Molins Plc

Robert Howard Taylor

Thomas William Bailey

Peter A Clarke

Kerry Hierons

Neil Thorp

Leonard James Bryant

Michael J Cahill

Andrew John Cleall

Anthony R Brown

Brian Hill

John Dawson

Ivan Yehudi Hirsh

Stanley V Starkey

William M Buckley

Allen F Griffiths

Robert Antony Macgregor

Graham J Bright

John David Chandler

Graham Richard James

In a wrapping apparatus, particularly for enclosing articles consisting of or containing groups of cigarettes in wrapper material, the articles are received in a pocketed drum in which at least one overlapped region of the wrapper material is heat scaled. Preferably opposed side seams and an end flap of the wrapper are sealed, so as substantially to complete the enclosure of the article while on the drum. Side seal heaters carried by the drum may be mounted on respective annular carriers which are rotatably displaceable to remove the heaters from contact with the articles if the drum is stopped for an extended period. End seal heaters may be pivotally mounted on the drum and operated by a cam arrangement to fold an end flap of the wrapper into an overlapped position.

Apparatus for wrapping articles, particularly groups of cigarettes

Article wrapping apparatus for wrapping or folding a wrapper blank around an article which may comprise or contain a group of rod-like articles such as cigarettes, includes a wrapper blank former which simultaneously folds sides and ends of a blank ( ) by plunging the former ( ) around an article holder ( ) and subsequently plunging the article from the holder into the former. The apparatus also includes a housing ( ) for supporting a partially-wrapped article which is pivoted relative to an abutment ( ) so that a flap is swept into a closed position; and pivoted holders ( ) which are used to transfer articles between axially-spaced process positions on a process drum ( ). Folding operations may be performed during transfer to or from a pivotable holder ( ), particularly in a radial direction of the drum ( ).

Article wrapping apparatus

A packing machine comprising a rotary assembly ( ) which is adapted to receive articles ( ) travelling along a path which is adjacent one region of the periphery of the assembly, and means ( ) for receiving foil ( ) or other wrapping material, at a different peripheral region, the foil then being oriented in a tangential plane; the assembly further comprising means for reorienting the foil into a plane which is perpendicular to said tangential plane ( ) at a subsequent rotary position, where it is suitably aligned with a cooperating article wrapping means ( ).

Packaging machine with rotary wrapping assembly

A conveyor system for transporting cigarettes between a making machine and a packing machine includes a mass flow conveyor (,) for transporting cigarettes directly and a reservoir system (,) in which successive batches of cigarettes comprising portions of the stream on an input conveyor (,) are diverted when required into compartmented containers (,). Transfer to the containers is made by way of a plunger (,) and shuttle (,) arrangement which allows the stream to move continuously during transfer of a batch. Unloading containers to reform a continuous stream may involve use of a similar plunger and shuttle arrangement so that the reformed stream can move continuously on an output conveyor (,). The input and output conveyors (,) may be provided with retractable spaced partitions to bound the ends of batches of cigarettes transferred from or to the respective conveyor.

Conveyor system for rod-like articles

Apparatus for transferring rod-like articles such as cigarettes comprising a series of hoppers (,) which deliver rows of cigarettes to fluted planetary wheels (,) which are mounted on a rotating carrier and driven around a central drum (,), by gearing between the planet wheels and the drum. The drum is provided with pockets (,) etc each of which is three rows deep so as to accommodate the output from three of the planet wheels. In this way the cigarettes are grouped into bundles for subsequent packaging.

Apparatus for transferring rod-like articles

A reservoir system for rod-like articles such as cigarettes has a first-in, first out buffer conveyor with a variable capacity. The capacity of the reservoir is varied by moving a pair of guidestoward or away from each other. The guides support the conveyor belt in a spiral fashion from a lower input level to a higher output level to compensate for temporary fiddefences in flow rates.

