Machine for producing substantially cylindrical articles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10856574-B2
Application number	US-201615767678-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2016
Priority date	Oct 19, 2015
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

Machine and method for producing a substantially cylindrical article, which comprises a tubular body, a container element, arranged in the area of one end of the tubular element, a heat generating element, partially housed inside the container element, and loose material for generating flavour; in use, the loose material is inserted into the container element, vertically oriented, and the heat generating element is partially inserted into the container element by being moved downwards, so as to obtain a combined element; subsequently, the combined element is at least partially inserted into the tubular body.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A machine for producing substantially cylindrical articles ( 2 ) of the tobacco processing industry; each article ( 2 ) comprises a tubular body ( 3 ); a container element ( 4 ), which is arranged in the area of a first end ( 5 ) of the tubular body ( 3 ) and has an end opening ( 6 ) facing outwards, at least one side wall ( 7 ) and a bottom wall ( 8 ) opposite to said end opening ( 6 ); a substantially rigid element ( 9 ), partially housed inside the container element ( 4 ) and having an end portion ( 10 ), which protrudes through said end opening ( 6 ) to the outside of the container element ( 4 ); and loose material ( 14 ), which is arranged inside the container element ( 4 ) between the substantially rigid element ( 9 ) and the bottom wall ( 8 );
the machine ( 1 ) comprising a conveyor ( 20 ) which is adapted to move at least one container element ( 4 ) containing the loose material ( 14 ) along a given path (P 1 ) through an insertion station (IS) and comprises at least one seat ( 21 ) designed to house the container element ( 4 ) and provided with at least one inner lateral surface adapted to be in contact with said side wall ( 7 ); an insertion assembly ( 49 ), which is designed to insert the respective substantially rigid element ( 9 ) into the container element ( 4 ), is arranged in the area of the insertion station (IS) and comprises a pushing unit ( 50 ) to push the substantially rigid element ( 9 ) downwards through said end opening ( 6 ), so as to partially insert it into the container element ( 4 ); and contrast means ( 51 ) to exert a resistance on the bottom wall ( 8 ) which is opposite to the push exerted by the pushing unit ( 50 ), and
a feeding assembly ( 54 ), which is adapted to feed the substantially rigid element ( 9 ) to the insertion station (IS) and comprises a transfer device ( 55 ) to move the substantially rigid element ( 9 ) in a transverse direction relative to the direction in which the pushing unit ( 50 ) pushes the substantially rigid element ( 9 ) through said end opening ( 6 ),
wherein the transfer device ( 55 ) comprises a first and a second half-shell ( 56 , 57 ), which are adapted to be coupled to one another so as to house the substantially rigid element ( 9 ) between them, and actuating means to move the first and the second half-shell ( 56 , 57 ).

2. A machine according to claim 1 , wherein said contrast means ( 51 ) comprise at least one movable head ( 52 ) adapted to move upwards so as to come into contact with the bottom wall ( 8 ).

3. A machine according to claim 1 , wherein the conveyor ( 20 ) comprises at least two jaws ( 58 ), at least one of which is mobile relative to the other, so that the jaws ( 58 ) can move from an open configuration to a closed configuration defining said seat ( 21 ).

4. A machine according to claim 1 , wherein the conveyor ( 20 ) comprises two jaws ( 58 ), at least one of which can rotate relative to the other, so that the jaws ( 58 ) can move from an open configuration to a closed configuration defining said seat ( 21 ).

5. A machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first and the second half-shell ( 56 , 57 ), when in the coupled configuration, have a passage opening ( 58 ) at least partially facing upwards; the pushing unit ( 50 ) comprises at least one pusher ( 50 *) adapted to pass through the passage opening ( 58 ) so as to come into contact with the substantially rigid element ( 9 ) and push it towards the container element ( 4 ).

6. A machine according to claim 1 , wherein said actuating means are adapted to move the first half-shell ( 56 ) through the insertion station (IS) and the first and second half-shell ( 56 , 57 ) together from a collection station (RS), in whose area the substantially rigid element ( 9 ) is fed to the second half-shell ( 57 ), to the insertion station (IS).

7. A machine according to claim 1 , wherein the second half-shell ( 57 ) comprises an upper portion ( 59 ), which is adapted to surround a first part of the substantially rigid element ( 9 ) and is provided with a passage opening ( 58 ) facing upwards and adapted to permit the passage of the substantially rigid element ( 9 ); and a lower portion ( 60 ) adapted to cooperate with the first half-shell ( 56 ) so as to surround a second part of the substantially rigid element ( 9 ).

8. A machine according to claim 1 , wherein the feeding assembly ( 54 ) comprises at least one feeding channel ( 61 ) adapted to convey the substantially rigid element ( 9 ) to the transfer device ( 55 ).

9. A machine according to claim 8 , wherein the feeding channel ( 61 ) is oriented downwards, so that the substantially rigid element ( 9 ) moves inside the feeding channel ( 61 ) itself by taking advantage of the force of gravity; in particular, the feeding channel ( 61 ) is adapted to house a column of substantially rigid elements ( 9 ) arranged one on top of the other.

10. A machine according to claim 8 , wherein the second half-shell ( 57 ) comprises an upper portion ( 59 ), which is adapted to surround a first part of the substantially rigid element ( 9 ) and is provided with a passage opening ( 58 ) facing upwards and adapted to permit the passage of the substantially rigid element ( 9 ); the feeding channel ( 61 ) being adapted to bring the substantially rigid element ( 9 ) through the passage opening ( 8 ).

11. A machine according to claim 8 , wherein the feeding assembly ( 54 ) comprises a plurality of feeding channels ( 61 ), arranged one after the other, and a distribution device ( 62 ), which comprises a deformable duct ( 63 ) adapted to feed the substantially rigid elements ( 9 ) to the ends ( 64 ) of the feeding channels ( 61 ) which are opposite to the transfer device ( 55 ).

12. A machine according to claim 11 , and comprising further actuating means designed to move a discharge end ( 65 ) of the deformable duct ( 63 ) in a direction that is parallel to the succession of feeding channels ( 61 ).

13. A machine according to claim 12 , and comprising sensors adapted to detect the presence of substantially rigid elements ( 9 ) inside the feeding channels ( 61 ); and a control unit designed to activate the further actuating means as a function of what has been detected by the sensors.

Assignees

• Gd Spa

Inventors

• Ghiotti Roberto Claudio Franco
• Federici Luca

Classifications

• A24F40/70 Primary

  Manufacture · CPC title

• A24F40/40

  Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts · CPC title

• B65B43/44 Primary

  from supply magazines · CPC title

• A24D1/22

  Cigarettes with integrated combustible heat sources, e.g. with carbonaceous heat sources · CPC title

• A24C5/00

  Making cigarettes; Making tipping materials for, or attaching filters or mouthpieces to, cigars or cigarettes · CPC title