable finished product or a product in a stable intermediate finishing
cycle being kept active until depletion of the last piece in manufacture in the corresponding
succession of steps of manufacture.
13. Machine according to the claim 12, characterized by the fact that the operative units
are grouped between each other relative to their function as to the spacing in time
for stoppage or start up in such a way that they can be activated, at least in part
for each group of the same by a common drive unit.
14. Machine according to the claim 13, characterized by the fact that the operating units
are grouped according to by-paths of the global path of the part or parts in manufacture
and these by-paths lead to products in a finished or at least intermediate partially
finished stage, and the supply of the parts to manufacture are being stopped first
to those by-paths that determine a process on said pieces such as to render them unstable
unless additionally processed, the operating units of the by-paths asigned to the
further at least partial finishing processes that entail the processing of the part
in unstable or perishable condition into a finished or partially finished and stable
product being stopped last after the last unstable part has beenmade into a finished
product or in a partially finished but stable product.
15. Machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact
that the drive units are activated following criteria analogous to the stoppage.
16. Machine according to the claim 15, characterized by the fact that the activation in
cascade of the operating units foresees the activation of the operating units according
to a staggering in time corresponding to the one of the stopping cycle.
17. Machine according to one or more of the claims 12 to 16, characterized by the fact
that the by-payhs along which wind the operating units of the individual groups are
oriented in a starlike manner relative to a station joining, finishing and discharging
of the product obtained by different intermediate pieces joint to each other.
18. Machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact
that it is a cigarette packing machine.
19. Machine according to the claim 18, characterized by the fact that it comprises a unit
for forming a succession of orderly groups of cigarettes, a subsequent unit for forming
the inner foil wrap or similar around each orderly group of cigarettes, with the associated
units for feeding the sheets of foil, a plurality of units for sub-work and/or for
simple transfer, a unit for feeding the blanks for forming around the orderly group
of cigarettes wrapped in the sheet of foil of a rigid packet, a unit for applying
the glue on the glueing flaps or wings of the blank, or unit for supplying and joining
of inner frames and/or additional parts to associate with the packet, a wheel for
folding into the finished shape of the packet, around the group of cigarettes previously
wrapped in the inner envelope, and discharge conveyors of the buffer type, and that
the synchronised stopping and/or start up is provided for the operative units feeding
the orderly groups of cigarettes, the blanks and the sheets of foil in such a manner,
that the last blank supplied to the glue applicator is certainly still processed up
to obtainment of the finished packet.
20. Method of driving and manufacturing machine, in particular in the cigarette packing
machines. or similar, as described, illustrated and for the purposes shown.