Reservoir system for rod-like articles

Packaging apparatus

A reservoir system for rod-like articles such as cigarettes includes a control system which operates to monitor the maximum time any articles can have remained in the reservoir, and initiates a reservoir emptying cycle when necessary so as to avoid occupation in the reservoir by any articles in excess of a predetermined maximum time. The reservoir may take the form of a reversible conveyor for a stream of articles in multi-layer stack formation, or a module for storing articles in containers including a container loading, unloading and transporting unit. A first-in first-out buffer reservoir may be associated with the main reservoir, and may be provided by a variable length portion of a delivery conveyor leading to the reservoir.

Reservoir for cigarettes with maximum time monitoring

A cigarette packing machine comprises a series of individual cigarette hoppers (18) carried by an endless band (16), the hoppers receiving cigarettes from an input conveyor (15) in a receiving region and supplying groups of cigarettes to a pocketed bundle conveyor (22) in a delivery region. Each hopper (18) may be vertically movable, with its position controlled so that it occupies an upper position in the receiving region and a lower position in the delivery region. The hoppers may be vibrated during movement by the endless band, so as to promote downward movement of the cigarettes. Preferably each hopper has an associated transfer plunger (46) which is extended to deliver cigarettes in the delivery region, the hopper being lifted when the plunger is in its extended position and lowered when the plunger is in its retracted position.

Cigarette packing machine

A reversible reservoir for cigarettes or filters includes relatively small and relatively large capacity sections arranged in series with a drive for driving these sections at different rates. The small section is preferably arranged adjacent the reservoir inlet and is capable of buffering the main part of the reservoir so that the latter is not required to undergo high accelerations. The reservoir may be in the form of an elongated helix with an endless conveyor (2;102) passing around spaced columns of wheels (8, 10, 12, 14, 16; 108, 112, 114), one of the lowermost wheels (8;108) being bodily movable so as to be capable of imposing an additional velocity on the section of conveyor adjacent the reservoir inlet (7;107). The movable wheel is carried on a (36;136) which also carries a pulley (26;126) for the conveyer return run. Tensioning (42-50;142-150) for the conveyor is provided by arranging for the position of the pulley (26;126) to be adjustable relative to the beam (36;136).

In a machine for wrapping articles such as cigarette packets, feed rolls deliver a wrapper web onto a suction drum at a controlled speed which is less than the peripheral speed of the drum. The drum carries a cutter blade which cooperates with a fixed blade to sever successive leading sections of the web which are conveyed from the drum by a delivery conveyor moving at the same speed as the drum. Eccentric pinch rollers momentarily grip each wrapper section to assist separation from the web. The delivery conveyor transfers the wrapper sections to a further conveyor which conveys successive sections across the path of articles to be wrapped. The further conveyor has a lower run for diverting the leading portion of each wrapper section away from the article conveyor.

Wrapping articles

A device for inserting coupons in cigarette packets, in particular in hinge lid packets, includes a guide rail 14, 16 parallel to the packing conveyor 2 for raising the lower edge 11 of the inner frame 10 away from the cigarette bundle 6 so that a coupon C can be fed edgewise under the gap. A plough rail 48 may push down the inner frame on to the coupon after it has been inserted.

Packing machines

A machine for packing groups or bundles of cigarettes has a packing conveyor 15 on which each wrapped bundle 32 is laterally supported within an outer blank by corner tabs 12 of the blank being reverse folded at a station C before an inner frame 38 is inserted. The tabs 12 subsequently slide along a raised track 28, which extends up to a station G where the inner frame is applied, so that the inner wall 11 of the lid is kept upright. At a downstream station N is a rejector device for faulty packs, including a continuously reciprocating pusher 50 which is swung down into its operative position by a rib cam 76. One of the cam followers 80 is brought into contact with the cam during its dwell portion 77 by operating an actuator 88 to extend and align a pair of toggle links 84, 86.

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Coventry, United Kingdom

Robert Howard Taylor