Machine for forming filter bags for infusion products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11267597-B2
Application number	US-201816643802-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2018
Priority date	Sep 6, 2017
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

A machine for forming filter bags for infusion products includes a first carousel including a plurality of first stations for operating on pieces of filtering material. A transfer device transfers the pieces to a second carousel. The transfer device includes a first wheel, rotatable parallel to the carousels, and including units for receiving from the first stations and releasing to the second carousel, the pieces. Each receiving unit includes 1) first gripping and stabilising devices for retaining the pieces upright and positioned with a free head end directed towards the axis of the first wheel and 2) second gripping devices for positioning and retaining a tag on the piece, fed from a corresponding feeding station, to release to the second carousel the piece with a corresponding tag alongside the free head end of the piece.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A machine for making filter bags for infusion products starting from pieces of filtering material each including two free ends, respectively forming a head and a base of the piece of filtering material with interposed at least one chamber containing a dose of product; the pieces of filtering material advancing along a feed line, the machine comprising at least:
a first movement carousel for continuous rotary movement about a first axis of rotation and having at least a plurality of operating stations positioned along, and continuously movable with, the first movement carousel, each operating station being configured to retain and operate on a piece of the pieces of filtering material fed along at least one predetermined angular stretch of rotation of the first movement carousel, to obtain at least a lifting of the at least one chamber to an upright position;
a second movement carousel for continuous rotary movement about a second axis, parallel to the first axis of rotation;
a transfer wheel configured to transfer the pieces of filtering material from the first movement carousel to the second movement carousel; wherein the transfer wheel is rotatable continuously about a third axis of rotation parallel to the first and to the second axis of rotation in a synchronized fashion with the first movement carousel and the second movement carousel; the transfer wheel comprising a plurality of receiving units positioned along, and able to move continuously with the transfer wheel for receiving from the corresponding operating stations of the first movement carousel, and releasing on the second movement carousel, a corresponding piece of filtering material being formed after a predetermined arc of rotation;
each receiving unit comprises a gripper comprising two fork-shaped claws configured for retaining the piece of filtering material in an upright position with the head oriented towards the third axis of rotation; each gripper being configured to rotate between an open operating position for picking up or releasing the piece of filtering material, where the two fork-shaped claws are spaced apart from each other, and a closed operating position for retaining the piece of filtering material, where the two fork-shaped claws are close to each other, wherein the two fork-shaped claws of the gripper have corresponding pairs of end heads, each head having a transversal tab for retaining a respective lateral edge of the piece of filtering material and configured for defining a free central zone between the base and the head of the piece of filtering material.

2. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein each receiving unit comprises a supporting base for supporting the two fork-shaped claws, the supporting base being movable between a first advanced position, where the supporting base is away from the third axis of rotation, at least when the piece of filtering material passes from the first movement carousel to the receiving unit, and a backward position, in which the supporting base is closer to the third axis of rotation when the two fork-shaped claws are between the operating position for picking up the piece of filtering material and the operating position for releasing the piece of filtering material.

3. The machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a tag feeding station and wherein each receiving unit has a tag gripper for positioning and retaining a tag on the piece of filtering material, fed by the tag feeding station, in such a way as to release to the second movement carousel the piece of filtering material with a corresponding tag placed alongside the head of the piece of filtering material.

4. The machine according to claim 3 , wherein the tag gripper is independent from the first gripper and is configured for picking up and positioning the tag in contact with the head of the piece of filtering material at least before passage of the piece of filtering material with the tag to the second movement carousel.

5. The machine according to claim 3 , wherein the tag gripper comprises two claws articulated on the receiving unit; the tag gripper being positioned close to the gripper; at least one of the two claws of the tag gripper being movable relative to the other claw of the tag gripper between an open operating position for picking up or releasing the tag, wherein the two claws of the tag gripper are spaced apart, and a closed operating position for retaining the tag, wherein the two claws of the tag gripper are positioned together.

6. The machine according to claim 3 , wherein the tag feeding station includes an unwinding and separating device including feed roller and a cutting blade for unwinding and separating the tags and a pick-up device including a plurality of the tag grippers mounted on a rotary drum for picking up the individual tags and for feeding the individual tags to the receiving units in transit.

7. The machine according to claim 6 , wherein the pick-up device is configured for feeding the tags according to a direction radial to the transfer wheel; the pick-up device being positioned at a zone alongside a path of the transfer wheel between a pick-up zone of the piece of filtering material from the first movement carousel and a release zone where the piece of filtering material with the tag is released to the second movement carousel.

8. The machine according to claim 6 , wherein the pick-up device comprises two independent drums placed side by side and rotating about a fourth axis of rotation shared with and parallel to the third axis of rotation of the transfer wheel; each drum having a plurality of the tag grippers for picking up and transporting a corresponding individual tag from the unwinding and separating device to the transfer wheel; each drum being moved, in a discontinuous manner, by a motor configured to allow an alternating rotation of the drums in such a way as to position the corresponding tag grippers of each drum with a reciprocal angular displacement between preceding and successive tag grippers so as to constantly maintain a tag gripper of one of the drums in the proximity of the corresponding receiving units in transit with continuous movement.

9. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first movement carousel and the second movement carousel have directions of rotation concordant with each other and the transfer wheel has a direction of rotation opposite to the directions of rotation of the first and second movement carousels.

10. The machine according to claim 1 , and further comprising a further gripper for gripping and retaining in position the head of the piece of filtering material.

11. The machine according to claim 10 , wherein the further gripper is articulated by a kinematic unit of levers on the receiving unit and configured to rotate between a first non-operating position, wherein the further gripper is away from the gripper, and a second operating position, wherein the further gripper is moved close to the gripper and in contact with the head of the piece of filtering material.

12. A machine for making filter bags for infusion products starting from pieces of filtering material each including two free ends, respectively forming a head and a base of the piece of filtering material with interposed at least one chamber containing a dose of product; the pieces of filtering material advancing along a feed line, the machine comprising at least:
a first carousel rotating about a first axis of rotation and having at least a plurality of operating stations arranged circumferentially on the first carousel;
a second carousel rotating about a second axis of rotation, parallel to the first axis of rotation;
a transfer wheel

Assignees

• Ima Spa

Inventors

• Rivola Sauro
• Buscaroli Manuel

Classifications

• B65B29/022

  packaging infusion material into capsules · CPC title

• B65D85/808

  for immersion in the liquid {to release part or all of their contents}, e.g. tea bags · CPC title

• B29L2031/7122

  Tea bags · CPC title

• B29C66/1122

  Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints (B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65B29/028 Primary

  packaging infusion material into filter bags · CPC title